Ginger And The Scorchers / CJ And The Satellites / God Damn Whores

Throughout the musical timeline many bands have placed one person in the spotlight whilst the rest of them stand in the shadows labelled with a ‘cool’ name. Gerry And The Pacemakers, Juliette And The Licks, Gary Puckett And The Union Gap (?!). Tonight’s bill has two of these name types, but seeing as they have both temporarily shape-shifted from The Wildhearts, I will let them off.

Regular Wildhearts / Ginger support band God Damn Whores play their sleazy rock to the small audience. The start time is after 8.30pm (the doors were meant to be 7pm) but still the place is quite deserted.



Singer “Random” Jon Poole (complete with the usual red face paint) has helped out Ginger many a times, in The Wildhearts early this decade and in one of his many side projects Silver Ginger5. Where as Ginger is their usual bassist; Chris Catalyst (Robochrist, Sisters Of Mercy) of Leeds is taking over the duties here. There are oddball moments (what else can you expect with a name like this) such as singing the Batman theme during a song about TV dinners and asking for family anecdotes and the reply being “My mum took me to see Led Zeppelin!”

Songs range in speed, with quite poppy melodies. ‘Unemployment Man’, written by Poole when he was eleven, is a nod to hardcore punk, whereas ‘Loco’ is more towards the stoner rock side of things. ‘Up Against The Wall’ shows some good songwriting skills.

Up next is a band featuring another of the more recognisable Wildhearts; CJ And The Satellites. Mentioning (as the borrowed equipment plays up) that his two glittery guitars are on load from Prince, the sound is still a lot better quality than that of GDW.



The sound here is straight back to the poppy rock of The Wildhearts; guitars and sing-a-long melodies. ‘Reality’ and ‘Get out Of My Way’ are catchy top-tappers; the best track being ‘Girls On Fire’ with it’s stadium anthem-like chorus.

Now Ginger is a very busy man. As well as contributing to the three bands mentioned above, he fronts Ginger And The Sonic Circus with Poole and has performed in various solo projects (Super$hit 666, Clam Abuse, Howling Willie C**t, Brides of Destruction). This time he is heading up The Scorchers; helping them out on their tour for four of the shows as front man. Usual front man Jason Ringenberg is now performing children’s songs under the name of Farmer John, whilst guitarist Warner E. Hodges, bassist Kenny Ames and drummer Fenner Caster are touring as The Scorchers, one of America’s first alternative country bands.

Ginger is forever gushing about the Scorchers back catalogue, which they pick at tonight. His favourites are ‘Shop It Around’, which upon hearing first time around made him move from his home town of Newcastle, and ‘Close Up The Road’.

Now as if watching Ginger play country punk is weird enough, behold his dreadless head! No more flowing matted locks, just short dark hair underneath a cowboy hat. Hodges comments on how he looks good with it on, to which Ginger replies “It feels so right!”


Hodges is a fantastic guitar player; apart from producing some damn good solos he can flip the guitar around his back and carry on playing, and also spin in a circle faster than I can at half his age. This means that the guitar needs to be tuned a lot throughout the set; leaving time for some poor joke-telling.

With the backdrop covered in fairy lights, and Ginger in a cowboy hat, you wonder how he can switch from rocking with The Wildhearts to swinging with The Scorchers. It shows a talented bloke, who tonight is in awe of his band mates and old idols.

Lost Highway
I Really Don’t Want To Know
Absolutely Sweet Marie
Shop It Around
Cappuccino Rosie
Help! There’s A Fire
Golden Ball And Chain
Crashin’ Down
Close Up The Road
Harvest Moon
I’m Sticking With You
Broken Whiskey Glass
You Gotta Way With Me
19th Nervous Breakdown

Fortunate One
White Lies

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.