Gig: Ash 4/5/10 Electric Ballroom

Yes, I have branched out into gig reviews. Might as well have a stab at it. What could go wrong? (Don't answer that.)

So. Ash. I'm pretty sure that most people have encountered Ash at some point in their lives, and they are so sci-fi that having been in space for the past seventeen or so years is not an excuse.
They're one of those bands who are well-known for their hit singles as opposed to whole albums, although it gas to be said that with songs like 'Girl From Mars', 'Burn Baby Burn' and 'Return Of White Rabbit' among a huge list of great stand-alone songs, you don't really need albums to justify them. So they've recently taken a very logical approach to their music by deciding to release a series of singles over a period of time as opposed to a whole album all at once.

The Electric Ballroom is a great venue as it is neither too small nor too big to pose any real issue, although they sold this show out and had to book another at the Koko, and the sound capability of the place is definitely up to standard.
First support act was Joe McAdam (thanks for the name reminder, Emma). It was centred around the frontman and they did a nice line in semi-acoustic songs of the vaguely blues/folk thing that is sweeping indie music right now, although it was far from a bandwagon act. Out of the two support acts, I think they suited the venue much better, and were more enjoyable as they connected with the audience much better. Remember folks: Joe McAdam.
The second support band were the Parlotones, who are a massive stadium band in South Africa according to the music oracle that is my friend Will. This was very evident as they put on one hell of a show, however it has to be said that while the music was enjoyable, it was much less of a connection between band and audience. I got the sense that being in a smaller venue cramped their style somewhat, especially the frontman, who had an almost messianic approach to being on stage, as well as some rather impressive eyeliner. Musically, they weren't half bad. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of that Killers-esque style of rock, but it was good to watch and nod along to although I passed on making a note of getting anything to seriously listen to. If you're into The Killers you'll like them, and if you get the chance to see them in their arena/stadium environment it might be worth going, but it was a bit lost in translation on a smaller stage.

Ash completely blew them out of the water, as they should. They're possibly one of the most pop bands I'll admit to listening to on a regular basis, however live they are surprisingly heavy, even their more gentle and casual listener-friendly songs having a grunge edge to them that really helps hit home exactly how good they are as a live band. In addition to this, they are loud. Incredibly loud. In fact, I can honestly say from barrier experience of both that they could quite easily give Motörhead a run for their money in terms of volume.
Their stage presence is that of a truly gifted and passionate rock band, with all the moves and attitude combined with a rapport with the audience the the Parlotones could take a note of and all the skill that comes from doing this kind of thing for most of your life. Adorable enough is the fact that they are at heart still nerdy teenagers, of course greeting the audience with "May the Fourth be with you", and the fact Tim Wheeler seemed to be constantly switching between an effortlessly cool rock frontman expression and a massive grin.
The setlist itself was a blinder, combining songs from all through their considerable career, and they treated both new and old material with the same explosive energy. The audience were slightly more receptive to the familiar songs, going absolutely crazy during 'Kung Fu', however the band's massive enthusiasm for every single song they played was contagious, and there wasn't a single low moment for the whole set, even though it lasted for nearly two hours. This alone is a testament to Ash's gift for writing great songs that are able to stand as great songs outside the context of an album. Yes, they can vary the tempo and mood with the best of them (the aforementioned total chaos of 'Kung Fu' easing into the emotional and soaring 'Arcadia' without a single awkward moment) but there was no "okay you can go to the bar now" songs that many bands slip into the setlist to retain some of their better standalone material for later. No, this was solid. This came at the cost of not being able to play everyone's favourites, but I don't think anyone could possibly be disappointed. Except perhaps the bloke beside me for the latter half of the set, who was totally motionless and looked abjectly miserable. However, he is definitely the exception as the whole crowd from the punks to the indie kids to my vaguely gothy self and beyond were all jumping around and having fun. And in the end, what more could you want from an Ash gig?

After all these years, Ash are still able to pull off a truly fantastic gig, and with their music as fresh and interesting as you could hope for, now's a good a time as any to get yourself their songs, and get yourself down to a gig ASAP.