SWX Bristol , 8th April
The lights diminish as drummer Ollie Thacker & guitarist Natsuma enter the stage. Recordings of Baser discussing past relationships & failed situationships reverberate around the room as the packed crowd stand elbow to elbow awaiting the vibrant, bubbly Caity Baser to bless the stage with her presence.
The opening few seconds of “Friendly Sex” are met with the crowd’s screaming sensations. Baser leaps & bounds onto the stage, immediately oozing a strong feminine character, promising a pop rebellion. A brief interlude results in the shift to the songs so-called “angrier” version, Baser’s past & present bitterness towards past romances rocketing into the microphone through her characteristic mix of conversational delivery & breathtaking vocals, resembling that of 2000’s pop princess Lily Allen.
Baser’s beaming & giddy optimism continues throughout the gig, her stage presence representative of a girls’ night out post-break up, as the sea of fans sporting retro cycling glasses & Baser merch struggle to withhold their cries of adoration for the pop star who emerged out of lockdown an influential figure for many undergoing heartbreak, romantic confusion & astringency.
Baser pauses between each song of her set, sitting on the stage’s edge chatting with the front row, as if she herself were out for coffee having a good-olde debrief with her friends about the night before. A flag is propelled onto the stage, soon to be wrapped around Baser herself as she glissades across the stage and demonstrates to the crowd her gymnastical ability.
During her live performance of her 2022 release “Virtually”, the welcoming & doting atmosphere of SWX is too much for Baser as she breaks into breathless tears – the crowd supporting their pop star by sustaining the song using their own voices, accompanied by a sea of phone torches reflecting burnishing, fluorescent beams of starlight across the venue. “Pretty Boys” concludes the concert, summarising Baser’s hamartia of falling for boys with “nothing else to give” – it can be said with ease that Baser ciphers dating in the 21st Century like no other.
@_nevedawson (insta)
Daisy Kent – Music Photographer
Daisy Kent @daisylkent
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Hi! I'm Daisy, and I'm a music photographer and digital creative. I also write live music reviews.
Qualifications: 2:1 in BA Photography: Editorial and Advertising at the University of Gloucestershire.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Mcfly at Westonbirt Arboretum, June 2009.
First gig shot: My first photo gig was The Stranglers at O2 Academy Bristol, in March 2019. My first writing and photo gig was Bastille at Marble Factory, in February 2022.
Dream gig: Taylor Swift, 100%. No doubt.
@nevedawsonphotos @_nevedawson
My current role for TBGG is as a Reviewer, Interviewer and Photographer, which I do in my spare time when I'm not studying English Literature and History at the University of Bristol.
I'm available for reviews, previews, interviews and shoots through the company. Alongside TBGG I also write for The So Young, Groupie and Rodeo Magazines, with an aspiration to enter magazine and newspaper journalism focusing on culture and the arts.
What was your first Gig?
The first gig I remember seeing (when I wasn’t dragged around by my metal-head father) was The Killers live in my hometown of Birmingham in 2016. Brandon Flowers’s iridescent cowboy suit still blinds me to this day and echoes glamorous indie rock n’ roll for years to come.
What's your dream Gig?
I would have to say my dream gig would be seeing Hendrix’s star-spangled banner live at Woodstock ’69. Call me cliché but I was born in the wrong generation.