Ginger Says – Out with the old, in with the now…
By Ginger | January 5, 2003
Hey y’all…
Dunno how many members of The Wildhearts have gotten into the ‘net spirit yet, but I’m hoping that there’ll be some massive contributions from the guys in the near future. I thought I might as well give my thruppence worth on how I see the year shaping out, being as I already got a computer. First of all, the term “Happy New Year” is starting to bug me (cue “old miserable sod”, etc. ad nauseum).
Fuck, there’s a lot of things to be thankful about. New singles, new albums, new bands, new babies, new fucking just about everything you could think of… except the new promise of peace. Peace, the thing that Xmas has just masked over with a plethora of good will and an abundance of good wishes. And by Summer we will, more than likely, be in a very messy, shameful and needless of waste of lives and, almost as importantly, time. We’re going to War.
Has anyone told either of these two ‘super power fighter men blokes’ (and let’s face it, there’s two – we’re getting the shit end of the stick as far as exposure=expense. Yeah, terrorism has really been our right to fight against, right? That’s why the IRA have been bombing the fuck out of us for decades with no US help to assist us in OUR struggle. Maybe because the US CRUSH ‘N’ DEFEAT WARMOBILE didn’t know, or didn’t care? Or maybe it was just none of their business? Who knows, media has never been our strong point anyway with our largely un-photogenic politicians, so exposure was limited to say the least) that the time spent buffing up egos is going un-noticed by a public that’s just getting over the turkey curries and is about to enter a new year in almost identical fashion as they entered last year. So who fucking wants it, then? Come on… who wants it?
Really.
Of course, no one in their right mind would be backing our Prime Minister (or crazier still an American President!) in this if we had a choice, and could stop our own Men, Women and Children from being killed (to DEATH that is) for a problem that didn’t have a blind bit of public effect on our own foreign war policies until September 11th, 2001.
Terrorism against who?
Terrorists only exist because if they didn’t, we’d invent them.
Batman versus fucking Joker.
Flex boys, we’re going to War. And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, kind of overrules any talk of Merriness. And with Happiness being as likely on the richter scale of likelihood as MTV having a channel that only shows videos that have been discontinued after a few viewings (Imagine it? It only shows terrible videos. Once again. There’s millions of them aren’t there? Read: “Fargo Rock City”), we’re all about to enter a new year of MAJOR corruption and terrible errors in the bid for World Justice and (ha ha) equality. Like shitty videos, really… bad ideas, discontinued and forgotten about. Mistakes that still get made. It’s a very expensive and dangerous world out there, and it looks like the brains of the world are in control. The designated brains, as voted for by who?
As voted for by sneaking it past a public busy festively shaking hands with people they would not usually shake hands with, and wishing good will to people that we have nothing in common with but a loss of memory, post January 6th.
I blame that ass-end of Xmas, the week between 26th Dec and 1st Jan, where everyone sits and gets fat in front of the TV as some sort of ‘reward’ for the year past and a tickler for the year to come. A year where anything could happen, and might even actually, y’know… HAPPEN. And something could happen, y’know.
The one thing that will happen of any merit this year is independence. Forced, but still welcome. It’s all down to you. A back to basics spirit where, if someone asks you your opinion you give it. “Do you believe in war, not in principal but in practice?” You’d say, “No”. “Do you agree with the firemen’s strike, not in principal but in practice?” You’d say, “No”. (I mean c’mon, just before Xmas? More fires at Xmas or something? Surely the unions wouldn’t be THAT in-humane – within the framework of as humanitarian a trade as ‘saving peoples lives from fire’ for a living – to instigate ‘professional’ dissatisfaction at a time when the trade could be at its most needed? Not in a CIVILIZED nation like our own…)
Music means more now than it ever did. Musicians are not going to go on strike. And the only ones that would are the ones you’d like to get rid of for a while anyway, the big ones.
Funny innit, in a time where bands can be manufactured overnight, it’s a pity we can’t clone people just as quick, and they can go and fight the war.
And the fires.
