review and photography by Lucy Fudge
Known for her flamboyant personality, high-energy pop anthems, and remarkable stamina, Caity Baser established herself as a force to be reckoned with some time ago, blasting across stages in a whirlwind of singing, dancing and sass. Walking out of the station I can already see the long line of fans waiting excitedly for the third night of the ‘Watch That Girl (She’s Gonna Sing It) Tour’ in London. The sold-out run of intimate piano shows is a new endeavour for Caity, showcasing her music in a way that has never happened before. She’s taken away her usual band and extravagant outfits, and instead left herself with a chair, a pianist, and a few dozen sunflowers.
Appearing dramatically in the doorway, Caity sashays onto the stage, launching a sunflower into the crowd before taking a seat and picking up her microphone. She is joined onstage by the immensely talented Ze U’Chong at the piano, and they waste no time getting on with the show.
She opens the show with ‘Watch That Girl (She’s Gonna Say It)’, the first single from her upcoming album, and in true Caity fashion she doesn’t remain seated for long. Despite her recent injury and resulting leg brace, she dances across the stage singing with the crowd excitedly. Before jumping into the new music, she opens up about how the events of the past year have helped her to grow and begin writing about things that she never felt comfortable writing about before. She remains seated for the first few unreleased tracks, easing herself – and the audience – into this unexplored environment, before returning to something more familiar with an acoustic piano cover of ‘X&Y’.
“When I was younger, something happened to me that shouldn’t have happened to me. And I never wanted to talk about it because it was sad and I felt ashamed.” Caity glances down at her feet, then looks back up with a gently confident smile and says, “But now that I have found the words, I don’t feel ashamed. I feel empowered… and the motherfucker who did this to me is dead now, so this is ‘The Weight of You (I’m Glad You Died)’!” The crowd meet Caity with supportive cheers as the song begins, and she launches into an emotional ballad, which brings tears to more than a couple of eyes.
The evening plays out like a piano lounge/girls’ night sleepover fusion, with Caity sharing snippets of her past, and the crowd listening with open ears and hearts. Every new song she shares shines a light on a part of her we haven’t seen before, offering insight into her experiences and songwriting process.
“This is all very scary, standing, singing songs at you that you don’t know. It’s very scary, but I feel very safe at the same time.” She smiles, and the piano plays the familiar introduction to ‘Kiss You’ as Caity conducts the audience like a choir in a unique rendition of the track. Her smile grows, and she jumps around with excitement as the song concludes. She turns and compliments the crowd on their talent before floating the idea of a karaoke tour.
She returns to her seat and looks at the crowd, giggling and kicking her feet as she announces that she has fallen in love. Her excitement is matched as a wave of delight floods the room, and Caity opens up more about how this has changed her outlook on the world and relationships. The lights and her face warm as she belts the lyrics to “As I Am” whilst continuing to kick her feet and bounce up and down.
“This is little CB in her cargo jeans,” Caity says, pulling her photographer out of the shadows and pointing at the photo on his pass. “For years and years, I had ignored her, and forgotten the girl that got me through all the things that shaped me as a woman,” she explains. “The person that held my hand the whole way through, was baby Caity,” she gestures to the height that she once was. “So this song is for her, and me, and us and you… everybody. This is called ‘Beautiful Girl’.”
As the crowd recover from another gorgeous and emotional song, Caity begins prancing dramatically around the stage for ‘Pretty Boys’ before wrapping up the night with the second single from the album, ‘Running From Myself’. As the song concludes she throws a few more sunflowers into the crowd and bows dramatically before floating off stage while the crowd screams excitedly.
For many artists, taking the glamour and the theatrics away could be a risky move, but Caity’s capability as a vocalist is just as strong as her enthusiasm as a performer, captivating the crowd with her rich and powerful vocals and emotive lyrics.
Caity Baser has always bounced around stages and had a contagious smile, but something about this intimate environment and newer, more vulnerable side makes her appear lighter, like a floating cloud instead of a blasting whirlwind. Whether it be the result of falling in love or the catharsis of songwriting, this new era of music looks wonderful on Caity, and the upcoming album will be well worth the wait.
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