Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2023 (Day 1 Headliners), The O2, London

 

Check out the first part of my Day 1 review here!

 

After a successful afternoon at the BBC Radio 2 stage, it was time to head into the Arena for the first Main Stage acts of the weekend. We got even more artists on Friday night than usual, with Breland kicking off the evening with a special opening set. He certainly seems to be a bit of an organiser favourite – from playing the smaller stages last year, in 2023 he’d bagged himself the opening Main Stage spot, an After Party, and a slot as co-host of the festival.

 

 

If I’m honest, his set was a mixed one for me, as I find his music as a whole too. I enjoyed songs like Beers On Me, For What It’s Worth and Cross Country, but am not a big fan of tracks like Throw It Back and Praise The Lord – lyrics like ‘Bubble-bubble, you been eating your McDoubles’, ‘If you sexy and you know it, make it clap’, and ‘He [as in Jesus] rockin’ with me, that’s for sure’ aren’t really the thought-provoking lyrics that made me get into country.

 

However, I will give it to Breland that he certainly has the charisma to be a star. His sets are some of the most energetic I’ve ever seen, and he’s funny too – he told us about being in a bar in Brisbane when a song of his came on the radio. He saw some girls singing along to it, and told them ‘This is my song!’, to which they replied ‘Me too!’ Not my favourite set but my mind about Breland did change after seeing his After Party – stay tuned to find out why…

 

A relatively new addition to C2C, next up was Introducing Nashville, a quasi-writers round where three artists are invited to share acoustic versions of their songs and the stories behind them. This year, we had Caylee Hammack, my interviewee Tyler Braden, and Alana Springsteen.

 

Each artist had time for three songs, so Caylee kicked us off with a song she was supposed to have played at C2C 2020 (before he was cancelled due to the pandemic) – Family Tree. Sounding like a young Dolly Parton, her next song was new track I Ain’t Coming Over, preceded by a warning ‘don’t date your co-writers’ (even if they do make for good songs). Her last pick was a sweet one – Only Good Things, about manifesting the best into your life.

 

Tyler was next, immediately getting the UK crowd to warm to him by announcing he likes Earl Grey tea, and then absolutely blowing us away with his powerful performance of Neon Grave. Fans of Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs, you need to add Tyler to your playlist. He opted for a new song next, the aptly titled Friends, about not being able to stay friends after a breakup and ended with the raw Try Losing One. If he’s not selling out arenas like this in the future, I’ll be extremely surprised. 

 

 

Alana also shared a new song with us first - shoulder to cry on, the clever lyrics of which I really loved: ‘This heart’s about to break right on the interstate, I ain’t gonna make it home so I’m pulling over ‘cause I need a shoulder to cry on’. Next was the title track of her upcoming album twenty something, and finally you don’t deserve a country song. Her songwriting really hits all of the right notes: ‘You don’t get to be the one they’ll think it’s about, you didn’t give me anything that’s worth writing down. You don’t get to tell your friends I can’t let you go, no, you don’t get to hear your name on the radio.’ Three very enjoyable acts who I only wish we’d heard more from throughout the weekend.

 

If Tyler Braden had set the bar when it comes to impressive vocals, up next on the Spotlight Stage was newcomer Corey Kent. He made the most of his short slot, showing off his vocals on Tumbleweed and Highways before ending with most well-known song Wild As Her. With a powerful, raspy voice, Corey commanded the Arena, and left me looking forward to hearing his full set on the BBC Radio 2 stage the next day.

 

The C2C headlining lineup was pretty lacking in female artists (do better, C2C), but one of the few who made the cut was Lainey Wilson, and she definitely made her mark throughout her set. There was definitely no chance of getting bored during Lainey’s show, as she danced her way around the stage, belting out with an incredibly distinctive and strong voice. The best bit – she really looked like she was enjoying it.

 

Lainey’s energy was contagious as she powered her way through songs like the uber-fun Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo, Smells Like Smoke and the rocky Hold My Halo. I loved how she introduced her band in rhyme throughout a cover of Jean Knight’s Mr. Big Stuff, and she truly shone on tracks like Watermelon Moonshine (which she performed on the TV series Yellowstone) and Heart Like A Truck. She gave us stamina, bell-bottom country (‘country with a flare’) and some heartbreaking lyrics – about leaving her childhood love to chase her dream, she sang: ‘You don’t give a rock to a rolling stone.’ I love a set that ends up being unexpectedly brilliant, and Lainey Wilson’s was just that.

