Northern Irish alternative band Ash are set to begin another tour of the UK in April. Last autumn they played a 26-date UK tour to go along with their ‘A-Z’ themed set of 26 singles.

Tickets are available for some shows already, but tickets to most of these dates go on sale at 9 AM today.

Monday 19th April 2010 – Southampton University
Tuesday 20th April 2010 – Cambridge Junction
Wednesday 21st April 2010 - Norwich Waterfront
Friday 23rd April 2010 – Birmingham Irish Centre
Saturday 24th April 2010 – Leeds Metropolitan
Sunday 25th April 2010 – Newcastle O2 Academy
Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Glasgow O2 ABC
Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Manchester Academy 2
Friday 30th April 2010 – Bristol O2 Academy
Saturday 1st May 2010 – Brighton Concorde
Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Oxford O2 Academy
Tuesday 4th May 2010 – London Electric Ballroom

In the meantime to whet your appetite, you can catch the futuristic video for their ‘H’ single, ‘Space Shot’, out in the UK on 18 January below.

In the wide world of promotional videos, performance videos are usually pretty hohum. They’re usually filmed as almost an afterthought, something record companies decide to video last minute because they need to come up with a promo video – and quick. So unless I’m really in love with a band, I usually can’t warm up to them.

Here’s the video for Ash’s ‘Joy Kicks Darkness’, the second (‘B’) single of their A-Z singles series, directed by Josh Kletzkin. I’m really liking the direction of their new sound: the guitars and drums can’t be beat. And the vocals? Really lovely. Tim Wheeler, can I marry you?

The song – and video – is a joyous thing, perfect for the holiday season. Lights flashing, it’s pure stadium rock. Check out the video below. I cannot be held responsible for any whiplash from headbanging as a direct result from its viewing.

And here’s another video for you. (Because here at TGTF, we just keep giving. We’re nice like that.) This is an acoustic duet of ‘Tracers’ (single ‘D’ of the singles series) featuring Tim and Emmy the Great (a big fan of Ash, she’s covered their songs before).

You can subscribe to Ash’s A-Z singles series at the band’s official store. They’re currently up to ‘E’, ‘The Dead Disciples’ (the fifth of the 26-single series).

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Northern Irish alternative band Ash; their last album ‘Twilight of the Innocents’ came out in 2007. Interestingly, they have returned to the music scene with a novel concept for all their future releases until further notice: every fortnight beginning 12 October, they will be releasing 26 limited edition 7″ and digital download singles. Why 26 you ask? So that they can be neatly labelled alphabetically. Their first offering of the 26 is a wicked little tune named simply ‘True Love 1980′.

I heard this debut a while ago on Steve Lamacq’s 6music programme and fell in love immediately. Who wouldn’t, with a chorus of ‘I’ve been trying to discover / something that can last forever / we’re two fools who stand divided / you and I should be united / true, true love‘? Tim Wheeler’s voice is like the most delicious honey pouring down all over the ’80s-esque pop instrumentation. And the video’s ending is a surprise too. Watch and see for yourself. If you can, catch them live on their autumn tour, when they will be hitting cities and towns lettered A through Z all over the UK.

‘True Love 1980′, the first single in Ash’s series of 26 singles to be released through 2010, drops in the UK on 12 October.

Northern Irish rockers Ash will be embarking on a 26-city, A-Z tour of the UK in mid-October. The tour begins in Aldershot exactly a week after the release of ‘True Love 1980′, the first of 26 alphabetically labelled singles only to be available as limited edition 7″s and digital downloads. Catch them on the road at these venues:

Monday 19th October 2009 – Aldershot, West End Centre
Tuesday 20th October 2009 - Bradford, The Gasworks
Wednesday 21st October 2009 – Carlisle, The Brickyard
Friday 23rd October 2009 – Dundee, Fat Sam’s
Saturday 24th October 2009 – East Grange, The Loft
Sunday 25th October 2009 – Falkirk, Behind The Wall
Tuesday 27th October 2009 – Gloucester, Guildhall
Wednesday 28th October 2009 – Hastings, Crypt
Friday 30th October 2009 – Ipswich, Corn Exchange
Saturday 31st October 2009 – Jersey, St. Helier Havana Club
Monday 2nd November 2009 – Kingston, The Peel
Tuesday 3rd November 2009 – Loughborough, University
Wednesday 4th November 2009 – Milton Keynes, Pitz Club
Friday 6th November 2009 – Newport, TJ’s
Saturday 7th November 2009 – Oldham, Castle
Sunday 8th November 2009 – Plymouth, Hippo
Tuesday 10th November 2009 – Queens Park, Corrib Rest
Wednesday 11th November 2009 – Rotherham, The Vault
Thursday 12th November 2009 – Swansea, Sin City
Saturday 14th November 2009 – Tunbridge Wells, Forum
Monday 16th November 2009 – Upper Norwood, Gipsy Hill Tavern
Tuesday 17th November 2009 – Ventnor, Winter Gardens
Thursday 19th November 2009 – Worcester, Dive Bar
Saturday 21st November 2009 – Exmouth, Pavilion
Sunday 22nd November 2009 – Yeovil, Orange Box
Monday 23rd November 2009 – Zennor, Village Hall

