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Nadine Somers began her musical career when she was just six years old playing keyboards in London clubs. By her early teens she had started singing Country songs mainly at comedy clubs working on stage alongside comedy legends including Ted Rogers, Paul Melba, Dave Evans (Lee Evans’ dad) and Bobby Davro and entertaining theatre audiences as part of the Ted Rogers Show. She eventually became a dance music session singer and was signed to Pete Waterman’s record label and she had two hit singles as a member of the dance band Marradona.
At the age of 24 it was time for a shift in direction. Nadine became a Country singer and by late 1994 she was working in a trio as the house Country band at the Heathrow Sheraton Hotel where she had a residency working three nights a week. The other members of the band were Rob Childs and Glen Mitchell who had just left his own short lived Troubleshooters band.
At this time, Glen Mitchell was about to embark on a career in Nashville so his place in the trio was taken by Geoff Hall on bass. Geoff Hall was soon replaced by Bob Keeley and for three years the band did very well winning numerous awards. They split in late 2000 when Nadine wanted to start a family and Rob Childs and Bob Keeley carried on as Vegas duo until 2008. Bob then quit the duo to pursue a solo career and he was replaced by Andy Saphir.  In 2009 Nadine rejoined Rob, replacing Andy Saphir and Vegas became Lass Vegas but she also took solo bookings as well. 
In 2011 Nadine was voted female vocalist of the year and she started working in France with a French backing band called The Jackson McKay Band. It eventually proved difficult to juggle work with bringing up a family and running her own beauty business and Nadine was eventually replaced by Maria Saunders in Lass Vegas.  After returning from France after seven years Nadine resumed regular live gigging in 2018 as a soloist but she also did occasional duo gigs with both Rob Childs and Bob Keeley and the three of them still perform together occasionally as the Nadine Somers Band.
On arrival at the Country Revival on 26th April, Nadine told me that she was coming down with something and was having trouble singing. She had considered cancelling but not wanting to let the club down at very short notice she decided to do her best. Her soundcheck sounded fine and when she opened her first set with The Judds rendition of Don’t Be Cruel and Tim McGraw’s I Like It I Love It I couldn’t hear that anything was wrong.  In my view Nadine Somers is one of our best lady singers and what stands her apart from many others is that she entertains rather than just singing and playing an instrument. Although she plays a guitar some of the time, a wireless mic allows her to ditch the guitar and move about the stage at will which is visually very entertaining. I asked her about this and she said “I really can’t keep still”. This enthusiasm and a bubbly personality quickly rubbed off on everyone and Nadine had little problem keeping the dancers on their toes with a well chosen programme mixing old and new and fast and slow which ensured both dancers and listeners were treated to an evening of British Country music at its best.
Next we heard Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) followed by another from The Judds, Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days) followed by Lee Brice’s Cry. There are a lot of good female singers emerging from the States in recent years.  Kaylee Rose is a new name on the scene. She was a contestant on American Idol when she was 14 and is becoming very popular. Nadine sung her current single Going Blonde. You’ll get a chance to see Kaylee at the Buckle & Boots festival in Stockport on 23rd May.  A few more club favourites in the first set included The Lennerockers’ High Class Lady, George Jones’ Billy B. Bad, Randy Travis’ Where That Came From and Vince Gill’s What The Cowgirls Do.
During the break I asked Nadine how her voice was holding out and she told me that singing had helped it a lot and it really was ‘business as usual’ now. Don William’s First Fool In Line, Jill King’s ever popular Can’t Let Go and Brooks & Dunn’s Whiskey Under the Bridge opened the second set. A lot of people, including some members of the Country Revival saw Brooks & Dunn recently at C2C. Many said they were as good as ever and a fitting headlining act on the Sunday. A few that I spoke to preferred one new name and in particular Drake Milligan was mentioned. I wasn’t there so I won’t comment, back to Nadine.
A lady singer always ensures a good helping of ladies songs which tonight included Enrique Iglesias, Miranda Lambert’s Space in My Heart, Ella Langley and Riley Green’s You Look Like You Love Me and Kaylee Bell’s Cowboy Up. There has to be at least one song from Dolly which tonight was Islands In the Stream then the very popular Trailblazer by Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson. A few more from the middle set included Randy Travis’ Forever and Ever, Amen, Josiah Siska’s 3 Tequila Floor, BR5-49’s Seven Nights To Rock and to close the set George Strait’s I Just Want To Dance With You.
William Michael Morgan’s In Walked You and Cody Johnson’s ‘Til You Can’t opened the final set then one I had requested, Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas. Nadine said she had the track but she had never sung it before. It’s a song I really like and she certainly did it justice. There were a lot of requests throughout the evening and I think she was able to get them all in. Luke Combs’ The Kind Of Love We Make followed.  There was a lot of humorous banter throughout the evening. Nadine was clearly having fun and her enthusiasm quickly rubbed off on everyone ensuring we all had a good time as well. After Racey’s Some Girls and Faith Hill’s That’s Alright Mama, Jo Dee Messina’s Heads Carolina, Tails California meant it was time for a barn dance. She finished the evening with a couple more girls’ songs, Lacy J. Dalton’s Black Coffee and Reba McEntire’s Why Haven’t I Heard From You.
Considering Nadine was considering cancelling as she was losing her voice, it was a great evening of country music that brought warm applause. 
See my phone video below.