#c2c2014

Do you depend on the Weather/Whether to figure out your plan for the day? Then let's ponder how these two little words or homonyms are the dictators of our decision making in life and the journeys therein; the mere fact that they sound a like yet mean different things is profound to the impacts they have on ones ability to function. It is amazing how much the Weather controls the day to day things we do in life. Rain,sleet , hail snow , wind ,rain ,hot or cold . All determine if it's doable. What is more amazing is that a good day or bad day determines whether or not we will be pleasant or outside of ourselves. So no matter what the Weather/Whether It makes for good conversation,observation and determinations about what to do. Think feel,and act. So whether you think so or not Weather /Whether is a big deal. In the realm of possibilities of things that govern our lives. Who'd of thought it would be Weather/Whether. So now you know that who we are ,where we are ,and what we ought and ought not be is all regulated by the Weather/whether. We all need to pay closer attention to the forecast and not let the Weather/Wether get the best of us.

If you haven't seen it, here's a fun highlights video of my weekend at C2C Country to Country. Thanks to those who filmed my performances! fan photos at Facebook

Country to Country took place last weekend at the O2. It is a two day festival showcasing eight of country music's brightest stars, numerous pop-up stages with dozens of upcoming country bands and artists, including Emma Jade and Striking Matches, and the Town Square Market featuring stalls reflecting the country theme - CD's, Cowboy Boots, Clothing and so much more. Zac Brown Band The Zac Brown band are clearly buzzing with excitement at their EP The Dave Grohl Sessions. They described Grohl as a 'creative force,' who 'took a chance' on the band, and are eager to work with him again. The band have watched these new songs become popular in America, and the band are 'talking about touring right now' with the rock legend. Within the band, different backgrounds help form their unique sound, with a melting pot of influences, constantly 'inspiring each other with different musical tastes.' When writing, each person has an 'unspoken place,' everyone bringing their talent to form 'a part to the puzzle.' The band's 'biggest strength' is that someone can bring their grandfather to a show, or that 'three generations get it.' They credit this to the 'meaning behind the lyrics,' a timeless country trend. The performance of the Zac Brown Band seemed somewhat at odds to their earlier 'family friendly' comments; their performance was rock heavy - not that grandfathers or children wouldn't appreciate a Metallica cover, but it felt, at times, as if they had almost missed their demographic, and were not as noticeably 'country' as other acts on the bill. It is, however, important to experiment with a genre - it is vital for any sort of progression, and should be embraced. The band played more songs than any other artist, and experimented with various different sounds; whatever style they decided to play, they did so impeccably. They always returned to country, it is the underlying theme of their music, and is noticeable in their lyrics, vocal style and instrumentation. There are seven members of this band, and that is everyone on stage. With regards to writing, recording, and live performance, this is a collaborative effort, and this culmination of seven styles forms a striking band. This band have played stadiums before - they know what works, and each song, of the twenty-one they played, was carefully chosen. We saw everything in this set, From the beach themed Toes, the the upbeat country Chicken Fried, haunting ballad colder weather, to the skeletal extravaganza of Uncaged, this was cutting edge country music. Brad Paisley Brad Paisley has been quoted as a role model for many of the artists at Country to Country, and he is arguably the most successful contemporary country artist in the UK. He has played at the O2 before, and encourages other country artists to start the process of touring this country early, and not to 'fear the building process.' He agreed that country music could potentially be perceived as old fashioned, but perfectly explained how this was no bad thing: 'Have you watched Justin Beiber lately? He's living a George Jones song!' And Paisley is right, the tradition of country music has carried the same themes throughout the decades, and they are still just as relevant now. Brad Paisley is another artist who has experimented with country music, and his blend of humour and thought provoking material have proved a success with UK fans. As soon as Brad Paisley stepped on stage the audience knew they were in for a performance - the lights formed patterns on the ceiling of the venue, the screen was illuminated, and within seconds Paisley very impressively threw his guitar across the stage, to be replaced by an electric (the guitar was caught and unharmed, but there was a definite sigh of relief from the audience). His signature white cowboy hat and paisley guitar were the centre of attention, but he utilised his surroundings to put on the performance of the weekend. During This is Country Music, images of the songs mentioned were showed on the screen behind Paisley, and when George Jones appeared for 'He Stopped Loving Her Today,' a message appeared on screen, 'We Miss you George,' followed by 'You were Country Music;' It seemed fitting that the legend was mentioned, as this is the largest country music event in the UK since his death. His level of interaction with the audience is perfect for this age of social media. At one point he took a fans phone and shot a video (turns out he did this in Dublin too, and the video can be found here.) He also moved through the audience to a stage further back, apparently because when he used to go to shows like this, he could never afford to sit at the front. He comes across as charming, and puts on a performance that is hard to beat. Incorporating Chris Young and The Band Perry into his set, yet again added to the audience's excitement. The performance seemed so effortless, yet still had the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the night. From Star Wars, dubious British accents, to the epic sing-a-long Mona Lisa, Brad Paisley ensured that he would not be forgotten at Country to Country 2014. Zac Brown Band and Brad Paisley headlined the main stage on Saturday and Sunday respectively. My review of C2C for the Telegraph can be found here.

