"One summer when my parents went on vacation, my friend and I used every room of the house for different Star Wars planets," Hamilton recalls. "That particular war lasted for seven days. I also have the entire LEGO range so far which are fun. My girl loves Harry Potter LEGO; I've been threatening that Hogwarts is soon to get flattened by a full-on Imperial assault."
Collecting action figures and toys since he was a wee lad growing up in Northern Ireland, Hamilton's fascination with all things Star Wars was initially sparked by seeing the films A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.
"I saw a Star Wars double-bill when Empire first opened. I was 4 and I was on vacation in Dublin with my family," Hamilton says. "I was amazed by the Star Destroyer's entrance and Vader's intro with the stormtroopers seizing the Tantive IV. We went straight to the toy store afterwards and got a Vader and a stormtrooper. I remember gazing at the back of the card wanting all the figures. From that point I was hooked."
Hamilton spent much of his childhood, and adulthood for that matter, collecting everything from Star Wars action figures to comics.
"I have too much stuff!," Hamilton admits. "It's all spread over different locations and attics. I recently moved out of London and had to bus 30-40 crates of toys to storage in Ireland. I'm not the kind to keep things in their packaging; I have to have get them out, set them up and battle. For me this requires vast armies so I have to buy numerous multiples of most of the stuff. I have fond memories of digging Sarlacc pits in the garden and burying figures. A shame they didn't grow into trees 'cause I lost a lot of Boba Fetts doing that."
"I remember the day I finally got the Falcon after missing out at Christmas. They were like gold dust and impossible for Santa to find," Hamilton continues. "I got it for my birthday and was the happiest kid alive. Many of my friends would meet up after school and play out battles in the street, gardens, sandpits, forests or anywhere our imaginations could take us."
Hamilton's collection is extensive and diverse. He has every Star Wars comic from Dark Horse, all the original 3 3/4" figures, all the original vehicles and playsets, all the Hasbro re-issued figures, and armies of stormtroopers, clone troopers, Geonosians, Gungans, Wookiees, and droids with fleets of vehicles and ships.
His bandmates Tim Wheeler (vocals, guitar), Charlotte Hatherley (guitarist) and Rick McMurray (drums) don't seem to mind too much. The band's debut record was aptly named 1977 not only to note the year Wheeler and Hamilton were born, but also to commemorate the opening date of A New Hope.
It wouldn't be the first time Ash paid tribute to their favorite film saga. The band, who had become hit makers before they even left high school, next released Nu-Clear Sounds with Garbage's Butch Vig at the mixing soundboard, then Free All Angels, followed by Meltdown which managed to gain a substantial fan base in the U.S. But Star Wars fans might be more familiar with Ash if they've ever played the hit LucasArts video game, Star Wars Republic Commando. The band's grinding rock anthem "Clones" serves as the theme song.
"If you haven't already played Republic Commando, get it!," Hamilton urges. "It's a brilliant, dark and gritty first-person, squad-based splatter fest set just before Revenge of the Sith."
When the band passed through Northern California on tour, they were invited to stay at Skywalker Ranch, and play an impromptu concert for employees at the Industrial Light & Magic shooting stage. The gig was memorable not just for those who worked on the game itself, but also for Hamilton and the rest of his bandmates who were thrilled at the chance to play for the people who sparked their imagination long ago.
"We got to play to a crowd of Lucasfilm, LucasArts and ILM employees straight after their work hours and it was surprisingly good fun," Hamilton recalls. "Our song 'Clones' from Republic Commando and our cover of 'Cantina Band' went down like a storm. We had props of Darth Vader, a stormtrooper and R2-D2 brought out of the archives and put on stage with us, as we played a short half hour set. Artoo is well aware he's my favorite so he obviously had to hang out stage left."
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Ash: Cantina Song Live at ILM | Download
"It was a dream come true," Hamilton says. "Ewan inviting us to perform and then playing on the set of the new Star Wars movie was something I could not comprehend. They built us a stage in the Theed Hanger and we got to play in front of all the cast and crew. When we played 'Cantina Band' we got a massive cheer from everyone including George, Peter Mayhew and Liam Neeson."
After the most recent ILM show, the band was honored to stay at the inn on the grounds of Skywalker Ranch.
