Arguably, there may be too much sex and violence on telly these days but at least shows such as The OC are stimulating the appetite of a new generation for thoughtful rock as provided by the talented Johnathan Rice.

At 22, doe-eyed Rice could even be in The OC and, judging by Tuesday's showing, his audience is largely comprised of young, analytical, literate-types.

As far as influences are concerned, Rice goes straight to the top: Dylan, Young and Mitchell.

His vocal style, though, is most reminiscent of the great Nick Drake, especially on the gorgeous The Acrobat.

Rice opened by inviting a rather reticent audience to come closer to the stage for an acoustic version of Sharpshooter's Blues.

As well as a great introduction, it was also a great sucker punch for anyone expecting a night of acoustic numbers as Rice's new band, Death Valley, hopped on to the stage and launched into some good hard rock.

Death Valley were only playing their fifth gig together as a band but it didn't matter whether their raw, garage sound was deliberate or the result of under-rehearsal. In a small venue such as Komedia, they rocked like Crazy Horse.

Mixing things up with his self-deprecating wit, Rice produced a cracking and uplifting show to raise the spirits on a blustery Tuesday night.