"It's a bit hot and cramped up here and those joss sticks aren't helping," says Conrad Lambert, aka Merz, as he clambers over a monitor to rescue his beer.

To promote his brilliant new album Moi Et Mon Camion, the singer/songwriter is touring with a new band and tonight they're crammed onto the tiny stage at the Komedia Studio Bar.

The sprawling drummer takes up half the space, leaving Conrad to dodge three guitars and squeeze past the double bass player every time he wants to fire up the keyboards.

He's attracted a healthy crowd, including former Orbital member and local lad Phil Hartnoll who worked with him on his current album for tracks Shun and Malcolm, but there should be 800 people here, not 80.

Especially considering the new album's multiple five-star reviews and The Times' music critic declaring Conrad a better songwriter than Coldplay!

So why hasn't he made it big? His voice aches with a glorious originality, roaming freely between the most delicate of pop to the gutsiest of folk, while his melodies wrap perfectly around dark electronic beats and distinctive worldly rhythms.

He is an astonishing storyteller with magical lyrics that whisper of silver moon ladders and corkscrew rainbows. Then there is his rolling peroxide quiff, oddly handsome face and lanky charm.

Like the gentle mysteries of life Merz writes about so elegantly, his lack of success is puzzling.

But despite many years on the dole and a struggling career which saw him quietly dropped by Sony, the eternal optimist tells us: "Remember the good things and they'll come back to you."

Tonight is a truly unforgettable gig. Let's hope Conrad returns to Brighton, but with a venue that allows him the space to unleash the full genius that is Merz.