Ash – Sin City, Swansea 16.11.25

Ash – Sin City, Swansea 16.11.25

It’s been a while since I last saw Ash live, which happened to be this very venue on their A to Z tour, even though they played support just down the road in the Arena, but as support to The Darkness. The middle of November, and it’s barely jumper weather outside, but in the packed, large room of Sin City, it’s like a sauna as the band takes to the sticky stage to rock the house for the next ninety minutes. The band walks onstage to the triumphant strains of ‘Zarathustra’ before launching into the new album’s Graham Coxon co-written single ‘Fun People’, which, to be fair, is met with the enthusiasm of their greatest hits, which is nice and gives the band energy right from the off.

In a bold move, the band play eight songs from the new album ‘AD Astra’, which, to be fair, is an excellent album, and the band sounds like they’re loving handing over the opening part of the set with so many new songs Tims guitar sounds crisp and front and centre even when using the tapes for the keys and effects the focus is on the threepiece who are tight as a pack of rizlas tonight. ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ is the first of the “Hits” to be offered up to the very appreciative audience. The previous records ‘Race The Night’ gets its title track aired before ‘Arcadia’ makes an appearance. Then it’s big hitter mixed with New track mixed with deep cuts as the brand new shiny songs mix in very nicely with the old staple tracks like ‘Goldfinger’ , ‘Shining Light’, followed by the awesome ‘Oh Yeah’ makes for a stunning one two of the finest power pop alternative rock thing the UK has offered in many decades.

I’m still scratching my head as to the purpose of covering the Harry Belafonte track, but hey, if they like it, who am I to disagree but it was welcome to get on track with a glut of bangers from the ‘1977’ album as the minutes flew by, it was ‘Jack Names The Planets’ from ‘Trailer’ first to warm the pit up a bit (is it really that long ago when this was released) a real time capule of a song when Ash seemed like mainstays on the music shows of terestrial TV and MTV, it still sounded vibrant and fresh with that Bass rumble sounding massive.

Tim returned to the stage alone for a run-through ‘My Favourite Ghost’ before the other pair returned for a belter of a hat-trick to finish off another superb set from Downpatrick’s favourite sons ‘Kung Fu’, ‘Girl From Mars’ and ‘Bun Baby Burn’ are exactly what an encore should sound like. That was a mightily quick hour and a half, and once again a beaming Ash came, saw and conquered.

If you do get the chance to catch the band on this tour, let me tell you they are on form, and if it’s half as good as tonight, then you won’t be disappointed. Same time next year please guys.

Author: Dom Daley

Ash

Ash – ‘AD Astra’ (Fierce Panda Records)

Ash – ‘AD Astra’ (Fierce Panda Records)

Ash have been at this pop song writing malarkey for over three decades, and to be fair, back in ’94 they were pretty bloody good at it to begin with. But, over time, they’ve ebbed and flowed, dabbled with stardom, but consistently released excellent records. They have always stood by their tried and tested style that has served them so well, and now in 2025, with ‘ad astra’ they’ve blasted off into the ether on another guitar pop-infested melody space raid with an album that’s full to bursting with style and class. It’s a record that flows superbly with memorable blasts of loud guitar pop, proper earworms huge guest slots adding to the quality and maintaining that decades-long mantra of always be better than the previous release.

From the opening big budget grand lift off, they rip into… ‘Which One do you want’ maybe not so much rip but gently ease you into it whilst the after burners settle down. This is a marathon not a sprint.

Sounding like prime time Smiths in the overall feel of the songwriting, with the big strumming acoustic guitars layering the song through verse, chorus, verse, chorus and big layers of goodness. It could and should be a hit. Enter Graham Coxon for a champion thunderous riff on ‘Fun Prople’, what a hook, when I say hook I mean hooks a bloody great big Jaws catching Hook!. The sound is huge, the chorus is a chant along earworm and the sound of a band having an absolute ball and knowing they are bloody good at this.

 The tunes come thick and fast, and long-time fans will be delighted with the fact it sounds like classic Ash but also never sounds dated or just ‘clocking in’. It really is excellent songs, superbly written and performed and produced to perfection. Guitar pop par excellence, no question about it.

