Moody Brighton three-piece Ahsoka released their brand new single “Beg For It” on 28th November. Ellie Insley went down to the Prince Albert to check out their single release show, featuring fellow local bands Trench and Wild Horse.

 

Kicking off the evening was local rock band Trench. With a heavy, high energy set, Trench set the night off with a roar. The inventive use of a standing floor tom by one of the vocalists to accompany the already furious drumming added a war-like feel, sending the audience into battle. The use of having two frontmen often sharing the lead vocal was innovative and refreshing, keeping the audience on their toes. The band’s fury was epitomised by frontman Ronan O’Brien’s tortured screams, as he was possessed by the spirit of his songs. The set culminated in a frenzied tantrum, instruments flying about, and general chaos as the band broke from the stage to join the crowd.

Trench’s latest single “The Fall” is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

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Next up were three-and-a-half-piece group Wild Horse. Drawing influences from Elvis-esque rock ‘n’ roll drumming styles, classic indie guitar riffs and even some reggae thrown into the mix, Wild Horse electrified the Prince Albert stage with the confidence and know-how of a well-established band. Frontman Jack Baldwin captivated the audience’s attention with a charismatic persona, keeping everyone locked in and engaged along the way. Politically-charged lyrics, in equal parts humorous and serious, were a joy to listen to. A particular favourite was “What the f*ck is going on?”, aptly summing up a nation’s feelings towards the current political scene. With recent radio plays on BBC Sussex, Wild Horse seem to be one to watch.

Wild Horse’s latest album “DANCE!! Like An Animal” is out now on all streaming platforms.

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Time for the main event of the night, and Ahsoka did not disappoint. Drawing a huge crowd to fill The Prince Albert’s floor, they treated the audience to some of their classic tunes, as well as a few new ones thrown in for good measure.

Notable performances from the band included “Creature of the Deep”, “Lover Dearest”, and of course the anthemic new single “Beg For It”. “Creature of the Deep” creeps into the audience’s psych with a haunting guitar riff, unsettling the listeners and crawling underneath their skin. Throughout the performance, there was a persistent threat from the heavy distortion and commanding drums, beautifully accompanied by Rhiannon John’s tormented vocals and stage presence. A spoken word section is cleverly included in the middle of the section, leading us on an emotional journey as John descends into sobbing sounds, the band putting everything into their performance.

Next up was “Lover Dearest”. Starting with a sweet, lullaby-like vocal melody, the audience is lulled into a false sense of security before the heavy instrumentation breaks through to punch them in the face. Again, John tugs at her hair and widens her eyes manically, drawing the audience into her lyrics, whilst her voice floats ethereally still above the music. This song is the perfect mix of hard and soft, making you mosh with one breath, then cry with the next. An impressive guitar solo from Alex Amos tops off a perfectly executed performance from all band members.

Last but not least, Ahsoka’s new release “Beg For It”. Drummer Tommy Dowse begins by controlling the dynamic, before Amos joins him, exploding into the main instrumental refrain. This song was clearly a crowd pleaser, with people whooping and cheering over the top of it, some even singing along despite only having been released that same day. One lyric in particular, “losing layers in the back of your car”, seemed to be a fan favourite. John, Amos and Dowse all put everything they had into their performance, feeding off each other, riling the crowd up into a frenzy. John and Amos made their way out onto the floor to join the crowd, bringing the room together with an unforgettable shared experience. It seems as though with each release, Ahsoka go from strength to strength. 

“Beg For It” is out now across all streaming platforms.