Live Review – Caity Baser at NX in Newcastle
Words and Photos by Adam Kennedy
It's been 12 months since pop sensation Caity Baser last performed in the North East with a date at Northumbria University. Since that time the southern-based chanteuse's star has been on the rise.
Early this year, Caity received a much-deserved Brit Award nomination alongside peers The Last Dinner Party and Sekou. Add to that a string of high-profile festival appearances last summer and the release of her new mixtape, Still Learning, and the future is certainly looking bright for the Southampton-originating songstress.
On Thursday evening, Caity made a welcome return to Tyneside, where a strong crowd awaited her. With this current tour, Baser continued a pledge to make tickets to her shows affordable, which is most admirable in light of the current cost of living crisis.
Support for the evening came from Beth McCarthy, one of three artists joining the headliner on rotation across this run. McCarthy, who hails from York, seemed very pleased to finally be playing in Newcastle. And judging by the response from the audience, it seems Beth has already made a lot of fans in the region. The artist's take on Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus and the title track from Beth McCarthy’s new EP IDK How to Talk To Girls were just some of the highlights of the opening set.
With tracks like It's Raining Me by The Weather Girls and Shania Twain's Man, I Feel Like A Woman, pumping over the venue's PA, there was somewhat of a party atmosphere inside of NX on Thursday night.
As the lights descended on the venue, the atmosphere was at at fever pitch. Caity made quite the entrance by bursting through a giant paper L plate centre stage, keeping in the spirit of the theme of her new mixtape Still Learning.
Bedecked in a skirt, red boots and sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with I Heart CB, Caity got the show underway with I’m A Problem, Kiss You and The Plot. The headliner was backed by a guitarist and drummer, who were positioned inside a cube-shaped structure on either side of the stage.
Caity’s energy, enthusiasm and joie de vivre are infectious. You could tell from the off that the singer wanted her fans to have the best time possible, and they did exactly that. Caity’s fans are affectionally known as the Slaysers, and many of those had signs with messages of support for the artist. Perhaps part of the appeal to her fans is that Caity Baser writes songs about subjects that many in the audience could relate to.
Fan favourite X&Y garnered a big response early in the show before Caity switched things up with the dub-tinged sounds of STD. Caity Baser is not afraid of pushing her sound into different musical stylings or genres outside the pop world. In a recent interview, Caity told me how she loves to listen to crooners from the jazz world. And at one point in the set, during Showgirl, the headliner showcased those influences to great effect. Oh Well saw the versatile performer assume her position behind a keyboard centre stage, illuminated by a white spotlight.
Caity’s stage banter was also of note. At one point, she joked: "My sister didn’t believe me that I could make a car out of spaghetti; you should have seen her face when I drove pasta.”
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In that respect, the artist doesn't take herself too seriously and isn't afraid to have fun with the audience. The fans enable Caity to have the freedom to be herself; they give her confidence and make her feel loved.
In the final stages of the show, the crowd sang so loudly during Pretty Boys that they gave Caity a run for her money. Finally, I’ll Be Here For You closed out a wonderful evening of live music.
In summary, Caity’s new mixtape may be called Still Learning, but on Thursday night, Baser passed with flying colours. Perhaps it's time to switch up those red L plates.
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