Few bands can rival The Very Best in the live setting for the sheer joy and jubilation they project on stage. After a massive 2009, this multinational act has come to typify the truly global shift of – śworld’ music into the popular (at least indie-popular) conscious.

Consisting of enigmatic Malawian frontman Esau Mwamwaya and British DJ/production duo Radioclit ( Johan Karlberg and Etienne Tron), TVB first gained international attention from their sample heavy (and generally awesome) 2008 mixtape, Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best. The rapturous reception said mixtape received, saw TVB signed to Moshi Moshi (Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Lykke Li) and the release of their 2009 debut LP Warm Heart of Africa.

After a great DJ set from Radioclit (which climaxed with an incredible and hysterically self-aware remix of The Lion King’s Circle of Life ) Roxanne Parlour and all her sweaty and dusty post-Laneway inhabitants were ready to get their sub-Sahara groove on.

The most immediately noticeable element of TVB is singer Esau Mwamwaya’s inimitable and buoyant voice. It’s the one consistent link joining Radioclit’s often eclectic beats. As Mwamwaya strode onstage, joined tonight by South African Mo Laudi (Radioclit’s larger than life MC) TVB kicked things off in full gear and didn’t look back.

The brief, hour long set didn’t disappoint. Drawing heavily (although, arguably too heavily) from their ‘08 mixtape, tracks such as Wena, Tengazako and Get It Up exploded from the stage, in a heady mix of soaring vocals, tribal back-up dancing and Esau’s unfaltering grin. Tengazako (which samples M.I.A.’s Paper Planes ) added weight to the argument that no song in the past decade has the ability to serve as the catalyst for widespread audience euphoria as Paper Planes. Early highlights don’t come much more anthemic than this.

Architecture in Helsinki joined the boys onstage for their performance of Kamphopo (which heavily samples AiH track Heart It Races ). There for (seemingly) no other reason than to dance with Esau and Mo Laudi, it was enough to amuse a slightly weary and sun-stroked crowd.

Far from dependant on other people’s hits, TVB can easily prove themselves on the strength of their musicianship alone. Kada Manja mixes African tribal drums with Radioclit’s distinctly grimy beats and to fantastic effect. After first appearing on the mixtape, Kada Manja received a substantial makeover on Warm Heart of Africa. It was transformed from a somewhat subdued and uncomplicated track into pulsating dance number (at least by The Very Best standards). Patrons of Roxanne Parlour were treated to the newly fleshed-out version.

Singles Julia and Warm Heart of Africa (which features Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig) offered further anthemic sing-a-long highlights. The later track was treated to a brilliant mid-song tempo and key change courtesy of Radioclit, guaranteeing even the insufferably hip indie kids were left dancing like the rest of us. Aside note: When several hundred people dance at once at Roxanne Parlour, the floor shakes rather terrifyingly.

Staple TVB closing track Will You Be There (the aural equivalent of a massive warm hug) ensured there wasn’t a dry-eye (or still body) in the venue. The epic seven minute MJ cover received particularly reverential The Very Best treatment, when recorded for their mixtape. Translating flawlessly to the live setting, this track somehow manages to be genuinely affecting, suitably accessible and generally fucking brilliant. This arguably epitomizes The Very Best. Affecting, accessible and brilliant.