AT THE O2, LONDON, UK / THE CLYDE AUDITORIUM, GLASGOW, UK / 3ARENA, DUBLIN, IRELAND
C2C RETURNS FOR ITS FIFTH YEAR IN 2017! Featuring BRAD PAISLEY BROTHERS OSBORNE CAM CHRIS YOUNG DAN AND SHAY DARIUS RUCKER HUNTER HAYES JENNIFER NETTLES MAREN MORRIS ZAC BROWN BAND Plus more to be announced
JOIN US ON 10, 11 & 12 MARCH, 2017
Back for its fifth year Country To Country is delighted to announce the incredible line-up for 2017!
From Friday 10th to Sunday 12th March we will see the return of two of America’s biggest stars, Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band to the festival alongside stellar multi-platinum and acclaimed artists Chris Young, Darius Rucker, Jennifer Nettles, Hunter Hayes, Maren Morris and Cam plus duos Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. Further artists and day splits will be announced in due course.
C2C is UK and Ireland’s largest country music festival bringing three full days of the best in country music and programming that fans have come to love from the world’s best country stars as well as emerging talent from Nashville, UK and Europe.
It follows the storming success of C2C 2016 earlier this year over 80,000 country fans packed out The O2, London, Glasgow Clyde Auditorium and 3Arena Dublin that saw multimillion selling megastars Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Dwight Yoakam, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton plus Maddie and Tae, Andrew Combs and Ashley Monroe.
Country To Country is an incredible opportunity for fans to see their idols come together over one weekend, under one roof and is not to be missed. : http://www.axs.com/c2c 08448 24 48 24 and http://www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051. Tickets for Dublin will be available at http://www.ticketmaster.ie and Glasgow http://www.gigsinscotland.com / 08444 999 990.
The legendary BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Bob Harris says, “It’s amazing to think that C2C is five years old already and also how quickly it has grown. I am personally thrilled to be at the centre of it all and can’t wait for next March to welcome back old friends from Nashville and to introduce some new ones.”
Milly Olykan C2C Festival Director for The O2 said: We are thrilled to be going into our fifth year of Country to Country – it’s been incredible to have established an event that is so hugely anticipated by country fans and artists alike. For us to be presenting many new artists for their first time in the UK and Ireland as well as welcoming some back to C2C is fantastic. The growth of C2C owes so much to BBC Radio 2 and the Country Music Association of America – who are great partners on this festival with us.”
“CMA values C2C as an important vehicle for reaching and developing Country Music fans in the U.K. – especially as we enter the fifth year of our partnership,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “We have seen significant growth in the U.K. market and have capitalized on the success of C2C to develop business relationships that have benefited the music industry, which is an important part of our mission. CMA is looking forward to bringing the CMA Songwriters Series back to C2C and sharing the artistry of the songwriters with their fans in London.”
C2C again brings the spirit of Nashville to the UK – with additional programming still to be announced including the Festival Stages for C2C ticket holders to enjoy – the Yamaha Music Stage, the BBC Radio 2 Stage and the official C2C Aftershows. Free to watch stages will also be back again at The O2.
Watch this space for more artist announcements and day splits to come plus news of The CMA Songwriters series lineup.
The Bluebird Cafe @ Country to Country Featuring Nashville-based singers and songwriters, including Cassadee Pope, Charlie Worsham, Seth Ennis, Logan Brill, Chase Bryant, Josh Osborne, Canaan Smith and Jeff Cohen.
We are very pleased to announce that once again there will be a Bluebird Cafe @ Country to Country. This will be a daytime attraction featuring special performances by Nashville songwriters and stars.
Since opening its doors in Nashville in 1982, The Bluebird Cafe has become a world famous venue where up and coming songwriters and artists rise to fame and build careers. From the novice to the star, all levels of songwriters are welcomed and supported. Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood took crucial early steps at this venue when they were unknown. It is regularly featured in the Nashville TV series.
The Bluebird Cafe @ Country to Country will be ticketed, late morning/early afternoon performances (before the main arena opens) in The O2’s listening room, Club WM at The O2.
The Nashville stars appearing include Cassadee Pope, Charlie Worsham, Seth Ennis, Chase Bryant, Logan Brill and Canaan Smith. The songwriters are Jeff Cohen who has had songs recorded by Sugarland, The Band Perry, Big & Rich and others; and Josh Osborne who has had songs recorded by Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt, Reba and others.
The Bluebird Cafe at C2C Two programming slots on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Saturday 11th March 11.30am – Cassadee Pope, Charlie Worsham and Seth Ennis 1.45pm – Chase Bryant, Logan Brill and Josh Osborne
Sunday 12th March 11am – Canaan Smith, Logan Brill and Jeff Cohen 1.15pm – Charlie Worsham, Josh Osborne and TBC
Each slot will be ticketed and ticket prices are £25 for each session and includes an exclusive Bluebird poster – Tickets can be purchased from Thurs Feb 2 at 9am from: WWW.AXS.COM / 08448 24 48 24 and WWW.GIGSANDTOURS.COM / 0844 811 0051
We are excited to confirm that once again there will be a BBC Radio 2 Country Stage at C2C 2017 at The O2 in London. First names revealed are: Chase Bryant, Seth Ennis, Lucie Silvas, Drake White and The Big Fire, Logan Brill, Canaan Smith, Temecula Road, Charlie Worsham and Cassadee Pope. More to come and dates and times will be announced in February.
