Four years on from the smooth expertise of Why Make Sense? Hot Chip demonstrated, through their almost spiritual ensemble, that A Bath Full of Ecstasy is an album beyond just a groove to synth-pop nostalgia.

Taking to the stage with the quietly joyous ‘Huarache Lights’ lit a wave of gentle joy, installing the beginnings of the weird and the wonderful that the audience appeared familiar with. Choosing to begin with this staple mid-career track before progressing to fresher tunes illuminated how the band’s central values of defying convention continues to grow across their artistry, through infectious rhythms and vivid lyrics.

Hot Chip’s technicolour palette of UV-splashed white denim and iridescent trousers coupled with those analogue, transitional dance moves were a series of absurdities that the audience warmly welcomed, particularly as the rendition of ‘Hungry Child’ unleashed their unwavering desire to sing and dance seemingly without a care in the world. Such a warm buzz of an atmosphere was only bettered by the quietly mystic vocals of Alexis Taylor. A frontman grandiose in his lyrics and use of the keys, yet understated in quietly mystic vocals, Alexis Taylor brings to Hot Chip a colourful canvas of expression that may explain why the audience was so diverse in its age.

Hot Chip invent their own music vocabulary and by doing so create a sense of freedom and liberty so tangible that it sits universally with listeners regardless of age or experience. A Bath Full of Ecstasy makes this explicit in its escapism. It dances in your face and teases your inhibitions. The performers themselves seemed confident in their ability to carry this out, as the seamless progression from the 2006 hit ‘Boy From School’ to younger tune ‘Spell’ created no opportunity for a dip in energy, instead proving it be a song containing the same vitality as the old classics, as its performance was met with cheers and amusing recitals.

An album that might be considered as ambitious in its title in fact proved a perfect fit for the performance’s overall vibe, as the intense, hedonistic energy that was relayed to the audience was effortlessly upheld for the duration of the show. Even the encore of Beastie Boy’s ‘Sabotage’ although seemingly random and oddly placed, proved authentically quirky and reflective of the notion that Hot Chip do not perform with a facade, they instead seek to spark wonder and curiosity, an aim effectively captured by the audience who became so physically and vocally animated in their awe of such unique and infectious vibrancy.