eightball.ie proudly presents Ash

Sunday, October 03
Trinity Rooms

www.ash-official.com

Irish punk-pop trio Ash first formed in 1989 when childhood mates Tim Wheeler and Mark Hamilton got guitars for Christmas and established the metal act Vietnam. Nothing more than something for kicks, Vietnam switched to Ash in 1992 as Wheeler (guitar/vocals), Hamilton (bass), and Rick “Rock” McMurray (drums) aimed to be something more serious.

They shared a love for the raw British punk of the Buzzcocks and crafted their musical talents to take the Brit-pop scene by storm at the start of the decade. Sharp guitar hooks and exact production work by Owen Morris (Oasis, New Order, Paul Weller) gained the bandmembers the fame they’d been wishing for since childhood.

They were headlining major festivals — T in the Park, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Reading — and playing countless club dates across the globe. In fall 1997, female guitarist Charlotte Hatherley was added to the all-male lineup, a definite change for the band’s sound and image and a step that led Ash’s fan base to expand into more of what the band had been looking for since the beginning. With a new bandmate and the end of their teenage years, Ash welcomed anything that came their way.

The late ’90s marked a maturation for Ash as a unit as well as individually. Their sound featured heavier guitars while Wheeler’s lyrical content experienced a much grittier shift.

www.ashfiles.com

www.preromanbritain.com/ash