Cast w/Woo – Manchester Ritz: Live Review

By Dominic Walsh on 3rd March 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Scouse stalwarts bang their drum; Love Is The Call from Cast.

Britpop seems a million miles away from where we are now; however, there are plenty of bands still sticking around. Some reform and dial it in; some just never went away.

When Cast released All Change in 1995, it was hanging around with the big boys; Elastica, Grand Prix, On, Different Class, I Should Coco, The Great Escape, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, and a whole heap of other greats from that year.

It spawned some huge singles for the band; Sandstorm, Fine Time, Alright and Walkaway. Mother Nature Calls was the follow up in 1997. Free Me was a single and the album did relatively well. There were some support slots on U2’s gargantuan PopMart tour and the band remained ever popular.

Then, the Britpop bubble burst, and things changed. Over the years, Cast have reformed for shows, put out music and toured. 2024 is destined to be one of their finest years yet. Love Is The Call is earning rave reviews; not least from us here on At The Barrier (review here). It was a no brainer to get down to Manchester Ritz and see one of finest bands of the last few decades.

WOO

Support comes from Woo. The fresh faced quintet are clearly enjoying being on stage and in front of a pretty large crowd. They produce a tight indie rock sound with energetic solos and driving drums propelling the band. ‘We are Woo, bringing music to you,’ spouts frontman Shi Burman after the first track. They play through a set that includes a playful tease of Welcome To The Jungle and close out with their newest single; Crib.

In terms of style of music, Woo are preaching to the converted. The reception is warm and on a bitterly chilly night in Manchester, they are just the tonic before the main event. It is fantastic that Cast are giving bands like Woo this platform. Each gig of the tour has a different support.

CAST

On then, to the main event. With a new album in tow, its interesting to see how Cast play their hand. Opening up with Sandstorm and Fine Time is a ballsy move; delivering two of your biggest and best songs first is brave. It’s a justified move when you have a cracking new record to showcase and plenty of other big ones locked and ready for action. It also shows the confidence that Cast have in their material.

The ‘Let me take you by the hand,’ vocal is great and brings the crowd and the band closer. Following with Fine Time ensures that the band are firmly onside and holding all the aces.

What is evident from the brilliant opening duo of songs, is that John Power’s voice is incredibly strong. Not for the first time, he shows a range and warmth in his delivery.

LOVE IS THE CALL

After a crowd pleasing opening, Power greets the crowd. ‘Thank you very much Manchester – nice to see ya!’ We get the new album spiel but a heartfelt thanks for ‘all the positivity and getting behind us.’

Bluebird opens Love Is The Call in acoustic fashion. It is show, sweet and to the point. Then comes the title track. From this, you can see the strength of the new material. The Rain That Falls is hot on the heels and is one of the standouts of the newer material. The repeated guitar motif is catchy as hell and the lyrics are a top tier ear worm.

On a poignant tone, Power talks about promoting the album. “You look for metaphors and analogies about anew album. However, when the album is released, it’s yours. You give it life with your journey and your spirit. Thank you.” It is an emotional moment before First Smile Ever – another great new cut. The drumming is incisive and the lyrics soar as Power propels them with his versatile range. 30 years ago, this song would have been a chart bothering hit.

HISTORY

For all the new material, which is greeted wonderfully, the biggest singalongs are for the older material. Flying brings out joyous singing from the crowd. Cast play their cards just right; they are out of the blocks with a couple of hitters before a slew of newbies and slip seamlessly back into the ‘classics’. A tested formula that the Liverpudlians apply with aplomb.

Guiding Star is a first trip back to Mother Nature Calls. A nice, trippy opening swirls before the biggest singalong of the night. I’m So Lonely is again given its due by the crowd. Many people rank Cast’s debut as a classic, but Mother Nature Calls clearly holds great treasure. Live The Dream is another trip down memory lane and the upbeat and highly danceable Free Me closes out the main set.

Just prior to the main set closer, Walkaway unites the audience in a hazy eyed, nostalgic singalong. The 1990’s were great for music and the vast majority of the audience (this writer included) lived through it all. ‘Tuuuune,’ spouts one punter, clearly basking in the past. 30 years ago, this would have been lighters in the air tackle, with girlfriends on boyfriends shoulders. It is another emotional moment that ends with Power raising his arms aloft. “Thank you all so much, Manchester – love, peace and tolerance,” is his closing gambit. You cannot disagree.

A trio of All Change songs close out the evening. Tell It Like It Is sets the scene for a truly mind blowing rendition of Cast’s psychedelic masterpiece, History. The long introduction swishes around Manchester Ritz before the song bursts into life with its distinctive effect laden guitar lines. The crowd clap along in unison and it is clear that Cast are having a blast. The opening lines of Alright are exultant.

I guess I’m alright, guess I’m alright
I guess I’m doing fine, guess I’m doing fine

Cast are definitely doing fine. More than fine. Aging like a fine wine. There is plenty of life in this band that have been around since 1992. Hopefully Love Is The Call pops up on more and more musical radars and gets the universal acclaim it clearly deserves.

You can check out Love You Like I Do below, and all of Cast’s forthcoming tour dates here. Cast will be the main support when Liam Gallagher tours later in 2024.