Reviews

ash

The candles have been lit, a pint of ale has been poured and the 11^th Bard Of Bath Ash Mandrake makes his way to the stage in dark trousers and leather waistcoat, inviting us to enter his magical world of folklore and storytelling. His creation has been given the title The Mandrake Project utilising music, poetry and theatre to spin yarns of yesteryear. He is joined tonight by a host of fantastic and well known Bath musicians highlighting the large amount of respect Ash has from his fellow musicians. He has also created an impressive fanbase in his hometown and listening to the various conversations around the stage most of tonights full house have come here specifically to see him. He is more than just a musician. He is an artist who has created a world of his own that is both original and highly entertaining. There is no pretence with Ash. He always has a good time and wants you to have a good time too.

Ash plays two sets tonight separated by a fifteen-minute break. The evening begins with the appearance of Ash and his highly talented percussionist Amadou making their way to the stage. The sound of a clarinet and piccolo floats through the room. Old medieval melodies that define Ash’s persona extremely well (he is a bard after all!). The musicians playing these instruments are Rob Spalding and Kath the Piccolist. They each wear one of Ash’s many and varied trademark leather hats and walk through the audience casting their spell like the pied piper of Hamlin. The audience begins to clap and anyone who isn’t familiar with Ash is instantly intrigued. ‘Good evening everybody’ he says jovially. For his first song he has decided to put the leather hats to one side and wear a black and white night hat a la Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge. Amadou joins him. No humbugs here however, simply an introductory story about a sea monster. “I’m not Molly, I’m your dad!”, leading into “I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul” complete with bongos and sampled vocal harmonies. The sea becomes the African savannah through story and song as only Ash knows how to do. This is the first example of the huge diversity of styles and personalities that Ash incorporates into his show.

“Once upon a time…”, his second song begins as any good story should be. A tale that takes place on an open cliff serenaded by the sound of seagulls, courtesy of the audience. This man is missing his Germanic love and the poetry she would recite. He laments with a long forgotten song “Oh my love, I’ve hungered for your touch...” However we do get to hear the Germanic poem in both its native tongue and in English…I am not worthy.

Amadou has left the stage and Rob Spalding returns complete with clarinet and peon hat. He is joined by another familiar face, Neil Gay who has a black leather Robin Hood style hat on his head with a small bell that extends out from the tip of the hat to about six inches in front of his face. Added percussion. Neil cradles his famous ukulele and a fairytale is told. “Imagine taking the brain of the person with the biggest head you know, multiply it and hold it in your mind.” This is to give an indication of the size of a kings riches. This however is the story of Igor and how he sowed the seeds of revolution. A true bards tale.

Neil leaves and an experiment with jazz follows. Rob’s gentle call on the clarinet painting pictures of fresh Parisian mornings. Ash’s voice is layered for his own interpretation of Wild Wood by Paul Weller. This is before the audience are asked to participate in a vote on the sexibility of his various hats. Not surprisingly the tight phallic looking one gets a good 10 out of 10! This first journey into the mandrake project ends with the cries of “Behold the rain!”, “Hark the horizon!” and “Behold the moon!”. Our pumpkin friends have joined us and we’re going to rejoice!

A fifteen-minute interval follows and we await the second season of storytelling. It arrives with a velvet cloak, a cover of ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and a plate of pasta. “How many person you in my kitchen? I cook you fusilli!” From whence has this strange Italian man sprung? He vanishes at the sound of the piccolo. Kath wears a white top hat and the eerie sound of fiends prowling through the night begins. This is the transformation of the hermit, a tale influenced by the monkeys in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Monty Pythons Life Of Brian!

Another special guest, guitarist Daniel Eid joins Ash and Amadou for another world music interpretation followed by a fantastic performance from Amadou of one of his own songs passed down through lineage of blood. Amadou sings in his native language of Senegal and plays percussion. In between these two songs a medieval march “Breath the breathe of the dragon!” has been slipped in. It is a mix of styles that are so at odds with each other that they shouldn’t work. But they do and this is the genius of Ash’s music. It all flows fantastically.

Ash’s famous ‘Mighty Dragon Song’ is saved for last and we are able to marvel at the amazing guitar created specifically for him. It is half 12-string guitar and half fretless bass. It heralds the Viking cry “Our seasons they have changed!”. Rob, Kath and Amadou are part of the army but who’s that? Yes it’s that pesky pasta man again. We like him more and more as he has a rant about those blasted bank managers, TV licensing people and bloody BT!! Then its farewell to the bard and his band of minstrels. “Neil, Dan, Kath, Rob, Amadou…we are the Mandrake project and we love you”. Likewise my dear fellow, likewise…..

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Ed Hutchinson