Up and coming Australian singer Cassidy Paris must be acquiring a record number of Air Miles as she makes a real effort to crack the UK: this was the third time I have seen her since May alone, once at the Cavern and then getting a wonderful Maid of Stone Festival off to a flying start.

Despite that exposure, I have to be honest and say I was sceptical she was playing the 100 Club and wondered if she was being too ambitious. Pleased to say there was a good sized crowd and the way the front row were all wearing her t-shirts suggests all that roadwork is paying off.

The turnout was also helped by a fair few there to see Star Circus who were on home soil, and in return they were rewarded with a generous hour long support set. After opening with the speedy ‘Over and Over’ and ‘Times Get Tough’, their set really took off for me with the Kinks-like satire of ‘One Hit Wonder’ and catchy ‘Love Is the Enemy’ with ‘hey heys’ that the crowd could pick up on.

Mainman Dave Winkler’s newest recruit is guitarist Joel Chalk and the intro to ‘Chained to You’ was the first of many times the two combined in harmony fashion. Though some songs such as ‘The Wreckage’ did not quite hit the mark for me, their love of a series of classic seventies and eighties influences- Thin Lizzy and Cheap Trick being probably the most obvious- make them highly listenable.

Dave’s partner Sophie Aurelia Young plays a big part with her stylish bass playing, backing vocals and even on ‘Masquerade’, another with twin guitars prominent, a lead vocal. ‘Last Dance’ was another rapid fire number and ‘Destiny’s Door’ superb with some great solos that reminded me of Thunder and Lightning-era Thin Lizzy. That impression was reinforced by Joel’s similarity in playing style to John Sykes, and a particularly fine solo from him enlivened ballad ‘Two Odds Make An Even’.

In the latter part of the set it seemed as if every song was hitting a new height, concluding in ‘Gina in a Bottle’, combining a punchy energy with a memorable chorus, and the hypnotic riffing of ‘Save Your Life’. I have to declare that Dave is a longstanding friend of mine, and having paid his dues on the circuit for a long time, is deservedly starting to reap the rewards with Star Circus.

Cassidy Paris raced in from the wings, waving an Australian flag and dressed in tartan tie with skirt trim to match, like Avril Lavigne paying homage to the Bay City Rollers. She worked the stage with exhausting energy to the big hooks of opener ‘Walking on Fire’ and the pop punk of ‘Wannabe’, then donned guitar for ‘Stronger’ which had an autobiographical feel, and among originals like ‘Finish What We Started’ and ‘Midnight Desire’, she really made Danger Danger’s ‘I Still Think About You’ her own. Unexpectedly she also previewed a new song in ‘Fundamentally’.

An expanded line up, with Dad Stevie Janevski in his more comfortable lead guitar role, and seasoned players Pete Newdeck, Ian Nash and Fred Hale has toughened her sound. I did hear a few grumbles about a muddy mix but the rough and ready sound in no way spoiled my enjoyment.

Up to now I had been less of a fan of most recent album ‘Bittersweet’ than its predecessor ‘New Sensation’, but on this night I found its lead off cut ‘Butterfly’ really making an impact on me, before a couple of my long-standing favourites: the big choruses of ‘Danger’, whose verses always remind me of Vixen’s ‘Edge of a Broken Heart’, and the bouncing power chords of ‘Like I Never Loved You’.

Cassidy’s likeability also comes across strongly- you could feel her pride in playing a venue that has such a history with some of the famous acts she namechecked, and while some artists might view it as a necessary evil, during the set she actively encouraged people to stay for a meet and greet.

‘Getting Better’ and ‘Turn Around and Kiss Me’, the latter’s ‘hey hey hey heys’ sparking a singalong, were both catchy pieces of pop rock not dissimilar from the sound of Stevie’s old band The Radio Sun: in between a classic example of the power ballad in ‘Here I Am’ showcased her voice, though the traditionalist in me regrets the taped keyboards.

And yet her versatility was shown by ‘Nothing Left to Lose’ having a grungier and even at times nu-metal feel, though still just the right side of melodic. Although the set was only an hour and a quarter it flew by with great pace and energy, none more so than on the closing cover of W.E.T’s ‘Watch the Fire’, which seemed to have developed an extra bounce since those summer gigs and saw her finish as she started, covering every inch of the stage.

To play such a prestigious London venue was a dream come true for Cassidy Paris. The impressive performance- indeed of both bands on this thoroughly enjoyable evening- suggest that the best is still yet to come and those frequent flyer points will come in handy.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

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Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the first show broadcast on 27 September. Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 20 September 2026.

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Power Plays w/c 28 September 2026

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – Halo (Frontiers)
THUNDERMOTHER Bimbo Boost (Napalm Records)
ELYSION Dead Loves (Massacre Records)
CHRIS JOHNSON & THE HOLLYWOOD HILLBILLIES Till The End Of Time (Rustbelt Electric)
LAKE Ordinary People (indie)
CRASHING WAYWARD Bullet For Heart (Golden Robot Records)
DEAD POET SOCIETY Miami For The Weekend (Spinefarm)

Featured Albums w/c 28 September 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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