Music/News: 09 Aug 2017
The Hot Press Newsdesk

Fans reach out to Ginger Wildheart after he attempts suicide in Northern Ireland

The singer spent a night in the cells following a gig in Ballymena.

There are serious concerns for Ginger Wildheart’s well-being following an incident at an acoustic show he played on Saturday night in Ahogill, Ballymena.

The former Quireboys and Wildhearts man, who'd gigged the previous night in Dublin, became involved in an altercation with an audience member after performing a two-and-a-half-hour set in The Diamond Rock Club.

"Night in the cells," he tweeted the following day. "Stranded alone in Ireland. Sunday fucking Sunday."

Ginger went on to reveal that he'd attempted to take his own life and was "fucking gutted" to have failed.

"Currently sectioned for who knows how long," the singer, who's been open about his mental health issues, added. "My life has become unmanageable under medication."

This prompted a deluge of supportive messages from fans urging Ginger, who recently completed a successful Pledge Music campaign to bankroll his Ghost In Tanglewood country album, to hang on in there.

"Keep fighting, G. You're stronger than your illness, you're a fucking titan. We're rooting for you x" texted Emma Håkonsen‏, while Viki Parker added: "I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better. Your music is such a big part of my life. Please stay strong."

It had been a different story 36 hours earlier in The Workman's Club.

"It was one of the best gigs ever," fan Benny Blanco says of the Dublin stop-off. "He was on top form, full of chat and laughter. One of the fans recorded the gig and you can hear the warmth and fun he had. We met him outside after and he was giving us all hugs and thanking us. He just seemed so happy with everything."

Hot Press, like Ginger himself, believes that it's important to be honest about mental health issues, which is why we've decided to run this story.

Whilst things clearly got out of hand on Saturday night, we've always found the 52-year-old to be a warm, caring individual who's forged a strong bond with his fans. Hopefully the next few days will bring better news...