Photo credit: Josh Hickie
Australian country star James Johnston has wrapped up his first UK headline tour following a run of sold-out shows across the country, culminating in a standout mainstage performance at Country Calling Festival on August 16, directly before Randy Houser. From packed headline dates to a huge festival crowd, Johnston’s debut UK run has made one thing clear: he is an artist built for much bigger stages.
From the moment Johnston stepped onto the stage, UK audiences embraced his trademark blend of high-energy country, huge singalongs, line-dancing and just having fun. Johnston kicked off the UK tour with a sold-out show in Glasgow on August 11 that saw him bring the party atmosphere of an Australian country bar to a Scottish crowd. GigView described how he managed to “turn a Glasgow gig into what felt like a country nightclub.” The opening night was made even more memorable by a special live performance of his brand-new single ‘COUNTRY SONG‘, with a bagpiper joining Johnston on stage to bring the track’s Scottish influence to life.
Watch the moment here.
His Birmingham headline show on August 12 was the first of two sold-out nights at the Hare & Hounds, “One of country music’s biggest new stars might just be from New South Wales and go by the name of James Johnston.” (Maximum Volume Music).
The response was just as positive in Manchester on August 14, with NationalWorld noting it was a “performance that showed why Johnston is the face leading Australian country music” and that “it’s without a doubt Johnston’s people will be waiting for him to return and hopefully very soon”.
Johnston’s ability to connect with audiences was on full display throughout the run. At every show, he introduced ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ by speaking about how country music has no borders, no matter where you come from, the same songs can bring people together. That message felt particularly fitting throughout his first UK tour, as an Australian artist made a huge impression on audiences in a country thousands of miles from home.
The tour culminated at Country Calling Festival on August 16, where Johnston brought the same energy and audience interaction to a packed festival crowd. With fans singing every word, line dancing throughout the set and Johnston even stepping off stage to join the crowd during ‘ONE MORE’, his festival performance demonstrated that the connection he creates in an intimate headline room translates just as powerfully to a much larger audience.
Watch the moment here.
Already dubbed “the face of a new wave in Australian country music” by Rolling Stone Australia, Johnston has amassed more than 163 million global streams, earned six #1 Australian country radio singles, and saw his debut album Raised Like That spend 35 weeks at #1 on the ARIA Australian Country Albums Chart.
Having spent years building his reputation across Australia, Johnston’s first UK visit has firmly established him as an artist to watch on this side of the Atlantic. His sold-out shows, packed festival performance and overwhelming response from UK audiences point towards a future of considerably bigger venues, and if the reaction to his debut UK run is anything to go by, those stages may be arriving sooner rather than later.
(James Johnston at Country Calling Festival / Credit: Josh Hickie)
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