Ginger Wildheart
Ahead of a headliner slot at the metal-fest Steelhouse Festival, Owen Scourfield and Chris Andrews both had the chance for a brief chat with Ginger Wildheart.
You are due to play the 8th Annual Steelhouse Festival next month and I believe this is to be the second trip for you personally to the mountain. Are you looking forward to it?
I’m hoping the weather holds out for us this year. When Hey! Hello! played Steelhouse a few years ago the Gods didn’t approve and let us have it. Rain, hail, fire and fucking brimstone, whatever the fuck brimstone is. We spent most of our time sitting on the bus, which is not what you want to be doing at festivals. But the people in attendance didn’t seem to mind at all. They still partied like pros. I hear, from good sources, that God loves The Wildhearts, so I think we’ll be okay this year.
Steelhouse Festival is growing and growing every year despite it being a completely independently-run event. Do you think independents can find a long-term niche between the ‘super festivals’?
I think this is where the future lies. I’m from a background of classic, one-day rock festivals, growing up surrounded by amazing bands and these independent festivals popping up everywhere. I used to live for them. I think Download will always be there, like the Father of all rock festivals, but independent-run festivals complete the family.
Do you have any memories that stand out from playing in Wales?
Christ, yes I do! I was in a band in Malvern when I started out, and we used to play in Wales all the time. I met a former girlfriend at a gig in Wales with that band. Gorgeous lass, turned down every member of the band, but gave in to my Geordie charm. Then I met another long-term girlfriend playing in Cardiff with The Wildhearts supporting Love & Hate. Again, an absolute stunner. I’ve always associated Wales with exceptionally pretty girls.
It’s a pretty strong line-up this year, who else on the bill are you looking forward to catching?
I’ll be looking forward to rubbing shoulders with some mates of mine like Glenn Hughes, Myles Kennedy, Phil Campbell and Ricky Warwick. And of course I’ll be catching my boys Massive Wagons laying waste to all before them, and charting their course as legends. Those lads are going to make a whole lot of friends at Steelhouse.
You seemingly have such a broad appeal across the rock spectrum, why do you think that is?
I’m authentic. There is no bullshit with me. What you see is at least what you get. I grew up loving people like Lemmy, and learned early on that if you don’t walk it then don’t fucking talk it. I work hard, I don’t lie to people and I treat my supporters with respect. Don’t matter who you are, in my book those are values to aspire to. Treat people with respect and don’t be afraid to call a cunt a cunt, just make sure it’s to their face.
You and CJ recently toured the U.K, performing Wildhearts tracks acoustically. How did that go?
We were both dreading it, so the fact that we actually enjoyed it speaks volumes for how well it was received. We have a Status Quo thing going on with our vocals. We make a vocal sound together that is identifiably us. I think the acoustic shows allowed that to shine more than when we play everything on ten. To be honest, we love doing both. For this, we just concentrated on the more melodic songs that show off our harmonies and ignored the ones that are 5-minute riff tests. Time and a place, n’ all that!
Many consider the current Wildhearts line-up to be the classic line up and you seem to be in a good place with each other these days. Is that a fair assessment?
Yeah, this is the line-up that makes the best noise. We are a sum of our parts, and these components make a very special racket. It’s impossible to argue with. Even we understand it now, and that’s why we’re getting along well. We know how lucky we are to be here, in a genuinely classic UK rock band, and we won’t be taking that for granted any time soon. We are honoured to be part of a great heritage and we’re very proud of the legacy we’re cultivating.
What’s the latest on the next Wildhearts studio album?
We start demo-ing by the time you read this. We have about 15 songs ready, and a few cover versions we’d like to do if time permits. But the most important thing is that the album is written and it’s a monster. That’s a good feeling. We’ve been setting things up this year, getting the Wildhearts album ready, promoting my solo album and generally feeling our way a little. Next year we’re going to hit every festival on the fucking map and crush every single one of them. 2019 will be The Wildhearts’ year.
