Carrie Underwood live at the Apple Music Festival review.

by Joe Burek.

September 19th kicked off this year’s Apple Music festival and has already seen Ellie Goulding and Take That take to the stage for what would be the events eight year anniversary. Hosted at Camden’s famous Roundhouse, the event is available free to watch around the world via Apple Music or Apple TV, although that would seem oblivious to tonight’s audience judging by the sea of iPhones lighting up the crowd.

The annual 10 nights of music, formerly know as the ITUNES Festival, offered a diverse line up with artists such as One Direction, Mumford and Sons and The Chemical Brothers to name a few. But tonight it was all about the Country.

Preceding tonight’s headliner were The Shires. Opening with “Nashville Grey Skies”, it’s hard to believe these guys don’t hail from America’s home of Country music. Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle’s vocals accompany each other perfectly and it’s easy to see why the duo became the first top ten country act in the UK. The band performed songs from their debut album “Brave” and the crowd responded particularly well to “Jekyll and Hyde”, one of the rockier numbers in their set. Rhodes’ announcement that the next song would be their last was received with groans by the audience, a sign that the bands quest to lead the line for British Country has only just begun.

Any empty seats were gradually filled over the next half an hour as the North London venue prepared for tonight’s main act. On the stroke of 9.00pm, to the beat of “We Will Rock You” and strobe lights, the lady of the evening arrived. Wearing a short black dress with fingerless gloves to match, it’s incredible to think she had a baby only seven months ago.

Bursting onto stage with “Blown Away”, followed by “Two Black Cadillac’s”, accompanied by images of the classic all American car on a giant screen, we are reminded that this Southern girl is the real deal.

The 2005 American Idol winner proved that Country singers can rock with “Little Toy Gun’s” whilst “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” demonstrated the singer’s mellow side. There was a real feel of a full band with no less then nine musicians on stage, while the Oklahoma star also took to a guitar herself with a new song.

Other highlights included a cover of Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” in which Underwood breezed through the rap part effortlessly. “Cowboy Casanova”, “Flat on the Floor”, “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Wasted” all made it into the set while “All American Girl” and “Something in the Water” stood out as crowd pleasers. The evening was brought to a climax with chart topping “Before He Cheats” where the queen of country had everyone singing along.

If you thought Country was all Line Dancing and Banjo’s, Miss Underwood will prove you otherwise.