C2C Festival is the UK’s largest country music festival which fans spend the entire year looking forward to. Over the years C2C has brought over some of the biggest names in US country music to the UK and also artists from Canada and Australia.

As well as bringing those big names over, the festival is fantastic for introducing us to artists we aren’t so familiar with or artists that we know but whom haven’t hit the “big time” yet. Many didn’t know who Chris Stapleton was when he was first scheduled to play C2C back in 2016 but after winning multiple awards, by the time the event came around, we realised how lucky we were to have secured him and were shocked he was so low down on the billing. Of course, when he returned a couple of years later he headlined.

We UK fans tend to focus on the US artists mostly as of course, we don’t get to see them often. The idea of having a UK act on the main stage to many seems like a waste of a good spot that can go to a US act that we don’t get an opportunity to see often and we can see UK acts whenever we want.

However, that is the beauty of the additional stages. As well as bringing over some lesser known International acts, there is room for UK acts too, albeit not a lot but there are usually a few UK acts on the billing. Some of the UK acts that have been granted a place over the years are more known artists such as The Shires, Ward Thomas, Catherine McGrath, Twinnie and more but some “up and coming acts” have played too in the past – in fact when Twinnie first played only a handful of people knew her and since then she has worked incredibly hard to get to the status she is at now.

Whilst I have said that many fans want to focus on the US acts, many other fans also view C2C as not really being a great platform for UK acts as they don’t give them access and only grant places to the already mentioned above popular acts. It’s sad not all the same UK acts from the postponed 2020 bill have been brought back this year but maybe diaries clashed or Covid has played a part, we simply don’t know for certain but we do know that C2C is a business and if there are more known names on the line up it may be to guarantee an audience and to sell tickets. With all the lost revenue these past couple of years I think the fact we have additional stages at all is incredible and something I wasn’t expecting and sadly they can’t keep everyone happy. Hopefully as things get closer to normal C2C will bring more UK acts to the stage.

But this is why we need to get those UK acts performances as full as we can so that we can show that the UK artists are loved and that we want more. If C2C have given a slot to a UK act then they are very likely to be worth seeing, so please go and see them!

Take Kezia Gill for example. A UK artist whom has been championed by many also gets easily overlooked. But if you want to see a live performance that will blow you away and be one of those “artists to remember ” then we highly recommend catching Kezia this year. Don’t let the fact she is a UK act and “you can see a UK act anytime” get in your way because this can prevent you from seeing someone truly great and Kezia truly is great. Kezia has a fanbase but she really deserves a more mainstream one.

Recordings don’t do her enough justice and we believe the stage is where Kezia truly belongs.

A fun on stage presence, Kezia always engages her audience and her vocals and interesting story telling lyrics make you lose yourself in her songs. You also have to check out her unmissable tattoos.

Kezia’s powerhouse vocals are flawless and she projects her voice in such a way that you ask “does she even need a microphone?”. She is fun, she is witty and she makes you feel like a friend.

Kezia’s support slot with The Shires recently have been so successful that she has been invited to join them on their tour in April/May so she must be doing something right?

I too at one point thought “not another UK act” I too have thought no one can really win me over in the UK and that The Shires, Ward Thomas and Twinnie were pretty much the only acts I would bother seeing out of the UK acts but it was her support slot with The Shires that forced me to see her live and I am so so glad that I did. This has made me realise that I need to give more acts in the UK a chance. That I need to keep my ears to the ground and listen for recommendations.

DO listen to the hype this time, DO check her out and even if you don’t end up loving her, you most definitely shouldn’t come away thinking she wasted your time as she certainly won’t.