C2C 2017 line-up, some are happy, some are sad

Organisers of the C2C festival have announced the first wave of artists for next year’s event and already it’s split those on Facebook groups who have been waiting for the names.

The main criticism seems to be that some of the acts who will be playing, particularly those who seem to be the headliners, have played C2C before, namely Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band. Other acts named in the first wave include who haven’t been to C2C before, including Chris Young and Jennifer Nettles.

First acts announced for C2C
C2C 2017 line-up

So do the folk who are not happy have a reason to be upset? Well I’ve seen Paisley and Zac Brown and they are great performers and certainly worth seeing. I think it’s also worth saying that many of the people who will buy tickets won’t have seen many, or possibly, any of the acts.

I imagine that the organisers are keen to keep the line-up as fresh as possible, while also trying and get current big names and not ignoring people who have played C2C before and are still a big draw.

There is also a lot of competition for the big US acts from the many festivals in the States, as well as concert tour programme which the big names are committed to. Plus, the festival has gradually grown since it was first launched in 2013 and is now four days, so the organisers now have to fill a bigger programme, though the continuing success and growth in attendance must mean the organisers have to attract more acts.

So, the reaction to the line-up seems to prove that you can’t please all the people all of the time. Plus, there are still more names to come in 14 days time!

C2C 2017 is March 9, 10, 11 and 12. Tickets go on sale at 10am on November 4.

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)

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

Five tips for CMA Fest goers

-Logo-Badge-4CSo, after a brief hiatus, time to recover from the full-on CMAFest, I’m hopefully back on track and will pick-up the pace with postings. starting with some, hopefully, useful tips for those already planning a trip next year.

As first timers at the festival we did find it a bit overwhelming. We had expected it to be a crazy four days, but that doesn’t even begin to describe the actual experience.

Temperatures in the high 90s impacted on our day-to-day activity. We figured that the idea of staying out all day and then heading to the stadium for the evening concerts probably wasn’t going to work. So we paced ourselves a bit more.

imageSo here are a few tips for anyone heading to Nashville next year.

  1. Arrive in town a few days early. Nashville isn’t a big city, but it’s worth getting a feel for the place, pick out the bars you like (there’s plenty to choose from).
  2. Book a hotel within walking distance of the centre. The day time action takes over the Broadway, city centre area and we found that being able to walk back to our hotel, we stayed at the Indigo, in late afternoon to freshen up before heading out in the evening was a great bonus.
  3. Make time for the other attractions, the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman, Country Music Hall of Fame.
  4. Plan the acts you want to see around town on the various stages in advance, rather than making it up on the hoof.
  5. The indoor Fan Fare X is well worth a look.

The heat is on!

Boy CMAFest is hot! And I don’t just mean the weather, though it is well into the 90s in Nashville.

last night the first of four evening concerts At the Nissan stadium, home of Tennessee Titans football team, was opened by country music veterans the Charlie Daniels Band. Kelsea Ballerini rocked a multi-coloured jump suit and the crowd, Dierks Bentley Got Drnk on a Plane and Simewhere on a Beach. He also introduced his new “friend” Elle King, who joined him on Different for Girls.

In fact surprise appearance was the order of the night. Charlie Daniels brought Randy Travis on stage. His appearance drew warm applause though Travis is still clearly a shadow of his former self.

Lady Antebellum made an unscheduled appearance with pop songstress Cam. They initially did two songs, there then seemed some confusion as the fans waited for headliner Jason Aldean, Lady A and Cam repeated the first song.

A bit late Aldean hit the stage and   delivered his usual barnstorming rock performance.

it may just have been the time, it was after 11.30pm when Aldean started but it was notable that the crowd thinned out. A couple of rows around us on the floor of the venue were virtually empty.

So do some people buy tickets to just see favoured acts and either spend the time when other acts are on stage in the bars or simply head home once there faces have been on stage?

Having come from the UK and waited a year for this we plan to get value for money and see everyone who hits the stage.

 

 

 

Things actually are what they used to be

I recently commented on a post on a Facebook group for country music fans from someone saying “country music isn’t what it used to be.”

so it was good to see how this genre has changed and adapted over the decades when we visited the country music museum and hall of fame in Nashville.

From its roots in people playing basic instruments, sometimes home made, through the influence of cowboy tunes, Western swing and the impact of mass media. Through its history country has regularly found a new voice without losing sight of the debt it owes to previous generations.

