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Daniel Berry formed his first band, the Hillbilly Cats, at the age of 12 playing a mix of R’n’R and country. It wasn’t until he was 14 that he got his first paying gig, after which he knew what his future career was going to be. The band split up when he left school but he quickly formed another band, The Stetsons, and they were soon working in local pubs and clubs. In order to further his career, he signed a management deal that took him away from country music fronting a new band called East End. Although there was plenty of work, Daniel wasn’t happy and he was soon back to country fronting a new Daniel Berry Band. As many clubs were, by now, struggling to pay for bands he decided to continue as a solo singer and hasn’t looked back since.
I first saw him in 2019 and was impressed by his energy and enthusiasm for entertaining. He has been off the circuit for three years after getting a little disillusioned with the club scene so it was good to see him back but he told me he was now more choosy and only playing at selected clubs. Clearly this includes the Best Of British where he was appearing as a change to the advertised act. Best of British is one of the longest running Kent country clubs having opened its doors for the first time in March 1982. The club has been at the Village Hall in Larkfield since June 2006. It was nice to see the club so full on the build up to Christmas. Daniel prefers traditional country and he kicked proceedings of with Toby Keith’s You Can’t Read My Mind, Rodney Crowell’s Lovin’ All Night, Marty Stuart’s Tempted and The Bellamy Brother’s Vertical Expression. 
Daniel has a friendly personality with lots of good humoured banter and a very energetic presentation – he’s always on the move. It’s almost like he has ‘ants in his pants’ his feet just can’t keep still; it was very entertaining and he had no problem creating an excellent rapport with the audience. His programme tonight was generally up tempo and well chosen to ensure the dancers stayed out of their seats. 
One of my picks of the evening came next with my all time favourite Don Gibson song from 1958, Blue Blue Day. I remember on the original recording Don was backed by Elvis’ backing band The Jordanaires. A few more classics followed including The Lennerockers’s High Class Lady, George Jones’ Billy B. Bad, and Glen Campbell’s Bonaparte’s Retreat. I was surprised to hear Dawn’s Knock Three Times. I know a line dance has been choreographed for the song but tonight it was time for a barn dance – it seemed to fit. 
Next Daniel sung Cherokee Boogie which was originally recorded by Moon Mullican in 1950 and was considered a blend of western swing, honky-tonk and hillbilly boogie. I guess it is best remembered by Johnny Horton or more recently BR5-49s but Daniel did it justice. I have always loved western swing so we had another helping next with George Strait’s All My Ex’s Live In Texas. David Nail’s Champagne Promise and The Mavericks’ Dance The Night Away brought the first set to a close.
There is always music and dancing at Best of British during the breaks usually in the capable hands of Connor but it wasn’t long before Danny Orton brought Daniel back on stage for the second set opening with Tim McGraw’s Just to See You Smile, Mike Denver’s Some Girls Will Some Girls Won’t and another excellent Toby Keith song I Wish I Didn’t Know. I first heard Toby Keith in 1993 and he quickly became one of my favourite US country singers. It was a great loss when he passed in 2024 – we definitely don’t hear enough Toby Keith these days. After Alan Jackson’s Mercury Blues we had the only Christmas song of the evening, Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas. 
Nathan Carter’s country medley or Triple Mix as it has become known followed, From A Jack To A King, Take These Chains From My Heart, Singing The Blues followed by Dwight Yoakam’s Fast As You and Brooks & Dunn’s Whiskey Under the Bridge. There were a number of requests for Lucky Lips, Daniel put his guitar down and took the mic off the stand which allowed him to move around the stage and project his personality, he’s clearly a real showman and entertainer.  More George Strait followed with You Look So Good In Love which is a nice waltz, then Mark Wills’ Places I’ve Never Been and Ray Price’s Heartaches By the Number to finish the second set. 
The third set opened with The Mavericks’  Here Comes My Baby. Daniel mentioned that The Mavericks front man Raul Marlow had passed away a few days earlier – a very sad loss. After Marty Stuart’s Don’t Be Cruel and Don Williams’ First Fool In Line it was time for some more George Strait with I Just Want to Dance with You. A few more songs that stood out in this set included Willie Nelson’s Good Hearted Woman, Leroy Van Dyke’s Walk On By and Travis Tritt’s T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
Daniel was brought up in Croydon but now lives in Tunbridge Wells so he’s a Kent boy and there must have been a contingent of his local ‘fans’ in tonight as there was a great atmosphere all evening and although Best Of British is a line dance club Daniel had no problem keeping the dance floor full from start to finish. As the evening drew to a close there was more George Strait with The Fireman, Brooks & Dunn’s Neon Moon and BR5-49’s Seven Nights to Rock. All too soon it was time for the last slow song of the evening. I nice smoocher, Buddy Holly’s True Love Ways. Daniel finished with Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars, Cadillacs with Don Gibson’s Sea of Heartbreak as an encore.
The applause was loud and well deserved as were the shouts for “more”. Daniel really did us proud tonight and I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s back at the Larkfield village hall.
See my phone video below.