"We went for a late night walk around the grounds and lake; it was so tranquil and silent," Hamilton says. "The inn itself is a privilege to stay in. Each room is uniquely decorated and named after a person of great inspiration to George. There is a great stone fireplace were you can sit up late and drink and talk. But my favorite part of the whole Ranch has to be the atmosphere. Everyone you meet is happy to be there, and the views are amazing. The Ranch is possibly one of the most serene, beautiful places I've ever been to. Thousands of acres of rolling grass hills, forest, lakes and wildlife. Then you have these amazing state-of-the-art buildings. Big Rock Ranch is also a stunning building like an enormous Japanese ski lodge. What a place to work; the toy-licensing department is where I can see my self one day!"
Hamilton's stay at the Ranch would be one of many as he made his way back for the special MTV "Total Request Live" screening of Revenge of the Sith with other bands such as Good Charlotte, Death Cab for Cutie, and actors Elijah Wood, Seth Green, Topher Grace and Michael Rosenbaum.
"That was one of the best days ever!" Hamilton confesses. "This was two weeks before the film's general release and to see it at the theater at Skywalker Sound with George and a host of other guests was amazing. George was as quiet and modest as ever so Rick McCallum gave us all a short introduction speech. By the end everyone was on his or her feet in ovation. Great stuff."
As he watched Revenge of the Sith, Hamilton couldn't help but be drawn to a myriad of different scenes that resonated with the cloudy battle between good and evil.
"I loved Revenge of the Sith!" Hamilton says. "During the Obi-Wan and Anakin battle when Obi-Wan tells Anakin he didn't turn Padme against him but that 'you did that yourself,' it is too hard for Anakin to accept what he has done and it pushes him over the edge to want to kill his former master. And when Anakin is defeated and burned, Obi-Wan watches and cries, 'I loved you,' like his brother; it's just so intense and tragic."
Lightsaber battles aside, it was also the heart-wrenching silence in the scenes where Anakin must choose between his Jedi duty and his love for Padme that struck a chord with Hamilton. "I loved the dialogue-free sequence when Anakin and Padme are staring out over Coruscant," Hamilton says. "Anakin is in turmoil about what to do -- obey Master Windu and stay at the temple or go to stop them from killing Palpatine, his only chance of saving his love. That reminded me of what I think is the most powerful Star Wars scene of all, when in Empire Leia and Han stare at each other desperately as Han is lowered into the carbonite chamber. Nothing can be more desperate and emotion-stirring than when the person you love most in the world is in peril. Everyone can relate to that."
As a die-hard fan, the one element of the film that surprised him the most was Artoo's fate as the only character that knows everything from all six films, unlike poor C-3PO.
"It was interesting to see that Bail Organa only ordered for C-3PO's memory to be wiped," Hamilton says. "That says a lot about Artoo and how much he knows in the later episodes. After all, Artoo is my favorite character. He's a cheeky upstart but saves the day so many times. He's courageous, takes a right battering but never complains, just gets on with it. You can bet he's a blast to party with and the one the girls all love."
Thanks to his satisfaction with Revenge of the Sith, Hamilton says he's even more fired up now about seeing the upcoming live-action TV series of Star Wars.
"Hopefully, we'll see all our favorite bounty hunters from Empire and others including Aura Sing searching the galaxy in the hunt for the scalps of any remaining Jedi," Hamilton suggests. "Maybe we'll see how Yoda ends up on Dagobah and what Alderaan does to annoy the Empire sufficiently to have it destroyed."
But until it airs, Hamilton will happily keep collecting action figures and watching the films on DVD like most fans. Proudly aligning himself with other fans is something Hamilton likes to chat about. Not long ago, after Ash ended their U.S. tour, Hamilton stayed on for a few more days just so he could attend the epic Star Wars fan event in Indianapolis -- Celebration III.
"Ash was in the States on tour just before Celebration III, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to stay a few days extra and go as there is nothing like that in Europe," Hamilton explains. "I went with some friends from LucasArts (who we got to know through Republic Commando) and they got me an all-access pass which was sweet. It was an amazing time! The 501st's costumes were fantastic, the presentation of Revenge of the Sith footage whipped everyone into frenzy and George's announcement of the TV series was music to everyone's ears. I loved the Droid Builder's room and it was hard to curb the spending in the exhibition hall. My favorite moment was watching a toddler looking up at Red Royal Guard, awestruck, as her ice cream fell to the floor."
For more information about Ash, visit the official site here.
