Adam Cohen / Scott McFarnon

The support act tonight is Scott McFarnon, a singer-songwriter with a guitar, who looks a bit ill at ease on the stage. I must admit that I hadn't heard his name previously but he's had a hand in writing some very successful songs including 'Once In a Lifetime' which he co-wrote with Beyoncé, and 'Red', which was produced by Mark Ronson and a hit for Daniel Merriweather.

There's a palpable sense of anticipation for the main act, Adam Cohen, as he takes to the stage, glass of tequila held aloft in one hand and looking slightly bruised around the eyes (too much alcohol and not enough sleep maybe?). I was going to try and write a review without mentioning the famous parent – a certain Canadian singer songwriter, who he tells us is Celine Dion, but there's no escaping that he's his father's son. His looks (and from the front pew, he's very easy on the eye), the uncannily similar deep voice, the droll humour and deft songwriting, he is, of course, the offspring of Leonard Cohen.

Adam Cohen is backed by two very talented multi-instrumentalists who accompany him on guitar, bass, keys, cello, kick-drum and backing vocals. Wow! It's evident from the opening song 'Lie Alone', with its pared down backing and striking lyrics – first line "I'm drunk like the devil, I'm lit up like a church", that we won't need to lower our expectations this evening.

As well as philosophical musings, such as "the three stages of wine", Cohen talks of his faltering music career and that he almost gave it up completely. It sounds like he indulged in the cliché of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, but he's since straightened himself out enough to have delivered a quality fourth album 'Like a Man', which, by all accounts, is a change of direction and been a long time coming (Cohen is now 39). Many of his songs detail a litany of sexual conquests and a roll call of ex-girlfriends. One notable song 'Beautiful' is a thank you message to his five year old son; another song 'Stranger' speaks very eloquently of loneliness and there's an excellent cover of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'.

Cohen seems comfortable with his father's legacy and covers a couple of his songs, as well as splicing 'Bird On a Wire' in to one of his own tracks and he has a lyric in another which cleverly drops in "so long Willy Shakespeare, so long Mary Anne". The main set finishes with the audience singing along to the inspiration for that, the classic Leonard Cohen track 'So Long, Marianne' and the band receives a standing ovation. They return for a three song encore – the first two Cohen tells us are an experiment and certainly the first doesn't appear on the set list: Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' followed by Leonard Cohen's 'Tower of Song' – their tour manager ("a blues man") is invited on stage to play harmonica on this one. They finish with 'Uniform' and another standing ovation.

It can't be easy for Cohen, carrying this burden of expectation and responsibility due to his legendary dad, but he's clearly aided by charm and a little tequila, and is a strong force in his own right and a contender for as many accolades and awards in the future.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.