Fresh from an exhilarating sold-out show at Whelan’s in Dublin and a double award-winning appearance at the 2021 RTÉ Folk Awards, John Francis Flynn today announces his first solo show at Vicar Street, Dublin alongside extensive UK tour dates.
The newly crowned “Best Singer” and “Best Emerging Artist” at the RTÉ Folk Awards is set to play at the historic Vicar Street venue on May 1st. As John Francis Flynn continues to gather rave reviews at home and abroad this will surely be a show not to be missed. The recent Whelan’s show saw Flynn and band expand upon the critically acclaimed debut “I Would Not Live Always” with lush, expansive soundscapes and pulsating versions of fan favourites “My Son Tim” and “Lovely Joan”.
John Francis Flynn is a singer and multi-instrumentalist whose work centres around traditional and folk material from Ireland. He is a founding member of the band, Skipper’s Alley, with whom he has toured extensively throughout Europe and America. While supporting Lankum on their 2019 UK tour he caught the eye of Geoff Travis and Jeanette Lee who quickly signed John to Rough Trade imprint label, River Lea.
John was our Artist of the Month back in August when his debut “I Would Not Live Always” was described as bracing, unpredictable and without a doubt one of the most deeply affecting folk debuts of recent years.
As well as reviewing his album, David Weir also interviewed the man in which he asked him about the success of his fellow singers such as Lankum and Ye Vagabond…this was of course before he had his day at the recent RTÉ Folk Awards.
“It was a very underground thing, not that we were thinking that it was as such. Traditional Irish folk music hasn’t been mainstream in Ireland for a long time. I’d always played it, but when I started playing songs it was encouraging to find other musicians that weren’t necessarily from a trad background singing songs as well. Many bands started out of that. But I don’t know how far we actually thought that would take us. We weren’t setting up bands to take over the world or anything like that. We didn’t think many people would be interested; we were just doing it for the craic. I suppose when people started really taking notice of Lankum that opened the doors for everyone else to say, ‘actually maybe this is a goer, perhaps we can do something here.’”
“his solo flight swoops and soars with the confidence” The Irish Times
“Folk Album of the Year” Mojo Magazine ****
“Human experience burns ferociously on this extraordinary debut from the uncompromising Irish artist John Francis Flynn. An extraordinary debut” The Guardian ****
John Francis Flynn – Tour Dates
Wed, Jan 26th – Folklore, Brighton
Thurs, Jan 27th – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Fri, Jan 28th – King’s Place, London
Sat, Jan 29th – The Phoenix, Exeter
Sun, Jan 30th – Rough Trade, Bristol
Tues, Feb 1st – Fusion Arts, Oxford
Wed, Feb 2nd – The Adelphi Club, Hull
Thurs, Feb 3rd – Yellow Arch, Sheffield
Fri, Feb 4th – Celtic Connections – Glad Café, Glasgow
Sun, Feb 6th – The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
Mon, Feb 7th – The Crescent, York
Wed, Feb 9th – Castle, Manchester
Thurs, Feb 10th – Venn Street Social, Huddersfield
Fri, Feb 11th – Leaf, Liverpool
Sat, Feb 12th – St Mary’s, Chester
Sun, May 1st – Vicar Street, Dublin
Follow John Francis Flynn: Facebook | Twitter
Photo Credit: John Lyons