The Wildhearts - I Wanna Go Where the People Go

Defining something that’s punk should be a difficult task by nature. Punk prides itself on non-conformism, creating new and dynamic ways to tell the Man to do one, after all, so should there be a strict set of rules to it? The traditional “punk uniform” of the 70s and 80s says yes, but the music itself puts up a big middle finger to the idea of not doing its own thing. 

Then there’s The Wildhearts. Trying to categorise The Wildhearts is like trying to categorise all the dust in your vacuum cleaner bag; it’s not only difficult but you’re bound to stumble upon something dirty.  Most people have them pegged as early pop-punk, which is fair. But then sometimes there’s a heavy thrash influence? Sometimes the Beatles pop up? It’s a Wikipedia editor's nightmare. Despite being all over the place, the band have found success pretty much everywhere they roam with their infectious brand of punk-core nonsense. The band are still kicking to this day, albeit with only Ginger Wildheart as their last remaining founding member, so if you want to check out their entire weird history, there might still be a few more twists in the tale. 

Onto the music, then! Almost impossibly upbeat and energetic, I Wanna Go Where The People Go might not sound like punk on first listen, but dig deep into its bouncy surface and all the proper punk tenements are there. It’s big, bold and genuinely a lot of fun and I think that this Rock Song of the Week pick is going to uplift more than a few spirits today. Don’t forget to tell the Man to do one, either.