The Forum

Ash are a Northern Irish rock band formed in Downpatrick, County Down, in 1992. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton, and drummer Rick McMurray. They released the mini-album 'Trailer' in 1994 and the full-length album '1977' in 1996, which was named by NME as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Following the success of their debut, Charlotte Hatherley joined the band as a guitarist and vocalist, and they released their second album, 'Nu-Clear Sounds', in 1998. The band experienced financial difficulties but recovered to release 'Free All Angels' in 2001, which included several successful singles. In 2006, Hatherley left the band, returning them to a three-piece lineup. In 2009, they released the A-Z Series, a collection of 26 singles released biweekly. Ash has achieved commercial success with one silver, two gold, and two platinum-selling records in the UK, and they have charted 18 songs in the UK Singles Chart top 40. The band has been associated with Britpop, although they did not fully embrace the label, partly due to sensitivities around Britishness in Northern Ireland.