Resisting the temptation to shout "Trisha Goddard", I, like the rest of the (almost exclusively male) fans, played along with Ranking’s questions, nodded in time and gave into the buzz of anticipation. Taking to the stage with a wry smile and a rather dashing white silky waistcoat, Roots immediately won me over with his humour and lack of posturing.ÌýHe was self-mocking and disarmingly friendly from start to finish and set the tone for an evening of wicked sounds free of pretension.ÌýThis was simply going to be a great gig by a talented charmer, no hassle. His set moved easily through older tracks from Run Come Save Me and Brand New Second Hand and new rhythms from the latest album Awfully Deep and kept its pace throughout.ÌýThe gig did, however, build to a frenzied end as Roots dropped phatter and phatter beats and grooves.Ìý The space invaders style light show that form the stage’s backdrop added a cool visual to the 80's electronic vibe that featured in several tracks.ÌýOther highlights that exploded as the show developed included a killer version of Rebel Heart with DJ MK burning up his decks with unbelievably fast scratching.ÌýThe obligatory Dreamy Days tune came towards the end, with Roots coaching his crowd for their la la las.Ìý The only low point was that, at times, the low buzz of the bass meant that melodic features such as samples and flute passages that really make Roots rap distinctive were lost in the overall sound.ÌýNevertheless, this was a minor flaw in what was a major success. | 
