Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Hometown show for the Downpatrick three piece and a packed Ulster Hall is ready for them to hit the stage, now I have to say these guys are not a band I have massively listened to over the years so let’s see what the set has to offer!!
Zarathustra – First track from the new album Ad Astra which is essentially a minute long intro that you may recognise from many various other sci fi films and the likes, before we kick into the first track proper of this evening….
Keep Dreaming – From Ad Astra, that’s a real Johnny Marr sort of jangly guitar intro before the band slaps in with this one, really good energy from this track, great chorus that builds up, I sort of forgot how pop punk these guys really are and you totally hear it in this one
A Life Less Ordinary – From the 1997 single for the film of the same name, that jangly guitar licks right in and the band line falling in before the band come in for this one, a lot of audience participation on the chorus of this one, loads of people rocking back and forth and singing away, great atmosphere in here tonight in this
Angel Interceptor – First song take from the 1977 album, again really heavily driven by the bass and a little bit of the harmony vocals, few people round me singing away to themselves to the chorus of this one, it’s pure bouncy pop punk for sure!
Jack Names the Planets – Back to 1995s Trailer album for this one, raw is the best word for this track it really reminds of the Pixies or something with that baseline driving the whole song along, then that crashing sort of feel to it for the chorus, has a different feel to me on this one, interesting?
Orpheus – Going all the way back to the Meltdown album, I totally forgot this track was these guys, as soon as I heard that guitar and tom intro straight into that really bouncy verse part, good harmony vocals from Rick back there behind the kit, nice little drum groove break down part before the band kick in again!
Meltdown – Bass comes in before the drum hits signal the band coming in at the start or this one, love that little break into the first verse before the guys come back in again, it’s a proper bouncy little number with a great chorus about your head going to explode, and what’s wrong with that!
Deadly Love – Hitting Ad Astra again, front intro comes in before the bass and drum groove comes in and then the spacey guitar part, totally different feel to this one, even when it builds up into the chorus part which gets happier in feel there just seems to be a different vibe to this song, very cool!
Which One do You Want – Staying on the newest album again, really light feel to this track sorry if delicate in a way, it’s very 80s feeling in a way and having never heard it before tonight I almost get like the Cure or something from it, short and to the point, great track!
Crashed Out Wasted – Hitting the Race the Night album for this one, this one has a really sort of weird swinging sort of feel to it, definitely in there to bring the pace of the set down a bit, some really nice drum work and little rolls and fills in there from Rick!
Shining Light – From the album of the same name, lots of people singing along to the chorus on this one and the Ulster hall is in fine voice tonight for these guys, again this one was one of the major hits and gets that response back to the stage from the crowd!
Oh Yeah – Another from the 1977 album, now right from the of this is the loudest the crowd has been all night, this is a massive song, even the verse is being sung back to the band, not just the chorus, again I just forget how many hits these guys actually had!!
Jump in The Line – Harry Belafonte cover up next, that’s sick a cool little guitar figure to start this one, ok so I totally know this one, and I wouldn’t if you just had told me the name, Beetlejuice if I am not mistaken is actually where I am remembering it from?
Hallion – From the new album, will anyone who isn’t from here know what that title means, Mark bouncing in with that propulsive bassline, is a straight heads down pop punk blaster of a track, just infectious energy on this one and plenty of smiling faces around the crowd in response to it, really really liked that track!
Kung Fu – Skipping back to the 1977 album, that wah wah guitar intro straight into the pop punk feel of this one, loads of crowd participation singing back the woh oh woh oh woh back to the band in the chorus, I forgot this one to be fair!
Girl from Mars – From the 1977 album and perhaps their biggest song, bangs right in after the intro and lots of energy from the packed Ulster hall, even a few people bouncing about to this one, you can hear the volume increase on this one with the crowd singing the chorus refrain back to the band
Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Well I suppose it’s less than two weeks to the big day…….
My Favourite Ghost – From the new album, nice way to bring the show down to a really intimate level and you get to hear Tim and a guitar, probably the way the song was written in the first place and it also serves as a way to really hit you with the last barrage of songs!
Goldfinger – Back to the 1977 album for this one, on so yeah I know this one as well, again this is not the sort of thing I really listen to so it’s sort of cool to remember these guys wrote all these hits, I remember this one all over the radio, and apparently so does everyone in here who are singing along to the song as well, another belter track!
Fun People – Back to the new album, before the intro kicks in for this one, this has a really sort of early punk feel to it, like Stooges or something in that vein, and it does get heavy over that chorus part, it’s a good track to really kick this evening into gear!
Freaking Out – Proper bouncy little number this is getting the place pogoing around me, now this one is not by Ash but by someone else, Mr Graham Coxon of Blur, although it has a bit of that influence, to me it’s really a bit more Sex Pistols punky in feel?
Ad Astra – Staying on the new album, before the intro kicks in for this one, this has a really sort of early punk feel to it, like Stooges or something in that vein, and it does get heavy over that chorus part, it’s a good track to really kick this evening into gear! from the new album, starts off with this little almost popcorn sounding synth part (you might get that reference), then it builds with Tim’s falsetto before the song kicks in properly, Mark’s bass really carrying this one as Tim plays like a drone guitar part over it, when it picks into that chorus part there are a good few people bouncing along in the middle of the floor to it, really catchy little track!
Burn Baby Burn – Last song of the night from the Free All Angels album, starting off with that little guitar figure before the band comes in, ours a good one to finish off the night and everyone leaves with a smile on their faces!
So as I said at the start not really my thing but you know what, they put in a great show and the crowd absolutely loved it, great response and a good homecoming show for the guys tonight, really enjoyed that!!
