For the record: Karen O remained firmly on the stage at all times during Wednesday’s first of two Yeah Yeah Yeahs shows in Sydney. There was dancing, jumping, shimmying, gesturing and gyrating, but thankfully not a tumble in sight for the duration of the night.

The crowd outside the Enmore was littered with scene kids and many the O impersonator, waiting patiently through the rain and cold. Not long after the doors were opened the first support act took the stage, California-based singer-songwriter Imaad Wassif. A touring partner of the band in the US, he produced a remarkably big sound for just one guy and a guitar. His melodic, melancholy and ambient songs gained enthusiastic applause from the primed Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans.

Up next were Sydney’s Van She (dubbed “She-Van” by the lady at the merch stand earlier in the night), who found themselves playing to a demographic that was perfect for their ubër-trendy image and highly-synthesised sound. Their set was loud and in-your-face, and was incredibly well received. During their radio hit “Kelly” the mosh pit had a bit of a dance and sing, and then the set finally gave way to that seemingly endless wait for the lights to go down.

Against the Show Your Bones backdrop the YYY’s emerged, with the divine Miss O making as spectacular an entrance as ever. With the notable exception of drummer Brian Chase being quite suitably attired, the weird and wonderful wardrobes of the band members were on full display. Think astronaut suit, sparkly shirts, and a dramatic leotard/tights/sci-fi headgear ensemble. I urge you to take a look at photos from the night, as no words I could possibly supply would do these outfits justice.

To riotous cheers the band kicked off with ‘Gold Lion’, just the first in the veritable arsenal of booty-shaking, punk-rockin’ tunes that ensued. The setlist for the night featured most of the new album, with ‘Cheated Hearts’ and ‘The Sweets’ particularly going off. ‘Art Star’ and ‘Miles Away’ from the self-titled EP were also included, the former being nominated as the favourite by many hardcore fans. However, the consensus vote for the night’s standout numbers was for tracks from Fever To Tell, including ‘Pin’ and ‘Y Control’.

The Enmore Theatre is one of the few major venues in Sydney that has maintained a great atmosphere, which was electric on the night. One thing that the Enmore has always excelled at is lighting, and this reputation was not let down. Coloured lights hit strategically placed disco balls lying around the stage, creating constellations across the crowd and ceiling. Perfectly timed spotlights were always present to capture pivotal moments, and the effects added a great deal to the overall experience.

Barely a word was spoken all night as Karen bounded around the stage. She struggled to maintain her mystique and hide her exuberance at the crowd and the surroundings, with a wide grin and even occasionally a giggle appearing throughout her performance. To say that a Yeah Yeah Yeahs show rests upon an individual performance is not to minimise the effort that the rest of the band put in; it’s just that when Karen O is on the stage it is hard to look at anything else. Her performance was sexy, frenzied, vocally almost flawless, and yet still much more in control than on previous tours.

After just 42 minutes the band left the stage, returning after a healthy interval with a cooled-down version of ‘Poor Song’. To follow was possibly the most anticipated song of the night, judging from the very stylish white tees on offer at the merch stand. Clearly, the effect of the simple words ‘Wait – they don’t love you like I love you’ have not diminished over time. “This is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs love song,” proclaimed Karen O, “This song is about l-o-v-e LOVE!”. The sing-along rendition of ‘Maps’ was kinetic and impassioned, and well worth the anticipation. Finally, ‘Tick’ rounded out the show, and Sydney once again farewelled New York’s finest until such time as they shall return to rock us once again.