Co-headline tours are never as described. They are either an act of face saving, when one act is asked to support another who they consider to be their equal, or a battle of egos that ends in meltdown three dates in. There are vital questions. Who gets to go on last? Who are the punters there to see? It’s refreshing, then, that this jaunt, starring Aussie troubadour Josh Pyke and Glasgow’s former Delgados star turned solo artist Emma Pollock, seems to have the formula right. The two take turns in going on last and each constantly praises the other during their sets.

Pyke is first tonight, strolling on stage, still in his coat and complaining about the cold, armed with only an acoustic guitar. He then proceeds to play a great set, gently strumming the crowd into the palm of his hand, delivering sweet odes to former relationships and softly wowing the O2’s hushed assembly. Lyrically, he bring to mind lazy afternoons in cafes, staring out of windows, reminiscing about the girls he’s lost, the people he misses and the world he longs for. Tracks like Candle in the Window and Lines on Palms are when he’s at his best. Cooing, hopeful in his sound, but with every lyric barbed and dogged by regret. Much like Bon Iver and Jose Gonzales, Pyke is growing into a fine singer songwriter.

In comparison to Pyke, Emma Pollock’s three-strong backing band sound and feel like a Kiss concert. Promoting new record The Law of Large Numbers Pollock’s set is split between her material and her 2007 debut. Raw and raucous, Pollock’s tracks echo US indie band Sleater Kinney and recently re-united Skunk Anansie in that her glacial vocals dominate stark instrumentation which create beautiful collages. Paper and Glue is a reflective gem, I Could Be a Saint a witty guitar assault and Confessions an intimate treat.

Two great artists for the price of one; they should do this sort of thing more often.