The band that never stops touring, Gogol Bordello are citizens of the world. They’re self-labelled gypsy punk in part, perhaps, because of their wildly varied constituent parts and influences, but in part because of the fact that they literally live an itinerant lifestyle. Frontman Eugene Hütz is the prime example: a Ukrainian who formed his band in New York but now lives in Brazil (where he’s picked up a truly wonderful bass player), but has gathered influences from pretty much everywhere.

Of course, the Ukrainian is currently focused to a large degree on what’s happened back home, flying the yellow and blue behind him throughout tonight’s set, as well as displaying the artwork of latest, 2022 album ‘Solidaritine’, which is in no small part dedicated to the support of his countrymen.

On stage, what’s most notable about this band, which feels like a beautifully mishmashed collection almost born on the road, is how fluid and natural their stage show feels. The eight-piece weave around each other in a kind of enthralling ecstasy, each taking a turn alongside the charismatic Hütz at front and centre, where they proceed to whip up a crowd that’s as instantly taken in as you could hope for, or throw beer, or point instruments, or simply pose gloriously in a moment of rare peace.

The twin hit of the reggae-punk anthem ‘Immigrant Punk’ is the first set high, delivered four songs in. It sets a tone for the band: their ethos and aspects of their sound are punk, yes, but live the elements drawn from reggae, ska, dubstep and a kind of rich left-leaning anti-authoritarianism that serves to soothe the soul all shine through at least as powerfully.

The sound is lifted by the less conventional instrumentation. Russian electric violinist Sergei Ryabtsev, wearing a studded jacket with the words ‘spiritual advisor’ pasted across the back, is as fine a manic-paced stringsman as you could hope to meet. The accordion part, delivered by an Irish native whose name we manage to miss, adds depth, while Alfredo Ortiz, formerly of the Beastie Boys touring party, is a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays a role approaching second-frontman at times. It makes for a haphazard, slightly mangled whole that’s messiness makes the constituent parts fuse into completeness.

Down the front, the floor of the Olympia is a swirling cacophony of energy that beds in about three chords into every new tune. ‘Trans-Continental Hustle’ and ‘My Companera’ stand out as particularly boisterous moments, while the band’s biggest hit, ‘Start Wearing Purple, is delivered complete with a Spanish-language opening verse, care of Ortiz, and a sing-along punch that feels almost inappropriate for a Wednesday evening.

In between it all, the roadie is kept busy by Hütz’ tendency to knock down his mic stand, or spray the stage with the half-filled bottle of red wine he wandered on stage with. Towards the end, he slowly introduces each member after a cuttingly powerful, swirling rendition of ‘Pala Tute’ crammed with fist punches and crowd surfing.

From our angle, we can see the band tucking into beers backstage as they make the audience wait for an encore, but when they do return they fill a further 20 minutes with just four tracks, including a solo-ish rendition of ‘Alcohol’ from a half-cut Hütz, and a cover of the Angelic Upstarts anthem ‘Solidarity’ (something of a theme for the night) adapted to apply to the war in Ukraine.

By the time the 19 track set is over, nearly everyone inside the Olympia has had a serious workout, and Gogol Bordello have brought swathes of rustically assembled international culture through the door to deliver a poignant message of unity, harmony, and fun.

This band are difficult to define, but they are also a band that struggle to convert their consistently brilliant, born-of-experience live show to record, which means that consistently decent (but not quite mind-blowing) albums don’t convey how breathtakingly infectious they are in person.

In short, Gogol Bordello are fused on the road, beloved over their fans, and have enough energy to exhaust a marathon runner. That makes for one of the very best live bands you could hope to see.