Interview: Ginger WildheartBy VinkaPublished: December 7, 2010Posted in: BandsTags: Ginger, Ginger and The Wildhearts, Talking Heads by Martin Hoare
Let me introduce Ginger for those of you that may not already know of him, A musician with a career spanning over two decades, He has been in too many bands to mention, lead the rock and roll lifestyle and paid for it luckily he has made the trip back successfully, incredibly down to earth and the friendliest rock star I have ever had the chance to have a chat with. As a lifelong fan of Ginger and The Wildhearts, when I got asked to do this interview, as you can guess, I was over the moon and full of questions. So full of questions I thought I would start by asking him some about The Wildhearts future and his two new bands: Michael Monroe And The Ginger Wildheart Band Set to play their last show of the year in Southampton on the 23rd December before going home to be with his family for Christmas. Hiya Ginger. How’s the foot doing? Very well, thanks. What has it been like touring with a broken foot? A pain in the fucking arse. It affects everything you do, so aside from the obvious physical restrictions it makes you pretty glum. How is the Michael Monroe / Motorhead tour going? Well, it’s over now. It was revealing. Not as much fun as I’d hoped but it served a purpose. Have you and Michael got any plans in place for a headline tour next year? There are plans. I remember a few years ago you mentioned you had gotten a 3 year US visa, Have you reapplied or will we be seeing much more of you back in the UK next year? I’m thinking of moving back to London in the New Year. The visa needs to be renewed in March 2011. You also talked about a possibility of additional volumes to be added to “stop us if you’ve heard this one before“ Is this still a possibility? Or has the transatlantic gap played its toll on this project? The Wildhearts are on indefinite leave unless Scott decides he wants to come back. Maybe we won’t come back at all, who knows? All I care about is that he’s in a very good place within himself and that’s of most importance. Do you still speak to Scott on a regular basis, Have things gotten any better for him and the family? Also how are Rich and CJ doing? Yeah, I keep in touch with Scott often. Saw Rich just the other day. CJ is a cat but I understand he’s doing great. With the Christmas tour coming around will you play any Christmas songs? Possibly not. It’s far too corny unless really thought about, and, quite frankly, there’s no time to think about xmas songs. (What About Geordie In Wonderland?) Probably. Are there any plans for the Ginger Wildheart Band to record anything, or are you guys just in it for the joy of playing to a loving audience? The Ginger Wildheart Band will record in Jan and Feb. I put this band together because I want to make something noisier than my usual solo albums. Without The Wildhearts active I need to get the aggression out onto record somehow. Do you have any more plans for Guitarmageddon in 2011 if so who would you like to add to the line-up? Guitarmageddon is a floating variant that allows anything and nothing to happen. We only do it for charity and the invite sheet is pretty open. What is your favourite guitar? My new BC Rich. Do you think the recent surge of mock rock computer games like Guitar Hero, Singstar and Rock Band is a good idea to get people into playing musical instruments? Of course, anything that makes youngsters love rock music is a good thing. What is your favourite song to play I mean what riffs really get you going? It changes every single day. How do you manage to get the inspiration for so many songs so frequently? Because life is so bizarre, I don’t have to look very far for inspiration for new material. You probably get asked this all the time, and I guess it keeps changing but what has been the most memorable moment/s of your career? It keeps changing. What album from your vast back catalogue would you recommend to somebody that hasn’t heard any of your work before? The recent ‘best of..’ collection, Ten. When you put your heart on the line like you did with endless nameless, how much did it cost mentally and physically and how do you come back from that kind of hell you were in? All drug addicts have to make the same journey back. I’m lucky to have made the trip successfully. Being one of the more intelligent guys in rock and roll, if you could go back knowing what you do now would you still choose the same path? Absolutely. A bit of a random one for my editor, You have only written a few songs about animals, From memory all of which feature Monkeys, she was just wondering if these are your favourite Mammals? I like all animals but favour the ones that taste the best. Ginger plays Talking Heads in Southampton on 23rd December. You can find out more about Ginger from his website and download the 2nd part of his new album 10 for free (10 free songs!!) http://www.gingerandthesoniccircus.net If you would like to help out Ginger And The Wildhearts UK Street Team please check out http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_155580151150969 |