It’s no surprise that the second room of Birmingham’s O2 Academy was sold out with the return of rock sensation Cassyette, gracing the city with her energy, attitude, and powerful vocals. With an adrenaline feud set, she left the people of Birmingham wanting more.
Cassyette shows no sign of slowing down, with a support slot with My Chemical Romance, the release of her album Sad Girl Mixtape last year and multiple sold out shows on this UK tour, her performance was one that sees Cassyette as a true rockstar, one that is not afraid to show who she truly is, as well as encouraging many to do the same.
Before Cassyette took to the stage, openers Calva Louise and Lozeak were ready to kick off the evening in full force.
Lozeak’s set grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, through her catchy lyrics and standout vocals. Pulling in from a lot of genres when it came to her music, there were a lot of innovative moments that could be heard. Lozeak had a strong stage presence which added to the overall performance and that didn’t go unnoticed by the crowd.
After each track, she was greeted with a warm round of applause and cheers from the front to the back of the venue. Tracks including “Red Flag” and “Alter Ego” went down really well, as they showed off the singer’s vocals as she interacted with the audience every chance she got.
It is evident that Lozeak knows who she is as an artist, and that’s something that will allow her to stand out as she continues to grace the music scene.
As the lights went down, the anticipation was finally about to become a reality as Cassyette took to the stage with her band and was welcomed with a loud cheer and applause from every single person in the room. With a smile beaming on her face, as she looked into the crowd, Cassette was ready to give the people of Birmingham a night to remember.
Opening the set with tracks including “Behind Closed Doors” and “Picture Perfect”, the crowd’s reaction was nothing not to be expected. Everyone in the room sang back every single word at the top of their lungs.
Pointing the microphone into the crowd for audience participation, fans turned to their friends with smiles on their faces having sung back some of their favourite songs. There was no one in the room that wasn’t having a good time, as it is pretty impossible to happen at a Cassyette show.
Having not spent much time on stage, even within the first song, Cassyette made her way to the barrier where she sang directly to her fans. As always, audience participation is a huge part of her set and also brings together the separation that some people may feel surrounding the fans and the artists.
With the performance of her song “Mayhem”, she speaks about a toxic relationship, this was something that many people related to as they expressed their feelings with a loud cheer. “September Rain” was definitely a highlight of the set.
There wasn’t much much production on stage but with the strong stage presence of Cassyette and her band, this made up for it. With heavy electronic production when it came to the music, this kept the crowd excited just like the second she stepped foot on stage and showed no signs of slowing down.
One of the most explosive numbers that fans were treated to was “Boom”, and that truly lived up to the name. Every track is welcoming with screams and cheers, which proves the authentic admiration that every single person in the room has for her.
“Sad Girl Summer”, an empowering track filled with rage about being cheated on but finding the strength to get back up, allowed everyone in the crowd, as well as Cassyette to let out all the anger and frustration. The reliability factor is one that will set her apart from many artists, as fans will be able to connect to her on that level.
As the show came to an end, delivering an encore of “Dear Goth” and “Prison Purse” saw the fans of Birmingham’s O2 Academy 2 scream for more. Cassyette did not disappoint and gave them what they wanted, which was one final moment to let them soak it all up in true Cassyette fashion.
Experimenting with a variety of genres and truly holding her own in the music industry, it is hard not to see Cassyette creating even more of a wave in the nu-metal scene and inspiring so many others to do the same.
The entire show showed a sense of unity, and evidently the love that Cassyette has for her fans was entirely reciprocated. Witnessing Cassyette perform is refreshing and just brings a sense of something exciting from herself as a musician.
The next time she steps foot in Birmingham, it won’t be surprising that she’ll be headlining the main room at the O2 Academy. She’ll definitely be one to watch out for this year, as she continues to gather various other achievements under her belt.
Cassyette is more than just a singer. She already commands and dominates while remaining endearing. A performer and a rockstar who showcases a genuine representation of women who want to show who they really are in this ever changing industry
Words + photography by Sarah Akomanyi
