07 March 2015 (gig)
25 March 2015
I’m looking straight at a chap who’s chewing tobacco and spitting into his beer cup. Oh, and he’s dressed in camo-covered dungarees and a baseball cap. This has to be the deep south and that guy must be carrying – surely?
Nope. I’m at 2015’s Country to Country (C2C) at The O2 and, based on the clientele, it feels even more authentic than previous years. The headliners are, again, big-hitters, but as a progression, the festival has launched several new bits and bobs.
First up on Saturday, as per, is a mooch around to check out some up-and-coming acts on the pop-up stages scattered across the venue. Ward Thomas are doing a spot on the Brooklyn Bowl Stage and within minutes it’s easy to see why crowds were lining up as far as the eye could see to catch them. They’re songs contain hook after hook after hook. Push For The Stride and Cartwheel are the highlights.
Not long after, it’s time for the first act in the main arena: Brandy Clark, who looks like she’d rather be anywhere but, and aside from the occasional mention of how happy she is to ‘be here’, it is safe to assume she is looking forward to her exit. Despite that, when you listen in to the lyrics, her wit cuts through and her whole thing starts to make sense: she’s dry, not drab, and subtle, not exaggerated. Even more importantly, it’s worth remembering that this is a woman who has written innumerable hits for household name country artists.
Next up, it’s Lee Ann Womack - she’s as country as it gets. She has the right tone and twang in her voice; that whole sweet-dixie-mama thing going on; and the classic-style country songs to back it up. She is pure class and through a version of Hope You Dance that just oozes out.
Between the bigger acts, several artists appear on the official Pop-Up Stage, which juts out from behind the mixing desk in the main arena, including ‘that chap from Nashville’, Sam Palladio. It’s a nice touch and helps break up the gaps between music, encouraging me to drink less. I think. Which is good – this Jack Daniels is going down a treat.
If Lee Ann Womack was all class and refinement, Florida Georgia Line are all dick-swinging gusto. And it’s horrible. They’ve got a few good numbers in their set, but it’s like the musical equivalent of chewing down on a bag full of Haribo. It makes my back teeth hurt. Luke Bryan is better and the songs have more impact, but still not really my cup of tea.
On to Sunday. The line-up is a little weaker, but there are still a few worth seeing. I start with Jon Randall & Jessi Alexander who, like Brandy Clark, are both songwriters, with more material in their back catalogue than most artists could dream of writing in their whole careers. Great way to start the day.
To be honest though, today is all about Lady Antebellum who, having played The Brooklyn Bowl at the tail end of last year, seem to have mastered how to keep a UK audience engaged. As people they seem genuine; their songs also have plenty of real about them and are all extremely catchy. Tracks like Need You Now, American Honey and the barnstomping Bartender go down a treat.
In sum, country music looks like it’s here to stay and, with a slightly stronger line-up, to match the strength of 2014's, this festival is likely to go from strength-to-strength. We might not be in ol’ dixie, but it seems like the UK has plenty of that southern spirit to go around.
