Sophie Ellis-Bextor @ Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, 4 Aug

The bandstand at Kelvingrove Park is a terrific place to watch live music. The sound is good for a relatively small outdoor space, and the raked stone seating means there isn’t a bad view in the house. In fact, during these golden hour sunset slots, with trees framing the stage, the view can actually be pretty magical. The only variable, and it’s kind of a big one, is the Glasgow weather. So far the summer has not delivered the kind of 'summer nights' the spot was made for, so it's a welcome surprise when the sun shines brightly during Sophie Ellis-Bextor's shimmering disco set tonight.

Following a feel-good medley of early-noughties favourites – Lady (Hear Me Tonight), Sing It Back and her own breakthrough hit with Spiller, Groovejet (If This Aint Love) – Ellis-Bextor pauses to take in the scene. “Look at this weather!” she says, adding with a laugh, “it must be because I’m so special!” It's the kind of self-deprecating joke she might have struggled to pull off in her younger years; as a statuesque model-turned-pop star, with well-known links to celebrity (her mother is Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis), she wasn't always the most relatable of public figures. But her warm personality has always shone through. Never more so than in her famous Friday night Kitchen Discos during lockdown – live streaming sets from her chaotic, colourful family home.

Image: Sophie Ellis-Bextor @ Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, 4 Aug by Mairead Palmer

Her references to those nights get some of the loudest cheers of the evening from the all-ages crowd. Dressed in a fringed sequin minidress, Ellis-Bextor has an easy stage presence and a real instinct for entertainment. Her set is a well-paced mix of original material and cover versions. She injects the less familiar songs with engaging elements: a call-back singalong, an easy-to-follow dance routine. A cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer and an infectious performance of Murder On the Dancefloor are among the highlights of the night, although both might have reached higher heights with a more dynamic backing band; the synthy guitar break in the latter is thrown away a little, which is a shame.

Honouring her dance pop past and catering to new fans is a difficult tightrope to walk, but it's one that she does well. Ending on Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, it's clear that Sophie Ellis-Bextor knows exactly where she is, both literally, and artistically.