The Dixie Chicks and Rascal Flatts were the third act on the main stage, on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Tune in tomorrow for Zac Brown Band and Brad Paisley. My review of C2C for the Telegraph can be found here.

Country to Country took place this weekend at the O2. It is a two day festival showcasing eight of country music's brightest stars, numerous pop-up stages with dozens of upcoming country bands and artists, including Emma Jade and Striking Matches, and the Town Square Market featuring stalls reflecting the country theme - CD's, Cowboy Boots, Clothing and so much more. Dierks Bentley Dierks Bentley really does have impeccable timing; his latest single I Hold On was the number one song on the American country chart during the festival. Bentley's latest album Riser focuses on the past two years of his life - and he has not had an easy ride. During the process of writing and recording songs for the album, Dierks Bentley lost his father, and had his third child, a son. Bentley freely admits that it was an 'emotional time,' and the album touches on heavier subjects, but the process was somewhat of a 'cathartic release.' Despite this turbulent period of his life, he continued to acknowledge the need for songs that are just 'fun,' to balance an album or set, and that difficult emotions can often be worked out on stage. From 5-1-5-0, that gets fans on their feet and dancing, to I Hold On, utilising the country form of 'very personal verses and a universal chorus,' connection with the audience is Dierks Bentley's forte. 'Country has a new home' were almost the first words from Dierks Bentley's mouth as he took to the stage; he is clearly passionate about his relatively newfound fans. His set initially felt slightly more somber than that of Martina McBride, but during tracks such as Riser, What Was I Thinking and Sideways, the energy levels were high, and Bentley used the large stage to his advantage, interacting with as many fans as possible. In closing he promised to tell his friends 'Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert' about the festival, and the audience erupted in shrieks of enthusiasm. More so than any other artist, Bentley seemed excited about the potential of the UK country music market, which was quickly noticed and embraced by the audience, and he became a definite highlight of the weekend. The Band Perry The Band Perry describe being on stage as 'one part therapy and two parts recess' - this band lives for live performance. As a young band they have taken the time to develop their stage presence, recording 'almost every show' to improve their craft. They are influenced by rock bands in their performance, which is clear to see in both their manner and stage attire. Their latest album, Pioneer, already includes familiar tunes to the country audience, as this is The Band Perry's fourth visit to our shores. In fact, the album is called Pioneer thanks to some London fans. Apparently they played the track for the very first time in Manchester, informing fans that it was a new song. They played in London the next day, and a group of women from the Manchester show brought signs with lyrics from Pioneer, they were so humbled by their passion, that Pioneer became the title track. The thumping beat of DONE opened the set, and set the tone for the high energy performance that was to come. Kimberly Perry's voice was far more striking in person than it is on their albums; the young singer's range is impressive, and the power behind her voice was evident during the ballad If I Die Young. The band were engaging and funny, and Neil certainly does put the 'man in mandolin.' There was the slightly awkward moment when they began to play the national anthem and wave a Union Jack - the audience were unsure whether or not they should join in, and ended in a slightly half-hearted 'God Save The Queen,' but the gesture was surely well meaning. They quickly redeemed themselves with a rousing cover of Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls. As a relatively young band, the effort that they have put into their performance is clear - their selection of songs represented their full range of material and influences, whilst still keeping their performance fresh and exciting. Dierks Bentley and The Band Perry were second acts to take to the main stage on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Tune in tomorrow for The Dixie Chicks and Rascal Flatts. My review of C2C for the Telegraph can be found here.

