Gig Review - Country In The Afternoon May 2024 - Half Moon Putney

 

The Half Moon pub in Putney, South West London is no stranger to great line ups, over the years it has played host to some of the absolute greats, and twice a year for the past few years has been home to Country In The Afternoon, brought to us by those fine folks at Cumbrae Promotions – Gavin and Christine Chittick.  Even if you haven’t heard of Country In The Afternoon, if you’re a country music lover you may have attended on of their other events - notably Millport Country Festival, or perhaps you’ve caught one of their ad hoc intimate evenings both in London and in Scotland.  If you’re a Buckle and Boots attendee, you’ll have seen Gavin running the Paddock Stage along with Silverball Country and Christine looking after the all-important beer tokens!

You have to wonder if these two ever stop.  We think the answer is no.  There's two more new events in the calendar this year alone, plus the next Country In The Afternoon.  They do take time for holidays – but those are as much for talent spotting as for relaxing!

Country In The Afternoon is two days of music in an iconic venue running from 12:30 until 5 – which gives time for drinks between the 4 acts (as they turnaround the stage) on each day plus a chance for a meal in the pub garden afterwards, especially when the weather is as good as it was this past weekend.

We joined the Chitticks on Sunday, which had an international line up – two American acts, two British acts – and an Austrian!

 

First up, from Nashville was John Wesley Satterfield.  John has a very traditional country sound to his voice, and a traditional style to his songwriting, with songs about his guitar, whiskey – great subjects!  Whilst he would never sell his battered old guitar, he did offer his beagle dog for sale!  Accompanied on stage for a couple of songs by Jon Stone (American Young) the storytelling was as good as the songwriting, with some numbers inappropriately dedicated to Grandma!  John didn’t use a set list preferring to go with the flow – and the same was true for the second act – Georgia born Ian Flanigan. Having appeared on The Voice - USA as part of Blake’s team, Ian is now known simply as “The Voice” and what a voice he has!  Despite being from the US, his stories resonated and were easy to follow.  We were treated to another guest appearance from Jon Stone who has written and produced the new material that Ian treated us to.  Notable was “The song with the longest title” – the very relatable Words I Never Heard An Old Man Say.

 

Both John and Ian were visiting the UK for the first time, whereas the next band to take to the stage were far more familiar having played the event before and also just finished a UK Tour.  Lewis and Izzy (from Austria!) better known as Two Ways Home.  As well as their trademark light teasing of each, other Two Ways Home delivered a loud and rocking set backed by Michael Clancy on guitar and Jake Stanton on drums.  Even Gavin Chittick was moved to declare that it was possibly the best they have ever sounded – and we have to agree!  The band are very hardworking and seem to constantly look at ways of improving their show – this time including some more intimate songs around their bespoke, old style microphone – in fact there are only three of these microphones around, and notably, Bob Harris has one of the only other two!

 

The afternoon was rounded off with a storming set from First Time Flyers, who are making waves across a number of stages and festivals.  First Time Flyers gave us our second full band set of the day, and brought with them an enthusiastic and dedicated following showing that whatever the size of the event, independent gigs can build and hold an audience!

 

Time to rest?  Nope.  Next up from Cumbrae Promotions is the Signature Brew Americana Showcase, London E17 on 22 June and Milltown Music Festival in Paisley nr Glasgow on 31 August

Silverball Country attended Country In The Afternoon as guests of Cumbrae Promotions

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Gig Review - Country In The Afternoon Nov 2023 - Half Moon Putney

 

This weekend saw the 9^th Country In The Afternoon at the Half Moon Pub in Putney, South West London, and on each occasion Gavin and Christine Chittick put together a lineup of 4 great acts each day from both the UK and overseas, it’s never the same but generally it sees the atmosphere build - so much so that you forget it is the afternoon and often are reluctant to leave! 