 

MacKenzie Porter returned for another set, this time on the Spotlight Stage. With only three songs to choose, Spotlight artists have to pick well, and MacKenzie certainly did so. She started with a stripped-back version of These Days, followed by Pickup (which received a great response from the crowd), and ended with one she knew everyone would know – Thinking ‘Bout You. What’s more, she even teased about an upcoming track written by Lainey herself – keep your eyes peeled for Chasing Tornadoes, coming soon!

 

For myself and many fans, the C2C 2023 lineup had been a bit of a disappointment – mostly returning acts, we were seeing many of the same names we’d seen over the years. I particularly love seeing new acts, so thank god for Jordan Davis – Jordan didn’t waste time in playing his hit songs, kicking off his set with What My World Spins Around, Singles You Up and Damn Good Time. This is a man made for stadium tours, and his voice and energy were the perfect match for The O2 Arena.

 

After getting us in the groove, Jordan started telling us more about his songs, including how surprised he was that a song about Walmart became his biggest hit (Slow Dance In A Parking Lot), one he wrote about getting over a breakup (One Beer In Front Of The Other) and one inspired by watching his children grow up (Next Thing You Know). One thing I really appreciate about a lot of country artists is that they genuinely seem like they’re in it for the enjoyment rather than the money or the fame, and Jordan’s genuine surprise at seeing how well the crowd responded to his music really solidified this for me.

 

Watching his set made me realise just how many of Jordan’s songs are hugely popular – Almost Maybes, Money Isn’t Real, Need To Not and Take It From Me all being sung along to by everyone in the crowd. Of course, his set had to end with a song he told us he’d written about the three most important things to him: his faith in Jesus, his friends, and his family – Buy Dirt. Jordan sang ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ but hey, it can buy you tickets to see Jordan Davis, and I think they’re kind of the same thing.

 

Our last act on the Spotlight stage was Ashley Cooke, who endeared us all with the little UK flag she’d stuck onto the end of her guitar. Treating us to a ten minute journey of her biggest hits to date, she played getting into, it’s been a year, and Never Til Now. She told us 2022 had been one of the craziest years of her life yet, and with a voice like that, I have no doubt that 2023 is about to get even crazier.

 

Out of all three days of C2C 2023, I really think we lucked out with the Friday night lineup – Lainey Wilson and Jordan Davis are both stars in their own right, but if there was one artist I couldn’t wait to see on the Main Stage, it was Thomas Rhett. Dress in a Rolling Stones t-shirt, backwards baseball cap, and turquoise guitar in hand, he treated us to hit after hit from the moment he stepped on stage – Craving You, Look What God Gave Her, Half Of Me, Life Changes and Slow Down Summer. He took us on a trip back to ‘where it all began’ with a mashup of Get Me Some Of That, It Goes Like This and Vacation – if the crowd hadn’t already been dancing before, they certainly were then.

 

After performing one of my favourite T-Rhett songs, Paradise, he took a moment to tease the crowd about a special guest he wanted to bring on stage, someone who had played The O2 Arena something like 21 times… ladies and gentlemen, Niall Horan! The crowd went wild as the Irish singer stepped on stage in a Canadian tuxedo to join Thomas in a performance of his song Slow Hands. Luke Combs and Ed Sheeran last year, Niall this year – country music really knows how to pull ‘em.

 

It’s hard not to enjoy yourself when you’re watching a Thomas Rhett show, and it’s also hard not to feel the deep love he has for his wife Lauren, which was easily felt throughout many of the songs he played for us – Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings), Die A Happy Man (which got the biggest cheers of the evening), Feeling Country and Unforgettable. Find yourself a partner like Thomas Rhett, and I’d say you’re in for a good life. The night ended with three of his most recognisable songs (although aren’t they all?) – Crash And Burn, T-Shirt and What’s Your Country Song. I had a blast throughout Thomas’s set, but if I’m honest, most of the songs he played were old – don’t get me wrong, I love a good throwback, but I would have loved hearing more from Where We Started or Country Again (Side A) – if you want my advice, don’t miss out on songs like Bass Pro Hat and Ya Heard!

 

So there you have it, C2C Country 2 Country Day 1 - off to a good start! My top artists of the day: Drake Milligan, Tyler Braden, Lainey Wilson and Jordan Davis – who were your favourites?

 

Still two more days of C2C to come (and plenty of interviews too!) Be the first to know when they’re posted by dropping me a follow on Twitter @CiarasCountry – thanks for reading!  

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2023 (Day 1), The O2, London

2023 was a very special year for C2C Country 2 Country. Being the tenth anniversary (and my tenth time attending!), expectations were extremely high in terms of the quality of the acts, organisation, and scale of the festival. Were they met? Read on to find out!

