Ash Light Up Scala & Celebrate Ad Astra With Career-Spanning Set And Graham Coxon Collaboration

There was a palpable sense of anticipation outside North London venue Scala on Wednesday night as Ash returned for the second of two sold-out headline shows. The Northern Irish trio have always thrived in the sweaty intimacy of small venues, but with their ninth studio album Ad Astra set to arrive in October, these gigs felt more like a victory lap and a teaser rolled into one. The announcement of a third date at the same venue next February only confirmed what was already clear: Ash are still a band with momentum, hungry to play, and with plenty left to say.

Ash @ Scala

Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

They wasted no time getting into it. Following intros via pre-recording airings of 1980s TV show The A-Team theme (“maybe you can hire, Ash”) followed by lines from Queen’s Flash (once again, supplanting Ash) Kicking off with A Life Less Ordinary — still one of the most perfect soundtrack singles of the ’90s — and powering straight into Angel Interceptor, frontman & guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton, and drummer Rick McMurray reminded everyone just how deep their catalogue runs. The room was already bouncing, but things went stratospheric with Orpheus, a riot of guitar-driven energy that felt like it could tear the roof off.

Ash @ Scala

Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

It was only then that Wheeler paused to address the crowd, grinning as he leaned into the mic: “Thank you all for being here and braving the tube strikes. We’ve got a new album coming out in a few weeks and we’re going to play a few songs from that.” The band duly launched into new single Which One Do You Want? — a jagged, hook-heavy rocker that fits snugly into Ash’s DNA while signalling the bold intent of Ad Astra. It was a moment that felt both familiar and forward-looking, a bridge between the Ash of yesterday and the one still writing its next chapter.

From there, the night became a joyride through the past three decades. Confessions In The Pool enticed an immediate clap-along, before the shimmering guitar intro of Shining Light provoked one of the loudest singalongs of the evening. Oh Yeah followed, Scala’s crowd roaring every word back at Wheeler as if they’d been waiting all week for this release.

Ash @ Scala

Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

The mood shifted with Sometimes, one of the group’s most tender cuts, which Wheeler followed with a teasing grin: “We’re going to do an old song, a very, very old song. I see some new fans here tonight, which is very, very cool. Were you guys born in 1994? Were you guys conceived in 1994?” he joked, drawing laughter before launching into Uncle Pat, a blast from their 1994 Trailer mini-album. It was a reminder of just how long Ash have been at this game — and how few bands can still play their earliest songs with such conviction.

There was room, too, for their sense of humour and invention. “Any calypso fans in the house? Any punk-rock fans in the house? Any calypso and punk rock fans in the house?” Wheeler teased, introducing their rollicking cover of Harry Belafonte’s Jump In The Line. What could have been a throwaway cover instead turned into one of the night’s highlights, the audience bellowing back the chorus in gleeful unison. Without pause, the band thundered into Braindead, the sole representative of 2023’s Race The Night, before Wildsurf, Kung Fu, and Girl From Mars capped off a main set brimming with energy and nostalgia.

The encore, though, was where things became truly unforgettable. Returning to the stage with Blur’s Graham Coxon, the band tore into Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (Zarathustra), its stately opening given a punk-rock kick. Wheeler introduced his guest with a grin: “Ladies and, Mr. Graham Coxon.” The crowd roared their approval as they launched into a muscular rendition of Goldfinger.

Graham Coxon with Ash @ Scala

Graham Coxon with Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

Then came the surprises. “Alright how about this, Ash plus Graham Coxon,” Wheeler announced. “Last night we played this song and people went fucking apeshit. This is one of Graham’s ones, it’s called Freakin’ Out.” Coxon stepped up to the mic, delivering his trademark drawl while Ash powered through the track, the collaboration sounding both ragged and gloriously alive.

Graham Coxon with Ash @ Scala

Graham Coxon with Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

The new material shone just as brightly. “We’ve got our new album coming out in a couple of weeks — Ad Astra — and two of the tracks feature this gentleman, Mr. Graham Coxon. One of them is called Fun People,” Wheeler explained. The song’s wiry energy was irresistible, and Coxon’s contributions only sharpened it further. But it was the title track that provided the night’s boldest statement. “This next song, no one has heard before… except the people that were here last night,” Wheeler teased before the band plunged into new album title track Ad Astra. Opening with playful synths before exploding into layered guitars, pounding drums, and soaring harmonies, the track felt expansive and cinematic — proof that Ash are not just content to revisit their legacy, but eager to expand it.

Closing with Burn Baby Burn, the band and their guest left Scala in flames — figuratively, if not literally. The crowd, sweat-drenched and grinning, knew they had witnessed something rare: a band celebrating its past with complete confidence while leaning fully into its future.

Ash’s Scala double-header was meant to warm up for the release of Ad Astra. Instead, it became a reminder that three decades in, Ash are still writing the soundtrack to countless lives — and with friends like Graham Coxon joining the party, their story is far from finished.