A Weekend with Kezia Gill: Unmatched Energy at BlackDeer
It's 2 PM at the Ridge Stage at BlackDeer, and it's time for Kezia's second set of the weekend. This is her third stage performance, having dueted with Jade Helliwell on the Café Nero stage yesterday on their latest single "How Long Have You Known." Friday night also saw Kezia perform another set at Hayley's Bar for "Kezia Gill and Friends." Matt Hodges performed his track "Throwing Pebbles," and Kezia sang "Country Song," showcasing their incredible vocal harmony. Jade Helliwell delivered "Heroes and Heroines" and "Sweet Spot," with their duets being spot on as always. SJ and Kieron from Morganway joined her on "Smokey" and wowed the tent what duet and also there track "Hurricane."
Now, for the Ridge set: it's the busiest I've seen it all weekend at this time of day. Right before the set starts, the tent is completely full. She opened with "Misfit," the title track from her album. The line "I don’t know if anybody’s listening" certainly didn't apply here—people definitely were. Last time she was here, it was at Hayley's Bar, and you couldn't even get in the tent. She only got 45 minutes here, so it's a whirlwind of energy. "Who’s seen me before?" she asks, and there are loud cheers and shout-outs for her management team.
On to "Whisky Over Ice" and "House on the Hill"—the energy is high, and she's loving every minute of it. Next came "Thirty's Country Song" and "Smokey." "Live It Up" brought even more energy, with the crowd clapping along. Yet more high energy followed with "Sweet Spot" and "Whisky Drinking Woman," ending with the track that was playlisted by Radio 2.
The whole set brought that high Kezia energy and the powerhouse vocals that we all know and love, wowing new fans and gaining more from photographers in the pit. Nothing short of another masterclass performance as she dedicates a song to her dad with Local Man Star "This one's for you, Dad!"
Every stage she plays now at festivals is always packed to the rafters. Next stop: the main stage, surely!?
I've been watching Kezia all the way since 2017 when she was just playing smaller stages and I wasn't pit-side being a blogger. It feels like I've been along for the ride, and boy, has she grafted. Kezia has one of the hardest jobs in UK country music as she's paving the way for other UK independent artists, showcasing to music lovers out there that there's talent in the independent scene and not everything has to come from a major label with masses of funding.
What's next? Well, a packed summer of festivals, and then she's on another tour. This time it's a stripped-back acoustic tour, telling the stories behind the songs on a 13-date UK tour.
