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Now this was
one band we'd waited a very long time to see play our hometown. It may
not have been a total sell out, but the hall was packed with a good few
people who had turned out to see them play here tonight. There's not
that many bands we've seen play the bigger room this year, but tonight
SG5 were not only playing in it, but it was good to see that the room
was fairly packed out too.
Opening with one of their most popular tracks off their Black Leather
Mojo album, the band went straight into Sonic Shake. They stood up there
playing away while the room below exploded into a wave of eager fans
going totally mental. Right from that first song they had us in the palm
of their hands and they knew it. With a grin as big as a Cheshire cat,
head honcho Ginger knew he'd made the right decision to bring his latest
tour to Geordieland.
3 tracks down the line and we got to hear some of their newer material
in the form of W.L.A.M.F. (Walk Like A Mother Fucker). Charming song
title for a song that was in essence quite strong, and rather heavier
than we've come to expect from this rock band. In fact it sounded not a
million miles away from some of the newer Almighty material.
Ginger said hello to all his family and friends that had turned up
tonight to see him play. These included the wonderful Danny McCormack
(Ex Wildhearts stable mate), Stidi and of course the support band The
Jellys. He thanked them all for their friendship and support over the
years. Always one to court controversy he just couldn't resist
continuing his little speech by giving the fans a lecture of the easiest
way to take Hash!
Apparently he favours sticking it into a pepper grinder and putting it
onto your food. Saves staining your fingers he told us. Knowing fine
well that they last time he graced this particular stage was the night
Danny finally lost it to drugs during the Wildhearts set, was this a sly
dig at him, the fans, or was he just trying to be a clever b*stard?
Whichever it was it wasn't particularly clever. Taking drugs has never
been a clever thing to do and one of these days you'll come a cropper my
lad. When you do don't expect us to be any more understanding than you
were to Danny.
Later in the set Ginger told us that they'd sold out every show except
this one in Newcastle. Well it just goes to show you that Geordies won't
pay to see just any old sh*t.
Throughout the whole night we saw the marvellous Connie Bloom entrance
us with his almost god-like presence. That man certainly knows his way
around a guitar I can tell you! The whole set through he just glideded
back and forth across the stage looking as cool as a cucumber and in
total control the whole time. To the other side of the stage we saw
another popular favourite, fellow Clam Abuse buddy Jon Poole. It doesn't
seem that long since we saw Mr. Poole on tour with Ginger on his
acoustic tour with fellow nutter Alex Kane from Anti Product.
Nine songs down and one guitar smashed to smithereens. Ever so original
Ginger, never seen a rock band do that before! Actually it has been a
long time since we'd seen a band do that onstage. I guess this
particular individual has raked in too much money from the sale of all
those singles and the years of drug abuse have scrambled his brain? The
audience enjoyed it and the younger ones among the crowd were treat to
sight of a truly possessed man on a mission.
We'd had a great night out the band said their goodbyes and left the
stage. Most of us thought that was it, but hell no, the rest of the
crowd were still buzzing with the adrenalin off the smashed guitar and
were baying for more. They cried out for more and more was what we got!
A full 5 songs more to be exact, together with a full blown debate on
whether the wonderful Mr. Bloom should loose him beard or not. I think
the outcome was that he could keep it, but I wonder what would have
happened if it had gone the other way?
'Last Bastard In Heaven' we were informed was going to be one of the
tracks the band would be releasing as a single. Come on Ginger, we love
your music, we love the band, but all this single stuff you're keen to
do it just a blatant rip off of your die-hard fans. Give us a proper
album or nothing at all. You know us Geordies want value for our money
and singles are not the way to go!
The set wound up with 'Motorvate', a song we've heard so many bands
cover recently, it's fast becoming almost compulsory to include it in a
bands set list. Still it's always good to hear a master do it full
justice.
Excellent gig, excellent band. Well worth the £8 cover fee. Ginger for
goodness sake, forget all those other band side projects you're playing
about with, Silver Ginger 5 is as tight as a fishes butt-hole and it's
got that wild abandoned party feel to it that we crave soooo much. Keep
em coming old boy, but make sure it's in album format!
Setlist: Sonic
Shake, Anyway But Maybe, Girls Are Better Than Boys, W.L.A.M.F., I Wanna
Be New, Too Many Hippies, Church Of The Broken Hearted, I'm A Lover,
California Man, Channel Bop, Encore:, Take It All, Groovus Maximus, Last
Bastard, Divine Imperfection, Motorvate
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