Los Campesinos! gives fans what they want during Noise Pop 2017

The indie band knows its musical potential and limitations while being tongue-in-cheek about their own image and legacy — and fans still love it.

The seven-piece band hail from Cardiff, Wales where it first made a name for itself with its debut album “Hold On Now, Youngster…” in 2008, upending the indie rock genre with a rush of saccharine pop over decidedly dark, angst-ridden lyrics.

Lead singer/glockenspiel player Gareth Campesinos! (all band members go by the surname Campesinos!) said as much during a tour stop in San Francisco on Friday, Feb. 24, where he and the band played to a sold-out crowd at the Great American Music Hall as part of Noise Pop festival, a 12-day long celebration which marks its 25 anniversary this year.

“It can be pretty tedious when bands play new songs, but we have to,” Gareth admitted after playing a few singles from the band’s latest album, “Sick Scenes” (released earlier that day).

Throughout the show, fans screamed along to the melodrama of lyrics such as, “Fate’s a cruel mistress, girl, the prettiest in the world / She dresses loosely in a bathrobe with her hair up in curls.”

There were audience members spanning generations, everyone from those reliving their high school years to young teens excited to discover the eclectic indie acts in this year’s Noise Pop lineup (Crying, No Vacation and the Y Axes warmed up the crowd that night).

All the while, the band filled the venue with cheery xylophone and synth, frenzied riffs from guitarists Neil and Tom, delicate female harmonizing from keyboardist Kim and exuberant choruses.

Dancing! The song capitalizes on what the band does best, taking an entire minute and a half to build up a chaotic backdrop of layered guitar, bass and percussion before spilling into a joyous, poppy celebration of… ignorance?