The old adage “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” came to mind last night at Hoxton Hall, London when Ashley McBryde played her inaugural UK Fan Club Party, with Ashley telling her Trybe members during the intimate 75 minute acoustic set that whenever she performed the equivalent show in Nashville the comments would blow up with the question “when will we get one of these across the pond“? Thanks for listening to us, Ashley and team! Oh and what a stunning venue too, and although the entry system was rather laborious to say the least fortunately it wasn’t raining!
With a capacity of just over 200, tickets naturally sold out super fast (a few lucky fans snagging some which had been hidden around the capital) and there was a real buzz of anticipation as we waited for the show to start. Ashley bounded onto the stage with her usual energy and radiant smile to huge cheers, kicking things off with the ever-popular “Rattlesnake Preacher” which as most reading this will know has FINALLY been recorded and released, produced by John Osborne who we learned during the evening is also at the helm of her next album.
After one of her trademark (rather awkward I’m sure she’ll admit!) curtsys which seemed to follow every song, she welcomed us with her humour evident from the get go when she said something along the lines of “if you don’t know me (which would be really weird as it’s a fan club party!) I’m Ashley and I make up songs for a living”.
I had seen her post earlier in the day on her socials that she was having a recurrence of recent vocal issues, but there was no evidence that I could detect throughout the entire show, which was a great mix set-wise of fun, uptempo writes which got us all laughing, clapping and singing along, and more thought provoking ballads which got the respect they merited….Ashley had the enraptured audience eating from the palm of her hand.
We heard some of the stories behind the songs, too……did you know that Guy Clark passed on the morning that “Girl Going Nowhere” was written, and the aim that day was to write something he wouldn’t mind listening to if she was to sing it on the Opry stage? Or that Pete in the song “Play Ball” on the Lindeville album was named after her longstanding, trustworthy manager ?
It was totally obvious that Ashley really loved the interaction with the crowd, and there were shout outs to those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and to long-standing friends from Memphis who used to book her shows there and who had flown over ……she joked that it was like a miniature Grand Old Opry show in that respect! I also loved how she answered questions that some fans had submitted in advance, including her 3 dinner guests of choice (James Dean, Doc Holliday, Patsy Cline), whether she’ll get a new tattoo to mark this show (I don’t need an excuse to get a new tattoo!) and what embarrassing stories her tour bus could tell (one was really too vile to repeat here, the other involved drunk bus yoga which sounds like fun). Yes, we were really made to feel part of her “family” and in particular she mentioned what an incredible feeling it was when others sing your music back to you, a feeling she found out (and wished she hadn’t! ) was called “collective effervescence” as she joked it sounds more like a description of the smell in a tourbus!
On a couple of occasions the set list (which I got the impression was pretty fluid!) was interrupted as she performed songs requested from the crowd which (I think ?) included “Bonfire at Tina’s” (“this one only works if everyone joins in” ….we obliged) and “6th of October” which she told us was one of the favourites she’d ever written.
I’ve singled out four of my personal highlights from the evening which wasn’t actually at all easy to do (if you were there, please drop yours in the comments below) ….
1. Shelly Fairchild joining Ashley on stage for several songs but definitely the standout for a lot of us I’m sure was the hilarious “Brenda Put Your Bra On” …..Bernice The Bra also graced us with her presence (originally from Ireland but now much travelled, maybe needs her own socials?) and got draped around Ashley by Shelly before resting at the front of the stage for the rest of the show .
2. Ashley’s long serving hair & makeup artist (and SO much more!) Dayna joining Ashley and Shelly on stage and everyone singing Happy Birthday to her!! Percy Pigs were also involved (IYKYK) ….they also harmonised beautifully on the Rose Betts song “Irish Eyes” which apparently is regularly sung before Ashley takes to the stage.
3. “Girl Going Nowhere”…..no more explanation needed ! And yes, she heard the crowd.
4. Her closing words to us all, along the lines of the fact she usually indicated to her band and described them as “the people I make music with ” but on this occasion she indicated to the audience and described us as “the people I make music FOR”.
Closing the evening with “Luckiest S.O.B” I’m confident that’s how we all felt to have been part of such a very special event, the first but hopefully not the last UK Fan Party, Ashley!
We were given the current Trybe T-shirts and a commemorative postcard to mark the occasion, we will have photographs and video clips of the evening, but it’s the memories in our hearts that will be the most important take aways I am sure.
Ashley is always so generous to her fans, and was still signing items as I headed out into the September night, thank you to all who made this happen.
Next stop Royal Albert Hall for Opry 100 on Friday! Enjoy your time in London til then, Ashley.
Set List ( as far as I can recall!)
Rattlesnake Preacher
Whiskey & Country Music
Single At The Same Time
Brenda Put Your Bra On
Play Ball
Dahlonega
Bible and a .44
Redemption
The Cape ( Guy Clark cover)
Girl Going Nowhere
Irish Eyes ( Rose Betts cover )
Bonfire At Tina’s
Creosote
6th of October
The Highway and the Moon ( unreleased, Matraca Berg co-write)
Luckiest S.O.B