Sleater-Kinney @ O2 ABC, Glasgow, 25 March

When Sleater-Kinney declared ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2005, the time seemed right. Corin Tucker in particular seemed exhausted by the process, while Carrie Brownstein’s determination to sail across choppier waters with seventh album The Woods seemed to have run the band aground. That their unexpected comeback should be so gloriously received, or that accompanying album No Cities To Love should be such an unalloyed triumph could surely not have been forecast, but tonight’s performance simply cements the spectacular nature of their return.

Headlining more capacious surroundings than during their first phase, the band seem more tightly focussed than ever, with Brownstein eschewing the high kicks of yore in favour of liquid solos and crushing power chords. Newer material slots effortlessly alongside familiar friends like Little Babies and One Beat; indeed, it sounds more like the trio have recently awoken from suspended animation, such is the natural feel of their evolution despite nine years away. 

Tucker’s voice – a muscular warble; commanding, bluesy and thrillingly volatile – stretches to full pelt as she surrenders her guitar for a scintillating Gimme Love, but it’s drummer Janet Weiss who steals the show. An endlessly inventive powerhouse, her thunderous fills occupy the space between notes magnificently, whether on a rare outing for bubblegum-flavoured favourite You’re No Rock N’Roll Fun, or the dizzying tumbles of Entertain. It helps that she has such terrific material to flesh out, but still, her controlled pummelling is utterly hypnotic.

The crowd seem almost overawed by a performance of such magnitude, whooping and hollering at appropriate moments (particularly Tucker’s encore-leading cry for sexual equality), but reverentially silent during others. “As a fan, I can say this song is not about Glasgow,” announces Brownstein, ahead of a white-hot blast through the new record’s title track. The city most assuredly loves them all back.