It could be argued that the best time to see a band comes during their metamorphosis from next big thing to big thing, not before or after.

It's certainly the best time to be in a band, judging by No Doubt's sold-out performance at the Phoenix Wednesday.

Led by firebrand frontwoman Gwen Stefani, the California ska popsters had just crept up with their hit single Just A Girl, tapped a fun-starved rock audience on the shoulder and said, "We are rock stars."

It worked. With an album in Billboard's Top 10 and coveted Spin cover story in the can, No Doubt had good reason to celebrate Wednesday.

The moment Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young took the stage and launched into Sunday Morning, from their new disc Tragic Kingdom, the group was running -- rather, skanking -- victory laps.

But not once did No Doubt get cocky.

Even when openers Goldfinger joined No Doubt for an encore version of The Beatles Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, the band was well-polished.

Earlier, No Doubt cranked out a surprisingly inventive take on ska and punk styles that helped keep the safety-pinned Stefani's irreverent, grating singing style -- her girly warble sounded like a cross between Madonna, Tiny Tim and Pat Benatar -- from getting stale.

Steven Bradley and Gabe McNair offered invaluable support, alternating between top-notch trombone and trumpet duelling, keyboards, vocal harmonies and dancing.

Two whiny and hopefully tongue-in-cheek ballads aside, Stefani never lost her grip on the crowd.

Equally adept at wailing and crooning while alternating sexiness with spazziness, she was the ideal space-age lounge singer.

Besides looking like a painting from the side of a World War II bomber come to life and being the first rock star named Gwen, Stefani was also clearly aware of the irony of leading a pop band lumped in with the so-called punk revival.

"C'mon, you punk rockers," she taunted as she led a disco chant on Different People. In punk historical terms, it was more Bow Wow Wow than Sex Pistols.

Doubtless, No Doubt have no doubts about just how refreshing that is.

Jale tomorrow: Halifax band Jale play Lee's Palace tomorrow night; they did not play last night as reported yesterday. Mea culpa.

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5