Christine and the Queens @ Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 8 Sep

Opening up tonight is wispy singer-songwriter Rhodes. He's got a cracking falsetto, but the trite songs about happiness (it's all around us, if we just let it in...) and friendship don't seem the best use of his excellent voice. The folkish closer is the pick of the bunch, though the steadily filling auditorium don't pay much heed.

Christine and the Queens have always been a theatrical, dramatic endeavour and tonight's stage set-up confirms the fact. There's a small winding staircase to nowhere, numerous gothic statues and a row of simple, wooden chairs. The artist, also known as Redcar or Red for short, begins draped across the staircase, coyly intoning the opening lines of Overture. It's perhaps the only moment tonight where he isn't the blazing centre of attention. But soon enough it flows into Tears Can Be So Soft and his voice is bold, booming while performing skittish dance moves among the dazzling lights and pounding kickdrum.

The whole set is taken from June's triple-LP bonanza PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE, so casual fans might be disappointed by the lack of recognisable bops like Tilted or People, I've Been Sad. However, the spectacle we're treated to is unlikely to leave anyone unimpressed. Even if you're unfamiliar with the new album, its ambitious scope will quickly draw you in, whether it's through long-form experiments like the wild, 11-minute Track 10 or sharp, catchy songs like A Day In the Water.

Image: Christine and the Queens @ Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 8 Sep by Mert Kece

Black angel wings are dutifully donned in time for I Met an Angel, and Red makes a perfect silhouette during the feather-light Flowery Days. The light display is truly next level all night; it feels like an asset often overlooked in non-dance music capacities these days (although the spotlight operator occasionally struggles to keep up with Red's frenetic moves – no easy task). The wings are exchanged for a flowing red flamenco skirt, as well as a gauntlet, and the TRUE LOVE section of the show keeps up the heady pace with more pop-friendly songs like To Be Honest and We Have To Be Friends. An epic performance of Big Eye closes things out, though the abrupt exit and raising of the house lights feels a little jarring.

The whole performance is heavily choreographed, even down to the stage banter, but it's executed perfectly and the collision of live theatre and art-pop is thrilling to witness. Christine and the Queens' commitment to their art is second-to-none; where they go from here is anyone's guess, but it'll doubtless be a treat.