It’s a lovely story: unknown singer-songwriter from Wembley gets invited to support Take That at the stadium near his childhood home.

The tale of Gary Baker, who goes by Gary Go, isn’t quite that magical. He shares a record label with the nation’s favourite boy band. It was obvious to Polydor that he’s the perfect appetite-whetter for a grand scale evening of mature pop.

Last night’s more intimate set suggested that Baker’s songs may even be too similar to Take That Mark II — the slow-moving verses that burst into vivid life with the chorus, the keys dominating over guitars. With his thick specs and spiky hair, he can forget M&S adverts but the excited snippet of Back For Good he played fitted among classy original ballads such as Honest.

He was an overwhelmingly positive presence, gabbling between songs and taking pictures of his admirers at the front. Debut single Wonderful was like a self-help book set to soaring music, while his one downbeat moment, So So, hardly reached true despair with its line: “I’ve lost my antihistamine.”

Mr Barlow won’t be the only Gary who merits a spot on Britain’s biggest stages this summer.