Review by Georgette Brooks

When the lights went down for the final time at the O2 arena, the atmosphere was electric as Old Dominion took to the stage. Fans had already been treated to a night to remember during the Sunday night show at Country 2 Country (C2C) Festival, but that didn’t take away from the anticipation felt for the multi-award-winning headline act.

The band opened with ‘Make it Sweet’ and had fans instantly on their feet, buzzing with excitement for the rest of the show. Moving perfectly into ‘No Hard Feelings’, Matthew Ramsey delivered the unmistakable notes on a hand-held glockenspiel – or was it a xylophone? – while fans sang along in awe.

Megan Moroney didn’t quite make a guest appearance for ‘Can’t Break Up Now’, but Ramsey sang alongside her big screen video, which still hit the spot for the emotional number.

Covering J.J Cale’s ‘Cocaine’, Dominion brought friends Elle King and Brothers Osborne back to the stage. A number that, although not necessarily country originally, encapsulated what country music at C2C is all about – community.

A true testament to the talent in this band was during a technical issue at the beginning of their encore. The band couldn’t hear each other and struggled to stay in time for their final number so Ramsey stopped it and led an acoustic version of ‘Nowhere Fast’. Although not on the schedule, the band gave fans something special that was unique to this performance – Ramsey acknowledged that they’d all be forever bonded through that one song.

In the final moments, their playback was fixed, and they closed the night with the show-stopping ‘I Was on a Boat That Day’ – a song that is impossible to sit still to. The joy and energy from the boys on the stage spilled out into the crowd, with the near sold-out arena on their feet and singing every word back to them.

Technical issues or not, Old Dominion delivered an unforgettable performance for our UK country fans. There’s a reason they hold so many accolades – the lyrics, the music, the energy – there is no band doing what they do (or doing it this well).