Let’s hope we all get our shit together, and then let’s hope we can keep it together.
Okay, rant over… I’m confused, scared and highly strung.
What else do I see in my crystal bollocks?
The Wildhearts singles will go top 20 this year, then top ten. We will record an album that will come out in the tail end of Summer 2003 and it will be our best yet. The fans will love it and it will generate a huge amount of interest for the band overseas, claiming that which we will deserve as victory. The going will be rough and the line-up will plead for changes at times, but changes will not come. The band will stay solid and the legend will create another page or two in the history of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The Wildhearts will continue.
Silver Ginger 5 will also continue and will record an album (tentatively titled “Majestic Splendour”) in the early part of 2003 featuring the line-up that rehearsed new material last year (me, Ritch, Conny and Random). The album will come out around September/October and the shows to follow will be astounding. The drama will not come close to that of the Wildhearts but the sonics will give a well needed kick up the arse for the ‘Hearts. We’re talking pure quality here. The talent will shake the very core of this constantly shaking genre until someone somewhere will take note and give this band the break that they deserve. And if the Gods smile wide enough we could even end up with a frontman/singer by late next year.
DARLING (Angie’s band) will be huge news and sign a major deal before Summer.
I will continue to produce bands and direct videos, and potter about keeping my nose clearly poked into the area marked ‘action’.
The Murderdolls will play Wembley Arena by the end of the year, with SG5 supporting, and I will produce their album.
Sugarcoma will be one of the great surprises of the British Rock year, because I will produce their album too!
Okay, as you have already assumed, these are wild predictions based on the fact that I have a web site, and I am usually right.
It’s true y’know? I AM usually right about stuff. I can predict things months ahead of them happening in uncannily identical ways to my guesswork.
The only problem is I’m just absolutely SHITE at including myself in these predictions!
So this year, I’m gonna predict happiness for me!
There! How the fuck can I miss that one when it comes?
All in all this is the year we must stay positive for our families and friends. Ditch the idiots and concentrate on some quality love with people who deserve it.
Out with the old, in with the now.
This year already scares me more than last year, because just as humans are about to learn a very big lesson they can go and shit right in the book. And usually do.
So, with great determination and a nervous grip, I bid you all as successful a New Year as you deserve.
And fuck you to Hell if you deserve that too.
This job is ours, it belongs to us. That’s you and me.
So, I’m gonna work on me.
Good luck.
Ginger
Wildhearts – DVD for Stormy In The North
By Kris | January 3, 2003
The Wildhearts are a “15”, it’s official!
The BBFC (British Board Of Film Classification) has awarded the new DVD single “Stormy in the North, Karma in the South” a “15” certificate, making legal history in the process.
The DVD single version of “Stormy In The North…” is a brand new idea which has had doubters scratching their heads at it’s audacity and success. History is in the making, boys and girls – to have an official certificate granted means that The Wildhearts have now made a movie, albeit a very short one!
The DVD follows the making of the video for “Stormy…” (featuring a young star, Danny Tennant, soon to be seen as a regular of “Emmerdale” and who previously starred as the young son in “Mike Bassett England Manager”). He’s an amazing actor, soon to be a household name. There are small interviews with cast, crew and band as well as an alternative version of the “Stormy…” video, complete with bloopers!
All in all, far better than your average release with accompanying live B-sides and re-mixes, I’m sure you will agree. Even the doubters and critics should be silenced by this one!
Stormy In The North, Karma In The South is released on 20th January.
Stormy In The North on Kerrang TV
By Kris | December 16, 2002
The video for new single Stormy In The North, Karma In The South has been added to Kerrang! TV. You can request it by calling 09067 533 433 (calls cost 75p/min) – the video number is 756. Let’s see if we can get this one up the request charts and let ’em know the Wildhearts are back!
Ginger Says – Life’s a funny thing, and the punch line usually comes when you’re thinking it’s anything but funny
By Ginger | December 9, 2002
Hi there,
So here’s the new site. Like it? I ain’t seen it yet, but I hear that these new guns are well capable of dealing with the standard left by Mr. Stockford. Er, I actually heard that from Mr. Stockford. I digress.
