CAM // The Slow Down Tour // Niamh McCrystal // Live Review // The Limelight // Belfast
So, tonight I am catching a lady I didn’t think I would ever see live, the one and only CAM!! I stumbled across CAM a few years back whilst driving home one late night, and the opening bars of ‘Diane’ stopped me in my tracks. The vocal harmonies simply floored me. From there, I went down a CAM rabbit hole, being introduced to 2015’S “Untamed” and 2020’s “The Otherside”, where I found some glorious tunes and a love and respect for this lady like no other. So tonight is a real pleasure for me, hearing some of her majestic tunes live in the flesh, in my hometown, is something pretty special indeed.
In support, we have local lass Niamh McCrystal. I have not yet had the pleasure of hearing Niamh live, so I am looking forward to discovering new local talent flying the flag for all things country here in Northern Ireland. Now, CAM did not bring the weather, alas we have been under cloud for the last six weeks or so, I am sick to the teeth with the rain and in need of a cheering up so this gig will be very welcome, but I do feel for the lady landing in Belfast in this dreary weather, it really is a beautiful piece of the wolrd when the sun is shining. I will have to make my way from the sticks into the big smoke tonight through roads saturated with water. Here’s hoping there is no drama on the way in.
As it is, the traffic was great, the drama was avoided, and I arrived at 7:15, with a queue still outside the door. I grabbed my press pass and headed on in. Niamh walks out on stage at 7:20 on the dot looking a million dollars as she breaks into her first tune, and I find myself nervous for her, not knowing the artist I hope and pray she’s got what it takes and I need not fear at all, by the end of the first line you can tell she is dripping in quality, both in vocal quality and tone as she carries our beautiful runs across her note choices like it’s water off a ducks back!
Her second track is the upcoming single from her new EP, ‘Happy Anniversary Babe’, a beautiful, delicate number that mesmerises from start to finish. After an Olivia Dean cover, she invites her brother up on stage to play the piano, and you can’t help but feel how proud her father must be in the crowd this evening, with his two children up on stage, captivating the Belfast crowd and providing support to one of America’s finest country artists. Niamh is a star on the rise for sure. I can’t wait to see how her trajectory takes shape in the years to come. A stunning set for an artist who claims she only started writing music two years ago, wow! Loved every second of that, and I genuinely hope to cross paths with Niamh on a stage again soon.
A short breather and at the advertised time of 8:10 pm, CAM’s guitarist walks out onto the stage and plays a subtle Jazz-influenced run of notes and chords before CAM and her band join her, huddled around a microphone. At this point, you know you are in for something pretty special, and I was right: all four band members break into vocal harmony for ‘Slow Down’ that makes your hair stand up on the back of your neck. Right there, right then, you knew you not in Kansas anymore! This is followed by ‘Turns Out That I Am God’ and I must say at this point that when I heard CAM was coming out with a new album, I was tres excited to say the least, er last two albums were amongst my favourite contemporary country albums of recent years. But when I first listened to ‘All Things Light’, I struggled a little as it felt like such a deviation from her earlier work, but hearing it live, hearing CAM talk about the stories behind her thought process, her pain, passion and struggles post pardom, post covid as she said it all made sense, as then band worked through the various tracks off the new album she spoke of the rollercoaster of emotion this setlist would take us on but she guaranteed we would be dancing by the end, and the initial first part of the set dedicated to her new album was a juxtoposition against her earlier work but live, you get to expereince the art behind the pain, the blood sweat and tears poured into this album comes to life as the band weave this sonic tapestry that mesmerises everyone in the room. Hearing her voice live is a thing of beauty. Her tone, vocal technique and control are glorious, and the stripped back feel of the band with CAM, keys, drums, and a single guitar player who all restrain themselves throughout to allow the music to breathe is just a thing of beauty.
It was maybe forty-five minutes into the set before she let loose and introduced music from her first album, and then a few classics came our way, for me three tunes I needed to hear tonight were all wrapped up in the finale to the show, ‘Mayday’ a song that actually came ot me via Home Free going down that CAM rabbit hole over lockdown from memory, ‘Diane’ oh lawdy,lawdy what a tue and live it was amazing to catch live, but for me I just had to hear ‘Burning House’ in the flesh, and it did not disappoint. This song is simply sonic perfection. There are three tracks I feel earn that title in my collection: Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me”, John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room”, and CAM’s “Burning House”, all three are just sublime and timeless.
I loved everything about this evening’s performance, from the intimate nature of the band’s approach of the band, CAM’s personal approach as she chatted with the audience in between each song, and her heartfelt outpouring of emotion as she breaks down her thought process behind each track and the journey through them and the last few years for her and her family. It is a reminder that we are all human, and regardless of stature or success, we can all go through a ton of shit sometimes, which, in itself, can provide a little comfort to know.
The band take a bow after Belfast lights up The Limelight, warbling along to ‘Burning House’, and the band exits the stage ever so briefly before closing off the set with ‘The Village’, and for real, the show comes to an end. As the lights come on in the packed room and fill out, and you can hear the discussions about setlist and favourite tracks that made their night, but for me, it was just a pleasure to watch an artist of this calibre up close and personal. I never thought I’d see this lady live, so I am a happy man indeed. This was good for the soul; it needs to be fed, and it feels full tonight, and for that I am grateful.
THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUM ALL THINGS LIGHT OUT NOW
You can still catch CAM on a few UK dates below:
February 21, 2026 – Manchester, UK – New Century Hall
February 22, 2026 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute2
February 25, 2026 – London, UK – KOKO
February 27, 2026 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg Oz
February 28, 2026 – Cologne, DE – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
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