Perfume Genius @ The Art School, Glasgow, 2 Nov

We're ten minutes into the ethereal stylings of Julianna Barwick, finding that haunting groove, feeling the otherworldly presence and CUT! The power is gone. Barwick looks mortified and gets some laughs for her sheepish reaction. We're back five minutes later, but the same thing happens again shortly after. It's a shame that a set that is pretty much the definition of 'atmospheric' is beset with these problems, but what can you do?

Technical hitches are not on the cards, however, for Perfume Genius who sounds absolutely impeccable all night. Mike Hadreas' delicate, breathy invocations and his piercing shrieks are pitch-perfect and the band alternate beautifully between gentle poignancy (Dark Parts), funky alt-pop (My Body, Wreath) and face-melting noise (Grid).

Hadreas is magnetic throughout, drawing the crowd to him with his gyrating presence. He writhes, bends and crawls about the stage, incorporating a sense of interpretative dance into the performance, a sense that the music is pushing him forward. Despite a generally serious demeanour while playing, he's chatty between songs, joking with the band and asking more than once for a chance to catch his breath, even quietly suggesting that Glasgow is the band's "favourite city."

The show reaches its emotional apex during the encore which Hadreas performs (largely) solo on piano. He's joined on the keys by boyfriend and bandmate Alan Wyffels during Alan, creating an endearing moment, but it's with Mr Petersen, Learning and Hood that Hadreas really wrings the cathartic emotion out of the tender ballads.

The night ends as it began, with an empowering and bombastic cut (Queen) that sees Hadreas full of confidence in his movement, voice and message. He leaves behind the ambivalence and the quivering delivery of previous songs, replacing them with fierce conviction, showing all assembled the strength you can gain from going through hell and coming out the other side.