Ash / V Formation

The eternally young, ever inventive Ash return with a new album this year, after a two year hiatus. Having been on the scene for thirteen years now, you would be forgiven for suspecting that Ash may finally have dropped the ball, but you couldn't be more wrong. Tonight’s show is a shot across the bows of the punk-pop pretenders currently plying their trade – Ash are back, and they mean business.

Opening the show tonight is the fantastic V Formation. Cast from much the same mold as Ash, it is clear why they are the support on this tour. Crashing rhythms, punk attitude, and a DIY feel which adds an authenticity and roughness to the sound means that they go down very well with the Newcastle crowd, and they are certain to have picked up a few new fans tonight.


The telling difference between padawan and master, however, is that in the master, genius is effortless. Ash storm the stage and launch headlong into 'Lose Control', and the crowd happily oblige. This is just the start of Ash's quest to prove they're still relevant, and the deafening roar of approval from their crowd would suggest that they are not only relevant, but also more necessary now than ever.

Ash come from a time when bands had to fight for what they got. In the current climate where anyone with the willingness to kiss enough arse is enough to elevate you to, at the very least, moderate celebrity, Ash stand out like a sore thumb. Throwing everything into the performance, these lads know how to put on a show.


The old material, quite naturally, is tremendous. 'Goldfinger', 'Girl From Mars', and 'Burn Baby Burn' are all brought out to play. The crowd, understandably, love it. Egged on by Hamilton, the front rows bounce like their lives depend on it. The biggest bounce of the night, however, is saved for encore closer, and very best track from 1977, Kung Fu. Ash might be eleven years older now, but they can still rock it with the best of them.

Unless you have been living on the dark side of Mars for the last year, you can't have missed the change of personnel that Ash has undergone. The newly reinvigorated three piece are determined not to let the departure affect the band too much, and tonight it shows. Rick McMurray is a behemoth behind the kit, Mark Hamilton lurches with the basslines he lays down, and Tim Wheeler is simply magnificent, both vocally and in his guitar work. Despite some reservations within the band, it is clear that as a three piece they are just as slick as before. Charlotte who?

So Ash are well and truly back on the scene, and that scene is a richer one because of them. They are bound to be blowing up on some festival stages this summer – I would urge you to make sure you see them.

FUTURE GIGS

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