There has been a lot of buzz about trio Runaway June and Country fans in the UK have wanted the band to come over to the UK for a long time. They finally made the trip this week for C2C: Country to Country where they are performing all over the venue. Runaway June – Naomi Cooke, Hannah Mulholland and Jennifer Wayne – took to the Spotlight Stage inside The O2 Arena yesterday for their biggest show of the weekend.
Taking to the stage right after Brett Eldredge, Runaway June opened their set with their debut single Lipstick. The trio made it clear pretty quickly that their harmonies are the centrepiece of what they do and it’s the strongest aspect of their live performance. Their three voices complemented one another and there’s a definite Dixie Chicks quality about them.
The second track Wild West, which was a change in pace. Again the harmonies really shone on the chorus and the crowd that rushed to the Spotlight Stage for the performance knew all the words. The song also served to show that the trio are able to vary their sound and switch things up.
The final song of the night was current single Buy My Own Drinks, which is shaping up to be the band’s biggest hit yet. The empowering anthem was the strongest of the three songs embracing traditional Country rhythms with a little pop leaning. It’s the kind of song that’s made for radio and it should continue to climb for them.
Runaway June showed a lot of promise on the Spotlight Stage yesterday. The three girls can definitely sing and their songs are catchy and memorable. I’d like to hear more material and see how far the trio can push themselves. There was something a little safe and polished about the performance, and I’d love to see the grit that’s hiding under the surface.
Set list: 1. Lipstick 2. Wild West 3. Buy My Own Drinks Performance date: Friday 8th March 2019
