Badly Drawn Boy makes peace with his past on a beautiful evening of redemption

This evening (26th July) a sold out Barbican features two sets, the first of which is The Hour of Bewilderbeast played in order. The second includes other highlights from his career, with a particular focus on 2002’s About A Boy soundtrack, a time when the careers of its writer Nick Hornby, star Hugh Grant, director Richard Curtis and composer Gough were collectively at their respective commercial peaks. The audience, perhaps unsurprisingly, appear to be from the age group that fell in love with his debut first time round.

The arrival of a cellist and violin player sets the scene for Bewilderbeast’s opener “The Shining” and Gough walks on stage to what feels like a welcome for a prodigal son, wearing his trademark woolly hat with a drink in his hand. With a gently picked guitar and his beautifully doleful croon, the strings accompany him through a tender reflection about the moment of falling in love.

He seems awed by the response, telling the crowd of his pride at selling out The Barbican with a touching humility. His showmanship and camaraderie with the audience, questioned after some onstage meltdowns, seem to be back. But if anything he exhibits a need to feel loved, which he most certainly is tonight. Rather than displaying a cocky swagger, he seems almost surprised at the love the songs inspire.

The evergreen “Once Around The Block” gets a rapturous response, but “This Song”, reminiscent of Neil Young’s “Helpless”, is a reminder of the weirdly wonderful short ditties on his debut.

For “Magic In The Air” he takes to the piano and delivers a wonderful balance of Billy Joel and Rufus Wainwright in his storytelling and cheekily adds the chorus of Taja Sevelle’s “Love Is Contagious”, which he was forced to remove from the original recording.

He then walks to the side of the stage and proceeds to make his way across the front, shaking the hand of everyone in the front row, whilst a piano interlude plays in the background. When he finishes “Say It Again?” there’s a standing ovation. But as the band leave the stage breaks into “Epitaph” a capella, accompanied by birdsong. Its fitting line “As new fruit fills the trees” is an indication of where he wants to go, rather than resting on his laurels, this tour is about reconnection with his muse and audience.

He introduces the second set with "Bewilderbeast is fifteen years old and I just wanted to thank people who took it to their hearts. I’ve had a quiet few years but it seemed like a good time to reintroduce myself". About A Boy's “A Minor Incident” follows, which sees Gough perform solo with just an acoustic guitar. His skill as a balladeer reminds you of why he was talked up as the UK’s take on Beck.

He dedicates a B-side “Golden Days” to his long term manager Jazz Summers. It feels like an intensely private moment, with the poignant chorus of "Just like the summers we’re going to have" being genuinely touching.

Before he closes with a lovely “Silent Sigh” he tells us "This is probably my favourite gig I’ve ever done in London" and a smitten couple get up from their seats and waltz at the side of the stage. The song itself is incredibly moving and ends with another standing ovation. When he starts shaking the front rows’ hands again a raft of people run to the front to join in the celebration.

There were no new songs aired tonight, but as an exercise in redemption and embracing the songs that made people fall in love with him in the first place Damion Gough looked enraptured with music all over again himself. If he can bottle the joy of this evening, his renaissance will surely come to fruition.