IT was rather a coup for the BIC to secure a singer with the raw talent and cult status of Sixto Rodriguez for a Sunday night gig.

Now aged 71, the star and subject of the Oscar-winning film Searching for Sugar Man brought a touch of class to the stage.

More than 40 years on from his debut album the Detroit-born songsmith has lost none of his vocal power, his ‘Dylan-esque but better’ voice as clear and arresting as in his 1970s heyday.

And he was ably supported by a band whose general mastery of dynamics, without a duff note, perfectly complimented the strengths of their ageing frontman.

So it is with only a small measure of disappointment that I acknowledge Sunday’s gig among the most bizarre I have ever experienced.

Never have I seen an audience so unresponsive, maintaining a stony silence during the songs, and grudgingly deigning to allow a smatter of applause between.

It wouldn’t have been so odd if it were consistent, but as the blues rock maestro was supported back on stage for an encore after a set lasting around one hour, the viewing public suddenly discovered its appetite for good music and a lively night out and came alive.

Will Frampton