Ash are re-inventing themselves as one of the most innovative indie bands out there. They’ve ditched the old format of doing albums, and are releasing their “A-Z Series”, a collection of 26 limited edition 7” and digital download singles, released fortnightly over the coming year. To celebrate, they’re playing an “A-Z tour”, playing 26 lesser-known venues around the country from Aldershot to Zennor.

The indie kids have been around for over 17 years, their “Intergalactic Sonic 7″s” compilation being my introduction to proper good music, with “Girl from Mars” still one of my favourite tracks of theirs. It’s great to see such a band innovating in different ways.

Tickets are on sale tomorrow, Thursday (27th August) for most dates, but as it’s not calling at many venues the best place to get your tickets is probably the box office of each venue (phone numbers where available below). Good luck, and enjoy.

Monday 19th October 2009 – Aldershot West End Centre (01252 330040 / Tickets )
Tuesday 20th October 2009 – Bradford The Gasworks (01132454650 / Tickets)
Wednesday 21st October 2009 – Carlisle The Brickyard (08700600100 / Tickets)
Thursday 22nd October 2009 – Dundee Fat Sam’s (08444771000 / Tickets)
Saturday 24th October 2009 – East Grange The Loft (0844 4999990 / Tickets)
Sunday 25th October 2009 – Falkirk Behind The Wall (08444999990 / Tickets)
Tuesday 27th October 2009 – Gloucester Guildhall (01452503050 / Tickets)
Wednesday 28th October 2009 – Hastings Crypt (01424201159 / Tickets)
Friday 30th October 2009 – Ipswich 77 Live (Tickets)
Saturday 31st October 2009 – Jersey St.Helier Havana Club (01534887786 / Tickets)
Monday 2nd November 2009 – Kingston The Peel (02085495871 / Tickets)
Tuesday 3rd November 2009 – Loughborough University (01509635000 / Tickets)
Wednesday 4th November 2009 – Milton Keynes Woughton Centre (01908660392 / Tickets)
Friday 6th November 2009 – Newport Tjs (01633216608 / Tickets)
Saturday 7th November 2009 – Oldham Castle (08448889991 / Tickets)
Sunday 8th November 2009 – Plymouth Hippo (08700600100 / Tickets)
Tuesday 10th November 2009 – Queens Park (London) Corrib Rest (08712200260 / Tickets)
Wednesday 11th November 2009 – Rotherham (London) The Vault (08444775775 / Tickets)
Thursday 12th November 2009 – Swansea Sin City (01792654226 / Tickets)
Saturday 14th November 2009 – Tunbridge Wells Forum (08712777101 / Tickets)
Monday 16th November 2009 – Upper Norwood (London) Gipsy Hill Tavern (08712200260 / Tickets)
Tuesday 17th November 2009 – Ventnor Winter Gardens (01983857581 / Tickets)
Thursday 19th November 2009 – Worcester Dive Bar (01905740800 / Tickets)
Saturday 21st November 2009 – Exmouth Pavilion (08712200260 / Tickets)
Sunday 22nd November 2009 – Yeovil Orange Box (08712200260 / Tickets)
Monday 23rd November 2009 – Zennor Village Hall (08712200260 / Tickets)

The awesome Irish indie rock band Ash will will warm up for their set at Isle of Wight Festival with a performance at the Year Zero club night at Camden’s Proud Gallery.

They’ll be supported by The Films and Goldspot.

Tickets are available to their myspace fans, competition winners on XFM and Radio 1, and also to those who queue up (though I’d probably start about 5pm tomorrow – its sure to be a big one!)

All the information is available here.

Photo of Tim Wheeler of Ash is taken from Justin Kent’s flickr stream.