z z Revisiting the Wild Life u b ASH by Katherine With their naysayers long silenced, Ash are Yeske Taylor celebrating their quarter-century anniversary Tim Wheeler, Ash with the release of Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years vocalist/guitarist, is of Ash —a career retrospective compilation calling from his apartment featuring three dozen songs that the band in New York’s West Village, where he has lived for the past members chose themselves, showcasing 15 years. But today, his native Northern Ireland is on his chronicling the joys their best work from every phase of their mind. After decades of political unrest that spilled over into (and lows) of teenage life. career. violence, that country’s peaceful recent years have made it But their youthful exuberance Teenage Wildlife “is a great way to tell one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe. “It's changed a lot and honesty wasn’t initially the whole story of the band up until now, but over the years,” Wheeler says. “It's good it's finally a place where appreciated by everyone. it was a hard challenge compiling it all, just trying to whittle down people can recommend [visiting] it.” His connection to his homeland “We had a few years of people that much music that we love, but I think we got a good selection. remains strong: he says he returns to see family and friends there telling us that we were terrible and We went with our favorites, but we had to spread it evenly over several times a year. that we'd never do anything,” Wheeler the years, as well. It meant that there’s a couple of hit singles that There was a time, though, when Wheeler wasn’t so pleased with says. This did not deter them—he says they didn’t make it. But I think we did a pretty good job. I definitely look what Northern Ireland had to offer—leading him to form Ash in the always remained “stubborn and persistent—we knew we could get at it and go, ‘Damn, that's a great bunch of tunes!’” Wheeler says first place. “I think I wanted a different life than the one that was laid through the challenges.” Looking back, he believes that encountering with a laugh. out for us—probably wanting to escape,” he says. “Northern Ireland criticism was actually helpful to them. “Right from the start, we had “I think it's a really good introduction for new fans. Also, for fans wasn't an inspiring place to stay in the early nineties, after coming something to prove. I think that strengthened us early on.” in the early days, it's a good way of catching up on the highlights out of the eighties. [It was] still a really rough decade there. Music In 1994, the trio released Trailer , a seven-song debut “mini-album,” over the years since then,” Wheeler says, adding that even the most offered us a different world. I really wanted to avoid a normal life, I and memorably billed themselves as “Guaranteed Real Teenagers.” ardent and longtime fans will find some surprises here. “We also think!” he says with a laugh. Singles like “Jack Names the Planets” and “Petrol” grabbed the put together a rarities disc for the special edition CD—a bunch of His strategy ultimately worked, but the band had to face some attention of influential DJs in Britain, so that by the time the band B-sides that haven't seen the light in the digital era, haven't been adversity first. Growing up in Downpatrick, a small town just south released their first full-length album, 1977 , two years later, it was available to stream, and probably aren't even on YouTube or anything of Belfast—Northern Ireland’s capital city—Wheeler formed Ash met with immediate success, with singles like “Girl from Mars,” “Oh like that. It's really good that will get to see the light of day, as well.” with bassist Mark Hamilton when they were only twelve years old. Yeah,” and “Goldfinger” all hitting the charts in several countries. At first, Wheeler says going back through all their songs didn’t The lineup became complete when drummer Rick McMurray joined, They’ve gone on to release six more studio albums, racking up 13 trigger too much nostalgia “because it seems like a lot of the and they began writing catchy, high-energy rock songs with lyrics Top 40 singles in the U.K. older songs that made it on the compilation are the ones that we TEENAGE WILDLIFE: 25 YEARS OF ASH (BMG) IS AVAILABLE WHEREVER MUSIC IS STREAMED OR SOLD. PLEASE VISIT WWW.ASH-OFFICIAL.COM FOR MORE INFO! 14 ARTS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 19, 2020 www.theaquarian.com RONNIE JAMES DIO A Career Through The Lens 1975-2009 A photographic journey of one of the most admired and respected rock vocalists of all time. This beautiful collection of photos were all taken by legendary music photographer Frank White from New Jersey. They capture Dio from his first ever US show with Rainbow in 1975 through to 2009 with Heaven & Hell, just a few months before he lost his fight with cancer in May 2010. This is the most comprehensive collection of photos ever compiled into one book that cover the most revered periods of Dio's illustrious career. Throughout the decades Frank White captured Ronnie's career with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, his own band Dio aven & Hell, on the USA, Canada ope. From East to PHOTOS BY PHOTO BY SCARLET PAGE ast, this collection photos of Ronnie tates playing to “We started Ash around the time Nirvana were diences at venues such as big, so it gave us the courage to be a three k's Madison Square Garden as well as tiny club shows. There are also photos from Europe, piece. It's also so much easier. You could be a t festivals in Sweden, Germany and the nds. Frank also took many shots of Ronnie good functioning unit as long as all three of us off stage; at TV studios, special events and the well as dedicated, back stage shoots with his were fully into it. The only trouble with being . A Career Through The Lens 1975- 2009 also cludes White's recollections of Dio as he recalls a three-piece is, if one of you falls out, if there's the many times shared in his company from the other side of the lens. anything that goes wrong, then the whole thing falls apart. It's a high-wire act the whole time!” AvAvailable from Amazon and all good retailers. Visit www.wymeruk.co.uk to order directly from the publisher. play a lot, still. They don't feel like they're from the this winter and spring, and they hope to set U.S. Tel: +44 (0) 1234 326691 Email: [email protected] past.” Then he pauses, reconsidering. “I think it dates after that. Now in his forties, Wheeler says made me go back to our second album [1998’s it’s still easy to tap into the exuberance from his Nu-Clear Sounds ], which was kind of a difficult youth at shows. “I always get taken back to being album. I was pleasantly surprised by it. A lot of a teenager when we start playing,” he says. He memories came back from that, actually. It's got also thinks that audiences’ enthusiasm helps them a really interesting sound to it and atmosphere. I keep up the energy to make it through such lengthy guess it's very different to anything else we've tours, especially because there will be fans who done. And I can also listen to it and go, ‘I could have supported them right from the beginning. “I never come up with that stuff now. It just wouldn't think we established a pretty loyal fanbase early happen.’ So it's kind of a strange, objective way on, and the fans have stuck with us. We know of listening to it. I was a very different person at there's always been someone to make music for. the time.” That's really cool.” Even though Teenage Wildlife emphasizes Ash’s Wheeler also points to the band members’ tight string of past successes, it also points toward the friendship as another reason why they still enjoy band’s future with one brand new track, “Darkest doing this after so many years together. “We Hour of the Night.” The song is classic Ash: lively weren't a bunch of session musicians put and hyper-melodic instrumentation, but with lyrics together—we started as mates.” And it is rather frankly describing breakup heartache. “ Ever since remarkable that Ash has retained the original you went away/I felt so torn and frayed/My friends lineup all this time (though it should be noted tell me that I must be strong/It’s not so easy when that, from 1997 to 2006, the band was a quartet, your reasons have gone ,” Wheeler sings, somehow with guitarist Charlotte Hatherley). Wheeler says AQ managing to sound vulnerable and animated that they’re quite committed to keeping Ash a trio TIX simultaneously. It serves as the single for this now. “It works pretty slick. You're definitely limited compilation release, and, Wheeler says, “It’s in some ways, but I guess limitations are our starting to get a real buzz, actually. U.K. radio strengths sometimes. played it for the first time last week.” “We started Ash around the time Nirvana were Wheeler says “Darkest Hour of the Night” was big, so it gave us the courage to be a three piece.