Sean McGowan

Southampton's Sean McGowan takes to the Barfly stage in Camden with bags of energy. The teenager projects so much passion and emotion it's hard to imagine a scenario where McGowan would not triumph.

He declares himself a "pissed-up folk-punk singer" before launching into Slainte, a heart-warming tale of McGowan growing up and yearning to be like his father.

It puts lumps in throats and tears in eyes as he crams into three minutes what many fail to say to their father in a lifetime.

Tracks from his People's Music EP form the staple part of his set and are beginning to become fan favourites. Not bad for a first headline gig in London.

Neverland is the highlight of the evening. It has some gorgeous melodies and meaty vocal hooks which the crowd can sink their vocal chords into.

The Frank Turner comparisons will come thick and fast with songwriting like this but McGowan's feral background gives him a chance to become the working-class hero that Eton's Turner can never hope to be.

McGowan has a long road ahead of him but it looks to be a very successful one. Like protest-singer guru Billy Bragg, he effortlessly slides from political to love songs which offer audiences a bit of everything.

Though his confidence is clearly growing McGowan's never cocky and that's nowhere more evident than when he ends on his political poem All The Best.

It acts as a strong reminder that Britain's youth are no longer apathetic and are brimming with talent that will not be denied.