And I’m sure it won’t be the last we hear of Darren, as the urge to pop one’s head over one’s old fence is sometimes too hard to resist.
It’s a new time, a new feeling and a new direction. And damn if we aren’t getting more popular than we ever were! Life’s a funny thing, and the punch line usually comes when you’re thinking it’s anything but funny.
The band are currently touring Japan and playing some of the best shows we ever played, from a performance, sound and purely ‘fun’ point of view. I’m jet lagged, sober and to be brutally honest less ‘gung ho’ than I have been on previous tours. This time the sobriety is down to Doctor’s orders, and not some ridiculously difficult task set for me by myself in the name of martyrdom. I’ll be downing ’em like the best of ’em in a few months (God willing) so a little break, although as boring as shit, can’t be too impossible, right? RIGHT?
Anyway, if only for little Jake I wanna stay around for a long time. And while the band are on this kinda form it looks like it might even be a scenic route back to pastures rock ‘n’ roll again.
Happy holidays, speak to you before Xmas… and please have a drink for me.
A large one.
And buy the single on 20th January, willya… in fact, buy two. Shit, buy three and we’ll make it up to ya when we can! We need you now, otherwise there might never be a ‘then’.
C’mon guys, we got a legend to create.
Arigato, and sayonara.
Ginger
New Webmasters
By Kris | December 9, 2002
Just a quick introduction from us (Wayne, Kris and Rick) as we’ve now officially taken over the running of the Wildhearts/Silver Ginger website from Darren and Tara Stockford.
You’ll have already seen we’ve given the whole thing a new coat of paint. We’ve worked hard to make sure it’s easy to use and friendly to everyone’s web browser, but it’s possible there will be some teething problems so if you have any trouble just drop us a line.
We’ve kept Darren and Tara’s first-class content and will be working hard over the next few weeks to build on this further. We aim to keep the quality at the same high standard as the previous incarnation and make everything as ‘fan friendly’ as possible, so if you have any thoughts, ideas or complaints please get in touch!
Jon Poole – Frank Zappa Covers Album
By Kris | December 7, 2002
Silver Ginger 5 bass player and general loony Random Jon Poole has released an album of Frank Zappa covers on the Org Records label. Entitled “What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body – The Works Of Frank Zappa Circa 1965-69”, it is due in the shops January 27th but if you order via the Org Records website you can get your mitts on a copy now and for much cheaper than in stores. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Wildhearts – DVD News
By Kris | November 5, 2002
News reaches us today that the DVD that’s currently being put together by The Wildhearts has a tentative release date of March 2003.
The disc – which shouldn’t be confused with the Japanese DVD that EastWest Japan recently put out – looks set to include all of The Wildhearts’ promo videos, along with an audio commentary from the band themselves. Says Ginger: “There will be exclusive footage unavailable anywhere else, plus extra versions of videos, and the new videos for Karma, Vanilla, etc.”
This will be followed later in the year by another DVD, which sounds as if it’s shaping up to be a kind of ‘Wildhearts: The Movie’-type affair, featuring live and candid footage of the band doing what they do best (we’ll leave it to your imagination just what that might be, but rockin’ and rollin’ is definitely on the list).
On a different but similarly exciting note, the band have been hard at work writing and rehearsing some brand new B-sides for the next single, Stormy In The North, Karma In The South.
Says Ginger: “We’ll be recording it this weekend. It’s all great material, and, as usual, far too good to be on B-sides.”
He adds cryptically: “There are also a few very cool surprises in store.”
Do these guys spoil us or what?
