“No smiling during this song” expressed Natalie. However
there was a slight grin detected during the line ‘I kinda like it’ as the defiant
Dixie Chicks anthem ‘Not Ready to Make
Nice’ reverberated around the Birmingham NIA (even the ticket hasn’t quite
let go of the original name). This defining track of the Dixie Chicks
transitional period had its rightful place at the start of the encore. It
signalled the end was approaching on the first date of the first proper UK tour
in thirteen years and the packed arena was left in little doubt that this was
Dixie Chicks circa 2016. The most important aspect had to be that the girls
were back in full pomp and glory, splashing out on a lavish show and filling
the air with a deluge of much loved songs.Half hour into the show, you couldn’t help but feel that you were witnessing the unfinished business from 2006’s Accidents and Accusations Tour. While that set of dates did visit London for the ‘return to the scene of the crime’, the anticipated UK provincial roll out didn’t materialise and that was the Dixie Chicks done, or so we began to think. There is still little hint of the band heading back into the studio, but the massive announcement of ‘MMXVI World Tour’ re-awoke the phenomenon that is the Dixie Chicks. 2016 was also straight out of the 2006 sound base, with a five piece touring band heavily leaning in the rock direction selected to back Natalie, Emily and Martie. Four of the first six songs were lifted from the Rick Rubin produced album TAKING THE LONG WAY, headed by ‘The Long Way Around’ before launching into Natalie’s guitar riff assault on her home town in ‘Lubbock or Leave It’.
As soon as the opening strobe lighting and highly visual
stage show had settled down, the hugely creative and spectacular background video
show kicked in playing a significant part in the band getting over their
messages and inspirations. This included a lyric video for ‘Easy Silence’ and a montage of domestic
abuse headlines accompanying ‘Goodbye
Earl’. Yes, he was killed for the umpteenth time, the band continue to show
no remorse and the crowd sing along to every word. This conclusion of this
classic brought a small scene changing break and a few moments to reflect on
the first segment of the show. In light of a recent seismic event, especially
in American music circles, a Prince cover was included and Natalie strained
every ounce of her vocal talent to belt out a version of ‘Nothing Compares to You’. The other key observation from this part
of the show was the reworking of ‘Long
Time Gone’, answering questions in how they were going to reflect their
country heritage.
One long term feature of the Dixie Chicks is their total
admiration for Patty Griffin. Two of her songs featured on the multi-million
selling album HOME and duly ‘Truth #2’
and ‘Top of the World’ found their
rightful place in this evening’s set list. A third Patty Griffin song featured
during the show’s intimate section when the band covered ‘Don’t Let Me Die in Florida’. Natalie introduced it as a new song
for the Dixie Chicks, although it appeared on Patty’s 2013 album AMERICAN KID.
Perhaps this suggestion of a new song did give a glimpse of hope that the band
recording hiatus may end at some point. While on the subject of covers, there
was the usual superb version of Dylan’s ‘Mississippi’.
Usual, in the fact that it has appeared in the set list of the band’s sporadic
shows over the last decade including their appearance in London at Country to
Country in 2014. Before we end on covers, Ben Harper’s ‘Better Way’ was a suitable closer for the Dixie Chicks 2016,
containing an important message and reflecting the musicians who Natalie has
worked with since the now distant country music industry divorce.
For many folks, on this triumphant return, the thrill was in
hearing and singing along to so many old Dixie Chicks favourites in the final
part of the show. ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’,
another song a little different minus pedal steel, soared around the arena with
gusto and the audience played their part perfectly for the orchestrated
unaccompanied chorus piece of the coming of age anthem ‘Wide Open Spaces’. Natalie still possesses all the old sass when
pouring her heart and soul into ‘Sin
Wagon’ and the Dixie Chicks version of ‘Landslide’
does this Stevie Nicks song complete justice. The final section commenced with
a red, white and blue ticker tape shower filling the front of the arena as ‘Ready to Run’ was bashed out with an accompanying
large screen video displaying a parody of the American political system. This
was the sole reference to politics all evening with Natalie keeping the chat to
a minimum generally.
This was an evening that few thought we would ever see again
and for two hours the Dixie Chicks showed a Birmingham audience, thirteen years
since last playing the city, that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Upon hearing ‘Goodbye Earl’ for the
first time many years ago, the hook was complete and they still remain my
favourite American band to date. The promise to return was made by Natalie and
everybody present should hold her to that. The thorny subject of new material
will need to be addressed at some point if this is to be materialised, and you
get a general feel of the direction that it will head. The country influence
will never wane, Emily and Martie will see to that, but Natalie is such an
inquisitive and explorative artist that she should be trusted to freely wander.
Her solo album of a couple of years back MOTHER showed what she can do and
hopefully she will make her professional life more prolific from a recording perspective.
The Dixie Chicks flame has flickered, dimmed a little and
nearly been extinguished but now in 2016, it’s approaching oxygen fuelled status
and ready to burn brightly again. They are such a special act and sharing their
music with a wide audience will thrill many adoring fans. Tonight at Birmingham’s
Barclaycard Arena, the re-emergence was complete and anticipation grows for
what next?
