Three songs in he drops 'Juggernaut', testament to both the growing strength of his catalogue and his unerring self-confidence. It's a statement to play such an anthem at this early point, but he makes it work and he has enough material in his back pocket to ensure that the eventual climax doesn't feel lacking. Tracks like the slow-building 'Thunder' showcase a different side to the Rattlesnakes' character, as it ebbs and flows while maintaining an aggressive tilt.
Throught the set, Carter's onstage persona fills the room with pirouette after punk-rock-pirouette; at one point he even walks out into the crowd held aloft like the messiah and, by the time the epic 'Neon Rust' brings the main set to a shuddering climax, he has the entire room eating out of his hand. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this was an intimate date for a man more used to arena stages, rather than a biggest ever headline show.
The band return to cheers of adulation to deliver a four song encore and, just before closing the night with a jarring run-through of 'I Hate You', Carter thanks practically every person in the room. It's this charming gratitude which has always kept him grounded through his darker moments and it's not surprise that he continues to endear himself to new audiences, no matter the vehicle he uses to create music.