“Oh shucks”, beamed Cam as she took to The Rhinestone Stage at The Long Road Festival on the closing night of 2023 to rapturous applause!

“Hey Long Road”, she greeted “I hear y’all were in a pickle? I had to come and help you out!
That’s what friends do right? If you need me, I’ll be here”.

Cam was of course referring to her very last minute headline slot replacing Jon Pardi who sadly had to pull out last minute!

“I said yes before I even knew that my band could do it” Cam laughed!

“I wanna make sure you’re on the same page as me as we are gonna have a great f***ing night.
I’m gonna tune it all up like an orchestra, we are gonna party, cry and laugh together -Hum with me”

With that Cam began her set with Redwood Tree which was a beautiful start and already her set was something special! Cam has such a beautiful relationship with the UK Country fans, so she was the perfect person to headline for us at the last minute.

Forgetting You was next. Another song that is just magnificent, we weren’t even a quarter way through her set and we could feel that this would be a night to remember and a show that the fans and Cam would cherish for years to come!

Cam and her band play to perfection. Why she isn’t one of the biggest, most successful artists in country music is beyond me, it just doesn’t make any sense!

“Even though I didn’t credit him in the liners, my husband wrote this line.” Cam explains of the song Classic before performing it. “He said babe, I’ve got to smoke ‘em, even though I’ve quit as they don’t make ‘em like this anymore”. The song is such a great tune and really fun live!

Next up Cam performed Changes, a song co-written by Harry Styles. “Normally I write my own songs” She said “but every now and then there’s a song I wish that I had written. The only downside is there’s a Whistle and I am on the can’t whistle side so when I whistle, just scream like I’m really frickin doing it ok?”

Pleased with our very British politeness on her whistling, she followed up with What Goodbye Means.

You could tell how happy Cam was to be there as she kept smiling, laughing and talking to the crowd as if we were old friends. I guess we are….

“We got the call on Tuesday and I said yes, we have to get there, you guys are so special”

“You love the song here, not just the hits.” Cam addressed. “This one is one I hear about and get most messages about as it’s about losing someone. It’s called Village. I met a girl who lost her mum Kitsty”

“Claire didn’t know how to process losing her brother” Cam continued. “And I did my best to write it in a song to help her and her family.
If you can’t cry at a country concert, when can you cry? This is your permission slip to cry”.

Village live is powerfully moving! One of the most beautiful songs she has ever written, it’s just a pull at your heart strings moment and you feel so connected with Cam when she sings this. It’s so easy to get lost in the song and to just forget your surroundings. It’s beautiful when a live show can make you feel like you’re the only one there in that moment!

Heart Broke Heart brought the energy up a notch. Whilst it’s a heart ache song, it’s still uplifting and fun!

A new song was then introduced which I didn’t manage to catch the name of. It was written in lockdown and she explained the many panic attacks she suffered during the pandemic and that it took a bit to get in a creative headspace but she didn’t forget what got her to this place now – “this song reminds us to slow down” she said. The song was old styled country with a really strong traditional melody!

Almost every UK show that I have been to someone requests Fireball Whiskey. It’s such a great song and we really need this to be released. She didn’t do the song but did sample a bit of it!

Going back to the reason why she was with us tonight, Cam dedicated a song (Head Over Boots) to Jon Pardi by doing a tribute in his absence. “It breaks his heart to not be here, so this song is in his honour and I want you to give him well wishes so he can experience what I experience when I am here.”

Unfortunately after that we had to leave as the kids were too tired and cold.

However, we felt so lucky to have been a part of such a wonderful experience that felt like no other Cam show. She has one of the best voices in the industry as her vocals are just so deliciously country and mesmerisingly perfect! Her voice really suits open aired nighttime concerts. We have seen Cam live many times, including at the Long Road but hearing her voice soar through the summer night breeze of The Long Road Festival just felt so wonderfully atmospheric. Each song performed was stunning and breathtakingly good. Cam doesn’t have a bad song! All her songs could easily be a single and live, well these songs come to life even more! She could easily pull off a headline arena tour.

This show was somewhat of a celebration, a moment of unity and because of that, it was a warming atmosphere with a real “hanging with friends around the camp fire” kind of feel!

Cam may not be of Superstar status quite yet but she’s our superstar and tonight she proved that for many reasons!

We know we missed half the show and we can only imagine how strong the rest of the show was and that it undoubtedly got even more emotional at times and the closing moment would have been mind- blowing!!! We were sad to miss songs such as Till There’s Nothing Left, Burning House and Diane but you know what? A half smoked cigarette’s still smoked and a half seen show, is still a show!