Tonight’s gig marked their first in the capital (and country) in four years, and contrary to the UK, Europe or US, where they play umpteen gigs/festivals per album cycle, the sheer wait marks this performance something of a treat.

Even though the band haven’t released anything great since Antics nor anything consistent since Our Love To Admire, the atmosphere tonight is one of unapologetic fun which is just as well as no other atmosphere would allow for frontman Paul Banks’ pony tail. Seriously, it’s more misguided than the falsetto on "Ancient Ways".

Nonetheless, the gig is an absolute hoot, drawing on a back catalog which has gained some vintage over the years. Obviously “Evil" and "Slow Hands" get everyone going nuts, but there’s serious joy to hear “Stella…”, “Say Hello to the Angels”, and “Rest My Chemistry” be so rapturously received.

“All the Rage Back Home” - the lead single and standout track from latest album El Pintor - gets people bopping like loons. It’s a song given much more umph live, and it benefits.

Some of their better known hits were absent from the setlist - namely “The Heinrich Maneuver” and criminally (to this reviewer and one-time meg-fan, at least) “Obstacle 1”, but that wasn’t enough to spoil the fun.

The bonhomie was reciprocated too, with Banks seemingly more comfortable striking a rapport with the audience in Spanish than he does in front of English speaking audiences. The drummer, Sam Fogarino, also seemed heartened by the adulation on offer, taking to the mic to address “the best fucking crowd in the world.” Of course it could be empty-hearted bullshit, but Interpol don’t really come across as the sort who would insincerely dish out such platitudes.

And heck, perhaps tonight its best to take things at face-value; to overlook a couple of dodgy albums and the dodgiest of dodgy haircuts, and to appreciate a band that made some belting albums a few albums ago, that still have great fun playing them live in far flung corners of the globe.