'˜Come in comfortable shoes,' Craig David advises fans ahead of Coventry Ricoh appearance

And what an apt title it proved to be: After decamping to Miami for several years, and enjoying the trappings of US life, Craig returned to the UK and got his motor running again.

“Originally I went there tio find a little a little place I could go to on holiday,” he recalls, “Then, when I did buy a place, I loved the apartment, and the view and got distracted...

“I was there for six or seven years, and then I had to make the choice to come home.

“Miami is incredible, but to live there it is very transient,” said Craig, who is currently based in London.

“It was out of place with what I wanted...”

So he made the move home where the weather sucks, but the creative juices flow, and went back to basics with his style: He talks about how, during his early career, magic happened when he immerse himself with ‘young amazing producers.’

“When I did Born to Do It, music was a hobby...I guess that was the start, quote, unquote of me being an artist.”

Quietly spoken he may be, but the passion still oozes as he talks about his relationship with his music, and with the industry.

There’s no arrogance, no attitude, just a fella who really is, excuse the pun, born to do it.

“I really wanted to be the normal kid, the normal guy you could go down the pub with,” he says, looking over his shoulder at those early years in the spotlight, “But we were hitting arenas and going around the world...

“I feel balanced now,” he admits, “and I’ve seen the tea boy in a company rise up to be the CEO...the effects, the hype and the marketing, they all play their part in the business, but as soon as you lose focus on what got you there in the first place - the music - you’ve had it.

“You can get lost in the facade of the entertainment industry, but it’s all about relationships for me, and when I’m talking with someone, I treat them as the most important relationship I have at that moment.”

As you read this, Craig is in the middle of a UK tour.

Demand to see him ‘at work’ saw tickets flying from the box office, and a date at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena was added to sate the appetite of fans. The curtain will rise at the venue tomorrow (Saturday) night.

And he has a few words of advice for ticket-holders: “Come in comfortable shoes,” he advises, “I want it to feel like one big house party. The set is flowing in a very organic way and it’ll be a big night of dancing...”

To book tickets visit http://www.ricoharena.com/entertainment/craigdavid/