Chain-smoking, woolly hat-wearing lad Badly Drawn Boy seems to possess few of the fantasy traits of a pop star - and thank heavens for that.

Let's face it, the last thing the world needs is another pop idol with six-pack, sterile bland looks and blond hair.

It is fair to say that no one else makes aching lo-fi folk sound quite so transcendental as Badly Drawn Boy.

The live performances of Damon Gough - which is what Badly Drawn Boy's mum calls him - has been described as combining sweet, tender songs with the wit and quirky banter of a stand-up comedian.

If you want to make your own mind up, look no further than his Birmingham Academy gig on Thursday, November 28.

His gigs have attracted everyone from film stars Meg Ryan, Harvey Keitel and James Caan to disaffected indie kids and clubbers who crave something a bit more tuneful.

His new album, called Have You Fed The Fish?, has recently been released, and the Boy is touring to promote it.

"The whole album is a reflection of real life versus the incongruous stupidity of the life I now lead as a minor celebrity," Damon says.

"So the statement that meant the most to me was Have You Fed The Fish? The fish angle is symbolic of the fact that it's the tiniest things that need the most looking after, as opposed to the jetset lifestyle that's occurred because of my songs.

"I rub shoulders with people that I've long admired. And that's the thing I'm trying to understand a bit more about and whether it means anything to me."

Damon has been a "minor celebrity" ever since his long-awaited debut album, The Hour Of Bewilderbeast, won the highly-coveted Mercury Music Prize, thanks to its winning combination of wit, vulnerability and stripped-down tunes.

Its fans include Nick Hornby and the Weitz brothers, whose film of Hornby's About A Boy was scored by Badly Drawn Boy.

Right now, in 2002, the Boy has one prime concern - to convince those who casually label him "shambolic" that it's no longer the case.

"There was only a short period - perhaps after I won the Mercury Music Prize - when that was applicable," he admits.

"I was never inept, but I wasn't as professional as I might have been. I don't think it can be said again, though, because I think there's something about what I do that is valid in today's climate.

Tickets for Badly Drawn Boy's Academy gig are £15 in advance. For more details, ring the box office on 0870 771 2000.