Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day

It's not quite "See-Europe-In-Seven-Days" but Ryan Adams is on a whirlwind Grand Tour at the moment. He played Basel last night and it's on now to the Royal Festival Hall in London for tomorrow night's gig. He's in Cork on Wednesday, and from the city on the Lee he goes to Helsinki and thence to Stockholm on Sunday. On and on he weaves between the cities and countries of the old continent

On Thursday night, in a half-filled, draughty Circus Krone in Munich, we saw him give an erratic performance that included many cigarettes, a few cocktails, a bit of rambling self-derision and lots of fine work on piano and guitar — acoustic and electric.

With the reputation of mercurial artist to live up to, Adams has put himself in a position where fans expect the unpredictable. Is he going to be tempestuous and order out anyone who mistakes him for that other Adams (Bryan), or will he appear in a tired and emotional state as he did last year in Munich? On Thursday, he was in subdued form. He had a few quibbles about the intensity of the spotlights but there were no tantrums.

He kicked off with Oh My Sweet Carolina from his solo debut album, Heartbreaker and this set the tone for what proved to be an evening of melancholy that was re-enforced at times by exquisite cello and violin accompaniment. Sure, there were lively moments — To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) done with a blues accent and a hillbilly version of Hank Williams' Lovesick Blues — but these were rare. Sylvia Plath, his ballad tribute to the suicidal poet, and the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar performed as a lament, were indicative of the evening's mood.

Ryan Adams is one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time but he needs to mature as an entertainer. Tours are designed for the purpose of promoting albums and although this may be a chore for an artist, concertgoers are entitled to a minimum of substance. So, Ryan, less mercury and more concrete, please.