LIVE REVIEW: C2C COUNTRY TO COUNTRY 2025 - BBC RADIO 2 STAGE - WILLOW AVALON

If things were a little kooky after Maggie Antone's set then they were about to get a whole lot wilder with the arrival of Willow Avalon. Her band were immaculately dressed in suits and ties, WIllow herself had a long dress over which her long red hair laid.

The opening pace was set by a loud guitar and pedal steel and a furious drum beat over which Willow would sing the memorable opening lines of "Something We Regret".

" I love you like sugar, you love me like sex.

Put us both together, we'll do something we regret"

Willow's voice came with something of a twang, and the song was made complete with some additional whistling - It is safe to say this was like nothing else we would see across the weekend. She'd take off her guitar for "He Won'tl" which opened to a delightfully upbeat pedal steel. before turning into a piece of classic country although with some quite 21st century vocabulary!. Willow would hold her hands out wide, do her own little dance and generally wander the stage at will.

Her next tune "Gettin' Rich By Going Broke" was another hoot, as it outlined the expectations of her family now she was a recording artist. the skirt woud be lifted for a dance as madcap as the lyrics.

The good times continued with "Hell In A Handbag" with Willow strolling around the stage again or doing a spinning dance. Willow would once more don her guitar for "Tequila or Whiskey" aftef guitarist JR took a quick audience straw poll as to the favoured audience drink.

There was to be double trouble when Maggie Antone would return to perform the most hilarious duet in "Yodellayheehoo" - which would see double dancing

Normality of a sort would return as Willow would return for "Homewrecker" - this is the song that captured #TEAMw21's hearts during our C2C research for the immortal lines

"I guess his eyes are brown because he's so full of shit"

This live version came with a hilarious introduction relayed to us by WIllow as the band played a fabulously fast backing.

As the song began proper the mayhem just upped another notch with the band moving into rawkus gear!

Undoubtedly the most fun packed 30 minutes of the entire weekend we loved every second

Willow would later go on to appear on the Spotlight Stage in the Main Arena - now for reasons unknown the decision was made to sit WIllow, JR and her banjo player on stools. That choice seemed to suck all of the life out of an act that had been so joyful before. the sense of fun and excitement simply disappeared. If you only got to see Willow on the Spotlight Stage you'll have to take our word that she is force of nature and definitely deserving of another opportunity of your attention.