Saturday was opened by Terri Leavey, whose career seems to have started, or been accelerated by a karaoke night at Dixie fields where people discovered her voice, leading to an appearance on stage at Buckle and Boots.  Since her discovery at Dixie Fields, she has been building her brand and recording her own music. But, undoubtedly she has stage presence and anyone who watches her will not be disappointed but in for a good time - we can forgive the covers. There was nothing but positive reviews from her, and the support that she brought with her helped to form the biggest audience for any opening act at Country In The Afternoon so far

 

When we see Christine and Gavin at festivals, they always have their list of artists to check out, and they are always on the hunt…  At Black Deer festival last year they came across Liam Cromby in a songwriters round.  Black deer was Liam’s introduction to the UK Americana scene, and that’s quite a debut!  Liam told us that his songs can take 20 minutes to write – or seven years!  On a visit to Nashville (courtesy of his uncle’s business!) he had a writing session with Kenny Foster – another Country In The Afternoon favourite.  Accompanied on stage by guitarist Alfie and backing singer Shawn, Liam gave us a preview of his forthcoming album.  Liam has a superb voice which had the very full room listening to every word.

It was Raintown who gave us the fact about this being the 9^th CITA, but Gavin who gave us the fact that it was their first London appearance since before Covid.  Lockdown and “life” (a second child) have had an impact on Raintown’s touring, but the enforced break means that they too have an album coming up, and they used the time to continually polish it! Clair and Paul, with Stevie on guitar and Fiona on violin gave us a few of the new songs plus some absolutely foot stomping songs.  Raintown add a Scottish folk edge to country – and they also added that edge to a quite unusual cover.  As they started singing “One Love” you could see the crowd realise they knew it and they joined in, line by line. Originally a hit for Blue in 2002 it was a great version – and a bit of nostalgia!  With that album due out in March next year, it gives us something to look forward to after Christmas – and pre-save/save up for!

In between acts there is a chance to get a drink from the bar while the next band sets up – but also to meet the artists as they all hang around supporting each other, which is a great chance to grab a selfie, a chat, and catch up on the latest gossip!

Headliner Cody Pennington mixes covers with his original music for his touring show, and he obviously had brought quite a crowd to his only London show of this tour.  Opening with his recent singles Cowboy Sitting At The Bar and How About Kentucky the room weas once again singing along.  Cody’s belief is that you need to give the crowd what they want and good time so that they come back – throw in your own songs and they learn those too – its like a cycle.  He certainly gives a good time – and in return the venue gave him an unexpected extra ten minutes on his set!  Along with stand in Christiano Pochesci on pedal steel and his regular bandmates Niran Mistry on bass and Lee Brooks on drums Cody took the opportunity to drop in a medley of Country favourites including  9 to 5, Ring Of Fire, Folsom and the Gambler before a massive singalong to Country Roads.

What an end to day 1 of the 9^th Country In The Afternoon!  The Sunday promised to be a great day too, featuring The Blue Highways , The Handlers Band , Tim Gerard and Emily Faye 

 

What will the tenth show bring? We know it will be on 18-19 May 2024, and we can’t wait to see the line ups!

Silverball Country attended Country In The Afternoon as guests of Cumbrae Promotions

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Gig Review - Country In The Afternoon - Half Moon Putney

 

Take an iconic venue, add in some touring artists, mix with the Chittick’s unerring ability to curate a line up and the result is another stunning Country In The Afternoon.

 

If you haven’t yet sampled a CITA, its basically a mini festival over two days.  Taking place at the Half Moon Pub in Putney, which has played host to a long list of legends over the years, you get to see four acts per day, starting at 1 and finishing at 5, in time to sample the fabulous food that the pub has to offer.  Each day has a great line up, so you can do either day or both and still have a great time.  Although the weekend attracts in excess of 300 people over the two days in comfort, it still feels like an intimate gig, with many of the artists opting to play an acoustic or stripped-down set.

Following on so closely after Buckle and Boots Festival, there was a chance to see some of the touring artists who played in Manchester, and this weekend saw a Saturday line up of Matt Wynn, Jessie G, and Australia’s Josh Setterfield (who all played the main stage), headlined by Alyssa Bonagura while on Sunday headliner Aaron Goodvin from Canada was joined by Eleri Angharad (who played the Paddock stage) plus Simon James and James Riley.  We attended on Sunday, fighting our way through tube closures to make it to a sunny corner of South West London.