Ginger Says – Moving on is hard to do
By Ginger | October 27, 2002
Since starting this site with Darren Stockford, a lot of things have happened: sell out shows with SG5, successful (and not so successful) reformations with The Wildhearts, Singles Club fiascos (sorry ’bout that one but it’s miles out of my hands – I just cannot for the life of me foresee getting a spare month to go back into the studio and finish off what should have been finished off nearly two years ago, when the idea was fresh), amazing solo shows (hundreds of people singing obscure B-sides, anyone?), the Mailing List (and the many great things that have happened as a result). The list goes on… and on… and Ariston. And the one motivational factor responsible for setting this scene is, of course, Darren.
Oh stop fidgeting, Stockford, we’re talking about you, so just bask in it, will ya?
None – and I do mean that with a capital FUCKING N-O-N-E – of this would have happened / would be happening without him. When he agreed to act as head honcho for this site, the members / loggers (or whatever the hell you call you lot in ‘Internetese’) could be counted in tens, not the hundreds that abound in every corner of this information highway today. I knew exactly nothing about computers (except that everyone that uses them must wear National Health glasses and collect Star Trek memorabilia), and wanted to know even less. ‘Typing’ was a place in the Orient and ‘cyberspace’ was a lull in the action of a science-fiction movie. I now know how to type (albeit with two, very nimble, fingers) and can send and receive messages to and from almost everywhere in the world. All by myself.
When I don’t understand what my computer is telling me, Tara Stockford assures me that it is indeed speaking in English, but a translation for the less ‘compu-literate’ is always warmly offered. Without sniggering.
The friends, friendly faces, old faces and new friends who also have faces (stand up Kris, Wayne and Rick) that have become daily intruders in my world, admirably tell the story of this thing that Darren has created, and what it has achieved.
OK, so the music has been a not-insignificant contributing factor, but without the external interest this ‘well’ would be in the process of drying up. And Darren has provided a dependable vehicle to maintain that interest throughout times of ‘hip drought’ and press disinterest. It’s therefore ironic that he should decide to leg it just as the press and general media is taking an interest in The Wildhearts again. Like a good captain, though, he’s not about to hand over his charge until the journey is plain sailing and the crew are able to continue unaided. Darren has handpicked the new heads of our lil’ family. And there is simply no better recommendation than that.
An honourable man beyond the call of passion, a patient man beyond the call of emotion, and a maddeningly smart fucker to boot, I have learned, and will keep on practicing, things from Darren that I had otherwise thought of as the delusions of the misguided and eternally optimistic. In fact, I have learned that optimism is not an ideal but a life-plan – good things coming to good people and all that. All that I once held up as ‘plain old tree-hugging hippy crap’ actually takes a real tough guy to live up to.
Doing the right thing takes a helluva lot of guts.
I have no doubt in any fibre of my person that the new web site (coming in early December) will be a fitting success, and our loyalty will go from strength to strength. But don’t let any of you forget that this would not be here if not for Darren Stockford.
So, if you do happen to bump into him at a gig (whatever gig you go to in future, look for him as he will undoubtedly be there with his lovely wife Tara), buy him a drink. If you see his name appear among the Mailing List contributions, have a read because you will see the ramblings of the outrageously intelligent, and may even learn something. And if you have a computer then send him a quick message just to say thanks.
From a tiny seed can grow a great forest, and from a small idea can grow an empire. In this sizeable gathering we should never take for granted the nucleus that shaped our chart-bothering, venue-filling, friend-flying, illness-curing, life-saving, hope-giving little clan that makes life that little bit more bearable.
Pour one out, crack one open or light one up, and take a chug for Darren.
Hip, hip…
… no, he never was! Cheers, mate.
And good things to you and yours.
From us,
Ginger
Wildhearts – Japan Dates – December 2002
By Kris | October 16, 2002
The Wildhearts will be playing some shows in Japan in December. See the Gigs page for a list of dates.
New Webmasters
By Kris | October 16, 2002
Thanks to everyone who applied to take over the running, design and nurturing of this ‘ere web site.
After much consideration and deliberation, a new webmaster – or, to be more accurate, webmasters – have been appointed.
Wayne Charlton, Kris Coverdale and Rick Steckles will be taking over once the new site has been fleshed out and the technical gubbins sorted.
More news soon…