Live Review: Ash, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Charlie Horse

The opening bands sat on opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Charlie Horse stuck to a maudlin '90s soft rock vibe that involved guitar riffing at the end of songs and rock star gesticulating from the growling female vocalist. Skipping Girl Vinegar brought a hint of twee with their melodic folk songs, entertaining the crowd with personable banter and strong backing harmonies while standing behind their fairylight-wound mic stands.

The main concern when playing an album in full is that there may be unexpected lulls or moments that just don't translate well live. With Ash playing 1977 in its entirety, there were no such qualms. The 1996 album still bristles with ferocious energy, helped in no small part by the unbridled enthusiasm with which frontman Tim Wheeler attacks each song. The trio of Lose Control, Goldfinger and Girl From Mars played back to back was enough to incite pogoing crowd members and enamoured cries from the overwhelmed audience. The latter remains Ash's pop smash, Wheeler's voice just as sing-song as in the original recording. As bassist Mark Hamilton splayed himself across stage, bass played from precarious angles, Wheeler's permanent grin and bopping shoulders kept us buoyant. The beauty of an album being played in full is knowing the exact setlist; besides Wheeler accidentally playing Oh Yeah before Kung Fu. The anticipation was palpable when the former was played, prefaced by Wheeler's query of “Did anyone lose their virginity to this record?”, to which a rousing cheer erupted from the dancefloor.

The evening was equal parts trip down memory lane and celebration of the present. When Wheeler asked who attended their original 1977 tour, a resounding roar echoed across the floor, but similarly younger fans were clearly thrilled to hear songs like the sweetly delivered Lost In You live. The show didn't end with the album, as Ash returned to stage for a seven-song set, ending on a electrifying Burn Baby Burn, a reminder that where they began and where they are now isn't so far apart and that there's hopefully much more to come.