With a tour schedule taking in an enormous list of American cities, Ed Harcourt’s brief live return to Britain satisfied his taste for the intimate venue.

The Fairtrade Gallery’s warm, candlelit confines and friendly atmosphere were perfectly conducive to extracting the best from the musicians, as proved by support act The Robot Heart, whose inventive melodies and dreamy harmonies charmed the sell-out crowd.

Taking to the stage without a setlist, Harcourt started with a few of his greatest hits.

Initially concentrating his efforts on the piano, opener This One’s For You drew enthusiastic applause, before a guitar-based rendition of the celebratory Born In The ‘70s broke a string and sidelined the instrument for much of the gig.

Harcourt also took the opportunity to play a selection of new songs.

The jaunty and buoyant Caterpillar dealt with an episode of jaundice suffered by his baby daughter, while the brooding Church Of No Religion showcased his talent for dark, enigmatic lyrics.

Best of all was The Living Are Dead, played live for the first time. Even with five strings, the guitar sounded thrillingly sinister, while Harcourt’s remarkable falsetto silenced some of the crowd’s more rowdy members.

But the night was always destined to be rather more upbeat. Requests were willingly taken, and Harcourt waded into the audience to serenade a few individuals during Until Tomorrow Then, before finishing with another of his better-known songs, the beautifully understated Shadowboxing.