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Norwich, Nice Place, Next! (Day 4)
By Ginger | September 21, 2009
Sunday night and all is seemingly well in the sleepy hamlet of Norwich, paddling ground for the mighty Nicholas Parsons. We take the stage to rapturous applause and sizeable grins. They like it. Great.
Uh oh, we appear to have a few people who cannot, and dammit will not, grab hold of the concept of this being a performance of our last album, and continue to shout Suckerpunch, throughout the set. For you, my friend, we will not play Suckerpunch at all, even in the second set, where it stands third song in.
Why?
I’ll tell you why. Imagine the scenario. You’re talking and someone appears to have something more important to say, and they loudly interrupt. You accept that you aren’t the most interesting person alive and so graciously concede to the interrupter. Except the interrupter, hiding within the darkness of a crowd, decides not to continue their line in ignorance and clams up when asked what it is they want. Leaving, in place of a mildly interesting monologue of varying importance an awkward silence that serves no purpose other than to wind up the person talking and leave them pondering the vast level of ignorance and bad manners of someone who’d stop you talking in favour of saying nothing themselves.
I can’t get back into the gig for wishing that people like this would stop coming to our shows. There must be a thousand other bands you can follow? Look on the internet. Although there is a strong likelihood that you can’t operate a computer. Suffice it to say that you bring nothing to the event and you spoil the atmosphere for people who are genuinely enjoying themselves. Your absence will be welcomed.
All in all a stunning performance by the band. Probably the best we’ve played the entire tour. I’m very glad that those who actually wanted to listen in Norwich heard a band at the absolutely peak of their ability. I don’t know why the ignorance of others winds me up to such a point that I find myself losing my own balance and wanting to exact my rising anger. This is my problem. Balance is work in progress, a road with quite a few road blocks and falling rocks, a mode of transport rather than a destination.
Hope Portsmouth has fewer idiots in attendance and I pray that the people that didn’t enjoy it last night never come again.
Over and out of patience.
Gx
39 Responses to “Norwich, Nice Place, Next! (Day 4)”
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September 21st, 2009 at 13:14
I completely agree with Ginger, those interruptions are rude and not wanted. Those idiots aren’t really fans, they just want to make an exhibition of themselves, and have no understanding of the music. I bet the miserable bastards haven’t even bothered to buy Chutzpah! Well, that’s their misfortune, as it is one of the best Wildhearts albums EVER. But what’s happened to Norwich, which used to be my gig-going city, and where I have seen ecstatic crowds at many Wildhearts gigs, with no miserable gits at all. I’m glad I now live near Bristol, where the gig was fantastic, except for coming on so early, as I missed the first half hour due to leaving my bus pass at home and having to go back for it. Yes, I’m the ancient blonde who has been appearing at rock gigs since the age of 50. I’m now 65, and intend to keep going until I die, preferably while pogoing at a Wildhearts gig.
September 21st, 2009 at 13:21
Ha! Idiots at gigs. ‘Twas ever thus. Fortunately for the performer most of the time the idiots are only really apparent to the people in the crowd near the idiots in question. But occasionally one is going to stick out to everyone, on grounds of never shutting the flip up.
As was well apparent at Bristol, a bit of good heckling isn’t a bad thing. Good heckling is categorised thus:
1) It’s funny
2) It’s said once and not repeated
So I agree with you 90% of the way Ginger. The only bit where we possibly differ (or perhaps we don’t) is that to change your set on account of one idiot is maybe doing a disservice to the non-idiot majority. That’s easy for me to say though, I’m not on stage. Keep up the good work.
September 21st, 2009 at 13:30
ah, Ginger….don’t let them get to you.
I’m coming to Portsmouth tonight, I hope it’s a good one….if Brighton was anything to go by it will be amazing (again)
…..and I’ll say it again…. hearing Chutzpah! live was a real treat and it’s made me think all bands should do this, I mean seriously.. do we really need to hear suckerpunch in 2009?
can we have ‘the revolution will be televised’ tonight if you feel like it? 😉
September 21st, 2009 at 13:48
Mmmm, here’s a funny thing. I had no idea at all that you were going to be playing the new opus in its entirety. After the first song – which I hasten to add was just great – I have to admit thinking to myself that I wasn’t so sure about this new-fangled (sic) idea, but after song number the two I had forgotten to continue to think at all and simply smiled rather a lot, which is the state of play as it should be as far as I am concerned. And anyway wasn’t (and isn’t) the whole point of touring to play new songs from new releases? Well, duuhh.
