On the one hand, Mancunian icons James sit quite comfortably amid the sound of 90s indie. On another, they’re renegades; a law unto themselves with a hippie edge, experimental lyrics and an unwillingness to conform to anything approaching convention. Currently touring as a nine-piece, Tim Booth’s outfit achieved an unlikely landmark earlier this year: a first UK number one with ‘Yummy’. Unlikely because in the context of their various hits over the years, it just seems incredible that it’s taken this long.

Their support tonight is The Zutons, a band that have not aged as well as the band they are here to warm up for. They’re a charming lot, boisterous and bouncy, blending offbeat indie cool with ska elements and punchy enthusiasm. There are fine moments to be had, too, not least in the emphatic bracketing melody of their set, ‘Zuton Fever’, which seemingly aims to set an energy to the whole thing. Of course, ‘Valerie’, the hit later made famous by Amy Winehouse, is their finest corner, a vibrant offering, but all in, it’s all very watchable but not all that memorable.

Now more than 40 years into a turbulent career, James in 2024 are the purest of vibes. Overwhelmingly lyrically positive, they play like a band having huge fun doing something they love. During early tracks, Tim Booth strolls around to simply watch different members of his band play. The setlist varies wildly from night to night, and, by Booth’s own account, even during the show. They burst between throbbing, driving guitar lines and glistening singles with the kind of flower-tinged positivity that gives a soaring, hippie feel to it all.

Of course, being the antithesis to Taylor Swift’s “all songs but two planned” approach to live music is part of what makes James exciting, and the Dublin setlist, is, as Booth says, a response to the last time they were here; an attempt to give the fans variety. In practice, that means quite a lot of stuff from the vastly underappreciated ‘Yummy’, which stands out from pretty much everything else released this year in terms of its playful flow, served up alongside lots of nods to their vast back catalogue.

Early on we’re treated to the gloriously bitty melody of ‘Waltzing Along’ and a punchy ‘Life’s A Fucking Miracle’, before a portion of the set turns into something approaching a nod to the sparkling ‘Best Of’ album, we’re ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Ring The Bells’ the subject of massive sing-alongs. In the middle the band go a little high concept. There’s ‘Mobile God’, a pointed stab at modern day mobile phone culture during which there’s a notable absence of mobiles poking out above the crowd, and ‘Five-O’, during which the band are digitally transformed on the stage backdrop into aged versions of themselves.

A nod has to be given in general, in fact, to the fine live cinematography involved in the show. From those art-deco flowers that have become a symbol of the band flowing down the screen, to the entire audience being transformed live into captivated robots, it’s an impressive live set up that arguably isn’t needed, but certainly enhances.

We’re treated to another hit parade towards the end as Booth refuses an encore in favour of fitting another track in. ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’ have both always felt oddly out of place in the broader context of James and their tendency to eschew obvious accessibility, but they’re euphoric smash hits, and instantly turn the whole place into a fist-pumping throng. The two smashes bracket ‘Getting Away With It’, a setlist call that’s clearly made on stage, and ‘Beautiful Beaches’, perhaps the finest of James’ more recent releases and a track that kind of soothes with its soulful side.

Even today, and with a massive cult following, James feel like indie for the displaced; a kind of anti-lad rock approach to guitar music with a massively broad scope and beautifully positive feeling to it all. To top it off, this is the least choreographed show you’re likely to come across. They’re not quite making it up as they go along, but they’re as vibrant and varied as this kind of live music comes, and likely an entirely different experience night to night.

All in, James are a band that still feel like they’re evolving even after four decades, and what they serve up is an absolute vibe.