Review: Ron Sexsmith, at Town Hall, Birmingham

While many a rock star has dabbled in the world of hard drugs, Lemsip is about as extreme as it gets for mild mannered Ron Sexsmith.

The 47-year-old Canadian was suffering from the snivels when he arrived in Birmingham on this latest UK tour, his third of 2011, but he didn’t let it stop him putting on a great show packed with songs across his whole back catalogue.

“I’ve been drinking this... Lemsip,” he revealed early on. “Good stuff!”

The same could be said of Sexsmith himself – a real Friday night tonic.

His latest album, Long Player Late Bloomer, has been getting some of the best reviews in his 20-year recording career, the likes of Rod Stewart and Feist have covered his songs and celebrity fans include Eltons John and Costello – and yet Sexsmith is still not the household name he perhaps should be.

While he can come across as slightly awkward in between songs – but nonetheless witty and self-deprecating – when the band struck up Sexsmith came into his element.