by Moshe » Sun Mar 11, 2018 10:18 pm
REVIEW: COUNTRY2COUNTRTY 2018- SUNDAY 11TH MARCH 02 GREENWICH
This was an old hippie's country music dream lineup. Come on. And I must have been the bulls eye of their target audience.
Before getting on to the big arena acts, a few words about some acts I managed to catch at other stages. I cuaght British roots singer ELLES BAILEY at the Water Margin Bar and was mightily impressed. Her original take on Blues and Country touches all the bases and is convincing. I caught the tailend of JILLIAN JAQUELINE's set at the Radio 2 stage & I liked it (as Kary Perry once said) & I caught the tailend of American Young's set at the entrance stage.Nice to catch up with them again 2 years on!
After talk of sound problems in the Arena swirling round the internet Friday & Saturday, I am happy to report that today, at least where I was sat ( quite good seat) the sound was dandy and crystal clear.
Opening act was MIDLAND, a contemporary country act who visually and sonically are reminicent of the old hippy country acts such as the Flying Burritto Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Probably my first taste of country in my teens were the Flying Burritos, New Riders and the Grateful Dead.
MIDLAND impressed on every level- great songs, fine picking and singing and visually entertaining with their retro nudie suites and general style.
MARGO PRICE and her band of stellar musicians were musically pretty much in the same ballpark, bringing a 21st century spin to the cosmic country. Margo started off in high gear & things got even better when LUKAS NELSON joined her for a few songs, sounding very much like his dad (in a good way). He was still jamming with her when she went into a blistering rendition of her first hit, Hurting On the Bottle which segued into Whiskey River. A truly outstanding set.
Next up was EMMYLOU HARRIS and her very rootsy country band. Emmylou- at 70 years of age- is still in fine voice, but it was not so much the Emmylou of Hot Band era with her Gram Parsons inflected country, but Emmylou in very traditional country style, with more than a few nods to bluegrass. She did include a low key rendition of Luxury Liner and Poncho and Lefty was present, but uptempo hits such as Two More Bottles of wine were forgone in favour of more traditional country fare.
I left after Emmylou, having seen the hadliner, Little Big town, on a few ocasions before & I wanted an early night.
Overall, a very good day and one of my favourite C2C lineups so far.
Cor Blimey, Guv'nor!
