Words by Dein Moore @deingerous1
Bold and emphatic is the best way to describe the opening night of Caspian's UK tour at the Dome. Both the opening act and the main event were truly inspiring and powerful to watch. Excellent musicianship was delivered with unbridled emotion and flair, and every note was felt and carefully expressed. This beautiful performance left me asking: when can I see this again?
As the venue lights dimmed, the stage lights diverted our attention to a solo cello player known as Jo Quail. I'll admit to being a little bit sceptical at first, but that quickly diminished as her instrumental pieces were simply breathtaking. You'd think it difficult to keep an audience of hundreds entertained with a solo instrumental performance but it was all rather effortless for the lovely Jo Quail. Pulsating rhythms with bombastic effects layered atop excellent use of a loop pedal made for a wonderfully surprising performance as I had not heard of her previously... well, I certainly have now and next time would like to see more from this artist in a longer set and headlining role.
On to Caspian, whose songs and albums I’ve liked before but I’ve never seen live. I loved it. Instrumental performances are a tricky thing to get right, how do you show off your musicianship without over or under doing it? Caspian hit that glorious sweet spot where every note just sat right and emanated energy throughout the room, vibrating through the audience. It was a killer performance that I really would like to see again. The light show was great, too, sometimes giving the feeling of being submerged underwater then being shot straight up to the sun. This only increased the immersion I felt when the music accompanied it so well.
I’d recommend anyone to go checkout both artists' bodies of work and also see them live. If you’re a fan of post-rock instrumental music you really have no excuses not to.
See Caspian Live:
Thursday 5 November – Classic Grand, Glasgow
Friday 6 November – Brudnell Social Club, Leeds
Saturday 7 November – Green Door Store, Brighton