Anna Hyams

Friday

The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of… Leicestershire. Yes folks, it’s finally time to return to the grounds of Stanford Hall in the UK, for three days of Country and Americana at The Long Road festival. Driving down the country lanes through picturesque thatched villages and ye old pubs, we’re talking about a very different kind of ‘country’ here in the UK. This feels more ‘there are a lot of murders for such a small place’ than ‘we brew moonshine in our tub’ but the essence is kind of the same – our sunbleached fields after a summer of heatwave might not be giving full Texas but eh, it’s not far off.

We head around to the marked carparking looking for day parking, only to be waved down by an angry steward telling us there’s no such thing (despite the GIANT sign 5 metres away from him saying it does) and get directed into the weekend camping car-park instead. So we do as we’re told only to discover that this isn’t the way to the main box office… there should be day-parking, and we now have to walk through camping fields to find it/our way in. I don’t know what was going on with Friday’s site staff but absolutely no-one seemed to have a clue what was happening or where anything was. However, after some grumpy shuffling we finally make our way past the beautiful Stanford Hall itself, and into the festival.

Since there isn’t any main stage action today, we decide to take a full tour of the site and see what’s what. We are greeted by an absolute plethora of stuff-to-do which I take as the mark of a good festival actually, and the site itself is really pretty. Over at The Showground, there’s a flamboyant pink and yellow garbed Cowboy sitting for a Life Drawing Class, whilst next door the Yeti stand is giving lasso lessons (it’s very cute, the ‘bulls’ are little horned heads stuck on the side of Yeti coolers) and axe-throwing.

We take a minute to check out the merch tent, and are pleased to find the range has grown considerably since last time we were here and most of it is available up to a 4XL which is really nice to see. The best t-shirt by far though is the Hot-Dog Showdown one, I’m coming back for it for sure. Around the corner and through a little woodland path is the new home of Buddy’s Good Time Bar, which this year is two tents in a little arena. One the bar itself, one the stage – as well as some seating and a bank of toilets nearby. Last time Buddy’s was a really fun indoor saloon set up in a faux village, and this definitely feels more generic festival, but the stage is bigger and it’s a nice little area to hang out in.

Over on The Front Porch – a stage dressed as a country cabin, complete with smoking stack chimney – where performers quite literally do their set on the front porch, we take some time to sit down and listen to the soothing sounds of Kevin Daniel’s acoustic set. There are people splayed out everywhere in the sunshine just taking it all in, and Kevin’s voice is stunning – this is my favourite stage at TLR.

Jess Moskaluke’s soulful voice seeps out of The Interstate stage tent, and I actually quite enjoy her Kelly Clarkson ‘Since U Been Gone’ cover, despite not actually liking the song itself. London based Misty River is excellent on The Front Porch stage amongst the twinkling fairy lights and the hay bales, with her shimmering sequined dress and beautifully unusual voice. “What a joy to be here” she says but sadly the next few songs are all but drowned out by the noise pollution from The Interstate. The two stages really are too close together when one is playing big beats and the other is acoustic.

Behind us the Moonshine bar seem to be doing a roaring trade, and they have Cornhole and Horseshoe throwing competitions set up for people to play. Around the back of the arena there are a few choice shops to peruse, with some incredibly detailed and interesting cowboy boots and hats up for grabs, as well as floral jewellery and an absolutely incredible stall selling repurposed fabrics such as fancy tablecloths – made into tops and dresses. In the centre of this area is the adorably named ‘Lil Possum County’ kids area which is a hay-baled arena of things to do for your critters. Our lil possum gives the obstacle course a red-hot go, and then promptly falls over a space hopper – excellent fun for all.

Would it even be a festival review from me if I didn’t discuss the food options here? Today’s shout out goes to the amazing Texas Smokers, whose BBQ’s are built into an old American fire truck, with axes for handles. Epic. Their dirty-fries are loaded with so much brisket and cheese sauce that I actually couldn’t finish it – unheard of for festival food.

After the snake-like rest I required following my giant dinner, it’s into The Interstate for Priscilla Block. The tent is absolutely full and she puts on an awesome rowdy show with hits ‘My Bar’ and ‘Peaked In High School’ yelling “This is a song for anyone who made me feel like shit about myself…”.

