To understand what to expect from Cassyette’s ‘This World F***ing Sucks’ tour, you can look no further than her history. Having performed with behemoths of the alternative scene such as My Chemical Romance, Bring Me the Horizon, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes and Sum 41, Cassyette knows how to bring a show.
The set contained a mixture of recently released singles in the wake of her upcoming debut album, such as When She Told Me and Ipecac. Older releases from the 2022 Sad Girl Mixtape also made an appearance, notably fan favourite Mayhem, and a few unreleased tracks set to be on ‘This World F***ing Sucks’ this August.
Talking about the upcoming album itself, Cassyette said she wrote it over the summer about a “very sh**ty time in [her] life,” during the pandemic lockdowns. Stating that she knows everyone else was going through a similar thing, and that the aim of the album was to take something painful and turn it into something beautiful. The final song on the album she said was dedicated to the friendships that had gotten her through this time period and features a softer guitar song on top of the typical Cassyette sound.
We were also treated to Cassyette’s next single to be released – Over it, a strong track which had some innovative synth noises in the background making it stand out from the rest of the set. It would also be a disservice to not mention the sheer amount of moshing that occurred (including a wall of death).
As someone who wasn’t too familiar with Cassyette before this event, I expect to start seeing her everywhere soon, her stage presence and charisma alone are incredibly endearing. While her music speaks for itself. It’s clear that she creates with intention and vision.
Prior to Cassyette’s headline performance, were three opening acts: Filthy Pig, Harpy and Witch Fever.
Filthy Pig, a seemingly Brighton-based DJ who has appeared out of nowhere. With a 26-follower Soundcloud (at the time of writing) and featured on only a handful of the promotional content for the tour itself, Filthy Pig is in my opinion the best kept secret of the lineup – and well worth turning up on time to see. As a general rule of thumb I believe that any DJ wearing an animal mask promises a good time at a show, and Filthy Pig did not disappoint.
The opening set contained everything from remixes of Von Dutch and Ayesha Erotica to a yet unreleased track with Cassyette herself. At some points I caught myself wishing the rest of the audience would be as enthused as I was about this set, but time of day seemed to be a key factor in this reception.
The next act to take to the stage was Harpy. The self-proclaimed “Goth Metal Mommy” set the tone immediately by starting her set with a pitch-black stage and eerie gothic rendition of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s easy to see why Harpy’s latest single has recently been made BBC Introducing Rock Track of the Week.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE is two minutes and 44 seconds of pure energy with lyrics such as “nothing’s real anymore / leave your conscience at the door” and “yeah you love it because it’s so disgusting”. The decision to directly refer to the listener as a ‘poor little leech’ within the song only adds to Harpy’s persona further. Harpy’s presence on stage is a whirlwind of leather jackets and black lipstick, commanding attention with ease.
It is only apparent that this is her second tour and not something she has been doing for years because she mentions it. Her previous experience touring with Wargasm is a source of creative experience – her yet unreleased song Not My God Anymore being written in direct collaboration with the band. One to look out for in the future.
Finally, were Witch Fever. A band who “refuse to be confined by gender or genre”, Witch Fever are a four-piece Manchester-based band (consisting of Amy, Alex, Alisha and Annabelle). Aesthetically close to The Last Dinner Party but with a much rawer edge and hardcore sound.
Despite having to miss several of the last shows on the tour, due to a case of tonsillitis that lead singer Amy was still suffering from the effects of at the gig itself (joking that the illness had made her vocal register lower), they were still able to give an energised show. The song Bully Boy even had Amy jump into the crowd itself, roving through the audience with an intensity that matched the song’s heavy bass and angry lyrics.
The most striking thing about this tour to me was how strong every single artist was. Every moment engages and excites, every artist brings upbeat enthusiasm. It feels like watching the newest wave of alternative music take shape in front of your eyes, and I can’t wait for them all to get the accolades they deserve in the years to come.