As The Shires leave the stage after their version of the classic Islands in the Stream, and the initial high, a few things start to niggle away. However that’s a couple of hours away as before them we have John and Jacob.
Hailing from Alabama they play a short set of Country and Americana with some south of the border horns thrown in for good measure. With plenty of talk, banter and feel good music they went down very well.
There’s a palpable anticipation before The Shires take the stage. But the slight gamble of opening with Nashville Grey Skies - arguably their best known song – pays off as its greeted like a familiar friend, getting the audience up on their feet, rolling with the good ‘ol Country vibes.
There’s little sign of nerves from Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle being seasoned performers. That said the fact that they have a band should add an extra dimension to the performance but as they are very much a backing band, the dynamic doesn’t change that much up front.
So it’s the duo to the fore and with their natural warmth and gentle between song banter, they easily carry the set. They also sound as good as ever and the beauty of their voices and harmonies really can’t be overstated. As such, its easy to pick any song from the set but tonight album high point State Lines is absolutely sublime as is the jauntier All Over Again.
By their own admission they lean towards ballads but they can raunch it up a bit as with Jekyll and Hyde, though Friday Night, which could be a bit of a rocker, does lack a certain pizzazz. There’s also a drift towards cheeseland with the my-side-can-sing-louder-than-your side for closing number Tonight.
The niggles were that their band looked underused, and at times the set felt a little too cosy, just lacking an edge. So the aggression and dirt-under-the-fingernails of Jekyll and Hyde is very welcome. It’s a minor matter and doesn’t detract from a consummate performance and the feeling that The Shires are a bit special.
Check out the Music-News.com exclusive interview with The Shires below.