On The Front Porch, Ilana Zsigmond aka St. Catherine’s Child is having some sound issues but gives a stunning mellow performance anyway, before bluegrass troupe The Vanguards get everyone up and dancing in the twilight. The chimney of the shack smokes red to match their very dapper outfits, as they harmonize over the twanging banjo melodies. “We’re gonna play you one by the Stanley Brothers… any Stanley Brothers in the crowd? Oh. Wait. I should say Stanley Brothers fans… because they’re all dead” gets a snort from me – there’s nothing like a blooper to round out a show, but they’re funny and graceful, and it’s a really enjoyable set on the auspicious day of their album release.

The last act of the night for us is Drake White in The Interstate, which is absolutely packed to the seams with adoring fans whooping as he takes to the stage. “It’s so nice to be here, to be free, to be wearing Ray Bans in a tent and singing for you” he quips, the freedom part presumably in reference to two cancelled years of TLR, but also noting that there is absolutely no reason to be wearing Ray Bans in dark tent full of people. Anyway the set is amazing, he has an undeniably fantastic voice, with that unmistakable Alabama drawl, and the band are rocking – a great first night closer.

As the fire-pits around the site are lit and we head out, it truly smells like we’re on the cusp of Autumn. The crackling logs uplighting giggling golden faces, the crisp cold evenings coming in and the sounds all around us are uniquely Long Road. There’s a magic in the careful curation of experiences which transport you elsewhere in time or space – I feel like I could be laying under the stars on top of a Wagon in the old west right now.

Saturday

Starting off today with a bit of mellow soulfulness in the sunshine is Sam Williams on The Front Porch, followed by a walk around the Lucky Dice Classic Car Show over the lake – I particularly liked the yellow Harley Davidson, and there’s a bit of me that wanted to take the Bronco on a joyride, but I quash the desire in favour of watching some Cowboy Olympics in The Showground. A young lad is standing on a bale of hay trying to catch flung frisbees and stuff them down his top, whilst being unceremoniously jabbed by the horns of buffalos on sticks. 10/10 very entertaining, as was part two which involved throwing hay bales with little regard to rules or safety, excellent sights.

Hudson Taylor on The Interstate give me countrified-Weezer vibes, very boppy and fun, but we’re heading over to the New Orleans Kitchen for some of their incredible blackened cajun shrimp and fries bowls. This is the second festival we’ve had their food at and I just know I’m going to dream about it in the dead of winter and be mournful.

After eating we head back over to The Showground for possibly my most anticipated highlight of the festival – The Hot Dog Showdown. It’s a full house around the picnic tablecloth set-up, there are 6 willing participants and 60 hot-dogs on the deck. As many as you can eat in 3 minutes is the timeframe (which I personally think is a very short window for what look like extremely bready buns) but the countdown goes and the contenders start chomping. There are a few doing the renowned dip-the-bun-in-water technique, but only the ultimate winner is standing up and doing a little wiggle in the grand tradition of Matt Stonie – and it pays off.  Let this hereby be my petition to bring Matt Stonie and Joey Chestnut to TLR next year, make this event bigger and better, get a trophy. I’m off to buy a tshirt.

Round two for Priscilla Block this weekend, this time on the main stage. She arrives in her signature jorts and a sparkly scrunchie, brandishing a Yeti cooler cup and yelling “We have a saying where I come from – holler and swoller! You shout, then you drink” as the crowd join her in a toast. The set-list isn’t the same as yesterday’s, so Block fans are getting a good second innings here, but she does still play ‘My Bar’, and then “To anyone who ever told me I needed to lose weight to be up on this stage… This one’s called Thick Thighs”. It’s absolutely clear the crowd love her, and she has definitely been a highlight of TLR for me – both times.

Cassadee Pope is up next, hot off the back of a social media dispute involving other members of the country music scene – in which she and Maren Morris trash Brittany Aldean’s transphobic nonsense online. Since the festival, Morris has also translated this ridiculous saga into tshirts with ALL profits going to Trans charities, and Cassadee was first in the queue to purchase one – we love to see it. Bursting onto the stage in a patterned white suit, Cassadee calls out “I’m sure everyone out here has gone through something so so tough, and you thought you might not make it… but you’ve gotten through it and you’re here. Be proud of yourselves” to rapturous applause. She’s a ball of energy, entertaining and bright – one of the best performances of the weekend.

