event - ariel pink's haunted graffiti at hoxton square bar and kitchen, london

2nd november

Ariel Rosenburg has had, and probably still has difficult time playing live. His musical beginnings are far from the kind you'd expect to be workable in a live setting, having been in isolation when recording most of his output, and his solo concerts as Ariel Pink were by all accounts pretty challenging. It's no surprise then that since signing to 4AD last year with his full band Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti he's come a long way. What's interesting though is how much of his personality and his refusal to conform shine through. He's charismatic and sometimes charming but he's also awkward and at times set on making the crowd feel the same way.

Intended to be a secret fan show, tonight's show was organised at the last minute to mark the end of his European tour, and still makes heavy use of recent album Before Today. It's a blessing in disguise, as his newer songs stand up to his earlier work without relying too heavily on Ariel's instrumentals. They begin with Bright Lit Blue Skies, first performed by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, but a great example of Ariel's ability to channel the past. His voice is deep and soulful, but with enough irreverence to remind us that this isn't the real thing. It's a lot more fun than that.

After just one track he has a problem with his microphone, worried that the 'echo thing' isn't prominent enough, and has to navigate his way through the crowd to the mixing desk where he has a quiet word with the sound man. On returning, he checks to see that this echo thing is working, and happily his voice is now subject to lengthy delay in spite of

the band's tight and funky backup. They play a fair few from the new album, including a great version of Friday Night (Nevermore). His ability to write fantastic, psychedelic pop music doesn't feel like any kind of compromise from the less structured focused sounds of his bedroom experiments. It's the best of both worlds, and he seems to be having a good time, temporarily abandoning his contrarian stage persona to declare: "it's time for some French kissing". He lives up to his promise and I don't see a single boy or girl in the crowd – just previously heralded by Pink as a 'bunch of poseurs' – do anything to refuse his bizarre advances.

They close the set with lead single Round and Round, one of the year's catchiest songs, and rare among his

catalogue in that it tightens that gulf between dancey and actually danceable. A few people try their best amidst the four-part harmonies of the chorus, and when it's over the band retreat to the side of the small stage to cries for an encore. After a beer and perhaps a little bit of haunted graffiti they come back for a trio of songs that ends with For Kate I Wait, a highlight from The Doldrums. It was originally recorded on 8-track, but is unharmed by a four-piece band treatment. In fact, it's probably the best song of the night.