Ash - Live at O2 Academy, Bristol - 18th September 2021

At the fourth time of asking, Ash finally get to tour last year’s Greatest Hits album, Teenage Wildlife. Fortunately, the album was ostensibly to commemorate 25 years of the trio but with their debut album celebrating it’s silver anniversary this year, the celebrations are still valid.

Not that they wouldn’t be anyway. Hugely under-rated as a singles band, Ash have long specialised in pop music disguised as rock, which tonight’s setlist aptly conveys. Hit after hit, with a few exceptions.

Launching into early single ‘Goldfinger’, for those of a certain vintage it actually generates the (possibly unwelcome) feeling of teenage angst, which builds until the final note in line with the song’s structure. It also works well as an opener in that it plays to each member’s strengths; bassist Mark Hamilton struts and cavorts, doing his best to steal the limelight from the evergreen Tim Wheeler (looking more like Peter Pan as the years go by) who, with trademark flying V guitar present and correct, delivers his not insignificant axeman chops. Meanwhile age (even though they are all in their early 40s) has done nothing to compromise Rick McMurray’s beast-like clattering on the drums. For a trio (no touring musicians), they still pack one hell of a punch.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/09/live-review-ash-at-bristol-o2-academy/