An appearance of any sort by the Wu-Tang Clan is to be met with a healthy dose of scepticism. Given that the Wu ceased to be seen as any kind of creative entity a good while back, to be replaced with ‘The Wu-Tang Brand’, understand that their appearance tonight comes purely from consumer demand, for a product that hasn’t been seen on the shelves for years.

There’s no sense of collective hunger or necessity from the group, who appear on this tour heavily truncated – no RZA, Raekwon or Inspectah Deck. The GZA and U-God display a keen desire to drop into the shadows, allowing hyperactive show-stealers Method Man and Ghostface Killah (a vision in his kilt and sporran) to dominate the performance.

That said, the fact that the group’s debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), provides most of the set’s material means that nagging doubts are easily waylaid. Twenty years on, this shit still destroys, and it ultimately becomes satisfactory enough to get caught up in the energies feeding the crowd as ‘C.R.E.A.M.’, ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ and ‘… Ain’t Nuthing to Fuck Wit’ are released for two-minute long bursts – enough time it seems for the guys to whip up a frenzy before immediate fatigue sets in and bottles of water and towels are passed around the visibly exhausted crew. ‘Aaand rest’.