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On Tuesday evening, Caity Baser kicked off her ‘Still Learning’ UK tour with the best crowd (though I may be a little biased) at Leeds O2 academy. The show was opened by Talia Mar, who was playing her first ever gig as a tour support act. She was accompanied by her drummer and bassist. Mar did a great job of warming up the crowd and got them all firmly on side after her cover of ‘No Scrubs’ by TLC. She treated the crowd to the first live performance of her upcoming single ‘365’, written about her husband, and got everyone singing along to ‘Stay the Night’, in which she collaborated with Sigala (although he was not present!)
Then it was time for Caity Baser to take to the stage. The stage design beautifully echoed the album design, with red lights, big red balloons and plenty of L plates. The stage was sectioned into 3 areas, with raised platforms and red scaffolding, covered in lighting bars, creating an area for each musician. The middle one had a big paper L sign over it which was promptly broken through with Baser’s dramatic, but totally on brand, entrance to the stage. Baser’s outfit was also on brand as she donned white, red and lots of fabric L signs. Before her entrance, Baser had created a spoof news report, taking the mick out of herself and her career, which echoes how she started making music when she realised she didn’t care what people thought about it. This seamlessly transitioned into ‘I’m a problem’, the first song off the ‘Still Learning’ mixtape. These vox pop style song introductions made appearances throughout, most notably with ‘Choose Me’ and ‘Showgirl’.
On stage, Baser was joined by brother duo Ollie (drums) and Louis (guitar), who both gave great performances in their own right. Louis frequently came down from his platform to roam the stage for his solos and even played guitar behind his head for the ‘Bicker’ solo. Ollie had his fair share of equally impressive drum solos, including the musical break before ‘Choose Me’. When he wasn’t drumming, Ollie was standing up to dance and sing, having as much
fun as the crowd!
The night didn’t come without its emotion. Baser sang ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’ with such raw frustration about being in the wrong relationship and the song ended with the powerful act of smashing up a heart shaped pinata. Straight after this, Baser took to the middle platform for a keys and vocals solo for the intro of ‘Grow Up’. This emotionally raw and musically vulnerable section wasn’t without its tears and after the song Baser said she “hates crying in front of people” but felt “so comfortable” to do so with the Leeds crowd.
Overall, Caity Baser’s show had the production level of a big arena tour, whilst simultaneously feeling like a Facetime with your friend. There is no denying Baser’s lyrical genius and the relatability of her music meant the O2 was filled with cathartic cries from twenty-somethings, singing along to every word, no matter whether it was from the mixtape or released further back in her discography.
Words: Abby Rebekah, she/her