It’s been about 18 months since I went to a proper gig. Something it seems I have in common with The Wildhearts.
Their first gig since the pandemic completely derailed life, the universe and everything; it was clear from the off that everyone at Cardiff’s Tramshed on Friday was happy to be back, although it seemed after 18 months stuck inside, no one was quite sure what to do anymore.
First up were Adam and the Hellcats. The Bristol eight-piece were given in my mind the hardest slot of the night; the acoustics aren’t great, the levels are bad, the band is squeezed onto the stage with everyone else’s equipment. But despite all of this, they bloody nailed it.
Mixing a diverse range of influences in both musical style and appearance, the Hellcats are a ragtag bunch, each member looks like they should be in a different band – from rhythm guitarist, Steve ‘gibbo’ Mercy, who looks like he should be fronting a metal band, to a joint lead singer, Cirwen Farrant, who looks like she would be just as at home working as a lounge singer. Yet somehow it all works.
With boundless enthusiasm, and Adam’s 84 year old gran cheering them on from the balcony, the Hellcats put on a great show, especially for an opening act on their first big tour.
I’m a sucker for a band with dual vocalists, and Adam and Cirwen’s voices compliment each other well, but God can Cirwen wail, something she showed off with aplomb throughout their fairly substantial set.
Highlights included the introspective yet heavy, Welcome to the Madhouse, the crowd swinging their middle fingers a long to Spice of Life, before bowing out on a high with the driving and frantic, The Battle of Mary Jane.
Next up were Girl School guitarist Jackie Chambers’ side-project, Syteria.
As the band bound onto the stage, it was clear they were there to entertain, and they were not fucking around.
With a wry smile and a high kick, lead singer Julia Calvo owned the stage throughout the whole of the bands explosive set of pure, old-school, driving rock.
It was clear the band were having a ball, while Julia chewed up the stage, singing into a mirror, during the band’s ode to ridiculous feminine beauty standards – Plastic Fantastic.
But it was her brother Pablo on the drums who really stole the show during the band’s penultimate track, Hypocrite, unleashing a thunderous drum solo that felt like it shook the rafters.
Finally, it was time for The Wildhearts. Sauntering onto the stage to the sounds of the somewhat apt, Dirty Old Town by The Dubliners, the Tyne side rock titans launched right into Diagnosis, before following it up with Vanilla Radio which saw the first big sing along of the night as the crowd wondered ‘where’s my Elvis?’
It was during Sick of Drugs I noticed that this was probably the most sedate rock gig I have ever been to. During a solo designed for a pit, there was nothing; no moshing, no barging, no pit.
Something it appears The Wildhearts noticed too as they tried, and failed to get a circle pit going during Days Like These.
They then tried a different tact, announcing they would play a ‘nice slow one’ before launching into Caffeine Bomb.
This seemed to do the job, as it felt like the audience had finally got back into the swing of things, or everyone had finally had enough to drink to not care so much about Covid regulations. I find it takes about four pints.
Next up was brand new tune, Splinner, which prompted another big sing along. It shouldn’t have. As Ginger quipped: “We only released that today, you haven’t been pirating our stuff have you?’
Speaking candidly of the strange situation we all found ourselves in over the last year, and his hopes that this tour would hopefully help to build peoples confidence in seeing live music again, Ginger remarked: “It’s weird, I’ve spent months looking at the walls.
“Bloody hell I’m not in my bedroom anymore, fingers crossed none of us die…Too soon?”
Lamenting the end of the show, Ginger bowed out stating: “I haven’t played a proper show 18 months, I’m so Glad its been Cardiff.
“However, all good things must come to an end… So you all have four and half minutes to lose your collective shit starting from now.”
The Wildhearts then ended a phenomenal comeback show with the anthemic, I Wanna Go Where the People Go, and from the reaction of the audience (losing their collective shit) the feeling was more than mutual.
