Wales is famous for two things: Princess Diana and the Super Furry Animals. Most tourists only know the area for its proximity to England, but Wales boasts a rich culture and one of the best experimental indie bands on the planet. The Super Furry Animals are the perfect blend of experimental rock and catchy pop that makes them a treat to listen to, and a pleasure to see live.Opening the intense set at the Paradise Rock Club last Monday was Boom Bip, an experimental DJ whose meandering tracks and technical expertise were perfectly suited to set the mood for the rest of the show. Behind him was projected footage from home movies and bizarre animated sequences, interspersed with live footage of him spinning on stage. This backdrop would continue into the Animals' set.

Finally, after what seemed like the longest set-up ever, the Super Furry Animals took the stage ... kind of. A guitar tech pressed a button on keyboardist Cian Ciaran's technical setup, prompting the lush techno of "Stooges" to begin, backed by an animated short of a couple - coded in red and blue - in different sexual positions. As the song built to a peak, the Animals themselves took to the stage, picking up their instruments in time to provide a blistering instrumental end to the song. Without any introduction whatsoever, they blasted straight into "Rings Around," the title track from their new CD, "Rings Around the World." The tune was a mix of heavy rock and irresistible pop vocals, complete with catchy, Beatle-esque harmonies. Vocalist Gruff Rhys and guitarist Huw Bunford's voices blended into a heady combination of earnest effort and sarcastic irony. The animation in the background - created by Rhys himself - was perfectly timed to the rhythm of the song.

The set continued much in this way, as the audience used the brief pauses in between the songs to shout out their requests to the band. While they looked amused, none of the band members acknowledged any of these requests, instead opting to stun the audience with a rapid performance of "Sidewalk Serfer," "Bad Behavior" and "She's Got Spies" all played back-to-back. Before launching into "Arnofio," however, Rhys paused to thank the audience for coming out, while Bunford and bassist Guto Pryce pretended to listen carefully to audience requests. Then came a real treat: The introduction of a new song, called "Bleed Forever." Rhys stumbled about the stage a moment, wearing a monster mask that had been put out for him, before revealing his true face and introducing the song to the audience in his thick Welsh accent. The song was sweet and slow; a surprisingly romantic tune considering the title. By the end of the ballad, most of the audience was singing along to the chorus and swaying back and forth in rapture.

The band then launched, without pause, into "Cockpit," a smooth pop song that sounded like it belonged in a James Bond movie from the '70s. Most of the audience was entranced by the spectacular animation that accompanied the song; a cartoon short shot in the same style of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" film that showed a commercial airplane dodging missiles made of cigars and tipped with human faces in a flight from Florida to Cuba. The political satire was not lost on the audience, who chuckled their way through most of the extremely catchy tune.

The band continued to flow easily through its setlist, barely pausing to breathe between songs, and often seamlessly blending two or more different pieces. Another highlight came again five songs later, with the much anticipated performance of "Juxtaposed With U," one of the Animals' most popular tracks. The audience was out in full force for that song, singing happily along with the band: "Let's get juxtaposed, juxtaposed / Just suppose I juxtapose with you." There was even a failed attempt at a mosh pit. The high energy continued through blistering renditions of "Do Or Die" and "Out of Control," before beginning to calm down with "Calimero" and "Man Don't Fuck." And, as an extra treat for their listeners, the band closed its brilliant set with "Gwreiddau Dwfn," the flourishing ambient closer to their Welsh-language album, "Mwng."

While most concert-goers were disappointed by the absence of an encore, I was delighted with the entire night. The set was flowing, beautiful, and accompanied by some of the best animation I have ever seen. The Super Furry Animals demonstrated their ability to translate their complicated songs - no matter how experimental - into a fantastic and energizing live show that left no one indifferent and no eardrum not ringing. Their banter with the audience, while minimal, was excited and sincere, and their dedication to giving us the best time they could was apparent even from the tiny corner at the side of the stage where I was squeezed. The band radiated pure happiness, causing the audience to glow in return. I am still glowing the next day with only the memory of music and magic dancing through my head. The best Britpop band strikes again, and in such a delicious way.