Finally, tonight I make my way to London for my first live show of 2022! With the onset of yet another variation of the dreaded C word and tours yet again under siege and with the threat of a wild storm ahead of us I am more than ready to be in a room full of music and joy. As I make my way through the growing crowd at the sold out Underworld I am surrounded by beautiful unique interesting people all sharing a space and coming together to celebrate the thing that unites us all – the music!
First on stage tonight are Alien Blaze. Although the venue isn’t full yet everyone present is completely enthralled by the 19 year old’s bold performance. Sporting black wings with plaited hair she embodies an eclectic mix of club kid , grunge , and emo and it works beautifully. Not only does she look the part but she has the talent to back it up, every track elicits an excitable response and much to everyone’s delight half way through her set she wields a neon orange and black guitar and exclaims ”that’s right girls can play guitar too!” and she’s not wrong! Channelling a little Courtney Love attitude and packing some serious vocals she has certainly put herself in the running for greatness – watch this space there are Aliens invading it!
Ramping up the theatrics and increasing the levels of energy in the now more solidly packed room is Bambie Thug. Strutting on to the stage dressed in a floor length oversized black coat and black ski mask they instantly command attention – turning their back to the crowd arms out stretched to reveal the word ‘Queer’ surrounded with symbols and stitches emblazoned on the back of said coat, the crowd – as they say – goes wild! And that’s not even the final reveal, they remove the ski mask to reveal – a white ski mask and then slink out of the coat and underneath they are dressed in a revealing white number all fishnets and rope like ties and boots that were definitely made for stomping, catapulting us head first into their world!! What a wild ride it is, this stage is all their’s and they take every inch of it by storm. Always in motion, its hypnotic to watch as they pull all kinds of shapes, the music is intoxicating and anthemic. We all go without a fight , we’re totally mesmerised and I know I speak for everyone in the room because everywhere you look there were outstretched hands and expressions of wonder and awe. The vibe in the room takes me back to club days its more than a live gig it’s a whole event, sign me up for more of this please! It won’t be long before I’m back in this room to see Bambie Thug’s headlining show – mark my words!
Cassyette is flying high having sold out the venue tonight and straight from the victory of Radio One dubbing new single ‘Mayhem’ hottest track of the week. Her trajectory is soaring upwards and the air is electric. She is no stranger to big crowds and big stages having played the likes of Download pilot 2021 and supporting artists such as Willow – but this is her stage tonight. Her fans are hungry for the music to start and the chanting begins as the time to take the stage approaches. Tonight seems to be going at warp speed I’ve barely unstuck my feet from the floor to adjust my position in preparation for her appearance and the lights are dimming. Cassyette is beaming as she takes to the stage and the emotion is written all over her face and that is possibly one of the most wonderful things about her, the girl has some serious pipes and is a brilliant performer but her openness and her vulnerability makes her super relatable and we all need to feel like we are seen and heard. It is abundantly clear that she feels connected to everyone in the room she is constantly interacting with the crowd and often seems genuinely taken aback with the love and adoration pouring in her direction. There is a girl in the front row with Dear Goth emblazoned in eyeliner across her forehead a perfect example of the pure love in the room. Every track on the set list gets a huge response and all are sung in joyous unison it’s like live surround sound! The wonderful thing about bands drawing from all these nostalgic influences is that no mix is the same and Cassyette’s sound is no different, it’s bouncy, its heavy, its rock and it’s fantastic! Sadly the show is over all too quickly but boy did it pack a punch. We are all excited to watch her journey unfold as she is definitely destined for big big things.
Review and photos by Rebecca Bush