In the ramp-up to Wishbone Ash’s 50th anniversary, the band is celebrating its 49th year in characteristic fashion: with an extended tour. Dubbed XLIX (49 in Roman numerals), the tour began in October 2018 in the UK, followed by early-2019 dates in Europe and Japan. This spring, XLIX arrives on these shores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Longtime fans and new converts alike will revel in the group\u2019s signature twin-guitar mastery and powerhouse rhythm section as they present classics spanning their career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US leg of the XLIX Tour will revisit some of the band’s favorite venues as well as new ones from the Eastern seaboard to the Rocky Mountains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe always look forward to meeting old friends and fans alike on our annual Midwest and East Coast tours,\u201d says founding member Andy Powell. \u201cAmerican audiences are so supportive and enthusiastic!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formed in 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. True road warriors, each year they log around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark Abrahams, the group’s newest member, has been trading licks with Powell for two years. Right out of the gate, Abrahams earned rave reviews from critics and fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Longtime rhythm section Bob Skeat on bass and Joe Crabtree on drums continue to provide the solid groove that is their hallmark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By 1969, The Beatles, the blues boom and psychedelia had made their impact on classic rock, and the creative possibilities were infinite. Pioneering the use of twin lead guitars, Wishbone Ash jumped on board the burgeoning progressive rock scene. Taking full advantage of the fertile musical environment, they produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz and R&B, the group played to public and critical acclaim. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quintessential road band, Wishbone Ash has gained worldwide recognition based firmly on a regime of relentless touring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,\u201d says Powell. \u201cWe\u2019ve come to an era where the industry has to pigeonhole a band as Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Heritage Rock and so on. The truth is that we have always kept our options open and always relied on the musicianship of the players to lead the way. It\u2019s fun to be stylistically diverse and this has, in its way, contributed to our longevity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wishbone Ash has to its credit 24 original studio recordings, 11 live albums and five live DVDs along with a DVD rockumentary (\u201cThis is Wishbone Ash\u201d). Released April 2018, \u201cThe Vintage Years\u201d 30-disc box set, three-and-a-half years in the making, is a special collection dedicated to the band’s output from 1970 to 1991, including all 16 studio albums, three live albums, eight previously unreleased live shows from 1973 to 1980, a 156-page coffee-table hardcover book and an assortment of memorabilia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also available is the fifth Roadworks CD, \u201cLive in Sacramento,\u201d recorded on the 2018 North American tour; and the first official re-releases in decades of \u201cTwin Barrels Burning\u201d from 1982 and \u201cRaw to the Bone\u201d from 1985. In addition, some older recordings are emerging from the vaults, including Snapper Records\u2019 most recent release, \u201cLive in Glasgow\u201d from 1977. The legendary and eagerly awaited \u201cLive from Rockpalast\u201d TV show recording from 1970s Germany will also soon be available on the label Made in Germany Music.
In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, \u201cEyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,\u201d co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats.
\u201cIt\u2019s quite an undertaking to put 46 years of being a touring musician in this one band into book form,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than Wishbone Ash. Be sure to catch them on the XLIX US Tour in April-May 2019, and stay tuned for the 50th anniversary tour in 2020! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
WISHBONE ASH XLIX US SPRING TOUR DATES<\/strong>
April 10 – The Soiled Dove – Denver, CO
April 12 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
April 13 – Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL \u2013 SOLD OUT
April 14 – Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL \u2013 SOLD OUT
April 16 – River Music Experience – Davenport, IA
April 17 – Wilebski’s Blues Saloon – St. Paul, MN
April 18 – Back Room @ Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI
April 19 – Arcada Theatre – St. Charles, IL
April 20 – Fur Peace Ranch – Pomeroy, OH \u2013 SOLD OUT
April 22 – Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
April 24 – Sportsmen’s Tavern – Buffalo, NY
April 25 – Daryl’s House Club – Pawling, NY
April 26 – Bull Run – Shirley, MA
April 27 – Boulton Center – Bay Shore, NY
April 28 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA
April 30 – The Tin Pan – Richmond, VA
May 1 – The Blue Note Grill – Durham, NC
May 2 – Rams Head on Stage\u00a0– Annapolis, MD
May 3 – Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA
May 4 – The Record Collector – Bordentown, NJ<\/p>\n\n\n\n