My mate Ru who came with me had not heard a note of the new album and he loved the whole show, oh and in case I hadn’t made it very clear indeed, so did I. 🙂
Carry on.
September 21st, 2009 at 13:55
3rd time I’ve seen the wildhearts at the waterfront. Just bought chutzpah a couple of days b4 the gig – and to be really honest a couple of songs I thought were good and then the rest just average – so after 1st song when Ginger announced they’re gonna play whole albumn in its entirety, I wasn’t too hopeful (and no I weren’t the idiot in the middle – I was standing on CJ’s right so to speak 3 rows back, recovering from a fractured elbow). But d’ya know what??? Listening to it live,strangely enough I got really into it and most of the songs I thought were average on 1st listen became really good. I know this may have been asking too much, but would have liked the 2nd half of the gig to go on a lot more and play a lot of the older stuff – but havin said that, you could’ve been there for a few hours!!!
So today played the new albumn on numerous occassions and have now got really into it!
I’ve seen many bands live but you know what? Gotta say ginger superb frontman as in knows to relate to the crowd, whereas many other bands do their stuff with no chatting to the crowd.
Anyway cheers ginger,cj,scott and ritch for a great gig – will def. be there when you’re down here again!
September 21st, 2009 at 14:02
Hey mr G, you are working in a business where you perform your art in a building where they sell booze. You play rock and roll, an artform that always have attracted such diverse audience as cool people, not so cool people and not so cool people who believe they are the coolest of all people. Mix it with more booze, and you my friend are working in a zoo.
My point is: Why are you so surprised? Why make such a fuzz about it?
On the other hand, I really do understand your frustration, and that wanker should be punished for “destroying” the fans night. And if I hear just one shout for “suckerpunch” in London during Chutzpah, I will kick the living shit out of him. Because I really wanna hear that tune when I´ve first have travelled all the way from Norway to a zoo in London where I´ve heard the entertaining is excellent!
Cheers
September 21st, 2009 at 14:05
I remember back in the 90’s at Wolverhampton, when a “fan” decided to throw a bottle at Ginger on stage. Suffice to say he was carried out of the venue by two men in green jumpsuits shortly afterwards.
Luckily that doesn’t happen any more (apart from when goaded by a certain person at Download!) but, unfortunately, coming to a gig and being as ignorant as this Norwich guy still does. I don’t know about anyone else, but I completely fail to see how can you come to a Wildhearts gig and want to do anything other than dance, cheer and grin like a fool?
PS – Ginger – seeing as I’ve mentioned the Download missile project, can I have my friends mobile phone back? I’m sure you’ll still have it 15 months later, won’t you? 🙂
September 21st, 2009 at 14:25
Can I strike a note of caution in and amongst all this and say that I love Suckerpunch and that it’ll never be unwelcome at a Wildhearts gig?
Equally though, I love the new album, have played it more times than is probably healthy, and the playback at the (Bristol) gig was fantastic. I just don’t want people to start saying “never play song X again”. That’d be rubbish. In spite of this, I completely agree that constantly shouting for any particular song during a gig is just bad manners.
In some ways though, rock and roll is just like working in an office. If there’s 49 nice people and one idiot, it’s the idiot that’s going to stand out. Someone in the crowd did their best to ruin the last 20 minutes of the Bristol gig for me and my friend, for reasons I won’t go into here. He just about failed, thankfully.
September 21st, 2009 at 14:33
first and foremost i must say that it was a corking gig. really snug and warm feeling all night. people who insist on heckling show their own ignorance and should be treated accordingly. i had a great night best birthday prezzie from her indoors she has managed so far. this morning i have officially hit middle age and it comes with aching neck buggered knees and a big rosy grin.
thank you so much to everyone
September 21st, 2009 at 14:48
Hey Ginger don’t concern yourself too much with that idiot. The band and the concert was awesome. My lad got to see you for the first time and he he said you are the best group he has ever seen. We were right at the front – in front of CJ and it was a laugh watchin him and his guitar tech trying to press the right buttons!! Yes it was a shame that the second half of the set couldn’t go on a bit longer but you did look amazed when you were told you only had five minutes left!!
Can’t wait to see you guys again – don’t leave it too long.
Finally some great merchandise and the art poster of the tour is worth every penny.
September 21st, 2009 at 14:54
I remember going to see the Wildhearts at JB’s on the Christmas farewell tour back in 96/97. Some complete w@nker threw a couple of bottles. Eventually he was caught and given a good kick in outside the venue. It really spoilt the evening and I can imagine an annoying tosser shouting for songs as a similiar effect. If your one of these people please don’t come to the shows you ruin it for us all. I pay decent money to see decent bands and not listen to boring c*nts. Let’s face you wouldn’t be shouting for wish you were here while Floyd played darkside.
September 21st, 2009 at 15:03
YOu can’t win with that kind of situation. Call the bloke what he is, a cunt, and you get accused of treating the fans like dirt. Try and ignore it, and chances are the prick will only get louder. How would he like it if you came down to McDonalds and bothered him while he was at work? Shouting BIG MAC AND FRIES in his face? I was at the Bristol gig, there was loads of songs i wanted you to play but you didnt. Big deal. It was a blinder of a gig anyway. I hate it when people think the audience have somehow elected them spokesperson. Shut your fucking mouth and yes why not, use your fucking brain.
September 21st, 2009 at 16:00
“I’m not a fuckin’ jukebox, dude” – Bill Hicks
September 21st, 2009 at 16:53
have to agree with ginger,i was there last night and they played a blinder hearing chutzpah all the way thrtough was amazing,i`ve seen them at nearly every show in norwich they were superb.and steve is right the bloke shouting for suckerpunch was a cunt.nuff saidf
September 21st, 2009 at 17:11
i definately agree with ginger . i was standing at the front of the concert (go me!) and it was annoying the people behind me shouting suckerpunch wen i was reeli enjoying listening to the new album . people like that shouldnt come to the shows if they dont want to lsiten to what the band wants to play . its up to them afterall
thanks for the great concert ginger !! i hope i can go again
September 21st, 2009 at 17:17
anyone who is a true follower of the band would know that the concept of these shows was to air the new album in its entirety.this guy obviously had a few 2 many lucozades and suckerpunch is the only song hes probably heard of.thankfully theres only a small minority of these pricks around and the majority appreciate a venturous new set and approach to the music for the die hard fans.so keep up the good work……by the way nottingham was immense!!!
September 21st, 2009 at 17:41
ginger. what a show! the whole band were on top performance and a superb night was had. as for the idiot you speak of i guess you’d like to be were a cunt like he is buried 6 feet underground. sorry couldn’t help that. also see that jason is back with the guys and wolfbain are recording, nice. i did meet you after the show yourself and he did with hanio rocks. they were shit you were great. lol. cant wait to see the band again always a highlight.
September 21st, 2009 at 18:14
I was at the gig last night and it was really good. The new stuff was good, the old stuff was good- it was a good night. I’ve seen the Wildhearts seven times now and I honestly think they are even better now than they were all those years ago.
I really think the ‘heckling’ has been blown way out of proportion. Every time I’ve been to see the Wildhearts people call out for the songs they want to hear (usually sky babies in my experience) and at some gigs Ginger has even encouraged it and asked what we want to hear next. Last night was in no way any different to any other rock concert I have been to in that respect. I didn’t think they were being heckled, it’s just what happens at gigs! People want to hear their favourite songs and when you have a career spanning as long as the Wildhearts, with so many classics, its inevitable that people are going to call for songs that don’t happen to be on your latest album. Personally, I would love to see Schizophonic but in seven gigs I never have. Maybe next time….
September 21st, 2009 at 18:15
As I said thought you handled it well (better than I ever could) but hope it doesn’t put you off playing in Norwich. We’re a nice bunch really!
