Burn Baby Burn
Liz Crosthwaite / Amy Danbrowsky • Published 7 Dec 2011 12:30
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Live music reviews: Ash and Borderline:Fire
Ash with support from Virginmarys at Sub89 on Wednesday, November 30
ASH always remind me of all the good bits of being a teenager - parties, ill-advised escapades and staying up late - and even almost 20 years of plying their upbeat indie-rock hasn't worn the sparkle off their exuberant, Snakebite-and-black fuelled tunes.
From the joyous Girl From Mars, which kicked off a rowdy singalong, to Goldfinger and Kung Fu, with it's raucous call and response segment, the reaction of the crowd at Sub89 last Wednesday night - from youngsters who couldn't have been more than toddlers when the band's first album was released, to older fans who've been with them from the start - was at a consistent level, slightly reminiscent of children fuelled by E numbers. Return Of White Rabbit, the final song before the encore, was my highlight, a track heavy with gorgeously distorted bass guitar, which saw guitarist Tim and bassist Mark writhing their instruments around the stage, with some truly rockstar-esque posing that was more than backed up by the strength of the tune. But, of course, the place really exploded for the final punch of the over-played but still deliciously vibrant Burn Baby Burn.
Virginmarys opened, their immediate confidence and incredibly energetic drummer (reaching so high in his strokes he might as well have been playing a kit on the ceiling, too) doing an impressive job of quelling the normal chatter that support acts often have to battle with. Their broadly indie-rock sound veered from air-guitar-tastic American rock to beefed-up Arctic Monkeys swagger, and if you like singing into your hairbrush like you're a rockstar, preferably while drunk on Jack'n'Coke at a slightly out of control houseparty, Virginmarys could be for you.
LIZ CROSTHWAITE
Borderline:Fire at The Oakford Social Club, Wednesday, November 30
Across town at The Oakford Social Club, there was a party atmosphere, and support from Our Last Act and Lucy T made a good go of getting the party started. So much so, that when Borderline:Fire took to the stage to headline their single launch party, this reviewer was pushed to a little table at the side of the venue, clear of the burgeoning crowd.
The set lurched from mellow to madness as their blend of progressive, synth-based, hard rock tunes keeps the crowd entertained. They chucked in a cover of Katy Perry's ET (which the ladies loved, almost as much as Joss' revealing shirt), and even managed to pull off a copy of Nero's Drum and Bass chart-topper Me And You (my personal favourite). If tonight's anything to go by, with a tight set and tunes you'll struggle to forget, I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of this much-loved Berkshire band.
AMY DANBROWSKY
This article appeared in Bracknell News 07 Dec 11
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