Being an alt-rock trio from Northern Ireland isn't always about being conventional - just look at Ash's history since 1992.

For a kick-off, they named their 1996 debut platinum album, '1977', as a nod to the roots of their kick-ass pogo-pop influences. In 1998 they soundtracked the Diaz/McGregor film 'A Life Less Ordinary' and then promptly imploded, both critically and creatively, with the album 'Nu-Clear Sounds'. They returned with a number 1 album, 'Free All Angels', filled the airwaves with a string of excellent hit-singles in 'Shining Light', 'Sometimes' and the Walker Brothers-sampling 'Candy'.

In 2004, Ash released an album called 'Meltdown', a portent of later events which included Charlotte Hatherley's departure. In 2009, the band issued no less than 26 singles entitled 'A to Z' which resulted in 26 shows being played in towns beginning with each corresponding letter of the alphabet. Even 2011 brought about the unusual - a split-stereo digital release with We Are Scientists (one stereo channel) and Ash (the other stereo channel) performing 'Washington Parks' by Robert Manning for an MS charity fundraiser (head to Ash's website http://www.ash-official.com for more details).

Live-wise for 2012, there is the small matter of supporting global rock-gods Coldplay at the Emirates Stadium on 1st June, followed by the more modest Norfolk surroundings of this year's cracking PlayFest 2012 on 2nd June and a show at Crewe's Volume Festival on the 3rd. But Ash just wouldn't be Ash without performing a headline tour - first stop on the pre-Isle of Wight Festival jaunt is Exeter on 5th June, followed by Gloucester on the 6th and Derby on the 7th. Tickets for all three shows are available now and cost from £15 plus fees.

They return to the festival trail on 9th June at Longford's Helium Festival in Ireland and the big one on 24th June, the Isle of Wight Festival.