The first time you heard THE WiLDHEARTS?

[davejnick]

I'd read a lot of good things about them in Kerrang, Raw, and all the other mags that were worth reading at the time, and had heard a couple of tracks from the Radio One session that's on "Anarchic Airwaves" (more by luck than judgement - what a fortunate twist of fate to have turned on the radio when I did!), and then went out and bought Mondo Akimbo. Couldn't find Don't Be Happy - had to wait til the re-release to get that one. Then me and me mate Jim got dodgy copies of the album from a girl called Andrea who was in one of our classes at school, and who had excellent taste in music.

And more money than we did, obviously.

When the tour with The Almighty was announced, me and me mate Jim bought tickets, then had to convince our dads to take us there cos we were both skint schoolkids, so my dad drove us from Dundee to Aberdeen (only 66 miles apparently) then went home, and Jim's dad came to pick us up. As we walked in, I remember saying to Jim (who was, and to the this day remains, a HUGE Ricky Warwick fan), "Fuck the Almighty, I'm here for Ginger". It was when they had those dopey bloody things on stage with them that looked like blackboards that a kid had drawn the smiley on, and I thought they looked fucking ridiculous, but at the same time strangely cool.

Oh, and Ginger was wearing a white tshirt and he swung his dreadlocks round a lot.

And me and Jim both found it utterly bizarre that they didn't play TV Tan when it was going to be the next single, and there were folks giving out flyers for it outside the venue....

[markE]

it was in my local crappy record shop. i walked in - loveshit was playing and i was hooked. ihad started off liking rock like maiden, acdc and quo when i was a kid but as a teenager i was mostly listening to hardcore hip hop. hearing that song changed all that and soon iwas going to gigs, buying loads of albums etc. much to the relief of my parents, who although very cool always hated the sweary rap albums. (sweary rock albums were okay for some reason?). this all happened not long after i started going out with a girl and we really bonded over the music scene that we were both discovering ( she had been into indie stuff like the wonderstuff). now fifteen years later we are happily married and still going to the gigs etc. thankyou wildhearts.

[Damian]

it was in my local crappy record shop. i walked in - loveshit was playing and i was hooked. ihad started off liking rock like maiden, acdc and quo when i was a kid but as a teenager i was mostly listening to hardcore hip hop. hearing that song changed all that and soon iwas going to gigs, buying loads of albums etc. much to the relief of my parents, who although very cool always hated the sweary rap albums. (sweary rock albums were okay for some reason?). this all happened not long after i started going out with a girl and we really bonded over the music scene that we were both discovering ( she had been into indie stuff like the wonderstuff). now fifteen years later we are happily married and still going to the gigs etc. thankyou wildhearts.

This story has given me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. That's so cool.

[Phil]

Top of the Pops 'Sick of drugs' with the band stopping half way through and Ginger saying "if you wanna hear the rest of the song go and buy the single". It had almost the desired effect, I bought Fishing for Luckies and the rest swiftly followed.

[Trudi]

My first time was '91 at Rock City, but I'm not sure it counts 'cos I remember absolutely bugger all about it due to getting a (totally unrelated) migraine and having to get a cab home waaaay before the end of the night, and possibly while they were still on stage!

[loz]

i think i was in edinburgh visiting heriot watt uni, and reading kerrang on the bus. caffeine bomb got a brilliant review, and i'd seen so much written about the band that i decided i just had to hear them. so i went into virgin on princes street and bought the single for £1-99. i was utterly blown away. got hold of earth vs as soon as i could (thanks local library!) and haven't looked back

[jontarbard]

If I remember rightly (and don't quote me on this!), my brother was lent Earth Vs from one of his mates and it got him hooked.

Then he got the velvet edition on p.h.u.q. and it intrigued me

*ooo....strokey-strokey the nice velvetey* (sorry, went all Smeagol on ya there!)

Had a listen and the first bars of I Wanna Go grabbed me, pulled me in and bashed themselves into my head!

[weebleboy]

I was in college around '01 and one of the lads in my music tech class mentioned he was into this band called the Wildhearts, and I thought it was a cool as fuck band name and got a few songs off audiogalaxy (I think it was suckerpunch, nothing ever changes and geordie), gave them a casual listen but it wasn't totally my thing at the time. Then on a random spend one day in Virgin I ended up splurging on a few sale albums, one of which was PHUQ. After a few listens I was totally used to the style and I've been pretty dedicated ever since.

