The fifth edition of Country to Country provided a generous serving of all-American music across several stages. A significant proportion of Stetsons among the 50,000 festival-goers over the weekend was a sartorial signal that country is making serious inroads. Radio 2 even broadcast a spin-off digital station from the O2.
While Nashville-based stars dominated, a rump of British acts who sound American also made the bill. The Shires, a Home Counties duo outselling their US country rivals, packed the Indigo venue on Sunday lunchtime. The duets between The Shires’ Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes were an upbeat treat, particularly on party tune Friday Night.
Brothers Osborne, who opened proceedings in the main arena, had a more full-blooded Stateside sound. Drake White from Alabama picked up plenty of new fans for his rock-infused swagger and homespun wisdom.
But the real buzz was reserved for Maren Morris, a 26-year-old Texan with a talent for blurring genres: Eighties Mercedes was sassy pop with a twang that suggests she won’t be confined to country. My Church prompted an arena singalong as she strummed the song that won her a Grammy last month.
Veteran Marty Stuart also seized the moment with energetic honky-tonk and his tribute to Johnny Cash.
There was a typically feelgood finale from Zac Brown Band, including towering renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody and The Who’s Baba O’Riley.
The C2C festival proves there’s more to country music than you might think.
