The Spirit Store in Dundalk has hosted its share of memorable, wall-sweating rock shows over the years, but stripping away the wall of distortion to leave just Tim Wheeler, an acoustic guitar and 30 years of indie-pop heritage hits a completely different nerve.
Taking the stage upstairs for the first sold out night of his solo Irish tour, the Ash frontman proved that behind the fuzzy Flying Vs and power-chord anthems sit some of the most enduring, beautifully crafted pop melodies of the last three decades.
Upstairs at the Spirit Store offers an intimacy that few venues can match. It’s always been one of my favourite venues to see bands in, and between the fantastic sound and intimate layout, it suits this type of gig perfectly.
Opening the night was Bell X1 (or Juniper, as he jokingly remarked) founding member David Geraghty, providing a memorable set of ‘Folksville’ songs that are far removed from the alleged ‘Bowie-esque’ sound of his recently released solo album (his comment, not mine!). His songs were both interesting and moving, and he warmed up the crowd perfectly between his music and also his funny asides and background inbetween, setting the tone and leaving you wanting more.
Free from the usual thrash of drums and bass, Wheeler leaned into the room’s warm acoustics, and he seemed to be as relaxed as the crowd. From the moment he kicked off, the atmosphere felt less like a standard gig and more like an intimate evening in a songwriter’s living room—if that songwriter happened to have penned a dozen top-20 singles.
Without the full band to back him up, Wheeler’s vocal delivery took center stage. Stripped of the usual high-volume sheen, his voice held a vulnerable, slightly worn charm that gave early-career anthems like ‘Girl from Mars’ and ‘Goldfinger’ a surprisingly emotional weight.
Ash always had a huge loyal following in Dundalk, and Wheeler was engaging easily with the crowd between songs, and offering fond reflections on the origin stories of many of his tracks (and also admitting changing strings before the gig may not have been the best idea). He also got a rare opportunity to play one of his solo songs that he had written for a film about a sheep, which you could tell he enjoyed very much, as did the crowd.
By the time the final chorus echoed around the rafters, it was clear that while the noise and feedback of a full Ash show are always a thrill, seeing Wheeler stripped back to the bare essentials was a rare treat. It’s also a testament to his songwriting and how infectious and catchy so many Ash songs are that hearing them played acoustically gave both a familiar feeling and also an alternative perspective on them that the room full of fans seemed to genuinely appreciate. A warm, nostalgia-rich journey in songwriting and melody, and proof that a good song is a good song, no matter how it’s played.
David Geraghty photos:
Tim Wheeler photos:
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero