Ginger brings autumnal spice to The Craufurd

Choice pickings at the Wolverton haunt this month include Laura Jane Grace and the Trauma Tropes (Nov 16).

As a major figure in today’s rock scene both as a solo artist and the front person of Against Me!, which she founded in the late 1990s, Laura has released four solo offerings and seven albums with Against Me!, and in 2012 went public with her gender transition in the pages of music bible Rolling Stone.

Detailing her journey in her music, she remains true to her earlier themes of outspoken political critique – environmentalism along with personal and social liberation – with a base in American music including country and folk-rock, but with a penchant for noise and anarchy.

Eight years since landing on Earth, Henge (Nov 23) continue to delight with their music, which they say is ‘Cosmic Dross,’ and occupies the space between rave and prog rock that no-one even realised existed.

They’ve had plenty of practice at bringing the good stuff, too – last year they cut loose their third long-player, Alpha Test 4 which was produced by Jim Spencer, who has sat at the helm of releases by artists including New Order and Black Grape.

Energetic, subversive and invigoratingly playful, a trip to a Henge show leaves the audience member in that sweet spot where they feel amused and uplifted in equal part. Try it, and then beg to differ.

Wildhearts frontman Ginger is back at the venue (Nov 29) playing the music of the band he has headed up for decades.

His deft ability at delivering delicious rock and punk numbers coloured up with harmony-laden pop served him, and the Wildies, well and that talent, aided by some headline grabbing turns ensured an avid audience was always in place – and remains keen to devour all he has to offer today.

He launched a proper solo career nearly two decades ago. The 2018 opus, Ghost in the Tanglewood, left aside the raucous rock he was most famed for, while he instead drew inspiration from folk and country, and used the disc to share his thoughts following a suicide attempt the year prior.

There have been subsequent releases, and the Wildhearts returned in 2020, sating the appetites of fans with two new albums before disbanding again.

Last year and into this, Ginger has delivered 42 sell-out Ginger Plays The Wildhearts dates, and pulled together a new Wildhearts line-up, who played live for the first time at the Shepherds Bush Empire in June.

Looking to 2025 and things are on the up with a new major label deal inked and ‘the best album of his career’ on the way.

For his Craufurd return though, Ginger will deliver an acoustic set, revisiting the back catalogue of the band he has fronted for so long. A masterclass in the art of songwriting.

Polar (Nov 30) underwent a major line-up switch-up of their own last year, which left founder member, frontman Adam Woodford having to rebuild the band from scratch, which he has done – the band now has its sixth album, Five Arrows, in the can. A release date of late November is slated, so you might just get your mitts on it prior to this Wolverton visit.

For tickets, visit thecraufurdarms.com