The BBC Radio 2 Country Stage will feature US and UK stars and is for C2C Ticket and Wristband Holders, subject to capacity. C2C tickets are still available and Festival Wristbands will be available to buy from The O2 Box Office from Midday Friday 10th March.
This news comes as BBC Radio 2 announce the return of their “BBC Radio 2 Country” pop-up digital service from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 March (12 noon until midnight) which will feature special programmes and live broadcasts from The O2.
Previously advised main stage artists
Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Jennifer Nettles Friday March 10, 2017
Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Hunter Hayes, Dan + Shay Saturday March 11, 2017
Zac Brown Band, Marty Stuart, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne Sunday March 12, 2017
Tickets for C2C are available from: WWW.AXS.COM / 08448 24 48 24 and WWW.GIGSANDTOURS.COM / 0844 811 0051
The Big Feastival is a three day event held during August bank holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday and is held on Alex James (Blur) farm in Kingham– Oxon (Oxfordshire). The Feastival – founded by Jamie Oliver has become a very popular event and is famous for it’s selection of food outlets, live music and celebrity chef’s who do demonstration live cooking for audiences. some of the celebrity chef's that were there were Raymond Blanc, Nadiya hussain, Tom Kerridge, amongst many more.
As well as all the above there are also cooking school events for both adults and children and many activities and workshops throughout the feastival.
Since it’s first year, The Big Feastival has grown and grown and pretty much sells out every year. The line-up of music also seems to Improve yearly- attracting a whole mix of audiences. This year, the line-up included Mark Ronson, Tinie Tempah and Kaiser Chiefs amongst many other great acts.
My family and I have always wanted to visit The Big Feastival and now that we have a son, we thought it was time to check it out, especially as is known not just for food and music but for being very family orientated. My husband, who is a big foodie and a fan of Jamie Oliver was particularly excited to go as watches it on television almost every year.
I, however was mainly there for the food haha. Spending most of my youth at music festivals solely – food festivals have become a guilty pleasure.
As soon as you arrive you are greeted by a huge standing Big Feastival sign and can smell the wondrous foods that fill the air from all over. Right near the entrance was a vintage fair for the kids to have fun from the start. With the old fashioned swings, the fields were filled with excited screams and happy, smiley faces. There were food tents full of various food stalls selling all sorts of goodies from herbs and spices to organic brownies. Shabby Chic wooden signs were scattered throughout the festival to act as your guide, pointing the way to each and every area.
As we walked into the Main Arena, we were delighted to catch the start of Reggie N Bollie, two singers who were on last years X Factor and became fast favourites. The children in the audience loved every minute as did the adults. Reggie N Bollie are so much fun and did not disappoint, they had so much energy and stage presence that they brought life to the festival in a positive and up beat way – it is no wonder the sun shone so brightly for their set because after that, well…the rain came down like nobodies business, in fact, it was a storm as thunder was roaring and loud bangs filled the sky. In a mad dash panic, every guest ran for shelter. Having a buggy, this was hard but we made it into a food tent which of course, prompts impulse buying and Impulse buy we did. We bought two very lovely Organic Brownies from Fair and Square Chocolate Brownies, one Raspberry and one Salted Caramel, yum yum yum! Well what could I do but gorge on them right away? We were stuck after all haha! The rain seemed to subside, for a while anyway as we made our way back to the main arena and queued for some lovely Macaroni Cheese from Anna Mae’s Mac N Cheese whilst my husband had A Big Apple Hot dog with all the toppings. Both were delicious.
As we had the little one, we ventured off into the kids area called Little Dude’s Den. If the weather had not been so bad I would have liked to have explored more than I did. What caught my eye right away was these two huge eyes that were in one of the trees – what a wonderful idea, it looked fantastic! It’s the little details that make all the difference hey?
We went straight to the stalls and I was drawn in by a lovely baby food company named Babease who produce organic vegetable baby food. Babease were giving away samples for donations to Jamie Oliver’s charity The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation – The Charity teaches essential food skills to help people make better food choices for a healthier life and runs a number of successful programmes helping young people overcome disadvantages to create better futures for themselves working in the food industry.
As well as food samples we were kindly given a baby bib and a bag for mummy (me) and some good advice on weaning. If you want to check them out please visit http://www.babease.co
I found myself reverting back to my childhood as I beamed with joy when I saw two large buses from Hasbro, one for Transformers and one for My Little Pony. We did not get a chance to go in as had the buggy and there were big queues but I found out a little more about it here http://www.senselondon.com/hasbros-transformers-tour-hits-road-summer/
I was very pleased to see a small version of Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park where we saw gorgeous geese, delightful donkeys, glorious goats, lovely little lambs, bouncing bunnies, perfect little piglets and cute tiny chicks.