I go for months without listening to them, but then when I go back to it I always remember what I was missing. I dunno what it is, I like lots of bands, have a fair few favourite bands, but the Wildhearts are my FAVOURITE band by far.

[gimme]

the first time I heard the band was when I was about 11 years old and my grandad had ordered himself a CD called the number one rock album or something thinking it would be rock and roll in the Elvis/chuck berry etc vein of things.

when he realised it was all this 'modern' music in his words (all the songs were from the early 90s, this would of been in 2001 or something though)

I wanna go where the people go was on this cd which he gave to me.

I diddnt get in to the band untill someone on the therapy? message board recomended them a few years later, then when I got hold of PHUQ I immediatly recognised the opening track.

[Rafa]

July 2007. I was on the computer using LastFM and had Cheap Trick radio playing when it brought up Someone Who Won't Let Me Go. I was blown away. I went to Youtube and the first video I saw was Vanilla Radio - and that was it. I was like, "Where the hell have I been, why have I not hear of these guys before." I'm still amazed today. Absolutely my favorite band - They're just about all I listen to (I have a lot of catching up to do!) I live in California and my DREAM vacation would be to see the Wildhearts play in London somewhere and then hop a train to see Liverpool play at Anfield the next day. My life would be complete!!!!!

[Pudu]

July 2007. I was on the computer using LastFM and had Cheap Trick radio playing when it brought up Someone Who Won't Let Me Go. I was blown away. I went to Youtube and the first video I saw was Vanilla Radio - and that was it. I was like, "Where the hell have I been, why have I not hear of these guys before." I'm still amazed today. Absolutely my favorite band - They're just about all I listen to (I have a lot of catching up to do!) I live in California and my DREAM vacation would be to see the Wildhearts play in London somewhere and then hop a train to see Liverpool play at Anfield the next day. My life would be complete!!!!!

I guessed you must have been a Liverpool fan with that nick ........ why not see the redmen during the day and then the Wildhearts the same night in Liverpool? Although I think last time they played Liverpool was Danny's final tour with the band.

[goodjudge]

The Astoria, supporting Wolfsbane - December '90 or January '91, can't recall (though should still have the ticket somewhere). I was a massive Wolfsbane fan, but I knew about Ginger via the Quireboys (still love 'Mayfair') and had read about his latest venture in Kerrang. I had a new favourite band from that night on.

A month or so later they supported the Manics on a UK tour, which stopped at Hemel Hempstead (where I grew up). On Ask Ginger he says they played every show of that tour but I swear there was a different support band that night. I'd left the Astoria already being able to sing a few Wildhearts choruses and I told my friends in HH to come along early to check out the great support, but as I recall, I didn't recognise any songs - or anyone on the stage. Guess I'll never know whose memory is at fault.

[Dark Lord of Barnet]

I first heard them on either raw power or power hour same show different names, that one that had the bearded numpty Krusher and Anne something or other

That was Anne Kirk. I used to like her!
Raw Power/Noisy Mothers was a great show!

[Workyticket]

I first heard them on either raw power or power hour same show different names, that one that had the bearded numpty Krusher and Anne something or other

That was Anne Kirk. I used to like her!
Raw Power/Noisy Mothers was a great show!

It sure was, and it gave me my first Wildhearts experience too. I'd heard of them but didn't thnk much past 'What a weedy name!'. I tune into Noisy Mothers, the Nothing Ever Changes... video plays, and I suddenly realise that this weedily-named bunch are in fact pretty bloody good.

A couple of months later on the night before my 18th birthday, my brother gives me my present - A copy of Earth Vs. (This was when it was first released and he bought me it out of curiosity as they were supporting The Almighty soon)

I popped the CD in around 11.45, and became a legal adult listening to the greatest band on the planet. It's still my all-time favourite album.

[hoodedclaw]

I was working with one Pete Winkelman. He said I ought to hear a band he was working with..."They're like Metallica meets the Monkees" was his description. I liked the sound of that, but when I heard some early demos, they sounded even better. Pretty soon I was out shooting Super 8 stuff of live shows, which along with some other folks' work, later became the Nothing Ever Changes video.
Not much has changed since then. They're still my favourite band by a million miles, they still play great music, and I still film them. The main difference is that they are now, incredibly, much much better than ever.