It’s been a rocky road at times for Ash since they burst onto the scene in the early nineties. After a couple of struggling years 2001s Free All Angels re-ignited the flame of Ash if you’ll pardon the pun. A greatest hits package at the tail end of 2002 and touring throughout the early part of 2003 kept them well lit in the public eye. They ended that particular chapter of their life at the 2003 V festival with the promise of a harder edge to their sound on their fourth album.

Finally, the songs from that album are ready for public consumption and they have chosen to showcase them on a tour of smaller secret gigs. I was privileged to be at The Mill in Preston for one of these shows. The Mill has a small stage area with a bar area at the back where people can sit comfortably in the seats and enjoy the music. The bar and the comfortable seat area swelled as Winnebago Deal warmed up for the main act. Then, as the stage was prepared you could sense the excitement and anticipation of a crowd ready to witness the next epoch in the career of Ash.

As the lights went down and the new Ash computerised backdrop lit the stage the anticipation built even further. Then Ash appeared and we witnessed the new hard rock stubble of Tim Wheeler. His image seemingly changed to suit the new promised harder music. We had to wait a few minutes for that though as they roared through the always popular anthem- Girl From  Mars. As the crowd roared their obvious approval and the comfy chairs stood empty, Tim announced the first new number, album title track Meltdown.

The thumping bass and rousing guitar making it everything we had been promised.

And so it was with all the new tracks. Every track fro the album premiered here. There was the rousing thumping rock of downloadable single Clones and set closer Vampire Love. Then there was the archetype melodic Ash song but tinged with more attitude as in Orpheus and Starcrossed. Other standouts amongst the new songs were On A Wave, Out of The Blue and Won’t be Saved.

Ash had promised us some assorted crowd pleasers mixed in with the new songs. They didn’t disappoint. However even these had a harder edge to them. There were thundering version of Life Less Ordinary and Walking Barefoot, as well as the standard crowdpleasers of Goldfinger and the truly beautiful Shining Light.

After finishing with a rocking version of Envy and new song Vampire Love, Ash returned to surprise everyone with three old but unsung numbers. First of these was the classic Dark Side, Light Side, Petrol and Projects followed before finally closing with the obligatory Burn Baby Burn.

As usual Ash left all with a feeling of exhilaration. This time there was longing and anticipation for Mays release of the Meltdown album. An appropriate title in light of tonight’s gig. The small environment made it very hot and sweaty indeed. It was, however the perfect place to showcase the new Ash.

If anything, the new harder Ash is even better than the previous incarnation. I look forward to the next instalment.

review by Paul Hayes