IF things had turned out differently John Newman could have been dressed in overalls, an oily rag in his pocket and his head under a car bonnet.

Thankfully, this North Yorkshire lad downed tools, put on a smart suit and followed his heart to become one of the most highly-rated singer, songwriters in the country.

From fixing motors, the 23- year-old from Settle is now fixing relationships – hey, maybe even lives – with his straight-from-the-heart, refreshingly honest and, perhaps just as importantly, catchy soul-drenched tunes.

A sell-out Newcastle crowd was hooked from the opening chords of the title track from his No1 album Tribute, the enthusiasm from the floor clearly feeding the onstage passion.

Newman is a performer who wears his heart on his sleeve, he doesn’t just sing the songs, he lives them. His body moves in unison, his face contorts to reflect the pain or, conversely, the joy.

From singing at home in a cupboard under the stairs, he is now commanding stages on both sides of the Atlantic. He loves the adulation, of that there is no doubt, but I get the impression he put just as much of his soul into those clandestine performances all those years ago.

He told me in a roundabout way in the run-up to the gig that anyone can sing songs, but not everyone can feel them.

As he answered the crowd’s call with an encore that featured Love Me Again, it was obvious which part of that statement John Newman falls into.