Take That at Hampden review: A 'peerless extravaganza'

The opening ten minutes alone before the band appeared was a masterpiece of jolly logistics and attention to detail, populated by dancers in Magritte-inspired suits and the circus performers who were to provide the wow factor throughout.

Jason Orange has long since departed the Take That line-up but the lean machine trio of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald were charming and enthusiastic ringmasters, full of joy and professional energy.

“It's time to go old school,” announced Barlow, introducing their uplifting take on Could It Be Magic.

Isn't everything in this set old school? Pray with its comically fussy routine, the knowingly cheesy A Million Love Songs and unimpeachable anthem Back For Good for starters.

The mechanical Circus elephant returned, redesigned as a sleek exo-skeleton with an acrobat as the tail, to convey the band to the main stage where the bells and whistles really took hold on the ELO-style pop pomp Shine.

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A sumptuous 70s orchestral pop version of Babe trumped new song You’re A Superstar, which sounded like a mash-up of so many other TT songs.

Their callow early singles, including the beloved It Only Takes a Minute, were dispatched in a dayglo megamix while Owen and Donald showcased their clowning skills.

A giant inflatable ringmaster provided the hokey intro to the spectacular art carnival which accompanied the top drawer disco funk of Relight My Fire (with Zoe Birkett in the Lulu role), while the elephant returned for an encore capped by their most celestial number Rule the World.

With additional tickets just released, there is no excuse to miss this peerless extravaganza.