If Tim Holland passed you, perhaps whilst you were on a flight of stairs making a phone call, you wouldn’t look twice. I know: he did, I didn’t. sole, as Holland is better known, is the least ‘rapper’-looking rapper you will ever see. In battered shoes and frayed trousers, and sporting a full beard and pony tail, he’s as anti-'bling' as a Southern State slack-jawed yokel is. Based on tonight’s appearance he’s probably more comfortable down on the farm than he is dropping science. Based on tonight’s performance some might suggest that’s where he belongs.

On ‘Da Baddest Poet’, from 2003’s excellent Selling Live Water album, sole told us that he only raps because he’s not smart enough to write a book. I don’t agree: sole is intelligent enough to write a whole series of books. His only hindrance is that the books he’d write – subject matters covering everything from corporate corruption to Third World issues via the gradual eradication of numerous animal species – already exist. They’re out there, in the public domain, and as a result his lyrics, whilst delivered ferociously, become almost predictable. Yes, oil companies are bad and the US government no better. Yes, we already know this. Yes, we admire your approach to lyricism and the good causes you verbally fight for, but it’s getting tired real quick. Yes, please craft some creative beats to maintain our attention.

Which leads to another problem: sole’s essentially a two-trick pony, even if both tricks are good. Tonight’s a launch for his new album Live From Rome, but whilst the new songs display a notable progression from Selling Live Water on record, they lose their impact when delivered live. Jams come either slow or fast, with no middle ground - ‘A Typical’ is a tongue-twisting tirade, delivered so speedily that picking out words becomes impossible, whilst ‘Cheap Entertainment’ and ‘Sin Carne’ are slower affairs, Holland’s lyrical skills coming to the fore in a less hurried manner. It's when he slows down that he's in his element. He is a fine lyricist, possessing a way with the spoken word that so many bigger-budget peers would kill (literally) for, but his live presence belies his true qualities.

An accomplished performer, sole nonetheless fails to truly connect with his crowd. His between-song quips are welcomed tonight, and he’s genuinely enthusiastic to be playing in front of an English crowd after living in Spain for a while. But attentions wander, and what should be all-consuming music that you can’t ignore soon blurs into background musak. Buy the albums – they’re fantastic – and read his lyrics – they’re genuinely though provoking. Just think twice before dishing out the dosh for a live show. He sure as heck doesn’t belong on any farm, but perhaps broadening his horizons would improve his in-the-flesh format somewhat.