49 Winchester has spent the past few years on a meteoric rise, evolving from an underground favorite to a major force in country and Americana music. Hailing from Castlewood, Virginia, the band was founded by childhood friends Isaac Gibson, Chase Chafin, and Bus Shelton, their bond shaping a deeply rooted and authentic sound. Their breakthrough came with ‘Fortune Favors the Bold,' a record that catapulted them onto major stages, including a European tour with Luke Combs and a successful Canadian run with Corb Lund. Known for their raw energy and heartfelt storytelling, the band’s ability to seamlessly blend country, rock, and Appalachian soul has earned them a devoted following and sold-out shows across the U.S.
Now, with their latest album ‘Leavin’ This Holler,' (our review here) 49 Winchester pushes their sound even further, delivering a collection that celebrates life on the road, Appalachian pride, and deeply personal reflections on love and family. Songs like ‘Anchor' and the title track showcase their growth, featuring rich instrumentation and some of their most ambitious songwriting yet. But while their records are a testament to their artistry, it’s their electric live performances that truly set them apart. With an unrelenting energy and a deep connection to their audience, 49 Winchester continues to prove why they are one of the most exciting and dynamic bands in the modern country and Americana scene.
Having spoken to the band a couple of days before their performance at the O2 arena I was made fully aware of Isaac Gisbon and his band of merry troubadours intentions to just rock the faces of the people at the C2C festival off during their short set on the Friday night. Taking the stage to the sumptuous ‘Tulsa' it soon became apparent that they are a band of their word! Gibson's growls echoed around the arena as the world's most interesting Appalachian bar-band took the London crowd by the scruff of it's neck and refused to let go.
‘Yearnin' For You' kept the pace up and started to get the newcomers, latecomers and eager Friday night crowd's toes-a-tapping. It's also a perfect introduction to the musical skills of the band, providing a couple of solos and elongated jam sessions, something that 49 Winchester absolutely excel at.
There was a superb mix of moods and styles offered out to the London crowd by this band very much on-the-rise. ‘Miles to Go' was a swampy, bluesy affair whilst ‘Everlasting Lover' impressed with its hypnotic rhythms – it also gave Isaac Gibson another chance to show just what a powerful and rich voice he has. Gibson comes across as the bastard child of Eric Church and ZZ Top's Billy Gibson and as the focal point of the band he excels in that master of ceremonies role, orchestrating the controlled chaos around him as 49 Winchester play what feels like could just be the soundtrack to the Smokey and the Bandit movie!
‘Long Hard Life' turned into an elongated jam session as did following song ‘The Wind' and we began to get a sense that this band might well go on to become a kind of Honky Tonk Prog Rock behemoth, particularly when you begin to throw six minute monster songs like ‘Leavin' This Holler' and ‘Anchor' into the mix too.
Picking up on ‘Anchor,' it was disappointing not to see this beast in the set tonight and even more disappointing that there was no space for ‘Damn Darlin' too, often lauded as the band's best and most evocative song but you can't please everybody when you only have 40 minutes to play with – we'll just have to grab a ticket to see their UK headline tour in October and be patient!
Speaking of best songs, that accolade that used to belong to ‘Damn Darlin' is now firmly at the feet of the title track to 49 Winchester's latest album, ‘Leavin This Holler.' Tonight, the London crowd got a treat as Maggie Antone was also in town at the C2C festival so she joined Gibson & Co up on stage for this hypnotic beast of a song that we termed the bands very own ‘Hotel California' in our review of the album last year. What a treat it was – Antone adding her powerful vocals to Gibson's on a song that is nearly six minutes in length but still leaves you with a feeling of disappointment when it's over!
Ending with the romp that is ‘Hillbilly Happy' was a genius touch meaning that the band's set finished with smiles all round and a sense of the audience having seen something really special, cool and fun. 49 Winchester are back in October and based on the vibe and the satisfaction in the O2 arena tonight, those tickets are just going to sell themselves after this performance.
Setlist: 1. Tulsa 2. Yearnin' For You 3. Miles to Go 4. Everlasting Lover 5. Long Hard Life 6. The Wind 7. Russell County Line 8. Leavin' This Holler 9. Hillbilly Happy Venue: The O2 Arena, London Date: Friday 14th March 2025
