From success with The La’s and Cast, John Power is looking forward to bringing his show Cast, The La’s and Me, to The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds

John Power had a great rock’n’roll apprenticeship as an 18-year-old in Liverpool band, The La’s.

After winning success with their hit There She Goes, he left in 1991 to form Cast and enjoyed platinum-selling albums and seven top 10 hits, including Finetime, Alright and Walkaway.

In his new show Cast, The La’s and Me, coming to The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, on March 20, John will be reflecting on Britpop, the hits and more, mixing well-loved songs with wild, funny and tender stories.

Cast have enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance with their 2024 record, Love Is The Call, with sell-out tours and the invitation to join Oasis on this summer’s stadium tour of the UK and Ireland.

It’s not the first time – Cast famously supported Oasis at their record-breaking 1996 Knebworth show which, for many, marked the zenith of Britpop.

John is looking forward to hitting the road, while probably also wondering when he’ll next get a day off.

In February, he was in Spain recording Cast’s new record. From March to May, he’ll be playing solo dates with Cast, The La’s and Me. In late spring, he’ll be rehearsing for the colossal gigs-of-the-year with Oasis, and only a fool would bet against there being a headline Cast tour once all that’s done.

“We’re pleased with the way things have gone,” says John, ever the master of understatement.

“We seem to have caught a wave, particularly since Love Is The Call. I think at this stage of our career, it was the album we needed to make.”

In his new show, John will be going back to the source: Liverpool. He grew up in a city where music was in the DNA of everyone. “Whether it was hearing The Beatles on the radio or The Bunnymen, Liverpool was a remarkable place to grow up. Music is in our blood, and that’s really how it all started for me.”

He was drawn to bass guitar and in 1986 he was on a course for unemployed musicians, where he met Mike Badger. John, Mike and Lee Mavers became the core trio of The La’s.

Unfortunately, The La’s debut album spelled the end of the band and John moved on. He’d started to write – songs like Alright and Follow Me Down – and had switched from bass to rhythm guitar.

“It was all still ahead of us when we formed Cast. It was a very free and inspiring time. All of a sudden, the dreams started to take care of themselves.”

The band secured support slots with Elvis Costello and Oasis.

“Meeting Liam and Noel was a really important moment and we’ve maintained those relationships. It was incredible to support Liam on his tour and we’re blown away to have been invited to support them this summer.

“We all go back years. The first time we met was when I’d just left The La’s and decided to go see them at this little club in Manchester, to show there were no bad feelings. This young lad came up to me and asked me for a ciggy; it was a 16-year-old Liam. It kind of reaffirms our legacy and authenticates the road and journey that we’ve been on as a band. And now us, Richard Ashcroft and Oasis – talk about Northern Soul! That’s some line-up. We’re about to play the biggest tour of our lives.”

In 1995, Cast’s debut album All Change shot to number seven in the UK charts, reaching double platinum and becoming the fastest selling debut album in the history of the Polydor label. Their sophomore record, Mother Nature Calls, repeated the trick, reaching No 3 on the chart and again securing a platinum disc.

“Britpop was a fine time,” says John. “It was like being in the eye of the hurricane. It taught me a lot. I know how quick it’s gone and I know that if you don’t take notice of what’s happening in the now, it may as well not have happened at all.

“I think with time, like most things, the legends and myths grow – but it was certainly a great time to be in a band and to be a fan of music. There was also an optimism in the air after so long of Tory neglect, but you know, it’s all cycles. We have to make today and tomorrow the place to be – the here and now is where it’s at. When you’re young and immortal, you think it’s going to last forever. But like everything in life, it’s a seasonal occupation.”

Cast split and through the 2000s John released three solo records before deciding to reform the band.

Explaining their successful 2024 album, Love Is The Call, he says: “I kept getting this feeling of a space that existed somewhere between the end of The La’s and the beginning of Cast – a space I hadn’t really explored – so Love Is The Call was that space. It had a vibe, a kind of psychedelic pop album, with a rock ‘n’ roll, punky beats and a bouncing bass, jumping acoustics and some blistering electrics.

“I’m looking forward to telling a few of the stories, to looking back and to looking forward and to playing some of the songs that people know and love.”

John Power, March 20, 7.30pm, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds. See theapex.co.uk or call 01284 758000