BY EVIE MASON
Fans were certainly ‘Welcomed to the Block Party’ on the second night of C2C at the O2 arena! Following Pricilla Block’s 2020 hit ‘Just About Over You’, which was named one of the best songs of 2020 by The New York Times, Block certainly proved that she is so much more than just her viral Tik Tok hit. Kicking off the night, Block brought confidence, badass energy and good vibes to the O2 stage which had the audience hooked immediately. Her cover of Keith Urban’s ‘You’ll Think of Me’ was notably beautiful and had most of the audience moved with emotion. Yet, with songs such as ‘Thick Thighs’, ‘Hey, Jack’, and ‘My Bar’, Block still brought the party and the fire to Saturday night, making 2024 a great year for female artists.
Brian Kelley then took to the main stage for the first time since 2015, with true southern style – even though he was the ‘Florida’ part of ‘Florida Georgia Line’. Admittedly, his set was not for me. His songs seemed generically country to me, and not in a good way. Every song seemed to mention the words ‘truck’, ‘boot’ or ‘hat’ – ‘Trucks, Ducks, Bucks & Beer’ may be the best example of this. It is possible that I just don’t understand bro country. However, it is beyond doubt that he brought southern charm and a great stage presence to his set. And his iconic FGL voice still remains, all while he exhibits newfound independence from his past. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Brian Kelley’s music.
Jake Owen took fans ‘Down to the Honkytonk’ in the penultimate set of the night. His set ranged from upbeat hits such as ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night’ to slow songs such as ‘Made for You’, which he somehow made feel like an intimate performance as fans lit up the arena with phone torches. It is easy to miss just how many popular songs Jake Owen has, as his set just kept reeling off country radio hits over and over again. A highlight for me personally, was his take on John Mellencamp’s iconic ‘Jack & Diane’, which Owen names ‘I Was Jack (You Were Diane)’. The song is a nostalgic love story that is just as good live as recorded, if not better. It was his first trip to the UK, and he certainly made an impression on the crowds. As did his yellow trousers. You can bet he’ll be back, and you can bet the fans will love it once again. The award for new fan favourite this year definitely goes to Jake Owen.
The highlight of spotlight stage performances, for me, was Mason Ramsey, who is possibly the youngest artist to play the arena at C2C. His traditional country style had an undeniable charm and his country vocals only added to this. It is exceedingly impressive to be able to say that he played the O2 arena at only 17 years old. However, what I consider more impressive, was his performance on top of the O2 arena on C2C’s official Instagram page. Wind nor rain can stop Mason Ramsey!
Finally, the iconic Brad Paisley headlined the evening. Perhaps I am biased, but Paisley never fails to bring an incredible performance. He is a true entertainer, a master guitarist, a comedian and a singer/songwriter all wrapped into one. What more could you ask for? Although his set was comprised of his usual songs, it ticked all boxes for me. He played hit after hit, playing a shortened version of each song, seemingly to fit in as much music as he could. He could’ve given us more warning when the lights went down and he suddenly started playing eight minutes early though! From ‘Then’, to ‘Ticks’, to ‘American Saturday Night’, to ‘Whisky Lullaby’ (which was played beautifully acoustically and I’m sure you could have heard a pin drop) his songs still entertain, even 25 years later from his 1999 debut album. The visuals on screen were hilarious, and Paisley even went so far as to steal a fan’s phone and post a photo of himself captioned ‘Sexiest man alive’ – I’ll leave that decision up to you.
I hope this article acts as an apology to anyone who sat near me up in the 400s, as I may have cried and/or sung too loud to most songs. I’m a front row type of fan living the nosebleed seats experience. Whether you’re a superfan like me or not, it is indisputable that Paisley is a true performer, and there’s just no way that you didn’t love the Mona Lisa conga. I’ll be singing ‘woah oh oh, woah oh oh’ for weeks now. Thanks Brad.
Editor note!! (Get me!!). The photos are mine (Helen) who did have a front row seat, not Nosebleed seats!!!