Flannery set to own Ramor audience

Thomas Lyons

How can someone who is a self confessed introvert stand up on stage, hold up a diagram of his soul and say, “This is me”? Well the answer to that question will be available for all to see on June 10 when Mick Flannery brings his musical styling to the Ramor Theatre.

The Cork singer songwriter takes in the Cavan venue for one night only this Saturday and it is a journey that will transport audience members with his musical prowess and just a little bit of Blarney banter.
At last weekend's show in Longford's Backstage Theatre Flannery told fans that he was a little more nervous than normal as he had to forgo his usual pre-stage ritual of downing “a couple of pints” to navigate his stage fright.
Neither the antibiotics that inhibited his drinking, nor the infection that they treated affected his performance as he enthralled the audience.
Flannery is one of the most self effacing, down tempo and utterly brilliant singer songwriters to ply his trade in this country at present.
He has a lot of competition in that field, but his lyrical dexterity, his soothing vocal and his musical acumen all combine to create a show that is completely engaging. In the course of his performance he accompanies each track with a little vignette of life in a small Irish town. There is a little discussion of the unique characters who populate the towns and villages of this country and that make up this incomparable island, all viewed through the kaleidoscope of his hometown of Blarney.
Works from his back catalogue of Evening Train, White Lies and Red to Blue sit along with more current offerings. He effortlessly glides from his acoustic guitar to shuffle in behind the piano, all the while drizzling his honeyed tones across the audience.
The singer's latest offering, ‘I Own You’, was released last October and draws pictures of social observation, love, loss and self discovery. The influence of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan are apparent in the performance, but it is neither slavish adherence or mimicry, more that they supply threads that run through a sophisticated embroidery.
It's not a big show, it's just clever. The Ramor outing is the latest in a series of nationwide appearances and one that anyone who enjoys soulful, sincere musical talent will enjoy. What else would you be doing on a Saturday summer evening. The show starts at 8:30pm.