Cast

Led by former The La's bassist John Power, Cast rode the Brit pop wave to a succession of Top 10 hits and popular albums in the 1990s. Initially dismissed as 1960s guitar pop revivalists stealing from The Beatles' back catalogue, it was Noel Gallagher's glowing endorsement that helped draw attention to the band's debut All Change (1995). Produced by John Leckie, it was full of jangling indie pop hooks and became the fastest selling album in Polydor Records' history, producing the singles Finetime, Alright, Sandstorm and Walkaway. Tinged with hazy psych-rock, follow-up Mother Nature Calls (1997) reached Number 4 in the UK helped by the singles Free Me and Live The Dream. But as the Brit pop bubble burst, Magic Hour (1999) and Beetroot (2001) struggled to make an impact and Cast split in 2001. Their influence on Liverpool guitar bands lived on with the likes of The Coral, The Zutons and The Wombats and in 2010 the band reformed for a reunion tour.