The rising pop punk, electro-metal sensation Cassyette headlined the 02 Academy in Islington this past Tuesday with a very kinetic, powerful performance studded with all her hits that the sold-out crowd full of her devoted fanbase of course knew word for word. Cassyette actually started out as a DJ playing house music and 80s inspired synth pop but recently fulfilled her ambition of performing heavier, genre fusing heavy metal with a gothic, feminine edge. Seamlessly marrying metal, rock and electronic with impressive vocals that can switch from a whisper to a roar in mere seconds.
Opening act is Kid Bookie, a South East London rapper/guitarist who brings huge energy with a vibrant stage presence and wild antics such as maniacal movements, shouting profanities and jumping into the front row of the crowd with a violent intensity. He and his two piece band of talented rockers managed to get everyone moving and moshing, songs with straightforward titles like ‘Liquor, Sex, Weed’ also give an easy indication of where this guy is coming from. They even closed their set with a very heavy cover of the Radiohead classic ‘Creep’. Having worked recently with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Kid Bookie much like Cassyette herself is definitely on an upward trajectory and you’ll for certain be hearing a lot more from the both of them very soon.
Once the audience finally settled down from Kid Bookie’s impactful opener, Cassyette took to the stage and the show included all her current hits such as ‘Sad Girl Summer’, ‘Mayhem’ and new single ‘September Rain’ which all received a rapturous applause from the crowd. Inciting mosh pits and crowd surfers, Cassyette thrives on interacting with the crowd. At one point even surfing the crowd herself during an instrumental break and accepting to wear a pair of novelty cat ears offered to her by a fan. With such a small-scale venue, she can involve this intimacy between herself and her fans and they’re just little things that help make the show feel more inclusive with everyone and adds to Cassyette’s overall joyous energy.
The other star of the show besides Cassyette herself who absolutely deserves a mention is drummer Charlie Harman, who also plays with alternative, indie rock band Will & The People who I highly recommend checking out as well. Harman’s drumming during the show is booming, complex, impressively fast and manages to seamlessly sit up from the drum riser, hype up the crowd and get back to drumming in perfect rhythm seconds later. After the encore, Cassyette passionately thanks the crowd, Charlie applauds, throws his sticks into the crowd and the guitarist makes a display by smashing his guitar in the middle of the stage.
It was an admittedly short set at around nine or ten songs including the encore ‘Dear Goth’ but Cassyette’s pure passion and energy more than make up for it. Plus Cassyette is a new, rapidly up and coming talent with a discography currently featuring just singles and she’s yet to even bring out an EP. I’m sure her setlists will become longer as her steady output of new music only grows over time.
