By Jase Walker
January in Manchester is dreary, wet, cold and just generally unpleasant but this doesn’t mean that there’s any lack of great shows kicking off 2023 and to get the year started in the right way, the comeback of Casey. Bringing along The Nightmares with them to see this lap of the ÜK out, Manchester’s Club Academy is going to be making a lot of noise in this quiet month.
The Nightmares are completely unfamiliar to me and the various people I’m with tonight also seem to be new to them as well so it’ll be interesting seeing first hand what they’re like. Starting out there’s a mix of goth, post-punk, and new wave. A slow, synthy opener that reminds me of stuff like Joy Division, The Smiths and even a bit of The Cure with outfits that match the overall vibe of the music as well. Admittedly for a band like Casey, this is quite the wildcard for a support act but not like it’s particularly uncommon for unusual acts to match up for cross-genre appeal. And in contrast to my usual issue, I think the Bass is just that bit too loud in comparison to the keys and guitar,
They’ve got a real good knack for working both vocals of their lead on guitar and the keys player as well, she’s got a fantastically sweet voice that works well with the high yet overall deeper tones of their lead. On the whole they’re putting on a pretty solid show, the songs flow well, they’ve got catchy melodies and they’re easy to listen to. The audience doesn’t seem super engaged, I mean they’re nodding along to the music but other than that, nobody is really moving much which is a shame but I feel like they were maybe expecting a heavier support.
The moment the intro music starts the crowd immediately stops chatting to each other and the focus is immediately homed in on the stage. Casey are back so let’s get stuck into it eh? We’re in for a 60 minute, whopping 16 song set so this is going to be a long one but what a way to announce your return!
Leading with the latest two singles they’ve released since their return, they announce they’re returning to their older material much to the appreciation of the crowd. Arms raised above the crowd flailing around to the beat of the music all the while screaming the words right back at Casey which actually cracks the singer up at one point. Little moments like that during the live performance really shows off the depth of meaning these comeback shows have to the band and the appreciation they have for their dedicated fans. Similar to the Being As An Ocean show I was at in the close of last year, this is an extremely emotionally charged show. Casey’s songs, in addition to being generally fantastic, carry with them strong emotional weight. This isn’t a show to start kicking the shit out of people in the pit, but a show to hold those dear to you closely and scream the words back with tears in your eyes (and maybe do a bit of crowd surfing).
Every song they play plays with a beautiful mixture of subtle melodies, often distressed vocals loaded with the pain of the message before building into a grand crescendo. The peak they work to hit is so hard by the time it’s in full flow, eventually covering you like a warm blanket. At some points I don’t know what I’m in awe of more, the delivery of the music from the band themselves or the strength of the audience hanging off every single word they sing. Shows like this often feel more comforting than euphoric, it’s a strange feeling when by all accounts, you’re at a metal show. Earlier I did remark on this maybe not being a mosh pit show but some of the later songs in this set very much prove that wrong. I was a bit wary of getting closer to the center and in this particular instance I’m glad I did maintain a bit of distance because Jesus Christ.
As we draw to a close, they’ve made it clear it’s the final two songs, no encore, and Casey stands triumphant up on stage having knocked out a real top class performance. It sounded great, they came across fantastically well, and the crowd has lapped up every single second of the experience. Welcome back lads. Tonight’s show was truly special and I hope the rest of the tour continues in the same way.
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