Little Boots @ Gorilla, Manchester, 14 May

Doubters wondered whether Victoria Hesketh had been too easily distracted from her to-do list in the four years since debut Hands, but new album Nocturnes scoffed at those concerns, its 90s grooves a cool, monochrome remodelling of its predecessor’s glitter-pop dazzle. Returning to stages smaller than the ones where her last tour concluded is the inevitable result of extended absence – but, as tonight’s intimate, explosive performance demonstrates, a step down doesn’t have to be a step back.

The 2013 live set-up is fittingly scaled down. Gone are the backing singers, costumes and lamé backdrops: in their place, a tidy three-piece provides potency and punch. With fan favourites – Meddle, Earthquake, a euphoric Stuck on Repeat – scattered only sparingly, the new stuff squares up to the old. Here’s where Hesketh delivers: in the shadows of her new adventures, there beats an irresistibly dark heart. Motorway and Crescendo swell and burst, and All for You, pared down to just voice and keyboard, silences the chatterers. Remedy is dusted off, galvanising the crowd and pointedly bridging the whole aesthetic shift. “Dancing is my remedy” indeed – isn't self-medication always the best approach? Back in the rudest of health, a rejuvenated Little Boots is cause for celebration. [Gary Kaill]