Cassette Kids - Live review

Boom Boom Mega Boom at Candy’s Apartment

Written by Sarah Wise

After hearing about the Cassette Kids from the lead singers’ boyfriend, I decided to go check out their show at Candy’s where they were playing with a colorful group of young indie-rock outfits, headlined by Van She.

I must say I was a little nervous of what to expect down in the dark and somewhat dingy home of Candy’s. It was already full of people eager to make the most of the stage, which allows you to be very up close and personal with the bands with no prejudices between performer and groupie.

Meeting the band before the show, they seemed a little shy and nervous. They started setting up on stage and the crowd packed to the front to get a better look. There was a wide variety of people with a great fashion sense of the new Indie cool with every guy in tight jeans and the girls in short dresses and stockings; very suitable to Candy’s. While I thought they were still setting up, the Cassette Kids exploded with their first track ‘We Are’ setting their style with fresh Indie Alternative lead by singer, Katrina Noorbergen. I immediately fell in love with her powerful soprano voice that I would liken to Bjork and Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. All I could think at first, was this would make the suffragettes proud. Katrina’s prowess and centered stage presence created a great connection between the band and the audience, who were already on their toes after the first track. She has a slightly childish voice, which comes out in only bridges or the beginnings of songs and progresses throughout the tracks into a sure and strong instrument. She held great control on the long, high notes and was always in tune, which you can’t say is often achieved with a young, live performer.

The second track, Acrobat, showed more musical techniques both vocal and instrumental. The guitarist, Daniel Schober jumped around with his guitar, distorting the riffs, and playing the melodies with strength and surety. The bassist Daniel Deitz seemed a little distracted at first, still tuning a little in between songs, but thank god he took the care and time to do that because his solo in ‘Push it to the side’ was fantastic. These guys had stamina through their whole performance, especially the drummer Jacob Read-Harber, who absolutely killed it and I’m surprised he didn’t puncture his kit. At some stages Katrina seemed a little insane and it was so wonderful to watch a female singer up on stage using hysteria to her advantage.

The slower song at the end of the set ‘See Me’ allowed the band to calm and withdraw so as to fashion a more personal and quiet connection with the audience before their final song which kicked the crowd back into manic dancing and the drummer of whom I am in awe of his arm muscles, played even harder than before!!

The Cassette Kids are young, innovative, very hot and something I haven’t seen or heard in Australia for a long time. I’d definitely check them out again and I’m looking forward to them performing for Loop Magazine in early September.

http://triplejunearthed.com/cassettekids

http://www.myspace.com/cassettekids