CASSYETTE + CALVA LOUISE + LOZEAK – CHALK, BRIGHTON 13.3.23
Cassyette, the London-based alt-rock musician, has been making waves since headlining Download on her festival debut. She has since collaborated with Frank Carter, toured with Willow, and supported My Chemical Romance at Milton Keynes last year.
Blending hard rock with electronica, dance, and emo sounds and lyrics that deal with real-life experiences, such as grief and breakups. Last year Cassyette released their debut album, ‘Sad Girl Mixtape’, which expands on previous work with its sleek production, heavy influences, and empowering call-to-arms.
Drawing inspiration from rock legends like Motley Crue and Evanescence and acts like Prodigy, Bring Me The Horizon, and You Me At Six, Cassyette has developed a style that is both fresh and timeless. She is unapologetic in her rockstar persona, embracing her uniqueness, shining a light on the power of individuality, pushing the boundaries of alt-rock, and expanding on her already impressive body of work.
Tonight there are three bands on the bill at Chalk, and first up is Lozeak, the 19-year-old singer/songwriter with a rabid global fanbase and over 600k+ followers on TikTok alone. Her music is winning over famous fans like Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes and Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, and she’s been tipped as an artist to watch by Dazed, Stylist, and Wonderland magazines.
Lozeak certainly has the alt-rock girl image down to a t with shoulder length red hair, plenty of tatts, a short check pattern skirt, a black t-shirt with the Slogan “Worlds Best Ex-Girlfriend”, and New Rok style calf length boots, but how does the music compare to the image? To me, it’s more alt-pop, melodic singalongs like classy opener ‘No Saving You’ Lozeak’s sound reminded me of Maggie Lindemann, who I caught recently on tour with PVRIS, where the pop is more mighty than the punk.
Don’t get me wrong, though, Lozeak delivers a superb set and has the crowd behind her from start to finish, with those around me gleefully singing along to the ones they know.
The tracks are short, sweet and punchy, pulling in a lot of genres and great to see a full band backing of bass, guitar and drums. Standouts of the set, though, were ‘Alter Ego’ with its almost grime delivery and a thumping bass line. The drum and bass of ‘XO’ and the beautiful ‘Hate Me Too’ grabbed me lyrically and musically with its innovative tempo changes and catchy chorus.
Lozeak has bags of stage presence and the talent to match, and at only 19 years old, she has so much more in the tank. Lozeak will be back in Brighton for this year’s Great Escape Festival, and well worth popping on your list of ones to watch.
Lozeak setlist:
‘No Saving You’
‘Alter Ego’
‘Die Right Now’
‘Drag Me To Hell’
‘Used To You’
‘XO’
‘Only Love’
‘You Should Be Mine’
‘Hate Me Too’
‘Word Vomit’
Pre-save Lozeak’s upcoming mixtape ‘Gut Feeling’ HERE.
After a short wait, London-based rockers Calva Louis take their turn to shake the Chalk venue. Inspired by a melting pot of musical genres from British and American rock to Latin flair, this three-piece alt-rock outfit has been causing a stir since their emergence in 2016.
Frontwoman Jess Allanic, bassist Alizon Taho, and drummer Ben Parker may hail from different corners of the world, but their shared love of raw, unadulterated rock is evident from the very first chord of their opening track, ‘Euphoric’.
It’s a fitting choice, given that it’s also the title track of their latest album, a sci-fi and graphic novel-influenced concept LP that’s been drawing rave reviews since its release. The meaty riffs, punchy basslines, and ferocious drums are all on full display as the trio launches into ‘Belicoso’ and ‘Feast Is Over’, the latter of which has literally just dropped – find it HERE.
Jess’s vocals are a force to be reckoned with, soaring above the wall of sound and conveying a sense of urgency that’s impossible to ignore. As they move into ‘Oportunista’ and ‘Over The Threshold’, the band shows off their range, mixing elements of mathy rock and synth-rock to keep the crowd on their toes.
‘Third Class Citizen’ is a boiling pot of swirling keyboards, explosive riffs and Jess’s screaming vocals as she sings about feeling like an outsider. The band’s passion and intensity never waver and leave the crowd and me hungry for more. I’d missed Calva Louise two times before due to clashes, but I’m so glad I finally caught up with them tonight. This up-and-comers’ time has indeed arrived.
Calva Louise:
Jess Allanic – vocals and guitar
Alizon Taho – bass and vocals
Ben Parker – drums
Calva Louise setlist:
‘Euphoric’
‘Belicoso’
‘Feast Is Over’
‘Oportunista’
‘Over The Threshold’
‘Third Class Citizen’
By now, Chalk is bustling with excitement as TikTok sensation and alt-rocker Cassyette takes to the stage. This powerhouse has been making waves in the music industry and wowing audiences at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton with not one but two shows, one here at Chalk and another at the Concorde 2, and tonight, she’s here to deliver an unforgettable performance for her die-hard fans who queued up early to grab a space in the precious front few rows.
Kicking off the set with ‘Like That’, Cassyette immediately shows her prowess as a live performer and how far the band has come in just a few short years. With a grin from ear to ear, she bounces back and forth across the stage, engaging with the crowd and pumping them up for the night ahead, joined on stage by a black-clad, shaven-headed guitarist and blonde-haired drummer joining the bass-heavy electro backing tracks.
‘Picture Perfect’ follows another from the debut album and another instant classic. ‘Behind Closed Doors’ is a beautiful excursion into alt-rock territory with a catchy as f*ck chorus and extreme vocal outbursts. Cassyette has now adopted a shorter-cropped blonde hair look which suits her so much better than the long extensions of the past. Finishing off the look with baggy blue cargo pants and a burgundy corset-style short top.
The band are on another level tonight and deliver a set and show that far outshines last years in this venue. As the set progresses, the energy in the room continues to build. Cassyette shows off her versatility as a performer with each song, moving effortlessly between heavy juggernauts of rock and catchy alt-pop choruses with the crowd hanging on to every word, and they eagerly oblige when Cassyette commands them to part for a mosh pit.
‘Die Hate Cry’ makes way for the crowd favourite ‘September Rain’, yet another beauty from the debut album and not to be confused with the Guns n’ Roses classic, which happened a couple of months later. ‘Mayhem’, ‘Over It’, and ‘Dead Roses’ keep the juices pumping, but the highlight is undoubtedly ‘Sad Girl Summer’, a large slice of cherry pie alt-pop with a succulent chorus that stays with you for days. They close the main set with the latest single, ‘Boom’, which genre surfs all the way to the sweet refrain on a bed of big bad guitar riffs.
The band leave the stage for a few moments but return to the delight and screams of the crowd as they plough through two more favourites, ‘Dear Goth’ and ‘Prison Purse’, bringing the show to its climax to both delight and dismay from the fans. Cassyette has clearly honed her skills as a live performer, delivering an exceptional performance tonight. With such raw talent and a passion for her craft, it’s no wonder she’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting alt-rock performers on the scene.
Cassyette setlist:
‘Like That’
‘Picture Perfect’
‘Behind Closed Doors’
‘Die Hate Cry’
‘September Rain’
‘Mayhem’
‘Sad Girl Summer’
‘Over It’
‘Dead Roses’
‘Go’
‘Petrichor’
‘Boom’
(encore)
‘Dear Goth’
‘Prison Purse’
