Ever since Bob Dylan went electric and a fan cried “Judas!” stars have alienated fans with unexpected new directions. US rock star Gerard Way previously fronted the popular American rock band My Chemical Romance, whose darker anthems found favour with emo fans. However, recent solo debut Hesitant Alien saw him significantly change tack, a shorter haircut reflecting his new songs’ mix of David Bowie, Suede and Britpop.

The fans here are hardly disowning him, though. One mimics Way’s new look down to an identikit suit and flame-red hair. Another holds a banner reading: “Thanks to you I’m no longer afraid to keep on living.” The star arrives to a screaming noise like a giant kettle boiling.

Way doesn’t miss a trick to keep the audience on his side. He makes grand speeches supporting his (huge) female and transgender fanbases. Perhaps, if the East Grinstead Railway Modelling Society were in the building, he’d aim a speech at them as well.

It’s all geared towards making the musical volte-face less difficult than it could be. Although the sound system – cranked up to compete with the screaming crowd – renders some of the songs slightly shrill, the trickiest bit might be reaching an older crowd beyond the MCR fanbase. He’s not yet penned anything as thrillingly menacing as his closing cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Snakedriver, although snappy, arty, swaggering anthems such as Brother and No Shows get arms swaying like a 70s glam rock gig.

A charisma-dripping showman to the last, Way drops to his knees like Elvis and – when he plucks a girl from the crowd to play tambourine and leaves her with a bear hug – he gives one young fan a moment to remember for the rest of her life.

• UK tour until January, see gerardway.com for details