Perfume Genius - Islington Assembly Hall, London 27/11/14

There’s something about Michael Hadreas’ demeanour – at least when playing the character of Perfume Genius – that brings Cave instantly to mind; the way he prowls around the stage, inhabiting every word and chord in a song as bold as “Queen” as if it’s a domain over which he has total dominion; the quick changes in mannerisms required to convincingly sit down at a piano and pour his heart out for the more plaintive, solo moments such as “Learning”. One can’t help but recall old Nick.

It’s probably more to do with what Hadreas is becoming than what he currently is as a performer. Whereas in his early days, Cave seemed to overcome any anxiety he might have had about being on stage by getting royally trolleyed and throwing himself about the boards, Hadreas doesn’t seem quite as comfortable with the idea of cutting such a lavish figure just yet. While his lunges and bows – and a couple of his songs – might recall Cave, the crucial difference between the two is where on the stage they’re plying their shtick. Hadreas isn’t grabbing people’s heads and yelling his missives down the ears of the front row, a la Stagger Lee. He’s dancing alone, hypnotically, at the back of the stage, searching for a different kind of beauty that exists in the shadows.

It’s entirely self-conscious, but utterly endearing. The distance he keeps physically from the crowd is not mirrored emotionally, where he’s very close to these guys indeed. There’s a sense that this audience understand that songs from his most recent, thoroughly excellent LP Too Bright might have taken on grander arrangements in the studio than he’s able to replicate live just yet, and folks seem to will him to get through them while being struck by the brilliance with which these sparser arrangements seem to help them hit home. His three piece backing band take much of the credit here; playing at a pace so funereal that less sympathetic musicians would simply lose interest, instead they keep the whole thing balancing on a fence separating tension and glamour with expert ease.

The band have their admirers, but it’s the crowd’s love for Hadreas that’s most palpable. One gets the impression that his songs have helped much of the audience through problems similar to the ones they describe, and they're ever so grateful - though the thought of many people identifying too closely with the events detailed in a song like “Mr. Petersen” is so harrowing it’s almost too much to handle.

But things seem to be developing at quite a pace from the early days of the disturbing yet striking number. “Fool” for example gets a wonderful reception, and it's a delight to hear a song of its increased flamboyance and ever so slightly more optimistic tone strike a chord as much as any of the more downtrodden sob-alongs.

A frighteningly capable songwriter with a stage presence that will only burgeon, Hadreas writes songs that seemingly have the rare power to help people emerge from some pretty dark places. Perhaps, as more of them show up to offer their appreciation, he’ll be more comfortable singing them from under a spotlight himself.

• Photo by Burak Cingi. See the full gallery, including backstage shots, here.