In July this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist was announced, and alongside big hitters like Elbow and eventual winner PJ Harvey was nestled a quiet gem of an album. Ghostpoet’s 'Peanut Butter and Melancholy Jams' is an ambient and beautifully arranged rap record from a young man whose music portrays him as a reclusive and shy chap. So its inclusion on the list was always going to garner it more attention than it would have maybe received otherwise. And as I make my way down the stairs to the familiar basement set-up of the Captain’s Rest, the room is bursting at the seams with a sold- out crowd.

Any preconceptions I had about a sparse audience (glasses and beards being tentatively scratched by a thoughtful hand accompanied by a subtle head nod and a single mysterious performer hunched behind his laptop weaving through his songs about struggling with daily life and isolation) are quickly shattered as I hear the clatter of loud drums on my way in. The man himself stands front and centre waving his hands with the swell of people that really shouldn’t be able to fit in such a small space. A live drummer and guitarist are now a part of the show, giving his songs new life. Recent single ‘Survive It’, with its singalong chorus and chilled-out rhythm, suddenly becomes a dance number that sets the room on fire. He even finds time to give a new song one of its first outings and it's greeted as rapturously as the rest of the set.

The frontman appears to have completely transcended that wallflower image his album suggests and is now in complete control of everyone in the room, encouraging them to throw their hands up and jump whenever he feels so inclined. For a compact venue like The Captain’s Rest, the show's ecstatic atmosphere is not something I usually experience. His star is only likely to rise; this is the beginning of what will become an even more amazing live show as Ghostpoet’s new material is able to accommodate bigger bands and expensive setups.

But that’s all in the future and right now all that matters is right here in this room. As the gig draws to a close with the song ‘Cash and Carry Me Home’ the line “I’ve had a couple drinks, well a little bit” resonates with the Scottish crowd and turns this into a real party. After the last notes fade out, Ghostpoet is cool enough to stick around for conversations about equipment and anything else that comes up.

“FUCK PJ HARVEY!” shouts a reveller midway through the show, and no disrespect to miss Harvey intended but after tonight it’s hard to argue.