The ICON stage was to prove a vast improvement on last years Busking Stage or indeed the Water Margin stage both of which disappeared this year. It offered pretty good views for a large number of people the only possible problem seemed to be would people make the journey up the escalators to find it. Fortunately the answer was a resounding yes and the first person to test this out was Kiwi Country star Kaylee Bell.
Kaylee obviously used to warmer climes was to be found pre show wrapped in her red leather jacket and scarf, blowing into her hands to keep them warm as the Friday afternoon was to say the least a little chilly. Her set opened up with "Getting Closer To Getting Over You", a Morgan Evans co-write that she performed to a backing track while she sung and played live guitar over the top of it. She almost certainly scored a first with the earliest festival song getting the audience to join in on the "whoa"'s. Acknowledging International Womens Day, Kaylee's next song was her 2017 single "Next Somebody", it had a Shires style big in your face chorus. Kaylee was good company and with an ear for a good tune it was a surprise to find that although she's released singles her last album release was actually in 2013.
It was her recent singles that had caught TEAMw21's attention, and her best vocal so far was saved for her heartfelt letter to New Zealand "Who I Am which she played just solo on guitar. Another of her singles followed "One More Shot" welded some sassy little verses to an unstoppable chorus which got everyone with their hands in the air clapping along. Her homage to the nights headliner Mr Urban in a song called "Keith" she noted that they had won the same talent contest in New Zealand albeit some years apart,
It was a great introduction to Kaylee and we'll certainly be watching out for future releases.
