The Wildhearts' 30 Year Itch is loud, atmospheric and buzzing with furious energy

Anthem after anthem after motherfucking anthem!

By Essi Berelian
( Classic Rock )
published
The Wildhearts: 30 Year Itch
(Image: © Rounder Records)

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At a time when there are no gigs to attend, we have Ginger Wildheart and crew, supreme practitioners of the art of live rock’n’roll, giving it some much needed welly to transport you to your happy place. 

With 2019’s stonking Renaissance Men to promote and bassist Danny McCormack back in the band, capturing the 2019 touring carnage was a bit of a no-brainer. And the joyful racket of these 17 tracks is something to behold.

Newies Dislocated and Diagnosis sit comfortably next to the likes of The Jackson Whites and The Revolution Will Be Televised and a healthy fistful of real oldies such as Everlone, Caffeine Bomb, Suckerpunch, Love U Til I Don’t and TV Tan. 

But the renditions of Urge and Anthem are the real revelation, sounding so much better than the Endless, Nameless originals. 

30 Year Itch is loud, atmospheric and buzzing with furious energy. Job done.

Essi Berelian
Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.