Acoustic versions of beloved classics featured alongside
hard-hitting numbers
Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands in
the history of rock, will offer their North American fans a dynamic concert
experience on the 2017 “Tough & Tender” Tour. In addition to the
high-powered, all-out rockers the band is known for delivering, the guys will
turn down the volume (but not the intensity) and treat audiences to acoustic
versions of some of their classic hits.
“A great song is a great song, however it's delivered,” says
bandleader Andy Powell (guitar, lead vocals). “Playing acoustically allows
people to hear the 'bones' of a song and how it might have been conceived in
the first place.”
Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash finds itself in rare company
these days. Not many bands are still going strong after nearly 50 years. It
takes a serious lifetime of commitment to the craft of making music; but, more
importantly, real skill is required to navigate the shifting seas of the music
industry, and few know that better than Powell.
“We laid down strong musical roots in the '70s, and these
roots continue to prove productive,” he says. “Also, we nurtured our fan base
as much as possible through fan club conventions, newsletters and the like; but
this was all given a great boost once the digital age came into being, with
websites and social media.”
Through the years the band has delved into various musical
genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica.
Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s hallmark is the distinctive twin-melodic
lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.
True road warriors, each year the band logs around 30,000
miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth. “The hours, days and
weeks we spend touring and recording results in a close-knit group, for sure,”
says Powell. “It allows us to bring a level of intensity to the table that people
seem to pick up on and appreciate.”
The fruitful results of near-constant touring are evident on
the latest DVD release, “Live in Paris,” recorded in May 2015 during a
three-day residency at Le Triton Theatre in Les Lilas, Paris. Powell says, “We
recorded three nights of material, including current versions of some classic
songs, plus some deep tracks that people won't necessarily expect.”
The band recently released a four-disc “Road Works” box set,
a compilation of four separate shows recorded in Germany
and the UK.
In October 2015, Powell completed his autobiography, “Eyes Wide Open: True
Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with Irish music journalist Colin
Harper. The book, published by Jawbone Press, has met with public and critical
acclaim.
“Our concept was to root my musical story and that of the
band's to the times in which I came of age,” says Powell. “That is to say,
relating it to those times, decade by decade, so that the reader could get a
picture of how I was impacted by the social and musical trends and how I
weathered those changes. We also wanted to keep it breezy and poke a little fun
at this music game at the same time.”
In addition to the “Tough & Tender” Tour, Fall 2017 will
also see the release of a 32-CD deluxe box set, “Wishbone Ash – The Vintage
Years,” on Snapper Music.
From left: Joe Crabtree, Mark Abrahams, Andy Powell, Bob
Skeat. Photo by Stefan Johansson
Wishbone Ash US
Tour Dates:
Sept. 12 Milwaukee,
WI Turner Hall
Sept. 13 Minneapolis,
MN Famous Dave's
Sept. 14 Davenport,
IA River Music Experience
Sept. 15 St.
Charles, IL Arcada
Theatre
Sept. 16 Edwardsville,
IL Wildey Theatre
Sept. 17 Edwardsville
IL Wildey Theatre
Sept. 19 Auburn
Hills, MI Callahan's
Music Hall
Sept. 22 Sherwood
Park, AB Canada Festival Place
Sept. 25 Annapolis,
MD Rams Head on Stage
Sept. 26 Richmond,
VA Tin Pan
Sept. 27 Sellersville,
PA Sellersville Theater
Sept. 28 Norfolk, CT Infinity
Music Hall
Sept. 29 Derry, NH Tupelo
Music Hall
Sept. 30 Bay Shore, NY Boulton
Center
Oct. 1 Pawling,
NY Daryl's House Club
Oct. 2 New York,
NY BB King Blues Club & Grill
Oct. 5 Buffalo,
NY Sportsmen's Tavern
Oct. 6 Akron,
OH Tangier
Oct. 7 Pittsburgh, PA Rex
Theater
Oct. 8 Jim Thorpe, PA Mauch Chunk Opera House
There is no other rock band in history that has done more
with the twin guitar concept than The Ash. Be sure to catch them on tour this
September. Tour dates and more information can be found at www.wishboneash.com.
Follow the band on Facebook @wishbone.ash.official, Twitter @wishboneash_com
and Instagram.
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