New video! rocking the Armadillo Stage at C2C Country to Country. Performing original song 'Love Won't Let Me Go' thanks to everyone who came along. #C2C2014

Country to Country took place this weekend at the O2. It is a two day festival showcasing eight of country music's brightest stars, numerous pop-up stages with dozens of upcoming country bands and artists, including Emma Jade and Striking Matches, and the Town Square Market featuring stalls reflecting the country theme - CD's, Cowboy Boots, Clothing and so much more. Martina McBride Martina McBride is often known as the Queen of modern Country; since the early nineties her incredible vocals have been a prominent feature of the country charts. She has been a role model to young female artists such as Kacey Musgraves, as she was one of the first country females to talk about 'challenging' subjects, in the hope that the issues resonated with her fans (including Independance Day and Concrete Angel that focus on domestic violence). Her new album, Everlasting, will be released in the UK on April 7th. It is her second album of covers, but as opposed to 2005's Timeless, these are not country songs, but classic soul tunes injected with her own style. It it a 'more confident' release, rather than staying entirely faithful to the original versions of the tunes, Martina makes them her own. Martina McBride was the first to take the stage at this years Country to Country festival at the O2. The crowd erupted as she burst into My Baby Loves Me, her powerful vocal delivered pop country at it's very best. There was a simplicity to her performance that was endearing - her vocal took centre stage, there were no gimmicks, just sheer talent. The highlight of the set had to be Suspicious Minds, an Elvis cover that will appear on her upcoming album. The cover was fun, and filled with attitude, and it rounded out the set. The ballads performed, including Anyway, and Whatever You Say, ensured that her vocal was truly appreciated in all it's glory, whilst the more upbeat tracks, including This One's For The Girls, had the audience on their feet and dancing. And if this wasn't enough, she even showed of her instrumental skills by playing the harmonica for Love's The Only House. It was a perfectly balanced set, the rise and fall of the tempo and mood sat well with the audience, and left them anxiously awaiting the next act. Chris Young Chris Young is by no means a newcomer in the country music world, he won Nashville Star in 2006, and he released his fourth studio album A.M last year, yet he described the process of coming over to the UK (this was his second visit) as 'starting over.' However, country music fans are loyal, and with YouTube, Spotify, and other social networking sites, country music is more accessible to its UK fan base, and it was through these social networks that was able to collate a playlist that 'people wanted to hear.' His sound is undeniably country - 'When I open my mouth I sound country, that's all I'm going to be, and I'm happy with that.' A.M is a well rounded album, containing a mixture of heartfelt ballads and songs with a 'straight up tempo, to make people drink.' His set opened the second day of the festival, and his fears of being unknown in the UK were unfounded, as the audience sang along. His presence on stage was striking, playing guitar on some tracks, only singing for others, giving him the chance to interact more intimately with the audience. The majority of his set are his signature ballads and story songs, from Voices, to Getting You Home, and Tomorrow, his deep country vocal captivated the audience. However, it was not until the party track Aw Naw, that the audience exploded with excitement. He managed to keep this atmosphere up, as he followed the track with a ZZ Top cover, Sharp Dressed Man. It allowed Young to display a rockier side, and this large venue was the perfect space to take his music to the next level. Martina McBride and Chris Young opened the main stage on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Tune in tomorrow for Dierks Bentley and The Band Perry. My review of C2C for the Telegraph can be found here.