Geordie in wonderland / live cd

[Damian]

I wish I'd been at the Castle gig.

Despite some ofthe 'techincal' problems on the day, I still rate this as one of the BEST all round gigs i've been to (and i've been to a LOT)

Terrible day for many of the performers, great day for everyone else. I spent two days in a top B&B, got to walk along the sea a lot and met many very nice people...

[Glen666]

Got my copy yesterday.

Don't like the sound *at all*, Ginger's vocals are below par, the fireworks are louder than the music, Everlone starts with a mistake and the cover is TERRIBLE.
Don't get me wrong - I *want* to like it and I was looking forward to this record but this is probably the worst WH release ever.

Why has this been released? No wonder the man himself is not supporting it. Oh well...

I've gotta say that I totally agree. It sounds awful, I couldn't listen to it all the way through. It's very poorly mixed, there's far too much reverb on everthing and you can barely hear the guitars. It's a real shame because I remember it sounding great on the day.

Buy it if you're the kind of fan who needs a complete collection (like me) but DO NOT buy this if you actually want to listen to it.

[bennympls]

You guys that dont like it are still missing the point. It is technically a BOOTLEG!!!!!!! The band didnt clean it up! Come on , you guys are musicians, you know that. Could Bob Rock have saved this piece of shite for you???

[Ean]

You guys that dont like it are still missing the point. It is technically a BOOTLEG!!!!!!! The band didnt clean it up! Come on , you guys are musicians, you know that. Could Bob Rock have saved this piece of shite for you???

Are you kidding?? This was a professionally recorded, multi-tracked, best-quality-so-we-can-mix-it-down-later affair. That was the whole point of the thing, and the reason for having Big Mick doing the sound.

Unless they dropped a major bollock on the recording, the only person at fault is the bloke from Secret who mixed it, cos the sound through the PA was pretty good (even with the wind and the fact that I was standing right in front of Danny's bass rig).

The mix on ...Strike Back was excellent, especially considering the number of different recordings they patched together to make the whole. I know there's a difference between indoor and outdoor sound. But that much??

Incidentally, I've heard bootlegs done from a feed on the mixing desk, and they sounded waay better than this.

Oh, and I don't know about Bob Rock, but I'm sure his mate Randy (who does his mixing/engineering) probably could...

[shockingcandy]

Have to agree with Ean - there really is no excuse for such poor mixing in this day an age. Sounds like a cash-in rush job to me. Still, as I said before, it's nice to have a record of the event. I'd be intrigued to see, if there are any genuine bootlegs doing the rounds, how the compare.

[Ady]

Not that i'm complaining or anything but being a diehard fan of the wildhearts is bloody expensive, all these live cd's...had quite a few over the last few years.

I like this one - cos this was the one that i met quite a few listies for the first time. So it might be bad quality but it reminds me of the great day that was had by all, dispite the weather.

[Keith Richard]

Incidentally, I've heard bootlegs done from a feed on the mixing desk, and they sounded waay better than this.

I've not yet heard this CD. Bro-in-law has a copy of it back in UK. He said it's very raw, but he likes it. I guess it's a little different when you were actually there and have the CD as a memory. My recollection of the Wildhearts sound that day was good overall (bass a little too up in the mix, as I'vre said many time before), so I'm a little nervous about hearing the CD.

On the above quote from Ean, I completely agree....I saw Pearl Jam in SF on 16th July. On 18th July I had downloaded the "official bootleg" of the concert not expecting much in the way of quality. It turns out that this is actually one of the best live recordings I've ever heard.......go figure....

[bennympls]

Do you think the wildhearts actually got a proper soundcheck?

[bennympls]

I will admit the first 2 songs are shakey. Shitsville is so smokin!!!

[Ean]

Do you think the wildhearts actually got a proper soundcheck?

Yes, very much so. It was probably double the length of a normal one while Big Mick and Hot Steve (Is an adjective compulsory for roadies d'you suppose? ) checked and re-checked everything. It's part of the reason why the set was cut short, but we'll forgive 'em that since it was for a good reason.

I think they should maybe have had one less band playing to give themselves extra time, although props for trying to give the best value for money.

[Ean]

I guess it's a little different when you were actually there and have the CD as a memory. My recollection of the Wildhearts sound that day was good overall (bass a little too up in the mix, as I'vre said many time before), so I'm a little nervous about hearing the CD

I'm pretty sure we were both in pretty much the same place - right in front of Danny, right against the barrier. I think most of that bass was actually coming from Danny's amp, not the PA ( 'cos I know he has it turned up to 'Nosebleed' - Ginger's said he's pretty deaf in his left ear from being next to Danny) as people standing elsewhere have said the mix was fine.

I've listened to the show again today, and while I'm still not impressed by the sound, there is a definite turnaround from Geordie In Wonderland onwards.

[Michael Wade]

Is there a chance the people at Secret might remix the audio for the DVD?

[SchitzoStu]

I guess it's a little different when you were actually there and have the CD as a memory. My recollection of the Wildhearts sound that day was good overall (bass a little too up in the mix, as I'vre said many time before), so I'm a little nervous about hearing the CD

I'm pretty sure we were both in pretty much the same place - right in front of Danny, right against the barrier. I think most of that bass was actually coming from Danny's amp, not the PA ( 'cos I know he has it turned up to 'Nosebleed' - Ginger's said he's pretty deaf in his left ear from being next to Danny) as people standing elsewhere have said the mix was fine.

I've listened to the show again today, and while I'm still not impressed by the sound, there is a definite turnaround from Geordie In Wonderland onwards.

I was de(a)finitely stood next to you guys, cos all I could hear was Danny. I was beginning to wonder if CJ was even there!!!!

[Ady]

I guess it's a little different when you were actually there and have the CD as a memory. My recollection of the Wildhearts sound that day was good overall (bass a little too up in the mix, as I'vre said many time before), so I'm a little nervous about hearing the CD

I'm pretty sure we were both in pretty much the same place - right in front of Danny, right against the barrier.

I was round that area too.

[Keith Richard]

Bro-in-law sent me over a copy finally. I was dreading the first spin....and sure enough there are many cringe worthy moments. However, after a few plays (enough time to get "used" to the mix, the mistakes and the technical gitches), the ferocity of that performance starts to shine through. Nita, Stormy, Shoes (apart from the fuck up at the start) are thunderous. As with anyone who was there, Geordie had the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention. The one thing that strikes me overall is how much of sterling performance Rich graced us to. This CD is becoming better and better with subsequent listens. As I mentioned after the event on the mailing list, the Scarborough performance was far and above superior to the Glasgow gig at end 2004. That being said, sombody needs to take a blunt, rusty bread knife to the deaf geezer who mixed this recording. I had heard that there was some farily sophisticated equipment available to hand during that day

8/10 for the "I was there" value. Best rock n roll day out I've had yet...and that includes Zeppelin at Knebworth '79.