Euros Childs’ weapon of choice, with which he totally disarms, is the electric piano – an instrument that dominates his sound and songs’ structures tonight. The former Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci singer delivers a wonky, often melancholic music so deftly that by the close of his hour-long set the audience leave 110% endeared.

Childs is a manchild whose body seems perpetually surprised at the melodies its head creates, jolting and jerking around as he hits the keys before him. Opening with three numbers from new album ‘Summer Special’, it initially seems the gig will be a celebration of summer – opener ‘That’s Better’ in particular seems crafted from vitamin D and Roxy Music off-cuts.

But other tones soon emerge. ‘Parents Place’, from 2011’s ‘Ends’, is a woozy drowse, and ‘Cavendish Hall’ (from the same album) is a pure romp. Between-song banter is comical too: “This is about a man who spies on couples having sex on beaches”, he offers by way of explanation at one point, later advising, “This one’s about a bearded female locksmith, from 1790, I think it was”.

He closes proceedings with ‘First Time I Saw You’ from 2006’s ‘Chops’, a pulsating climax that can’t ever get loud enough in our opinion. Throbbing yet ornate, it’s the longest song of the night at well over ten minutes, and draws the already enraptured audience into a trance. Tonight they witnessed a peerless craftsmen to whom melody comes naturally. The unassuming Welsh wonder then left the stage to sell his merch from a suitcase, but he may well have packed away a little piece of all of our hearts into it afterwards. A sweetener on so many levels.

Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Monday 3rd September 2012
Words by Jake Kennedy
Photos by Mr A the Photographer