Ash Grunwald, along with friend and side-kick Fingers Malone played at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Sunday 3rd of June to a packed audience for Grunwald’a Trouble’s Door National Tour.
Fingers Malone played his beat heavy and melodic set. Interacting with the crowd he explained MPC sampler and drum machine and played the memorable ‘I Gotcha ‘s’ song about “a girl who couldn’t be here tonight”.
The audience was waiting though, to see Mr Ash Grunwald, and when he came to the darkened stage, the mood changed as punters watched intently, waiting to catch a glimpse of Ash himself. Breaking out into an electrifying riff, Grunwald instantly had the crowds attention. As he opened the show green lightening volts pulsated across the stage as well as Grunwald’s blackened form and signature dreads which could only be seen in shadow. The electrifying shots of light were effective, in creating drama and added another element to Ash Grunwald’s performance. The lightening worked in harmony with Ash’s violent, and the thrashing on his electric guitar. His voice was strong as he divided his time between the mic and vocoder.
Grunwald owned the stage and the audience as he showed off tracks from his new album Trouble’s Door including an amazing cover of a Hank Williams classic, ‘Ramblin’ Man.’ Asking the crowd to sing along with which they obliged, the all ages crowd were pleased to join in with the man who is fast becoming a legend himself.
Grunwalds prolific touring schedule and the amount of time he spends on stage is displayed in Ash Grunwald’s very relaxed manner. Early on the evening he took time out to rip a finger nail off with his teeth! His Banter too is informal and frequent, Grunwald is as much the personality as the musician although it is his ability to mix new beats with ol’ style blues and roots that really make him unique.
Recently working with Vika and Linda Bull in Melbourne, Grunwald performed to the girl’s vocal transformed into a very catchy loop which Ash proceeded to sing and also sing to. Playing a mixture of the old and the new and entertaining the crowd at every turn, Grunwald sure knows how to perform and please the punters, who couldn’t get enough.
By Jemma Goodchild. Photography by Matthew Savino.