Alas, came down the rain again and with a vengeance. Of course, this is not the feastivals fault but mother nature. What a shame! Luckily we had a rain cover for our son but sadly, my shoes filled so much that they ended up with holes in them, our clothes were soaked so much so that they clung to our skin and I sneezed so much so that they my nose was running faster than Usain Bolt!
A few main stage acts were cancelled ( Zak Abel and Clean Cut Kid) due to the weather which, despite being a shame, was the safest option for everyone. Things went back to schedule in time for Reverend and The Makers, Reef, The Cuban Brothers, Ella Henderson, DJ Fresh and headliner Tinie Tempah. The crowds did not let the remaining bit of rain put them off as they danced and sang during every act. The children seemed to really enjoy every act. None of the standing area for the artists were crowded in a way you would find at a regular music festival, everyone was respectful of their neighbour and looked out for one another.
Seeing Reef made my day as were a band I saw many times in my teens and brought back many memories.
I highly recommend Big Feastival to anyone, especially if you have a family and want to introduce them to their first festival and for it to be enjoyable and child friendly. There is so much to do for adukts and children, so much we didn't see and so much food we had no room to eat. We passed bars, Alex James Cheese Hub, Crepe stalls, Dumplings, bakery stalls, meat stalls, you think of it – they had it! Arrive with an empty stomach, bring plenty of money and just in case, DO NOT FORGET YOUR WELLIES – I learnt the hard way.
I had never heard of Bracknell Festival until I was told that The Shires were going to be headlining. Looking further, it seemed like it was going to be a lovely event. A festival in just a day, it had an attractive draw with not just The Shires playing, but a great line up in general, with 90’s band Space and chart toppers The Hoosiers, as well as many other performers.
Tickets were just £30 for adults, £8 for children from 6 yrs to 17yrs and a VIP option at £110 – I was intrigued to check out the perks of the VIP option, as i wanted to see if it was worth it! More about that later!
Upon arrival, there were three entrances: the main entrance, the VIP entrance and the Press/Artists entrance.
The VIP area was in the bar/restaurant area, inside the main building, with a fenced-off veranda outside complete with picnic tables and benches.
The layout of the festival was very easy. The main stage was located on the main field which was surrounded by various food and drink outlets for paying customers and there were various kids’ areas, including face painting, bouncy castle/slide and a stall selling inflatable guitars and microphones which many children were running around with. There was also a stall with headphones to test out music for a silent disco. Guests were allowed to bring portable chairs and blankets, which many people did, so they could relax in the sun whilst listening to good music.
As well as the main stage, we had a secret garden stage where local artists played an acoustic set. This was lovely and located just up some stone steps on a small balcony where people sat on the grass and listened to the artists. From what I could hear, the music was all of great quality and we did manage to catch a young girl called Rebecca Jayne who is a local Country singer. Rebecca had a lovely gentle tone to her voice which sounds beautiful acoustically. Rebecca has released a single on iTunes called I Want More which charted in the top 100 iTunes Country Music Charts and can be purchased here: Listen to I Want More – Single by Rebecca Jayne on @AppleMusic.
I think Rebecca has a great deal of talent and potential and I would be interested to hear more.
We caught the last few songs of Australian Country singer Caddy Cooper. Caddy has a very powerful voice which created volumes of sound surrounding the entire festival. With a confident and fun stage presence, Caddy was impressive, crowd pleasing and left people in awe of her vocal ability.
Sally Barker was the next main stage artist we watched. Achieving recognition from her appearance on The Voice as Sir Tom Jones’ contestant, Sally proved to her audience just why she belonged on the stage – with vocal perfection showing years of experience and talent, her sound was of the folk genre and was simply beautiful.
I was especially excited about Space. This was a band I spent a lot of time going to see when I was a teenager, especially around the Reading area in clubs such as Alleycat Live! Space were as good as ever, with great personalities and fun banter – and of course, great music. They played all the hits we love, such as Neighbourhood, Female Of The Species, Avenging Angels, Me And You Vs The World and Mister Psycho. The audience sang along to pretty much every song and the band seemed very happy to be there and enjoyed interacting with the crowd. Their set brought back so many great memories and I was so happy to have seen them and not to be disappointed. I believe Space have a new album coming out soon so watch this Space! Ha!
The Hoosiers were up next – one band I have never had the pleasure of seeing before and they really blew me away. The band in general played such an impressive set with amazing guitar skills. Lead singer Irwin Sparkes was thrilled to be there as Bracknell was his home town and it was funny to hear stories of his school. I never actually knew just how good The Hoosiers were – obviously I knew their big hits: Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A, but all their songs were really very good and they certainly deserve significantly more recognition, as they are far more talented than a many of the artists charting today. I would go see The Hoosiers again. They have four albums out which I will certainly be purchasing.