 

The theme of Sunday was very much about telling stories – it was as much about the stories as the music.  Eleri Angharad was up first and set the tone.  Her style of gently strumming her guitar while she talks is very soothing and keeps a link between words and songs.  She played her fabulous new single Good For A Girl, and ended with a great rendition of These Boots Were Made For Walking which really got the crowd singing along and pumped for the rest of the day.  She was also wearing good boots!

Simon James hasn’t been around much recently, but he’s back and with the promise of a new album.  If anything, his voice has matured, and it’s a voice that we have really missed.  When Simon sings he transports the audience and himself to a different place.  You can see this in Simon because either his eyes are closed or he’s staring out into the distance.  Speaking to Simon after the show he confirmed he is often not on that stage.  Simon loves to talk between songs and even shifted his set list around to accommodate the time he had taken!

James Riley was not familiar to us but is an artist that as soon as Gavin and Christine heard him play at a showcase event, they knew they wanted to bring him to Country In The Afternoon.  Playing acoustic guitar and accompanied by a stand-up bass and a fiddle player, James is on the folk side of country but very much in the story telling tradition.  He spent lockdown playing roof top concerts in his own neighbourhood earning him a slot on local tv news, and took himself off to a remote part of the Kent coast to write his newest songs, all influenced by his view out across the sea.  The attention he received for his rooftop series means that James will be spending part of his summer playing at Glastonbury.

Sunday’s headliner Aaron Goodvin has been on a mini tour of the UK having flown over for Buckle and Boots.  As he demonstrated in a songwriters round on the Paddock Stage, Aaron is a natural storyteller, even stopping mid song to tell a story.  It’s a clever technique that grabs your attention and keeps you laughing!  His start in the music industry came when his mother bought a Karaoke machine for the family and then entered Aaron in a contest at the local mall where he came second, winning $200 dollars which he instantly spent on golf clubs.  This was clearly the dream life for him – singing and earning – and the rest is history!  Supported and heckled in equal parts by Matt Wynn and Jessie G, the pair then joined Aaron on stage for an impromptu rendition of Tennessee Whisky which they had previously performed to support Electric Umbrella – a children’s charity in Hertfordshire.  

This collab was completely unexpected and one of the best we have ever seen. Already a big star in Canada, Aaron would like to cultivate a “sexy image” in the UK, rather than the Kermit comparisons from a comment on the tour.  There followed a few passable Kermit impressions which added to the general light-hearted approach Aaron took to his set, delivering a personal, intimate, powerful and hugely entertaining show before joining us all outside in the sunshine.

 

We have worked with Gavin and Christine Chittick at a number of festivals, so we know how hard working they are and how very welcoming too.  They have a real talent for finding artists who will work well in the Country In The Afternoon format as well as the Millport Festivals that they put on, and while Millport is taking a break we know that they will continue to promote great music and introduce us to new artists.  Country In The Afternoon allows for music, meeting up with friends and the chance for us to really appreciate the artists we may have missed while working at festivals, all in relaxed surroundings.

 

See you in November!

Silverball Country attended Country In The Afternoon as guests of Cumbrae Promotions

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Single Review - Saving Grace - Georgia Nevada and Emma Moore

 

We’ve hosted both Georgia and Emma onstage at Buckle and Boots and at Millport CMF, and it is fair to say that both give a power performance, both of them can certainly perform on the rock side of country!

With their new single the two have come together to duet a song which is – well, about coming together! Celebrating friends that are always there, even in the middle of the night Saving Grace is a wonderful blend of both singers and rather than being purely “country rock” it actually blends the two styles together – a powerful country song but written and performed with the rock edge that we have seen from both of them. 

You will be drawn in by the acapella opening, you might think you’re going to hear a ballad until that guitar kicks in.  The opening lines describe the friendship

I’m your front row, first in line, call me up in the middle of the night.

And then the rock hits you, showing you the energy of that friendship.  This isn’t just about sharing secrets and confidences but the fierceness of having your friend’s back through everything

From the cradle to the grave

My sounding board and saving grace

Opened by that pure vocal, the rest of the track is absolutely driven by the guitar, with Emma and Georgia’s voices combining and taking control.

This an anthem to friendship, to supporting each other through troubles – and maybe sometimes causing some mischief, together

This is not a song that can fade out – the last few seconds we revert to just those two voices…together.

