JANELLE MONÁE LIVE AT TRIPOD

It's a mightily cinematic night in Dublin city - the deserted streets are covered in a stubborn snowy wax and an all-out blizzard is making it very difficult for a couple of hundred punters to slip their way down Harcourt Street to Tripod. It's not Christmas Eve just yet (although it flipping well looks like it!), but it is someone's birthday.

Yes, exactly 25 years ago to this day, Jesus, Allah or the ghost of Jimi Hendrix (or possibly the combined celestial forces of all three) created a devastatingly enigmatic little freak by the name of Janelle Monáe. Now adored by everyone from Big Boi to Barack Obama, the multi-faceted ArchAndroid brings her Wondaland Arts Society to Dublin for the first time, before traveling back across the water to, you know, play Madison Square Garden with Prince.

All things considered, the WAS operate with a pretty modest set-up. Sure, there are ten people on stage, including two rather free-spirited dancers and as many dapper henchmen, but there's no glitzy backdrop, elaborate costumes or flaming "Janelle" sign here. Monáe's team of Androids seem happy to ditch the dazzle in favor of bags of otherworldly quirk (hooded monks and grooving nuns abound), and let the bulk of the expectation rest soundly on her miniature shoulders. This little stick of dynamite immediately sets about blowing minds and breaking hearts with her hopelessly slick dance moves, bug-eyed facial expressions and simply staggering voice, never more beautiful than on the oft-too schmaltzy reality talent show favourite 'Smile'.

Trippy favourite 'Mushrooms & Roses' provides the soundtrack to an impromptu art class, where Monáe paints a wonky torso onto canvas. 'Tightrope' is electric, as expected, and makes for a perfect opportunity to turn our affections towards the funkiest horn section in Metropolis. For 'Come Alive', the birthday girl is literally handed over the barrier to the dance floor, where I'm expecting she'll meet her maker at the tender age of 25. Quite the contrary, actually - a heaving crowd is more than gracious to their spazz-happy hostess, leaving her plenty of room to crouch, whisper, bounce and squawk to her heart's content.

The fearful tune of 'Cold War' is belted out in tandem with clips of Muhammad Ali throwing punches in the ring and by the end of the night, several tunes have brought Monáe to her knees. This pint-sized wonder performs from the tip of her quiff right down to the sole of her spats - she even blows out her candles with superstar aplomb (the Irish population do a mean version of 'Happy Birthday'…)!

We may have only seen a caricature of Janelle in 2010, but no questions remain unanswered after a show like this - her Dublin debut will be remembered as a timeless staging of one of the albums of the year and a wonderful tribute to any number of soul singers I could name who performed with every inch of their bodies

Thank God they still make them like Monáe.