Caught Live: Chromeo + Midnight Juggernauts @ Tripod, Dublin

“WHOA-OHHH, CHROMEOOO!”

There are few people in the world who can manage to get away with looking smug. Tonight, however, Dublin's Tripod bears witness to one such individual. Dave 1, who forms one half of Montreal electrofunk duo Chromeo, is the man in question: like a Ray-Ban-wearing cat that got the cream, he smirks, beams and winks with a wry grin throughout his band's entire set. But whereas other similarly smug folk often look like they’ve got some amazing secret in-joke that they’re too selfish to share, Dave 1 and his partner-in-crime P-Thugg are more than happy for all to join in their post-ironic sense of fun.

The show opens with arrestingly thick bass in front of a wall of blinding lights as Chromeo neons announce the pair's arrival. The catchy beats and ‘80s stylings of new tunes like ‘Don't Turn The Lights Off’, ‘Night By Night’ and ‘Hot Mess’ mesh seamlessly with highlights from previous albums, such as ‘Fancy Footwork’ and the group's ludicrously great breakout song, ‘Needy Girl’.

Let's call a spade a spade: Chromeo's sound unashamedly brings to mind legions of theme tunes from ‘80s TV shows and movies – these guys probably have the Beverly Hills Cop intro as their ringtone. Underneath it all, pockets of synth riffs and cheesy drum machine beats bubble away, while P-Thugg's talkbox brings a whiff of Daft Punk to the mix. Much like the French duo, these Canucks’ tunes are tailor-made for parties where unbridled amounts of smiling and shameless dancing dominate. Tripod tonight is transformed into one big, sweaty dancefloor – and it’s a party that continues well into the small hours next door in POD, where a DJ set from the lads prompts certain members of Team RW (who shall remain nameless – especially Mark!) to start hastily planning how they’re going to go about pulling a sickie from work in a few hours’ time.

Support on the night comes from Aussie trio Midnight Juggernauts, who’ve fought against delayed ferries to bring their ethereal, haunted guitar-laden prog-disco to Dublin for the first time since the release of sophomore LP The Crystal Axis earlier this year. ‘Tombstone’, from 2007's Dystopia, with its warped vocals, heavy samples and cavernous bass is the clear highlight of their accomplished opening set.

Our man in the pit, Mark Earley, was front and centre in Tripod to bring you a photogallery from the night. Go here to view a selection of his shots.