The Slash tour has been and gone and was a triumphant success for all involved. There’s been plenty of activity and updates on various social media sites, so here’s a quick round-up.

First Slash himself had this to say:

I just want to say Ginger Wildheart was fantastic. Fucking awesome band. We’ll tour together again soon for sure. Cheers! iiii]; )’

— Slash (@Slash) October 27, 2012

And from Myles Kennedy:

Missing @gingernyc and his fantastic band. Ginger Wildheart is a very inspiring individual….the real deal.

— Myles Kennedy (@MylesKennedy) October 28, 2012

Todd Kerns has been blogging the tour and had great, things, to say, about the Ginger Wildheart band. He even joined them on-stage each night for a different song. Here’s a couple of youtube videos for posterity.

And here’s the end of tour photo:

Ginger on the news

Ginger featured on the ITV news for Tyne & Tees and Border today, discussing the 100% PledgeMusic campaign accompanied with the recent Forget About It Japan video.

Check out the full feature including Ginger clip on the ITV website, or see the youtube video below

Ginger made a triumphant appearance at Download on Saturday, defying the weather to put in a top performance.

Carla Mundy snapped some great photos, check out her site for more great Ginger Download photos.

The setlist was:
Another Spinning Fucking Rainbow
Mazel Tov Cocktail
S.I.N.
Very, Very Slow
Suckerpunch
Taste Aversion
Inglorious

Same time, same place for the final 555% listening party. On Good Friday at 5:55pm the final CD of the pledge album 555% is released for download from PledgeMusic.

Join the listening party online – use the Twitter hashtag (which was trending in the UK last Friday evening!) #ginger555, share your thoughts with the unofficial Wildhearts facebook group, or join the chatroom on the Wildhearts message-board (using your message-board login). Also the lyrics thread from last week has now migrated to Wikia

As before, once you’ve had several listens, let us know your favourite three in the comments box on the PledgeMusic site and these will be added to the voting for the commercial single disc version of the album, 100%.

I am absolutely blown away by the positive response for, and run away success of the Pledge Triple Album campaign. I had honestly wondered if we would actually make the intended 100% in 60 days. No one, not even Pledge themselves, saw us making 100% in 6 hours!!

I definitely didn’t expect to see the vinyl disappear in the first day, and I’ve had people who missed the opening 24 hours contact me, frantic that they missed out on the format of their choice.

As we’ve made clear, this isn’t mainstream marketing, we don’t want anyone to feel cheated. So we are making more vinyl available, literally as many as you desire.

Same with the ‘thanks list special’. You want it? We’ll keep it on sale.

And for the people who snapped up the first 300? Just you wait and see what we’re giving you just for being there first. You will be much happier than you thought you’d be. You have the rarest item of this whole campaign, just look below.

Like I said, no one here gets ripped off.
We want to do this again.

Gx

For the original 300 ‘special thanks liner note package’ pledgers

To commemorate you being the first 300 pledgers towards the ‘special thanks liner note package’ you will now also be receiving a numbered print of the currently unreleased artwork from ‘The Frankenstein Effect’. Painted by renowned artist Terry Pastor (who also did album covers for David Bowie (Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust) & Sweet among others), this is perhaps the most valuable item in this pledge! The artwork is below.

Thank you to everyone for your amazing support.

I love music being independent. Always have.

The D.I.Y approach has appealed to me since I watched the original punks gatecrash the charts and infuriate the press. But the thing was, they couldn’t be stopped because the people were behind their militant stance and the mainstream could only stubbornly hope that they’d just go away. But we never went away. Revolution was born.

I remember thinking how cool it was to hear Jimmy Saville, on Radio One, refer to ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ as, simply, ‘Nevermind’. And when “God Save The Queen” stormed the charts at number one? Well, there just wasn’t a number one that week, the slot was left blank.

But we all knew. To the believers this was victory.

What I want to do is keep that spirit thriving. Music made for the people by the people.

This triple album will be exclusive to the people who pledge to get it made. The general public will have to make do with a single album of around 12 songs, which you Pledgers will choose for me – thanks! – while the 30 song extravaganza will only ever be property of the hardcore. The people who believe.

We will also bring you devoted pledgers studio video reports following every step of the recording process, allowing you into our inner sanctum, bringing you closer than ever before. Hey, you’re paying for this, it’s only appropriate that you get to see how your cash is being used.

And just to clarify, this is a completely different project to Ginger Wildheart Mutation ‘The Frankenstein Effect’.
Very different indeed.

Of the money you pledge we will donate 10% to Save The Children.

The catch? There is no catch. If this works we will continue to bring you great offers like this. Albums, holidays, exclusive performances and so much more. Believe me this is just the beginning.

I pray that your generosity and love of music makes this project possible.

Come on. I know we can do this.

Now, please just prove me right.

Gx

(Ed: See this post for full details on how to help with this fantastic project.)

I love music being independent. Always have.

The D.I.Y approach has appealed to me since I watched the original punks gatecrash the charts and infuriate the press. But the thing was, they couldn’t be stopped because the people were behind their militant stance and the mainstream could only stubbornly hope that they’d just go away. But we never went away. Revolution was born.

