James Blake @ Nice N Sleazy, 27th March

I’ve encountered many types of audience in my history of gigging; middle-aged women off their tits on Lambrini, drug-addled lager-louts mosh-pitting to Calvin Harris and even a group of teenage girls who tried to beat me up. (Coldplay fans are surprisingly violent.) But none of these compare to my most recent run in with the socially ignorant, the aging hipsters at James Blake.

At a vaguely exclusive gig for the second biggest thing in music at the moment (screw you Jessie J) we wait for this hotly tipped musician to appear. The dingy atmosphere and surprisingly cheap tickets to this low-key evening at Nice N Sleazy have attracted the kind of person who is in their mid-thirties, seems to know every other aging imbecile in this cave and has no real interest in ethereal electronica or anything that isn’t their oversized camera.

Barely registering Blake gracing the questionably low stage, the set begins with the opening track from the pianist-come-vocalist-come-dubstep-producer’s debut album, “Unluck”. Blake’s style has firmly routed itself in its harsh, haunting tones and formless, weaving sounds. Mixing synths with voice modulators and electronic drumbeats, Blake quietly evokes a surreal, moving and genuine performance from his corner of the stage.

Despite this, Blake’s presence often felt questionable throughout the performance. Hindered by the fact that only about one sixth of the audience could actually see him at any one time, venues typically have raised stages for a reason, Blake’s low-key persona was obscured for a large portion of the gig. At times you could have been forgiven for thinking you were interrupting a private set in Blake’s bedroom, as the hazy, dream-like chords unfolded to reveal a rare glimpse of the singer sipping a cup of tea in the kind of pyjama-attire you’d wear around the house.

With Blake’s entire sound so heavily dependant on the distortion of his character, layering and layering his voice in the song “I Never Learnt To Share” or swigging electronic helium to perform “Lindsfarne”, the performance could have been strengthened by a more direct and engaging front man, especially with the Nice N Sleazy clientele who seeming more interested in talking than actually listening.

Blake did show promise with his final number, “The Wilhelm Scream”, which revealed a glimmer of emotional connection that can only grow with the arrival of bigger audiences who vaguely give a fuck. While his future may be uncertain, be sure that Blake has both the talent and creativity to ensure a career that is set to grow. Be a super-cool, early adopter of this guy; before your Dad discovers him and ruins it for everyone.