For starters, this was one of the best nights of my life. Not to be too cheesy or anything, of course. The thing was, I got to interview my favorite band in the whole wide world, Ash! My first interview ever, with my favorite Irish lads. So it was the beginning of a long night. I had to leave my friend who was with my outside so I could go find their tour manager during sound check. I sat and waited for the aptly named, Gigsy, their British roadie complete with fanny pack and long curly hair. Lovely fellow though. I was still nervous, I saw Mark Hamilton, Ash�s bassist walk in playing football and I was absolutely smitten. (That�s soccer to the Yanks). I have loved that band since I was 12 years old. I stood around amidst the bustle of dozens of roadies setting up their band�s gear. I didn�t have a pass yet again, so I stood there chain-smoking, trying to blend in while banging on some bands drum kit.
Eventually Gigsy came down off stage and let me into the depths of the Webster to speak to Mark and drummer, Rick �Rock� McMurray. I was still a wreck, until I fumbled for a cigarette and then the most un-rock thing one can do, fumble for a lighter as well. Rick came to my rescue and lit my cigarette for me, which totally calmed me down. They aren�t huge over here, but in Europe, Ash are gods. The fact that they are always so nice and normal put me right at ease. We talked about their recent bus crash, what kind of underwear they prefer, their newest project, a horror flick of Mark�s creation, aptly called �Slashed�. They love their fans too, and their official messageboard, which Mark, manager Steve Taverner AKA Tav, and lead singer Tim Wheeler frequent.
After my time with Ash, it was time to watch Loudermilk. I don�t know too much about this band. My friend was quoted on saying, �Oh, another punk/rock and roll band, how original!� They were quite good however�they certainly rocked the place hard. They seemed a bit dodgy to me as I watched them during their sound check. I think a few of them were wearing women�s pants, which through me off a bit. Nonetheless, they were very rock and roll and started the evening with a bang.
Of course, next up was Ash, I really wanted to watch them from the stage, but the club is very into their rules. So I stood behind the barriers as usual just near the stage. Hey, it�s almost VIP. Ben Wu was my man of the night again. He came up to me during Ash�s set and covered my eyes, stating I wasn�t allowed to watch the show. He�s right, I�m surprised I don�t have to be blindfolded as well. I never get a pass and tonight I wasn�t even on the guest list. So, in any case, I probably shouldn�t be allowed to watch either. Thanks a million to Gigsy for getting my some passes. I was almost legit tonight.
Ash�s set was by far the best of the night. Not that I�m biased or anything. I think they did wow the crowd a bit. They played songs from all four of their studio albums. The setlist was as follows: Lose Control, Girl From Mars, Cherry Bomb, Shining Light, Jack Names the Planets, Sometimes, A Life Less Ordinary, Kung Fu and Burn Baby Burn. In typical Ash style, there wasn�t a whole lot of talk, but there was a whole lot or rock. They really don�t have a huge following here, but by the end of one of their live sets, Ash make a few new fans. Tim Wheeler, Charlotte Hatherly, Rick McMurray and Mark Hamilton are just four young adults who are no different than their fans, which keeps down all those �rock star� barriers. God bless Ash for bringing back good times.
Hot Rod Circuit was up next, and again, I ran into an old high school friend. The Webster is like a reunion ground for me! I watched this set from the crowd and hated it. HRC are very, very good, but it is impossible to enjoy anything in a crowd that packed, I think Chris brings more people to his hometown club every time.
To think I thought he drew a crowd last time in Hartford. This time proved him as a bona fide rock god. I must admit I thought the set was drawn out a little too much, but then again, I was spent after Ash. I was really impressed by Chris Carrabba�s set last time he was in Hartford, this one was a little much for me. It took he and his band about 10 minutes to get on stage and get the lights up, I know it builds suspense and all, but it was too much for me. Fair play to Mr. Dashboard though, the amount of people at this show and the amount of screaming going on was ungodly. For a few moments, I actually got nervous.
The crowd was pleased however, and that is all that really matters. Again, Chris could stop singing at points during songs and let the crowd sing for him. He dared to play a new demo featured on the official website, �Tonight, I�ll Take What I Can Get�. He played even more new material as well, but the old crowd pleasers were there. Songs like, �Saints and Sailors�, �Again I Go Unnoticed�, �The Sharp Hint of New Tears�, �Swiss Army Romance� etc. Many of the old hits are played electric now, which is odd�but it doesn�t seem to matter to the audience. The man can do now wrong, he could play the spoons up there at this stage and still please an audience. The funniest part is probably the �lesser versions� of Chris in the crowd. Short guys, not quite as thin. One sleeve of tattoos instead of two. Shorter sideburns and a smaller pomp of hair. It�s all about the look I guess. Still there is only one Chris; he put on a fantastic show for his 800 family members and us. I even saw a girl at the beginning of the night wearing a homemade tee shirt that read, �My brother won an MTV award�. I thought that was cute. I�m sure seeing Dashboard Confessional anywhere but Hartford is a much different experience. In Hartford though, it�s about family.
