LIVE REVIEW: COUNTRY CALLING FESTIVAL - KIER - THE HOMESTEAD STAGE

After recommending Kier as one to see at Buckle & Boots 2024, circumstances meant that we were unable to follow through on our recommendation and attend to actually see her, Country Calling with it's very first act provided the opportunity to right that wrong. Hailing from Rotherham, with a rather excellent debut solo album "Welcome To The Strange Life" behind her and new material promised for 2026, now would be the ideal time to catch up. The Homestead Stage was an octagonal stage, with a mixture of wood and corrugated iron, which looked out onto an audience mainly seated on hay bales.

Performing solo, with eye catching boots and a soon to be a problematic headscarf - Kier would prove to be excellent company, immediately winning us over with a "Thank you for being here early" and apologising for getting everyone out of bed. Choosing to open with a cover of Dasha's "Austin", it offered up a chance to warm up and attune her vocals.

Kier's first single "Gypsy's Castle" would follow, demonstrating her confident guitar playing, even finding time flick her hair out of her face. Expressive vocals immediately reminded us why we'd been so keen to recommend Kier in the first place.

Rather than emptying the arena with her own material as she had joked, Kier would increasingly grow her crowd. Her next tune We Made It", on record is a little band classic, which she would gamely try to recreate starting with a short guitar burst and three stomps of her highly coloured boots.

"You're my oxygen baby,

My rock to my roll"

Kier admitted to not playing some of these songs for a while, as she has new material and these were old to her, but hearing them live for the first time, even just solo, they sounded remarkably refreshing. Kier would gradually raise her volumes throughout really creating an atmosphere. Similarly "Never Be Me" was dedicated to "Everyone's bad ex'es", with Kier having to do the work that normally a whole band would do. The fast fired chorus with it's sassy lyrics

"You know whoever she is - she'll never be me"

With a fast almost spoken delivery at one point - this was an impressive way to open a festival.

The unreleased "Down To Your Demons" has already impressed with people asking when it will be released, and it was easy to see why. A heady mixture of loving someone with issues, came with a powerful chorus - Kier would deliver with a strength and feeling that made you want to hear more. The unreleased world of being "Twenty Something" came with a lighter set of lyrics packed with smart observations that would gather knowing nods from those of all ages.

"You still want you Mum

To book to your Doctor's appointment!"

Rocking so hard she lost her headscarf!

Her final song "Someone To You" the anthemic closer from her debut record, would see more headscarf malfunctions, but would be more remembered for the smartly delivered lyrics

"I'm only happy as a no-one

As long as I'm a someone to you"

A wonderfully extended out closing section was a joy to witness. Bringing you tomorrow's stars today, Country Calling more than delivered with Kier, who with a new record coming and a Green Note support slot at Brooke Law's November album launch, seems set for a much higher profile going forward that is well and truly deserved.