The name Bobby Flynn became familiar when he was on our screens for the 2006 Australian Idol. Now, in 2011, he is releasing his second album and playing live residency gigs in Melbourne throughout June. His gigs offer something warm for the Melbourne folk on a Winter's Monday at The Esplanade Hotel.

On a cold Monday night just gone, Bobby Flynn played his first residency gig. On stage, his vocals were supported by a new backup band, with Barry on the Bass, Guston on the keyboard, and a drummer. Guston said they were all 'amateurs' in comparison to Bobby. Despite this opinion, Guston also works full time producing records and working for other bands. Whilst Barry teaches sound engineering at the RMIT TAFE. They all add their expertise, which gives more life to Bobby's live performances. These June gigs are an opportunity to smooth out any bumps in their live performances.

This June residency is the first time that they have performed on the South side, with the drummer admitting that he never comes down this way. He emphasised how far away St. Kilda is from the other side of the city, which I couldn’t relate to. In reality, it's only a hop, skip and jump away from the South and North side of the city. Maybe he was referring to the bumper to bumper traffic that Punt Road generates between the two. This traffic is actually an inspiration for Bobby's track “Animal”. Anyone who has lived in Melbourne will know that this snail-pace road is something to avoid. Bobby, on the other hand, has made the most of his time in traffic by writing songs. I loved the way he sung the longer notes with the microphone further away from his mouth, and when he sung the lyrics he brought the microphone closer again. The depth and variation in his voice is something I find unique to Bobby Flynn.

Melbourne related themes also underpin the track “Urgent Summer”. I'm sure the Melbournites reading this can relate to the lack of Summer we had this year! This song is dedicated to everyone who felt like we missed out on our summer. “No Longer Fun” is also a track which was inspired by the Melbourne surrounds. There had been ubiquitous news about pub violence in the city centre around eighteen months ago, and Bobby said he was inspired to create a fun song. It had a chirpy beat, which contradicted the negative news coverage.

I stayed to watch all of his new songs, up until he mentioned that he was going to be repeating tracks he had already played. For those of you in Melbourne who are looking for a boost to your cold Monday nights, you can find Bobby Flynn at the Espy Hotel again next Monday. Or for those of you in Melbourne who would rather avoid Punt Road, Bobby Flynn has a June residency at The Empress hotel (North Fitzroy). To end, I have a short tip for those heading to St.Kilda: be careful of the parking inspectors. Only eight minutes late to my car resulted in a $66 fine. They're quick! Though after leaving Bobby Flynn's show with a smile on my face, I wasn't too phased by the fine.

The Espy Hotel (Free): Mondays - 6, 13, 20 & 27 June
The Empress Hotel ($10):  Thursdays -  2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 June