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Albums Of The Week: The Wildhearts | 30 Year Itch

Ginger & his reunited crew tear through 17 hellraisers from their 30-year career.

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “At a time when we are craving live shows more than ever, here’s The Wildhearts30 Year Itch, recorded live during the band’s The Renaissance Men and Diagnosis tours during 2019. The 17-track album showcases the incendiary energy that has made The Wildhearts one of the U.K.’s best-loved live rock acts of the last three decades. A perfect moment in time, 30 years from the band forming, that shows a band still at the height of their powers, bristling with energy as they deliver classic tracks such as Caffeine Bomb, Suckerpunch, Let Em Go, Vanilla Radio and I Wanna Go Where The People Go.

Ginger says, “There are a few authorised bootleg live albums of The Wildhearts doing the rounds, but as soon as Danny rejoined the band I knew I had to capture the classic Wildhearts lineup on record. There were a few reasons for this, the main one being that we’re still alive, which is a situation that could change at any second with this group. I also wanted people to hear how insanely powerful The Wildhearts are as a live band. Pounding drums, chainsaw bass and bombastic guitar riffs, all underpinning harmony vocals and huge anthemic songs that every member of the audience sings like a football crowd. It’s a surprisingly emotional blend of noise, passion and unity. As far as I’m concerned this is a classic album by a unique band playing timeless songs that don’t fit into any established genre. Is it rock? Is it punk? Who cares, it’s The Wildhearts.”

Although the release date of the album was set pre-Covid, the album gives the fans a little taste of what they can’t have with the current situation. Mastered once again by maestro Dave Draper, this double album captures the band’s balls-out performance that still kicks the ass of crowds up and down the country, 30 years since they started! Dave explains: “Never Outdrunk, Never Outsung was my first adventure into the world of working with The Wildhearts. I carried a lot of pressure on my shoulders to make sure it was as close to the experience of actually being in the crowd. Judging on what the feedback has been since it came out, I can say I think it worked out just fine. So when the time came around to make another live album for the boys, myself and Elliot Vaughan once again jumped in the car and captured a few shows from The Renaissance Men and Diagnosis tours of 2019. When it came to the mixing, like on Never Outdrunk…, it was really good to hear older tracks having a new lease of life and power from the boys. The two songs from Endless Nameless that have made this new album are highlights for me and I’m sure many of you will agree. Timeless songs with all you mad bastards singing your hearts out on. What’s not to like? Ginger gave me two instructions: “Loud guitars and loud crowd”… I didn’t have a choice in either as that’s what was captured during the recording, Thank you for making my job a lot easier, guys!”

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