It’s always good to get back to the Waterloo for a gig, and tonight is no exception. I’m even more delighted to discover that they do KISS rum behind the bar – and I’m not driving! Result! So with a large one in hand I settle in for a perhaps somewhat more gentle than usual assault on my aural senses.

We start the evening with a set by Carol Hodge (who is pulling a double shift tonight as backup for Ginger and Jon but more of that later). She’s a singer/songwriter from Yorkshire who plays piano. I’ve encountered her before as part of Ryan Hamilton’s touring entourage, so was curious to see how she would get on holding the stage by herself. Her songs are soft yet somehow also powerful. There’s a lot of brutal truth and angst, but it’s presented in a soulful and haunting manner so you nod along in sympathy. Her voice is great, she has a good range, and her playing is spot-on as well. From the subject matter of the songs Carol could be the epitome of a Very Angry Woman, but because of the way she delivers them it seems more that she’s just a bit disappointed and disillusioned with life, the universe and everything! The crowd agree, and support her on a wave of empathy that’s unusual in a bunch of wildhearts-tshirt-clad rockers. Carol skirts on the edge of rock, dipping an occasional toe into a more folky direction, and I find myself liking her very much. She has fairy lights on her keyboard, I too am “the death of parties” and I think I’d like to be her friend. 

Sometimes, in idle moments, I wonder what it must be like to live in Ginger Wildheart’s head. I imagine there is a lot of chaos, swirly colours, loud noise, and I bet it never ever stops. A bit like the man himself really. The band may have died, but as always Ginger rises from the ashes with his solo stuff and yet again it’s bloody sublime. I don’t think we’ll ever know how he does it to be honest, but every time his solo output surprises me. It has a depth that can sometimes be lacking in a band situation, a breadth that can be restricted, a volume that can be fine-tuned to your own liking. This tour is in support of his new release “The Pessimist’s Companion” which is released today on Wicked Cool records and is available from all your usual outlets, or directly from the man himself. Sadly it wasn’t available at the gig, so my copy is on it’s way by post – I can’t wait. In the meantime, just to keep his had in, Ginger has teamed up with old mate, occasional Wildheart, ex_Cardiac and all round good egg Random Jon Poole, and is touring up and down the country with an acoustic show in support of said album.

Ginger being Ginger there is of course more to things than just the new tunes. Despite a couple of sound issues at the start, tonight’s Ginger is a relaxed, smiley version of the man who is clearly enjoying the freedom of being able to play to his own agenda, surrounded by his friends and family. On these first dates of the tour Ginger and Jon are joined on backing vocals and keyboards by Carol, adding a persuasive depth to the sound. They start with one from the archives, the theme song from “Cheers”, and the whole set kind of goes uphill from there. Ginger’s solo output is much more intense, much more personal, and very difficult to pigeonhole, and songs from several of his other solo albums are aired to rapturous reception from the crowd. This helps, because as I think I’ve mentioned before Ginger is a bit of an emotional vampire when on stage. He feeds off the vibe of his audience, and the better the crowd reaction the better he performs. Tonight is no exception, and Ginger’s smile becomes wider as the night progresses.  

There are of course some surprises. They rock up a John Cooper Clark poem ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, and it’s bloody epic. Jon and Ginger are old friends, good friends, and it shows as the banter flows between them. Jon also takes the lead on a couple of songs, giving us some more punky acoustic offerings that feature clicking fingers and some rather splendid acapella vocals. There’s a song I particularly like from the new album called ‘YIOU’, dedicated to Ginger’s partner and family, which is touching, heartfelt and honest. A curve-ball follows, with a great version of Lindisfarne’s ‘Run For Home’. Geordie boy sings Geordie anthem. Amen. Ginger’s own Geordie anthem ‘Geordie In Wonderland’ follows, and acoustically it becomes a slice of sway-along sea shanty goodness. Who’d have thought? Another new song ‘Inside’ (or possibly “Inside Out”) is a typical Ginger song, well-crafted with fab harmonies and a lot of happy bounce. Ginger’s son Taylor also pops up to run through another cover. This time it’s Dr Hook’s ‘The Cover Of The Rolling Stone’. It’s done well, and the lad has obviously inherited a great deal of his dad’s talent even if he is still a little crowd-shy at the moment. Stick with it T, you did good. The final song is a rollicking version of ‘29x The Pain’, Wildhearts classic and crowd favourite, and another great night has come to a close. I’m not sure how the loss of Carol will impact the remainder of the tour (she has other commitments and this was her last appearance) but I can confirm that Ginger and Jon are in fine form, and tonight’s show was truly a thing of beauty that I was glad to be part of.