ROCK band Ash played to a sell-out crowd in Worcester.

Visiting the city for the first time, the band whose hits have included Girl From Mars and Oh Yeah called at Worcester’s Dive Bar.

Tickets for the gig had sold fast, and more than 400 people turned up for the event at the University of Worcester’s Student Union venue.

The band, who shot to fame in the 1990s, is currently touring Britain, performing at towns beginning with each letter of the alphabet, from Aldershot to Zennor. Worcester represented the ‘W’ leg of the tour.

Lead singer Tim Wheeler yesterday said: “It was a brilliant gig last night. The room we played in was great. The crowd were absolutely fantastic and we'd definitely like to come back and play Worcester again.”

David Antell, president of Worcester Students’ Union, said: “It was a fantastic night with more than 400 people enjoying the concert. We were delighted that Ash chose us for their ‘W’ leg of the tour, and it was an honour to host their first-ever gig in Worcester.”

Among the crowd was James Roberts, aged 29, of Bevere, near Worcester, who said it was a great night and it was good that they had come to Worcester. “The people who went really were diehard Ash fans. It was an intimate gig venue, which was great as you really got to see the band playing. There was a good atmosphere there too because of it. I have seen them play a few times and it was nice for them to come to the city.” After setting up their record label, Atomic Heart Records, Ash have embarked on a unique experiment of releasing 26 singles in a year, one every two weeks via a subscription on their website ash-official.com.