I've got my tickets! I'm in row D of the same block! I'll wave at you.

Is it sad that I'm listening to last weekend on the iPlayer now??!! Just about at Chris Stapleton's set.

I think I remember you from the weekend. Do you have dark hair and are you on the FB group?

Not sad at all. I was out the other day listening to Miranda's set whilst stood in a DVD shop and I was dancing around (trying to be discreet about it...probably failing!).

Chris's set was special. Ugh! Can't get over how good he and his wife were.

Nope - that's not me. I'm blonde-ish and not on the FB group. I was just planning to wave at everyone in row A!!! (Whiskey and You just finished on the iPlayer -- goosebumps all over again.)

Ahh okay

This year was my third year there and it was by far the best. Amazing line up. My favourite arena performances were

Eric - but mainly because I am utterly in love with him
Chris Stapleton - how lucky were we to be part of that experience?
LBT - just so entertaining to watch
Miranda Lambert - once she got over the nerves I thought she was great

I also thought Kacey was amazing. Oh gosh, it was all just so good!! Suffering with a serious case of the C2C blues this week.

We saw quite a lot of the pop ups (we'd seen quite a lot of the English ones before at various festivals so hunted out the yanks!) and the best of those was Phil Vasser. He was fantastic. Lauren Aliana and A Thousand Horses were superb too.

We got our earlybird tickets and are on the floor in block B, more or less exactly where we were this year.

Freesat and Sky finally have a country music station. its 389 on Sky but not sure about freeview. like, share and support their programs and page on social media please.

Thanks for this.
Now back to my favourite station, KRTY on TuneIn radio.

Does Alison Krauss and Union Station count as country and western music (forgive me if that's not the correct term, I'm not an expert on the etymology of the genre)? I really love that song they did, Baby Now That I've Found you.

They are really known for playing bluegrass music, but they also play more straightforward country music. I don't think that country and western music is mentioned these days.

They are one of my favourite groups, whatever you call their music!

In my opinion, it might depend on how people categorize what they sing. Most of what they sing is bluegrass, but some people may consider bluegrass to be the purest form of country music that there is.

God bless you and AKUS always!!!

Holly (a fan of Alison since 1994)

Anyone like Laura Cantrell? I love her albums, especially her debut, Not The Tremblin' Kind. John Peel was a big fan and said it was "maybe my favourite album of all time"

Give her a listen and see what you think.

Brandy Clark's new album "Big Day In A Small Town" is out now. I'm listening to as much of it as I can before I have to start work and I really like what I've heard so far. Her last album "12 Stories" was really good too. It's getting brilliant reviews.

Little Big Town's side project with Pharrell Williams "Wanderlust" also came out yesterday. Not very country and more pop but I do like it. It's really divided opinion amongst their fans but it's not a new album as such. "One of Those Days" is my go-to happy song at the moment.

I've just bought my ticket for the Ward Thomas tour.

I really enjoyed their show when they last toured, and I'm hoping their new album (due for release in September) will be as good as their first one.

Maddie & Tae announce UK tour for October

I was impressed by these girls at C2C and I wasn't expecting much from them, though I don't know why. I would see the girls again. I really enjoyed their set.

The only thing is trying to get time off to see them. I have the first week of October free but their tour is the end of the month.

This thread is brilliant. I've found new artists to look up thanks to the posters on here

Anyone pick up Maddie & Tae tickets this morning? I did.

Got to find someone to go with now though.

What are you all listening to at the moment? I've found "Untamed" by Cam. I've been playing that album a lot. Along with Kacey's "Pageant Material" (still, I think it's a wonderful album) and Carrie's "Storyteller". I've been listening to her earlier albums a lot lately too. I'd only really known the singles but she has some great stuff on her earlier records too.

Any recommendations?

I always get confused when the Burning House track on Untamed starts, as for me the introduction is the same as Sight & Sound by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars.

I guess you may have heard the Reckless album from Martina McBride? One I'm looking forward to is Cartwheels by Ward Thomas (I'll be seeing them in concert in October).

I've been wondering for days which song it reminds me of. Now I know! Thank you. Love that Civil Wars track.

I haven't heard any of Martina McBride's stuff but I'll look into it. My Apple Music membership is getting a lot of use!

I recommend anything from the late beautiful precious Billy Joe Royal.

God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

The Shires release their new album My Universe on the 7th October.

I've been listening to Angaleena Presley's "American Middle Class" a lot lately too. I love her work as part of the Pistol Annies.

I've just collected my copy of Cartwheels by Ward Thomas. They are apparently the first UK country act to get a Number 1 album.

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-...crazy-__16272/

Admittedly this is more pop country than hard core country, but a pretty good album I reckon. I'm looking forward to seeing them in concert next month.

Listening to Leann Rimes on Radio 2 today Live in Hyde Park. Such a shame her private life overshadowed and tainted her music career over the past few years, because she is a brilliant artist, who can sing.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07thhzj

Thank you for posting the link. LeAnn Rimes is one of my favorite singers - although I prefer the more country tinged songs rather than the soul songs (so I'm not sure how much I'll like the new album). For me she is magical when she sings like Patsy Cline - how she did that when she was so young I have no idea.

Interesting version of the last song on her set - How Do I Live. It must be very difficult for an artist to keep singing a song in the same way year after year. However, it is what audiences expect, so it is always a risk to change it up. It didn't work for me so I'm off to play the recorded version.