Venue:
Islington Assembly Halls
Date: 16/10/2025
There is plenty of talk at the moment about the lack of guitar bands. So, if you crave a night of blistering, brilliant plank-spanking you should get yourself along to a Wishbone Ash show; because they have not one but two of the very best British guitarists currently treading the boards.
The show at Islington Assembly Halls was a proper rock gig and my third consecutive night in a 33-date tour. The venue is standing downstairs and unallocated seating upstairs; for us infirm old gits. The place was packed and the sound was pinpoint accurate which gave me a great opportunity to study the playing of Mark Abrahams; Andy Powell’s co-pilot.
Mark has been in the band for 8 years and has brought a new energy and urgency to the sound. Of course he plays the iconic ‘bits’ that us fans associate with Ted Turner and Laurie Wisefield but it’s when he solos that the level of his playing shines.
He flies.
His arrival instantly meant that Andy upped his game and the two of them are now the best twin lead combination still regularly touring the U.K. I would argue that the 75 year-old leader of the band is currently at the top of his game.
The rhythm section is rock solid, as you’d expect; drummer, Mike Truscott, (3 years in,) has joined the ever-smiling bassist, Bob Skeat, (28 years in,) and they play off each other perfectly, with lots of eye contact, grins and laughs. In fact, it’s a really happy stage all round.
The setlist obviously leaned on the 1970’s output of the band, with the glorious triumvirate of The King Will Come, Warrior and Throw Down the Sword from their No.1 album, Argus, closing the first half. Yet the newer songs, (yes, the band has kept recording, with their most recent album, Coat of Arms, coming out in 2020,) fit perfectly in the set and are powerful reminders of the sheer force of nature that the band’s twin-lead sound was, and is.
The crowd is right up for it and the band feeds off the roars at the end of each song. Phoenix closes the show, as ever, and Mark absolutely owns it. His playing and his tone are really special and the level of attack he gets from his beautiful Les Paul Junior is astonishing. More than once, AP looks to his right and grins or shouts at the sheer beauty of what his younger musical partner is contributing.
The noise at the end was deafening as the crowd roared their appreciation of a rock masterpiece, executed by a band giving a masterclass in British rock music.
After a couple of encores they were gone and I headed downstairs to catch Lorna, Bob’s wife, who runs the merch. She grinned as she recognised me and I excitedly said;
“I have to catch the train, Lorna, but tell Bob that was my favourite Wishbone gig since 1972.”
She thanked me and I stepped out into the cool night air, ears buzzing, chest pounding and thrilled to be 15 again, in February ‘72, at my first Wishbone gig.
Ain’t live music fantastic?
The audience:
A great mix of young and old; male and female, all out for a good time.
It made me think..
How much I still love this band, 55 years on.
Fabulous review Niallb – your enthusiasm shines through. Not seen the Ash since their original line up reunion tour some 20 plus years ago but I still remember having tears in my eyes during Throw Down the Sword. WA are a band who for me exceeded the sum of their parts particularly in those very early years. Tbh I pretty much lost interest after There’s The Rub but I have a very good friend who is a total fanatic who keeps me updated (he also very nearly joined them many years ago when they were needing a bassist for a tour).
Thanks Niall, a band I never explored. Just always flicked past them despite knowing their reputation. Time I rectified that.
The top of his game reference. Physically in terms of digital dexterity you’d think that impossible. But in total- choice of notes and space, choice of guitar, equipment etc I am sure that could be the case.
I am interested in what guitarists on here think.
@Junior-Wells
The classic Throw Down the Sword from Argus.
Check out Argus. Ted Turner is a tasteful blues rock player but Andy Powell is very badly underrated in my view. Great note choices and not at all locked in the blues scale. The track referenced below is on Argus and AP did two takes at the solo and when they accidentally played them together they thought, well wow. Many think it’s Andy and Ted but actually it’s Andy and Andy.
All agreed re Andy Powell…
@Twang AP is also one of the nicest people you could meet.
Never met him but he always comes across really well. There was an excellent long podcast by Now Spinning which was very good
Thanks lads.