Remember that haunting, piano-based song that accompanied the recent VW Beetle advert? The man responsible is Matt Hales, aka Aqualung.

Record shops were swamped by demands for "that song off the car ad" and suddenly Hales found himself plucked from relative obscurity and thrust into the limelight.

Hales has now embarked on a UK tour, with the help of three other musicians, including his brother Ben. They have chosen to perform in a range of intimate and slightly bizarre venues, including a church and a theatre.

And so it was that we filed into the Duke Of York's cinema at 11.30pm for the last date of the tour.

It felt strange to be sitting in a cinema watching a band - as Hales said: "I keep thinking there's been a big mistake and you're all here to watch Cannonball Run 2."

Of course, everyone was there very much on purpose - the cinema was sold out. Hardly surprising, given the quality of the music.

Some doubt has been expressed as to whether Hales could maintain the standard of Strange And Beautiful over a number of songs, many of which were hastily written after its unexpected success. And it is true VW picked the best track from the album.

But the other material is very good, too, and there is enough of it to play a 90-minute set with no hint of filler.

Hales is an experienced songwriter (he wrote his first song aged four) who had written a symphony by the time he was 17 and went on to study music at university.

He has a great voice, too, reminiscent of Radiohead's Thom Yorke but without the angst. And there is even a sense that Hales hasn't yet lived up to his full potential.

He is planning to record another album next summer. Expect great things.