There are lush sweeping melodies at times married with harder driving anthemic songs covering every inch of what a long player should do. It’s a journey of discovery, twisting and turning, never sounding ordinary or predictable but comfortably familiar, and to think they’ve been at this for over three decades and are delivering albums this bloody good is champion and should be well championed.

Be it the thumping, more dreamy journey of ‘Deadly Love’ or the all-out rocker with a huge grin leading the party with ‘Jump In The Line’ or the gentler string-laden ‘My Favourite Ghost’ Ash do it better than most.

With a dozen tracks that ebb and flow, lifting you up and leading you to reflect, they save some of the best til latter on as ‘Dehumanized’ which has all the hallmarks of an absolute Ash banger buried deep in this record. Be it a singles band or an album band, these three do bot,h and when these get added to the set list, they won’t sound out of place at all.

Their mucca from Blur is back to help put a full stop on this most excellent album. Don’t just take my word for it, go and pick up your own copy and come back and thank me later, be it a silver copy or an indy retailer colour or special limited artwork Ash have gone for broke on this on,e and it looks and sounds like a band loving life and making some of the best music they’ve ever done. No easy task, Buy it!

Buy Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Ash – ‘ Ad Astra’ Tour tickets

Ash – ‘ Ad Astra’ Tour tickets

Following a career that has so far yielded 8 acclaimed studio albums – including 1977 and Free All Angels, both of which reached #1 in the Official UK Album charts, and the recent 2023 Top 15 album Race The Night – an Ivor Novello Award and a headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, the legendary ASH have announced details of a mammoth UK and Ireland tour for the autumn and winter of 2025/26. The Ad Astra Tour will begin in September and end in February.

Tickets go on general sale at 10:00 on FRIDAY 23 MAY from: https://ash-official.com/pages/shows

For those of you wondering, Ad Astra is Latin for “to the stars”, the words that came out of a teenaged Tim Wheeler’s mouth in the summer of 1995, setting up the classic chorus to the band’s first Top 20 hit Girl From Mars.

Speaking about the tour, the band say:

“You could call it going back to our roots, but that’s only partly true. You could all it something noble and say we’re supporting the smaller venues upon which the music industry is built, and that’s somewhat true. But the truth is we’re doing this because tours like this are part of our DNA. Whether that’s cracking the ceiling in the Jug Of Ale as Girl From Mars climbed the charts, or recording live versions of Meltdown at the Leadmill or doing Glastonbury warm ups at the Venue, it’s something we’ve always done. And it feels like the right time to do it again. It’s gonna be a visceral, whites-of-their-eyes experience and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.”

Ash have announced a mammoth UK and Ireland headline tour for the autumn and winter of 2025/26, named after the latin for “to the stars”, the words that came out of a teenaged Tim Wheeler’s mouth to set up the classic chorus of their first Top 20 hit Girl From Mars. Full dates as below.

SEPTEMBER 

Tue 09 London Scala

Wed 10 London Scala

NOVEMBER 

Sun 16 Swansea Sin City

Tue 18 Newcastle Boiler Shop

Wed 19 Manchester New Century Hall

Thu 20 Glasgow SWG3 Galvanizers

Sat 22 Blackpool Bootleg Social

Sun 23 Sheffield The Foundry

Tue 25 Oxford O2 Academy

DECEMBER 

Fri 05 Listowell Mike The Pies

Sat 06 Dundalk Spirit Store

Sun 07 Galway Roisin Dubh

Tue 09 Cork Cyprus Avenue

Wed 10 Limerick Dolans Warehouse

Thu 11 Dublin The Academy

Sat 13 Belfast Ulster Hall

FEBRUARY 

Fri 06 Tunbridge Wells Forum

Sat 07 Cambridge Junction

Sun 08 Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms

Tue 10 Exeter Phoenix

Wed 11 Bristol The Trinity Centre

Fri 13 Liverpool Grand Central Dome

Sat 14 Stoke On Trent Sugarmill

Sun 15 Hull The Welly

Tue 17 Norwich Epic Studios

WEBSITE: https://ash-official.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ash

