Live Review: Ashley Campbell, Blackheath Halls, London – 8th November 2025

Some gigs quickly fade from memory, no matter how engaging the artist or clever the songs. Others dig their way into your mind and stay there for days or weeks afterwards. Ashley Campbell’s gig at the Blackheath Halls was one of these. Sharing a similar knack to Kacey Musgraves of hiding clever songs behind the sweetest melodies, her songs play and play in your mind, revealing layers upon layers.

Ashley is, of course, the daughter of the legendary Glen Campbell, a heritage she doesn’t hide from, telling stories about her life on the road with the old man. Not that she is in anyway a slave to his legacy – alongside her solo career, she also performs as a duo with her partner Thor Jensen as Jensen Campbell and is part of and has toured with the Postmodern Jukebox ensemble, reworking songs into swing or jazz arrangements. As if that wasn’t varied enough, a quick glide through her online music store reveals a slew of collaborations on songs as diverse as The Faces’ ‘It’s All Over Now’, Jimmy Webb’s glorious ‘Wichita Lineman’ and The Smiths’ ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’. Not one to be typecast or to stand still then.

The Blackheath Halls in south London are perhaps an unlikely venue for a country act, but the compère for the evening announced this as the first in a serious of planned country-themed concerts over the next few months. The acoustics certainly suit the genre, with the band’s every note crystal clear in the 160-capacity recital room.

With partner Jensen on lead guitar, and backed by stand up bass and drums, Campbell switched between electric, acoustic and banjo, the band quickly finding their groove on the first night of their tour. Mixing classic, old school country with a touch of 21^st century sass, the band rattle through a selection of tracks from her latest release, “Goodnight Nashville”,  and a few earlier songs as well; a lovely rendition of ‘The Lonely One’ followed by perhaps her best known track ‘Remembering’. Written in the midst of her dad’s struggle with Alzheimer’s, it’s an early emotional highpoint. This is contrasted with the well-received ‘POS’, written on behalf of a jilted friend with little attempt to hold back, and deservedly so.

If Campbell is very much the star of the first half of the show – effortlessly switching instruments despite the impediment of her cowgirl hat – the second half sees Jensen come more to the fore, first sharing vocals on tracks from their Jensen Campbell collaboration, and then occasionally letting rip, such as on the revved-up cover of Hank’s ‘Lovesick Blues’, cleverly providing the set with a burst of energy. The banjo instrumental ‘Little Rapids’ – originally recorded with Carl Jackson from her dad’s band, is another welcome addition, another colour to add to the evening’s mix. Without the strings and the sometimes overly polite arrangements of the records, the songs are allowed to breath and shift in more interesting dimensions. More of this please! A lovely cover of ‘Gentle on my Mind’ and a rave through ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ close the show leaving the crowd to drift off into the cold night via the obligatory merch offerings.

One of those nights that was much better than expected; gorgeous harmonies, strong songs, great playing, heartfelt lyrics and a mid-set showcase from the Welsh drummer on a washboard… what’s not to love? Looking forward to what’s next.