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Leeds And Glasgow (Day 9 & 10)
By Ginger | September 28, 2009
Wow, what a couple of days. Leeds Cockpit was, quite possibly, the best show of the tour. The audience were incredible and the band played a stormer. The resulting high followed everyone back to the bus where we proceeded to party like we were the Rolling Stones or something.
Come morning I woke up with the kind of hangover that more resembles still being drunk.
Hot Steve met me on the stairs armed with with an ice cold bottle of Magners he was enjoying. One sip made me want one myself, but on closer inspection the closest thing to cider in the fridge was champagne, presented to me by No Americana a few days ago. I don’t usually drink the stuff but one glass went down so well that it was followed by first another, and soon the whole bottle was gone. It’s not even midday and I was drunk beyond belief.
No problem, I’ll sleep it off.
On being awoke, around 7pm I realised that I was still drunk. So drunk, in fact, that I accepted the offer of a few drags of a spliff. I’m no smoker and have an incredibly low tolerance to the stuff. Already disorientated and spinning the pot hit me like a well aimed upper cut.
Once I eventually found the dressing room I realised that my bag was back on the bus, so, on leaving by the side entrance I heard the door slam shut behind me. Banging on the door proved useless due to the level of volume inside the venue.
It is now 8:25 and I’m due onstage in five minutes.
The phone, typically, died as I continued leaving messages on everyone’s answer phones due to the zero reception within the venue.
Now I’m stoned, drunk, confused, and my paranoia is growing due to the amount of Wildhearts fans outside having a cigarette.
Fuck it, I’m just going to have to slope in undercover of the fans. I manage to squeeze myself into the packed Garage where a security guard recognises me and allows me access to the dressing room.
Fortunately we are running late, gear problems forcing a late start to the set. Just enough time to get my stage clothes on.
It takes me a full song to realise that I’m not wearing an ear plug and the band are so deafeningly loud that I can’t pitch. I eventually righted myself and began the longest gig of my life.
I will never play a show stoned again in my life. It was the most terrifying thing imaginable. What really struck me, through the hazy paranoia, was how fucking good this band are. How dynamic Ritch plays the drums. How amazing our sound man is. How great our crew is. And how incredible our audience is.
Glasgow, thank God it was to you that I played the scariest show I’ve ever played. You made me feel like I was home. You calmed me down and allowed me to, occasionally, enjoy the thrilling spectacle of a rammed Glasgow show with the best band I could possibly experience it with.
Gx
33 Responses to “Leeds And Glasgow (Day 9 & 10)”
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September 28th, 2009 at 14:20
Leeds was amazing. The band played the best gig I think I’ve ever seen them play. And the decision to play the whole of Chutzpah was absolutely the right one. I love that album already (and more so every day), so hearing the whole thing live was fantastic. Thank you.
September 28th, 2009 at 14:21
Ginger, if you were terrified, paranoid or any more of the above it certainly didn’t show. Best Wildhearts gig I’ve ever witnessed and there have been a few! Hopefully it was as good for you guys on stage as it was for the crowd.
Oh, and you never did tell us if we had earned our crown as the best crowd, but I think we all know the answer to that anyway…..
September 28th, 2009 at 14:40
I was at Leeds with my bro and my friend, and it was probably the best gig I have been to in 25 years of going to gigs. Not only did I get a football shirt and both me and my brother got a signed poster, but I got CJ’s setlist from the second set (thanks Steve) and my bro got one of CJ’s plectrums.
Despite the car breaking down on the way back to Newcastle on the sunday and a £200 AA recovery bill and lord knows how much more for a new clutch it has to go down as a belting show.
Leeds rocks!
September 28th, 2009 at 14:40
guys I saw your gig in Leeds! it was phenomenal! scott you were brilliant. the whole band were but its the first time Ive seen scott play live in the band and I just thought u were fantastic. hearing the new album live made me realise just how much of a live album it is and I now love it even more. so cheers and I’ll see ya next time. : )
September 28th, 2009 at 14:42
glasgow was amazing was in front row got sore ribs fucked knee and deff in one ear but worth it.
Well done lads
September 28th, 2009 at 14:43
T’choh, Ginger. It’s not big and it’s not clever. Ten Hail Marys and you need to help at least 5 old ladies across the street before the tour is out. Whether they wanted to cross it or not.
🙂
September 28th, 2009 at 14:48
You certainly word things perfect! Made i laugh! 🙂
September 28th, 2009 at 14:58
The gig at the Cockpit was the best Wildhearts show I’ve ever been to (one of the best gigs full stop, actually, and I’ve been to hundreds) – the best venue in town, a brilliant audience and a fabulous band playing shit hot material and right at the top of their game, it couldn’t have been better. Let’s hope you stop by there again on the next tour, eh?
September 28th, 2009 at 15:16
After all these great comments can’t wait to see the show tonight in the Toon! See you all there for a class gig.
September 28th, 2009 at 15:25
After all these great comments can’t wait to see the show in the Toon tonight! See you all there for a class gig.
September 28th, 2009 at 15:50
Leeds was fucking insane!! It was like jumping into a swimmingpool of sweat! Class set though, thank god someone recorded sick of drugs and stuck it on youtube. You’ve just gotta love the big brother wodl we love in now.
September 28th, 2009 at 15:57
I kinda know the feeling. Back in my radio days, I went on the air high as a kite once.
Once.
Biiiiiiiig mistake.
September 28th, 2009 at 16:27
Yeah Izzy Fuxx that was me who recorded it and youtubed it lol. My brother is going to the London show on Thursday and he’s uber excited and I quote him ‘that excited he may pee his pants’ lol
Long live The Wildhearts!! 😀
September 28th, 2009 at 16:31
Yeah, Glasgow was my first e’er Wildhearts gig…and it was fucking ACE. Chutzpah! kicks an insane amount of rear and even more so when it’s being played live through a stack of speakers 6ft away from you….
