Not so much a band as a vehicle for the Bolton singer-songwriter Simon Aldred, Cherry Ghost are so popular in these parts that they can pack out one of Manchester's medium-sized venues. The stage is decked with a Christmas tree and fairy lights, although Cherry Ghost are not exactly a party band. They play a Lancastrian take on the Americana of groups such as Wilco and Sparklehorse, inspired not by the eerie pull of the American desert but by the romance that lurks within north-western drizzle.

On stage, party outfits have been shunned in favour of black suits and Aldred's mannered, Ian McCulloch-like vocals, singing of bells that toll and religious imagery. The songs are meticulously crafted, although they can fall on the wrong side of the fine line between evocatively atmospheric and, frankly, rather dull trad rock.

Perhaps because this is a high-profile show, Aldred seems nervous, holding the guitar like a suspect package and trotting off impenetrable anecdotes while tuning up. His habit of reeling away from the microphone adds nothing to songs that require passion, not cod stagecraft.

However, like a Christmas postman, they deliver when you least expect. Mathematics' tale of finding escape through romance benefits from added strings, and sparkles amid the gloom. The anthemic People Help the People instantly gets hands in the air, a vindication of the song's popularity, which saw it dent the top 30. The band are a bit like Father Christmas: in theory, capable of flying through the stars, but first needing to banish the problem of getting stuck in the chimney.