C2C 2024 Day One
What is country music is the eternal question? How does a Brit wearing a Ramones t-shirt talking to a Canadian in Berlin, Germany about a song that she is about to drop which features Sir Mix-a-Lot amongst its co-writers sound to you?
I doubt that is what many people expect, but Europe’s biggest country music festival which we all know and love as C2C: Country to Country really is that beautiful melting pot. After starting March off in the wonderful city of Berlin, the festival made its way to London over the weekend of Friday March 8th to Sunday March 10th where the first day coincided with International Women’s Day.
I have been and always will be a huge supporter and advocate for female artists not just in our own genre but the music industry as a whole so, to see Alana Springsteen hosting the main stage as she introduced a pair of Lauren’s (Watkins and Alaina) along with two girls that are both called Carly (one like that and the other spells it Karley) is a real reflection of the positive attitude which the European country audience has towards female artists.
C2C in London is like a NASCAR race, it’s wild, it is fast, it’s slightly chaotic and involves some planning. Day one on Friday began with (shock horror) a hangover after catching up with friends at the curtain raising CMA Songwriters Series on the Thursday night as the inevitable journey to the O2 Arena in Greenwich beckoned.
I doubt that is what many people expect, but Europe’s biggest country music festival which we all know and love as C2C: Country to Country really is that beautiful melting pot. After starting March off in the wonderful city of Berlin, the festival made its way to London over the weekend of Friday March 8th to Sunday March 10th where the first day coincided with International Women’s Day.
I have been and always will be a huge supporter and advocate for female artists not just in our own genre but the music industry as a whole so, to see Alana Springsteen hosting the main stage as she introduced a pair of Lauren’s (Watkins and Alaina) along with two girls that are both called Carly (one like that and the other spells it Karley) is a real reflection of the positive attitude which the European country audience has towards female artists.
C2C in London is like a NASCAR race, it’s wild, it is fast, it’s slightly chaotic and involves some planning. Day one on Friday began with (shock horror) a hangover after catching up with friends at the curtain raising CMA Songwriters Series on the Thursday night as the inevitable journey to the O2 Arena in Greenwich beckoned.
Credit - Anthony Mooney
After the initial gaining of bearings was gathered, the highlight of the UK country music social calendar began at one o’clock with the Pittsburgh duo of Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy, collectively known as Lakeview opening the entire event at The Barrelhouse in The Town Square. We had been able to catch the guys in Berlin but their energy and intensity was a better match for London’s event, where they proved to be the perfect act to kick off the event.
The boys were followed in The Barrelhouse by a pair of our big friends here on the site as Halle Kearns and Brooke Eden began the chain of female artists that we are keen to promote who both delivered beautiful stripped back sets before a change of scenery took us to the Icon stage up at the outlet section within the main complex to catch the lovely Hannah Ellis (she may appear again later in this review) before the real “work” part of our day began.
We caught up with main stage hostess Alana Springsteen along with the wild ride that is hanging out with Sophia Scott (this interview is going to be a SUPER SUPER fun one to share) and our longtime friend Abbey Cone who was incredible to FINALLY get to spend some time with in real life after years of virtual friendship. We are a site run by two men in our late thirties but recognise the battle that female artists face so to be able to sit down in a Spice Girls t-shirt on International Women’s Day and help these incredible artists share their story is our tiny little part to support their fight.
The boys were followed in The Barrelhouse by a pair of our big friends here on the site as Halle Kearns and Brooke Eden began the chain of female artists that we are keen to promote who both delivered beautiful stripped back sets before a change of scenery took us to the Icon stage up at the outlet section within the main complex to catch the lovely Hannah Ellis (she may appear again later in this review) before the real “work” part of our day began.
We caught up with main stage hostess Alana Springsteen along with the wild ride that is hanging out with Sophia Scott (this interview is going to be a SUPER SUPER fun one to share) and our longtime friend Abbey Cone who was incredible to FINALLY get to spend some time with in real life after years of virtual friendship. We are a site run by two men in our late thirties but recognise the battle that female artists face so to be able to sit down in a Spice Girls t-shirt on International Women’s Day and help these incredible artists share their story is our tiny little part to support their fight.
Credit - Luke Dyson
Once the cold became overwhelming, it became time to head into the main arena in time for the pride of Rossville, Georgia to take the stage. Lauren Alaina is one of those people who is naturally born to be on stage, her personality and charisma is so incandescent as she delivered a high octane set which included a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” which was infused into her own hit “Ladies in the ‘90s” which really began to raise the energy of the crowd.
Lauren preceded fellow Grand Ole Opry member Carly Pearce who prior to the festival recently announced her own UK headlining shows in early 2025. You instantly saw why she was recognised by the Recording Academy who she received a Grammy from and why she was the recipient of Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2021 CMA Awards because as always she was vocally flawless throughout her seventy minute set where Hannah Ellis would also join her on stage to deputise for Ashley McBryde for a stunning rendition of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” along with Jackson Dean appearing to perform “I Hope You’re Happy Now” alongside her.
Lauren preceded fellow Grand Ole Opry member Carly Pearce who prior to the festival recently announced her own UK headlining shows in early 2025. You instantly saw why she was recognised by the Recording Academy who she received a Grammy from and why she was the recipient of Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2021 CMA Awards because as always she was vocally flawless throughout her seventy minute set where Hannah Ellis would also join her on stage to deputise for Ashley McBryde for a stunning rendition of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” along with Jackson Dean appearing to perform “I Hope You’re Happy Now” alongside her.
Credit - Luke Dyson
Finally the opening night drew to a conclusion with a headline set from Kane Brown which was exactly what we were waiting for. It was fun, it got the crowd out of their seats and solidified why he is a genuine headliner with one of the most impressive closing sets the festival has ever seen!
The first day was so much fun that I reckon we should be back nice and early in the morning for Jake Owen playing the UK for the first time, Priscilla Block representing the ladies and a headline set from a certain Brad Paisley!
The first day was so much fun that I reckon we should be back nice and early in the morning for Jake Owen playing the UK for the first time, Priscilla Block representing the ladies and a headline set from a certain Brad Paisley!
