Bigger than the sound

When the apocalypse arrives, Karen O will stand as the last defender of this earth; spewing glitter and draped in all manner of veils and guizes, with a microphone half-way down her throat, the wire trailing out. Nick and Brian will be positioned either side of her, in head-to-toe blackest black, acting as her sole confidants. And they will save us from the end of the world.

I went to see this trinity of cool on Wednesday night. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's are a band I've wanted to see for some time now, having proved that they are a heart-wrenchingly fearless group since they gained critical acclaim with 2003's Fever To Tell. Karen O is a beacon of light amid the swamp of pointlessly 'psssssh' female crooners and empty-headed skanks that dominate the music scene currently. She storms around the stage, roaring commandments to her attentive public, who are only too delighted to recite them back. She really is a unique talent.

And the band have already amassed a battalion of songs that sound glorious live. 'Heads Will Roll' is recognisable from the first synth, receiving instantaneous approval from the crowd, and as the drumbeat and vocals and guitar all mesh into the furiously charged chorus, the lyric of "dance til we're dead" doesn't seem such a ridiculous notion. And 'Hysteric' is still one of prettiest love songs I've heard all year; the part of the chorus where O sings "You suddenly complete me" is one of those moments that gives you that lovely fuzzy feeling.

Even the stage is used to maximum potential. A huge inflated eye-ball rests behind the band, glaring out at the audience (a staring contest would be out of the question...), and the only point where the eye relaxes its gaze and turns its back on the crowd is during 'Skeletons', a song which would break under any heavier a look. A wind machine pumps perfectly white paper circles out onto O during this number, whereas gold glitter bombs errupt from the lead singers stamp on 'Black Tongue'.

Finally, the lasting impression I take from the gig is that although their sound has acquired different tastes over time, it is distinguishable from all others. At first I put this down to O's voice, but it is very much the tone of the music. A song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is very much a song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. By the last blasts of 'Date With The Night', I was sure that this band was going to save us from the apocalypse; that, or they would start it.