Jared Leto. Man. Myth. Enigma. Truth be told, Jared Leto is a Hollywood actor known for his roles in Panic Room, American Psycho, Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club and as John Lennon killer Mark Chapman. Jared Leto is also the charismatic and somewhat messianic front man of rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. With that said, he is not the messiah, his music cannot change the world and he certainly isn't as important as he would have you believe.

I have always been a supporter of Jared Leto and 30 Seconds to Mars, I have followed the band since 2002's self titled album, I have a set of 30 Seconds to Mars glyphs on each of my forearms and would definitely consider myself one of the echelon (the name given by the band for their fans).

That does not mean that I will be giving 30 Seconds to Mars a free ride, because even as a fan of the band, the things that piss off most people about Mr Leto & Co also nark me. The fact that the man shows up late on stage without so much as an explanation even sometimes as much as an hour, and his constant preaching are two of the things that grate me the most.

Tonight’s show in Wembley Arena is part of the band's ‘Into the Wild’ tour, their first tour back in the UK in 3 years. Anticipation is at a fever pitch and it’s hard to breathe, due to the sheer amount of people cramming into one another in a bid to get closer to the band. In typical fashion, the band is 20 minutes late arriving on stage, and even then it’s with the benefit of a large black curtain that covers the whole band.

The shadowy figure of Jared Leto under a spotlight appears, and the opening strains of 'Escape' ring out into the venue; just as the song comes to a close, the curtain drops and the band proceeds into 'Night of the Hunter' and we're off and running. The band is sporting matching uniforms, all except Jared who is sporting a Travis Bickle mohawk complete with diamante studded dinner jacket and diamante striped skinny black jeans; he manages to give Brandon Flowers a run for his money in the wardrobe department.

We follow 'Night of the Hunter' with 'Attack' and 'A Beautiful Lie', which is complete with the video played on dual screens behind the band. The video screens come into play a lot during tonight’s performance, showcasing the video for 'From Yesterday' and video packages for 'Hurricane' and a rather neat video for ‘This is War', displaying images of war, revolution, natural disasters and other assorted images alongside the lyrics to the song.

About half way through the set the band walks off stage, leaving Tomo and Shannon to come back on and play ‘L490’ complete with chanting monks (on tape, not actually in attendance); as the song dies out, Jared’s voice rings out in the venue but he's nowhere to be seen, until a spotlight swings around and he is stood in the seating area at the top of the venue brandishing an acoustic guitar. He plays 'Capricorn', 'The Kill' and 'The Story', the lights dim again the band is now in the middle of the venue playing above the soundstage. They rip through a rousing rendition of 'Buddha for Mary' before once again returning to the main stage for the show's finale of 'Kings and Queens', during which they are joined onstage by the other two bands of the evening, Lostalone and Street Drum Corps. Members of Street Drum Corps have been onstage periodically throughout the night, helping with drums on ‘Night of the Hunter’, ‘Closer to the Edge’ and ‘Vox Populi’. Before the band plays ‘Kings and Queens', Jared takes five minutes to address the crowd, inviting members of the Mars Army up onstage to sing as part of the 'Church of Mars'.

Overall, this show proves that Jared Leto is a fantastic showman and 30 Seconds to Mars are a band worthy of headlining arenas, with the emphasis tonight on the songs and the fans rather than playing God. If this is a sign of things to come, then it seems 30 Seconds to Mars may have turned a corner and seem intent on giving their fans the best live experience possible: judging by the Cheshire cat faced people in the audience, I'd say they have succeeded.

And before you ask.....yes,this is a cult.