LIVE FROM THE PIT: Casey, Lastelle and Mirrortalk

Birmingham’s MIRRORTALK opened the show, bringing a polished take on emo revival that pulls their grunge and shoegaze influences together into a shimmering wall of fuzzy guitars and 00's nostalgia. It is not the most original formula in the world, but when it is delivered with this level of heartfelt enthusiasm, it is hard to not end up won over. Making the most out of an unfamiliar crowd to test out fresh material that takes in some modern hardcore influences, adding in the chorus heavy melodies and low end grooves that made TURNSTILE’s first record so popular into the mix you can see some real potential behind their easy smiles. 

LASTELLE's sweeping, cinematic post-hardcore takes the most anthemic moments and epic arrangements of acts like DEVILSOLDHISSOUL or THE ELIJAH and places an even greater emphasis on the vocal hooks and supporting melodies, that made their forebears so memorable, showering the audience with a rolling barrage of potential ear-worms. Frontman Adam Rigozzi, bassist/vocalist Freddie Whatmore and drummer/vocalist Mike Hayden's complimentary voices are the active ingredient in LASTELLE's sound, and prove that even pulling double duties behind the kit can't hold back good chemistry from winning out, that is, when you can hear them over the crowd.

The pure love and sincere attachment that fans have for LASTELLE is literally overwhelming, the audience was pulled back and forth with each soaring chorus and lent their lungs to the songs entirely. With a seemingly bottomless momentum the set continued to escalate with Rigozzi launching himself into the crowd over and over again, and by the time an epic rendition of Breathe Me In rolled around to end the set, both the band and the crowd had screamed themselves hoarse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bkikUwDETo

To those who were not around for the wave of creativity that emerged in the immediate aftermath of BEING AS AN OCEAN dropping their classic debut Dear G-d, the sheer speed with which the bands and labels cropped up, pushing the boundaries of the brutally candid and emotionally vulnerable sound of melodic hardcore is hard to explain. It spread like wildfire through forums and social media, and the global phenomenon took a particular grip on the UK, and it was in this feverish atmosphere that CASEY emerged from the valleys of south Wales with hearts pinned firmly to their sleeves. Now after twelve years, three albums and a mercifully brief hiatus they're back and stronger than ever.

Times have changed since the heady days when a memorable lyric with a good edit on tumblr could launch an unknown band into the limelight, and with time the more expansive elements of CASEY’s sound, touches of emo, post-rock and other alternative that used to be the garnish in the formula for melodic hardcore have now elbowed their way through to the front of the mix. Opening with a string of songs from their comeback LP How to Disappear, it was that matured and developed sound that shined brightest at the set.

The energy and raw emotion behind songs like Unique Lights and I Was Happy When You Died created a tangible sense of intimacy in the room from the moment CASEY took to the stage. Tom Weaver was a humble frontman and alongside his powerful voice, it was his earnestly articulated gratitude that secured the connection with the audience and showed with perfect clarity just how they have managed to maintain that connection in spite of their hiatus and subsequent measured return to performing. There were no frills in their set and as they touched on some older material, it was clear that they simply did need them, being able to rely purely on the strength of the songs like breakout favourite Hell, which got a deeply cathartic airing before a triumphant Little Bird closed out the show.

Words: Anton Smeeton

Photos: Jynx Cosgrove