Ginger and Silveroller at Signature Brew London Words and Pictures by Dawn Osborne

As I go in I am extremely lucky to see Maggie Ginger’s lovely black and white sheepdog and give her a quick rub on the head. She is being well looked after with friends/family. This is the first time I have seen The Wildhearts since Ginger was diagnosed with the very serious condition MCL and so, obviously everyone is concerned and hopes he can be as well as possible. By the time I leave I am in no doubt that although Ginger has “Strength” tattooed on his arm, he has “Brave” tattooed on his soul.

Warming up the stage are Silveroller, a favourite of mine, who happen to be from Liverpool where I was born. At first sight their Black Crowes/Faces/Bad Company style of Rock ‘n’ Roll might not seem a natural fit with the Wildhearts who can be very heavy, but Ginger did, of course, start out in the Queerboys, then Quireboys and still keeps his Stones-style polka dot scarf on his mike stand. If any of the crowd did have reservations, they were soon dispelled by the musicianship and style of these boys who are, after all, from arguably the most consequential city for music in the world. Singer Jonnie Hodson is no shy and retiring flower and after he launches his smooth mike stand moves on the crowd and the band shows, that despite looking so young, they have the chops of a band twice their age, the audience begins to show their appreciation. ‘Hard To Handle’ The Black Crowes cover is slipped in early, so the crowd have something they know to catch onto: it’s a song that’s hard not to sing along to, and delivering a fantastic version certainly helps cements a bond with the crowd.

Even for those of us who already know and love Silveroller we get a new song ‘Let Me Down Slow’ which is only a couple of weeks old. It’s slower and heavier and has a sort of Gospel-y theme with a refrain of “Bless My Soul”.

As the band start to relax into it they do a corking version of ‘Come On, Come In’, played like old souls, and new guitarist Sammy Murdock shines. Followed by the groovin’ ‘Black Crow’ it seems like they are just starting to pump like a steam train when it’s almost time to stop. New single ‘Trouble’ has Hodson on harmonica. I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but it seems to have a slower burn tonight.

The melodic ‘Other Side’ starts with a bit of slide guitar and finally we got a short drum solo and ‘Silver Sun’. Hodson lifts his mike stand high into the air and it’s all over. They’re hoping to do a headlining tour at some point after they finish an album, so catch them then. Everyone I know that has seen them loves them.

The Wildhearts take the stage energetically and, if we did not know what we do, I don’t think anyone would have known anything different from usual. They start off with the multi-faceted ‘Failure Is The Mother of Success’ from the latest album which is a little like a Wildhearts symphony itself, comprises of several movements ….and very noisy! ‘Nothing Ever Changes’ also contrasts the heavy with melodic. I recall too late that, as professional cameras were not allowed in tonight, I have left my ear plugs in my camera bag and so experience everything full volume. The whole place is clapping already, primed for the show.

Ginger greets the crowd, saying this venue out at Blackhorse Road didn’t seem like London as there had been “no c*nts all day, no parking fines and everything has worked!” He tells the crowd that the best thing, however, is that they are all here when there’s billions of other things to do in London that night. ‘Sleepaway”’s up next and I realise that tonight is not a sad occasion, it is a celebration!

‘Mazel Tov Cocktail’ with its gang vocal chorus allows the crowd to really let rip and I enjoy the beautiful North Eastern pronunciation of “Shin-in’ ” as I always do. Before ‘Vernix’ Ginger explains how much he likes to exercise his band as it’s not an easy one to play, another speed-change-fest! Ginger is smiling, enjoying the ride. He asks for lights up to see the audience and is in the mood to jest “what a good lookin’ audience .. not every one of you of course, but most of you”. He introduces ‘Maintain Radio Silence’ as his favourite song that they do live.

Ginger tells the crowd he’s had a few drinks tonight and he feels fine, but his guitars a bit drunk. He chuckles as he recalls, introducing the ‘Cheers’ theme song, that DJ Chris Moyles said he was going to play that song every day until it was number one, but every time he played it the record fell down the charts. “It’s from our hearts to yours”. People are seriously bopping to this one. Then the bangin’ ‘Splitter’ leads to the biggest mosh so far of the night.

Ginger is clearly happy to announce that they’ve been recording a new album and asks if the crowd mind if he does a new song. When the crowd shouts ‘yes’ he teases them “you said yes, so you DO mind?” They do, nevertheless, play ‘Spider Beach’. It was played at London Islington the last time I saw the Wildhearts, so I am familiar with its classicly-catchy-quintessentially-Wildhearts sound. Ginger says “God Bless Ya’” when it goes down well.

It’s back to the classic with ‘Everlone’ and, with the jumps the band do in every chorus, ya would think they were decades more young. The crowd are going mad and it becomes a bit rough at the front, so I hold onto my hat right through the Riffs medley and ‘Slaughtered Authors’.

‘Diagnosis’ is, of course, especially poignant tonight: for the first time existential. More than usual I pause to enjoy Ginger’s pronunciation of “human be-in’” and it’s effortless melody.

Before the finale of the main set ‘Chutzpah!’ Ginger says it’s been a special evening. Someone shouts “I f*ckin love you!” and he replies “I f*ckin’ love you too. Thank you for the years and years of service. See you all somehow, somewhere. We all know that there’s more to life than the physical plane” being the only time he referenced his recent announcement that he is estimated to have 2-3 more years. After they leave the stage spontaneously the crowd bursts into “don’t worry ‘bout me..I’ll be alright”. When he comes back for the encore Ginger responds “You beautiful bastards, thank you.” My favourite the irrepressible “My Baby Is A Headfuck” ensued and Ginger did a fine guitar solo as an extra flourish in the middle.

Ginger seemed at peace tonight. He lived in the moment and enjoyed every second of the show. If he was in any kind of pain the adrenaline overrode it. The fact that life is finite gives it its precious irreplaceable quality. Good word for tonight that “Irreplaceable”. “Unforgettable” is another one too.

Dawn Osborne