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ash_1977/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@AshOfficial1977

TWITTER: https://x.com/ashofficial

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@AshOfficial

It’s A Podcast – Episode 16 ‘These Pair Of Monkeys Can Swing’

It’s A Podcast – Episode 16 ‘These Pair Of Monkeys Can Swing’

Welcome to Episode 16 of our little Podcast where DD And Hotshot bring you some top tunes from the archives. We have some brand new tunes from current records that have either just been released or are about to be released as well as tunes from the archives such as Joe Strummers demo outtake of ‘Coma girl’ that is taken from his boxset 002.

First up in this Episode is a Steve Lillywhite recording of Johnny Thunders recording ‘Leave Me Alone’ recorded with current Damned bass player Paul Gray alongside drummer Steve Nicol. It was eventually released on a 10″ EP on Remarquable Records alongside three other tracks. It was a remarkable time for Thunders who went on to release ‘So Alone’ with a veritable host of bonafide Superstars, spawning his best work (arguably) that included the epic ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’.

Next up Hotshot picked a Hanny J track ‘Days Felt Like Years’ From her 2019 EP ‘Possession’. HAnny is known for her bass playing in Melbourne punks Clowns but this change of pace offers an insight into her talents as a songwriter and singer.

Ming City Rockers have just completed a new album and whilst we wait for them to start dropping details of when we can expect to hear songs of fit you’ll have to make do with ‘Desperate’ from their last album ‘Lime’ which was released early in 2023. We’ve already had the one-track drop so hopefully, it’s soon when we’ll get news.

Guitar pop indie kids Ash released a great new album late last year and have just released it as an extended option ‘Race The Night’ comes out with an extra raft of tracks. If it’s classic tracks you’re after then look no further than Misfits classic ‘Hybrid Moments’ lifted from the Box set version ‘Static Age’. Digitally remastered from the band’s classic debut – You can’t argue that Early Misfits didn’t deliver and anyone whos seen them play recently can testify that they still have it.

Scandinavian punks The Good The Bad And The Zugly are about to release something of a compilation album based on B sides of singles and a new cut that we play spanning the band’s 15 years of doing this. ‘Decade Of Regression’ hits the shops on the 5th of April. Catch them on tour now!

Next up The Drowns knock out their single ‘Ketamine And Cola’ from the album ‘Blacked Out’ get it off Pirates Press and I can promise you – you won’t be disappointed.

Jumping back to Scandinavia the pair offer up The Backstreet Girls and ‘Boogie Woman’ lifted from their latest album of loud infectious rock n roll ‘In Lust We Trust’. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it which is the mantra the band adhere to and continues to turn out top tunes and top albums.

Joe Strummer gets aired and a demo of ‘Coma Girl’ lifted from his second box set ‘002’ The Mescaleros years. It’s hard to believe that Strummer passed in 2002 and those studio albums still sound fresh and relevant all these years later. This is one of the early outtakes of the track and still, I champion it as his most outstanding solo post Clash record. The box set is well worth investigating full of artefacts and really well designed.

Who doesn’t love Slade? I guess if you’re still reading and you hit the link to play the podcast then you’re going to love this live recording which was recently released on splatter vinyl. ‘Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing’ is a barnstorming opener and this version is particularly good. After a quick check, I can correct myself and say this recording was made from a few nights at the theatre in 1975 so right smack in the middle of the band’s pomp. Captured for a BBC performance Slade are remembered by a slew of fine albums that have just had the rerelease treatment and this is one not to miss alongside the Reading performance that the pair chat about. If you’ve never delved into the Slade archive then what better place to start than a live album stacked with absolute bangers. there aren’t many frontmen with a set of pipes like Holders and on this song he gives his vocals a damn good workout.

Maverick Ryan Adams recently dropped five albums on the same day (now that doesn’t happen every day) one of those albums particularly piqued my attention and ‘Skulls’ is lifted from the album ‘1985’. A daunting and huge back catalogue maybe if you start from this recent album drop you have pretty much the whole sound of the guy in one day – five albums mind and all crammed with tunes. Try him.