Next up were headliners, The Shires. Now, being a huge fan, I knew what to expect, but for those of you who do not know them – The Shires are a top ten album charting Country Pop Duo from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. They have recently taken the music industry by storm with their music and live performances, touring with greats such as Sir Tom Jones, The Corrs and American superstars Little Big Town. With a Grand Ole Opry debut under their belt – The Shires have made their mark in Country Music and have paved the way for other UK Country artists and helped make the Country Music scene in the UK a scene to be proud of. As their lyrics say ‘we can build our own Nashville underneath these grey skies’– which we certainly have now.
Throughout the day I saw people in ‘The Shires’ T-shirts, which was a lovely thing to see. As soon as it was time for them to come onto the stage the crowds got bigger and the atmosphere excitable. With the band coming on stage first, we were hyped up when they played the intro to All Over Again. Crissie and Ben, who make up The Shires, skipped on stage with beaming smiles looking amazing in smart-casual attire. The audience were really enthusiastic throughout, singing every word back to The Shires with such passion. I say passion, because I saw many people sing with their partners or friends, whilst holding hands and singing to each other. Also, peoples’ eyes were welling up during the heartfelt ballads such as Brave and I Just Wanna Love You and everyone was belting songs such as Friday Night, Tonight and NashvilleGrey Skies. Songs off the new album – Save Me and Beats To Your Rhythm did not disappoint, and it was great to see Beats To Your Rhythm live with it being the current and debut single off the new album My Universe. The live version of that song was electric and fun, with the drum beat and ‘Hey’s’ making it a song I can see being a live favourite amongst fans. Crissie’s vocals are undeniably flawless as she hits every note with what seems such ease. Her vocal range is very wide and she has the ability to captivate the crowd with not just her vocals but her personality and appearance too. Ben Earle always seems so humble on stage, always grateful to his audience. He was beaming throughout the set, impressing the audience with his vocals, guitar skills and keyboard playing. The Shires write almost all their own material with a few co-writes with other songwriters and played an impressive set with all catchy, infectious, beautiful songs leaving the audience blown away and fulfilled. I heard many people who had never seen them before say how amazing they were.
Overall, Bracknell Festival was a lovely, fun, family Festival which shouldn't be ignored. It was very well organised giving it a relaxed, fun atmosphere with many things to do and see.
If you are local and love music or just want a fun-family day out, then this is a must. If a band you love is playing and you are not local then the trip is worth it!
I did speak to a few people who raised concern about the festival now charging when previous years were free and I understand the dilemma. However, I have to say that with the calibre of artists we had this year – and with The Shires’ rising fame – you will fail to find a more intimate setting to see such artists again so, in my opinion, £30 is good value. As I previously mentioned, children under 6 were free and children from 6 to 17 were only £8 -perhaps next year they can offer a family package ticket to offer a discounted overall price – but, in all honesty, if they keep securing great artists then it isn’t necessary.
Regarding the VIP option – a lot depends on how much you want to eat and drink throughout the day (and whether you have to drive home or not!). Bearing in mind the generally high prices charged at festivals – especially for alcoholic drinks – and the unlimited amounts of good quality hot and cold food (such as Beef Stir Fry & Noodles, Lamb Curry, Cod & Chips and with various sandwiches and cakes), constantly refreshed all day – then maybe the premium of £80 isn’t so much. On top of this, of course, you do get your own separate VIP area to eat & relax in, and the opportunity to see many of the artists who also hang out in the VIP area.
UK Country Music duo The Shires held a secret launch party at Embankment One in London on Thursday July 14th.
The purpose of the event was to showcase new songs that will feature on The Shires second album MY UNIVERSE which is to be released October 7th.
Fans had to enter a contest to gain access to this event which held only a couple of hundred people. At 6pm doors opened and fans were lead up some stairs then down again to a standing area in front of a stage. The balcony was held for press and media outlets as well as family and friends including co writers to some of The Shires songs Nina Nesbitt and Twinnie Lee Moore and new country duo Darline. There were very many familiar faces amongst the fans, some of whom had been strong supporters of The Shires since the very beginning of their career back in 2014 when their first single Nashville Grey Skies was released.
Bob Harris-Radio 2 DJ and Country Music fan who hosts a Country Radio hour every Thursday at 7pm – introduced the duo before they took to the stage. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes who make up The Shires, then came on stage after their band played the intro to Nashville Grey Skies. The audience cheering and applauding their arrival set a great atmosphere. The fans sang along to every word with The Shires as they looked into the crowd smiling and waving to those they recognised.
Addressing the crowd and briefly talking about their career journey so far, The Shires introduced new song I’m not even drunk rightnow which was a fun up- beat track and I can see becoming a crowd pleaser at future shows. Beats To Your Rhythm was the next new song which was more of a repetitive song but a good fast paced song with a much more rocky sound than Shires fans are used to. Title track to new album My Universe seemed more of an anthem track with uplifting lyrics and a nice melody. As well as adding a more rocky sound to their material, The Shires have stayed true to their stylings, especially with their talent to always produce stunning ballads, so fans were left very emotional and entranced during the beautiful heart wrenching Daddy’s Little Girl, a song written by Crissie about her late Father.
