Ash
The last time they played in Bristol was April and they've not released any new material since so would the Bristol crowd be as up-for-it for Ash as it was the last time around? The answer is a resounding "yes", as one of the best live bands going played an amazing set to an enthralled and captivated long-ago-sold-out venue.
They begin proceedings with "Lose Control" and from this moment forward it's a non-stop parade of hits. "A Life Less Ordinary" follows the opening number, in what is a very diverse set, with a number of songs taken from each of the four Ash long players. Raven haired guitarist Charlotte throws her head forward and stomps her bare feet on the ground, as bassist Mark charges around at stage-right. Frontman Tim Wheeler stands in the centre of the stage with his infamous v-shaped guitar and introduces "Submission", a song co-written by drummer Rick McMurray. It's Rick's birthday today and he's still sporting his pre-Beckham mohawk. Although it is one of the weakest songs on "Free All Angels", "Submission" is given a rousing lease of life in the live setting. That's good for starters, so what next?
Well, "Goldfinger" draws a great response from the sell-out crowd before the band charge through a few more songs from "Free All Angels". "Cherry Bomb", "Shining Light", "Walking Barefoot" and "Sometimes" fly by without the four-piece even stopping for breath. "Sometimes" especially is fantastic. But, surely they can't keep this pace up. Finally they stop for a few slower songs, but it seems as though the early pace has taken its toll on Mr. Wheeler inparticular. The performances of "Oh Yeah" and "Candy" fall short of the mark, not doing these wonderful pop tunes justice at all. "Candy" especially sounds wooden and tinny against the exposed, sampled strings, Tim's voice stretching and straining as he fights to catch his breath after jumping around like a madman for the first half of the set.
Undeterred, the band get back on track with live favourites "Kung-fu", "Girl from Mars" and "Wildsurf" before an anthemic "Burn Baby Burn" and forthcoming single "There's a Star", bringing with it it's own 'snowfall'. They finish, as normal, with "World Domination", but of course the fans want more.
The encore consists of two songs from each of their lesser-known albums. "Jesus Says" is followed by a rousing "Uncle Pat" and "Jack Names the Planets" before they play us out with a passionate rendition of "Numbskull". Ash are obviously proud of everything they have done, so why not advertise older material when so many people love what they're doing now? This gig was a joy to watch. The only few blots on the landscape were the two 'slower' songs mid-set, which was a shame, as this was a near-perfect performance from the guys yet again. Anyone who missed this should be kicking themselves.
Related pages
Official Ash Website
