Country to country

[webberg]

Country to country (C2C) is a country music festival that is held in the UK.

This year is was in London, Glasgow and Belfast. Headliners and acts further down the bill circulate between the three venues over the three day festival.

Having visited Nashville a couple of years ago and in an attempt to free ourselves from the image of country music being a guy with a guitar sat in a rocking chair on his porch with a dog at his feet and a truck in the yard, we decided to go along and be educated.

What did we think?

We went on Saturday London. A guy called Dierks Bentley was the headliner with his six piece band. For an hour he and his band displayed great musicianship and some really good tunes. The last 30 minutes was a downer as they morphed into what they clearly thought was a spoof on Back to the Future. That did not play well with us nor most of the audience. Shame really.

Prior to him was Tyler Hubbard. I understand he used to be a band called the Florida Georgia line where he made his name. I've listened to some of that. I understand the former band split in strained circumstances - it happens with musicians. He was perfectly competent but I have to confess that there was nothing that really grabbed the attention.

Prior to that was Chayce Beckham who apparently won some talent contest in the US. Very ordinary.

Prior to that Niko Moon who we considered to be the best act on the night. Lots of energy, variation, light and shade and good voice.

Prior to that Tanner Adell (who we assumed was male) but is in fact a young woman who likes to take to the stage in her swimsuit. Again we had issues telling her songs apart.

the other stages we visited were a mix. Kusha Culpepper = very good. Gareth = very good (especially for a country singer who comes from Ireland). Others? Not for us.

Overall impression is that country music has evolved a lot (I think the influence of Texas Country?) but perhaps has a long way to go.

The vibe around the festival was good. The prices at the O2 extortionate.

We were also struck by the polarising of the bands. None of them had combinations of women and men - it was all one or the other.

Would we go again? Probably not.

[Wolfmiester]

Interesting insight Graham