Glad to have been able to get through the song wthout crying, Crissie thanked the audience as Ben took to the keyboard ready for next new song Naked followed by title song from the last album Brave, which is a fan favourite for many reasons as the lyrics mean so much to many people. Members from Crissie's Gospel choir joined them on stage for the song A Thousand Hallelujahs. Of course, there were not a thousand hallejuhas in the song as Ben too jokes. The gospel choir were flawless and gave the song that oomph to deliver a more powerful sound.
The set ended with Friday Night, another song from the debut album Brave. A typical sing a long song, everyone was singing every word as well as raising their glasses in the air as the lyrics chant put your glasses in the air.
The Shires said their goodbyes as they left the stage. After much crowd chanting, they returned to the stage with new song Desperate which Crissie tells us almost did not make the album but she insisted upon it being included.
After the show The Shires held a meet and greet for the fans which was in a photo booth and there were various props people could use to wear for fun. Unfortunately, due to time, I could not stay for this but I heard that it was great fun and that The Shires were very chatty and grateful to each and every fan.
Going by the songs that I have heard tonight, I can say with confidence that I think the new album My Universe is going to be spectacular. I am very much looking forward to it and have already pre ordered my copy.
The Shires new album My Universe will be released October 7th and they have also announced a Tour for the end of November and December. Please see the press release below for pre order details and pre sale ticket info:
BAND TO PLAY SHOWS ACROSS THE UK IN NOV/DEC NEW ALBUM ‘MY UNIVERSE’ RELEASED 7TH OCT – EXCLUSIVE TOUR PRE-SALE ACCESS WITH ALBUM PRE-ORDERS FOLLOWS SECRET ONE EMBANKMENT SHOW LAST NIGHT WHERE THE SHIRES WOWED FANS AND PREVIEWED NEW TRACKS
“Spearheading a British country boom” – Daily Mail “Voices entwine and musical magic ensues”- The Independent on Sunday
Fresh from a triumphant headline set on Glastonbury’s Acoustic Stage, UK country duo The Shires have just announced they will be touring the UK later this year. The tour will see the critically acclaimed pair play tracks from their forthcoming album, alongside fan favourites from their gold selling debut ‘Brave’ to gig goers up and down the country finishing at London’s prestigious O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Ben Earle stated: “It’s something magical to be on stage and sharing your songs and seeing the fans’ reaction. We’re particularly excited to share our new tracks with the fans on this tour.”
Last night, Crissie and Ben gave fans a chance to hear some of their new tracks when they played a secret album launch show at London’s One Embankment. Previewing songs from their forthcoming second album ‘My Universe’, which will be released on 7th October, The Shires showcased how recording in Music City: Nashville has further honed their songwriting craft for making clever and catchy Country-Pop that continues to push the genre into the UK mainstream. Last year, they were one of only a handful of British acts to see their debut release certified Gold alongside Jess Glynne, James Bay and Years & Years. The first UK country act ever to have a top 10 album in their home country, The Shires have been at the forefront of the British Country music movement which has seen a sea change in the opinion of the British public, who have embraced the genre and UK bands making music inspired by US country artists.
Eager fans can secure their tickets for the tour when they pre-order a special edition of the new album at HMV before midnight on Monday 18th July. The HMV exclusive edition of ‘My Universe’ includes exclusive artwork and two bonus tracks. Those who order the album before midnight Monday 18th July will receive a unique code to give them access to the tour ticket pre-sale from 9am Thursday 21st July before general on-sale at 9am Friday July 22nd.
pre order here http://www.hmv.com/music/the-shires-announce-new-album-my-universe-and-massive-uk-tour
On recording the new album in Nashville, The Shires said, ,“It was great to go back to Nashville. This time we had a different approach as we knew it better and we practically lived there. We have friends there now and for some reason when you write and record there you just feel more inspired. It definitely comes through in the new music.”
The band are already making Country the soundtrack to the summer performing at a series of high profile music festivals and events including Platform and Lakes Festivals this weekend and Bracknell, Lytham, Castle Roc, Cottingham and supporting Sir Tom Jones at Bedford Park still to come. This follows their headline debut at Glastonbury Festival last month and Cornbury Festival last weekend.
The live dates will follow an intense period of song writing for the Shires, who have been working on their new album in Music City: Nashville. Ben and Crissie co-wrote some tracks with top country music writers including Kip Moore and recorded their album at Sound Stage Studios, one of the most prestigious recording studios in Nashville, which has cut records for other country superstars such as Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum. They also graced the stage at the famous Grand Ole Opry and can add their name to Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Garth Brooks and a veritable who’s who of Country music who have played at the famous Nashville landmark venue.
Here’s where fans can catch The Shires on their UK tour later this year:
Henley Festival is a rather sophisticated 'black tie' event held over five nights on the river bank at Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire – notably most famous for its annual regatta. Henley Festival has been running for years with this year being its 34th year. The festival, limited to approx 5,000 tickets, offers live music, comedy, art and fashion as well as many marquees with fine dining, which have to be pre booked, as well as other food and drink outlets spread around the festival.