Gene Loves Jezebel recently released an album on Cleopatra Records ‘x – Love Death Sorrow’ and it contained a very mixed bag in as much as there were Four covers with the originals and one that caught our ears in the classic post-punk/ New Wave ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ but put their Gothic twist and owned The Only Ones classic taking it somewhere we weren’t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed.

NWOBHM aficionados might baulk at our ignorance when we encounter the recent Cherry Red Records compilation ‘All Systems Go’ and the Crucifixion track ‘Jailbait’. The beauty of these retro boxsets is that you discover bands like this that you might have missed first time around. Don’t take my word for it hit the podcast and get on it.

I think it’s the first Replacements track we’ve dived into on the podcast certainly the first one lifted from the superb ‘Tim’ album box set that came out last year with a superb remix that elevates the album from what we were used to. Possibly hearing the one track in isolation doesn’t do it justice but ‘Kiss Me On The Bus’ is a belter and if you’re new to the Replacements then this is a quality album/box set to dive into it also includes some fantastic live recordings. one of Americas best gifts to music ever – you can take that to the bank.

Finally, on this episode, Laura Jane Grace closes off the show with the title track off her new solo album ‘Hole In My Head’ an album that offers the listener her usual variety of electric and acoustic songs as she rages against the machine. Its her fourth album and this is just a taste of what to expect from another fantastic album. Punk, Folk Rock, Acoustic, Rebel Rousing Grace is compulsive listening and this album maintains the super high standard of songwriting be it as a solo artist or fronting Against Me! or Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers.

I’m sure you’ll agree if you can understand our poetical Welsh voices we do have the gift of the best music available whatever variety it might be. Join in – let us know what you think. If you have a request or a topic you’d like us to play/discuss then get in touch.

Listen-Folow-Like-Share. Thanks from the pair of us.

Ash Instores and new Video

Ash Instores and new Video

Ash will be playing a week-long run of instore / outstore live shows as Race The Night is released. The shows will combine Q&As, acoustic sets and signings, as well as a special show at Pryzm Kingston, at which the band will play tracks from the new album fully electric for the first time. Full details are below and tickets are available here.

Ash – Race The Night album instore / outstore tour 2023

Fri 15th Sept | HMV @ Oh Yeah Music Centre Belfast (8pm)
Sat 16th Sept | Assai Glasgow (2pm)
Sat 16th Sept | Assai Edinburgh (7pm)
Sun 17th Sept | Jumbo Records Leeds (2pm)
Sun 17th | Jacaranda Records @ Cavern Club Liverpool (9pm) – NEW SHOW ADDED
Mon 18th Sept | Banquet Records Kingston @ Pryzm (7pm)
Tue 19th Sept | Rough Trade Bristol (6.30pm)
Wed 20th Sept | Rough Trade East London (7pm) – SOLD OUT
Thu 21st Sept | Tower Records Dublin (7pm)

Ash are revealing another glimpse into what their forthcoming album ‘Race The Night’ holds. New single ‘Usual Places’ received its airplay debut from Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music.

‘Usual Places’ arrives on the heels of recent new album cuts ‘Race The Night’ and ‘Like A God’, stoking anticipation for a record that promises to be super-charged, widescreen and with melodies to spare. Already winning consistent support across BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 and Absolute Radio, these new songs bring with them what lead singer and guitarist Tim Wheeler describes as “the sound of the band reveling in the sheer joy of being a band after being separated by time and distance through the insanity of the early 2020s.”

‘Usual Places’ was written as testimony to lives forever changed during the time before they were able to reunite and work on new music. Three and a half minutes of brisk power pop set a buoyant backdrop to its longing for all that was lost.

Wheeler comments: “Originally written as a tribute to long forgotten bars and faces as I was leaving New York, ‘Usual Places’ took on extra significance as the first thing we worked on together post-lockdown. Below the surface of the joy of writing and playing together again, there’s a subconscious grief to all that was lost in those years. Friends and family, pubs and venues. This is our eulogy to them all. No coincidence the video was shot in the Marquis of Lorne, just a walk from Brixton Academy.”

