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Arena Torquay
Sunday 7th December 2025
Final gig of the year and it is back to our favourite new venue, Arena Torquay. Showing that the SW finally has a venue to attract the bigger bands, tonight it is the turn of the Wildhearts on their “More Satanic Rights of the Wildhearts” tour.
Arriving early, we have a pint, a pizza, and browse the merch in the pre-show bar, which makes a welcome change from standing in the cold and wet.
A welcome late addition to the lineup was opening band Mother Vulture. From the bar, we heard the sound check, and it is no lie to say that when singer Georgi Valentine let rip, every single person turned towards the entrance with their mouths open.
Soon we were inside and ready for the Bristol quartet to let rip.
Having travelled from Belgium for their thirty minutes on stage and then travelling straight back for a work shift in the early hours, they would of course restrain their usual explosive stage show, right?
Not a chance!
From the first note, bassist Chris Simpson is a whirlwind of activity. Hair flying and screaming at the crowd to raise the energy levels. Guitarist Brodie Maguire, for once spending the whole set on the stage rather than in the audience, matches him for energy whilst ripping some extraordinary tones from his Gretsch guitar. Between them, Georgi showcases his extraordinary vocal range, switching from bell-clear high notes to growls effortlessly, and holding the whole chaos together, drummer Matt West is a frenetic tornado of sticks and feet. It is a brief set with “Honey” and “Rabbit Hole” from the earlier days, mixed with newer material and some advance warning that the new album “Cartoon Violence”, due to be launched next year, will be something special! The album launch show is at Exeter Phoenix on January 31st, 2026, and should NOT be missed!
A stage cleared of all but a drum kit greets Irish punk Meryl Streek, who greets the crowd with ”Some of you are going to like me, but some of you are going to really hate me,” then delivers a set of angry, fast-paced punk set to drums and a throbbing backing track.
It is everything punk should be, hitting out at the world around him, inequality, and social injustice. His white-eyed contact lenses make meeting his gaze distinctly uncomfortable as he prowls the stage, leaning out over the audience. Leaping the barrier, it was genuinely amusing to see the sheer terror on the faces of the genteel, middle-aged Torbaydos crowd as he faced up to them until he found a green-haired ally and embraced him with a warm hug.
Not my kind of music at all, but I genuinely loved every second as I found his energy infectious and his lyrics thought-provoking. Finishing his set, he invited the crowd to see him at the merch, promising that off stage he was actually a nice guy, and bought a fascinating departure from my musical taste to a close.
Finally, to The Wildhearts.
A new look to the band from the previous encounters, and Ginger appears to be in a much better place in terms of mental health as he takes the stage with a grin. His opening announcement comes as a bit of a surprise, though, as he tells the audience that he has had issues with an undiagnosed medical condition that means he may pass out mid-set, but don’t worry, he will be back in ten minutes or so if it happens!
Thankfully, that doesn’t occur, but it is gloriously rock and roll to just get up there and play with that possibility!
Ginger and fellow guitarist Ben Marsden form the melodic nucleus of the band, but on stage are joined by Carol Hodge on keys and backing vocals. The keys aren’t prominent in the mix, with guitars dominating, but they do flesh out the sound beautifully. Rhythm comes from Jon Poole on bass and Charles Evans on drums, and they lay down a fearsome base to hang the riffs off.
The set covers 9 albums in a slightly truncated 15-song setlist and, as always, throws up a surprise or two (the Chris Moyles-supported “Cheers” theme being a delightful surprise). Opener “Failure is the Mother of Success” showcases the strength of the “Satanic Rights” album and Ginger’s way with melodies and lyrics.
Ginger’s humour is always present, and his intro for “Vernix” warns the crowd that they have fucked up the song two nights in a row (but it’s perfect tonight). Another new song, delightfully named “Kunce” is a belter and is followed by “Maintain Radio Silence”, which has one of the biggest riffs of the night (but with no idea of what was to come).
“Spider Beach” is a taster of the new album being finished for release next year and bodes well, and is followed by “Everlone”, which really takes things back to the very early days. Then follows the wild card. Simply called “Medley”, Ginger asks whether the crowd loves riffs, and then the band launches into an extended tribute to the word with some of the crushing guitar work shared between Ginger and Ben.
Just standing, with avalanches of sound that define the genre of rock washing over me, was a memory that will stick around a LONG time! “Slaughtered Authors”, “Diagnosis”, and “Chutzpah” (with a superb Ben Marsden solo) bring the evening to a close, and despite the crowd hanging around, there is no encore.
Rock and roll doesn’t need complexity or fancy stage effects. It needs great songwriting, tunes, and riffs that bounce around your head for weeks, and engaging performers, and The Wildhearts deliver in spades.
Review and photos – Rob Wilkins