Saving Grace, the new single from Georgia Nevada and Emma Moore is available to download and stream from Friday 24 February

Find and follow Georgia  on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify

Emma is also on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify

 

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Gig Review - Country In The Afternoon November 2022 - Half Moon Putney

 

We all saw the recent announcement about the future of Millport Country Music festival – but whilst that won’t be going ahead (at least for now) we knew that you can’t stop Gavin and Christine Chittick from putting on amazing country music events!

 

In addition to Millport and a fabulous intimate concert in a private club in Barnes they have been giving us a two-day mini festival in South West London over the past few years.

 

If you haven’t experienced Country In The Afternoon, how can we describe it to you?  Take an iconic music venue (Half Moon Putney), open the doors just after lunch and put on four incredible – and often diverse – Country and Americana acts, finishing in time for a meal in the main pub.

 

The Chitticks have an incredible track record for selecting line ups, to the extent that each individual day rivals many full-scale festivals, and if you can only spare one day of the weekend, you will be hard pressed to choose!  The latest instalment saw a Saturday line up of Chloe Chadwick, Kenny Foster, Lorna Reid and TheOutlaw Orchestra, while Sunday saw a stripped back stage featuring Robyn Red, Dan Olsen, Poppy Fardell and Jeremy McComb.  Sadly, life got in the way of being able to spend both days at the show, but we did manage to get down for Sunday!

 

Robyn Red opened the show on day 2 – a talented youngster from Scotland, Robyn has already appeared at Millport CMF on the Maverick Acoustic stage and made an appearance at the recent BCMA showcase.  A real talent to watch for the future Robyn has a beautiful voice and a very passionate support team!  After travelling so far, Robyn and her family spent both days listening to all the other artists and making new friends!

Dan Olsen is usually seen in the company of Jeremy McComb, and has been accompanying him on his UK tour as well as performing with him at Buckle and Boots earlier this year, but seeing him take to the stage alone with just his guitar shows what a talent he is of his own.  As with so many US performers, Dan is a great storyteller between his songs and bring a real warmth to his show.

 

Poppy Fardell has had quite a year – from major surgery to a storming set on the paddock stage at Buckle and Boots and a slew of recent single releases.  Poppy was accompanied by Michael Clancy on guitar and vocals and Jason Boyd on bass.  Poppy opened her set with her single “Beer Budget” which Jeremy McComb later declared to be “a definite hit” which he can’t wait to play to his own management team in the states.  It is fair to say that UK country has a slightly different sound to US country, but Poppy, with her songwriting and singing neatly bridges the gap, with one foot on each side!  While performing Poppy brings joy to the stage and shows her true self to the appreciative audience who were treated to the first live performance of her new single which drops on Friday.

 

Sunday’s headliner was Jeremy McComb.  It is not easy to sum up a Jeremy show.  He introduced his set by asking if we were all “ready for some Hill Billy Bulls**t”.  To call Jeremy “a storyteller” is an understatement, and with 45 minutes he was worried that he’d only manage 3 songs between talking.  There is no filter in the stories, but every one of them is hilarious and had the whole room fits of laughter.  From tales of his wife to a guided tour of Folsom Prison (“I’m a prison 10” needs to be a single title) with truly fabulous country songs in between (yes, it did feel like it was that way round!) Jeremy really puts on a unique show that really has to be experienced!  His songs though vary between heart-warming and really quite dark.  13 Steps, a song about death row and the story of a murder is in the greatest traditions of Country songwriting and even without the video (banned on most platforms) it is incredible evocative.  By the end of the set you feel like you know Jeremy’s life, hometown and even some of the characters who live there.

 

Gavin and Christine Chittick – Cumbrae Promotions – will undoubtedly carry on bringing us unique events and amazing line ups, promoting, supporting and nurturing UK Country artists and Country Music in the UK.  We can’t wait to see what will be next, and we are eagerly awaiting the dates for the next Country In The Afternoon - which you will of course find on Silverball Country!

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Festival Review - Millport Country Music Festival - An Overview

Millport review

Millport Country Music Festival is a bit different from your average festival. It seems to spread across the whole of the town, if not the island. That’s the Isle of Cumbrae just off the west coast of Scotland. American flags were hoisted along the seafront, lots of American apparel was displayed in shop windows and even local businesses dressed up to lend their support. 

