Buckle and Boots 2021

 

The festival is back with a bang, burgers and bourbon! 

(and a bourbon branded truck)

 

Its been eighteen months without live music but it seemed the festival family were keener than ever to get to the farm, with the majority of campers arriving on Thursday evening.  It was truly a family reunion with dad dancing, lots of hugs and people fully utilising the revamped bar leading to some being apparently oblivious to the mini stage set up in the barn.  DW Productions were making the most of Thursday night to record a new magazine show called – appropriately – The Barn, featuring performances from many of the weekend’s acts plus a special guest or two. The show will be released at a future date.

Friday was off to a slow start with many a sore head and most campers already on site.  When the evening finally came, the festival main stage was opened as is traditional by a writer’s round featuring Gary Quinn, Alyssa Bonagura and Sunday Headliner Tebey.  Silverball Country found a great viewing spot behind the bar of the cleverly positioned new “Tin Roof”, sponsored by Bulleit Bourbon and featuring a much-photographed truck. 

We were easily able to watch as the stage was brought to life by Gasoline & Matches with their full band – reminding us of what we’ve been missing.  Deanne Dexeter was next on stage, upping the dress code stakes with a lot of tassels before Silverball Country Entertainer of the Year Stevie O’Connor took the music and outfit to the next level with a customised suit courtesy of Lucy O’Connor. 

By this time the whole barn was jumping ready for our Friday Night Headliner Kezia Gill – winner of three Silverball Country Awards.

Dazzling in her Born To Thread jacket, Kezia reminded us that it was only three years ago that she was in the Sunday Hangover Slot and here she was headlining Friday Night.  Even as a headliner, Kezia shows her humility and serves as an inspiration to all up and coming artists.  Proving that she always has a surprise in store, Kezia appeared on the main bar - as if by magic – to the delight of the crowd and the bar staff.  The evening was rounded off by a semi-silent disco, with one channel having to played over the speakers, but it didn’t dampen any one’s spirits. Dancers still danced, drinks still flowed.

Saturday morning at Buckle and Boots wouldn’t be Saturday morning without a swiftly resolved call to fix the showers! Attendees browsed the stalls, threw axes and rode the bronco in between running from the Paddock Stage to the Main Stage to catch as much as possible of all the artists performing.  As stage managers of the Paddock stage alongside the Millport Team, we saw some old favourites and new faces but the outstanding performance of the day was from The Outlaw Orchestra.  Having reviewed their album a year ago they were everything we expected and more.  They even managed an almost Hayseed Dixie version of 500 miles although rockier and Hill Billy-er  segued into Cliff Richard.  It shouldn’t work, but it certainly did!

(you can see our album review here )

Over on the main stage the headline act was earlier than usual as The Shires played a semi-acoustic set in the early evening. They looked amazing, they sounded amazing, they were amazing.

 

The running order allows everyone to see the big acts of the weekend on main stage and paddock stage, which closed with Matt and Donal bringing the party, meanwhile over on the main stage Jade Helliwell added the best of UK female talent to her set – Lucy Blu, Emma Moore, SJ Mortimer, Sally Rea Morris, Kezia Gill and Emilia Quinn- before closing the stage as part of the Honky Tonk Roadshow along with  festival favourites and close friends Gary Quinn and Kezia Gill.

 

Sunday Service is always an opportunity for reflection, remembering those not with us – and also a chance to hear what Kezia Gill has created to complement the theme. 

Sunday also features the big writer’s round of the weekend – there was a twist this year as Kezia, Jade and Gary brought us their Song Swap, where they perform each other’s songs.

The Paddock stage had a line up of artists, each building up to the headline act – Tim Prottey Jones appearing with a full band to a full tent, while on Main Stage we were treated to some of the biggest bands on the circuit – Backwoods Creek and Morganway before Canadian headliner Tebey.

This years after party was practically a festival of its own as Backwoods Creek retuned to the stage as the house band and were fronted for one song at a time by many of the artists who performed over the weekend including a shock performance from non-other that Terri – who you will have seen behind the bar all weekend

 

It was definitely a weekend of fabulous hats as well!

 

For us at Silverball Country it was an exhausting four days, but we spent the days with smiles on our faces, friends by our sides and Jaeger in our hands. If you want to know how hard all the volunteers work – just ask Neil Byr about his bar stints!

 

We’ll see you on 3 June 2022 to do it all again!