10 March 2019 (gig)
11 March 2017
And so it begins - the annual pilgrimage of Stetsons and double denim to North Greenwich - as the UK country music scene celebrates what has now become its crowning glory: the Country 2 Country Musical Festival. Spanning over three days, with the acts on nightly rotation between Dublin and Glasgow, the Festival offers the chance for UK country music fans to watch live in action some of their favourite American arena acts.
Kicking off the weekend, Friday’s festivities saw the seasoned Brad Paisley return to the O2, supported by Chris Young, Jennifer Nettles, Cam and Chase Bryant. Southern accents, dazzling vocals and heavy guitar playing, interspersed with an equal dose of charm and cheese (and more than one ‘God Bless Country Music!’), contributed to a joyful and light-hearted atmosphere, and delivered an evening of happy, healthy Americana.
Jennifer Nettles started off the night with her trademark mix of sass, panache and soaring vocals. Her rendition of Tears to Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World was particularly well received, hinting at political undertones. (Nettles, on her recent album, includes a duet with Jennifer Lopez, partly in Spanish, to celebrate ’the similarities, not differences’, as she puts it between immigrant and mainstream communities in the US).
A UK country music favourite, Chris Young - clearly excited to be back in London, and fresh off the back of his current US number 1 hit single Sober Saturday Night - delivered a high intensity set, with a mix of ballads, upbeat hits and classics. Young was joined on stage by Cassadee Pope for a sparkling rendition of their recent Grammy nominated duet Think of You.
On the Yamaha side stage, Chase Bryant got the crowd’s blood pumping with his rip-roaring vocals in Take it On Back. Later, in a short, sweet acoustic set, the delightful Cam lit up the house with her flawless rendition of hit single Burning House.
Playing to a packed auditorium, country music superstar Brad Paisley brought the night home with his characteristic blend of big guitar and showmanship. Charming the audience with his down-to-Earth sense of humour, wry lyrics and electric guitar playing, Paisley perfectly summed up the evening - and indeed C2C’s overarching ideal - with his observation: “I’m reminded how small the world is, when I come over here and you know all the words to these songs.”
All-in-all, a pitch-perfect start to this year’s C2C.