New album Race The Night will be released on 15th September 2023 via one of their earliest label homes Fierce Panda. UK pre-orders are live now here. Race The Night is available across gatefold vinyl, CD, cassette and ltd edition vinyl formats. A limited-edition Amazon exclusive CD with an extended version of recent single ‘Like A God’, packaged with alternative artwork, can be pre-ordered here.

Ash will also be taking Race The Night on tour through the UK and Europe before the year is out, on a co-headline run with The Subways. Tickets are on sale now here.

Ash x The Subways UK / EU tour dates 2023

Sat 30 Sept – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, UK
Sun 01 Oct – Marble Factory, Bristol, UK
Tue 03 Oct – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
Wed 04 Oct – Barrowland, Glasgow, UK
Thu 05 Oct – Leeds Beckett SU, Leeds, UK
Sat 07 Oct – NX, Newcastle, UK
Mon 09 Oct – The Academy, Dublin, IE
Tue 10 Oct – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK
Wed 11 Oct – O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, UK
Sun 19 Nov – De Helling, Utrecht, NL
Mon 20 Nov – Das Bett, Frankfurt, DE
Tue 21 Nov – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck, Cologne, DE 
Thu 23 Nov – Faust, Hannover, DE
Fri 24 Nov – Plan B, Malmo, SE
Sat 25 Nov – Beta, Copenhagen, DK
Mon 27 Nov – Rockefeller, Oslo, NO
Tue 28 Nov – Debaser, Stockholm, SE
Thu 30 Nov – Kesselhaus, Berlin, DE
Fri 01 Dec – Beatpol, Dresden, DE
Sat 02 Dec – Lucerna Music Bar, Prague, CZ
Mon 04 Dec – PPC, Graz, AT
Wed 06 Dec – Plaza Klub, Zurich, CH
Thu 07 Dec – Technikum, Munich, DE
Fri 08 Dec – Im Wizemann, Stuttgart, DE
Sun 10 Dec – Botanique, Brussels, BE
Mon 11 Dec – Le Petit Bain, Paris, FR

Ash: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Ash – new single/album and tour

Ash – new single/album and tour

Ash release details of their ‘Like A God’ single from the album ‘Race the night’ released 15th Sept 2023 Via Fierce Panda

pic : Steve Gullick

Brand-new single from their forthcoming album Race The Night. ‘Like A God’ is the follow-up to last month’s lead single and album title-track ‘Race The Night’, which heralded anticipation for a record that promises to be super-charged, widescreen and with melodies to spare. It won instant support across BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 and Absolute Radio, bringing with it what lead singer and guitarist Tim Wheeler described as “the sound of the band reveling in the sheer joy of being a band after being separated by time and distance through the insanity of the early 2020s.”

‘Like A God’ comes on fast as muscular riffing beats a path to its wild and raucous end. Wheeler comments: “Like A God pushes the rock aspect of the album to its furtherest limits. An ode to sexual apotheosis it revels in a carnal riff played with mantra like repetition before reaching a frenzied climax.”

New album Race The Night will be released on 15th September 2023 via one of their earliest label homes Fierce Panda. UK pre-orders are live now here. Race The Night is available across gatefold vinyl, CD, cassette and ltd edition vinyl formats.

An extended version of ‘Like A God’ will be included on a limited edition Amazon exclusive CD which is packaged with alternative artwork. Pre-order from Amazon here.

Hear new single ‘Like A God’ on streaming services here and watch the video below.

Ash will also be taking Race The Night on tour through the UK and Europe before the year is out, on a co-headline run with The Subways. Tickets are on sale now here.

