Album review: THE WILDHEARTS – 30 Year Itch

Round Records [Release date 04.12.20]

My initial thought when I looked at this album was, I feel old! How can it have been 30 years since the Wildhearts exploded onto the music scene??

Returning to the classic Wildhearts line up of Ginger, CJ, Rich Battersby and Danny McCormack, this double album was recorded live during The Renaissance Men and Diagnosis tours during 2019.

30 Year Itch delivers 17 fired up tracks covering the majority of the Wildhearts back catalogue with only album not included, “Stop Us if You’ve Heard This One Before”, no covers here!

Ginger’s requirement of the sound engineer, “I want loud guitars and loud crowds” which it most certainly delivers along with all the raw energy and passion you’d expect from the Wildhearts.

Ginger sums it up “As far as I am concerned, this is a classic album by a band playing timeless songs that don’t fit into any established genre. Is it rock? Is it punk? Who cares it’s the Wildhearts!” Amen to that.

Opening with “Dislocated” this is an energised, passionate performance by a band at the top of their game, the influences are there from Motörhead to Green Day, with powerful lyrics and heavy guitar riffs this is rock perfection from start to finish.

I love the Wildhearts, but my personal favourites on this were “Sick of Drugs”, “Caffeine Bomb” and “Love U Till I Don’t”.

The band close their packed set out with the classic crowd pleaser, “I Wanna Go Where the People Go” to a clearly rapturous crowd. How we have taken those moments for granted – never again.

For anyone (!) who’s desperately missing live music or wants to reminisce about being in the presence of pure rock n roll, this album is a must play … you won’t be disappointed but it may leave you hankering to be in that crowd, watching this band do what they do best. When Ginger declares “I am the king of rock and roll” there’s no arguing. *****

Review by Karen Clayton

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)