REVIEW
informed us. Oh you did? … What ' s the Carol Burnett Show? By the time she regaled us with‘ I’ m a Survivor’, theme tune to the Reba TV Show, which I’ d be very surprised if many in the room had actually seen, she’ d sadly lost a lot of her audience. Does she have to jump up and down shouting“ hello London” and telling us how much she loves us? Of course e, not. But would we like to feel some sense of value as fans? I ' ll leave you to answer.
What’ s more, the gulf between this and what had gone before e – Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Hunter Hayes – stylistically was vast. The epitome of modern, pop and rock country juxtaposed with a much gentler, I hesitate to use the word,‘ dated’ version. I don’ t mean‘ dated’ in a derogatory manner r just that Reba’ s style of country does hark back to an era when the genre wasn’ t exactly enjoying a golden age. The staging was very reminiscent of this, with the grand piano and backing vocalist( who incidentally should have had a show of her own). There is no doubt in my mind that Reba would easily fill the O2( and hold the crowd) were this her own tour. Her fans would turn out in their droves to see her, I’ m sure. For me, therein lies the problem. I’ m just not sure Reba worked in the broader context of the festival. I was there to see as much variety in my country as possible, a sentiment that I know was shared by my many of my fellow fans. Whether that was a view held by all, I would say the evidence of the empty seats would say‘ no ma’ am’, Reba wasn’ t for them and that’ s that. Not every act can be for everyone and that is, of course, life.
Variety is the spice of life, we can’ t all be the same and all that jazz, but it was a shame.
I did have to allow myself a satisfied smile, as those of us who stuck around to enjoy the ' Queen of Country’, were rewarded with an
Photographer: Kirsty Bailey
encore of‘ Fancy’, the timeless Reba classic we’ d all been waiting for. Reba you were great, I stayed firmly planted in my seat and enjoyed the show, but to me you’ ll still always be Heather Gummer from Tremors.
ZAC BROWN BAND
For many the Zac Brown Band stole the whole festival and certainly closed the event in a manner befitting the occasion. Known for their unique blend of country and reggae, they put on a display of musicianship of epic proportions, a true celebration of country music and Americana and really the only act that could have followed Marty Stuart. Another repeat headliner from 2014, the band opened with‘ Homegrown’ from their 2015 genre defying album‘ Jekyll + Hyde’.‘ As She’ s Walking Away’ and‘ Whiskey’ s Gone’ followed from their second album,‘ You Get What You Give’. Much like Brad Paisley, Brown was already on at least his third guitar from the impressive array, with their own guitar tech, stage right.‘ Goodbye In Her Eyes’ preceded a brilliant rendition of The Charlie Daniels Band’ s‘ The Devil Went Down to Georgia’.‘ My Old Man’ from their forthcoming release‘ Welcome Home’ was a wonderfully emotive and genuine performance, bringing tears to the eyes of even the hardest country fan with the power of superlative song writing. Zac himself admitted that it was a tough one for him to get through sometimes. We soon left the soon left the reflective mood behind as the first chords of the totally tropical‘ Toes’ struck. I have to say the audience excelled themselves in the sing-a-long stakes here, filling in the chorus“ adios and vaya con dios,” not for your fly-by-night fans that’ s for sure.
We’ d heard an inexplicable amount of noncountry covers over the weekend, but this one, impressively acquitted, left them all behind. Two
Photographer: Kirsty Bailey
72