Ash x The Subways UK / EU tour dates 2023

Sat 30 Sept – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, UK
Sun 01 Oct – Marble Factory, Bristol, UK
Tue 03 Oct – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
Wed 04 Oct – Barrowland, Glasgow, UK
Thu 05 Oct – Leeds Beckett SU, Leeds, UK
Sat 07 Oct – NX, Newcastle, UK
Mon 09 Oct – The Academy, Dublin, IE
Tue 10 Oct – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK
Wed 11 Oct – O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, UK
Sun 19 Nov – De Helling, Utrecht, NL
Mon 20 Nov – Das Bett, Frankfurt, DE
Tue 21 Nov – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck, Cologne, DE 
Thu 23 Nov – Faust, Hannover, DE
Fri 24 Nov – Plan B, Malmo, SE
Sat 25 Nov – Beta, Copenhagen, DK
Mon 27 Nov – Rockefeller, Oslo, NO
Tue 28 Nov – Debaser, Stockholm, SE
Thu 30 Nov – Kesselhaus, Berlin, DE
Fri 01 Dec – Beatpol, Dresden, DE
Sat 02 Dec – Lucerna Music Bar, Prague, CZ
Mon 04 Dec – PPC, Graz, AT
Wed 06 Dec – Plaza Klub, Zurich, CH
Thu 07 Dec – Technikum, Munich, DE
Fri 08 Dec – Im Wizemann, Stuttgart, DE
Sun 10 Dec – Botanique, Brussels, BE
Mon 11 Dec – Le Petit Bain, Paris, FR

Ash: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube





Ash ‘Free All Angels’ Splatter reissue

Ash ‘Free All Angels’ Splatter reissue
Photo : Sophie Howarth

NEWLY REMASTERED SPLATTER EDITION VINYL REISSUE

BAND CELEBRATE THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY BY PLAYING THE ALBUM IN FULL WITH CHARLOTTE HATHERLEY

ASH have announced the reissue on newly remastered splatter vinyl of their hugely successful and beloved FREE ALL ANGELS album on 16 September. The release follows the reissue of their debut album 1977 earlier this year.

FREE ALL ANGELS was the third hit album from ASH and their second with guitarist Charlotte Hatherley. The album reached #1 in the Official UK Albums Chart and has since gone on to achieve platinum status. It birthed the Ivor Novello award-winning single Shining Light; the NME Single Of The Year Burn Baby Burn; and further singles Sometimes, There’s A Star, Candy and Walking Barefoot.

Pre-order: https://ashband.lnk.to/FreeAllAngelsPR

The band’s spectacular debut album 1977 was a defining record for 90s guitar music, having also reached #1 in the UK and achieving platinum status. Its singles Girl From Mars, Kung Fu, Goldfinger, Angel Interceptor and Oh Yeah remain staples of the band’s live performance as they ring out at sold out shows and headline festival slots. The remastered splatter vinyl version earlier this year was the first time the album has been reissued since its release in 1996.

In addition to the release news, ASH have announced a run of very special UK live dates to celebrate the 21st anniversary of FREE ALL ANGELS for which they will be reunited with guitarist Charlotte Hatherley to perform the album in full. Drummer Rick McMurray said: “We’re delighted to announce that we will be commemorating the 21st anniversary of the release of our 2001 album Free All Angels. Not least because we will be joined by the fourth member of Ash – guitarist extraordinaire, all-round Shining Light, the one and only Charlotte Hatherley. Can. Not. Wait.”

SEPTEMBER

Thu         15           MANCHESTER                                       O2 Ritz                   TICKETS here

Sat          17           BIRMINGHAM                                      O2 Institute          TICKETS here

Sun         18           LONDON                                               O2 Forum              TICKETS here

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

ASH announce newly re-mastered splatter edition vinyl re-issues

ASH announce newly re-mastered splatter edition vinyl re-issues

ASH announce newly re-mastered splatter edition vinyl re-issues of ‘1977′ and ‘Free All Angels’ .

Band to celebrate 21st anniversary of ‘Free All Angels’ by playing the album in full with Charlotte Hatherley

 Photo credit: Sophie Howarth 

ASH are today announcing the upcoming re-issue on newly re-mastered splatter vinyl of two of their beloved albums, 1977 and Free All Angels.