And last night at the Grand Ole Oprey we saw a live example of how acts from other genres work with country acts when Little Big Town introduced Pharrell Williams as there surprise guest. Williams joined LBT to perform their new single, which he has co-written. You can view the action here.

I know we are just two days in to the trip but the visit to the GOO is a highlight. For a country fan in the UK the GOO is one of those legendary venues and it didn’t disappoint.

Larger than I thought, the concert is a radio broadcast, so it keeps moving along, with acts performing four songs each, interspersed with promos read out by the on stage announcer.

The line we saw included Darius Rucker, LBT and Miranda Lambert.

A great night out and a great experience.

Off to Nashville, as Nashville comes over here

After a year of waiting we are off to Nashville this weekend, so we have time to ‘warm-up’ ahead of the CMAFest 2016. But just as we are digging out the passports Nashville announces that it’s coming over here in August.

On Saturday August 13 and Sunday 14 Canary Wharf is hosting an outdoors country concert, at Canada Sq Park.

The line up includes Ty Herndon, Logan Brill and American Young from the USA and Hannah Rose Platt, William The Conqueror and Pauper Kings, who are playing CMAFest.

The event is co-produced by Canary Wharf Arts +and Events, Peter Conway Management, and Nashville-based agency The AristoMedia Group. Baylen Leonard, BBC Radio 2 Country DJ, is the artistic program consultant.

The full line up will be confirmed over the next few weeks. To keep up to date you can follow the Twitter feed @yourcanarywharf

One year ago today….

A note came up on Facebook today reminding me that it was one year ago today when we purchased out tickets for CMA Fest 2016. And now it’s nearly here. Just 10 days to go to the start of the festival action on the main stage.

Of course there’s action before than. On the Monday CMA World Global gives the Festival a truly international feel, with acts from around the world playing. -Logo-Badge-4C

To help fans plan how they will navigate the whole event, with all the acts and stages CMA created an app which is really well designed. They have avoided overloading it with to much material and stuck to the info fans really want. This include a ‘my schedule’ which helps you pick out the acts you want to see, what time they are appearing and which stage they are on.

So who is on my list? Well, we will in the stadium for the ‘main event’ but alongside of that I have Jersey songstress Frankie Davies pencilled in for Monday evening; Jake Owen starts our four day festival viewing at 10am (I don’t think I’ve ever been to a concert at 10am!) at the Chevrolet Riverfront stage. I’ve also got Kristian Bush, Maddie & Tae and Margo Price on the schedule.

Any suggestions of other acts who are ‘must sees’ gratefully received.

 

Young set to kick-off CMA Festival

Another announcement about CMA Fest as the event gets closer with the announcement that Chris Young will kick-off this year’s festival at the event’s official opening ceremony at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on June 8 at 11am.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will also be taking part in the open event, alongside the Fisk Jubilee Singers and students from local schools,Young, who is also a member of the CMA Board of Directors said: “As a Middle Tennessee native and someone who grew up going to Fan Fair, it’s pretty cool to get to kick off CMA Music Festival and shine a spotlight on the CMA Foundation and the music education students the festival benefits.”

The opening ceremonies are free and open to the public. The stage is located at the foot of Korean Veterans Boulevard and First Avenue (south of Riverfront Park), and gates will open at 10AM for the event.

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Ups and downs in UK country chart

Two new entries in this week’s UK country chart. Major US star Blake Shelton’s new album If i’m Honest, debuts at number 2, while Irish country singer Mary Duff’s latest offering, Changing Lanes appears at number 10. Moving to the top of the chart is another debut album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter by Margo Price. The album has received rave reviews and Price has recently been playing a number of gigs in the UK and appeared on BBC2’s Later with Jools Holland. Next month she is back in the US and will be playing a number of dates during CMAFest2016 including the Park Stage on June 12 and two dates at 3rd & Lindsley on the 14 and 15. So hopefully I will manage to see her then.

Debut album hits number one in UK charts
Debut album hits number one in UK chart

1 Midwest farmer’s daughter – Margo Price (3)

2. If i’m honest – Blake Shelton (new)

3. Detour – Cyndi Lauper (5)

4. The things that we are made of – Mary Chapin Carpenter (1)

5. Ripcord – Keith Urban (2)

6. A sailor’s guide to earth – Sturgill Simpson (8)

7. Traveller – Chris Stapleton (6)

8. Stayin up all night – Nathan Carter (9)

9. Playing with fire – Jennifer Nettles (4)

10. Changing Lanes – Mary Duff (new)

Courtesy of the Official Charts Company