Three thousand people rose to their feet in raucous adoration as Birmingham played host to the hottest duo in British country music.
The sold-out signs went up weeks ago as fans clambered to see Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes –aka The Shires – who have finally proved that Brits can play Country as good as their American cousins.
Over the last five years Earle and Rhodes have seen their popularity rocket from playing gigs to a handful of people in tiny venues, to selling out theatres and enjoying regular airplay as the darlings of Radio 2.
Third album Accidentally on Purpose, recorded in Nashville, reached No.3 in the charts and it was Echo from the collection that opened the show as Earle, Rhodes and their young and energetic four-piece band got straight into their stride.
Beats To Your Rhythm was up next followed by My Universe and State Lines as The Shires showed the quality of songs from all three albums.
Earle and Rhodes have excellent stage presence and chatted confidently with fans who hung on their every word, even to the point that they stood up and sat down when told to do so.
A tale about meeting Ed Sheeran in America paved the way for Stay The Night, written by the world’s biggest star before everyone got back on their feet for Friday Night and All Over Again from 2015 debut album Brave.
The tour is geared up to promote The Shires’ latest album Accidentally on Purpose and the title track was up next before the duo launched into Ahead of the Storm followed by Black and White coupled with I Just Wanna Love You.
When The Shires’ album Brave reached No 10 in 2015, they became the first British Country act to make the UK charts. The title track was up next followed by Rhodes’ own song Daddy’s Little Girl from second album My Universe and the fans were back on their feet for The Hard Way from Accidentally on Purpose.
Thousands of phone lights filled the four tiers of Symphony Hall on Sleepwalk before the dancing shoes were back on for current single Guilty and Nashville Grey Skies before the main set ended with River of Love and Tonight.
I have reviewed scores of shows at Symphony Hall over the last five years and seen countless standing ovations and deafening cries for ‘more’ as bands and singers have left the stage but what happened as The Shires walked off for a breather was an impressive first.
The singalong hook from Tonight started quietly and slowly swept over the four tiers of the venue until all three thousand people were on it. Earle, Rhodes were so blown away by the ovation that Earle returned to the stage to record the amazing sight on his phone… One for the personal career archives…
The encore started with the duo front of stage around the piano for Loving You Too Long which was one of the highlights of the night before the four band members joined the duo for a stripped down rendition of the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton classic Islands in the Stream before the spectacular performance ended with the crowd in full voice and arm-waving action on A Thousand Hallelujahs.
It is easy to see why The Shires have become so successful. Earle and Rhodes are young, attractive and can sing and play. They have a humbleness about them that endears the talented duo to their fans. They seem surprised by all the devotion despite working their butts off for five years to achieve success.
Their stage set is bright and colourful and their band of four young musicians look like pop stars in their own right. Together they put on a very impressive performance which rocked Symphony Hall to its foundations.
So why do you rightly sense a ‘but’ coming…
The Shires have proved that the Brits can give the US Country stars a run for their money by writing a recording songs which fit in perfectly alongside Nashville’s finest.
That for me is where the problem begins… Earle and Rhodes sound too much like the American stars they are trying to emulate. They need to try something a little different; something which will stamp their own originality on their music. A crossover hit which will transport them into the mainstream and be lauded as a great song in its own right.
For now, The Shires are very much on the up; buoyed by the fact that their fans love them and people turn out in healthy numbers to hear them sing and play…
Two years ago, Earle and Rhodes played to a couple of hundred ardent fans in Birmingham’s tiny Institute and now they sell-out Symphony Hall and wow thousands at the BBC Music event. It seems only a matter of time before the rest of the country discovers what all the fuss is about…
Star rating ****and a half.
Ian St Peters 