Poptone. Paradise Rock Club, Boston. August 8, 2017

While the name of the band might not be familiar, the music they played certainly was. Poptone, the new group from Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins with Diva Dompe, is a retrospective project that is revisiting the music of Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love and Rockets. Ash and Haskins were former members of all three bands so this is probably as close to a reunion of them as we are likely to see. And Diva Dompe is Haskins' daughter so is clearly very familiar with their music. And honestly, she was a true highlight of their performance.

It is a testament to the skill of Ash as a performer that he has been able to keep going when many of his generation (and especially of his genre of music) are merely sad versions of their former selves. Much like the guys in The Damned (their contemporaries) it seems Ash, and of course Haskins on drums, just keeps getting better with age. While all three bands had distinct tones, and could only be said to sound similar thanks to the guitar and voice of Ash; seen live they all worked very well together. Ash's voice was still strong and resonant and his guitar playing was in top form. Although I have to say I pretty much watched Dompe on bass. She is a star in the making.

The setlist leaned heavily on the Tones On Tail era with "Lions," "Go," and "Sweet F.A." being highlights. The Bauhaus fans, sad to say, got a mere one song, "Slice of Life." The cover of Adam and the Ants "Physical (You're So)" was a nice touch. Oh, and "Ball of Confusion" was a fun one to end the main set with. Overall, the show was pretty fantastic. There are some bands you don't realize you miss until they come around again. I think with Poptone, Ash and Haskins have a good thing going. And keep an eye on Diva Dompe. She is something to see. I look forward to hearing what these guys are up to next.

For more on Poptone, including their upcoming tour dates, visit the band's website.