It was Friday night and, for Kevin Stanley, there was nowhere better to be than Rock City in the heart of Nottingham to watch an iconic 90s band play some Scouse tunes...
John Power was originally with the La’s as a bass player and backing vocalist. But in 1991 when the band dissolved that he formed Cast and the band went on to achieve notable success in the era of Britpop. They were perhaps always on the fringes of the movement and failed to achieve the same level of success as bands such as Pulp or Blur. That said, Cast recorded four studio albums and enjoyed a string of hit singles, before splitting in 2002. They reformed in 2010 and have played again ever since, releasing new material in 2011, 2017 and most recently in 2024 with Love Is The Call – which is what we are here to listen to tonight.
Support bands for Cast have changed with every venue across the UK as they tour their new album to sold out venues. Inner Circle (not to be confused with the far superior reggae band of the same name) are the support act tonight and in all fairness they are distinctly mediocre. So much so that they rely on a cover of Slade’s Cum On Feel The Noize to close their brief 30-minute warm up set, no doubt, a nod to their geographic origins. They seem more interested in getting to the bar, even though the lead singer already has a pint in his hand. Off you go lads.
This is my first time seeing Cast live, but something I’ve certainly been looking forward to. Original members John Power (vocals, rhythm guitar), Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Keith O’Neill (drums) are joined by Martyn Campbell on bass (formerly of The Lightning Seeds) who has replaced Peter Wilkinson. They’re all looking a bit older than the crowd may remember, but time takes its toll on all of us. This isn’t the 90s!
Sandstorm is the opener tonight - it’s a track that lives up to its name, and the crowd go crazy from the outset. Finetime is up next and Power takes the opportunity to tell us that this was their first ever single. Two new tracks next: Love Is The Call, which feels like a classic track from the 90s, and The Rain That Falls which I also really enjoyed. Guiding Star, Faraway and Walk Away are big hits that make up the middle of the set. The crowd sing along enthusiastically to these. Tomorrow Call My Name is another new song, but again it feels like a classic Cast track.
Power is full of appreciation for those that had come out to see them on a dark evening in late October
Power’s vocals get lost in the mix at times, but generally his voice is clear and he’s not lost any of his vocal ability. He sounds even more Scouse in a live setting - not a bad thing it’s served other bands well including The Coral and The Zutons.
He’s been quiet throughout the set, but towards the end, Power is full of appreciation for those that had come out to see them on a dark evening in late October. He thanks the Nottingham crowd for their continued support over what has now been over three decades.
“We’re never sure when we do this that people will turn up and enjoy the music or not,” he says. It’s endearing that they think this as they clearly have a decent fanbase that spans a large age range, but you never know with live music if you’ll retain a following over the years. Cast have done it with apparent ease - by offering up catchy tunes and memorable choruses - all delivered by Power who is a great vocalist.
And the new material that they have released is really well written lyrically and musically, and whilst the fans have turned up for the 90s anthems it’s obvious that they are more than willing to entertain the new material as well.
The band take a short break before returning to the stage to wow the crowd with a trio of tracks for the encore: Starry Eyes, History and Alright.
Cast performed at Rock City on 25th October 2024.
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