 

My C2C started on Friday, in the BBC Radio 2 stage. The ‘second stage’ of the festival, this is where up-and-coming acts show off their skills, and has been the setting for me to discover some of my favourite country artists across the years, from Abby Anderson to Maren Morris and Avery Anna. I hoped this year’s lineup would impress too!

 

First up was Nate Smith, a name mentioned by many of my interviewees as one to watch. Apparently I wasn’t the only one looking forward to seeing Nate, as the Indigo2 was busier than I’d ever seen it for Day 1 of C2C in all my years attending. Nate made an understated entrance – dressed in all black, he greeted the crowd with a simple ‘What’s up?’ before launching straight into Sleeve, and that was enough to have me enthralled.

 

With stunning vocals, he sounded even better than on his records, and I found myself feeling sorry for anyone who would have to follow such an incredible vocalist! He continued with love song Under My Skin and Better Boy, before sharing a stripped-back version of I Don’t Wanna Go To Heaven. An emotional set, Nate ended by kicking it up a notch with the energetic Whiskey On You. What a way to start the weekend!

 

From emotional to fun, next was Ashley Cooke, who got us feeling good with songs like getting into, one about her self-proclaimed ‘poor taste in men’ called dirt on ‘em, and a song about that one person you always want to go back to – running back. She took a moment to thank the crowd for their respectfulness, appreciating that UK crowds actually listen to the music rather than talk over it.

 

Continuing with back in the saddle about entering the dating pool again, we then had an unreleased song called The State I’m In from her upcoming project. About chasing a dream, this was a beautiful song sung with crystal clear vocals, and the absolute highlight of Ashley’s set for me. We ended with two of her most successful songs – one she wrote as a kind of journal entry that ended up going viral – it’s been a year – and her popular track with Brett Young, Never Til Now.

 

One of my favourite things about festivals like C2C is discovering new artists, and Drake Milligan was a name I wasn’t too familiar with. With a more traditional sound, his style isn’t the type to usually end up on my playlists, but after seeing him perform live, it certainly will be. Unlike the first two acts, Drake was joined by a full band which definitely took his performance to the next level.

 

All of his songs were so much fun, from the cheeky Sounds Like Something I’d Do to drinking songs Tipping Point and Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin’ and cutesy Hating Everything She Tries On. These were only made even more enjoyable by Drake’s energy. Moving around the stage like he owned it, Drake reminded me so much of Elvis – if he’d been chosen to play the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 flick, I have no doubt he would have taken home the Oscar. As if bringing my wish to life, the next song he played was Blue Suede Shoes, and it’s no exaggeration to say this is the moment I fell head-over-heels in love with Drake Milligan.

 

Drake ended with the honky-tonk style Goin’ Down Swingin’, Long Haul and Kiss Goodbye All Night. He had absolutely brought Nashville to us, and is an act I would 100% go see time and time again. If this man isn’t playing the C2C Main Stage in a year or two, I’ll be very much surprised.

 

We headed back into familiar territory with next act MacKenzie Porter, whose country-pop style is definitely up my street. Perched on a stool with just herself, a guitar, and guitarist to her left, MacKenzie shared her songs and the stories behind them. We started with These Days and a heartbreaking song about seeing your ex with somebody new, Seeing Other People as well as one from her upcoming record called Walk Away. She certainly required no help in keeping the audience’s attention, with spectacular vocals that filled the venue.

 

Her guitarist helped her out on a song she’d recorded with Dallas Smith called One Too before she played one the crowd had been clamouring for – Pickup, and upbeat track about wondering who your ex’s pickup truck is picking up now. I loved hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of these songs, including finding out that Pickup had originally been pitched to Carrie Underwood. We’re all pleased that it was MacKenzie who ended up recording it!

 

She treated us to a mash-up of the songs that made her – Deana Carter’s Strawberry Wine (keep your eyes peeled for this song – it made a number of appearances throughout the weekend!), a nod to her Canadian heritage with Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, TLC’s No Scrubs, and Sheryl Crow’s If It Makes You Happy. Of course, she couldn’t leave us without her most popular song – her duet with Dustin Lynch, Thinking ‘Bout You which was a real treat. This might be her most successful song to date, but I’m sure there’s plenty more where that came from.

 

That was it for our Friday mini-stage acts, but there was still plenty to come from the Main Stage later that evening – stay tuned to @CiarasCountry for more!

Interview: TYLER BRADEN (Part 2)

I could've chatted all day with singer-songwriter Tyler Braden - check out Part 1 of our conversation here, and read on as we chat about misdirection in song titles, shifting career from firefighting to country music, performing in Iceland and more. 

