Circa Waves at the Bristol O2 Academy.
On the 14th of May, Indie-staple Circa waves played their sold out headline show at Bristol’s O2 Academy after the release of their 5th album ‘Never going under’. Supported by both Courting and Cassia, it was a showcase of some of the finest Indie tracks on a lovely summer’s eve.
Courting
The first band to take to the stage was Courting. Erratic and eye-catching, the Liverpool 4 piece wreaked havoc in front of the Bristol crowd with an air of sophistication, starting the evening with a bang.
Fuelled with northern soul, their set consisted of well-crafted punk-pop songs that ignited the crowd with a fiery passion. Their debut album ‘Guitar Music’ has been welcomed with glowing reviews from the likes of NME and Pitchfork, praised for its uniqueness, ambitiousness and vivid storytelling.
Courting are no strangers to Bristol, having headlined the ‘Outer Town’ festival’ in April, a seven-venue showcase of the finest emerging talents from the underground scene.
They are soon to be playing festivals such as Kendall Calling and Tramlines this summer and they are definitely ones to add to your itinerary if you happen to be attending!
Cassia
Following on from the exuberant sounds of courting, we took a journey to a tropical wonderland provided by the Macclesfield three-piece Cassia. Their colourful lighting display and groovy sound floating through the air on a hot summer’s eve was the perfect concoction of indie bliss. Their setlist provided the perfect soundtrack for the still-growing crowd, as the sways grew into dance moves and smiles became infectious.
Their previous headline tour saw sold-out dates throughout the UK including Bristol, and it was clear to see there were people in the crowd happy to catch their return to the city.
This summer, Cassia are playing festivals all across the country including NASS and TRNSMT and they are definitely ones to watch. Backed by BBC introducing as a band with a promising future ahead of them, it is certain their infectious melodies and captivating stage presence will take them far.
Circa Waves
Once the chilled grooves of Cassia had cleared the air and the stage returned to darkness, the last few people squeezed into the buzzing crowd and anticipation weaved its way into conversations across the room, there was no denying that the people were excited.
The lights soon shone and Liverpool four-piece emerged from the shadows, opening the show with the title track ‘Never Going Under’ from their latest studio album. The whole time they graced the stage, the crowd never stopped moving, singing and jumping around to the well-crafted setlist the band had provided. It was indisputable that Circa Waves have mastered the art of live performance, utilising every inch of the stage to showcase their sonic expertise.
They closed the show with the indie classic ‘T-Shirt Weather’, it was the perfect end to an undeniably brilliant night of musical delights.
Words & images: Liv Green
