Cassia Live In Whelan’s Dublin

Macclesfield trio Cassia performed their debut Dublin headline show in Whelan’s last night.The last stop on their UK and European tour the trio gave it their all. They must have been absolutely shattered, in fact when I spoke to them beforehand they admitted they were tired. However the band were not going to let that stop them and like a ball of radiant energy the trio – illuminated Whelan’s.

Support on the night came from Irish singer/songwriter Jack Joyce.Unfortunately I missed his set however I looked him up on spotify after the show and he has some delightful, heartfelt tracks.With intriguing track titles like The Darth Vader of Teenage Romance’ and ‘Grumpy Boots’ his home grown tunes sparkle with a quirky sense of humour and passion to create something truly special.

Cassia strolled onstage and launched into show opener ‘Loosen Up’ as the crowd bounced and bopped along. One thing that is immediately noticeable is their tunes are more punchy and dynamic within the live setting.Jacob Leff’s nimble drumming provides an Afro -esque beat. Immersed in his drumming he occasionally looks at the crowd to smile between the rapid ebullient foundation he creates.It’s his rich drumming that coaxes the crowds hips to wiggle and shimmy. Rob Ellis coos the catchy lyrics between beckoning sing-alongs and sublime slinky calypso guitar lines. To see this guy execute those smooth rippling riffs and licks with such precision is quite mesmerising. ‘Weekender’, ‘Under The Sun’ and ‘Small Spaces’ create a fun and chilled atmosphere as the band become a wonderful catalyst to an enjoyable night. With flashing lights that dazzle through the heavy instrumental breaks the trio display their proficient and clean performance with a dash of edgy pizzazz glimmering throughout. The band don’t mess about too much on stage they don’t need crazy gimmicks or dramatic poses they perform with a chilled persona that puts the audience at ease. ‘Replica’ is particularly a joy to watch. The band are bathed in gold hued lighting as they present the balmy tropical tune with a glint in their eyes. It’s rare for a band to have such a soothing yet fun effect on the atmosphere of a room; however their smiling faces and the infectious tunes they produced elevated the venue lifting it into a world created entirely by the band. Lou Cotterill was a hit with the fans as some of them giggled in shyness at a glance from him as he wiggled while laying down those deep-rooted bass grooves. ‘Get Up Tight’ and ‘Out Of Her Mind’ have the crowd singing and cheering but its ‘100 Times Over ‘ that causes one of the most energetic reactions of the night. Some of the crowd mimicked the actions to the “get up sit down “ lyrics while ‘Moana’ sparks Hawaiian hula-type dancing. The band announce that they are coming to their final two songs and the crowd moan and complain shouting “one more song”. Ellis tries to explain they will play two more so naturally the crowd demand five more. It’s a haggling ordeal that results in the band playing one extra track for the encore – their fantastic cover of Martin Solveig and Dragonette’s ‘Hello’ .

There is no denying these guys are talented. With depth through their lyrics and sublime sweet harmonies blended throughout Cassia deliver a show of pure refined indie goodness.The audience left the venue beaming and singing lyrics from the songs. It was a joy to witness and for such a young band to have this effect on a crowd is wonderful.