I remember thinking how cool it was to hear Jimmy Saville, on Radio One, refer to ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ as, simply, ‘Nevermind’. And when “God Save The Queen” stormed the charts at number one? Well, there just wasn’t a number one that week, the slot was left blank.

But we all knew. To the believers this was victory.

What I want to do is keep that spirit thriving. Music made for the people by the people.

This triple album will be exclusive to the people who pledge to get it made. The general public will have to make do with a single album of around 12 songs, which you Pledgers will choose for me – thanks! – while the 30 song extravaganza will only ever be property of the hardcore. The people who believe.

We will also bring you devoted pledgers studio video reports following every step of the recording process, allowing you into our inner sanctum, bringing you closer than ever before. Hey, you’re paying for this, it’s only appropriate that you get to see how your cash is being used.

And just to clarify, this is a completely different project to Ginger Wildheart Mutation ‘The Frankenstein Effect’.
Very different indeed.

Of the money you pledge we will donate 10% to Save The Children.

The catch? There is no catch. If this works we will continue to bring you great offers like this. Albums, holidays, exclusive performances and so much more. Believe me this is just the beginning.

I pray that your generosity and love of music makes this project possible.

Come on. I know we can do this.

Now, please just prove me right.

Gx

(Ed: See this post for full details on how to help with this fantastic project.)

Today we launch a PledgeMusic campaign that will aim to release Ginger’s next record – a triple album no less! That’s 30 brand-spanking new tracks up for grabs!

The way it will work is you help to fund the recording and production of the album up front, making you the fan a part of the “record company”, and taking the control away from the big labels to keep this a truly independent release. Once the target has been reached, pledged money will be drawn from your account, the album will be recorded and then released to you as soon as it’s finished.

If the target isn’t reached in time, then the project doesn’t happen at all, and no money will be taken from anyone… but we don’t want that now do we?

You can hear what Ginger has to say about the project here:

There are 4 options in which you can show your support:

Option 1: Digital album – £10
You will get all 30 songs digitally delivered to your inbox for just £10, as well as access to exclusive online content during the making of the album!! That’s just 30 pence a song. Bargain.

Option 2: Deluxe 3 CD Set – £20
Only available to those that pre order this triple album, this 3 CD set will contain all 30 songs recorded for this project and will never be available to buy in shops. It will be strictly made to order. You’ll also receive all 30 songs digitally & access to all the exclusive online content.

Option 3: Signed CD Set – £25
As option 2 above, but all signed by Ginger himself.

Option 4: The Ultimate Contribution! Special Thanks CD & Ltd Edition Vinyl Set – £100
You’ll be personally thanked in the liner notes of the CD booklet and receive a limited edition Deluxe Triple Album Vinyl Set, as well as a signed triple CD and the digital download of all 30 tracks. This is strictly limited to 300 copied worldwide, and is something a bit special indeed!

Please give what you can to ensure this project is a success. As an added incentive, if we get there then 10% of the pledge fund will donated to Save The Children, so it’s not just us fans that will benefit!

You can find the PledgeMusic page here, where you can offer your contribution to this unique project.

Ginger will be appearing at the DOLLAR$ FOR DEADBEAT$ one-off gig of Sorry & The Sinatras songs and other punk rock classics in London on Sunday (24th May)

DOLLAR$ FOR DEADBEAT$ – a benefit gig for Roger ‘Rags’ Segal of Sorry & The Sinatras. Roger got stuck in the UK when the Sorry & the Sinatras tour got cancelled and he is currently broke and homeless in London until he can get his flight back which was scheduled for the end of the tour. So we’ve gotten together a group of Roger’s friends to play a one-off gig doing Sorry & The Sinatras songs and punk & rock’n’roll classics to help raise money for Roger’s living expenses while he is in London.

Appearing on the night alongside Roger will be Ginger (The Wildhearts), Acey Slade (Murderdolls/Amen/Trashlight Vision), Dave Kerr (Sorry & The Sinatras, The Cherrykicks), Tom Spencer(The Yo-Yo’s, The Loyalties), Rich Jones (The Black Halos, Amen, The Loyalties), Eureka Machines (also playing a short set), Pat Lynch (Junkstar), Rich Rags (Madison Strays, Role Models) and some surprise guests. There will be drink specials and a late bar and this is a bank holiday Sunday so no work the next day!

Sorry & The Sinatras (featuring Scott Sorry from The Wildhearts) debut album ‘Highball Roller’ is out now on Undergroove! More info at http://www.myspace.com/sorryandthesinatras

Ginger is still introducing the world to some of the hidden musical gems out there over at Classic Rock as part of his ‘Secret History of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ series. The albums so far to make the grade are as follows:

• Jason and the Scorchers – ‘Lost And Found’
• The Long Ryders – ‘State Of Our Union’
• The Good Rats – ‘Ratcity In Blue’
• Maria McKee – ‘Maria McKee’
• Angel – ‘Sinful’
• And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – ‘So Divided’
• Cardiacs – ‘On Land And In The Sea’
• Imani Coppola – ‘The Black & White Album’