Live Review Cassidy Paris - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate Saturday 23rd May 2026
They say that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. In her own words, Cassidy Paris “went through some shit last year”. In rock & roll / Spinal Tap terms, you could say “if life gives you shit, make a shit sandwich”, or, as Cassidy has done – turn all the crap, setbacks and trauma into a bitching good set of songs and get back out there.
And so, it came to pass, that the young Aussie rock chick did come back to finish what she started – stronger, older and wiser after a string of recent positive experiences, and with a second album ‘Bittersweet’ to share.
To start the show, Cassidy is in ‘Bad Cop’ persona for ‘Walking on Fire’ and the set includes other fan favourites from her very strong debut album ‘New Sensation’ including ‘Like I Never Loved You’ and ‘Danger’, plus a throbbing and pulsating ‘Midnight Desire’. Incidentally, The Dreadnought is perfect for midnight desires on a Saturday night, as its upstairs rock club is open until about 3AM. Equally, it is also good for a quick getaway back to Edinburgh, with trains at 22:46 and 23:16 from the nearby station and there were quite a few Edinburgh folks in the crowd after this gig was switched from the now under-renovation Bannerman’s Bar. I’m sure most of them saw it as an upgrade in terms of facilities.
The bitter and the sweet are on show from that second album, including ‘Butterfly’, ‘Wannabe’ and ‘Getting Better’ and for sure, Cassidy is getting better. Her voice seems even stronger, she’s got some kick-ass stage moves and she is very mature, polished, entertaining and professional. Her mix of big 80s rock (a hint of Heart and Pat Benatar here and there) blended with a modern diva vibe (think Lzzy Hale or P!nk) is ready for the big stages, and that’s where she’s been already this year.
Not only did Cassidy play alongside some big-name label-mates at Frontiers Festival in Italy recently, she also compered the show, and did a fantastic job by all accounts. Prior to that, she also appeared on the Monsters of Rock Cruise with another batch of mega-names. Cassidy is used to mixing with the stars, in fact she was born into it. Her dad, Steve Janevski is one of Australia’s top blokes and top guitarists and he is known for his stints in Black Majesty, The Radio Sun and now Wicked Smile. He’s on guitar duties again on this tour, alongside drummer Pete Newdeck and a sexy Brazilian bass-playing guitarist called Vinnie Tex.
A highlight on the ship was singing Danger Danger’s classic song ‘I Still Think About You’ with that band’s legendary singer / good guy Ted Poley – twice actually (his set and hers). Cassidy went solo on that one tonight, to great effect, but she does get to duet with her new BFF, Russ from Fireheart, on ‘Nothing Left to Lose’ later.
After her “Annus Horribilis” last year, Cassidy is having an “Annus F*cking Great-is” this year and it’s not over yet. She’s back in July for a few more dates, including the Maid of Stone festival, and it sounds look like there’s more great stuff to be announced shortly.
Fair play to Cass. She did come back to complete what she had commenced, but she’s not finished yet. Not by a long way. Watch this space.