It’s a world away from the last time Idlewild stepped on to the stage in Manchester, supporting Coldplay at the Evening News Arena. Back then, post-traumatic stress was kicking in after the departure of bassist Bob Fairfoull and it was clear that the Nissan Almera-owning audience weren’t there to be swayed by the shy, skinny frame of Roddy Woomble when Chris Martin and co were waiting in the wings.

However, bolstered by the addition of two new members – the jovial Gavin Fox on bass and guitarist Allan Stewart, Woomble has taken on a new confidence. Striding across the stage with his jeans tucked into his boots (“I was told last night in Glasgow that I looked like a camp builder”), he has finally developed into a poised frontman, no longer turning his back on the audience, but bantering with us and making his case for this, Idlewild’s experimental acoustic tour.

Purists may bemoan the fact that Woomble refuses to hark back to the days when they were a rollickingly fast fireball of chaos, but it’s been several years now since the calm set in and the REM comparisons started. On the strength of these acoustic re-workings, it’s baffling that the band didn’t become household names years ago. Re-discovered after a period of respite, ‘When I Argue I See Shapes’ opens their set and even without guitarist Rod Jones yelping "shapes" behind Woomble’s deeply rich voice, the song still maintains plaintive resonance.

Woomble’s interesting sense of style, his flowing locks and his new-found swagger, may be attributed to the fact that he’s recently taken up residence in New York. However, new tune ‘Welcome Home’ hints that Woomble has never really felt comfortable in his bluey-tinged Scottish skin. Similarly with ‘Disconnected’; rather than falling around a simple lyrical hook, the implication with forthcoming album, Warnings/Promises is that he’s become a crafty wordsmith.

With Jenny Reeve on violin and drummer Colin Newton stripped of the kit, the emphasis is on the bare bones of the songs. Newton occasionally uncomfortably fumbles with his tambourine, or shakers, but his skills on the piano and accordian shouldn’t be underestimated. The likes of ‘Little Discourage’ and ‘Live In A Hiding Place’ justify Woomble’s summation of the band’s back catalogue as “a collection of mournful ballads”. If anything, this isn’t so much a preview of new material but a show of strength and consequence from a band that have deservedly been voted third in a poll of the best Scottish bands of all time.