The Wildhearts review: ‘Like a fine wine’

In Ginger Wildheart, the four-piece has a frontman who is charming, engaging, comedic, and talkative, and his vocals remain incredibly strong in a live setting despite being 36 years into his career, which speaks volumes about his vocal maintenance throughout the years. The band’s recently released 11th studio album, ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ , and according to Wildheart, it is on course to be the band’s “most successful album since 1993”—a” testament to the band’s longevity. To put it bluntly, The Wildhearts are like a fine wine.

Since returning to the stage last year, The Wildhearts’ line-up has consisted of Wildheart, guitarist Ben Marsden, drummer Pontus Snibb and returning bassist Jon Poole—all of whom stood out at the O2 Ritz. Opening with a ‘Suckerpunch’, the punchy drums of Snibb and the crunchy guitars from Marsden and Ginger shined instantly before Snibb’s powerhouse drumming took centre stage for a rendition of ‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go.’

In tracks such as the punchy ‘Maintain Radio Silence’, the distorted vocals of Wildheart, Poole’s thick bass lines, and Marsen’s chugging guitar take the spotlight before the crowd-pleasing track ‘The Jackson Whites’ continues the band’s red-hot start. As the night unfolded, tracks such as ‘I’ll Be Your Monster’ saw Wildheart’s guitar tech step onto the stage for a saxophone solo, smoke and sparklers light up the intimate venue in ‘Vanilla Radio’ and on the hard-hitting ‘Everlone’ while Poole’s exquisite rolling bass line stood out in ‘Troubadour Moon’. After returning to the stage for the encore, the band closed out the evening with a three-punch combo of ‘Inglorious’, ‘Dislocated,’ and ‘My Baby Is a Headf***’

As for Dirt Box Disco, I would be lying if I said I was overly impressed. The sexually charged ‘Second Hand Sex Toys’ might be a contender for the worst song I’ve ever heard, with the lyrics ‘Second Hand Sex Toys’ being shouted in various tones and pitches repetitively, feeling very monotonous. That said, there were some high points. Despite ‘Cinderella’s Motörhead Tattoo’ feeling equally repetitive lyrically, the punchy guitars and a pounding drum line stood out. ‘My Girlfriend’s Best Friend’s Sister’ is full of catchy hooks and chugging guitars, and ‘My Life Is S***’ is a comedic anthem that sparked a singalong.

Their respective attires seemingly take a comedic attitude. One wore a mask that resembled Ring of Honor’s Evil Uno, one wore something that resembled a clown wig, and the other wore a metallic helmet with a kilt. Were they trying to be edgy? Unique? Quirky? God knows, but I think their respective attires and their foul-mouthed humour were more memorable than their actual performance.