AS a frontman, Graham Coxon is a fine guitarist.
The Blur stalwart, here touring his fifth solo album, is a shy character, and that certainly comes across onstage, when the pinnacle of his movement occurs when he briefly puts a cup of water on his head as a joke.
It would be unfair to focus too much on his charisma when he is clearly merely acting naturally, yet it was hard to escape the feeling that this performance might have been lifted to further heights if Coxon's presence matched his playing.
As it was, there was still many a moment to savour. Both Coxon and his five-piece backing band showed a willingness to evoke a clattering, noisy sound that most frequently suggested the Ramones going grunge, notably on a driving version of I Can't Look At Your Skin and a heavy, surprisingly sludgy rendition of Standing On My Own Again.
Those were the early highlights in a hefty performance that clocked in at just over 90 minutes. A more discerning hand could have trimmed matters, as while Coxon is a supremely talented guitarist there were a few numbers that slipped towards the dreaded jam, prompting a steady trickle of people towards the bar.
The overall noise also walked a fine line, veering between enjoyably distorted and downright muddy, particularly with Coxon's vocal, already affected by a sore throat. Yet both he and his band played with real verve at points, and when they clicked, as on the regular-set closing rumble of Ooh Yeh Yeh, it was thoroughly enjoyable. There then followed an overly lengthy encore break before his best-known hit, Freakin' Out, was rattled through, confirming the impression of an awkward yet substantial talent.
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