Calum Macdonald's verdict: 4.5 stars

It's all about the numbers. To date: 58 million singles,10 million albums, two MTV awards, one Grammy, and one Brit. Oh, and he's all of 27.

So when Peter Gene Hernandez brings his 88-date worldwide Moonshine Jungle Tour into Scotland, he does so with an indisputable reputation.

What counts, of course, is how he delivers on the night. And for that matter, how the new venue's acoustics handle his particular blend of soul, hip-hop, and R'n'B (last week's previous big names, Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac, had the crowds won over before they stepped on stage).

So did the man from Hawaii rock the Hydro? That takes us back to numbers. Because the one thing Bruno Mars can definitely do is write songs...for himself, and for others (like Cee Lo Green and Travie McCoy) to record.

All the best numbers are on show: great renditions of Billionaire, Marry you, Grenade and, of course, Just the way you are.

What Mars layers on top is a superb sense of theatre - dance, effects, and sheer sex appeal which plays well to the predominantly female audience.

But he's no simple smoochy crooner or rocker. Instead, think comparisons with Michael Jackson, fused with a touch of Springsteen's primal driving force.

In short, Bruno Mars is seriously good live. And they knew it all the way up to the back row of the Hydro.