When the dapper New York four-piece first emerged onto the scene with their debut album Turn on The Bright Lights in 2002, their dark urban soundscapes drew comparison with Manchester's Joy Division and The Chameleons.

But with two more albums under their belts the copyist tags have become steadily redundant as they forge their own sophisticated and majestic musical identity.

Following an entertaining set by retro-synth support outfit Ladytron, the sellout Academy Crowd waited in anticipation for Interpol's first gig in Sheffield for three years.

Vocalist Paul Banks strolled onstage wearing a trilby and bassist Carlos Dengler sported a moustache - but these were the only stylish concessions to current indie trends.

The band kicked off with three surefire audience favourites Pioneer to the falls, PDA and hit single Slowhand. Immediately it was obvious years of touring have honed and tightened their musicianship, with immense drumming from Sam Fogarino, soaring guitar from Daniel Kessler and Dengler's sweeping basslines.

Their sound has been fattened by the addition of a session synthesizer player and the whole band's musicianship transformed since their early gigs. The concert, one of a few pre-festival warm-ups was not an album tour so fans were treated to a roughly equal mix of tracks from their three albums.

From the atmospheric strummed intro of The Lighthouse to the powerhouse Obstacle One, the band put plenty of light and shade into the mix. Bank's understated vocals and oblique lyrics often require work from the listener, but when the encore is as good as the heart-stopping anthemic NYC, the band knock more lively and up-front competitors such as The Editors into a cocked hat.