Adam Green @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 23 January

It’s mildly disappointing to find that, in the four years since this writer first saw him play, the phrase ‘man chest hair’ still forms the crux of Adam Green’s local stage banter. That night, he was – perhaps slightly incongruously – opening for The Cribs at the Apollo; this evening, he plays an impressively packed Deaf Institute totally acoustic.

As he arrives onstage dressed as a sailor in the early stages of transition to pirate – Seinfeld-esque puffy shirt present and correct – there at least appears to be some structure to the opening stages of the show, with Green, accompanied by Moldy Peaches back-up man Toby Goodshank on guitar, breezing through a selection of old solo material, Bluebirds and Pay the Toll included.

The set is punctuated by Green’s endearingly awkward interactions with the audience, to the point that the gig’s second half is largely made up of requests from the crowd. To his credit, Green leaves nothing off-limits here, knocking out an a cappella version of Boss Inside “because I can’t remember the guitar part,” and even answering a widely booed question about his film projects.

Last year’s date at the Ruby Lounge with Binki Shapiro saw the sheer energy of Green’s solo material put his partner firmly in the shade; even without a backing band tonight, he brims with an irresistible charisma that ensures the show’s ramshackle nature is a positive thing. It might not have been the most convincing vehicle for his songwriting, but this acoustic tour perhaps proves that Adam Green is a performer first and a musician second. [Joe Goggins]