Verdict: five stars
The prospect of flipping, diving and jumping around carefully constructed sets and down a 50ft Giganta Ramp might not be everyone's cup of tea but, for the fans who turned up at the SSE Hydro to witness the magnificence that is Nitro Circus Live, it's exactly what they wanted to see.
For those unacquainted with the concept of Nitro Circus, it's a live action sports show on MTV that showcases some of the world's best action sports athletes and as the announcer at tonight's show says "a bunch of idiots who'll do anything" as they perform spectacular and often death-defying tricks for the cameras on an array of contraptions.
It began in the early 2000s, spawning tours and a 3D film last year, but this is its latest live incarnation and the crew's first trip to Glasgow.
Headed by pro freestyle motocross rider, rally car and NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana, this show promised an adrenaline and petrol fueled symphony of tricks, stunts and wheelies and it did not disappoint.
Calling on a plethora of phenomenal and downright dangerous stunts from its back catalogue, the show is visually stunning, with a variety of treats on offer.
Fans cheer as they witness a masterclass in BMX, quad bike and snowmobile tricks and a BMX jump that ends with the rider landing on roller blades.
Most tricks are accompanied by a sharp intake of breath as the crowd waits to see if it will result in success or failure. The precision and skill involved is breathtaking.
Highlights include 50ft ramp jumps in an armchair, skis, a big wheel trike (the team's trademark weapon of choice), a drinks cooler and a Penny Farthing.
Three people, including two volunteers from the audience, back flipping on a motorbike really gets the crowd on their feet.
A trick-filled Scotland v USA battle featuring Scottish BMX legend Danny MacAskill's team, led by a pipe band, taking on the US squad is fantastic and finishes with the crew's fabled Nitro Bomb, where 24 riders back-flip simultaneously in the air as pyrotechnics go off in all directions.
The show has already visited Europe but the UK dates are that bit more special because they mark the return of Pastrana, who has been unable to ride for 18 months due to shoulder surgery.
It's clear the return means a lot to Pastrana who seems determined to impress.
After a short intermission, the crew bring out their best tricks for the second half of the show.
Hole in one, where BMX riders and inline skaters jump off a ramp and try to land inside a Zorb ball is brilliant, while the big air motocross trick section and Aaron 'wheelz' Fotheringham's front flip in his wheelchair is a real favourite with the crowd.
A backflip triple tailwhip and a triple backflip on BMXs are performed to perfection, while a double backflip on a motorbike leaves the audience cheering for more.
Soon it's time for the finale and the crew has definitely saved the best for last as they attempt the longest trick train in Nitro Circus history with 40 BMX, motorbike, snowmobile and scooter riders performing tricks one after the other against a wall of flame. The tricks goes off without a hitch as the arena erupts into a soundtrack of cheers and clapping.
There's no denying that Nitro Circus know how to put on a show and, after tonight's performance, I'm sure fans will be counting the days until they can see their heroes perform live again.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article