With several UK top 20 singles and a top 10 album, it’s hard to understand what The Wildhearts ever needed to do to achieve major commercial success. Suffice to say they have always been a turbulent and unpredictable band, brimming with rock ‘n roll clichés relating to drugs, booze, break-ups and record label feuding.

Sixteen years since their eminent debut album – “Earth vs The Wildhearts” – they are on the road to promote their latest album ”Chutzpah!” and I figure things must be going right because they are touring with a line-up now intact for over three years.

This was a gig of two halves. The first being the new album complete from start to finish. A decision which could have gone wrong, but with early assurance from front man and guitarist Ginger that old favourites would follow in the second set, die-hard fans familiar with the album along with those of us hearing songs for the first time, accepted this in the safe knowledge.

Kicking off with “Jackson Whites”, “Plastic Jebus” and the single “The Only One” fronted by bassist Scott Sorry, the album is delivered with tenacity and exuberance. Stand out tracks for me are the fantastically titled and catchy “You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane” and the title track “Chutzpah!” With Ginger’s occasional dialogue of both witty banter and heartfelt appreciation, the charismatic Geordie and Co have the 10-track showcase done and dusted in around 45 minutes.

It has to be said that the new O2 Academy 2 was too small for the audience in attendance. Packed in like sardines, many sweating fans made a break for air at the mid-way point, only to find the band were back on stage in less than 10 minutes. It was evident that the conditions marred the evening for some, but for those with no such care it was back into the hot and jammed throng for the second half.

From The Wildhearts back catalogue, in no particular order, came: “I Wanna Go Where the People Go”, “Sick of Drugs”, “The Revolution Will Be Televised”, “29x The Pain”, “Someone That Won't Let Me Go”, “Caffeine Bomb”, “My Baby is a Headf**k” and “Suckerpunch”. Ginger flanked by guitarist CJ and bassist Sorry were abound with energy, with drummer Ritch Battersby rightfully receiving Ginger’s “man of the match” award for his stalwart contribution.

Why The Wildhearts didn’t appear in the main O2 Academy is beyond me. Their confidence to play the entire new album could surely have been matched to sell enough tickets. My only criticism is that whilst the album is receiving favorable reviews, perhaps a couple of tracks could have been dropped to make way for more classics. A cracking show all the same.