City Scene, Fredrikstad - Fireworks Magazine[uk]
WIG WAM “Hotel City”, Fredrikstad 21.12.05 6.30 PM – Kids Show
When I go to gigs I am often plagued by “tall man syndrome” - meaning that despite gargantuan efforts to arrive early and optimise my observation post, some twit who’s at least six feet five stands in front of me just as the show is about to start. Just as I was congratulating myself that I wasn’t at risk of this happening, I was horrified to find out about five minutes later that it was me who was blocking the view of some poor kid! I make the usual British-style apologies to her mum (why do us Brits say sorry for everything?), then managed to wedge myself in tightly beside the merchandise desk where my nuisance factor reduced to a zero and I could breathe a sigh of relief. The build up to this show is electric, almost intoxicating. It’s the last night of the tour, and it’s only four days to Christmas Day, so everyone’s in a great mood. It’s in a hotel ballroom, so the dance floor is packed early, but it’s not long before the balconies are filled to capacity. There are hundreds of young teenage girls wearing more make up than clothes, and several dedicated “wigwamaniacs” turn up in fancy dress – all platforms and feather boas. A bevy of classic rock numbers plays in the background, and soon after 6.30 pm Sporty takes up his position on the drums, closely followed by Flash and Teeny. The screaming begins in earnest, there are explosions and flashes and Glam hits the stage in a blaze of colour and equipped with signature party popper tube which he sets off, covering the crowd in glitzy ticker tape. They rock energetically through the first four numbers and then proceedings become a bit more solemn as Glam pronounces “Now, it’s time to die…….” and they go into ‘Out of Time’ where he delivers a stunning vocal performance that is every bit as polished live as it is on the album. We are treated to one of Wig Wam’s signature rock medlies – this time it’s ‘Highway to Hell’, complete with solo played in its entirety at the back of Teeny’s head, at least up to the point where Glam starts tickling him under the arms! This segues into ‘Back in Black’ where Teeny and Flash play each other’s instruments back to back whilst spinning around. This is followed by the ballad ‘Tell Me Where to Go’ and features the now legendary Glam red rose routine – however, tonight there is more than one red rose – a dozen, in fact, and this means a dozen lucky ladies … but it looks like revenge for Glam’s last-night jinks are on the cards as Sporty steals his thunder by distributing about fifty red roses of his own … but it is his birthday, after all, and the crowd acknowledges this by raising the roof with “Happy Birthday”. I have to admit that Teeny now occupies a permanent place in my little circle of “favourite guitar players” so the next part of the show is about to give me goosebumps, as the lights go down and he emerges for the solo. He begins with an excerpt from a song. I am perturbed …. I don’t know it. I consult with the webmaster who reliably informs me it is ‘Hot Legs’, the aforementioned opening number from the Dream Police debut. This segues into ‘Erection’ which moves effortlessly into ‘The Drop’ complete with fireworks attached to the headstock. Not quite Eric Sardinas ‘circle of flames’ but every bit as exciting! ‘Carlyle’ enables Flash to hit the spotlight for his own spectacular intro, complete with chequered flag and formula one sound effects – I’m loving it, until the next track which is … what? The Back Street Boys? Ah, but it’s “Wig Wam’s back … alright?” ‘Crazy Things’, their popular 2004 hit, is delivered in a ballad style, and I get to thinking that they could easily do a re-release of this and go straight to Number One. The show ends with a Norwegian Christmas song (‘It’s Hard to be a Nissemann’) and the encore is the inevitable ‘In My Dreams’, which sends the crowd into orbit. As ever, when the curtain is down, the band comes back onto the stage in full costume and proceeds to sign autographs and pose for photographs. They take as long as it needs to work their way through the vast crowd, and no-one is disappointed, no matter what pressure the stage hands are under to re-equip for the next show which is two hours later. I make my way backstage where it looks like Santa’s sleigh has missed a turning and tipped its contents – for there is not only Christmas to see to, but also Sporty’s birthday, and the guys do very well from the offerings – Sporty does particularly well, and Teeny ends up with enough chocolate to see him through to, well, at least the middle of January! Lots of scantily clad adoring teenage girls, more autographs, more pictures, more hugs, more kisses, and then it’s time for me to catch the train to Oslo, even though I really, honestly don’t want to leave. On the train to Oslo I have time to reflect on my Wig Wam experience. I’ve been evangelising about Wig Wam to my rock buddies for six months. I was lucky enough be given the opportunity to get to know them on their own turf, with the added bonus of seeing them in concert in three different settings. I have had a great time with the friendliest, most down-to-earth group of talented musicians who remain, as people, completely unaltered by their success. The Darkness may have put enjoyment, lycra and excess back into rock, but Wig Wam, for my money, offers all this and more, including a particular depth of experience and a pedigree of song-writing and musicianship that the British music scene is sorely missing. Look, Def Leppard are issuing a seventies covers album later this year, and it’s beginning to look like glam albums are being released on an almost weekly basis. Wig Wam occupies a space at the front of this resurgence. When they come to Britain - and it won’t be long now - just dust off your stack heels, dig out the lace up leathers, apply copious war paint and hair spray, join the party and have a bloody good time! Now where did I put those bell bottoms?
