Fran Healy @ The MOD Club - Photo by Wini Lo

When frontmen and frontwomen of successful bands embark on a solo venture, it often begs the question – what will it sound like? Will it simply be the same singer, writing/singing the same kind of songs but with a different backing band?

In the case of Travis frontman Fran Healy’s solo show, he takes “solo” seriously. A quick scan of the Mod Club stage showed a lone mic stand front and centre, with two acoustic guitars further in the background. The show was simply one man, with his acoustic guitar, and his songs.

Healy, casual in jeans, a long-sleeved top and brimmed hat, was greeted warmly by evident Travis fans. With his easygoing demeanor, heartfelt voice and penchant for introducing songs with humorous backstories, it’s not difficult to see why Travis fans find Fran Healy so lovable.

He began his set performing songs from his solo album Wreckorder, occasionally consulting a folded-up set list he kept tucked in his back pocket – a set list, he informed the audience, that was created with consultation from his four-year old son, Clay, who was actually in the audience. Four-year-old Clay, throughout his father’s set, became the cutest and possibly youngest “heckler” ever – requesting a song about teddy bears, insisting Healy “keep singing!” when he paused to tell a story, and asking how many songs were left in the set. A chorus of “Aww’s” and smiles appeared on the faces of everyone in the crowd every time Clay had a comment or question for his father.

About halfway through his set, Healy asked the crowd for requests of Travis songs. The audience erupted in gleeful and enthusiastic shouting of Travis song titles and thus began the sing-along portion of the night. Covering Joni Mitchell’s “River” (Travis recorded their own version as a b-side), Healy also performed a cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” which may have elicited the loudest sing-along of the entire night (Travis also recorded a slower, moody version of Spears’ pop hit as a b-side). Travis favourites “Driftwood,” “Selfish Jean,” and “The Cage” (among others) were performed, with Healy sometimes forgetting lyrics and chords, but the audience never minded one bit.