It was fitting that I would see Ash live again after, earlier in the year, I described how my dad inadvertently made me into an Ash fan and the first time I saw them live. The spirit of that youthful trio is alive and well even after all this time.
Opting to mix material from their 2010 anti-album ‘A-Z Series‘ with several fan favourites including a bunch of songs from the brilliant ‘1977‘ served not only to jog the memory but also to show how well the new material stands in contrast. Opening double whammy ‘Arcadia‘ and ‘Girl From Mars‘ set the scene and had the crowd eating out of the band’s hands immediately.
Tracks like ‘A Life Less Ordinary‘ and ‘Oh Yeah‘ were much appreciated trips down memory lane executed to perfection but the biggest smiles of the night where kept for their note perfect rendition of Weezer‘s ‘Only In Dreams‘.
Predictably ending with fan favourite ‘Burn Baby Burn‘ it was hard to spot a single person in the room not singing along and you would have been forgiven for thinking that Ash have somehow stumbled across a rejuvenation potion. What is certain is that the freedom they have enjoyed on the ‘A-Z Series‘ has given them a new lease of life.
Tracks:
