Music, News, Review

Caity Baser @ Manchester Academy review and gallery – perfectly over-the-top pop

0 165

Featured image and gallery: Gracie Hall


Talia Mar is a South London-born singer and YouTuber. She starts the evening with a lovely set that showcases her velvety vocals and vibrant sound. Despite releasing songs since 2016, Mar mentions that this is her first ever support tour. The crowd receives her well as she covers ‘No Scrubs’ by TLC, before launching into her collaboration with Sigala, ‘Stay the Night’, as its dance beat gets the party started for the evening.

21-year-old Southampton native Caity Baser makes an explosive entrance as she breaks through a massive paper sheet adorned with a red learner driver’s L, a reference to her latest mixtape, Still Learning. She smashes through this with a baseball bat before opening with hit song ‘I’m A Problem’.

Baser’s energy doesn’t falter once as she launches into an energetic set of pop songs, dancing and moving around the stage non-stop. Her outfit comprises a green and orange skin-tight suit, paired with orange moon boots that perfectly reflects Baser’s ability to be completely and unapologetically herself.

A fan holds up a sign that explains they were dumped by their boyfriend the night before and Caity decides to dedicate ‘STD’, a song about being cheated on, to her. For ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, a love-heart shaped piñata is hung up on the skeleton of the frame that held the large learner’s L, with Caity furiously hitting it to symbolise her lack of faith in cupid.

Baser is a fantastic role model to her adoring fans. She shows that it’s okay to take up space, to be loud, to be out there, to be ‘too much’. Female artists are often told to “tone it down” or “stay quiet”, but it’s clear that Caity Baser is absolutely not like that, and she doesn’t want to be.

At one point, Caity infuses Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ with her own ‘Oh Well’, a hyper-feminine and energetic number about being carefree and just saying “oh well” when life decides to go wrong. The song is reflective of the presence Caity radiates on stage, allowing fans to let go, dance and be silly whilst feeling seen and safe in doing so.

Baser ends her set with ‘Pretty Boys’, arguably her breakout hit with the help of TikTok. She has seen a gradual growth in her fanbase over the past few years, already upgrading her live show from Academy 2 last year to this show at the main Academy. With the release of her new album and appearances at Isle of Wight and Radio 1’s Big Weekend in the calendar, this rise will surely continue.


About the author / 

Gracie Hall

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Malcom, Little Strange and Daisychain @ Deaf Institute review – exhuming noughties indie

    By Ruby Henry-Dicks Featured image: Rohan Walsh On a rainy December evening, headliners Malcom play their second sell-out headline show this year; supported by bands Daisychain and Little Strange at the Deaf Institute. First up is Daisychain, the Mancunian four-piece tackling teenage angst and love one song at a time with their tracks ‘Stay’ and…

  • Festive places for students to visit this winter

    By Georgia Robinson Featured image: Adrianos Falkonakis Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens Spending time outdoors this time of year might not feel intuitive, but if you can stand the chill then a stroll around Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens is a great way to embrace the season. Between acres of woodland and an abundance of flora and…

  • New Year’s Eve in Manchester: Where is Hot to Go?

    Featured image: WendyWei.pexels With the most anticipated night of the year right around the corner, the big question is looming: where are you going to celebrate it? Whether you dread it or count down the days, are new to the Manchester nightlife scene or are a regular, we’ve got your New Year’s Eve plans sorted….

  • Fashion predictions for 2025

    By Georgia Robinson Featured image and gallery: Ruby Sharp Get one step ahead of your 2025 aesthetic and plan your outfits for the new year with this guide to all the trends we expect to see next year. Why not jazz up your wardrobe with trending accessories or browse Depop and Vinted for a pre-loved…