Carter Vail, viral icon. The American singer/songwriter has over a million followers on instagram, and is famous for hilarious songs like “Dirt Man”.

But he also writes more earnest music, like his recent record “100 Cowboys”. To coincide, Carter also embarked on his first UK performances. After the Garage in London, it was the iconic Deaf Institute in Manchester.

It’s a complete sell-out, which means the venue is jammed tight. The crowd itself is diverse – there’s teens here next to middle-aged men. Some fans tell me they’ve come across from Hull (around 120 miles) just for the gig; they’re huge fans.

And the fans aren’t just here for the comedy hits either! As Vail works through the setlist – mostly populated by his “serious” songs – the crowd sing with every word.

Though they still scream the loudest for the chorus to “If I Was At Hogwarts I Would Use Physical Violence”, to be fair.

There are two things to note from tonight’s gig. One is that Vail’s music holds-up. It’s poppy, and indie, and good. Carter is no slouch at all on guitar and there are hooks a-plenty, on all of the songs.

The other thing to note is that Carter is a captivating, engaging frontman. While he’s no slouch on the guitar, either, he emanates star quality and charisma. There’s some transatlantic rapport with the crowd and genuine working of the room.

Carter clearly leans into the cowboy aesthetic, despite hailing from Connecticut. His band, however, have some serious Nashville chops. Throughout the set they’re note perfect and tight as anything, perfect foil for their frontman. And they seem to be enjoying every moment too!

Every member of the crowd will be going home happy. And the next time Carter Vail plays Manchester, it will for sure be in a much larger venue.