Mick Flannery @ NAC
Truly excellent stuff.
It was with little prior knowledge of any of the performers that I arrived at Norwich Arts Centre for a folk fuelled Friday evening.
First on was Tilly Dalglish from Bury St Edmunds. She produced a polished set filled with numerous impressive new songs and a rather good John Martyn cover on the harmonium. Her maturity as a performer certainly belied her age and I see good things ahead for her.
Up next was Pip Mountjoy. I’d heard good things and I’m pleased to say she didn’t disappoint. She has a really strong voice that shone on a track about being 9,900 miles from home which proved to be a highlight. Tracks The Killing Kind and Riverbed are quieter but were no less commanding of the crowd’s attention and got an excellent response.
Last on, and in Norwich after a St Patrick’s Day show at the Royal Albert Hall, Mick Flannery took to the stage to find what I can only imagine was a smaller crowd, half of which were sitting down! From the outset I was completely blown away by his voice. It was powerful, gravelly and soulful but delicate and quiet when needed too. The acoustic nature of this show was a perfect way to experience this man’s music for the first time.
Mid set appearances of Take It On The Chin and The Tender gained a wonderful reaction from the crowd. More than this they really emphasised the quality in Flannery’s storytelling ability and this was not limited to his songs. Throughout the set we are treated to various family and personal anecdotes all told in an affable, comedic and engaging way, which greatly enhanced the connection between artist and audience, all of which were on his side from the outset. (The fact he had had a few drinks with family beforehand certainly endeared him to the audience that bit more).
Moving between his acoustic guitar and piano the quality did not let up, renditions on the latter of Boston and Tom Waits’ Martha were outstanding and got the hairs on my neck standing on end. My personal highlight of the evening was without doubt The Small Fire, off new album By The Rule. The song positively soared and the refrain ‘I lit the small fire, ma, but I didn’t light the big one’ has stayed with me all weekend.
For a man singing predominantly about heartbreak and other sombre emotions and events, the time simply flew past such was the brilliance of his performance. In addition, in a strange way the few people sitting down actually improved the atmosphere, making the gig seem that much more relaxed and personal. It is easy sometimes to lose interest watching one man on stage with an acoustic guitar, not so with Mick Flannery. He had the crowd completely in his hands and could do no wrong, his charm, wit and above all his performance had me captivated all evening. Truly excellent stuff.
