Johnny Flynn
Artist: Johnny Flynn
Venue: The Brudenell, Leeds
Date: 14/02/08
Rating: * * * *
Arriving at the Adelphi after a succession of mishaps, I thought we had the wrong venue. We stumbled across a cosy upstairs room of well styled youths assembled cross legged on the floor, awaiting the arrival of Johnny Flynn who would shortly be playing. As soon as the first notes sounded I realised that this wasn’t just another guy joining the throng of wannabe musicians, this was the real thing. Sporting a red check shirt and tousled blond hair, Johnny’s quiet and unassuming spoken word transformed into a rich and mature singing voice. By the end of opener ‘The Box’, he held me spellbound.
Accompanied by backing band The Sussex Wit, Flynn sings and plays a whole host of instruments, from folk guitar and mandolin to banjo, fiddle and trumpet. There’s a dynamism in the room as he deftly switches between instruments. His 24 years belie a natural wisdom and creativity far beyond his age, yet he comes across as fresh and somehow innocent.
My review may seem laced with hyperbole but this musician warrants every ounce of it. Flynn’s indie-folk songs tell timeless stories, and after our tiresome journey to Leeds his short, but very sweet, set proved all that was needed to lift my spirits for days afterwards.
