The evening started with an energetic and engaging set from PAWS which the early punters enjoyed. At the end of the set the venue was still only about a third full and I went to get a drink from the bar. By the time I had managed to get served the place was heaving.
This tour ties in with Ash’s latest release ’94-04 The 7″ Singles Box Set’ and so the set is heavily skewed in that direction, although we also get several songs from their well received 2018 album Islands.
Tim Wheeler, vocalist/guitarist, dominates proceedings as the band show that they have lost none of their turbo charged attack. ‘A Life Less Ordinary’, ‘Kung Fu’, ‘Lose Control’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Burn Baby Burn’, and ‘Girl From Mars’ [see sample video below] are pumped out with power and no sentimentality pummelling the crowd’s feet, ears and souls. The newer songs, like ‘Confessions In A Pool’, ‘Annabel’ and ‘Buzzkill, are littered throughout the set and don’t suffer in comparison with the songs around them and are received as rapturously by the crowd.
The whole set seems to flash by, an indie rock adrenaline rush, and you can almost see the years fall off the 30 and 40 year olds who dominate the audience. A great night – I had not seen Ash live before and it was also my first visit to The Liquid Room but I hope to see both again soon.
