Ash
March 25, 2005
Casbah, San Diego, CA

What a fucking blazing performance. I still can't believe they played the Casbah - a 132-capacity bar - but I wasn't complaining. I was at the side of the stage on Charlotte's side, with a view of everyone.

A typical tour setlist was posted over on walking-barefoot.com, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise by looking. and even when they taped the set to the floor right in front of me, I had to look away.

I first saw Ash open up for a Seattle band and former label mates Muzzle at the side stage of the old Soma in 1996. I didn't see them again until a couple years ago when they played a short 30-minute set at 91X's annual X-Fest and a 4-song Tim and Charlotte acoustic set at a local record store.

And somehow I missed them opening up for Coldplay a couple years ago as well - stupid me.

When Meltdown came out in the UK, it took me a little while to really get into it. Guitars were cranked up a little louder than usual, but after 3 or 4 spins, it all sank in.

And it was all drilled in tonight. I haven't heard a band this loud since Trail of Dead rocked the stage a few years ago. Luckily, earplugs were in. :)

The show was sold out, and the people up front were pogoing and have a great time. A couple of fools were getting a little crazy trying to start a pit and pissing off the short Asian girls up front, but then they calmed down a bit.

Looking at the set posted over at walking-barefoot.com, it's similar - except when you get to the encore.

When they came back to start the encore, I couldn't believe I was hearing Petrol. All I kept thinking was "holy shit!" it's definitely my favorite of the older tracks, and it was AMAZING.

Then Tim says, "here's our first single."

And the place went crazy as "Jack Names the Planets" began. My first introduction to Ash was on the Angus soundtrack, which I played tracks from in college radio back in 1995 (it also features Weezer, Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, and 2 tracks from Ash: "Kung Fu" and "Jack Names the Planets.")

"Here's one from 1977."

And again, Goldfinger began and the place went crazy.

As they left the stage, we were still clapping for more. They came back and decided to do a Thin Lizzy cover of "The Boys Are Back in Town."

Tim wasn't that chatty, but he did mention that the artwork for the US version of the album was done by San Diegan Rory Keating (who also did Tim's new right arm tattoo). And I just read an interview that Dave Grohl suggested Rory to Tim because Dave was hanging round the studio when they were recording and Tim asked Dave where he got his tattoos.

So anyway.. best show of the year so far. it's going to be hard to top this one.

Setlist:

Meltdown
A Life Less Ordinary
Orpheus
Girl From Mars
Clones
Shining Light
Renegage Cavalcade
Kung Fu
Vampire Love
Walking Barefoot
Detonator
Burn Baby Burn
--------
Petrol (!!!)
Jack Names and the Planets (!!!)
Goldfinger
--------
Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy cover)

Finally, here are some pics