14 March 2015 (gig)
16 March 2015
Promoting his new EP Face To Face, released today, Ethan Ash hit The Water Rats last Saturday. Truth must be told, for those who didn’t know him it was quite a revelatory gig. The musician played but a handful of songs, as he was billed along other fellow artists that night. Only six tracks which however were enough to prove that Ash really is talented and that he sounds even better live than on record.
Would You Mind and Haven’t Got There Yet were good examples of his writing style, composed by honest, straightforward and heartfelt lyrics which mainly deal with relationships. Simple thoughts, yet expressed in such a manner that somehow manages to go a step further from the ordinary. Ash explores everyday situations with the awareness and the simplicity that can only come from personal experiences – from which he admittedly draws upon.
The nice thing about Ash is that he’s a funny little guy, an unpretentious, genuine artist who puts his true self into his music and lets it transpire unfiltered. He uses no embellishments but goes straight to the point, talking about the little things that happen to him and that make him the person that he is. Ash reiterated this spontaneity introducing Don’t Regret Me – “a love song about mannerisms”.
It was interesting to see how his on stage persona seemed to differ substantially from the one who featured in the songs: a character, full of banter to entertain his audience one moment, a cool, calm and collected performer the next one. Besides being a soulful songwriter, Ash is also an apt singer and player with a clear but powerful voice which he can modulate accordingly, even hitting random high notes.
He provided for a half hour of quality music before making space for the following acts. One of these was Fudge and The Frequency, which needs a special mention for bringing some serious groovy funk in the venue later on, their rhythms and beats inviting a few people from the audience to join in and share the positive vibes, dancing the night away. Keep an eye on them both.
