Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch, is a musician, producer and the man responsible for one of my favourite labels Lost Map, who have released albums by, amongst others, Firestations, Alexia Avina, Rozi Plain Fell and Blind Yeo. This was a solo show and my first time in the bowels of the Bristol Beacon at the Weston stage which, far from being a dank basement, was a welcoming space with low, warm-brick arches and a modern stainless-steel bar. It’s a tough ask getting people out on a Monday night and though it wasn’t packed it’s fair to say that the people who turned out were huge Pictish Trail fans so there was a lot of love in the room including huge fan (and hugely lovely) Deborah who my partner and I chatted to before the show and had travelled up from Dorset for the show.
There is a belief that no matter what you do to a song in terms of adding multiple layers, monster production, kitchen sink and all; that you should be able to strip a song back to voice and guitar it should still sound amazing, and Pictish Trail is an exemplar of this. Take for example ‘Melody Something’, it sounds epic with or without a band and probably would with a paper and comb. I wholeheartedly encourage readers to take a wander through the ethereal and bucolic, driftwood and dance of PT’s recorded output but to this audience experiencing being in the same room as Johnny Lynch his solo set is perfect.
Tonight’s show was a ‘Goldilocks’ gig: the sweet spot between venue, sound, audience and performer which all coalesce into a contented whole. It started with two unreleased tracks, ‘Infinity Ooze’ and ‘Life Slime’, and then featured a selection of songs from Thumb World, Island Family, Follow Footsteps and Future Echoes (full set list below). Over the evening Johnny brought in more electronics from his mini-Cape Canaveral set up and was able to turn on a penny from acoustic to rave. But whether it was folk or electronic his voice was pure gold, able to lilt and soothe or scale the mountain and soar far above.
Having watched so many bands embarrass themselves by allowing huge gaps between songs while they tune up, ignore the audience, or stumble through ill thought out ‘banter’, it’s great when someone has that innate skill that allows them to be a singer, musician and stand-up comedian. Stage craft is an underrated skill and Johnny Lynch is a consummate raconteur. He even turned taking a sip of beer into a recurring opportunity for the audience to clap wildly to cover up the liquid-refuelling-lull, and the story about the annual bonfire on the Isle of Eigg where he lives must be heard to be believed. In the midst of the bonkers moments – such as the funny and terrifying preamble to ‘Heart Eyes’ and the broodingly feverish ‘It Came Back’ – there are moments of true beauty such as ‘Island Family’ which I think is a classic in anyone’s songbook, and one of Pictish Trail’s most timelessly lush tracks.
In the absence of live clips from the show I have included a couple of album versions of tracks from the show, but whether you see Pictish Trail with a full band or solo, you are in for a treat. Why not also dive into the Lost Map catalogue (I am a Postmap Member) and join me in celebrating the man from a small island with a big heart.
Pictish Trail: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube
Set List:
Infinity Ooze (unreleased)
Life Slime (unrealesed)
Double Sided
Dead Connection
Melody Something
Slow Memories
Words Fail Me Now
Island Family
Thistle
In The Land Of The Dead
(The Bear With) Heart Eyes
It Came Back
Far Gone (Don’t Leave)
Encore: Easy With Either
Review by Paul F Cook
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