Born in the aftermath of vocalist John Powers leaving The La's and Peter Wilkinson leaving Shack, the group took a couple of years to really find their feet and finalise their line-up before debuting in 1995 with the single Finetime. It was apparent almost immediately that shifting around to finalise a lineup was worthwhile, for the group debuted at #17 in the singles chart. Each subsequent release charted that little bit higher, ahead of the release of their, by then, highly anticipated debut album. All Change was released on the 16th October 1995 and romped its way to #7 in the album charts and, perhaps more significantly, attained Platinum status. Cast had arrived and released four studio albums ahead of taking a break in 2001.

Although in the interim years, John Powers focused on solo material, the band reunited in 2011, and since then, they have really defined themselves as more than just Britpop icons; they are stalwarts of the British music scene. However, it would be fair to say that 2025 has been a rather successful one for the quartet, with the opening slot for Oasis booked and a younger generation really engaging with their sound. As they build towards their eighth studio album, Yeah Yeah Yeah, they are taking a moment or two to celebrate the birthday of their debut album.

Performing an old record in full has become something of a moment in music, with many of Cast's peers having undertaken similar tours. The live performance of the album, All Change, exemplifies why their name and sound have endured. Though there are echoes of their contemporaries within their sound, they are also distinctive in many ways.

With a far more diverse age range in their audience than at gigs a few years ago, it is clear that everyone in the crowd knows the record by heart, and they engage in a truly uplifting singalong. Although the former singles Walkaway, Alright and Sandstorm evoke the most vocal responses, it is clear that the body as a whole is very notable.

As the group move on post-album revisit to material new and old, Powers' distinctive voice shows that it hasn't aged a day and that, unlike many, their songwriting did not stall after the debut. This is a band who know their strengths and play to them but are also unafraid of shaking up their formula.

A strong celebration of a stunning debut album.

Cast is in Leeds tomorrow and to find dates and venues for the tour in the north click here