1977, the band’s spectacular debut album, was a defining record for 90s guitar music, reaching No.1 in the Official UK Albums Chart, and going to achieve platinum status. Its singles ‘Girl From Mars’, ‘Kung Fu’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Angel Interceptor’ and ‘Oh Yeah’ remain staples of the band’s live show, as they still ring out at sold-out shows and in festival headline slots. This will be the first time the album has been re-issued since its 1996 release.

Free All Angels was the third smash hit album from Ash, and their second with guitarist Charlotte Hatherley. The album again reached No.1 in the UK and has since become a platinum record. It birthed the Ivor Novello-winning smash hit single ‘Shining Light’, the NME Single of The Year ‘Burn Baby Burn’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘There’s A Star’, ‘Candy’ and Walking Barefoot’.

1977 will be released on July 1st. Pre-order here.

Free All Angels will be released on Sept 16th. Pre-order here.

In addition to this exciting release news, Ash are also announcing a run of very special UK live dates to celebrate Free All Angels’ 21st anniversary, for which they will reunite with guitarist Charlotte Hatherley to perform the album in full. Drummer Rick McMurray had the following to say: “We’re delighted to announce that we will be commemorating the 21st anniversary of the release of our 2001 classic, Free All Angels. Not least because we will be joined by the fourth member of Ash, guitarist extraordinaire, all-round Shining Light, the one and only, Charlotte Hatherley. Can. Not. Wait.”

Live dates are below. Tickets will be on O2 pre-sale from Wednesday, May 25th at 10 am, and on general sale from Friday, May 27th at 10 am.

Thur 15 Sept – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK – Tickets available here
Sat 17 Sept – O2 Institute, Birmingham, UK – Tickets available here
Sun 18 Sept – O2 Forum, Kentish Town, UK – Tickets available here

Ash: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Ash – ‘Teenage Wildlife’ (BMG/The Echo Label Limited)

Ash – ‘Teenage Wildlife’ (BMG/The Echo Label Limited)

‘Teenage Wildlife’ sees Ash not so much wanting to call it a greatest hits package more a biography.  ‘Teenage Wildlife’ traces the band’s recording career from the teenage days of the debut ‘Jack Names The Planets’ through to the likes of the last album ‘Islands’ and the track ‘BuzzKill’.

Ash has always been a top of the pops botherer and the fact that there are thirteen Top 40 singles included in this here “Biography” is a quite remarkable achievement for a guitar band. Of course, classics like ‘Girl From Mars’, ‘Gold Finger’, and ‘Oh Yeah’ are all present and correct but that’s just part of this here “Biography”.

Ash fans (ones with more than a passing interest in a track or two) will be more interested in the inclusion of nineteen-tracks of rarities, including a version of The Buzzcocks’ classic ‘Everybody’s Happy Nowadays; (featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin) never thought I’d be typing his name and his bands name on RPM in a positive light. But, hey ho we’re a broad church and everybody is capable of redemption. The amazing cover of “that” undertones classic ‘Teenage Kicks’ (perfect for Ash not due to their geography but its a song that could have been written for the band) and the collection’s infamous title track to name a few included here.

Through the youthful wild days, and the Ivor Novello award wins, and their numerous top 20 albums. Ash keep going about their business penning great songs and great albums and always seeming to let the music do their talking. The fact that this collection comes out in various formats with cool innovative artwork, it’s no mean feat that there is a three-CD set with well over fifty songs (fifty-four to be precise) on that version compared to the (slender in comparison) Vinyl version, ‘Teenage Wildlife’ is as good as any compilation album gets and one that a lot of hard work and thought has clearly gone into.

If Ash isn’t a band you think you like but then on hearing a track or two remember you do quite like, then, this is for you. Besides, they’ve always been great live always come up with great records and alongside the albums, they released great singles and this is proof of that.

