Ash
Updated: Sep 8
Ash, Unicorn and Nici Ward live at Freo.Social | 05 September 2026
Northern-Irish rockers Ash graced the stage at Freo Social as a part of their ‘1997’ 30th anniversary Australian tour. Supported by the likes of local acts Nici Ward and Unicorn. It was a night filled with appetizing alternative rock sounds, 90s nostalgia and delicious fuzzy feedback coming from the sizeable amp speakers sitting on stage.
Things started a little bit dialled back with Nici Ward, who occupied the stage by herself,
armed only with her electric guitar and vocals. Ward let loose with vocals with a raw performance that filled the space.
With a few early birds (many of the punters were still grabbing their drinks at the bar) hugging the rail to catch a glimpse of her. It was a set that was relaxed, honest and a little bit cheeky. Ward referenced movie Terms of Endearment (1983) via a song dedicated to Shirley Maclaine, exclaiming how hot Jack Nicholson was in that beach scene. A punter screamed in agreeance, and Ward cheekily replied with ‘this person gets it’.
With Unicorn’s set the crowd got noticeably larger in size, with punters keen to get their grunge on. With lead vocalist Jenna Hardie donning a sparkly, sequenced outfit on stage. There was something charismatically ostentatious about the bands’ presence. With loud grungy power chords, and tenacious drums. The crowd was thrust into manic energy. Propelled into a state of rock Valhalla.
Between sets it was easy to notice the large quantity of DJ equipment living in the photo pit. Making it hard for some of the photographers to squeeze into the area to shoot. It was a fun time seeing media and punter alike attempt to navigate the frenetic throng of punters that made up the wild crowd.
Ash emerged on stage to the A-Team intro, framing themselves as soldiers of fortune on the run. This wouldn’t be the last time a pop culture reference would be emerge into the wild. With Ash emerging from their encore to the theme from Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Oddysey.
They went pretty hard at the beginning. There was blinding lights, and flashy guitars that screamed a lot of feedback (intentionally). The first 6 songs of the night came from their first studio album 1977. This got the crowd warmed up and eager. Band members throughout the night endearingly made references to the Fremantle Dockers, shouting ‘Lets Go Freo’ several times.
Ash’s encore was generous, it actually felt gratuitous. Alternating between slow and fast tracks. Their performance was paced nicely. Whilst there were a soundscape and vibe which was born of nostalgia. It slapped punters right back into the present. Either way, the band was a hoot to watch. They really got you feeling that late 90s/early 2000s alt-rock, like a nostalgic time machine. Things peaked into a weird shoe-gazey euphoria, the thing about Irish crowds, and particularly, Irish bands. Is the set doesn’t really, well … stop.
After about four songs into the encore, the perception of time began to really slip away. Before you knew it, you realized you were caught in a 90s alt-rock loop like Groundhog Day. People were still dancing the night away (some punters did yield, and traipse to their car to have a snooze). But many punters wore on, gyrating to Ash, deep, deep into the night.
Still, it was a lovely send off. With Ash fans seeing their beloved band just one more time.
Review by Joe Wilson
Photography by Shotweiler Photography
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