The last occasion the Twilight Sad played Ireland they were singing out their woes in the June sunshine in front of a yawning field in North Dublin. That gig was a support for the Cure and they did well holding their own on a day when the punters really weren't in the market for anything beyond baroque nostalgia.

Six months or so on, it was the flinty Lanarkshire five-piece who were welcomed like conquering heroes as they floored the Button Factory with a knock-out set. With frontman James Graham by turns moshing, mooching and laying bare his secret pain, this was a cathartic turn from a group who have taken up the Robert Smith mantle of complex and even uplifting misanthropy. All hail the cultured post-goths who made you glad you were alive.

They didn't stint on fan favourites either. 'There's A Girl in the Corner' glittered darkly, 'I'm Not Here (Missing Face)' blended Mogwai style guitar meltdowns with heart-baring lyrics. This was all building up to the emotional centrepiece: a cover of Frightened Rabbit's 'Keep Yourself Warm' dedicated to their fallen comrade Scott Hutchison, who passed away last year.

Graham was close to Hutchison and the Twilight Sad's take on his song trembled with ennui and earnestness. It was a moving tribute – and another reminder of Twilight Sad's status as gold star anthemic rockers hiding in plain sight.