Henley Festival is more than just a festival, it is an excuse for a pleasant evening out with family and friends where you can dress up as extravagantly as you wish – you will only be looked upon admiringly – it is most certainly the place to be and is so spectacularly different from any other festival that, instead of wellies, you see designer shoes, instead of rowdy beer drinkers, people in deep conversation holding glasses of champagne or Pimms and the only smoking I saw were of cigars as ladies walked around the festival in old theatric Interval style over the shoulder holders selling them.
This year, the line up was one constantly talked about, especially with regard to Wednesday headliner Sir Elton John. Sir Elton’s night sold out in minutes, with the other nights featuring Elvis Costello, Bryn Terfel and the WNO Orchestra, Dame Shirley Bassey and Will Young following closely behind. Speaking to some of the guests, they informed me that the night Sir Elton played, the festival was over subscribed by approximately 2,000 extra ticket holders, making it impossible for guests to move freely and becoming quite a health and safety concern. This, I was told, took away the true essence of Henley Festival's charm and left many loyal attendees disappointed, angry and perplexed as to how this could be allowed to happen.
On Sunday night, the night I attended, was Will Young’s night and was, thankfully, quite a different story. Arriving promptly at 6pm, I took the short walk from the car park to the main entrance dressed up for the night as it is not everyday you get to attend a Black Tie event. The entrance had a beautiful pop up doorway, in blue with silver sparkly writing and with entrance staff dressed up just as smart as the guests.
As soon as I arrived I was drawn towards all the guests as they shone out as visually artistic shown by the range of outfits worn, the different styles, colours, hats, bags and even down to the shoes they were wearing. People really went out of their way to look the part and look the part they did. I loved the street performers who were dressed in their variety of spectacular costumes. There were performers dressed as Angels with large wings moving around on rollers, two men dressed as tall – small headed men with their actual heads being lower down making you wonder how they could see. Over the course of the other nights there were Gorilla costumes, tree costumes and various artists with painted faces and silver hair.
Oh and the toilets…the toilets were AMAZING…so clean and not your typical festival toilet, that is a reason alone to go to Henley Festival, ha!
Despite this being a relatively small festival, you couldn't get bored as there was something for everyone. Mini art galleries were dotted along the walkway to the main lawn area, overlooking the river. There were many boats moored in the middle of the Thames eagerly waiting to hear a night time of music from their decks.
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Bar had prime position at the far end providing a fairly similar look to the original bar in London, and was a round pop – up venue which had impressive décor both outside and in.
In the centre of the main lawn area were six large boards raising awareness for the charity The Children’s Society who the festival were working in partnership with. The boards all carried a statement from Young carers telling of their aspirations in life whereas their reality was far different. Very moving to read, it tugged at your heart strings to discover that so many children become young carers for their siblings or parents from such a young age. The charity is a very important part of Henley Festival. The Children’s Society is a national charity that runs local services, helping children and young people when they are at their most vulnerable, and have nowhere left to turn. They also campaign for changes to laws affecting children and young people, to stop the mistakes of the past being repeated in the future. Their supporters around the country fund their services and join their campaigns to show children and young people they are on their side. More information on the charity can be found here : http://www.henley-festival.co.uk/support-henley-festival/henley-festival-trust/The-Childrens-Society
And here: http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk
With various stages scattered around the festival, I started at Ronnie Scott's as The Ronnie Scott's Story began. The Jazz Band took centre stage and played a beautiful set of Jazz music which was both relaxing and mesmerising. I did not stay for the duration as I wanted to take a look at the other stages before Will Young commenced. Just outside the main entrance stood The Pizza ExpressLive stage, with 90’s pop Jazz band Shakatak. I was not aware of this band prior to this event but they certainly pulled a crowd and really knew how to put on a show. With the female lead singer being a Jazz powerhouse and a band really comfortable with knowing how to fully play their instruments and playing a very impressive set, they certainly knew how to entertain a crowd.
I quickly moved on to The Comedy Stage, expecting to see comedy. I was pleasantly surprised to catch the end of Shlomo. Shlomo is a British beatboxing artist, technologist, composer and teacher. I only caught his last two tracks which left me gutted that I hadn't watched the entire performance. His audience absolutely loved him and, being a young beatboxer, I was surprised by the amount of older people really getting into his set. Multi-talented, I would love to see this artist on a bigger stage one day. He had great original material and had so much energy running all over the stage singing, beatboxing and mixing. I did miss out on buying a cd he was selling afterwards as he had a long line of fans and I had to get to my seat for Will Young but Shlomo, I want one, so I hope there is somewhere I can purchase one?
