1995
was one hell of a year for Cast. Only Oasis managed to storm
onto the UK music scene so fast and creating such a stir.
These days, John Power has become something of a institution
as a mystic soul brother with a wide eyed vision on life,
love and the universe.
Two hit
albums, loads of top 20 singles and a endless series of manic
gigs that saw Cast's vigorous and vibrant beat send hundreds
of fans absolutely delirious all over the country. They've
defied the odds in many ways and absorbed the inevitable flak
superbly. Not many bands could follow Oasis' rapid rise to
success especially so soon after but Cast did it. Not on the
same scale but in some style all the same.
The secret
of their success lies not only in their self belief and willingness
to succeed but the added strength they have gained by spending
several years prior to their big time arrival carefully piecing
things together and waiting for the right moment to strike.
First
of all John Power had to quit the frustrating existence of
being a member of the La's and get his shit together. A tall
order in itself and a celebrated but much maligned past that
John may never snake off his back no matter how hard he tries.
Cast will always be compared to the La's but they are strong
enough to survive on their own merit. He then formed Cast
and found himself in control of his own destiny for the first
time in his life.
By the
time lady luck pointed Cast on the way to the toppermost of
the poppermost John Power and his band had already developed
into a classic powerful beat combo capable of outliving any
fashion.
'All
Change' was an album that instantly defined NOW (destined
to remain timeless) by including effervescent pop songs that
spoke volumes about Cast's optimistic, against all odds zest
for the better things in life. Music by believers for believers.
Not for the slacker pack. Eager to spread their vibe to others
using the magical medium of music to communicate and make
people happy and fulfilled. Watching, knowingly while the
world at large collapse before them. Through three minutes
of pure pop from Cast you really do feel that elated and boy,
do they get flack for that?
They may
never save the world but you name a band that has. Don’t begrudge
their honest and well meaning aspirations to do so.
As well
as the optimism they also portray a sensitive world weary
view shared by most young people which makes their most melancholic
work more than spiritual. Most of the ‘All Changes’
bleaker moments hark back to John's days spent going nowhere
fast with The La's. ‘Four Walls' is the most stunning frank
and open document of days long gone. Anyone who has felt claustrophobic
with the pressures of life would relate to those sorrowful,
reflective boxed in sentiments.
Ready
Steady Go caught up with John Power about those early days
and beyond back in 1995...
Did
you always feel you wanted to do something different whilst
in the La’s?
"When
you’re in something you don’t think about any of this, you
just think of things to yourself you know? I'm more interested
in my songs than anyone else’s. I had a couple, Fine Time
was just being written. The rest have been written since I
left"
You
did Fine Time acoustically with the La's?
 "Yeah,
that's where Peter (Bass} seen me. I was doing some free festival
in Liverpool. I'd seen Peter around town and that. I've been
dying to get out of the studio and that’s what Cast are, a
live band. The inspiration's been there from day one. Alright
we’ve been in the studio, then on the road then back in the
studio but the inspiration has always been there. We just
want to pass some of that inspiration on as a live band".
Power
instantly appears to be brimming with confidence. He speaks
at a hundred miles per hour and now and again gets all mystical
but his feet are firmly on the ground with no ego to be spotted
for miles around. I asked John, where does he get the confidence
to do what he set out to do?
"Well
I don’t buy it! I just believe it. I’m just the way I am if
you like. I'm more confident now ‘cos I know what I'm about
and I know what the band are about. So I'm happy and I’m confident.
In the past when the band wasn't there the confidence and
the songs were but it was a case of meeting the right people".
Power
has earned his own success on merit. It's a fight and a tough
business to crack. You need a bit of luck but you also need
to passionately believe in what you do. It's obvious from
just spending two minutes with John Power that his enthusiasm
is truly engrossing and highly infectious. Where others would
be quick to right him off, it was only a matter of time to
find a common bond with others to fill his ambitions. You've
gotta understand where Cast are coming from. The press on
the whole have bent over backwards to pour accolades onto
Cast but there are many ready and waiting to jump on the bandwagon
backlash. You sense it's only fashion and demand that pushes
some scribes to reluctantly feature them in their pages. You
see they are not your average critics' idea of saviours of
pop. There's a lot of snobbery in the music biz and if you
don't pile on the make up, wear stupid clothes, talk bollocks
or act the fool then you have a real battle on your hands.
Cast
are a street band. They are lads, but not in the laddish sense.
They are casuals, they look cool but are no way Retro Mods.
They are straight outta Terrace culture where clothes, music
and footy matter. They come across as nothing more but themselves.
What
kind of experiences have you learnt from your previous involvement
in the music business with the La's?
"Just
learnt how to do it and how not to do it!"
Did
you learn a lot from Lee Mavers?
"Of course,
in the sense if you write a song, it's got to be good. If
you can judge your songs like someone else can, then you're
on the right tracks and that's what Lee's about".
His past
looks set to cling onto him for a long time but he shows no
signs of letting it get to him. Obviously keen to forge ahead
with his new band he does at least have respect for his former
partner in crime even if the feeling from Lee Mavers isn't
mutual. Some time age the creatively stunted Lee Maver's was
spouting somewhat unfairly about John stealing his thunder
in the papers but Cast earned their success on their own terms.
You only had to witness their early gigs to instantly capture
their appeal or the subsequent live manic gigs in front of
delirious crowds to see how devoted people are to Cast present,
not Cast the past.
It
must be good to finally away from the frustrating days you
spent with the La's?
"It is,
because we're touring, recording, getting about. In the past
with the La's, its like, fucking hell, we're busting a gut
and people aren't noticing it".
Such was
the frantic pace of Cast's rise to fame there's not been much
time for John Power to be crying over spilt milk and you get
the impression he wouldn't be anyway, such is his enthusiasm.
"It's
dead exciting. Reality is here, there and everywhere. So we're
buzzing mate. Lt's been great".
These
are the words of a 'Mad For It' band, grabbing every chance
they get. Cast toured All Change all over the world
before getting round to recording their second album. Working
like crazy, playing the same songs over and over again would
have tested the resilience of many bands. John Power was well
prepared for the mighty onslaught.
"Well
hopefully we've got good organisation. It's all about working
it out, planning. So we know where we're going and how to
do it. So hopefully we'll keep that up".
What
does John Power write about in Cast songs?
"Good
things. I don't write about shopping and shagging. Just life,
things that are good. Hopefully people will listen to the
lyrics. The only reason they would is because they listen
how good the song is first".
And that
is how Cast will entice you. The powerful riff packed pop
songs with soaring harmonies and hooks that suck you in every
time. If that isn't enough you can feed off the good vibes
and optimism that Cast pump out in their simple but effective
verses. They are the classic beat band of the 90's. Its no
wonder the punters have taken them to their hearts.
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