Eminem @ Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, 24 Aug

Glasgow Summer Sessions 2017 has trimmed off a day, now only offering one evening's entertainment, but it still retains its festival feel; from the omnipresent burger vans and tepid, overpriced lager to the outrageous queues and mud – a lot to fit into six hours. The punters this year are caught between this flux, some going into all-out excess mode, while others just treat it as a slightly-bigger-than-normal gig.

Things get off to a good start with mild, dry weather, space to move and the feel-good, easygoing rhymes of Russ. His corny pop-rap hits the right note with the excitable crowd, jostling for position and getting used to the quality sound system. However, the drizzle sets in towards the end of his set and gets steadily heavier during the break so that spirits have been literally dampened by the time Danny Brown graces the stage in his ridiculous Moschino pyjamas.

Early songs show promise, with Die Like a Rockstar and Side B (Dope Song) testing out the bass, but as the rain continues the crowd quieten down and Brown gets visibly frustrated. He decides against Ain't it Funny (getting the DJ to cut it after starting the intro) and gives half-hearted renditions of Really Doe and When it Rain. He ends with Rustie collaboration Attak, telling the crowd to "suck my dick" before throwing the mic high in the air and marching off without a second look.

Luckily the rain abates for Run the Jewels and they deliver a barnstorming set, mostly compromised from Run the Jewels 3, with plenty of thanks and interaction with the crowd. But even the duo's enthusiasm can't keep a damp and unfamiliar crowd on side and the grumbling for Eminem starts up towards the end. Let's face it – most of the fans here aren't exactly hip-hop heads.

Queues for the bar are now getting to ridiculous levels (at least a forty minute wait), the light is almost gone and people are getting a little tired, so it's a good thing that Eminem turns up just about on time and full of infectious energy. Over the course of about 90 minutes he plays more than 30 songs, though very few get a full airing (most just a verse and chorus), absolutely blitzing through hits from all over his career, as well as others he was involved in by the likes of B.o.B, The Weeknd and Drake.

Mr. Porter is typically on point with hypeman duties, Royce da 5'9” gives a good showing for Bad Meets Evil's Fast Lane and the live band are tight and professional (especially the guitarist and his searing solos). It's a workmanlike performance without too many flourishes (save for some fireworks after Forever, the first playing of Soldier in 14 years, and a bit of Trump-bashing ('FUCK TRUMP')), but the sheer strength of Eminem's back catalogue isn't really up for debate and every song is performed with gusto and sung back by a starstruck crowd.

A closing run of My Name Is, The Real Slim Shady, Without Me and Not Afraid demonstrates his formidable hit power, while an encore of Lose Yourself leaves the assembled 35,000 reeling. Trudging through the mud in search of a shuttle bus (or just a bit of terra firma) is made a little less miserable by the swirl of superlatives ringing around a dark and cold Bellahouston Park.