C2C REVIEW: Brett Young – The O2, London

We’ve been looking forward to writing this one ever since Brett graced that main stage at The O2. What a set this was – one of the unexpected surprises from the weekend. We all know Brett has the quality delivery and hit-filled catalogue, but I don’t think many were expecting him to light up that stage with the charisma that he did.

This was a totally transformed Brett Young from the man we saw opening up for Lady A on their UK tour some years ago. He owned that stage with a newfound confidence and swagger, and ladies, we know you enjoyed those long gazes into the camera!

You forget just how many great songs Brett has at this point. When you look past the hits and delve into the album tracks, songs like “1, 2, 3 Mississippi,” “Ticket To L.A.” and “Used To Missing You” are all absolute bangers that deserve a place on country radio, such is the consistent quality throughout his albums.

The stand-out moment was Brett’s performance of his smash hit “Mercy,” which started a standing ovation from the adoring O2 crowd which lasted well over a minute. Brett was clearly taken aback by the response, which was one of the loudest of the whole festival.

There was also a surprise guest appearance from Lady A front man Charles Kelley, who just happened to be in London on vacation with his family. Well timed, Sir! Charles joined Brett for his performance of “Here Tonight,” which the pair wrote together – a lovely surprise for the thousands of Lady A fanatics who were no doubt in attendance.

Brett’s set was one of those that seemed to get better and better as the show went on. Such a well thought-out set list, it kept the energy growing throughout, and kept the crowd well and truly engaged to a level that few have achieved in memory. With a catalogue as strong as Brett’s, it makes life a little easier up there.

This simply has to go down as one of the finest C2C sets to date. The reaction from the crowd at the end was something to behold. Brett had done what’s known as ‘nailing it.’ He’s back in the UK later this year – don’t miss him.

Set List:

1. Catch
2. 1, 2, 3 Mississippi
3. Like I Loved You
4. You Ain’t Here to Kiss Me
5. This
6. You Got Away With It
7. Ticket to L.A.
8. In Case You Didn’t Know
9. Mercy
10. Not Yet
11. Used to Missin’ You
12. Leave Me Alone
13. Weekends Look a Little Different These Days
14. Lady
15. Here Tonight
16. You Didn’t
17. Sleep Without You