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Review: Little Big Town, Bristol Beacon – ‘This is what we’ve been missing’
Now, this is the sort of show that Bristol has been missing out on whilst the Beacon has been closed.
Country superstars with massive cross-generational appeal don’t mosey through these parts too often so it’s no surprise that Alabama’s Little Big Town were welcomed like a sparkly pink stetson at a Taylor Swift show.
This tour celebrates their 25th year together and they are slick, loud and heaps of fun.
is needed now More than ever
Before their Nashville glitz though, Ashley Monroe brought a bit more grit than rhinestone.
In all honesty this place is too smart, too clean for Monroe. You want to see her somewhere with velvet booths, a tatty slash curtain and sticky floors. She might have famous friends, write songs for EVERYONE (Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Vince Gill et al), but she’s no Country Princess.
As a member of Country supergroup, Pistol Annies, she more than holds her own with Miranda Lambert and Angelina Presley, and solo she exudes strength through vulnerability.
Her voice is all classic Country tremble, even when wrapping itself around the lustful acoustic yearning of Hands On You, and brings to mind some of the great Country singers. There’s more than a little early Dolly in her knowing, world weary lyrics, more than a little Emmylou in her pure delivery.
Weed Instead of Roses is a cheeky, raunchy honky-tonk while If the Devil Don’t Want Me is a whisky-soaked cocktail of desperation and defiance. Monroe proves, as if there were any doubt, that the female voices in Country music are the strongest. Let’s hope she comes back to play at some scruffier places than this.
Little Big Town – ‘slick, loud and heaps of fun’
Conversely, there’s not too much dirt under the perfectly manicured Little Big Town fingernails.
Starting with the anthemic Boondocks, the four-piece (along with four backing musicians who are, very much, in the background) set out their template – the finest pop country, glorious harmonies, huge guitars, a massive chorus – and rodeo-ride it for the whole night.
As Hell Yeah, taken from their latest album Mr Sun, starts, a small voice in the darkness says “Oh. I love this one too” – that cross-generational appeal finding the love of a slower, southern soul belter as Phillip Sweet’s rough-round-the-edges vocals tear at the heartstrings.
With Little Big Town, it’s the harmonies that are the thing. Two female voices, two male, each able to take the lead but glorious when put together.
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Next to You starts slowly before building to an enormous, light-drenched crescendo. Better Man, a song written for them by Taylor Swift, has the added weight of 2000-odd people singing the harmonies too. It keeps the dancing crew in the balcony very happy indeed, Swiftian poses struck and delighted voices raised.
Even without the Swift magic dust, though, every song is a monster and the hits are relentless. Little White Church sees Karen Fairchild take the lead; she is a no-nonsense presence with a voice that’s smooth as a rich red wine.
Day Drinking has a whistling strut and on Tornado, Fairchild is elemental, whipping up an all-American frenzy. The brooding bluegrass of Evangeline sees Kimberly Schlapman doubled over with a passionate ache, while Jimi Westbrook leaves no emotional stone unturned on Someone Stops Loving You.
If most of the Beacon audience had been politely seated throughout, Pontoon had every seat kicked back and thousands of hands in the air. It’s a hazy, end-of-a-summer-day, sunburnt beach party of a tune, it slinks and sways with suncream in its eyes and sand on its feet.
And if that wasn’t enough, Girl Crush follows and every single person sings the massive chorus right back at them. It’s just about as crowd pleasing as things get.
If Ashley Monroe is the sound of honky tonks and sawdust floors then Little Big Town are the glitz and glam, the fantasy of neon and huge American highways. Both give Country music a very good name indeed. Bristol was glad to have both types of Country back again.
All photos: Gavin McNamara
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