Seattle native, Americana and rock high duchess of sound and 10 x GRAMMY award winner Brandi Carlile leaped out onto London’s Hyde Park The Great Oak main stage for a powerhouse of a one hour set for the British Summer Time event series, just before Stevie Nicks would own the same floor.
I first heard of Brandi Carlile at CMA Fest in Nashville in 2019, as she announced new music from Nashville legend Tanya Tucker. Carlile’s enthusiasm was evident then, as she greeted fans at the Nissan Tennessee Titans football stadium. Since then, her name has become synonymous with music success in the Country community so when she announced her Hyde Park show I knew I was going to be in the crowd. Carlile also has the distinction of being the only Nashville-based artist that my partner wanted to see perform live.
Taking to the stage in front of 65, 000 music fans, Carlile’s stunning green rhinestone suit declared her arrival and half of her identity; yes, she’s Nashville royalty, but she shreds guitar and rocks out like she’s in a mosh pit, with infectious joy across her face. The. Whole. Time.
Her trademark vocal crack burned through ‘Broken Horses' one of the strongest songs that I just can’t keep from singing today, and the crowd sat up to pay attention. From my general admission barrier view, I saw other acts (Nina Nesbitt with her birthday crowd and her band) and well-dressed Nicks’ fans, ensure they found their spot for what promised to be a set to watch. Carlile took a moment to appreciate that Hyde Park was the biggest crowd she’d ever played to, that familiar joy bouncing through her energetic performance.
Carlile dived right into ‘You and Me On The Rock,' expressing happiness at being at Hyde Park, finally, after 25 years together with her band (that’s a lot of apprenticeshipping that took place in the ‘90s. And absolutely has paid off). Acknowledging that she regretted not making it over earlier, apart from a few smaller shows, but living in the moment she was here now, the crowd cheered with recognition of a mindblowing delivery of ‘The Story' with Carlile’s impressive vocal range ringing out across the audience with ease. The 2007 song has taken on a life of its own, with TV show credits (Grey’s Anatomy) and commercials (General Motors, which played frequently during 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics breaks) and a LeAnn Rimes cover.
Carlile followed with personal moments in ‘The Eye' and ‘The Mother' recalling her experience as a new mother when wife Catherine gave birth to their first daughter and the difficulties encountered. Acknowledging Stevie Nicks as the mother of music brought the crowd even more to her side.
Carlile asked for a moment with ballads, before she promised to pick the pace right up again, and used her voice to connect with the crowd on an emotional level. “Sinners, Saints and Fools” was a glittering moment, hooking onto a family theme of good and evil that Carlile uses to great storytelling effect in her lyrics.
Taking to the piano, referencing Freddie Mercury, Carlile played “The Joke” with passion, taking full advantage of her vocal strength.
To round off a showcase of a set, where Carlile connected with fans old and new, the Joni Mitchell cover “Woodstock” was a special moment in music, acknowledging the sisters before and the sister about to take to the stage. (and lets not forget the dynamic Sister Swing cellist and violinist who performed with Brandi).
Time for one final song, and with Sunday night’s Euros football game mentioned, I had half-hoped for a rousing rendition of the Lightning Seeds Three Lions. But Carlile delivered a crowd-waving cover of Queen’s “We Are The Champions”, owning the song with her distinctive vocals, which also absolutely worked as a boost to team England’s morale.
Set list: 1. Broken Horses 2. You and Me On The Rock 3. The Story 4. The Eye 5. The Mother 6. Right On Time 7. Raise Hell 8. Sinners, Saints and Fools 9. The Joke 10. Hold Out Your Hand 11. Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover) 12. We Are The Champions (Queen cover) Performance: 12th July 2024 Venue: Hyde Park, London
