7 Things I Learned At Country to Country Festival
The trip to Country to Country Festival, which marked my first visit to Europe, was quite eventful and very much enlightening.
Last weekend, I made a trip “across the pond” to attend Country to Country (C2C) Festival in London, England at The O2 Arena and to celebrate the U.K. launch of Sounds Like Nashville. The trip, which marked my first trip to Europe, was quite eventful and very much enlightening.
I’ve attended countless festivals here in the states, but I have to admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at C2C. As I look back, I can tell you that it exceeded my expectations.
The festival, now in its fourth year, also took place simultaneously in Glasgow, Scotland and Dublin, Ireland. Artists such as Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, and Thomas Rhett were on hand to perform at the three-day event.
After the shows, which were bloody brilliant by the way (see, I am already picking up on the English lingo!), I reflected on my trip and I realized that I learned SO much on my three-day journey.
Here’s what I learned while attending C2C Festival.
The English Love Country Music: When I told friends and family that I was going to London to attend a Country music festival, they didn’t believe me. They asked me if people outside the U.S. actually enjoyed Country music. You better believe they do! The fans there not only enjoy it, they can’t get enough of it.
They Like Honest, Authentic Music: After speaking with a diverse group of locals, I found that the most important thing to them is that the music is authentic, not forced. This is one of the reasons why artists like Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves seem to do so well there. If it feels contrived, they aren’t interested.
They Aren’t Big Fans Of Bro-Country: Typical topics of so-called “bro-country” songs, like tailgates, beer-drinking, and dirt roads, don’t appeal to most fans in London. While Americans enjoy Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean, the English seem to prefer acts like Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton.
Nashville Got Them Hooked On Country Music: Countless fans admitted that their interest in Country music sparked after ABC’s Nashville began airing in the U.K., which is something that I found very interesting. The music on the show is fantastic, but it’s not necessarily a true reflection of what we hear on Country radio in the states. But, it opened the doors for Country music in England, and that’s a pretty awesome thing!
They’re a Captivated Audience: One of the most refreshing things about fans in London was that they didn’t watch the entire concert through their cell phones. They truly seemed to listen and take in the entire concert experience, which is something that many of the artists noticed as well.
They Know All the Songs, Even Album Cuts: Because fans don’t have access to Country radio like we do here in the U.S., they didn’t just know singles. They were singing along to every song, even deep album cuts, which is something that you don’t always see here.
They Discover Music Differently Than Us: As Americans, we’re lucky enough to be able to turn on our local Country radio station or tune in to Sirius XM’s The Highway station to discover the latest and greatest new music, but fans in the U.K. don’t have that luxury. Because they don’t have access to traditional Country radio (aside from a handful of online radio stations), they turn to social media to find new music. Unfortunately, they may not have access to purchase certain songs or watch specific music videos due to their location.
All in all, attending Country to Country Festival was an eye-opening experience. I truly enjoyed talking to the fans and I can’t wait to go back!
C2C will return for its fifth year in 2017 on March 10, 11, and 12. For more information on the festival, click HERE.
