Live Review: Ash @ O2 Institute, Birmingham

Words: Abi Hawes
Photo Credit: Jemma Hurren

Ash returned to Birmingham to draw a finish on their tour of their new album AD ASTRA. The mid 90s band released their 9^th album in October 2025, featuring heavy guitar riffs and unbeaten energy. Not only this, but BLUR’s GRAHAM COXON further features on two songs. Having formed during the early 1990’s, the band are best known for their hit GIRL FROM MARS, OH YEAH and SHINING light. Throughout the years, Ash have managed to maintain their infectious energy through both their released music and their performance on stage.

To open the night, the band Bag of Cans came on at 8pm, bringing a chaotic set. They walked onto stage in matching homemade t-shirts alongside a trumpet. Once the band started, they brought infectious energy. Although it became clear rather quickly that no one in the crowd had listened to them much, they had the audience in smiles. They had a sound like BLUR, THE WOMBATS or SCOUTING FOR GIRLS, mixing their songs with new sounds and style.

The Norwich band opened their set with their tune FAVOURITE SHOW, which brought a wave of energy to the stage immediately. The delivered a memorable performance, particularly for their strange but unique song titles such as WASHING MACHINE, HAIR OF A DOG and the most memorable one MILK AND MORE- a song about a stalker milkman on cocaine. Though the lyrics were slightly amusing, the actual sound of the songs were driven by the use of the trumpets and guitars and fantastic vocals.

While the lyrics proved to be slightly bizarre, it is clear that the band worked well and bounced off each other. Though they seemed to be unknown, they got the audience going, setting the mood for Ash. In particular, their crowd engagement was great, even getting the audience to “finger dance” to their latest single MAN IN THE SHED. The repetition of the chorus “I have not changed my batteries for a while” got the audience singing along, while showcasing the instrumental skill, something that makes them stand out within new and upcoming indie bands.

They closed their set with PUB MONEY after thanking Ash for having them on tour with them and claimed that they were about to go into the pub themselves. The heavy guitar and mix of voices make them both unique and intriguing, perfect for the night ahead. The vocal skills of both singers were evident, and it’s hard to deny their stage presence, making them have great potential. Hopefully through this tour, they have gained more listeners, as it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the band.

By 8pm, the audience had shuffled closer together, the anticipation was evident, as a buzz of random voices filled the room.

Then, the lights turned on, and the crowd was silenced. They played their opening track ZARATHUSTRA became blaring as the band walked out, and applause broke out with the trumpet from Bag of Cans assisting the band. In that room, the excitement was clear. The band went straight into one of their latest songs FUN PEOPLE, maintaining the great amount of energy to the stage. The catchy lyrics and heavy guitar riffs brought the venue alive. Although, to my surprise the sold-out gig was in the smaller room in the O2 academy, which seemed strange for the popularity of the band.

They then played KEEP DREAMING and AD ASTRA from their new album before they moved onto their more well-known song A LIFE LESS ORDINARY. There was an obvious split in the reaction to the latest songs and their classics.

The mood shifted by their 6^th track, OPHEUS, a crowd sing along. The fast and familiar guitar echoed around the room, while everyone waited for the famous opening line. After the uproar of the drums that echoed around the room, the famous lyrics “Yeah that summer I did nothing”. At this point, pints had been drunk, and many were jumping around to the song, some with arms wrapped around each other. The sense of nostalgia was evident in the room full of mostly adults who had lived through the band’s existence. They swiftly moved onto GOLDFINGER, another one of the band’s hits from their album 1977. The buzz from the audience continued, and everyone seemed to be living in the moment, focusing purely on the band.

They then played WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT, one of their new songs. Much to my disappointment, the energy dropped a little from the audience. The song sounded even better live than it did on the recording. Tim Wheeler sounded brilliant.

The energy only increased from here as they went into SHINING LIGHT, OH YEAH and ANGEL INTERCEPTOR. Many phones came out for those tunes, as people tried to capture the moment, while others made sure to live in it. However hard I tried, nothing could capture the energy and mood in that room, not even a video could replicate that. These songs showcase the best hits of the band throughout the years. The rich sound of the band which was only made by the 3 band members showed the crowd how skilful Ash really are. Not only did they sound amazing, but their stage presence was even better. 

They asked the audience to dance along and said that the song was dedicated to any —— before playing the rockier version of JUMP IN A LINE- a Harry Belafonte cover that they regularly cover in their shows. The response was amazing, and many members of the audience began shaking along, some dancing more so.

They played KUNG FU as their second to last song, as several people rushed to the front. They played the introduction to the song, which brought the song alive. The sound of the guitars rang out, as the fast-paced song showcased the skills the 3-piece band.

The band went into their hit GIRL FROM MARS and the audience erupted. A mosh pit opened at the front and people stormed into it. The mix of ages showed the importance of music, bringing all ages together. The high energy performance brought the song alive. The timeless song was met by people singing loudly as the well-known track. The atmosphere was incredible, as they played one of the songs that defined the 90s.

The band walked off the stage, which was met with cheers to come back on.

After a few minutes, Tim Wheeler came on stage by himself to sing an acoustic song off their new album MY FAVOURITE GHOST. The song proved how impressive WHEELER’S voice is, even after sounding a bit worn. However, as it was the last show of their tour, he sounded great despite this. Unfortunately, even though the tour was advertised for their album AD ASTRA, it became obvious that not many people had listened to it. Though the song is one of my favourites off their latest album, and shows the band in another light, many voices of casual conversation layered over the song. The song is beautifully crafted, and was fantastic live, especially as it was different to the usual sound of the band.

The played BRAINDEAD before closing the set with BURN BABY BURN from their album FREE ALL ANGELS. The band assisted the vocals perfect, the electric guitar sound evident. The mosh pit opened again, people jumping to the fast-paced beat. The band shone through this song, especially with predominant riffs throughout the song. The song closed with the sound of the guitar’s as the band finished up.

Before walking off, the band thanked everyone for the support, including Bag of Cans, adding that they hope they find a new milkman. They told the audience to check their batteries while doing the “finger dance” before hinting at having a chance to see them before the end of the year. 

Before we knew it, the lights turned on, and people flooded the exits. The tune JUMP IN A LINE played as many people stayed to dance, embracing the moment and staying in it for a little longer. My ears were ringing from the electric sound of the band, which sounded in sync to the recordings. Having seen them two times before, I can admit that Ash still have the same amazing energy every time, which matches the sound of the band. All in all, it was a great gig with a fantastic setlist, which mixed both the new and old tunes, demonstrating that the band still have a great deal to offer.