Dawn Irwin, Fireworks Magazine
When I go to gigs I am often plagued by “tall man syndrome” - meaning that despite gargantuan efforts to arrive early and optimise my observation post, some twit who’s at least six feet five stands in front of me just as the show is about to start. Just as I was congratulating myself that I wasn’t at risk of this happening, I was horrified to find out about five minutes later that it was me who was blocking the view of some poor kid! I make the usual British-style apologies to her mum (why do us Brits say sorry for everything?), then managed to wedge myself in tightly beside the merchandise desk where my nuisance factor reduced to a zero and I could breathe a sigh of relief. The build up to this show is electric, almost intoxicating. It’s the last night of the tour, and it’s only four days to Christmas Day, so everyone’s in a great mood. It’s in a hotel ballroom, so the dance floor is packed early, but it’s not long before the balconies are filled to capacity. There are hundreds of young teenage girls wearing more make up than clothes, and several dedicated “wigwamaniacs” turn up in fancy dress – all platforms and feather boas. A bevy of classic rock numbers plays in the background, and soon after 6.30 pm Sporty takes up his position on the drums, closely followed by Flash and Teeny. The screaming begins in earnest, there are explosions and flashes and Glam hits the stage in a blaze of colour and equipped with signature party popper tube which he sets off, covering the crowd in glitzy ticker tape. They rock energetically through the first four numbers and then proceedings become a bit more solemn as Glam pronounces “Now, it’s time to die…….” and they go into ‘Out of Time’ where he delivers a stunning vocal performance that is every bit as polished live as it is on the album. We are treated to one of Wig Wam’s signature rock medlies – this time it’s ‘Highway to Hell’, complete with solo played in its entirety at the back of Teeny’s head, at least up to the point where Glam starts tickling him under the arms! This segues into ‘Back in Black’ where Teeny and Flash play each other’s instruments back to back whilst spinning around. This is followed by the ballad ‘Tell Me Where to Go’ and features the now legendary Glam red rose routine – however, tonight there is more than one red rose – a dozen, in fact, and this means a dozen lucky ladies … but it looks like revenge for Glam’s last-night jinks are on the cards as Sporty steals his thunder by distributing about fifty red roses of his own … but it is his birthday, after all, and the crowd acknowledges this by raising the roof with “Happy Birthday”. I have to admit that Teeny now occupies a permanent place in my little circle of “favourite guitar players” so the next part of the show is about to give me goosebumps, as the lights go down and he emerges for the solo. He begins with an excerpt from a song. I am perturbed …. I don’t know it. I consult with the webmaster who reliably informs me it is ‘Hot Legs’, the aforementioned opening number from the Dream Police debut. This segues into ‘Erection’ which moves effortlessly into ‘The Drop’ complete with fireworks attached to the headstock. Not quite Eric Sardinas ‘circle of flames’ but every bit as exciting! ‘Carlyle’ enables Flash to hit the spotlight for his own spectacular intro, complete with chequered flag and formula one sound effects – I’m loving it, until the next track which is … what? The Back Street Boys? Ah, but it’s “Wig Wam’s back … alright?” ‘Crazy Things’, their popular 2004 hit, is delivered in a ballad style, and I get to thinking that they could easily do a re-release of this and go straight to Number One. The show ends with a Norwegian Christmas song (‘It’s Hard to be a Nissemann’) and the encore is the inevitable ‘In My Dreams’, which sends the crowd into orbit. As ever, when the curtain is down, the band comes back onto the stage in full costume and proceeds to sign autographs and pose for photographs. They take as long as it needs to work their way through the vast crowd, and no-one is disappointed, no matter what pressure the stage hands are under to re-equip for the next show which is two hours later. I make my way backstage where it looks like Santa’s sleigh has missed a turning and tipped its contents – for there is not only Christmas to see to, but also Sporty’s birthday, and the guys do very well from the offerings – Sporty does particularly well, and Teeny ends up with enough chocolate to see him through to, well, at least the middle of January! Lots of scantily clad adoring teenage girls, more autographs, more pictures, more hugs, more kisses, and then it’s time for me to catch the train to Oslo, even though I really, honestly don’t want to leave. On the train to Oslo I have time to reflect on my Wig Wam experience. I’ve been evangelising about Wig Wam to my rock buddies for six months. I was lucky enough be given the opportunity to get to know them on their own turf, with the added bonus of seeing them in concert in three different settings. I have had a great time with the friendliest, most down-to-earth group of talented musicians who remain, as people, completely unaltered by their success. The Darkness may have put enjoyment, lycra and excess back into rock, but Wig Wam, for my money, offers all this and more, including a particular depth of experience and a pedigree of song-writing and musicianship that the British music scene is sorely missing. Look, Def Leppard are issuing a seventies covers album later this year, and it’s beginning to look like glam albums are being released on an almost weekly basis. Wig Wam occupies a space at the front of this resurgence. When they come to Britain - and it won’t be long now - just dust off your stack heels, dig out the lace up leathers, apply copious war paint and hair spray, join the party and have a bloody good time! Now where did I put those bell bottoms?
Dawn Irwin, Fireworks Magazine
