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A packed crowd at the O2 Academy murmured amongst themselves as the house lights dipped for five minutes before the talismanic Karen O strode out wearing an outfit almost as loud as the rapturous cheers or as bizarre as the large eye prop hovering behind her. Whether the roar of the crowd continued or not, no-one could tell, as seconds later the band launched into 'Gold Lion', the lead single from the band's 2006 album 'Show Your Bones', with the frontwoman's vocals echoing around the venue's ornate coffers .

The opener came to a close showcasing the magnificent punk drumming of Brian Chase, whose power and intensity propelled the band into 'Dull Life', with Karen O pogoing across the stage, arms aloft throughout the instrumental break then shrieking the chorus in her trademark fashion. Onlookers lined the tiers of the balcony, dancing along in time with the rhythm section and the die-hards below as the singer announces 'We sing the nightmare of the lies that you speak'.

The band's balance between adrenalin-fuelled punk and moments of delicate tenderness has earned them an adoring fanbase and it's clear to see how when watching them perform 'Runaway'. Despite her stature,  the imperious O manages to look fragile during the song's quiet refrain, before shaking off the shackles and delighting the crowd with an pounding version of 'Pin', with swathes of noise backing the repeated chorus of 'we're gonna go back in/ we're gonna go go go' before being cut short with a mass of effects over Nick Zinner's thrashing guitar.

The venue seems somewhat too clean cut for the yelping, screeching and energy on display, with such rawness more suited to the beloved darkness and intimacy of the Joiners than the polished bars and uniformed security of the O2 Academy.

Two songs later and the band launch into recent hit 'Zero', supported by a sea of arms aloft  clapping in time with the synth-laden intro and pockets of fans giving 'oo-oo' shouts evoking memories of the venue's former guise as a nightclub even more than the electronic beats on stage. This sound further demonstrates the band's diversity and evolution, as lights frantically pulse it strikes me that this sound couldn't be more removed from the New York punk sound of the band's debut if it tried, but the quality remains.

Confetti rains down at the song's climax, much to the delight of the crowd, whose enthusiasm doesn't go unnoticed as a (now leather jacket clad) Karen growls a barely decipherable 'sounds like a party night in Bournemouth!', which is reciprocated with a huge cheer.

A few quieter songs later and the crowd got a little restless, despite an excellent version of 'Skeletons' which may not have delivered the energy some desired, but was beautifully crafted and Karen slowly swayed across the stage with her hood up, like a sexy Mumm-ra of Thundercats fame.

The crowd, a mass of jaunty haircuts, eyeliner and a rainbow of colours, each competing to look quirkier than the next, came back to life courtesy of a punchy version of 'Soft Shock' and a drum-heavy 'Cheated Hearts', the latter bringing back the stadium-style clapping from those at ground level, which ended the song as the only backing to the melodic vocal.

Without time to catch their breath, the biggest cheer so far greets the opening chords of 'Heads Will Roll' and soon every section of the crowd is dancing and singing in unison at every level of the venue. This continues as the band hurtle through 2004 single 'Y Control', with the line 'I wish I could buy back the woman you stole' echoing as they left the stage to raucous applause and feedback.

The band soon returned, as jubilant as they must have been exhausted, as they draw their 2009 UK tour to a close thanking all who'd played a part and asking 'y'all feeling that holiday cheer?' before the highlight of the evening – a long, atmospheric and frankly wonderful acoustic version of 'Maps', which must rank as one of my favourite musical moments of 2009.

Many would argue this would've been a fitting finale to the show, but I welcomed the gutsy, angular 'Date With The Night' as the night's closing number as a passionate and fast-paced reminder of how I first fell for the group's punk sound.

Yeah Yeah Yeah's at The O2 Academy, Bournemouth, 10th December 2009.