REVIEW
Chinnerys, Southend
30th May 2019
Chinnerys, Southend
30th May 2019
Megan McKenna's The Story of Me UK Tour made its debut appearance at Southend's Chinnerys on Thursday night and if McKenna was aiming for a small Nashville type venue, then this pretty much fit the bill. Chinnerys is known as a venue mainly for rock, tribute and metal bands and so it was rather amusing to note that the majority of McKenna's fans were perfectly groomed young ladies, all perfectly manicured nails, pouty lips and Louis Vuitton mobile covers.
THe support act, local duo Jack Cooper and Rob Gulston aka Holloway Road, did a fantastic job of warming up the glamorous crowd with their own brand of country-pop music.
THe support act, local duo Jack Cooper and Rob Gulston aka Holloway Road, did a fantastic job of warming up the glamorous crowd with their own brand of country-pop music.
Megan McKenna's The Story of Me UK Tour made its debut appearance at Southend's Chinnerys on Thursday night and if McKenna was aiming for a small Nashville type venue, then this pretty much fit the bill. Chinnerys is known as a venue mainly for rock, tribute and metal bands and so it was rather amusing to find that the majority of the audience on this occasion were perfectly groomed young ladies, all manicured nails, pouty lips and Louis Vuitton mobile covers.
The support act, local duo Jack Cooper and Rob Gulston aka Holloway Road, did a fantastic job of warming up the crowd with their own brand of country-pop music.
McKenna walks up to the mic on the small stage and the first thing you notice about her is just how pretty the 26 year old is and a lot more natural looking than her promo pics would have you believe. Her blonde hair is left down and wavy and she wears a loose long sleeved cream blouse sporting white feathers on the wrist which is from Zara. She is superbly supported by Matt on keys and Ben on guitar.
McKenna's past antics on reality shows such as Towie, Ex on the Beach and There's Something About Megan, which have so far highlighted her career, instantly diminish as she launches into her first song, How Many, and it is plain to see and hear that this girl's ambition to become a credible country singer is clearly attainable.
Megan has a good rapport with the audience, despite telling us that she is really nervous, but this only endears her to us more. She introduces her songs with some background information and most songs, she confesses, are usually written about boyfriend problems and breakups. That's not to say that they are all 'doom and gloom'. She confesses that she's glad that she took her mother's advice and kept a diary as this has been the basis of material for many of her songs.
She has the most gorgeous vocals that are just perfect for the country songs she writes and sings, and she has a lovely endearing vibrato. Even her Essex accent seems softer as she introduces each number. What's more is she can really sing, and sing well - why am I surprised? This girl is really good!
Having already been a visitor to Nashville, Megan has been lucky enough to get the opportunity to collaborate with Amy Wadge, Catherine McGrath and Jon Maguire who wrote Paperboy for her album. She is also a huge fan of Kasey Musgraves, and she knocks out a fantastic version of Slow Burn.
The title song of the album, The Story of Me, was a firm favourite with the crowd as was the Ariana Grande medley.
Sadly, there were a few members of the audience who seemed to be out to spoil the evening by rudely talking all the way through the set. Fortunately, Chinnerys' security were called and took care of the situation, removing them from the building, much to the delight of the audience. It certainly didn't stop Megan from continuing with a great performance, admitting that she herself 'used to be like that - but not any more!'
The last songs of the evening were Stronger, a song influenced by her grandad who sadly passed away 3 years ago, and highlighted some gorgeous vocals; I'm not usually a fan of cover versions and let's be honest, Over the Rainbow, has been done to death but Megan certainly wowed us all with her own breathtaking version.
Finishing with the popular, High Heeled Shoes, and leaving a clearly appreciative audience, McKenna more than proved that she has what it takes to become the Nashville star she yearns to be.
The tour continues with some venues already sold out. Don't miss the opportunity to see this upcoming country star.
Review: Kim Tobin
The support act, local duo Jack Cooper and Rob Gulston aka Holloway Road, did a fantastic job of warming up the crowd with their own brand of country-pop music.
McKenna walks up to the mic on the small stage and the first thing you notice about her is just how pretty the 26 year old is and a lot more natural looking than her promo pics would have you believe. Her blonde hair is left down and wavy and she wears a loose long sleeved cream blouse sporting white feathers on the wrist which is from Zara. She is superbly supported by Matt on keys and Ben on guitar.
McKenna's past antics on reality shows such as Towie, Ex on the Beach and There's Something About Megan, which have so far highlighted her career, instantly diminish as she launches into her first song, How Many, and it is plain to see and hear that this girl's ambition to become a credible country singer is clearly attainable.
Megan has a good rapport with the audience, despite telling us that she is really nervous, but this only endears her to us more. She introduces her songs with some background information and most songs, she confesses, are usually written about boyfriend problems and breakups. That's not to say that they are all 'doom and gloom'. She confesses that she's glad that she took her mother's advice and kept a diary as this has been the basis of material for many of her songs.
She has the most gorgeous vocals that are just perfect for the country songs she writes and sings, and she has a lovely endearing vibrato. Even her Essex accent seems softer as she introduces each number. What's more is she can really sing, and sing well - why am I surprised? This girl is really good!
Having already been a visitor to Nashville, Megan has been lucky enough to get the opportunity to collaborate with Amy Wadge, Catherine McGrath and Jon Maguire who wrote Paperboy for her album. She is also a huge fan of Kasey Musgraves, and she knocks out a fantastic version of Slow Burn.
The title song of the album, The Story of Me, was a firm favourite with the crowd as was the Ariana Grande medley.
Sadly, there were a few members of the audience who seemed to be out to spoil the evening by rudely talking all the way through the set. Fortunately, Chinnerys' security were called and took care of the situation, removing them from the building, much to the delight of the audience. It certainly didn't stop Megan from continuing with a great performance, admitting that she herself 'used to be like that - but not any more!'
The last songs of the evening were Stronger, a song influenced by her grandad who sadly passed away 3 years ago, and highlighted some gorgeous vocals; I'm not usually a fan of cover versions and let's be honest, Over the Rainbow, has been done to death but Megan certainly wowed us all with her own breathtaking version.
Finishing with the popular, High Heeled Shoes, and leaving a clearly appreciative audience, McKenna more than proved that she has what it takes to become the Nashville star she yearns to be.
The tour continues with some venues already sold out. Don't miss the opportunity to see this upcoming country star.
Review: Kim Tobin
In less than three years Megan McKenna has gone from a relatively unknown reality tv personality to one of the most famous young women in Britain. Her fan base has grown exponentially throughout that time with more than four million social media followers loving her combination of no nonsense honesty, true natural style and now – following her 3 number one country singles – her simply mesmerising voice. Megan is embarking on a tour of the UK at the end of this month, bringing her much loved and classic country music to fans nationwide.
Tickets available from eventbrite.co.uk
Tickets available from eventbrite.co.uk
