LIVE REVIEW: KIER - C2C COUNTRY TO COUNTRY 2026 - THE ROUND UP STAGE

There are a few artists that only come to London occasionally, so it would be criminal to let the C2C weekend pass by without checking in on what they are up to. Kier, Rotherham's finest, is one such artist. Her excellent debut album "Welcome To The Strange Life" is still rewarding some years down the line, with the prospect of a followup due at some point this year. Our previous sightings of Kier playing live have left such an imprint, with their good natured banter, mixed with richly narrated lyrics, and the occasionally praise of the McDonald's Chicken Nugget.

The C2C stages by late Sunday were not running to time and with a previous stage overunning we arrived to find Kier in mid flow, introducing her song "About a mental breakdown" released with Rhiannon Paige last year "By & By".

Kier sporting a spectacular coloured pair of boots and with guitarist Joe once more in tow, then set about performing the song previously sung as a duo, on her own with some gusto.

The opening lines were slowly sung out over occasional strummed chords, before the tune revved up into a fast paced romp. The chorus would see Kier fire out the lyrics "I'm not broken - just a little bent" high into the roof of the shopping area that forms the surroundings of the Round Up Stage.

A little tease of what might be coming later in the year, would come with "You've Got Everything That I Want", a song bout "Jealousy". Kier would throw out that we might never hear it again, which would be a criminal shame, as even in this stripped back version there was the makings of a classic bit of country soul. Beautifully delivered with a true sense of bile #TEAMw21 would humbly suggest that it definitely deserves a place on the next platter! One that will surely be there is "Twenty Something", a gloriously well observed piece destined to raise a smile on the perils of this dangerous decade!

A new song "Hang Up The Phone" was written in anger after Kier was challenged that she could not write a sad song and opening with "From time to time - I'm going to cry" she certainly took the challenge to heart. Starting slowly but gradually building up in intensity, by playing her guitar harder and ever stretching her vocals, there was much to take in.

Taking off her guitar, Kier would hark back to her debut album with "Tuesday Bus" holding the mic in her right hand, while her left clasped the microphone stand. A song born of meeting a stranger on a bus, let you just get absorbed by the narrative.

It was a Sunday after all and so a visit to church was called for and what better than Maren Morris's "My Church" which got the audience well and truly whipped up, clapping and singing along.

The love song "I'm So Hooked" took us back to the debut album before things would magnificently close with the anthemic "Something To You". All anthems need a singalong and Kier would have the crowd singing

"As long as I'm a someone to you" at the top of their lungs

Kier's vocals would soar, Joe would produce some suitably overblown guitar, bringing a quite marvellous set to a close. Undoubtedly always well worth catching!