John Mitchell has spoken candidly about the deep emotional pull of performing at Dingwalls in London, describing the iconic venue as a place that reconnects him with the very essence of live music. Known for his work with It Bites, Frost*, Lonely Robot and a wide range of other projects, Mitchell views the Dingwalls performance as far more than another gig. For him, it represents a return to the kind of intimate setting where music feels immediate, human and shared rather than staged.
Mitchell explained that stepping onto a small club stage like Dingwalls instantly transports him back to his early years as a working musician, when every show demanded full presence and adaptability. In a room of that size, there’s nowhere to hide and nothing to dilute the experience. Every note, every pause and every reaction from the audience is felt in real time, creating a powerful feedback loop between performer and listener that larger venues simply can’t replicate.
He noted that smaller rooms allow musicians to truly listen to one another onstage, to respond instinctively and to let performances evolve naturally. Those early club gigs, Mitchell said, taught him lessons in spontaneity, resilience and communication that still shape the way he plays today. In his view, the kind of energy exchange that happens in a venue like Dingwalls is essential for artists at any stage of their career, no matter how big their later success becomes.
The conversation also touched on Mitchell’s broader creative philosophy. Drawing from multiple chapters of his career — including material from Lonely Robot alongside older fan favorites — he described the Dingwalls set as a way of stitching together his musical journey into a single, flowing narrative. His aim, he said, is for each performance to feel like a conversation rather than a presentation, one that shifts subtly with the mood of the room and the connection with the crowd.
While Mitchell acknowledged the excitement and scale of large tours and major productions, his comments made it clear that intimate shows hold a unique kind of magic. Without the distance created by massive stages and towering sound systems, the emotional core of the music comes to the forefront. For Mitchell, the Dingwalls gig served as a reminder of why he fell in love with performing in the first place.
Ultimately, he believes moments like these are worth cherishing — for musicians and fans alike. In spaces like Dingwalls, the heart of live music isn’t lost in spectacle. It lives in the shared air of the room, carried through every chord, every lyric and every unguarded moment between artist and audience.
