Razorlight gig hit by technical issues

By Sarah Jane Griffiths
Newsbeat music reporter

Johnny Borrell abandoned the microphone at Sunday night's Little Noise Session for Mencap, as the band were plagued with technical issues.

Johnny Borell still tried to entertain the crowd, despite the issues

He set about overcoming technical difficulties like only Johnny Borrell can, strumming his guitar down the aisles of the Union Chapel in North London, climbing up onto speakers and standing on pews amongst the crowd.

It had all started so well. After a captivating performance from Florence And The Machine, the Razorlight frontman appeared, with a random copy of the News of the World under his arm.

"Alright?" he asked the crowd before taking a seat at the piano for a shiver-inducing version of Wire to Wire, their current single from new album Slipaway Fires.

Dressed in a black velvet jacket and trademark so-tight-they-must-hurt black jeans Johnny moved to his place at the front of the stage.

Florence And The Machine supported Razorlight

But there was a problem - the band couldn't hear themselves in their earpieces, and despite much discussion they could not decide on a plan of action.

"Why don't we just try enjoying ourselves?" suggested drummer Andy Burrows into the microphone as Johnny paced the stage.

So after taking five minutes for a quick team meeting, that's exactly what Johnny did.

He bounded onto the stage, unplugging his guitar and taking to the floor for an acoustic, microphone-free version of Before I Fall To Pieces.

The crowd were starting to really have fun by this point, clapping along and cheering Johnny on.

"What next?" he pondered, forgetting the playlist before launching into an unusually quiet version of the band's hit Golden Touch. Cue mass singalong.

"Let's get the rest of the band back on!" shouted Johnny to whoops from the crowd.

Razorlight's November tour dates Exeter University - 10 Bristol Academy - 11 London Brixton Academy -13 Portsmouth Guildhall - 14 Edinburgh Corn Exchange - 16 Leeds Academy - 17 Glasgow Barrowlands - 18 Manchester Apollo - 20 Cambridge Corn Exchange - 21 Lincoln Engine Shed - 23 Wolverhampton Civic - 24

Sadly drummer Andy was in the toilet but made it back in a matter of seconds for the third verse of the band's big single.

It was up onto a stack of speakers for In The City before Johnny reintroduced the microphone for Don't Go Back To Dalston - telling the crowd: "I grew up just round here - and I wrote a song about it."

Next he jumped into the audience, strolling back down the aisles with the mic, before stealing a big, extravagant necklace off a young lady in the front row.

She didn't seem to mind - even when Johnny later discarded it on top of the piano.

A few more technical hitches, and someone from the crowd suggested kicking the speakers.

"Thanks. I'll try that," said Johnny.

It didn't work, but they carried on for one more track anyway.

"I just thought it was amazing," 32-year-old Colin Bannam from London told us outside.

"I thought Johnny Borrell was a bit up himself but he was brilliant tonight. He was one of the people, one of the crowd. He was one of us tonight."

Not a bad warm up considering the band's own tour kicks off in Exeter on Monday night.