Mon 13 Dec - Cambridge Junction
THE WILDHEARTS + THE CARDIACS

Back in 1992 The Wildhearts were the near constant companions of The Manic Street Preachers on their rabble rousing, equipment trashing, riot inducing Generation Terrorists tour. Twelve years later and they are still pouring forth their strong but sweet mix of noise and melody, and show no signs of becoming fat or boring.

The Wildhearts are the perfect rock'n'roll band. They revel in the joy of noise; being snotty and rude and energetic and down to earth all at the same time. And despite their longevity, they're still the sort of band that would annoy your parents. Every song is perfect : perfect guitars, perfect harmonies, perfect hooks - perfect pop.

But despite this the lyrics are as far away from candied pap as it's possible to be : songs such as 'Love Shit', 'Welcome to Shitsville' and 'My Baby is a Headfuck' show a lyrical intelligence and a world view that Richey Manic must have sympathised with all those years ago.

This gig reaffirmed my belief that The Wildhearts are probably the greatest live rock'n'roll band in the world. If you weren't there, or even if you were, you can discover or relive the experience with the Wildhearts live album which is almost as good as the real thing, showcasing the energy, passion, excitement and humour of a Wildhearts live show. It features a range of material from the big hits to rarely played B sides and some new songs too. The fact that this band are still kicking against the pricks that run the record industry, producing such delightfully barbed, perfect-pop bouncy walls of sugared sound is an inspiration to us all.

Rosey

Thanks to Nick at Workhard for his help with this piece

"Office-wreckage, drugs-overdosage, fighting, swimming pool shenanigans, you name it and The Wildhearts have seen it, done it and got the T shirt, surely the time has come for them to take their rightful place as one of the most electrifying, eclectic and hard working rock bands in the world."