Ciara's Country (CC): We spoke earlier about some of the songs on your upcoming EP - is there one more that you're really excited for people to hear?

Tyler Braden (TB): All of them in different ways! They all have their own emotional value and relatability. We've got a couple of songs on there that are happy songs and just relatable in ways that we all understand in relationships. There’s a song called Wrong Right Now that I think everyone will be able to relate to in the sense that work can get in the way of relationships and it can be hard to have personal time in the way that you should. 

There’s another song called Choose Me, and that’s an appreciation song for your partner to say ‘thank you for picking me!’ Finally there’s one called Middle Man, and that’s about loss and how you battle with internal faith on whether or not you can still talk with someone that's not around while you’re mourning to update them on life. It gets kind of deep! But I think people will be able to relate so I can't wait to hear how they take to the songs and in what ways they will play out.

CC: I think even before hearing the songs, we can get a good indication of what they’re about based on the song titles. What goes into a good song title?

TB: I think there’s obviously that  ‘clickbait’ thing that pulls people in, and the fact that a song title could go different directions so it makes you want to listen to it just to see which direction it takes. Anytime you hear a song title, you probably have an assumption of what the song is about, but I think a good title is a bit of a misdirection sometimes!

CC: That's true. I like having a bit of a surprise when I listen to music.

TB: Me too!

CC: Is there anything in particular that inspires you when you write your music?

TB: I think it's just a desire to be a storyteller and show empathy to be able to connect with people. People can interpret a song in so many different ways so it doesn't really matter what the goal itself is of the song, people are going to listen to it and hear it in a different way. It can be hard and you can write a lot of songs that don't quite make it, but when you get it right and you put out a song that feels right, it's the best feeling in the world.

CC: I can't wait to see what stories you have for us this year. Speaking of stories, some people might be surprised to know that your life hasn't always been as country music-focused as it is now. You previously worked as a first responder – how does someone go from firefighting to country music writing?

TB: Well, I loved both careers, and they’ve both been huge parts of my life, but the whole time I was in the fire service, music was my passion and that's what I did on my off time. That's what was able to get me closer to Nashville itself. I think firefighting made me who I am and gave me emotional stability that I may not have had beforehand to be able to handle a career like this.

CC: Firefighter, musician, so many different sides to Tyler Braden! Your Instagram bio also gives us a bit of an insight into the other sides of you - it says ‘I write songs, I travel, I sing songs, I play mediocre guitar’. Now I’m sure that last one isn’t true, but I’d love to hear a bit more about the travel side of Tyler Braden.

TB: Most of my travelling so far has been because of music, and it's shown me parts of the US that I'd never seen before. I've gotten to go to Canada and a couple other places, but it's amazing to be able to get out of the small town life that I've had for so long and discover new places. My wife and I got married in California, and I never would have guessed that would have happened. It seemed so far away and we took our close family and friends to discover what else there is and everything you can find. We're so excited to go overseas too!

CC: We’re excited to have you! And now that you’ve mentioned your wedding, I absolutely have to know what your first dance song was.

TB: It was called Tuesdays, by Jake Scott.

CC: Tuesdays? You’re talking to a massive Jake Scott fan here!

TB: Really? I love that.

CC: What else can we expect from you in 2023 after C2C and the release of your EP?

TB: We're doing a lot of touring this year and I have so many songs that I really want to put out. I never can tell exactly what’ll happen because things change by the day, but I'd love to do a full length album this year. Hopefully by the end of the year, but I don't know if that'll happen. We definitely have a lot of touring with Brooks and Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Chase Rice – we’ve got a lot of people that we're doing shows with this year and some big festivals here in the States, so that’ll be fun. And always working on new music.

CC: Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan - not bad names to be on the same lineup as!

TB: Indeed!

CC: Time for our last question: what is one question you've never been asked in an interview but would love to be?

TB: Oh, wow, that is so hard! We spoke a little earlier about travel, and I think it’d be great to share what my dream venue is. Here in the States, it’s probably Red Rocks, but I've never been asked what country I’d most like to perform in one day. It goes hand in hand with a country I would love to visit – Iceland. I think it'd be really cool to do an on-site music video there.

CC: You must be a big fan of dramatic landscapes.

TB: That’s it!

CC: I'll be booking my ticket to come and see you when you perform in Iceland but in the meantime, I can’t wait to see you at C2C. Thank you Tyler, and see you soon!

TB: Awesome, thank you so much!

What a wonderful guy to chat to! I had so much fun interviewing Tyler and can't wait to see him take to the stage at C2C in a few short weeks. Full review of that coming soon, as well as plenty more interviews - stay tuned @CiarasCountry!