Luke Combs, the North Carolina-born megastar, walked through the crowd at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh before his show, cap pulled low with a bashful look. The stunt was less pap walk and more regular Joe dodging a flashmob on his way to work. Combs is now the highest-selling country artist of all time, but he wears his success with humility. When he finally reached his saloon-themed stage with near-70,000 screaming fans before him, he kept that unassuming presence. “Normally I’d ask how you’re feeling tonight, but I know how you’re feeling tonight,” he smiled.
Remarkable Coronation for an Artist Without a Top 10 Single
This week, Combs will perform to more than half a million fans across just seven dates in England, Scotland and Ireland. That's a remarkable coronation for an artist yet to have a Top 10 single in the UK. Not that you'd know it from the way the crowd screamed every word to his 2016 hit Hurricane, a soft-rock heartacher about running into your ex in a bar, elevated by a cinematic chorus (“moon went hidin’, stars quit shinin’”) that’s closer to early Taylor Swift than any country-bro machismo.
My Kinda Saturday Night: A Party with Pyro and Cameos
Named after recent single My Kinda Saturday Night, this short tour promised – and delivered – a party. Combs brought three opening acts, lashings of pyro, celebrity cameos, and packed almost 30 songs into two hours. It was a whole lot of show, but its biggest moments, such as the nostalgic-before-it’s-even-over Tell ’Em About Tonight, deserved more breathing room.
Sound Issues Mar Intimate Moments, but Vocals Shine
A real shame that echoing sound made it almost impossible to pick out words when Combs spoke, and muddied his more intimate songs, such as the fiddle-laced 5 Leaf Clover. But Combs has one of contemporary country’s most formidable voices, owning an almighty, torn-up roar as well as real tenderness and control. His hardest-hitting tracks powered through regardless.
Exuberant Band and Crowd-Pleasing Closer
His exuberant band brought power-stance, arena-rock swagger to Back in the Saddle and Beer Never Broke My Heart, while the glittering, tragedy-struck Where the Wild Things Are demanded a sing-along that endured as fans walked home. By storming closer Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma (from the Twisters soundtrack), Combs was crackling with energy, his arms in the air, humbleness be damned – and deservedly so. He plays Wembley Stadium, London, from 31 July to 2 August.
