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Ginger Says – The Good, The Bad And The Mighty

By Ginger | April 8, 2003

Ginger on stageEver thought that things have gone as bad as things can possibly get, only for things to get worse? Much, much worse? In the quest for the official nadir of bad tidings the good news is that there isn’t one. When the smell of shit becomes too much to deal with, worry not… pretty soon you’ll have to eat that shit, and then pine for the days when all you had to do was smell it.

Rock ‘n’ roll… it’s a shit business. Well, it’s a brilliant game for those who enjoy it, but for some it is a one way ticket back to the hell that haunts them in the shape of alcohol and drug addiction. Everyone likes a drink or a drug of some kind, but to some it is not a casual relationship. It is a bunny boiler of a partner that demands the soul and sanity of its victims. Be it drink or drugs, the problem with the sufferers of this particular illness is not the vehicle but the direction. They will get that buzz whatever it takes, and will still hate themselves for it. It is not anyone’s place to judge the intentions of an addict, it is a mental state and therefore not up for discussion by anyone other than fellow sufferers or people that have been close to sufferers. Addiction is not aimed at you. It is not a personal jibe. The self loathing involved with being an addict, to anything from crack to chocolate, is something that the public do not see. The addict is not innocent as charged but neither is the person that would judge the addict, in any way. There are people that think that feeding an ex-heroin addict regular alcohol is okay because it isn’t heroin, blissfully ignorant to the fact that heroin isn’t even the problem.

Having an addictive personality is the problem.

Yet, these are the same people that will judge, condemn and insult those around them for having design faults. These are the people that addicts will suffer from knowing. People who will spread rumours, and try to alienate the addict from other people that care for the addict. Why? Because if the addict knew just how much these people blame the rest of the world for them being fucked up, the addict would then realise that their sinister plan is to keep the addict in a controlled environment so they won’t fly away, thus making the lives of the condemners even more meaningless.

What chance have addicts if there are people around them feeding their newest addiction? They will obviously revisit their old habits in time if they are left off the hook long enough.

Action is the final answer.

Danny, as you have probably heard, is not in The Wildhearts. We do not know if he will be back in the band. This sucks. Especially right now, when everything is supposed to be heading in the right direction.

The first thing we do not want to happen, and WILL NOT allow to happen is that Danny dies because of his inclusion in this band. We can’t watch him head slowly downhill, and we can’t force the band and crew to stop drinking to make things easier for him, as the addict will find another source to obtain his fix of whatever. We can’t encourage him to drink, and if you see him drinking please do not buy him a drink, otherwise you are helping kill Danny, and I can’t think why you would think that’s cool. All I can do is this, urge you to help. Spread the word, and of anyone see’s him with as much as a beer in his hand, they owe it to themselves to remind him that they love him and would rather not see him drinking. Believe me, booze will kill him as surely as heroin. Please help.

The second thing we want to happen is that we keep the band going, for us, for the fans and to give Danny something to work for if he decides he wants to get well and re-join. If Danny walked through the door in a years time, clean, sober and actually living a life, there isn’t anyone that wouldn’t weep, and welcome him back.

I hope that he can do it this time. Do it properly and for good. Some people should be clean.

Good luck Dan, we love you very much.

Other things that need mentioning are the new album, the new tour and my new baby.

First the album: fuck, this is a really good album!!! After getting as tired as everyone else must be, by bands ‘trying’ to be heavy (yeah, that’s cool, like trying to be angry!) we decided, in typical Wildhearts tradition, that we wanted to make an album that we would like to go out and buy. And, hey presto, “The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed”! An album so chock full of tunes and choruses that a quality warning should be employed. Man, if you like songs you will like these songs! I cannot wait to hear the public reaction to this album, probably more so than anything but ‘Endless Nameless’. In fact I guess this album is the opposite argument to EN’s belligerent spraffing. In its voluminous place is a collection of masterfully arranged (tho’ I say so meself!) and catchy-as-hell tracks that show off the musicianship of this band, a commodity that has been largely ignored in the past. Standing proudly against the current trends, the album discusses relationships and the politics of love and honour. Something we could all use right about now. Trust me, you’re gonna love it.

The up-coming tour (featuring Jon Poole on bass duties) will have our first ever tour programme, and boy is it a labour of love for all involved. The greatest writers of our generation (featuring award winning Ian Winwood, eager eyed and longterm fan Brett Callwood, infamous Steven Wells, legendary inventor of Rock journalism Geoff Barton and published book writer type bloke Jason Arnopp) rub shoulders with an international array of amazing artists to bring you a slice of sheer goodness. All bound in a shrink wrapped bag to save condensation damage due to the over zealous behaviour of the regular nutjobs that frequent our shows. You are gonna re-read this lil’ sucker for years to come. Best buy two if you do E-Bay.

The line-up for this jaunt is surely the greatest show of the year. Brand new cuties Darling open things in glamorous style, then Amen come and destroy the gaff, then it’s all heads down for the singalong of the summer. I honestly forget the sheer noise that you lot make until I’m onstage again. The sound of up to 2000 people singing along to every song takes some beating. Who else get’s this kind of reaction live? Who else brings this many tunes and this many people together under one roof? You got it. no-one. Where punks, metallers, straight edge and wasted, gather in the same building is where you want to be this April/May. Come on down, and don’t even think about missing this.

And if you’re coming down to the Oxford Zodiac gig, get there early as Darling are opening the show, and a rare appearance from Volta is also guaranteed. This is one gig I am personally looking forward to.

I won’t mention the war, except to say that everything I had predicted has happened. Babies die, families are wiped out and all in the name of progress. Lies, lies lies. I don’t buy bullshit anymore than you do. And if you do, then presumably you agree with this war and are backing the methods of exacting justice the American way, and are clapping your hands at the moment. We are gonna win! I only hope that my predictions for what happens, after the war is over, are dead wrong.

Jasmine, my new baby girl, is doing fine, getting huge and prettier every day. She is a blonde version of Jake, but seems to be much more chilled out. Jake, on the other hand, is getting crazier every day. And I thank God for it. Seriously, if you suffer from any kind of depression (or related mental illness) and are contemplating the future then… have kids.

Do it!

Find someone to love and have kids. You will change so much as a person that you won’t even recognise the person greeting you in the bathroom mirror every morning as the same miserable sod you used to see. Kids are the new everything. They rock, they don’t bullshit and they don’t fuck you over. It’s true. Not everyone is as selfish and ignorant as you sometimes see humanity. Kids are angels. And they fill you up with everything you need. Fact.

Things are as fucked up as they have ever been, these days. Best, then, concentrate on making sure that you don’t make things worse.

If you are not a part of the solution then you are a part of the problem.

Chin up. Work hard. Take no shit. Spread love. Make love. Be happy. They’ll never see it coming!!!

See you in April/May… and I can’t fucking wait. I need some fun as much as any of you. And I intend to get mine.

LET US HAVE IT!!!

Peace,
Ginger

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