Being gangly and bespectacled has its benefits at times, as evidenced by a trip to The Sebright Arms to hear a returning-from-hiatus Hobo Johnson.
It makes top shelf food shopping a breeze and, in the case of attending an underground pub gig on a sold-out tour, creates a personal moment out of an intimate, sweaty experience in a basement.
"Thanks for coming, even those dragged here by their girlfriends, like the tall guy in back," he says.
It can only mean one thing – the tall northerner, lingering in a sea of five foot something Londoners, has been pointed out by a man whose best track talks of cockroaches and warfare.
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A bond was made, between cider-filled journalist and Johnson, real name Frank Lopes Jr., whose musical hiatus comes to a close, and not before time.
Trickling out new material is always a treat for those attending, and Hobo Johnson does not disappoint with a period of spoken poetry and the occasional mention of hedgehogs.
He and the crowd christen the spiny mammals as the national animal of England, and who can disagree with the charismatic man himself?
Hobo Johnson darts through those spoken word bits and pieces, referencing sexuality, intimacy and relationships in the heartbreaking-yet-humorous way he has maintained over his albums so far.
The real treats are in those new tracks though, which blend the spoken-word fury of a person out of step with the technology-clad lives we now lead, as The Metaverse showcases.
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Filling his "contractual obligation", or at least it feels it, with hit closer Peach Scone (joined by excellent opening act Bonelang), there is a sense of spontaneity and real, uncoupled immediacy to Hobo Johnson's set.
With a comfortable stage presence and a genuine sincerity to his words, his work and his wild ideas, the conversational tone takes hold and makes for a delicate evening.
Sweating away there in the basement, knocking back any liquid which has ice in it, is a wonderful way to experience the return of Hobo Johnson.
Adapting the saxophones, synths and volatility of his album work to the stage, armed only with a microphone and a handful of water bottles, Hobo Johnson is an experience of real joy and works his way through a crowd-pleasing set.
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