Up next, Brandy Clark in a very sparkly sequined green blazer – has been moved up from the Interstate to the main stage, and is talking about how Marty Stuart (playing later) is a hero of hers, and the honour of sharing a stage. “Here’s a song I wrote about a pawn shop, do you have those? It’s not the only song out there about a pawn shop, but I hope it’s your favourite” she smiles. Brandy has a fantastic voice, and is clearly a crowd favourite.

Charly Lowry is over on the Front Porch wearing red cowboy boots and bringing the energy back up, and later the gorgeously smooth voiced Rissi Palmer wraps up the ‘Colour Me Country’ takeover, bringing all the other artists up on stage to thank them.

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives are closing the Rhinestone stage tonight, stepping up to a much longer set than originally intended due to the cancellation of original headliner Chris Young – who pulled out of the festival (and his entire UK tour) on the 24^th of August. The official line was that there were cases of Covid in the Chris Young touring party, but rumors abound of poor ticket sales on the tour have been circulating online, leaving a lot of disappointed fans who were attending specifically to see him.

However, this extended Marty Stuart jam session – with a heap of special guests – is a rare treat outside of Nashville, for country fans. Having toured with Johnny Cash in the 80’s, and having a career filled with amazing highlights in general – Marty is an institution in country music, and swaggers onto the stage in black, with all the confidence of someone completely at home under the show-lights. Marty’s touring band The Fabulous Superlatives are resplendent in matching powder blue rhinestoned floral suits (very apt for the Rhinestone Stage) as they launch into the set. It’s melodic, the harmonies are perfect, it’s a tour through classic country rock, and the crowd are having an absolute ball.

We can’t get by without at least one quick pandemic reference here either; “It’s called Sitting Alone. I didn’t know what this song was about when I first wrote it, but I do now… for your consideration” Marty jokes, but I’ll let it slide because I really like the song. Going completely off script and just jamming along however they want, Marty yells “Wanna do a Johnny Cash song?” and of course it’s ‘Ring of Fire’ to the joy of everyone in the arena, before heading in a completely different musical direction. “I’ve been thinking about it… and I declare The Long Road Festival to be the surf music capital of the World… what do you think?” the crowd yells in agreement but I can’t help myself laugh at the fact that we’re in just about the most landlocked part of the UK and definitely aren’t ‘surf people’. Oh well, everyone is giving this Beach Boys cover a go anyway.

After this strange interlude, we are treated to a few special guest songs starting with Andrew Combes who honestly looks absolutely miserable but works with the crooning I guess. Guest two is Kezia Gill “Finally something pretty on stage” quips Marty as she laughs, and they up the tempo with a rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ with about 3 extra verses over massive crowd cheers. Guest number three is Sunny Sweeny for the kind of sweet country sounds you can sing along to – and the entire arena certainly is. All in all it’s been a pretty special night, and yeah it’s disappointing that Chris Young cancelled, but there’s a part of me that is really grateful for the opportunity of watching a session instead of a prescribed set for a change. It feels intimate and personal – not something you can usually say about a headliner at a festival.

Sunday

The final day at the festival and a little sun relief this morning, it’s not quite as hot today which is a blessing. After another skirt around the site to see what’s going on, and a little sit down in the very plush High Falootin’ VIP area (sofas, tables, wooden recliners, a bar, cute lanterns everywhere, nice loos and a cracking view of the main stage) we head out to see Kyle Daniel hit the main stage. Kyle is inexplicably dressed as Shaggy from Scooby Doo, and I am absolutely dying to know if it’s intentional, but either way – I’m into it. ‘God Bless America (Damn Rock ‘n’ Roll)’ might be the most antithetic statement I’ve ever uttered as a predominantly rock and metal fan, but it’s a very catchy song that I find myself singing along to regardless, and the whole affair is exactly what I hoped I’d find here – fun. Kyle’s touring guitarist David Henriksson is equally exciting to watch (and to photograph) kicking his long legs all over the stage, and Kyle himself is no stranger to a headbanging guitar moment so I feel quite at home with them, they’ve been a real highlight of the festival for me.

Over on the Front Porch, Reya Jane is lamenting her “…cursed song. Every time I’ve released it I’ve ended up having to move back into my mother’s house”, and a quick jaunt through the woods to Buddy’s has us getting down to Gangstagrass who I just straight up LOVE immediately. “If you think there’s no space for violence in Bluegrass… remember all those killing ballads” gets the crowd giggling, before they make me a number one fan with ‘Appalacia Love’… “Appalacia knows how to party” is just, chef’s kiss. Don’t get me wrong though, they’re not just funny – they’re actually a fantastic talented band, and I’m here for the fusion, especially love ‘I’m Gonna Put You Down’.

