There are certain people who seem to radiate a type of joy that comes from something deeper, more frequency-changing than simply stage presence: Dolly Parton, for instance, or Beyoncé. In the indie sphere, meanwhile, there’s no-one more luminous than Karen O. The unequivocal coolest woman of her generation (and most others), since the birth of Yeah Yeah Yeahs as part of New York’s blistering, turn-of-the-century indie boom, she’s been the technicolour beating heart of the band. Nick Zinner, with his gothic frame and shock of black hair, wrangles his guitar; Brian Chase smashes the cans at the back. But Karen is the unicorn at the centre: your favourite mad art teacher gone punk; a frontwoman as beloved for her taste in sparkly capes as she was for previously, regularly deep-throating her microphone.
It’s to a suitably reverential audience that the trio take to the Royal Albert Hall stage for their Hidden In Pieces tour: a 25th anniversary celebration of their career that sees them digging through the archives, reimagining old classics with a string section, and underlining their rightful status as a bona fide alternative institution. O is resplendent in a shimmering green-gold jumpsuit and pink glittery boots that she later swaps out for the sort of light up trainers that would make any six-year-old squeal with delight. The effect is like a particularly chic Aladdin, let loose in Toys R Us: pure Karen, utterly perfect.
