There is no doubt about it, over the last six months Wishbone Ash have developed into one of the finest loud, fast, rock bands currently playing in this country. At Bristol’s Colston Hall on Thursday they built up the kind of atmosphere and rapport with the audience that you only feel on very rare occasions, although it is a phenomena I am beginning to suspect occurs increasingly often at their concerts.

 

Somehow they succeed in a field where so many other bands seem to fall. Although they play at a terrific speed, each note from the guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner is clear and precise. Spurred on by Martin Turner on bass and Steve Upton on drums and the result is enough to encourage anybody who feels that bands no longer seem able to rock ‘n’ roll.

 

Apart from the more frenetic numbers like ‘Blind Eye’ and a new one called ‘Jailbait, an instrumental ‘Lullabye’ revealed what Andy Powell called “the quiet, passionate side of Wishbone Ash”. The only weakness of the band is the vocals which on Thursday tended to get a little lost in the overall sound. But none of the audience seemed to care as they massed in front of the stage for the final numbers.

 

Unfortunately the show came to rather an abrupt end as the manager of the hall, apparently deciding that everybody was enjoying themselves a little too much, ordered the group offstage more than five minutes before time. A sad end to an otherwise excellent show.