It is still an event when the Björk roadshow rolls into town. Fifteen years since she emerged as a solo star, the Icelandic singer remains one of the most original and theatrical performers that the pop world has ever known. Arriving in London last night for the first of three shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, she marched on stage with her head encased in a cluster of multi-coloured puffballs. She had brought a bit of a band with her – two or three keyboard players and a drummer – but as usual there were strictly no guitars, not even a bass. However she did have a 12-piece, all-female, Icelandic brass section on hand to lend that certain je ne sais quoi to both the look and sound of the show.

The stage was decorated with heraldic flags and large plasma computer screens, a visual complement to the mixture of traditional horns, and futuristic electronica which defined the music. This was taken mostly from Björk’s current album, Volta, which she has been touring to promote since it was released, almost a year ago.

Beginning with Earth Intruders, she took off at a spectacular gallop, her high, ululating voice vaulting the bar lines with its usual idiosyncratic metre and melody. During Hunter a set of streamers exploded from her hands, like giant party poppers, trailing behind her like a jet stream.

The headdress was discarded once the photographers had gone and she marched around the stage in a crushed satin pink and gold dress with huge ruffles trailing down the back and front while a latticework of green lasers sliced through the air during Joga.

There were hugs and kisses for Toumani Diabaté, the kora player from Mali, who arrived resplendent in flowing robes to play his part on the song Hope. Then came Antony Hegarty to lend his velvet vocal tone to the The Dull Flame of Desire, a duet which seemed to take place as two parallel performances rather than as an emotionally engaged whole.

With its marching drum rhythm and discordant harmonies from the brass band, Vertebrae by Vertebrae possessed a dark, malevolent tone. “Same old cloud claustrophobic in me,” she sang in a distressed tone. A magnificent rendition of Army of Me with its subterranean bass line and bouncing laser beams gave way to a contrastingly delicate Innocence as a pile of confetti fell on to the musicians from above.

She finished with Declare Independence, the song which caused such a fuss when she played it in China and dedicated it to the Tibetans. Tonight, at the end of a show which spoke for itself, in a gloriously strange and colourful tongue, she offered the song without comment.

Tour continues: Hammersmith Apollo, Thursday, April 17 and Sunday 20; Plymouth Pavilions, Tuesday April 22; Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Friday April 25; Waterfront Hall, Belfast, Monday April 28; Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, Thursday May 1; Sheffield City Hall, Sunday May 4

Click here to find gig tickets for Bjork

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