Live Review: CJ Wildheart/Scott Sorry/Grand Theft Audio (Leeds Brudenell Social Club, 13/9/22)

I suppose one of the few bright points of the Wildhearts going on an indefinite hiatus earlier this year is that it's given all of the members a chance to concentrate on their solo projects and tonight is a good opportunity to catch up with three ex-'Hearts as they get back on the road. The number of familiar faces, some of whom I haven't seen in years, tonight really makes this feel like a bit of a special occasion and you know it's going to be a good one.


The last time I saw Grand Theft Audio live was at Bradford Rio's way back in about 2001 but as their Pass Me The Conch album earlier this month showed, they've picked up without missing a beat and moved their sound forward well. With Jay and Ritch joined by new members Ben Marsden (The Main Grains, the Spangles, Modern Day Dukes, Warner Hodges Band) and Rob Lane (Teenage Casket Co, Ryan Hamilton, Bulletboys), tonight's set is a good mix of new (Scrub Up, The Gods Of Rock, Ici Mon Decree) and old (We Luv U, As Good As It Gets, a storming Stoopid Ass). It's clear that Jay is still as hyperactive as ever, marauding all round the venue to do his vocals over the course of the gig and even standing on the slightly terrified soundman's desk for one number! GTA are definitely back with a bang and I strongly recommend you go and check them out at the earliest available opportunity.

Talking to a fair few people around the venue, the general consensus is that it's just good to see Scott Sorry out here gigging again after his brain tumour a few years back and he sounds well and truly reinvigorated tonight, putting on what I'd honestly say is the best gig I've seen him do as a frontman. With a good mix of stuff from the Sorry & The Sinatras album (Hated Heart) and his underrated When We Were Kings album (the storming title track proving an excellent set closer) as well as his recent tribute to late former bandmate Roger Segal The Saint Of Philadelphia, this is a proper all-killer no-filler set with Sorry and his band (including Dirty Gems frontman Kris Rodgers on keys) sounding tight and locked in throughout. Great stuff.

CJ Wildheart is the guy with the most expansive solo back catalogue out of tonight's three performers and he puts on a good greatest hits set tonight (we should hopefully have a review of his "greatest hits re-recorded" album Lives up on these pages soon). With a good backing band including Marsden again as well as long time collaborator Lee Wray from Zen Motel, we get a mix of songs from CJ's Wildhearts (Hit It On The Head), Honeycrack (Sitting At Home) and Jellys (Lemonade Girl) days as well as choice cuts from his back catalogue including State Of Us, Tea Leaf and 50% Indian which see him get a good reception from the crowd tonight before bringing Scott and Ritch back out for an encore of Wildhearts tunes including Little Flower from the excellent Renaissance Men album and a finale of former single, The Only One from Chutzpah! a few years ago.

Like I say, tonight was a great gig, probably one of the best I've been to this year, and a real reminder of the power music and friendship can have on your life. If you get the chance to see this tour before it finishes next week, I strongly recommend you do.

All photos by Andy James Close. All rights reserved.

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