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When
Ash appear on stage it's immediately obvious we are in for a great
night. Tim Wheeler emerges holding a flaming Flying V aloft like
a lantern, fire flickering from the guitar in the darkness. With
instruments alight before so much as a note is played, we all knew
this was going to be good.
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| Charlotte
Hatherley |
We
were not disappointed. Ash have found a darker, heavier side to
their music and boy, are we seeing it tonight. Blazing through tracks
from their scorching new album Meltdown, the band are better than
ever after 10 years on the scene. Searing, metal-edged tracks like
Renegade Cavalcade, Vampire Lover and the thundering single Clones
explode from the stage with the fiery momentum of a runaway train.
But
it's not just the latest album that has been given the new Ash treatment.
Even golden oldies such as Girl From Mars and Goldfinger have become
harder and more in your face. The band go at the songs with such
force that each one is smashed out to maximum volume. It has to
be one of the loudest gigs I've been to this year, not least because
of Rick McMurray's uncompromising, pummelling drums.
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| Rick
McMurray |
The
band are loving every minute of it, their beefed up new sound encouraging
crowd-surfing and group sing-alongs. Tim holds out the microphone
to an eager crowd, urging them to join in on tracks like Sometimes
and Walking Barefoot.
The
poignant, reflective track Shining Light calms everyone down for
a few minutes reducing them to a mass of gently swaying arms but
it doesn't last long.
Tim's
revelling in the atmosphere, windmilling at the end of songs and
raising his guitar above his head as if offering it up to the rock
gods, causing the entire crowd to follow his lead and raise their
hands above their heads too.
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| Mark
Hamilton |
Sexy
guitarist Charlotte Hatherley smoulders aloofly at the side of the
stage, her vocals mixing sweetly with Tim's and her ridiculously
tiny denim skirt raising temperatures in the already sweltering
room.
Latest
single Orpheus and the sizzling rock riot Burn Baby Burn heat things
up even more and ensure that the foursome leave us in style.
Ash
are back and they're bigger and brighter than ever before. Long
may their shining light sparkle.
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did you think of Ash ? Have your say on our Music
Message Board.
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