LIVE: Cassyette / Kid Bookie / CRASHFACE @ O2 Academy Islington, London

Despite the relative infancy of the line-up, the more than respectably sized O2 Academy Islington was humming with anticipation. The evening was rich with promise for a refreshing showcase of London’s alt scene’s brightest new offerings. First up to the mantle was CRASHFACE; the pandemic-born duo stepped out to the stage, a far cry from isolation. The Gerard Way parallels are hard to ignore, with Charlie Hinton stepping out in a blood-stained suit, radiating personality and captivating the audience with a raucous punk performance. Followed by South-East London’s own Kid Bookie, unapologetically impossible to pigeonhole into genre limits, his hip-hop-meets-trap metal performance traversed rapid-fire rap delivery, riff-laden instrumentalism and a unique take on crowd engagement. His pa...