Ash Welcome Here
Thursday, 13 May 2010
“Ash welcome here” is not a sign that’s been seen a lot around Europe recently, especially in the vicinity of travel agents and airports. While the volcanic output has frustrated business and holidays alike, there is a form of Ash that is very welcome round our way. On 5 May, a day when the nasty ash hit the front pages again, good Ash - the band - played the Roadmender in Northampton. I took one of my sons to enjoy a band that has lasted almost two decades, which is probably what most local candidates did to chill out the night before the General Election.
THREE GO MAD IN FULHAM
Ash started as an all male three piece alternative rock band in Northern Ireland in 1992 and the last time I saw them was with that line up. All I can remember was that it was in a pub somewhere near Fulham in the mid-1990s and I went away with Girl from Mars ringing in my ears. A year or so later, Charlotte Hatherley joined the band as a second guitarist and Ash went on to sell millions of albums and to play much bigger venues across the world. The size of their success meant that I was very pleasantly surprised when they decided to turn up in 2010 at a small venue in Northampton.
Tim Wheeler, guitarist and lead vocalist, was the only original band member that I recognised at the Roadmender. The second guitarist was a new addition, the bassist looked too young to be Mark Hamilton and I wasn’t sure whether the drummer was or wasn’t Rick McMurray. Charlotte obviously wasn’t there as she left the band in 2006 although there are rumours that she and Tim are speaking regularly and may play together again one day soon.
A MORE MATURE & MILDER MOSH
The set was a perfect mix of new, old and very old. Although I was looking forward to classic Ash tracks, the newer material, mostly penned by Tim Wheeler, is good enough to hold the attention. The crowd ranged from teenagers to forty-somethings and there was a small mosh pit which was relatively tame until nearer the end of the gig when some more serious action kicked off. I lost Tommy to the pit after about half a dozen songs and met up with a much sweatier son at the end.
The band played tracks like Dionysian Urge, Arcadia, The Dead Disciples and the electronica-inspired True Love 1980 from A-Z Volume 1, the 2010 album which includes some of the 26 singles Ash aim to release over just 12 months. From 2004’s Meltdown we got Orpheus, Starcrossed and Out of the Blue, and three big songs in Walking Barefoot, Shining Light and Burn Baby Burn from 2001’s Free All Angels. There was also space for the 1994 single Petrol and A Life Less Ordinary (the 1977 single featured in the film of the same name but which never appeared on an Ash album)
PRE-ELECTION NOSTALGIA
I loved all the stuff I’ve mentioned so far but, being an oldie and in the mood for a bit of reminiscing, I was blown away by the fantastic five singles from the classic album 1977 (released in 1996). Angel Interceptor, Girl from Mars, Goldfinger, Oh Yeah and the Jackie Chan inspired Kung Fu. For a man worn out by three weeks of election campaigning, two hours of Ash was just what the doctor ordered. About fifteen years ago, I watched some Northern Irish teenagers belt out Girl From Mars in a West London pub but last week I left the Roadmender with a sweaty 17 year old son and Girl From Mars ringing in my ears. Life moves on but great music remains. Happy days.
LINKS
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