There's something infectious about the enthusiasm that surrounds deserved success. Despite any personal grudges you hold against silverchair, you cannot help but feel excited and somehow overawed at seeing their faces on the MTV awards (I'm sorry - I've already mentioned the S-word and I'm not even through the first paragraph). It's the look on the faces of The Beatles as they performed their first Number One that defines real success, not the world-weary and all-knowing faces of The Beatles circa six hour Prime Time TV documentaries. Only in the young is there an earnest passion for what lies ahead, as if anything could bloody well be possible. This is what has made Ash so endearing, but it's supernova time now.

We spoke for about 30 minutes, and overall it was simply an enjoyable chat, with singer, Tim Wheeler generally taking command. It turns out that they arrived in the country the day before, were leaving for Melbourne the next day, playing Melbourne, then flying out straight afterwards. I don't think they actually left the dark confines of The Annandale during their whole stay in Sydney. Coming to Australia was just a sideline of their tour of Japan where they received the usual treatment:

"[The fans] are insane. It's great. They were sitting outside the hotels.  
They were crying at the airport when we left.  No-one else goes to such 
extremes" 

says Tim of the week before.
There is much conferring taking place on the other side of the table. Ash are deciding amongst themselves whether to tell their "How Rick Joined The Band Story". There is much anticipation taking place on our side of the table - this must be a pretty good tale. "Ok, give them the drummer story" concludes Rick. Tim begins, laughing intermittently throughout the telling. "When we were first in a band, we had another drummer. He was really rubbish, wasn't he?" Tim turns to bassist, Mark Hamilton for reassurance. Mark complies, and Tim continues. "No good at all. He just didn't turn up to practice. So we tried to find another drummer, but no-one we knew played drums. Then we found out that Rick played drums, but he was one of the biggest geeks in school (laughs). But we basically had to ask him (much laughter at Rick's expense)."

Taking pity on his bandmate, sitting in wire-framed glasses and what can 
only be described as a golfing shirt, Tim adds "No, he's not really a geek."

Ash aren't really an overnight sensation. They formed when Tim and Mark were 13, so they are a good five years in the making. At school they never had to cope with much says Tim. "No-one in our town caught on that we were successful until we were in the National Charts, so mostly they were just normal [to us]." Their parents who eventually had to sign their publishing deal for them, were typically unimpressed with this whole rock 'n' roll deal at first. "In the beginning [our families] didn't really believe in it like we did, so they weren't very supportive. But then they found out it was a viable means of making a living." According to Tim, this "viable means" has earned him enough money in the last two years to buy a car, however, he neither needs nor wants one. After supporting Elastica ("They were great. Just sort of partied all the time"), Tim now stakes his claim as Support Band To The Stars: "I'd love to play with Blur or Oasis", and all three agree that Sonic Youth would be their all-time favourite touring partners. For Ash, this is no longer pop star arrogance. They may be caught in a confusing struggle between youth and fame, but there's no doubt that they're shooting stars.

Tabitha Carvan