Ashley Monroe und Charlie Worsham

Tuesday 15th March. Bush Hall. Ashley Monroe. I was really looking forward to this gig as Ashley Monroe’s album from last year ‘The Blade’ was not only the best female country album of the year but one of the best of any genre.

Tonight was Monroe’s first headline gig in England and so a packed Bush Hall waited with real anticipation. What followed over the next seventy minutes or so was such an outpouring of love from an audience that I don’t think I have witnessed through over 600 gigs.

From the first song to the last each track ended with at least a thirty second applause and whooping and hollering from the knowledgeable crowd that were singing back throughout the night.

Monroe backed by guitarist and double bass ran though most of the new album, a couple from the first and a cover or two. Her slight frame belies the depth and range of her voice and she captivated us all through the night.

The main set is over in a blink and she’s back but joined this time with best friend and new country royalty in the shape of Miranda Lambert who these days is more used to playing arenas back over the pond. Both were in a band called Pistol Annies along with the also excellent Angaleena Pressley who I saw last year too.

Their beautiful harmonies complement each other perfectly. There’s time for a second encore as Ashley steps up on the creaky stage on her own with a stunning version of ‘Hickory Wind’.

Britain clearly loves Ashley and after tonight I think she loves us right back.

‘Achey Breaky Heart’ was a scourge to the cause of contemporary country music. On that day in 1992 when Billy Ray Cyrus’s insidious plonker peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, all extant prejudices about country music were validated.

Luckily there is talent such as Charlie Worsham’s to put classic Americana back on track. From Jackson, Mississippi, Worsham was a young prodigy – at 14 being recognised for his musical talents by the Mississippi Senate.

His 2013 debut, Rubberband, is an exploration of the purview of modern country music. Each track feels entirely unique, yet there’s a consistency, a definite Worsham touch that binds all the tracks together in one complete package. The stand-out single, ‘Could It Be’, is an easy-going classic, recalling an intimate When Harry Met Sally-esque experience with a close female friend.

His live performance featured all the best moments of Rubberband, as well as some cover versions of country greats Keith Urban and Vince Gill, and a killer one of Ozzy Ozborne’s ‘Crazy Train’. This is Jackson’s golden child at work.