Warm As Summer, Bright As Blood is a soon-to-be-released concept album from Cloud, a solo artist who – I think it’s fair to say – deals in big ideas. In her album, we’re promised a tale of witchcraft, prophesy, flames and tears; and while this live version conveys more of a vibe than a story, it does develop a general theme of empowerment and escape. It’s a theatrical production, far more than the sum of its parts, impeccably rehearsed and strongly performed.

Cloud draws clear inspiration from dark folklore, and the Tolkienesque mythos of role-playing games. As she surges across the stage in a swirling green gown, she could be a wizard or she could be a wench; the wild-haired dancers who accompany her are equally ambiguous, sometimes her friends but sometimes a threat.

Gritted Teeth transports us to a rowdy tavern, where Cloud joins her dancers in a high-energy hoedown – on its face a celebration of free-willed love, yet with the hint of something less wholesome lurking in the margins. By the next track, A Matter Of Time, those same dancers’ white dresses have come to resemble shrouds. They lie prostrate and still while Cloud, eyes closed, sings about her vision of a hellish underworld; there’s a well-worked surprise waiting near the end of this one, as the creepily beguiling vocals swell to a banshee wail.

Tenderness returns with Milk And Sugar, a slow dance which gradually morphs into an anthemic evocation of loss and age, while The Dancing Leaves is poppier: defiantly upbeat as it contemplates both the horrors and the beauty that life contains. It carries, too, one of the show’s main messages, as Cloud descends from the stage and urges us to rejoice in the stories of our own lives. But for me, the highlight comes with A House On Fire, whose urgent beat and sprightly fiddles – plus a little judicious swearing – deliver a powerful kick to those stuck in a world they long to escape.

The sound mix could use some attention, as softer passages were often lost to the pre-recorded accompaniment, and once or twice I felt the highly-physical performance might have had an impact on the vocals. But as a complete experience – as a show – this is gutsy, exciting, and filled with meaning. The album drops in October, but see it live if you can.