British music critics have long maintained a love-hate relationship with country music, much like Marmite. Consider timeless country artists such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline legends who have captivated people with their music. With its stripped instrumentation and heavy narrative, country is a genre grounded in everyday life, telling stories that resonate.

However, country is coming back swinging with artists such as Beyonce and her latest album “Cowboy Carter”, revitalising the genre. With the likes of artists such as Taylor Swift also revisiting her country roots, there is something to be said about the undeniable power of country music.

Last week, The Early Doors Club,was hosted in the fitting venue of St George’s Church, in Tyldesley. A church is a perfect venue to celebrate country. The acoustics bounce around the space, creating a truly out of body experience.

As we as the church providing a beautiful setting, Kyle Edge set the tone for the evening. His deep, soulful, textured voice delivers emotionally charged songs, which he penned. If could listen to Kyle on repeat, I would because his voice was simply stunning. I appreciated the genuine emotion in his songs, drawn from personal experiences, which is rare in artists these days. One of my favourite songs was ‘Rusting’, capturing the nature of navigating modern life and striving to succeed. Kyle provided the perfect transition to Noel’s set by expressing their mutual love for country music. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful set.

Noel kicked off his set by making a grand entrance accompanied by his band, which was amplified by the energetic encouragement of the audience. Fraser performed songs from his debut album ‘Persona Non-Grata’, with many songs reflecting on unwelcome relationships or life experiences. While I adore every track equally, “Dance Upon Your Grave” stands out as a personal favourite. The live performance of this was electrifying with Noel’s raspy, strong voice intensifying the anger and bitterness embedded in the lyrics. Despite Noel’s positive experiences with family, “Dance Upon Your Grave” explores the opposite, vividly portraying th emotional depth through excellent lyrics.

Towards the end of his set, Noel performed another heart-wrenching song “Heaven’s Waiting Room”, it delves into the loss of people we love. Grief is a universal experience, and Noel courageously shared the recent sad passing of his brother and mother-in-law. His performance exuded powerful, and deeply personal emotions that seeped through his performance. The crowd was left in a reflective silence as they pondered their own experiences with loss.

Once again The Early Doors Club, now in its tenth series of concerts, showcases the power of local music hosted in community venues. Continuously, they offer artists, venues and people the chance to engage with music in an open, community-friendly environment. I’ll reiterate this  but now more than ever, supporting local grassroots venues is crucial. Let’s keep the local music scene vibrant and thriving.Please support local!

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Below are details for the Early Doors Club Concerts and their social media pages.I’ve included links to Noel Fraser’s social media profiles and where you can buy/stream his latest album, “Persona Non-Grata.”

• Early Doors Club Concerts:
  • Website: https://thesnug.live/the-early-doors-club/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theearlydoorsclub
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theearlydoorsclub/
• Noel Fraser:
  • Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063536382522
  • Album “Persona Non-Grata”: https://ditto.fm/persona-non-grata-noel-fraser

Feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance.