AS with the other dozen men in York Barbican, I was a "plus 1" for Ronan's show.

An impressive light show suggested the Dubliner who grew up in public would play rock star with Lovin’ Each Day. A barrage of smart phones raised high to fill Facebook looked to sabotage the evening. How many gigs fall victim to this disrespectful bootlegging by zooming in like paparazzi while a man bares his soul on stage?

Then the show changed from arena show to a set-up more befitting upstairs at the Black Swan Folk Club with intimacy, storytelling and generosity to his band and crew; so much so, Ronan invited support act Nicolas Metaxas to sing Baby Can I Hold You Tonight. His expert players know just how much country seasoning and Irish charm to add to the chords. This was a band of brothers, not a sterile set of hired guns. The warmth shone through.

Garth Brooks’s If Tomorrow Never Comes brought a tear to many an eye and Father And Son proved a timeless favourite. The evening's highlights happened with the lights low when few ingredients made up the recipe, where a voice and a song shone through without jostling for pole position.

Ronan isn’t a rock star. He’s not showbiz. I don’t believe his life is a rollercoaster. He is an honest lad with a great voice who can’t believe what hard work and tenacity have given him, and based on this performance tonight and the songs from his new album, he’ll have it for many years to come.

Seeing his face look out at the crowd and across at his band he says it best when he says nothing at all.