The Northmen are coming…
The Norse Gods were smiling on Glasgow tonight, offering up not one but two of the premiere purveyors of punk-tinged sleazy rock ’n’ roll in the world today. (For all I know it could have been three, but due to early doors/stage times I was unable to make it in time for CKY)
Unlike historic visits from the Northmen, this time they came in peace. Well I say peace, but they created an unholy racket, the pillaging and destroying down to convincing guitar shredding and a thumping rhythm section.
Son of Ragnar
Looking like a son of Ragnar, with hair shaved at the sides and a long-braided ponytail, Nicke Borg kicked proverbial arse alongside guitar hero Dregen, bass beast Johan Blomqvist and powerhouse Peder Carlsson took to the QMU stage to a warm Glasgow welcome. Well warm is an understatement, more like a sweltering sweatbox, Nicke regretting asking the crowd to warm things up for him…
What Backyard Babies proceeded to do was treat us to a wide-ranging set of ball-busting tunes from throughout their illustrious 30+ year career. The band were on form both musically and with their between song banter, Dregen splitting the crowd at the mere mention of a certain Swedish footballing maestro. As always guitar hero poses abound when Dregen is around, receiving well deserved adulation from the baying crowd. The set was a masterclass in wanton rock madness – sing-a-long highlights strewn throughout the set including (obviously) Highlights, Look at You, Th1irte3n or Nothing, Painkiller, Heaven 2.9 and an encore including an incendiary Minus Celsius and ending on a roof raising Brand New Hate.
Further Norse invasions welcome anytime.
The Northmen are coming (slight return)
Follow that?
No problem to Ginger, CJ, Danny and Rich – the incredible Wildhearts took the volume level and raised it several notches. The sweaty mob going wild from the off.
The return of the Geordie heroes to Glasgow is always a welcome sight, and despite having seen them last year alongside Gun, Terrorvision and Baby Chaos at Kelvingrove Bandstand. It is always preferable to see them in a more intimate club sized venue.
The Wildhearts are probably one of the bands I have seen the most, but I never tire of seeing them do their stuff. They never disappoint.
Homecoming Heroes
Welcomed like homecoming heroes by the Glasgow crowd is something that doesn’t go un-noticed by the band. Ginger indicating that this would be one of the tour highlights, and Danny quipping “its good to be back home”. We were prepared to party, and party is what we did.
Epic tunes bookended a phenomenal set of fan favourites old and new. Everlone kicking things off in style, while Love U ‘Til I Don’t rounded-off a perfect set. Sure, they could have played all night and there would be that one song missing that someone was desperate to hear, but I defy anyone to not have enjoyed the mix of tunes on offer tonight
Last years Renaissance Men album has added some instant classics to the band’s repertoire, A high-energy Diagnosis makes an early appearance in the set. Ginger has a real knack for writing addictively catchy riffs and hooks and is a master for the sing-a-long chorus.
Let ‘Em Go
A personal favourite from the album is Let ‘Em Go. There is something quite cathartic about singing the chorus along with a room full of people:
“Let ‘em go, let ‘em go, let the shit filled rivers flow
When your belly burns with anger no one ever needs to know
Let ‘em go, let ‘em go, let the wankers find their own
If they’re not there to share your troubles, you’ll be better off on your own.“
If that doesn’t sum up nicely the need to rid yourself of arseholes, parasites, hangers on and general shitty people from your life, then nothing does. And breathe. That’s better.
If Nicke didn’t believe Ginger that Glasgow is the loudest audience, tonight I’m sure will have cemented that thought firmly in his head. The heaving mass of bodies pogoed, danced, moshed, sang and chanted non-stop through the magnificent set – Vanilla Radio, My Baby is a Headfuck, The Revolution Will be Televised, TV Tan, Top of the World, Dislocated and a final triple whammy of a bruising Sick of Drugs, My Kinda Movie and an emphatic I Wanna Go Where the People Go…
Headfuck me…
High on emotion already, they only go and play 29 x The Pain as their first encore. Headfuck me…
Then with the aforementioned closer, it is over all too soon, but fuck me, what a gig. And the QMU was a damn fine venue for it!
We la, la, la, la, la, la Love U Wildhearts until we…. Nah, fuck that, we always will.
All together now… “Don’t worry ‘bout me, don’t worry ‘bout me…”