I hadn’t been this excited for a gig in a while. Cassia was a keystone of my lockdown soundtrack, their debut album Replica helping me through a lot of the difficult days of summer 2020. I had had tickets to see them play Riverside in October of last year, but the show was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute. After months of waiting, Cassia certainly didn’t disappoint.
In my experience, indie gigs tend to have cracking openers. I’ve found some of my favourite bands by waiting on the doors and catching the early acts. Cassia’s chosen support were no different and did a perfect job of setting the tone for the night.
First up was Cathy Jain, an up-and-coming indie singer-songwriter from Salford. While I had never come across her music before that night, her feel-good style made for a lovely warmup act.
Following Jain was Hawaiian import Eli Smart, whose energetic brand of beachy rock was in many ways reminiscent of a faster paced Cassia. Smart and his band whipped the crowd into a frenzy as he showed off breakout hits “Highschool Steady,” “No Destination,” and “Come On, Come On, Come On.”
Their high energy display had everyone more than ready for the main event, and Cassia burst on to stage just past 9pm.
Before the show, I had worried that Cassia’s chilled out music would lead the show to lack energy, but the advertised island vibes they brought to the stage were more reminiscent of a Caribbean carnival than a lethargic family holiday.
Cassia's summery sound made for the perfect remedy to the cold Newcastle night outside
The band promised to bring “the biggest light show for an indie band you’ve ever seen,” and they did not disappoint. The so-called “Cassia Illuminations” perfectly complemented the tunes, and the crowd enthusiastically reciprocated every ounce of the energy the band were putting out.
Lead singer Rob Ellis’ charisma and showmanship were on full display, the intimate venue lending itself well to his conversational style. All three members of the band seemed confident and energetic as they played through a mix of their latest releases and older fan favorites.
Cassia’s summery sound made for the perfect remedy to the cold Newcastle night outside. The gig was well worth the wait, and I will definitely be going again when they return to the North.