It's not just music Gruff Rhys has been recognised for recently.
The erstwhile Super Furry Animals singer's American Interior project has picked up some literary awards nominations, so it was fitting that this solo, all-seated show followed an esoteric path too, blending music, comedy and a Powerpoint presentation.
The topic, and musical fuel, is the tale of Welsh explorer John Evans and his journey to America attempting to track down a group of Welsh-speaking Native Americans, a trip Rhys recently recreated, alongside a puppet version of what he imagined Evans looked like.
Said puppet was then placed onstage, and while an opening, lengthy video detailing the background of Rhys quest was somewhat akin to being back in school, what followed was a freewheeling, entertaining journey. Rhys's chat managed to skim through the details in witty fashion ("there's the Turin Shroud of the John Evans puppet," he quipped, referring to early artwork), and mostly kept the audience intrigued enough to stay attentive.
The musical side held up well, displaying Rhys melodic talent throughout, while weaving in a handful of older tracks too. That meant the rich If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme) and a swampy, stomping The Court of King Arthur nestled alongside the deft touches of The Last Conquistador.
Admittedly, the evening's format sometimes caused momentum to slow down a bit, and there were scrappy moments where the tunes didn't match their recorded versions, including a wobbly Lost Tribes.
Yet despite odd bumps along the way, including his iPad battery running low, there was charm in abundance, and the magnificent 100 Unread Messages brimmed with character. Just like both Evans and Rhys himself.
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