Musician plays a sold out London show ahead of the release of his debut album Attractions Of Youth.

Barns Courtney has broken his foot. This fact needs pointing out early, as it will inevitably make the nature of his performance all the more impressive.

He hobbles on to the stage with his crutches, before defiantly tossing them aside – because who needs them? They’d only get in the way. He proceeds to conduct the entire performance on one leg.

Barns’ dynamism is such that his hopping-centric stage presence seems completely natural. And the performance is slick. Despite jumping about the stage, in a manner that most people with their bones fully intact would find tricky, his rich vocals don’t falter for a second.

Camden Assembly is a fairly small venue. But it’s packed for Barns Courtney. Could this be something to do with his recent appearance in the video for ‘Boys’ by Charlie XCX…? Who knows. Regardless, he has the crowd hanging on his every word.

The tracks that get the biggest reaction are Fire, Glitter & Gold and his upcoming single Golden Dandelions. His slower numbers stop the audience and create a total juxtaposition to the hard-hitting, fast-paced rock songs.

All in all, the set is pretty flawless. Courtney moves between songs effortlessly, and is clearly a master in the practice of ‘leaving the audience wanting more’. His finale bursts with energy, and his exit is incredibly abrupt – meaning that the crowd stuck around for at least another 10 minutes hoping for an encore.

Barns Courtney already has a solid fan base, but I see no reason for it not to continue growing after this quality performance.

Photos: Hannah Ellison