The Appleseed Cast are a post rock/emo band hailing from Kansas, USA. On the 21st October they made their UK debut at The Haunt in Brighton. The crowd they drew were all long standing fans, some of whom had been waiting nearly a decade for the band to make the trip overseas, and they weren’t disappointed. With soaring guitars, intricate drums and soft vocals, The Appleseed Cast filled the room with uplifting harmonies. For a moment, watching such a band in this intimate a setting, it felt as though time had stopped. The audience were only brought back to reality when guitarist, Taylor Helenbeck asked the crowd whether it was, ‘too cold to go swimming’. Immediately, voices piped up about offering to go swimming with the band and several songs were then introduced as being, ‘about swimming’, with the band joking that they were actually ‘a swimming concept band from Kansas’.
Support came from Irish band Amidships, who gave a strong, passionate and melodic performance and left the audience wanting more. Second support came from local band Imbium, who drew a home crowd and played their indie rock style with endless bursts of energy.
As the climbing melodies came to an end, applause filled the room from a crowd of all ages, in collective appreciation for the band that had just filled the darkest corners of The Haunt with sparkling music.
Words and Photography by Jennifer McCord
