The Tubes @ SSE Arena, Wembley, London

Ask a casual rock fan about The Tubes and the conversation will usually drift toward the outrageous stage shows, the costumes and the satire. While those elements were certainly central to the band's identity, they have also tended to overshadow a catalogue filled with genuinely excellent songs. In that respect, they have much in common with tonight's headliner Alice Cooper, another artist whose visual presentation has often distracted attention from the quality of the music itself.

That is unfortunate, because The Tubes' songwriting deserves far more recognition than it typically receives. Songs such as "She's a Beauty" and "Talk to Ya Later" remain masterclasses in intelligent, melodic pop-rock, combining sharp hooks with the band's characteristic sense of humour and irreverence.

Those qualities make them a logical choice to open for Alice Cooper on the final UK date of the Paranormal tour. Both acts understand that rock music can be theatrical without sacrificing substance, and both have spent decades balancing entertainment and musicianship with remarkable success.

The challenge, however, is that The Tubes were always a band best experienced in close quarters. Much of their appeal comes from controlled chaos, from the sense that absolutely anything might happen at any moment. On a vast arena stage that energy inevitably becomes harder to transmit. The performance occasionally feels dwarfed by its surroundings, with some of the band's trademark absurdity struggling to fully connect across the enormous space.

Even so, there is plenty to enjoy. Fee Waybill remains a charismatic and engaging frontman, and seeing him reprise the infamous Quay Lewd character is worth the price of admission alone for longtime fans. Likewise, "White Punks on Dope" loses none of its bite and serves as a reminder of just how unique The Tubes were, and remain.

If anything, the set leaves one with a simple conclusion: The Tubes deserve to be experienced as a headlining act. Their songs, humour and theatrical instincts would undoubtedly flourish in a smaller venue where every eccentric detail could be fully appreciated.

As opening sets go, this one succeeds less as a definitive showcase than as a persuasive argument for seeing the band again under more favorable circumstances.