Above the stage, Kwabs's name is written in lights – as if this music industry-heavy crowd needed any reminding that this is a star in the making. The 23-year-old from south London began the year tipped as an artist to keep an eye on, and, with his brand of futuristic soul, he has thus far steered clear of the Bermuda triangle of ones to watch.

Musically, Kwabs has one foot in the bass-drenched soul of Kwes and the other in the stage-school roots that nurtured him (he attended the Royal Academy of Music). His online mixtape Wrong or Right has rightly received critical acclaim and tonight his mission is to translate his online cool into live potential. Performing in front of a live band, Kwabs delivers his soul-soaked R&B with a rich baritone that has the tendency to swell and – at times – leap into falsetto territory.

The crowd's enthusiam – wild whooping is mandatory – for his combination of gutsy vocals and awkward stage presence does occasionally bring to mind a live X Factor audience: he even closes his eyes as he raises his hands to the sky during Last Stand. But what could easily feel like pantomime becomes quite touching, and it's heartening to hear the audience cheer each elongated "Ooh" on Pray for Love.

One of the most impressive things about Kwabs is his crisp production style, and live you can spot interesting textural details in the heavy bass rumble. There's a sense of kindred adventurous spirit with artists such as fellow south Londoner Ghostpoet, although Kwabs's appeal is a more commercial one. The highlight of the night comes when he performs Wrong or Right: a danceable number carried off with enough charisma to incite a crowd singalong. Kwabs would do well to include more of these up-tempo moments in future sets. Still, by joining the dots between the obscure production of Sampha and the thick sensual vocals of D'Angelo, Kwabs is on to something. If he can deliver his songs as effectively off the internet, then Kwabs just might make it.