Sheffield Academy has just endured support act Duchess Says, who produced a high pitched screeching which can best be described as strange.

Fortunately the Yeah Yeah Yeah's are on their way and the capacity crowd are in for a treat. Costume changes, audience participation and a one woman show, not your average gig. With three albums to their name, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's have an extensive back catalogue to choose from and they didn’t disappoint.  Karen O charged onto stage like a woman possessed and the rest of the gig followed suit. Set at a 100 mile per hour tempo, it was difficult to catch a breath as one song followed the other at a frenetic pace.

Opening with ‘Runaway’ from most recent album It’s Blitz! and followed by ‘Dull Life’, the show kicked off in dramatic fashion as Nick Zinner flexed his muscles on guitar, while Karen O screamed her way through the tracks as only she knows. ‘Black Tongue’ let Karen O push her vocals to the limit as she really revved up the crowd whilst ‘Pin’ followed to more audience approval.

I wasn’t quite sure whether I was watching a rock gig or a fashion show as Ms O even had time for a costume change as multi-coloured extravagance seemed to be the name of the game. Karen O was obviously enjoying herself so much she joined the crowd in ‘Zero’ and even indulged in allowing her adoring public to participate as the song reached its’ conclusion. It is impossible to take your eyes off the swaggering O, she simply stole the show as her band-mates stood in effortless appreciation.

The encore drew some real crowd pleasers as a euphoric atmosphere encompassed the venue. ‘Maps’ a beautifully crafted melody that acted as a sing-along and ‘Date With The Night,’ the finale of a gig which couldn’t fail but please. A balcony view wasn’t the preferred option but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a must see.

Posted In Live Reviews, Dec 10 2009. Words - Richard