music review: camden rocks | Ash | Bloomsbury Ballrooms | Tim Wheeler | Val Doonican | indie | Return of the White rabbit

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The Review - MUSIC - grooves with RóISíN GADELRAB
Published: 11 June 2009

Ash lead singer Tim Wheeler at the Bloomsbury Ballrooms

Ash flick the electronic switch

REVIEW - CAMDEN ROCKS
ASH
Bloomsbury Ballrooms

A SET set filled with greatest hits singles and a smattering of new numbers.
Strangely Ash moved away from their indie sensibilities instead littering their new songs with keyboards and drum-track samples. Tim Wheeler needed earphones to keep in time with his electonic backing track. They've tried to jump on the '80s' bandwagon with their new sound but it fits them about as comfortably as a fishtailed parka would suit Val Doonican. That said, they played with their usual gusto and enthusiasm, bassplayer Mark Hamilton STILL only having three strings on his Gibson.
They closed their main set with new (free download from www.ash-official.com) single "Return of the White Rabbit", reminiscent of The Jam's ultra-disappointing 'flirt with funk' song 'Precious'.
Last song of the encore, 'Burn Baby Burn' closed the night with its usual singalong, raucous, crowd-pleasing crescendo but as I walked out to grab a cab to The Monarch to catch Carl Barat, I found myself thinking that Ash's glory years are definitely behind them, sadly.
DAN AITCH

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