Live Report: Alt-J at the Olympia Theatre

English Indie three-piece Alt-J wowed Dublin audiences last night with a set that blended technical wizadry with infectiously catchy choruses.

Always experimenters in synchronising visuals with sound, this was taken to a whole new level at the Olympia with big, vertical standing lighting rods being erected all across the stage. A multitude of colours was shot through them, always mixing perfectly with the tone of the song played.

For sexy track 'Every Other Freckle', the stage was bathed with a sensual pink glow. For 'Bloodflood', red dots traveled slowly through the rods, mimicking circulation. Adding an immersive, almost cinematic element, the highlight was the rendition of dark love song 'Adeline'. Accompanied by rising white flickers of light - resembling fireflies - the visuals served to accentuate the tune's eerie, beautiful nature.

That said, there was more to Alt-J's show than theatrics. Over three albums, the band have a plethora of tunes with big hooks - 'Fitzpatrick', 'Taro' and obvious closer 'Breezeblocks' - all of which had audiences singing. Meanwhile, in the live setting, certain tracks played better than on record. 'Left Hand Free' sounded less artificial with the track's swaggering guitar more dominant in the flesh. Meanwhile, slow-burn 'The Gospel of John Hurt' in live form transformed into an explosive stadium sized anthem.

Also, noteworthy was that the band some tracks from their latest release Reduxer, the hip-hop heavy remix album of last year's Relaxer. These moments - including a brief pre-recorded video appearance from Danny Brown - added spice to the set.

Alt-J's show most likely did not convert those unattuned to the band's distinct sound and strange, mumbly lyrics. Yet, for fans of the trio, their show was definitely something good.