This was my first visit to the Komedia’s downstairs venue since they converted upstairs to the ‘Duke’s at Komedia’ cinema and carried out renovations throughout the building. Having known and liked it previously I initially found it an unnerving experience to arrive for Ethan Johns show in what had become more like a cabaret setting: star-spangled curtains with tables and chairs laid out as if I were stepping into a mini version of the World Darts Championship at Lakeside! I half expected a ventriloquist act or comedian would emerge at any second from behind the curtains in a dickie bow tie and straw-hat, but after all this was an Ethan Johns gig and no amount of disastrous décor was going to distract from his warm, personal and intimate performance.
First I ought to mention the support act, husband and wife duo Trevor Mess & Hanna Lou, who overcame the stilted atmosphere to entertain an audience who were probably waiting for a good joke instead of a song! They started really well, opening with what was perhaps their best song of the night ‘Proud Surrender’ and later played an excellent cover of ‘Cheap Wine’ by Charlie Parr. They play charming, straight forward northern folk music with two voices and two guitars. Personally I was less enamoured with their individual voices when they seperated to sing solo songs, but when they collaborated and sang together into the same mic it created a wonderful sound. Of course every decent northern folk band has a rebel song and they were no exception, ending their set with the rousing ‘The Day The Rebel In Me Dies’ which also closes their latest album (La Ferme De Fontainaille).

Obviously it was Ethan Johns who the audience were most eagerly anticipating and the multi-instrumentalist did not disappoint playing mournful, atmospheric songs tinged with and American folk that made me forget the room entirely. As well as being a fine singer-songwriter Johns is known for his illustrious career as a record producer, mixer and engineer, having recently produced albums for Tom Jones, Laura Marling, The Vaccines and Ryan Adams: work that won him the 2012 Brit Award for Best British Producer. It’s hard not to mention his father, Glyn Johns, too, another famous record producer who has been active since the 60’s with a CV that stretches from The Who and Rolling Stones to more recent work with Band of Horses and also Ryan Adams.

Ethan Johns in person was very down to earth, displaying substantial humility both in his performance and the fantastic stories he told between songs. The two stand out tracks for me both came from his debut album ‘If Not Now Then When?’, released late last year. He performed captivating versions of the first two songs ‘Hello Sunshine’ and ‘Morning Blues’ spaced throughout the set. The biggest applause of the evening was for his version of ‘The Revelator’ and some virtuoso displays on the slide blues guitar. It was also particularly interesting to hear some stories about a new book his father Glyn is writing. Johns even responded to an audience request for the excellent ‘Whip Poor Will,’ also on his debut, and dutifully performed it. With songs and skills like these it’s only surprising Johns waited so long to release his own record. Let’s just be thankful he did.