Gig Review Wishbone Ash
Gig time again, at The Phoenix Exeter to watch WISHBONE ASH. This was my 5th time seeing them, 3rd in 3 years.
So it was an evening of surprises, more of that to follow! Actually I will start with the first surprise. Bob Skeat the bassist was in the foyer and I was able to have a chat with him. I did take a selfie, sadly due to the lighting, it didn’t come out.
Onto surprise number two! I do like having support acts, although it can be a lottery. Tonight the support were brilliant. A local band called AQUILLA. I mentioned after the gig that I did reviews, they told me to say they were brilliant, and they’d pay me. Win win!
Really they were very good. I didn’t get the whole Setlist, but they’re a good old fashioned rock band. Their aggregate age is 350, (I shouted 326, so not bad!) Despite their age, these guys rock! After playing one of their own tracks, they did Sweet Home Chicago. After that they did the superb Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh.
Then back to 1970 for Fire and Water by Free, a track I hadn’t heard for a long time. We were treated to a Toto melody, all album tracks. Must confess, I didn’t know them but enjoyed it.
Then it was another one of their own tracks called The Golden Road.
To finish they did Over the Hills and Far Away by Gary Moore and finally the brilliant Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas.
Onto the main event. This year is the 50th year of Wishbone Ash releasing Live Dates. This tour was basically reproducing this album again.
The band came on and went straight into Real Guitars Have Wings, an instrumental track off Nouveau Calls. Then we were into Live Dates. The next three tracks all off Argus, The King Will Come, Warrior and Throw Down the Sword, these gave a strong start to the album and of course to the show!
Andy then told a story to introduce Rock n Roll Widow. It seems that someone died in a gig the band played in their early days in the US, and this track came from that incident. It featured on the 1973 album Wishbone 4 as did Ballad of Beacon which was the next track. While I have heard them Play Widow live, it was the first time I had heard Beacon live.
It was around this time that I got another surprise. I glanced to my right and there was my cousin Geoff Smith giving me the thumbs up.
Back to the gig. In their early days, the band did a lot of blues stuff and Live Dates featured them covering a Jimmy Reed track, Baby What You Want Me to Do. That was next, and I loved it! Then we were into well known tracks. The Pilgrim, another Bluesy track Jail Bait before Lady Whiskey off their first album and finally the album and the set finishing with the fantastic Phoenix. That last track was nearly 15 minutes long and featured the brilliant Mark Abrahams on lead guitar.
The band returned and did Living Proof as the encore off Just Testing from 1980.
What a night, brilliant music played really well by two bands who clearly love what they do. Wishbone Ash are back October next year - yes I will be, Tickets already bought for their return in 2024!
I had a quick catch up with Geoff before bumping into Mark Abrahams (guitarist) as my final surprise! This time I got a decent selfie.