LIVE REVIEW: COUNTRY CALLING 2026: THE DIVE BAR STAGE - ROBYN RED

Briefly speaking to Robyn Red ahead of her going on stage, there was a mild panic going on - "Scottish people are not made for this weather!" she would say, and for much of the Friday at Country Calling, many of us were not built for it either. In fact great praise should go to the Country Calling Build Team who created the festival in four days, having to stay exceptionally late some nights as the heat was too unbearable to work in during the day.

To be fair, the heat would be the only worry that Robyn would have, in our preview for Country Calling which featured an exclusive interview with Robyn, we did touch on the fact that she had played relatively few gigs down South, yet word of her greatness must have spread as she was greeted as if she had been born in Chelmsford itself!

Freshly back from jaunts to Nashville and Switzerland, she immediately kicked off with "Caledonia (Is Looking Good on You) and in her jean shorts and traditional red hat she both looked and sounded as good ever. If anything Robyn's guitar playing sounded even more strident and confident than a few months ago. Similarly "Ten Years On" had a touch of the Ashley McBryde's about it, as Robyn raised and lowered the volume of playing, it was that self assured. As the song sped up and the stomp pedal kicked in, it was a marvel to watch.

That Robyn needs to preface "Luke Jackson" by confirming that she hasn't killed anyone always raises a smile, it also perhaps sends out a warning not to cross her or perhaps she might!!

It was then on to her latest single "Country Road Blues" which was greeted with great applause. At this point Robyn did something that we can't recall her doing before - she played a cover! - Shania Twain's "You're Still The One", in such a way that she got the audience spontaneously dancing, including a couple who Robyn revealed later had also helped her put up her tent.

It was then time for the customary chiding that comes with any half hearted audience attempts to play their part on "When The Sun Sets". It was Robyn's second single and still sounds as fresh and inventive as when we first heard it, and with a full audience playing their part it sounds even better! Her set seemed destined to close with "Just Need The Wine", a song of the joys of excess

"Gonna paint my nails wear five inch heels

Just need red hat and I'm ready to go"

and if it had finished there, we could have settled for having been totally entertained, yet suddenly, and #TEAMw21 only saw this once over the whole weekend - the crowd would not let Robyn go.

There were furtive looks to the sound folk and suddenly we were gifted a second cover - in Zak Brown's "Chicken Fried", which turned the Dive Bar into the Dive Party Bar with more dancing, along with unsolicited singing and clapping. If Country Calling was built for anything it was for performances like this.