It’s safe to say Drake Milligan was the absolute breakout star of C2C 2023. The Texas-born artist wowed UK audiences right from his first appearance in the Indigo, before much-talked about sets at the Saloon and on the Spotlight Stage. Now, continuing a grand tradition of returning C2C acts, he’s made the step up to the big time by joining the main stage headliners, including opening the Sunday night show in London at the O2.
Milligan has been compared to a young Elvis and so what better way to kick off his show than with ‘Blue Suede Shoes’? Bursting out of the blocks with a fire and energy that didn’t let up for the next 30 minutes, he paid homage to the legend by incorporating his own version of Elvis’ famous snake-hipped dance moves, as well as spinning around on stage and jumping into the air at the end of the song, all whilst his deep, rich vocals sounded pitch-perfect.
Those tributes to the stars who’d paved the way for Milligan were evident throughout the set, from a flirtatious cover of George Strait’s ‘The Fireman’ that I’m pretty sure had almost everyone in the arena swooning, to his rattling take on a mash-up of the Johnny Cash classics ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and ‘Get Rhythm’. They slotted perfectly into his set, working brilliantly with the quality of his vocals, and his lively performance added a fresh, modern take to them that made them his own.
However, there was also plenty for fans of Milligan’s original songs to like too. ‘Bad Day To Be A Beer’ was an early highlight, which saw him and his guitarist sliding down each other’s backs before he and his band walked across the stage in tandem and he got the audience clapping along after the first of many C2C namechecks in the set. Elsewhere, the rollicking ‘Tipping Point’ had the audience swaying along and saw Milligan hitting an impressively big note, whilst ‘Long Haul’ saw him bringing out his playful side as he drew out the choruses before a burst of bouncy drum riffs and yet more of those Elvis-style moves alongside the rapid-fire lyrics.
That willingness to mix things up was another thread that ran through the set, whether it was how Milligan used the driving ‘Goin’ Down Swingin’ to introduce his band, the switch from a honky-tonk piano intro to a stomping rhythm on ‘I Got A Problem’, or the bluesy ‘Hating Everything She Tries On’ which saw him slide across the stage and flirt up a storm with the crowd. Even at this early stage it’s refreshing to see an artist being able to try different things, and the audience absolutely ate it up.
However, for me the standout moment came on the only moment Milligan really paused for breath – the soft, tender ballad ‘Dance Of A Lifetime’. Seated alone in the middle of the stage, he delivered a soaring performance of the dreamy number that he dedicated to the crowd after thanking them for their support last year. It was a really touching, heartfelt performance and showed just how much he appreciated the love the UK has given him. That said, it wasn’t long before he was back to rock and roll mode, kicking the chair away to give a fiery rendition of Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Woman’.
To close the show, Milligan delivered the one-two punch of ‘Kiss Goodbye All Night’ and his current single ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do’. The former, with its swaggering fiddle opening, had a fun, cheeky quality about it, whilst the latter provided the perfect boost to finish the set on with its wall of sound and some serious vocal belt to match. It summed up just why the crowds here have taken him to their hearts and by all rights should be an absolutely monster hit for him.
Drake Milligan was probably the most highly anticipated main stage artist at C2C last night, and he didn’t disappoint. In a jam-packed set he had enough energy to power the National Grid, vocals as deep as the Grand Canyon, and a true showman’s ability to work a crowd with the best of them, all wrapped up in the spirit of classic rock and roll. It was a triumphant performance and one that should see him invited back to this festival (and touring the UK) for many years to come. A 2026 headliner? You heard it here first…
Set list: 1. Blue Suede Shoes (made famous by Elvis Presley) 2. The Fireman (George Strait cover) 3. Bad Day To Be A Beer 4. Tipping Point 5. I Got A Problem 6. Hating Everything She Tries On 7. Goin’ Down Swingin’ 8. What I Couldn’t Forget 9. Dance Of A Lifetime 10. Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover) 11. Folsom Prison Blues / Get Rhythm (Johnny Cash cover) 12. Long Haul 13. Kiss Goodbye All Night 14. Sounds Like Something I’d Do Performance date: 10th March 2024
Set list: 1. Performance date: 10th March 2024