September 21st, 2009 at 18:49
I’ve seen WH more than 50 times and can’t remember the time they didn’t play Suckerpunch, so why bother?
The Skybabies mob were out on Saturday, G managed to shut them up with a touch of humour.
See ya Friday lads, beers for the band available at my house!
September 21st, 2009 at 20:43
oh ginger i don’t know, it’s because we are all so passoniate that is the problem. remember you’re head isn’t always where everyone else’s is. (although it is nice to see it in a fucking great place) having said that can’t wait to hear chutzpah in its enterity in London. it is a great album which you are passoniate about!
September 21st, 2009 at 20:50
I was on Scott’s side of the audience so I didn’t hear how many times the guy yelled for Suckerpunch. But Ginger had already said two or three times that they would be playing all 10 songs off the new album, in a row, before taking a break and coming out to play some older stuff. So yelling requests *at all* just shows that he wasn’t paying attention.
Ah well. Still an utter belter of a show. The guy didn’t ruin it for the rest of the audience; shame to hear he put a downer on Ginger’s night.
For anyone interested, the post-break ‘oldies’ set was thus:
My Baby Is A Headfuck
Girlfriend Clothes *
Nothing Ever Changes But The Shoes
Rooting For The Bad Guys
TV Tan
I Wanna Go Where The People Go
…and then the house lights went up. (First set was 21.00-21.50, second set 21.55-22.30)
* Ironically enough, they weren’t planning on playing this one. It was a request shouted from the audience…
September 21st, 2009 at 20:56
Ginger: “Is there anyone here who is NOT enjoying themselves? I will give you twenty pounds to fuck off home.”
September 21st, 2009 at 22:12
I really, really wish I’d been there for Girlfriend Clothes. Any chance of that in Leeds? I won’t be shouting for it, just crossing my fingers. And if it doesn’t get in, it doesn’t get in. Hearing Chutzpah in its entirety is worth the admission alone.
September 21st, 2009 at 23:21
“The Skybabies mob were out on Saturday, G managed to shut them up with a touch of humour.”
That shout was down to me and was requested in a very lighthearted way, (from right in front of G)followed by laffing.
G didn’t manage or need to shut me up.
September 22nd, 2009 at 09:33
I’ll give good odds that the guy shouting for Suckerpunch was the same twat singing every Clash song at the top of his voice, out of time, out of tune and with the words in the wrong order, all the way through the interval after Black Spiders. Utter, utter pillock.
Really hope it doesn’t put you off coming to Norwich again – it was a superb show, one of the best I’ve seen. And thanks beyond measure for a bloody fantastic Nothing Ever Changes!
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:58
Great blog Ginger,unfortunately as you know you can’t please all of the people all of the time and there are always going to be people who just want to come to a “greatest hits” show,thats just the way it is and will always unfortunately be the same.I came to the Brighton gig and thought the new album played live was amazing,can’t wait till Shepherds Bush next Thursday,my birthday too,bring it on,ha ha
September 22nd, 2009 at 13:52
You know, the Norwich gig was an absolute triumph, and it makes me sad that the other people really enjoying the idea of hearing the album in full could be tarred with the “Suckerpunch” brush. I had the misfortune of standing at the bar next to, quite frankly rightly labelled by Ginger, two old bald men discussing how it was such a bad idea to play the album in full, and an absolute mistake. They seemed to not be enjoying themselves much either, and I’d have paid them £20 each to f*ck off. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if these were the cretins responsible for the “Suckerpunchgate” scandal.
I sincerely hope it doesn’t put the ‘hearts boys off visiting our backwaters again. Was one of the finest performances I’ve ever seen. You rock boys, thank you.
September 22nd, 2009 at 13:54
And Aby, I quite agree!
