O2 Arena may not seem the ideal setting for music with “brokenness and realness”, as described by Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles; yet C2C (Country to Country) has quickly established itself as Europe’s premier country festival.
Bob Harris presents a live broadcast from this year’s event’s main stage. Brothers Osborne make their first performance and demonstrate that country music can also rock.
Saturday
Many Britons associate country music with glittery outfits and perma-tans – so it was pleasing to witness an almost full house at London’s O2 for Country to Country (C2C), the festival which has taken London, Glasgow and Dublin by storm since 2013.
Kip Moore takes to the main stage on Friday evening and sets the pace with his southern rock sound and high energy performance, followed by country music darling Kacey Musgraves who engages her audience through songs such as Follow Your Arrow and Dime Store Cowgirl.
Midland have become the talk of Nashville this year with their blend of traditional and modern sounds, making them a hit both locally and worldwide – their crowd loves singing along to classic tracks such as Drinkin’ Problem and You Could Be Me.
Reba McEntire closes out the day as its star attraction. She enters to a video montage that showcases clips from her career throughout, such as her iconic turn as an underground worm monster in Tremors from 1994. Following this introduction, she performs some of her greatest hits with all the authority that can only come with four decades of practice and experience.
All day, acts are performing at The O2 in various venues and Radio 2’s Bob Harris presents backstage highlights on his show, Radio 2 Celebrates Country. Bob spotlights talent such as Russell Dickerson, Kip Moore and six-time Country Music Association female vocalist of the year Miranda Lambert among others.
This weekend marks a remarkable milestone in American country music’s history. For the first time in more than four decades, two artists simultaneously reached number one on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart – Morgan Wallen with Last Night and Luke Combs with One More Country Boy respectively. These milestones make history and mark one of only three instances ever of two releases at the same time holding both positions at number one and two on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Sunday
As this festival enters its sixth year, demand for country music continues to soar. This year’s C2C Country to Country festival boasts one of its biggest lines-ups ever with acts such as Randall King replacing Elvie Shane due to injury on Saturday night’s main stage, while rising newcomers Ashley Cooke, MacKenzie Porter, and Corey Kent all set to grace its spotlight stages over the course of three days of country fan fun.
Country artists and fans share an overwhelming sense of optimism. Despite concerns regarding pandemic effects and concert hall decline, country has experienced record streaming levels with Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs at the top of charts; its genre’s strict lexicon of blacktops, heartbreak, and small towns may repel some fans; yet millions take pleasure from its stories of real people dealing with everyday emotional situations.
Country has expanded as its boundaries have been further stretched as a new generation of singer-songwriters follow in Taylor Swift’s footsteps, creating soulful crossover pop from genres that weren’t invented when Hank Williams played honky tonk bars. Additionally, non-white performers such as Breland Edwards are increasingly welcomed within its ranks with songs created specifically for them crafted in this genre by artists like Breland or Madeline Edwards creating poignant soulful crossover pop songs from country music.
The Brothers Osborne have quickly made themselves one of Nashville’s most exciting acts. Although their songs may resemble Flying Burrito Brothers-inspired material, their performances feature songcraft that stands on its own with humor and self-aware mock machismo flair reminiscent of Flying Burrito Brothers tribute acts. Opening main stages with stunning performances that leave audiences singing and dancing throughout, The Brothers Osborne are proof that country rock!
Monday
Country is usually associated with glittery shoes, permatans and reactionary politics – which makes it especially heartening to witness Europe’s largest country music festival C2C nearly sell out the O2. Even as its artists shrug off trends and opt for old-school musicality featuring direct lyrics about everyday emotional situations and melodies strung together harmonically by vocal groups such as Eagles – a formula which certainly works when seen through Ashley McBryde and Midland.
Jason Aldean’s single Try That in a Small Town has caused much debate, due to allegedly racist lyrics and scenes shot at an Alabama courthouse where lynching took place during the 1920s. Morgan Wallen’s No 1 Last Night and Luke Combs’ platinum cover of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car are two huge successes among country fans who still eagerly anticipate new music.
Lukas Nelson unleashes his signature sound to deliver a rock version of Willie Nelson’s gospel classic Jesus, Take the Wheel that draws a rapturous singalong from the audience. Chris Young then delivers some stunning performances like Lonely Eyes and Sober Saturday Night; Cassadee Pope joins him on stage for a duet performance of Think of You with Chris.
Reba McEntire wrapped up the day’s performances with an extraordinary show, opening with a video montage that showcased clips from her career – including an appearance in a steamy scene from cult horror film Tremors – before performing some of country’s classic songs, including Whoever’s In New England, that left everyone on their feet for its entire duration – testament to four decades of practice and experience!
Tuesday
Country music seems to be evolving at an astonishing rate. Once known for its self-conscious lexicon of blacktops and broken hearts that alienated as many listeners as it attracted, its boundaries have been subverted by young millennial artists who are reinventing its sounds by blurring boundaries between country, pop rock, rap etc. C2C Festival celebrated 10 years at London O2 last year – evidence of a change.
As the festival wrapped up today after three days of performances across London, Dublin and Glasgow from big name acts as well as rising acts, BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris presented highlights from backstage on his Introducing Nashville show on BBC Radio 2. Not only did the programme feature artists performing on its main arena stage but it also interviewed some musicians taking part in its inaugural series of acoustic performances.
Brothers Osborne started off the day on an impressive note by taking to the main stage and playing an electrifying set that could easily pass for AC/DC in country music form, including John Osborne’s incredible guitar work – they proved to be an unforgettable start to what would prove to be one of country music’s most successful events ever held in UK and Ireland.
Luke Combs and Darius Rucker made an appearance on the main arena stage as well, each having found success with their music in America but now grappling for core identity while competing to gain new fans. Their fight can be seen through how recent singles such as Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” has been received; much criticism was directed toward its lyrics about race relations that were written for it as well as its video which was shot outside a courthouse where an infamous lynching took place.
Morgan Wallen’s hit song “Last Night” has reached number one and his cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 release “Fast Car” follows closely behind. Both have received much acclaim for their messages but their status as straight white male singers have created some controversy; both songs represent country music’s current state at an important crossroads.