UK country music chart

Bury me in my boots
Bury me in my boots

Cadillac Three has held onto the top spot in the UK country music chart this week

A new entry at number two is Irish based Lisa McHugh and her album Country. Another new entry is Justin Moore’s Kinda don’t care, which includes the hit single and big radio air play song, You look like I need a drink.

The top 10 includes seven albums which have been number one, including Ward Thomas’s From where we stand which has spent a total of 82 weeks on the charts.

Interestingly only one album from the country chart makes an appearance in the overall album chart. Not surprisingly it’s this week’s number one from Cadillac Three which is at 85 having dropped from last week’s 33.

In the Billboard chart in the US Blake Shelton is number one and Cadillac Three at number five. A new entry into the US chart is Way down in the jungle room, a compilation of old material from Elvis Presley. I’m not sure how this is a country album but then Steven Tyler is in the both the US and UK country charts and I didn’t think he sounded very country at CMAFest.

1. BURY ME IN MY BOOTS – CADILLAC THREE (1)
2. COUNTRY – LISA MCHUGH (NEW)
3. WE’RE ALL SOMEBODY FROM SOMEWHERE – STEVEN TYLER (2)
4. MIDWEST FARMERS DAUGHTER – MARGO PRICE (16)
5. KINDA DON’T CARE – JUSTIN MOORE(new)
6. FROM WHERE WE STAND – WARD THOMAS (13)
7. THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MADE OF – MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER (3)
8. STAYIN’ UP ALL NIGHT – NATHAN CARTER (11)
9. A SAILOR’S GUIDE TO EARTH – STURGILL SIMPSON (5)
10. IF I’M HONEST – BLAKE SHELTON (18)

Nashville meets London & they like each other

IMG_0535A new country music concert event arrived on the UK scene at the weekend and it was free!

Organised by Peter Conway ManagementCanary Wharf Arts and Events,  and Nashville-based agency, The AristoMedia GroupNashville meets London was a two day festival at Canada Park in London’s Canary Wharf. The event brought together a mix of UK and US acts.

There were ten acts playing over two days including, Logan Brill, Ty Herndon, and Logan Mize from the US, and Yola Carter, Megan O’Neill, Pauper Kings, Hannah Rose Platt, Honey Ryder from the UK.

Free events can be a bit “tacky” but this one worked really well. Good weather helped and the unusual setting of seeing bands playing in a small park surrounded by the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf actually added to the intimate feel of the event.

We were only able to make the Saturday show but there was a good turnout of country fans and possibly a few newcomers. .

Honey Ryder, licensed to entertain
Honey Ryder, licensed to entertain

The wonderfully named Honey Ryder (the band is named after a Bond Girl) kicked the show off.

Pauper Kings hit the stage
Pauper Kings hit the stage

 

 

 

York’s Pauper Kings, who we saw in Nashville at CMAFest, put in a very assured and professional performance while Yola Carter brough a touch of “country soul” to the stage.

 

The US acts seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fact that the Brit audience listened to the songs, even the ones they didn’t know, which I suspect was quite a few of the tunes. I though Logan Mize was very good and will be looking out for his recordings.

So overall was Nashville meets London a hit? Yes, from a fans point of view and I think from that of the performers it was. Perhaps like C2C this event will become a fixture on the UK country music scene. Although the tight nature of the venue doesn’t allow much room to grow in size I suspect the size of the acts, particularly those from the US could grow in stature.

And finally, an honourable mention to the host Beylen Leonard, an American broadcaster now based in the UK who can be heard presenting country music shows on BBC Radio 2 among other places. He put together, curated is, I believe, the modern term, a playlist between the acts.

 

UK country chart

Bury me in my boots
Bury me in my boots

Congratulations to Cadillac Three who have entered the UK Country Music chart at number one. The band featured on Bob Harris Country this week and have a number of tour dates in the UK later this year. Country newcomer Steven Tyler has slipped from the top spot to number two while country veteran and genuine superstar Mary Chapin Carpenter is hanging in at number three. The artist with the longest stay on the chart is Lucinda  Williams and her Ghosts of Highway 20. Her breakthrough album Wheels on a Gravel Road is regarded as a classic and Ghosts has received great reviews and sales.

1. BURY ME IN MY BOOTS – CADILLAC THREE (new)

2. WE’RE ALL SOMEBODY FROM SOMEWHERE – STEVEN TYLER (1)

3. THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MADE OF – MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER (3)

4. GENUINE – THE ALAN JACKSON STORY – ALAN JACKSON (new)

5. A SAILOR’S GUIDE TO EARTH – STURGILL SIMPSON (6)

6. COLVIN & EARLE – COLVIN & EARLE (4)

7. AMERICAN LOVE – JAKE OWEN (2)

8. THE GHOSTS OF HIGHWAY 20 – LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Re)

9. TANGLED UP – THOMAS RHETT (Re)

10. RIPCORD – KEITH URBAN (8)

Courtesy of the Official Charts Company

UK artists head for CMA Fest

Just 16 days to go to the kick-off of CMA Fest 2016 and the line-up of artists on the main stage and the various others around the festival have been announced (Unless the organisers have some last minute surprises up the sleeve of their rhinestone shirt?).

Of course the focus will be on the big name acts but I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the performers at the other venues, particularly those I haven’t come across before?

Among those I’ve spotted on the list are two UK acts, though there may be more.

Singer songwriter Frankie Davies is from Jersey and played C2C this year. At CMA Fest she will be part of CMA World Global Live. Also playing the Global Live session are York’s Pauper Kings, a country rock band.

Hope to catch both acts and if anyone knows of other UK artists playing let me know.

 

So why country music UK?

Love country music
Love country music

Well, I’m in the UK and this is going to be about country music!

The main prompt however is that in June I’m off to Nashville for CMA Fest. In the meantime I thought I would blog about all things country, or at least all things country that I’m interested in, sound interesting, or simply come my way.

So do why do a qualify as someone who can write about country music? Well, I didn’t know you had to have a qualification. But as you’ve asked, the very first, yes, very first concert I ever saw was Johnny Cash and that was in the early 1970s in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, hardly a hot-bed of country music.

Since then the popularity of country music in the UK has waxed and waned. I have to admit the Dolly Parton, line dancing, pretending you live next door to the Dukes of Hazard when in fact you live in Dagenham (or anywhere else beginning with D) has never been my flavour of country. But there has always been great singer songwriters and great performers (of which more later)

More recently country has developed a whole new generation of acts (of which more later). Plus, things like C2C, Maverick magazine, and Internet radio enabling stations such as Chris Country to take to the air, are all giving country music in the UK a big push.

So this may be nothing more than a vanity project or it may turn out to be deeply insightful, either way welcome to the page and if you have thoughts on country music or particularly good acts you want to share let me know.

So here we go. Country Music UK