
I still remember the fuss when Charlotte Hatherley joined boyish Irish indie-popsters Ash. "What's that girly doing up there playing guitar?" whined all the indie-boys. "Ooh, wish that was me" said all the indie-girls. "Couldn't give a shit, me, as long as she can play guitar like a mean funky devil" said I. And lo, upon seeing Ash at the Reading Festival, it was pretty bleedin' obvious that she could. Watching her lay into the riff from "Walking Barefoot" was wonderful; one of modern rock's great riffs, if flows and twists, all melody [...]