I'd always thought that an Ash gig would never be the most exciting of events, their having peaked too early with the brilliant debut album '1977' and never quite regaining form. However tonight, despite an unexcitable crowd ranging from forty-year-old couples through toddling children to trendy, bored-looking vacuous blondes, they were to prove me wrong.

The Seers kicked off proceedings with the contemporary generic rock we've come to expect from the likes of Keane at the moment, with sentimental declarations such as 'I won't let you fall' interdispersed with intervals of early Feeder-style bouncing. Fun for a few minutes but ultimately bland, I wouldn't expect much more than a small-scale student union tour from them until they begin to assert some originality.

The Crimea played a far better set and brought the disinterested crowd in from the bar with an eclectic mix of Pixies-influenced rock, Radiohead-esque experimentalism and an odd touch of haunting piano riffs. A crazed scream in the penultimate song, before culminating with a crowd-pleasing Jam-style effort, ensured their memorability. Definitely worth checking out.

Ash themselves were ultimately predictable but also remarkably returned to the exhilaration of their early days. The appalling 'Candy' was wisely omitted and instead the old hits were well executed alongside promising new material. 'Girl From Mars' livened up the show early on and 'Kung Fu' towards the end finished it off on an equally high note, with aged men around the room launching enthusiastically into Jackie Chan moves. Later singles such as such as the very recent 'Orpheus' and also 'Burn Baby Burn' were granted a new joie de vivre that isn't communicated so well through MTV, and blended seamlessly with the vivacious mood.

The band themselves seemed as hyped-up as the crowd; Tim bounced around like a little boy throughout, announcing with a genuine grin that Manchester was one of his favourite places to play and, perhaps oddly, seeming just as keen to play the old songs as the new. Rather akin to the atmosphere of a mid 90's teenage summer, Ash revelled in nostalgia whilst also proving that to move with the times doesn't necessarily mean entirely maturing through becoming dull.

Four out of five stars as, whilst the Flaming Lips are still playing live, nobody can possibly expect to gain the full five.

Rating: 4/5 by Jeni Harvey

Further links

Ash-official.com

Official site of Downpatrick's biggest export

The Crimea (inaudible.co.uk/crimea)

Unofficial site of The Crimea, containing ex-members of The Crocketts