On a rare five-date UK tour, American country music award-winning legend Kris Kristofferson delighted a packed Pavilion.

Despite starting ten minutes late – prompting a frustrated man in the darkened theatre to shout good-naturedly, “Come on Kris, we’ve waited 30 years for this!” – Kristofferson soon captured his fans with original trademark songs of sadness and bittersweet perception.

Greeting almost every intro with applause, the converted reacted knowingly to certain lyrics.

The second verse of his classic Help Me Make It Through The Night starts seductively with the line: “Come and lay down by my side...” and an excited lady shouted, “Yes!” And as the song finished, another lady yelled: “I’ll help you through the night Kris!” (Not bad for a 77-year-old troubadour!) Kristofferson’s songs have simple chord structures and easy melodies, yet their strength is in the memorable lyrics and the storytelling.

Me And Bobby McGee has the thought-provoking line: “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose...” while Sunday Morning Coming Down features: “My cleanest dirty shirt...”.

The moving finale For The Good Times starts with: “Don’t look so sad, I know it’s over...” and indeed for the ageing Kristofferson, live touring may indeed soon be over.

Yet while his voice gets deeper and more melancholic, it still crackles warmly like a dying log fire.

Without a backing band, and a single sip of a drink, and despite the occasional bum note, Kris Kristofferson received a standing ovation.