SUFJAN STEVENS promised a cosmic night of love, life and the apocalypse before launching into an evening of electronic-infused power pop.

With songs drawn mostly from his sixth album The Age of Adz, Sufjan’s live show is a spectacle of astral costumes, flamboyant dancing, flashing neon lights and expert musicianship. His ambitious songs were allowed space to soar in Hall One and the visuals, courtesy of the late Louisiana artist Royal Robertson, were just as stunning.

Royal’s comic book drawings pulse on the big screen as Sufjan’s 10-piece band take the audience on an amazing interplanetary adventure.

Anyone familiar with the introspective nature of Sufjan’s feted earlier material might be surprised at the sight of him dressed as a B-movie robot, dancing on a piano and singing through a voice changer. But in reality, his new songs, like I Want to be Well and Impossible Soul, are just as anguished as his folkier tunes – they’re just much louder and, like Sufjan himself, a bit more muscular.

And despite the electro-pop, there’s still time for some recorder playing and a few folk tunes, along with some chat about the change in the creative process. The transcendent finale is a multi-layered pop masterpiece accompanied by ticker-tape. Remarkable.