Over at the Showground, people are gathering for the Spicy Wings challenge – which is surprisingly being co-hosted by Kelby Ray of The Cadillac Three, who apparently makes his own hot sauce, and kinda looks like he wishes he was in on the challenge. Six wing contenders step up to the plate and I am positive I am in for photos of crying, maybe even vomiting here, but alas. Either the spice levels aren’t up to scratch or these guys are all made of steel because they ALL finish ALL rounds and it has to eventually come down to a fastest-chomp-first situation. In conclusion – next year I would like to see pain and tap outs, so a spicier spectacle is needed.

Sara Evans floats out onto the main stage in a flowy floral jacket, to a huge crowd. She’s a darling of country who has won many different awards, but I’ll be honest – it’s kinda static and not really my jam. She has a beautiful voice but I’ve been hyped by Gangstagrass and I’m looking for some energy. At Buddy’s, Harleymoon kemp (Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet’s daughter, no less – and yes we did keep an eye out for him in attendance but don’t think he was there) is both talented and funny, joking about a guy on tinder “…the only thing that’s coming tonight is an Uber to take me home”.

Lindsay ell brings the momentum I’m looking for, she is stomping and dancing wildly across the stage, throwing herself into staggering back bends whilst wielding her guitar, and getting the whole crowd jumping. Throwing in her No Doubt/Queen medley of ‘I’m Just A Girl’ into ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a little fun treat but I appreciate her whole set, and definitely applaud a gal who can run around on those wicked tall boots she’s wearing.

Following Lindsay is another burst of energy with duo LoCash, who I can best describe as Country-Pop. They’re upbeat and know how to pull a crowd, joking around about their attempts at English accents and then playing a cover of Backstreet Boys ‘I Want It That Way’ – this is the kind of cheesiness that will always win you a British crowd, to be honest. There are a few other snippets of covers chucked in there – ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’, ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Summer of 69’ and ‘Stacy’s Mom’ all make their way into the set to get countrified into TLR history.

Tonight’s eats include a dose of possibly the most incredible Buttermilk chicken I’ve ever eaten in my life, and the ridiculous ‘bucket o’churros’ which was even hard for 5 of us and a toddler to finish. Is there anything better than eating delicious food in a field listening to great music? I’m gonna have such festival blues the whole of winter I just know it.

Well, the final sun has set on an incredible weekend, and closing out the main stage are Southern rockers The Cadillac Three, who I believe the last time they played a UK festival were at a very different sort of event – Download at Donington. The stage is set with huge stack amps and three podiums – one for drums (with a kick-drum image of the band portrayed as skeletal heads), one for keys, and one for frontman Jaren Johnston. The lights dim and the band enter the stage to a huge roar from the crowd, which I wasn’t really expecting to be honest. TC3 are right on the edge of being more rock than they are country, so I was surprised to see how many people had come out for this tonight.

Jaren does a quick shout out to previous guests around the site, and says that they’ll be hitting up the Everett after party over on the Interstate after they’ve performed – which honestly is really nice. It’s great that bands feel comfortable enough to walk around and enjoy the festival as well as performing at it, something I think The Long Road gets really right is the easy-going feel of the event. They play through a plethora of hits including the brilliant ‘Peace Love & Dixie’ and the very fitting hot wings related content ‘Tabasco & Sweet Tea’. ‘Down to the River’ is a favourite of mine but ‘The South’ is an epic closer tonight – a little commentary and wrap up on this weekend that really has celebrated all things Southern and country.

So what did I think of my first full weekend experience at The Long Road festival? Well, despite it’s small size, you do get a lot of bang for your buck here. There is always something fun to see or do, everyone is friendly, the food is epic, there’s heaps to have a go at, kids are catered for, hell you can even bring your dogs and nothing is very far to walk between either. If you’ve always wanted to go to a festival but the big ones make you nervous, this festival is definitely for you – even if you don’t identify as a country music fan. If you are a country music fan and weren’t there… what is wrong with you? This is your mecca. Book your 2023 tickets immediately you absolute spoon. I had a bloody great time, and feel I’ve had the privilege to see some really special acts this weekend, so – see ya next year y’all…