Tonight was the perfect example of how the trials and tribulations of a few carnage-fuelled months on the road can help, not hinder, a musician's performance.

In May, at her second Great Escape festival show in six hours, and on the final show of a lengthy tour, EMA (Erika Anderson) was boozed-up, boisterous and bolshie.

Oozing cool and attitude, she brazenly spat out songs about loss, loathing, peering over the abyss and, er, viking ships, from her debut LP Past Life Martyred Saints.

Fast forward four months to this show - the first date of a new tour - and EMA and her band were far more laidback. More's the shame.

Here, her performance was nervous, shy even. She lacked the swagger, raw emotion and glazed brashness that her dark and devilish songs deserved.

To be fair, her riff-laden, drone-like efforts were given a more accurate showing with regard to her recorded sound. The fuzzed-up barre chords were tuned down and her sultry, vulnerable vocals and sweet melodies were pushed to the fore.

As impressive at it sounded, the sum total of her performance lacked urgency and vitriol.

She seemed to gain confidence towards the end of the set, stalking the stage with her mic lead wrapped noose-like around her neck as she closed with album highlight California, but it wasn’t enough.

Having previously looked like a star in the making, at times during this show she seemed to be going through the motions.

If solace is needed, get a ticket for the last night of the tour. On past experience, it'll be a belter.