Whatever about his skills as a performer, Ryan Adams has great potential as a critic. Why?

Because tonight even he thinks this gig sucks. The North Carolina man who has won the hearts of many with his two glorious solo albums, is spending most of the evening apologising for his patchy show and wishing he could depart the stage. He looks world-weary and worn. His shock of black hair is worn permanently across his face; light spills onto his guitar, but he himself remains in semi-darkness. Most of the time, he seems completely unable to put the requisite effort into his songs. Comic interludes dominate – at one point, even the heckler gets his own round of applause.

The songs themselves are hampered by poor arrangements. There is no proper backing band present tonight; instead Adams has drafted in some friends to occasionally fill out the sound with strings, guitar and backing vocals. Frequently, you wish that he hadn’t. Although all on stage are gifted musicians, together they seem under-rehearsed and ill-prepared, between them managing to elide the power of beautiful songs such as ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’.