Mark Birch is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

, best known for his work with rock band Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...

.

Musical career

Birch spent much of his musical career gigging in the West Midlands

West Midlands (region)

The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...

, including playing in bands with Neville MacDonald of Skin. In the late 1990s, bandmate Bob Skeat

Bob Skeat

Bob Skeat is an English bass guitarist, best known for his work with rock band Wishbone Ash.-Musical career:Skeat had a musical upbringing, with his father, Bill – a session musician – actively encouraging his musical development...

 recommended Birch to Andy Powell

Andy Powell

Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter, and best known as a founding member of Wishbone Ash.-Early life and career:...

 when a guitarist vacancy appeared. Birch joined Wishbone Ash in 1998, performing on the Bare Bones and Live Dates 3

Live Dates 3

Live Dates 3 is a live album from the rock band Wishbone Ash.It was recorded live at le Plan in Ris Orangis, Paris on 22 October 1999.-Track listing:# "Come in from the Rain"# "Living Proof"# "Persephone"# "Lifeline"# "Wings of Desire"...

albums. He toured extensively with the band, performing lead vocals on songs such as Persephone and Phoenix.