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The last couple of months has been a traumatic time for everybody's favourite Geordie power chord merchants. Two triumphant singles and an album on the way and all looked rosy...before bassist Danny left the group to go into rehab just days before this tour was due to kick off.
But more on that later. First up, openers Darling, a girl-punk band formed, quite unbelievably from the ashes of piss-poor sub-Elastica types Fluffy, put on a competent showing. Heavily influenced by the Ramones, they've got enough memorable riffs and catchy choruses to keep the assembled masses entertained for twenty minutes. The only problem was the vocals were a bit inaudible but once they've sorted that out they may well go far.
Amen are in particularly fierce mode tonight with Casey Chaos screaming his way through "Woke Up Yet?", "Refuse Amen", "Another Planet", "Coma America" and a superb version of the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" with some aplomb. Often written off by the critics, this is a band that's anything but on its last legs.
It's the Wildhearts who everyone's here to see tonight though and as they bound on to a superb rendition of "I Wanna Go Where The People Go", all the omens are in place for it to be a good set. Danny may be missing from the line-up but the presence of the shaven-headed Jon Poole on bass (who seems to leave the stage to either stand on the crash barrier or wander up on to the balcony every five minutes) means he isn't missed too much.
The set's mainly old standards ("Sick Of Drugs", "29 x The Pain", "Jonesing For Jones") but we do get a cracking rendition of "Vanilla Radio" and a great new song, "Top of the World" which promises great things for the forthcoming album.
They defy logic by finishing with the twelve-minute plus "Sky Babies" and a ferocious rendition of "Love U 'Til I Don't" which sees both of the support bands jumping on stage to join in the festivities. All in all, a top night out. Forget NYC my friends, THIS is rock 'n' roll.
Reviewed by Andy James
