Since the release of their debut album ‘Pawn Shop’ in 2016, Brothers Osborne have become one of the most beloved country acts among UK fans. They made their C2C debut back in 2017 and have been frequent visitors here ever since, most recently back in ‘Mad May’ 2022. Now, following the release of their self-titled fourth album last year, the sibling duo have been back in the UK all this week playing at C2C, culminating last night where they were second on the bill at London’s O2 Arena.
Arriving on stage to an accordion-infused intro and with screens depicting the back of their heads amidst a myriad of stars, the pair opened their 70-minute set with ‘Might As Well Be Me’ from their latest album. It’s a driving, heavy number which features one of John’s many trademark guitar licks (including the first of several wicked solos of the night) as well as gravelly, deep vocals from TJ. The anthemic, fist-in-the-air feel of the song was the perfect way to kick things off and drew the loudest cheers of the weekend so far. They followed that with the empowering ‘Nobody’s Nobody’, which took things down a notch whilst allowing TJ to show off the strength in his voice on the soaring chorus.
What followed was a whistle-stop tour through the last eight years of music, from the funky swagger of ‘Shoot Me Straight’ and the no-holds-barred-fun ‘Drank Like Hank’, to the bluesy barroom singalong vibes of ‘Weed, Whiskey And Willie’ (which saw the audience light up the whole O2 with their phones) and ’21 Summer’ with its sun-soaked nostalgia and vivid depiction of young love. There were also a few choice covers including a stomping, punchy rendition of Tom Petty’s ‘Won’t Back Down’ – the ideal choice for a band who have built their whole careers on daring to be different – and a mash-up of Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ with ‘Rum’, an ode to summer romance so laid-back it’s practically horizontal. The crowd were swaying along (with encouragement from TJ) and in as fine voice as they had been all night, and it was a hugely positive, uplifting moment.
For me one of the standout moments was ‘I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)’. A rare chance for the set to slow down and breathe, the duo brought a touching, soulful quality to the song, which gave TJ a chance to show his softer side against some delicate (at least by his standards) guitar picking from John. I also loved ‘I’m Not For Everyone’ with its big singalong chorus and ‘Stay A Little Longer’, which got the crowd clapping along and probably John’s standout solo of the night. It was a riff that could probably have launched itself into space and cements why he’s one of the absolute best guitarists in country music right now.
The pair closed the show with their take on the lively, rattling ‘Burning Man’, with TJ telling the crowd to “get on your feet”, before going into an extended version of ‘It Ain’t My Fault’. They did a sterling job whipping up the audience’s anticipation, with a Hammond organ solo from their fantastic band before not one, but two incredible solos from John that left the crowd absolutely in awe. When the song itself hit, the noise was like nothing else and the whole audience jumping up and down is a sight that will live long in the memory. It finished things on an absolute high and gave headliners Old Dominion a pretty big job to live up to!
Once again Brothers Osborne showed why they’re among the best live performers in country right now. Between John’s killer guitar solos and TJ’s powerful vocals, along with a truckload of engagement and enthusiasm, they delivered yet another smash of a performance that ticked all the boxes, covered all the hits and threw in some new stuff for good measure. If I had one small criticism, the lack of newer stuff was a slight drawback for me, and much as I love John’s guitar playing it would have been quite nice to squeeze in another track or two from the new record, or even 2019’s ‘Skeletons’. But maybe we’ll get some more of that on their (surely inevitable) next tour over here? Watch this space…
Set list: 1. Might As Well Be Me 2. Nobody’s Nobody 3. Shoot Me Straight 4. Drank Like Hank 5. 21 Summer 6. I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) 7. Weed, Whiskey And Willie 8. Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty cover) 9. I’m Not For Everyone 10. Stay A Little Longer 11. Three Little Birds (Bob Marley cover) / Rum 12. Burning Man 13. Ain’t My Fault Performance date: 10th March 2024
Brothers Osbornes’ self-titled album is out now on UMG Recordings. Their latest EP, ‘Break Mine’, is due for release on 22nd March 2024.
