Sound gremlins but the pop songs were there.
Unfairly criticised for the critical downturn that occurred in Ash around the time of her joining, the re-emergence of the band to popularity should allow the skills of Charlotte Hatherley to be properly evaluated, and now she is concentrating on her solo career, she can hopefully gain the critical and commercial acclaim that shouldnt be too far out of reach.
Once 'Kim Wilde' kicked in, the sound started to clear up a bit and the sense of summer pop was blatantly evident and got a bit of bouncing and bopping going in front of the stage. Perhaps it was down to the sound gremlins but there was the impression that although Hatherley was at east in her guitar playing, the vocals were a bit more difficult to come by. The backing vocals were of a good standard and quality so perhaps this backs up the impression that combining both was slightly hindering the solo artist.
'Bastardo' went down rather well with the crowd, appearing in a far curnchier version that the single version, although without the David Walliams starring video, the song is lacking that extra something. There was a few sound problems throughout the show, something that Hatherley herself mentioned but the overall feel of the show was good, if not fully firing on all cylinders.
There was a 70s rock vibe to the gig (the tight denims really fitting the mood) and although it is different from the how she came to prominence in Ash, Hatherley has shown herself to be a consistent performer throughout her career. It was a fairly solid set with a string streak of consistency throughout but unfortunately it never soared at any point.