September 22nd, 2009 at 20:45
well ginger, in my opinion you should bear in mind that only a (probably minoritarian) portion of fans read these blogs and are aware of the fact that you are going to play the last album in its entirety at the shows. Besides, this was a last-minute (bizzarre in my opinion) idea which no one was aware of when you started selling the tickets of a tour which was not advertised as ‘we are only playing chutzpah’ tour.
see you in london anyway
September 23rd, 2009 at 00:42
that reminds me of the spanners who turned up Dublin on the Iron Maiden tour. the same people who knew the last album was being played live still heckled the band.
if you wanna spend money and act the cunt…get a carry out and stay at home. let the rest enjoy thelmselves.
to be honest this is the most ive been excited about a Wildhearts show in years
here’s to blowing eardrums in Newcastle
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:42
i bought my ticket as soon as i knew you were coming to NORWICH didn,t know you were going to play the album (even though excellent)they like everybody were probably just glad you came here and got over excited. you must agree very good song though. yes i agree once they found out you were playing the full album should have shut up and listen. but if you remember once you came to norwich oval played a couple of songs then stopped, never held that against you probably because the wildhearts are the best. the night was excellent will always come to see you, wife loved the football style shirt(could have done smaller sizes though) keep on rockin at the end you know that you are the best!!!!!!!!!!!
September 23rd, 2009 at 17:19
@faulzen:
“see you in london anyway”
I’m sure Ginger would rather you didn’t.
September 24th, 2009 at 17:00
I was at the gig, and also wasn’t one of the hecklers – I don’t pay good money to hear my own voice. The performance was excellent, and I’m liking the new stuff, but I can understand the restlessness in parts of the crowd. I personally would have preferred it if the newer songs were blended in more, just because I didn’t know them as well as the older ones. The likes of Tim Smith and …New York sounded amazing though, and if people really only want to hear the old stuff, they could always just stay at home and put the CD on… Keep up the good work!
September 25th, 2009 at 19:14
Whatever Jonathan, I’m a genuine fan even though I’ve got my own taste and opinions and do not prostrate myself in acts of devotion whenever Ginger farts. I don’t think that deciding to play chutzpah in its unblended entirety one week before the tour and well after the tickets were available, taking the voice of this blog on the issue as the voice of the fans, complaining because people don’t know that this is the ‘only chutzpah’ tour when this blogs are the only place to know it.. well, I think all this is pretty questionable – although I seem to be the only fool on here thinking this way. I think that most people bought their tickets expecting more than 5 songs from previous albums. And whatever people say on here, I’ll be curious to see how much action there will be in the first and in the second part of the show.
That said, I will go to the show and, hopefully, enjoy myself and won’t spoil anyone else’s fun – never done and never will do that. I will only enjoy myself a little less because I’m a bit disappointed for the above reasons and because I really dig 2-4 songs out of 10 of the new album.
Alhoa
September 26th, 2009 at 14:12
Well, Stoke was great last night, but I think the shouting idiot is following them on tour, wouldnt even shut up when asked for a couple of seconds of thought and good wishes to Tim Smith. personaly I had a great time listening to ALL the tracks new and old… the woman standing next to me was repeadedly just shouting “ginger” repeatedly did peck my head a bit, sometimes wonder if some people go to gigs to try and get more attension than the band.
September 28th, 2009 at 23:20
faulzen, question me old china, if you now know that the tour is leaning toward promoting the new album (of which you seem to like no more than 3 songs), why the fuck are you going if you are not going to enjoy it? your an idiot and would not be missed if your going to mope about hungering for previous material!
Ginger, I’m new to the band and the Norwich gig it was my first Wildhearts encounter for which I attended on recomendation by mates, fucking loved it and that band sounded great, obvously didn’t know the new aldum but loved it and subsiqently bought it, and will also be purchasing the back catalogue, got yourself a new fan here.
Have a great tour chaps
October 1st, 2009 at 13:53
@faulzen Aye fair enough, I might have been a little bit harsh there.
My opinion of the new album is no more or less valid than yours, and as long as you’re not one of the minority trying to spoil the shows for everyone else, then all’s well. Hope you have fun at the London show. 🙂
For what it’s worth, although I love the new album overall, I don’t think it’s perfect (I’d have saved ‘Sunshine’ for the next solo record). But I still loved hearing the whole thing live. In fact I wish more bands would do this.
Would have been nice to have had a longer “hits” set, but I think the 10.30 stage curfew caught everyone by surprise as the second set seems to have been a bit longer at other gigs.
October 17th, 2009 at 06:22
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