Now to the main event of the evening. Will Young, who was closing the evening and the entire festival. Will was performing on TheFloating Stage which is so named because the stage was built mostly on the actual river with the audience on the river bank. The seated areas were either on the lawn in front of the stage or the grandstand, the grandstand being the most expensive ticket. I obviously knew who Will Young was as I had watched Pop Idol together with most people my age and his song Leave Right Now was one of the most played songs the year it was released. But I had never really sat down and paid full attention to his other music. So…prior to this night, I binged listened to Will Young without barely coming up for air so that I knew what to expect. Well..Will had a lot more songs I knew than I had realised and his new album 85% Proof was very impressive. I could not find a bad song on there, no fillers at all, so this made me especially excited for his show.
From the minute his band arrived on stage the crowd were cheering. Running to the microphone, he started with the song Joy. The audience sang along whilst large beach balls were floating on the stage. Love Revolution, one of my favourites, was the next song and most people stood up during this, which was hardly surprising with it being such an upbeat song. Will addressed the audience telling them how happy he was to be back at Henley Festival, his home town, and how his father lives on the other side of the river. Will has such a great, fun personality with a typical British sense of humour, so had the audience howling throughout, myself included. Stories about his dad walking around the festival with him debating whether some lady was wearing knickers or not and later texting Will at midnight to say “ You know, I don’t think she was wearing knickers.” Hilariously, Will’s mother had been banned for life from Henley Regatta for purposefully jumping in a puddle to ruin a lady's white dress back in her youth. With many other funny stories, Will entertained the crowd the entire evening and even sang Happy Birthday to a fan in the front row.
Will’s vocals are just as perfect as they sound on his studio recordings. His tone is so unique and beautiful that he was a joy to listen to. He made use of his stage with little dance moves and he waved to the audience throughout – giving a shout out too to ticket holders who were stood at the side of the lawn area. Will’s band and backing singers were also amazing, giving us a flawless performance in a perfect summer evening setting. It was lovely to see people on their boats dancing and there were crowds of people over the other side of the river too. At one point in the evening, Will asked everyone to get their phones out to shine them and making them sway them in the air, side to side, up and down and all around. Even the people on the boats and other side of the river had their phones shining which I doubt he knew and it was truly spectacular to witness.
The set list was a lovely mix of his big hits as well as album tracks. We were treated with probably, most peoples' favourite songs and, as the night went on, people got merrier and more confident to get up and dance. Everyone sang along to songs such as Light My Fire, Leave Right Now and Jealousy with Will often holding the microphone to the crowd to hear them sing. We were also treated with a rendition of Evergreen which was Will’s winning song on Pop Idol and was not originally on the set list. The encore saw Will returning to stage on a mobility scooter with a fixed keyboard doing a cover version of David Bowie’sLet’s Dance.
I simply could not fault Will's performance and am so glad that I went. As someone who was neither a fan, or not a fan prior to this show, I can most certainly say that I am now a Will Young fan and would definitely go to see him perform live again. I even overheard a guest saying that she had attended all five nights of the festival and that Will Young was the best performer by far.
His show was certainly not average, I don’t think you could ever call that average!
The night closed with a spectacular show of Fireworks over the river followed by a performance from comedian The Boy With TapeOn His Face on The Comedy Stage who I sadly had to miss due to travel commitments but I hear he is fantastic.
Set List
Joy Love Revolution Runaway Light My Fire (The Doors cover) Thank You Changes Who Am I You and I Grace Switch It On Leave Right Now
Encore:
Let's Dance (David Bowie cover) Your Game Jealousy All Time Love Evergreen
So, firstly I am going to say if Kip is touring near you and you haven’t quite got tickets yet, then my goodness GET THEM! The only regret you will have is not going. If you have not heard Kip’s music, then go listen to it – you will not be sorry. If you are not a Country Music fan then don’t worry, as Kip is so much more; he brings a rocky edge to Country, almost creating his own genre. His current album 'Wild Ones', has quickly become one of my favourite albums of all time. His voice is unique – he does not have the stereotypical sound or style that you would often expect to find in a Country musician.
As a fan of Kip Moore for some time, I had actually given up hope of ever seeing him live in the UK. I had a friend in the US who saw him regularly and kept telling me how amazing he was live. The only experience I had ever had of seeing him live at that point was outside the CMT Awards in Nashville in 2014, doing a sound check of Beer Money about four times. Going back to 2015, when it was announced that Kip was playing in UK’s biggest Country Music Festival C2C, I was beyond excited – especially as it made a line up that I was not particularly fussed about, become appealing. Now I mention C2C, not just because it was Kip’s first time playing in the UK, but because for me and many, many others, he stole the show for the whole weekend – despite being first on the billing, and being up against huge names such as Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum. That night Kip made a promise to return and, thank god, he actually kept that promise – as many others haven’t or have, but left it a long time before returning.
Kip Moore’s UK tour was announced around the time of this year’s Country 2 Country (C2C) Festival which, in marketing terms, was a very good move, especially when he was covering quite a bit of ground over the UK – and at a more than reasonable price of around £14 a ticket. Not only did Kip sell out his London date but also some of the original venues he was playing at, in places such as Manchester, had to be upgraded to a bigger site as the ticket sales were that good. Good going Kip! As a regular attendee of London gigs, I actually chose to go to Birmingham this time, as it was just more practical in terms of travel.
