For Charlie Worsham this years C2C would prove to be even more eventful than usual, fresh from hosting the CMA Songwriters Evening at the same venue less than 24 hours earlier, he would act as a compere for all the acts appearing on the Radio 2 Stage at The Indigo, as well as appearing in the UK for the first time ever with a full band - this would afford him the opportunity to dig into the archives as well as playing songs from his most recent release "Compadres" .
Using Ward Thomas's touring band for backing - we were to witness both their final rehearsal and debut rolled into one, although had Charlie not been the one to share that fact, I doubt many would have noticed. Charlie would signal things to get under way with a burst on his electric guitar before the band joined in and launched "Things I Can't Control". This was rootsty southern rock and it was a joy to see Charlie able to walk to the front of the stage to do the first of many solos, he looked like he was revelling at the chance to finally make some noise.
This was a chance to delve into the archives and Charlie segued into the first outing in the UK in ages for the title track of his debut album "Rubber Band", now reinvented as a funky Southern rocker. It sounded marvellous only ending with Charlie signalling by lifting his his guitar high into the air. Another visit to the debut album would see "Could It Be" aired, the overall sound enhanced by some additional backing vocals turning it into something magical.
Charlie would take the microphone in his hand and inject it with some Freddie Mercury style call and response joshing with the crowd which they naturally lapped up - Charlie being effectively C2C royalty!! This was the lead in to a song that Charlie had been "Dying to sing for y'all" - "Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me?" It had a thumping back beat and a chorus to die for, celebrating "The prettiest country from Georgia to Tennessee" - with a great guitar line running through, it is surely destined to be a summer single. It immediately had the Indigo crowd singing along.
In preparation for a mad forthcoming year in America, there was the clever and laugh out loud lyrics of "Make My Country Great Again" during which Charlie paid tribute to country music songs gone by and managed to, squeeze in as many references into a song as was humanly possible. It would also see some shameless rock posing but having made us smile so much #TEAMw21 would not begrudge Charlie his moment.
There was time for his cover of Patti Loveless's "Handful Of Dust" sadly with no Lainey Wilson guest appearance, but nonetheless a quality cover and one more visit to "Compadres" for "Kiss Like You Dance" Whether this sets the precedent for a full band UK tour in the future we'll have wait and see - the interest certainly seemed to be there.