In fact, a parade takes place across the island, leaving Kames Bay and heading along the front streets past the site. You’ll witness American cars, vintage trucks, Harley Davidsons and lots of fancy dress.

The festival site consists of 4 stages surrounding the beautiful Garrison House. Nashfield is the main open-air stage, Cactus Jack’s the party marquee, the Maverick acoustic tent and a dedicated line dancing venue. Accommodating all ages there is a fun fair and food vendors in the centre and a couple of stalls around the periphery, including Country 2 Western and Ariat, who ran a competition and gave away a pair of boots!

Over the weekend 50 artists performed, ranging from big US names, artists from across the UK and American, and a selection of emerging talent.

This year, the 25^th anniversary saw Cam and American Young as headliners on the main stage on Saturday and Sunday nights respectively. Over the weekend the stage also hosted Lockeland, Elles Bailey, Stevie O’Connor, Zoee Byrne, Remember Monday, and CC Smugglers.

On of the highlights of the Maverick stage was an acoustic jam session on Sunday night. How many country stars and their guitars can you fit onto the one stage? The answer - just about everyone! The special line up included Gasoline & Matches, Stevie O'Connor, Simon James, Kenny Foster, Lars Pluto, Zoee  plus Jamie from Backwoods Creek on keys.

Cactus Jack’s partied hard throughout the whole weekend, with everyone encouraging the crowd to get up and dance, this included ourselves (Silverball Country) as not only the stage managers but the after-party DJs.

The event also helped to raise money for the local cause: Save the Waverley, a beautiful old paddle steamer, sadly missing from this year’s festivities due to the need for an urgent refit. An auction was held of a guitar and drum cover signed by all the acts in addition to a beautiful picture of the Waverley drawn by Millport Festival team member Scott Watson.

This truly is a festival with a difference and there is something for everyone. Gavin and Christine Chittick and Scott Watson did an outstanding job selecting the line up, I cannot wait to see who they invite next year.   Finally, our thanks to everyone involved, all in orange (or black) who give up their time, and to all of you, country music fans: thank you for your support, braving the weather and undertaking the journey not matter how far. Hopefully you too thought it was worth the effort and have amazing memories.

Hopefully we will see you all next year and maybe even the sun!

Francesca & Rik 

Album Review - The Acoustic Sessions Vol 2 - Donna Marie Songs

Donna Marie has a new release out this week. Titled “The Acoustic Sessions” it is exactly as described – an EP of Donna’s fabulous voice accompanied – mostly – by just an acoustic guitar.  The stripped back acoustics of this EP allow you to sit back and reflect on the words.  

Donna Marie has a very warm and soothing voice, and these tracks are produced perfectly to highlight her vocals over the backing instrumentation.  Donna Marie is also a very talented writer, writing songs that you want to listen to, with themes that everyone can understand and relate to.  You don’t just listen to her songs, you feel them.

First track on the EP – Run, is apparently about running to a lover, but on a second listen it feels like a metaphor for life – running through life, climbing hills until you achieve…whatever you are personally running to.

The second track is a song written 13 years ago and is an apology to a young nephew for not having time to spend with him, and losing sight of what is important in life.  I’m sure that all these years later he understands and forgives Donna Today and every day.  Just Words is a great reminder for us all!

Track 3 – On The Road was Donna’s last single which we reviewed and loved.  This is a chance to hear an acoustic version of a much-streamed song

Pity Party will be the next single, and we are fortunate to hear an acoustic preview of the full mix for future release. Again, a reflective song, but without need for apology this time!

The EP is rounded off with another re-worked track – Broken Love was originally released in 2015, and as with all the tracks it really benefits from being stripped back to become almost an entirely new song

Donna Marie will be performing an acoustic set on The Maverick Magazine stage at Millport Country Festival – and if this EP is any indication of what we will be hearing it will be an unmissable performance.

We will be there front and centre, appreciating her voice and reflecting on her words

Donna Marie Songs – The Acoustic Sessions Volume 2 is released on 22 August. Pre-order it here