Carly Pearce has cemented herself as one of country music’s most compelling voices, blending traditional roots with modern storytelling. Hailing from Taylor Mill, Kentucky, Pearce first broke through with her 2017 hit ‘Every Little Thing,' a heartbreak ballad that showcased her raw, emotive vocals. Since then, she has built a reputation for honest songwriting, drawing from personal experiences to craft chart-topping hits like ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now' and ‘What He Didn’t Do.' With multiple CMA and ACM awards to her name, including a Grammy for ‘Never Wanted to Be That Girl,' Pearce has become a defining artist of contemporary country music. Her live performances are known for their emotional depth and powerhouse vocals, making each show a testament to her authenticity and undeniable talent.
With new album, ‘hummingbird' in the locker, Pearce rolled into the capital of England to begin a run of sold out shows across the country. The UK has always been a home from home for Carly Pearce and she has steadily built up a fan-base here through repeated visits, culminating in two consecutive sold out shows at the 2,000 person capacity O2 Empire in Shepherds Bush. Taking the stage to ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors' after an elongated Bluegrass intro it was apparent from the off that Pearce's live sound is meatier live than it is on record, which suits her strong, powerful vocals. Acting out the lines to the chorus of the song, Pearce sang with passion and fierce intent on this song and many of the ones to follow.
‘Do I have any Next Girls,' in London tonight, Pearce asked before the intro to the next song and she was immediately greeted with a loud, echoing response from the women in the room. One of the most enjoyable things about watching Carly Pearce live is that you can tell when she's having fun up on stage and she certainly was in London last night – playfully shoving her guitarist out of the way at one point during ‘Next Girl.'
‘Who thinks tonight's show is going to be better than last nights?' Pearce asked before ‘Country Music Made Me Do It,' skilfully engaging with the crowd like the seasoned performer she is. ‘Country Music Made Me Do It,' was another song that came across heavier in the live setting than it is in its recorded form and it found Pearce singing to all parts of the room, pointing out fans in the crowd and drawing in the audience, making the performance seem much more personal and intimate, as if it were a conversation between friends.
‘Truck on Fire,' rocked, complete with all it's Carrie Underwood-esque drama, ‘We Don't Fight Anymore' continued that drama and gave Pearce the chance to show off her vocal prowess. The biggest compliment I can give regarding the performance of that song is that the presence of a certain Mr Stapleton is not missed at all in the live setting.
Pearce's set swung from intimate, confessional pieces like ‘My Place', through fun, toe-tapping Bluegrass romps like ‘Still Blue,' to rock infused, bombastic showstoppers like Woman to Woman.' On the latter, the song's hypnotic sway saw Carly probably giving her best vocal performance of the night on a song that sneaks up on you in terms of its power and what it asks of her vocals. A real stand out moment in a set full of them.
A further stand out moment was the live debut of new song ‘No Rain.' Carly explained the origins of the song and just how much it means to her before revealing that she has had the words tattooed onto herself, but stopped short of telling us where it was, much to the intigue of the crowd! ‘No Rain' brings to an end Pearce's ‘Written in Stone' / ‘hummingbird' era in fine style, finding Country music wisdom in the darkness and offering solace, positivity and a light at the end of the tunnel to those people going through hard times.
One of the most engaging highlights of the show was Carly's interactions with the London crowd. Again, you can tell when she's present and enjoying herself because she gives back so much to the people in front of her. ‘My Place' was preceded by a long explanation regarding the origins of the song and how, last year, it ultimately came true, meaning she now has a new drummer in the band! '29' found Carly in full confessional mode, relaying the story of her marriage / divorce to Michael Ray but in a way that was holistic and relatable to people in the crowd that might have been going through a similar season whilst ‘I Hope You're Happy Now' found her extolling the virtues of the UK and expressing her gratitude for the support she has always received here.
Throughout the set, from beginning to end, Pearce received at least three standing ovations from the London crowd that stopped her in her tracks. By the time the third one happened, at the end of encore opener ‘Oklahoma,' you could see that she was getting visibly emotional, something that will only strengthen the bond between her and her fans here. At one point Pearce admitted to the crowd that she was obsessed with them – cue more cheering and stamping of feet!
‘What He Didn't Do' ended the set in the same way that it had begun. Loud, passionate, expertly sung, acted and brought to life by Carly Pearce in a way that encouraged the audience to join in, sing, shout and holler at all the right moments. You could feel the symbiotic push and pull between performer and audience all the way through the show – something that only happens when there is a deep and real connection between both parties in the room.
Carly Pearce did not rock up in London just to play a set of songs and move on. She came to play her cherished vignettes to a crowd of people who have lived the lyrics, who feel part of her story and who believe that she is one of them. This is a special thing that Carly Pearce has over here in the UK and you can tell that she does not take that for granted. This was a performance of passion and power that echoed around the walls of the room and found its way into the hearts of the people lucky enough to be there. One of the shows that you wake up the next morning and instantly start re-living in your head to get you through the day – you can bet that Carly is doing exactly the same thing this morning too, and that's what makes her such a special artist within the genre of Country music.
Setlist: 1. Rock, Paper, Scissors 2. Next Girl 3. Country Music Made Me Do It 4. Truck on Fire 5. We Don't Fight Anymore 6. My Place 7. Every Little Thing 8. Still Blue 9. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man (with Wade Bowen) 10. Shoulda Known Better 11. Woman to Woman 12. 29 13. Things I Don't Chase 14. Never Wanted to be That Girl 15. No Rain 16. Hide the Wine 17. I Hope You're Happy Now 18. Oklahoma 19. What He Didn't Do Venue: O2 Shepherds Bush Date: 20th February