Funnily enough, i was stoned beyond belief for the first time in about 4 years so i share your….pain?
Awesome.
September 28th, 2009 at 17:17
Well done to Louisa, that footage is excellent. It was funny as fuck when Scott downed that pint of vodka – he got through the next song and then halfway through the one after you could see it all hit him and his face went all loose and his eyes rolled back in his head. Fair play to the lad though, he didn’t miss a single note. Brilliant.
September 28th, 2009 at 17:34
Thought you seemed a bit quiet at first, you’re usually quite a talkative fellow! That aside though, the idea of you being out your face during the show honestly would never have occured to any of us, the new stuff sounds fantastic live and it was a brilliant night all round. Cheers!
September 28th, 2009 at 18:04
I honestly thought you guys would never top the Sound City ’96 show in Leeds the first time I saw you but you bloody well did it on Saturday at the Cockpit! Absolutely feckin’ awesome gig!
September 28th, 2009 at 18:18
Ah ha ha ha ha, fucking hell.
September 28th, 2009 at 18:26
On Saturday @ The Cockpit in Leeds I broke my Wildhearts live show cherry!It was f***ing brilliant!!!
September 28th, 2009 at 18:35
bit of a serious note like but watch it with the drink you’ve been burned before its always the music that suffers in the end
September 28th, 2009 at 19:19
on the subject of youtube theres some great footage of the bristol o2 gig so anyone who was there check it out.
September 28th, 2009 at 19:50
you are naughty ginger
September 28th, 2009 at 20:49
Gotta say guys Glasgow was superb.
You certainly didn’t seem stoned with your performance.You did look it right enough but that didn’t stop it being one of the best gigs i’ve been to in many a year.
I went to work today with fucked knees,no voice and minimal hearing.All fuelled by finding Havana Club 7yr old rum cheap in Nicos across the road from the venue.
September 28th, 2009 at 23:19
Leeds Cockpit gig one word AWSOME.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:29
The Garage was the best Glasgow gig since the Barrowlands supporting P.H.U.Q. in ’96. The gigs around here are always amazing, but playing Chutzpah! all the way through made it the most exciting gig in years, it’s a staggeringly good record. Was my girlfriend’s first WHs gig too, she loved it so much I’ve now burning the entire back catalogue for her… Will see Scott down the front for the Sinatras’ gig at Stereo on the 24th!
September 29th, 2009 at 12:49
Yeah! Louisa who recorded the footage is my big sis. I thought she was past it, apparently not.
LONDON IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!!!!!!
Ive saved up like 65 of my pounds just for Merch (Poster, Footy Shirt, anything else)
Gonna be so good.
September 29th, 2009 at 15:40
I’ve seen you guys 9 times now over the years and have to say that Sunday night at the garage was the best F%£king wildhearts gig ever! Every one was going mental from the first to the last note and the whole of chutzpah! was amazing. Especially “Mazel Tov Cocktail” and “Chutzpah”. Everyone in the place jumping around so happy singing “Oohh Oohhh Ohh” in the chorus and seeing everyone the band with massive smiles (especially Ginger ) just made the atmosphere even more amazing. It set up the second set perfectly, which was also incredible! “Red Light Green Light” was just the icing on the cake! I lost my voice and my legs and neck are still aching but i’m a happy man.
Cheers guys for an amazing night! See you next time!
September 29th, 2009 at 17:14
Oh my God – Leeds was a great gig!!! I was there with my boyfriend Mike, it was officially the best gig ever! Loved it! Got a tshirt, and he got one too – the Ginger Hero one, and he’s ginger so fools that aren’t fans will think he’s a cocky bugger! Ginger hair is sexy, and so is Ginger! Lol. Amazing show, could not be more glad to have been there. We were so hyped up that the day after we had wildhearts videos on and our son thought it was Mike singing! Cute! Long Live The Wildhearts!!! xxxx
September 29th, 2009 at 20:38
The Leeds Cockpit gig was AMAZING!!!! I was so excited to see you guys live for the first time and you definitely did not disappoint. chutzpah is an amzing record and I cannot wait to see and I love where you guys are at musically! I was so excited to hear 29x the pain live!!!! Thanks for an awesome night guys.
September 30th, 2009 at 20:20
Fantastic night at Leeds Cockpit. The Black Spiders were great, they all look mental, the drummer kept pulling the best faces.
The crowd were a brilliant bunch, no aggro, no dicks, everyone just enjoying themselves, wish every gig we went to was like this.
Hats off to all of you Wildhearts, you sure know how to put on a show. Me and my fella had a blast, brilliant performance guys, Thanks.
(Peppa Pig) lol
October 1st, 2009 at 13:30
Like everyone else,I gotta say the Leeds Cockpit gig was amazing and definately the best I’ve ever seen the band play.There was a moment during the first chorus of Plastic Jebus when the crowd started singing the words back at the band.Ginger had a smile on his face 10miles wide cos we were making such a bloody racket………not just a great gig but a really good feeling to be part of such an enthusiastic crowd.I wonder if any other crowd on the tour were so nuts during’The Only One’that they”broke my gear”(as Scott put it). What a fantastic night(up there with bumping into the band in my local guitar shop in Halifax the week before…….)
October 4th, 2009 at 14:01
Was the best i’ve ever seen you guys. me n my burd are still fucked and its all your fault. I hope you’re happy with yourselves. The new albums tooooooo fuckin good!!
October 4th, 2009 at 14:02
God bless the fookin Wildhearts!!!