Xfm 10th birthday gig @ Water Rats, London
by Matthew Cherng
"Hi, is that Matthew? This is XFM. I'm pleased to tell you you've won the Ash tickets. We're going to put you on air in a moment. Sound excited." instructs the distinctly un-excited voice on the phone. How did this happen? No-one ever wins radio phone-in competitions, certainly not me. But thanks to a tip off from a friend, I'd texted in on the off chance I'd get lucky. And lo and behold, here I was. Still desperately trying to think of something to say to make myself sound interesting, I'm thrust on air and babble my way through the chat with the DJ, my wavering voice broadcast for all of London to hear. I felt like an arse, but oh well - the tickets more than made up for it!
Fast forward to a week later and having battled my way through the chaotic mess that was our capital city, courtesy of the tube strikes, I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the Water Rats - it was tiny. This was going to great. Intimate venue, and no support band, this gig was all about ASH. Glancing at the cameras around the room before the gig, I wondered if they would make me a bit self conscious.
This is instantly answered when the gig begins. As soon as the lights go out and the sound of TIE fighters scream through the PA, and the opening notes of best-opening-song-by-any-band-ever -Lose Control- ring out, I'm 16 again, seeing Ash for the first time. I can't help but yell, punch the air, and jump around. But in general the rest of the crowd seem less than enthused, perhaps seeing the band for the first time - the event is an XFM party after all.
Nevertheless, the boys give a great energetic performance as always. Mark constantly alternates between classic rock star foot-on-the-monitors shapes and throwing his bass around like it's attached to him by a bungee cord, while Tim lets rip when freed from the microphone stand for the guitar solos, and Rick pounds away relentlessly at the back like the devil's metronome. They may be 30+ but they've still got it. I’m loathe to write that, having read that clichéd statement in the press so many times now, but it’s the damned truth.
We are treated to a greatest hits mix of a set, with songs from early singles Jack Names The Planets and Uncle Pat, to the then yet to be released End Of The World, some of which would soon be released as a live EP. Several songs from the new album are given an outing, which are mostly met with polite head-nodding from the crowd with the exception of the fizzing You Can't Have It All and in particular, main set closer Twilight of the Innocents. Introduced as "The best song we've ever done" by Tim, it's perhaps a slight overstatement, but definitely one of their finest works. And with the huge contrast it makes with the preceding songs in the set, it certainly grabs the attention of the crowd. This is the darkness behind the light, gradually building from a sweeping string intro into a tense and pulsing middle, before igniting into an explosion of sheer power, it's a tortured epic. Please forgive my rather overblown description, but as you may have guessed, it's my favourite song on the new record. The climax of the song is truly a sight to behold, with the whole band really going for it. Although he doesn't have the space to pull off his usual Pete Townshend windmills in this venue, Tim has a huge wig-out nonetheless, while Mark blasts out a frenzied whirl of bass riffs, and Rick smashes his way through several monstrous drum fills. It's exhausting just to watch!
But it’s the old classics get the best reactions, with Burn Baby Burn, Orpheus, A Life Less Ordinary and even Renegade Cavalcade* going down a storm. But best received of all are Oh Yeah and Girl From Mars, which provoke whoops and cheers all round, and bring smiles to absolutely everyone in the room. By the time Kung Fu closes the encore in all its turbocharged power chord glory, it's hard to believe that 75 minutes have flown right by.
During the encore, Tim has an announcement. "Mark's got something to tell you..." he says, passing over the microphone to his left. "COME TO BRIXTON!" bellows the Tall one.
Wouldn’t miss it for the world!
*Bit of a side note here, but for whatever reason, I suddenly realised at this gig that Renegade Cavalcade, which I personally had always thought of as an average song, is a brilliant live song, with the chorus tempo at just the right speed for pogoing. Which I duly did.
