Ash Enjoy Their Eighth Reading Festival With Plans to Return

Ash are currently featuring Bloc Party's Russell Lissack on guitar and the band tell Spinner he's fitted right in -- hardly surprising given he used to run the band's fanclub.

Drummer Rick McMurray jokes, "He never sweats. Even when the gig's like a sauna. He's like Robocop."

Bassist Mark Hamilton chimes in, "And here's your Reading rumour. Kele (Okereke) is going to join us onstage too. It's not true, but you can start spreading it."

The band also say that hundreds of people were unable to get in the tent to see them at the sister festival at Leeds on Friday night and that the gig had been "amazing, just amazing."

Drummer Rick McMurray says, "The tent was absolutely rammed, there were hundreds of people outside being turned away because they couldn't get it. We were a bit nervous beforehand because we were up against Arcade Fire, who we love, we were like, f---, how's this going to go down.

"But when we mentioned it onstage, people starting booing Arcade Fire! It's nice after all these years, people have still got such a passion for the band."

McMurray jokes this year marks their eighth Reading performance, but that they weren't going to stop until they were in double figures.

Tim also says playing in a tent at the festival has been just as good as being on the Main Stage.

He enthuses, "There's something great about playing to the masses on the main stage, but it's equally as good to be honest, playing to a jam-packed tent. It's hardcore fans there too."

Rick interrupts, joking, "It's like doing a fart in a confined space, it's a lot more intense!"