Simon Rushworth
@ Newcastle Legends, December 21 2010
Homebred Supercharger kicked off the night by invitation of the headline act himself! And it was easy to see why -their blend of catchy songwriting is heavily influenced by the style that Ginger forged with the Wildhearts.
They performed Cokehorse and Bring the Bomb from their debut album with vigor and enthusiasm and you’d almost say they were supercharged.
Scream Eureka is exactly what the crowd were doing to warm up in Newcastle for the second support slot of the evening – Leeds based Eureka Machines. Full of energy and exuberance from the get go they delivered a tight, power-pop-rock set complete with the smooth vocal harmonies and punchy riffs that the crowd have come to expect of these tour-a-holics.
Killer chorused Being Good Is Okay (But Being Bad Is Better) was accompanied by a singalong crowd and the new single These Are The People Who Live In My House was widely welcomed by all.
Sharply dressed with piercing riffs to match and choruses that will stick in your head for days and months to come, this lot could go far.
It seemed like the perfect homecoming for Ginger as he burst onstage with his band of merry men under the guise of Ginger Wildheart and Friends. Another excuse for Christmas gaiety and celebrating yet another of Ginger’s birthday tours – these are becoming more traditional than leaving mince pies and sherry out for Santa and guaranteed to be more rewarding.
Opening with Anywhere But Maybe they blazed ferociously through a lengthy set of Wildhearts and Silver Ginger 5 favourites like My Baby Is A Headfuck and If Life Is Like A Lovebank played in a fast paced punk rock style.
As ever, Ginger’s onstage banter showcased him as a front man to rival all others as he got the crowd pumped and ready to rock. Red Light, Green Light, Caffeine Bomb and Suckerpunch were all played to riotous cheers with every member of the band performing as if they were having the time of their lives. A brief interlude, due to a technical glitch with the drums, gave Ginger an excuse to bring out the big guns and he had the crowd singing along passionately to the poignant home city theme-song Geordie In Wonderland.
It is a tribute to the eclectic musical tastes of Ginger that 29x Pain, a B-side that every single member of the audience knows the words to, is lapped up be the dedicated Wildhearts fan base. The rapturous encore of Just In Lust, Sonic Shake and Sick Of Drugs ends what is probably the last gig of the year for most and a show which, hands down, wins the title of Best Of 2010.
Louisa Kouzapas