Don't Worry About Me
After well publicised highs (pun intended) and more recently lows, Ginger returned with 'Valor Del Corazon' and received rave reviews from all quarters. Tonight he brings the Sonic Circus to Download to headline the Myspace / Gibson stage.
The circus begins with two guys drilling holes in each others' forearms and piercing them followed by a skewer through the stomach! Whilst all this goes on Ginger and band arrive to a great reception. During the first number Ginger himself appears to get spikes put through his arms whilst singing! Nice.
Whilst his solo material is toned down from his Wildhearts days it's clear that Ginger still has the ability to produce infectious and catchy songs seemingly at will. That said, some in the crowd are no doubt pleasantly surprised that it is heavier in places that they may have thought, certainly the elongated instrumental parts (that were a hallmark of the Wildhearts) bear more than a passing resemblence to his earlier work. To say it's a partisan crowd would be an understatement; they chant Ginger's name between songs and he can't help but smile and give a nod of acknowledgement.
The songs go from simple verse to complicated musical workouts without warning but it's never self indulgent and works well. 'Only A Problem' is slower and sees the introduction of keyboards but it's no less catchy and nobody is having a bad time here tonight. Band and crowd are clearly loving the experience and feed off each other constantly. As the set progresses it's clear that Ginger has grasped this new lease of life with both hands, there are some quite inspired moments and changes in style that the Wildhearts would never have pulled off, including moments of reggae and funk!
We knew it was coming but when the intro begins to '29 x The Pain' it's as if it were a complete surprise, the crowd go nuts and sing back every single line, whilst the circus returns and the two guys now hammer studs into their heads. It's a fantastic end to a varied and extremely good set that has been matched by a great performance. Ginger seems visibly moved by the warmth of the crowd and leaves the stage to deafening applause, the perfect way to finish the day on the Myspace stage.