I guess being demanding and a bit greedy it might have been nice to have included stuff like the quirky ukelele version of ‘Kung Fu’ or ‘Girl From Mars’ and maybe a live track or two to showcase how good they are live. But like I said having fifty-four tracks on this release maybe I’m asking for the moon on a stick as well.  I know, I’ll leave it there.  To buy or not to buy?  No brainer, Just buy it! You’ll be singing along in no time regardless of if your an ash virgin or someone who forgot how bloody good they are.

Available as limited Lenticular vinyl edition, double vinyl, double CD and special Lenticular 3 CD set including 18 track rarities CD

Buy ‘Teenage Wildlife’ Here
Author: Dom Daley

ASH announce details of Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years Of Ash

ASH announce details of Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years Of Ash

Released February 14th 2020 via BMG

Available as limited Lenticular vinyl edition, double vinyl, double CD and special Lenticular 3 CD set including 18 track rarities CD

Available to pre-order here

Extensive European live dates 2020

Having successfully outlasted their self-described ‘guaranteed real teenagers’ tagline when they first burst in earshot in 1994, ASH have today announced the release of Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years Of Ash released on 14th February 2020 through BMG and available in limited quantities with a special lenticular sleeve both on vinyl and CD.

Teenage Wildlife traces the band’s recording career from exuberant debut Jack Names The Planets through to the likes of BuzzKill from 2018’s top twenty album Islands whilst also including a brand new offering Darkest Hour Of The Night alongside thirteen Top 40 singles such as Girl From Mars, Gold Finger, Oh Yeah amid an array of the band’s recorded history. Teenage Wildlife also comes in a limited lenticular three CD set that will include an eighteen track collection of rarities including a version of The Buzzcocks’ classic Everybody’s Happy Nowadays (featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin), the eternal Teenage Kicks and the collection’s infamous title track.

From their mini-album Trailer, a volley of intent with Jack Names The Planets, Uncle Pat and Petrol recorded whilst still at school debut album proper, 1996’s Number One album  1977, almost imploding with the follow-up Nu-Clear Sounds, the addition of teenage guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, 1998’s  historic Northern Irish Referendum show in Belfast before a return to the number one spot with the universally acclaimed Free All Angels seeing Tim Wheeler awarded with an Ivor Novello for Shining Light, consolidating a reputation for a run of extraordinary singles.

Whether the original trio or expanded four-piece with the multi-talented Hatherley, ASH have continually excelled both live and on record – an edited overview of reflection, Teenage Wildlfe encapsulates the past twenty-five years perfectly.

The release of Teenage Wildlife will be accompanied by extensive live itinerary throughout Europe and Scandinavia, re-visiting many of the towns, cities and venues they have previously played over the years. Dates are as follows:

FEBRUARY

21 Aeronef Club LILLE, FR
22 Botanique Rotonde BRUSSELS, BE
23 Das Bett FRANKFURT, DE
25 Universum STUTTGART, DE
26 Gebaude 9 COLOGNE, DE
28 Mascotte ZURICH, CH
29 Covo BOLOGNA, IT

MARCH

01 Strom MUNICH, DE
03 Futurum PRAGUE, CZ
04 Hydrozagadka WARSAW,PL
05 Bi Nuu BERLIN, DE
07 Bar Brooklyn STOCKHOLM, SE
08 Vulkan OSLO, NO
10 Hulen BERGEN, NO
11 Folken STAVANGER, NO
13 Beta COPENHAGEN, DK
14 Knust HAMBURG, DE
15 Paradiso Noord AMSTERDAM, NL
17 Stylus LEEDS University, UK
18 O2 Academy NEWCASTLE, UK
20 SWG3 TV Studio GLASGOW, UK
21 O2 Ritz MANCHESTER, UK
22 Rock City NOTTINGHAM, UK
24 O2 Academy BRISTOL, UK
25 Pyramids PORTSMOUTH, UK
27 The Roundhouse LONDON, UK
28 Gibus Club PARIS, FR
29 Le Rex TOULOUSE, FR
31 Razzmataazz 2 BARCELONA, ES

APRIL

01 Kafe Antzokia BILBAO, ES
02 Joy Eslava MADRID, ES
04 RCA Club LISBON,PT
05 Capitol SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA, ES

Ticket information

 

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