I rocked up to the Birmingham Institute at around 3.30pm, after foolishly turning up at The 02 Academy first – ha! I later discovered at least one other lady made the same mistake, so I wasn’t alone! A queue full of die-hard Kip fans, some going to more than one show, made the time pass really quickly, as we had a lot in common and also conversation never runs dry amongst Country fans.
The support act was Max Milner, who auditioned on the UK Voice a few years back and made it quite far on the show, but did not win. He is not a Country artist so I was a bit concerned that I might not enjoy his music and shamefully assumed, without doing any research, that he was going to be awful dried up pop! Well…out he came, on his own, no band – just him and his guitar – and as soon as he started to sing, he blew the crowd away. Max has a very soulful voice and in part reminded me of Ray Lamontagne. He also sounded vocally and musically similar to early Jason Mraz songs, back around the time when Jason performed live at Java Joe’s. Personality and wit as well as being musically flawless, Max was someone I was going to remember – and what a great warm up for a very promising night.
At the front row barrier, the excitement and atmosphere around me was heaving. When the lights went down and the crowd cheered, Kip’s band, The Slow Hearts, took to the stage and played the intro to Wild Ones, from his current album with the same title. I guessed he would start with this song, just because it is so atmospheric and fitting to start the gig with – and definitely had the crowd going and singing along.
I was fangirling throughout the whole gig. What can I say? Kip just brings it out of you. Now I have read in an interview that Kip likes to stare into the eyes of women in the front row when he is singing, just to see their reaction and see who can engage in to his look. Well, they weren’t lying. He did this a lot, much to every woman’s joy – including my own. I actually felt like I was special just for that brief moment – ha! This is something I usually cringe at, but he almost had me screaming like the girls at a Justin Bieber concert – oh, the shame! But I managed to hold back, thankfully.
Playing every song on the Wild Ones album, apart from two (Lipstick and Come Back Kid), he also did a fair amount from his previous album Up All Night, as well as the unreleased in the UK song Dirt Road – a fan favourite, which I was so pleased that he sang. it was obvious Kip wanted to give his fans more than they’d paid for, not only with a longer than usual set list but also giving one hell of a performance throughout, not giving the audience even one second to lose interest and check their phones. Pretty much every song, in particular songs such as Beer Money, Come And Get It, I’m To Blame, Somethin’ ‘bout A Truck, What Ya Got On Tonight and Dirt Road, had the crowd fist pumping the air and jumping around. The crowd interaction during Heart’s Desire was a moment that I don’t think Kip will ever forget. He genuinely seemed surprised at the fact the crowd knew every word to every song.
We were also treated with new songs, one being a song called Guitar Man. Kip tells us the inspiration behind this song was from a young guy he saw playing in Nashville airport for tips and how he remembers doing the same at his age. We were also told the story of the woman he left behind years back, because she had no faith in his making it in the industry – so a verse was dedicated to her in very much a “screw you, look at me now” way.
Guitar man was part of the acoustic section of the night, where the band left just Kip and his guitar on stage to sing a few songs. He sat on a stool, addressing the crowd on several occasions including stating that “his people” tried to push back a UK tour by one year as he did not have the fan base yet – but he knew he did and argued it and won. We are so glad he persisted and – let this be a lesson to you management and labels – do your research; the UK is heaving with Country Music fans – just look at the size of C2C.
The only thing to disrupt the night was that, during this acoustic set, there was a woman up in the top seats yelling “Take your shirt off” during his song Complicated. OK, it was funny once, but she must have said it about ten times, not only annoying the audience, who ended up booing her, but annoying Kip too. I must add he handled the situation gracefully and even made up a verse for her on the spot about not taking off his shirt but she can take off hers. The acoustic set was a really special moment for me. It was so nice to hear some of Kip’s rocky, raw songs stripped down – such as Girl Of The Summer, which was acoustically beautiful. It completely changed the song making the lyrics stand out a lot more than on the studio version as you really paid attention to them during the acoustic version.
The band returned to the stage and Kip explained how a lot of artists change their band regularly but how he has kept the same band for eight years. It really showed actually – Kip Moore and The Slow Hearts play well together and you can tell they are also good friends. There was a lot of interaction and respect for each other during their performance and so much talent as a band – and individually too.
On his tour stops so far, Kip had done an after-show outside the venue singing a few songs on the street. However, this was not the case for us in Birmingham, as I later found out he was shooting a music video straight after, which many fans got to witness, although, unfortunately I could not stay. Kip also went to the merchandise booth straight after the show to sign for every single fan who wanted an autograph, which was amazing – how many artists can you say would actually do that? It’s nice to see how grateful Kip is to his fan base. He also did this at the C2C festival and was reportedly signing for around three hours. Now that’s commitment!
This was only the second gig I have ever been to alone and I had so much fun. I really got to let go and fully enjoy myself and it was lovely meeting new people too. I hope Kip comes back soon, he is such a revelation live and quite frankly..makes Country look cool – which it is, of course!
