THERE is something very endearing about Gruff Rhys.

The last time I saw him he was on stage at the City of Manchester Stadium in a Power Rangers helmet, halfway to upstaging Oasis at what was meant to be their big triumphant homecoming.

On Monday night at the Whitworth Gallery, he was without said helmet and flying solo, his Super Furry Animals comrades no doubt settling down to watch Pobol y Cwm — a kind-of Welsh Corrie if you will — back home.

That said, he’s no less impressive, rattling through a selection of the old, the new and the Welsh.

The Whitworth is a charming setting; the waterscapes of Turner and Van de Velde which line the adjacent gallery/ makeshift bar provide a welcome distraction between the support act — excellent newcomer H Hawkline — and Gruff shuffling onstage, almost apologetically.

His set is peppered with bouts of Rhys talking aloud, often wondering which cable connects to which bit of wizardry that clutters the tiny stage.

From anyone else this could become tiresome, but such is his awkwardness and politeness — at one stage even sticking on some “incidental music” while he fiddled with the machines — the crowd are more than happy to marvel at a true maverick at work.

Halfway through the 90-minute set, Rhys decides it is time for a “disfunctional gameshow” called Sitars In Their Eyes.

He invites on stage Manc music impressario Andy Votel, former head honcho of Badly Drawn Boy’s Twisted Nerve record label and now purveyor of fine odd world sounds as boss of Finders Keepers Records, and proceeds to hold up a variety of cue cards exclaiming “applause” and “woah!” as Votel spins three foreign versions of popular songs as part of a quiz in which a lucky audience member walked away with a lamp Rhys found on stage in Dublin last week.

Votel’s partner, and Manchester circuit veteran, Jane Weaver then appears to play a song from her album before Rhys shuffles back on stage to complete his set.

The gig closes with H Hawkline and Weaver joining him for a rousing singalong before Rhys meanders off into the dark and we’re left to try to take in a magical experience.