A trio of brashly diverse bands rocked out a crowded room in one my fave places for live music and intimate lounging. This hugely successful night of stylish bands fit the bill snugly for the September Modular Party.

I found a comfortable sofa early to conserve energy for the usual long night of set ups, pack ups and stage shows. Local lads Femme Fatale warmed up the room and hit the stage running for their debut live performance. Three guys full of youthful exuberance and a Travelodge bagful of ego driven songs caught in a cage fight between KLF, Devo, Gary Numan and the Sex Pistols. The Femmes set dragged on a bit but it’s early days for them, and they may well prove to be an act with a bright future.

Up next was Sydney act teenagersintokyo (four attractive front ladies and lone male Rudy) all ready to party. These quirky kids seem to have everything going for them – sassy looks, quirky humour and funky beats. Current single End It Tonight sounds even better live than it does on radio. Frantic drums with solid bass were the focus of this set with the odd cow bell thrown in for good measure. It seems every current cool band needs a cowbell to be in the loop. I like it! Banshee vocals from Sam, taiko-style drumming from guitarist Sophie and sample hits from drummer Rudy all made for an impressive set of songs with layers of countless likeable elements.

Cut Off Your Hands appeared next, resplendent in matching hand-painted tee shirts featuring coloured triangles in different patterns. Their previous two visits from Auckland must have won a few hearts as people sang and danced al night happily sharing the small dance floor. These four guys know how to rock, abandoning keyboards for a bravado wall of raw punk sound interplayed with a touch of polished Brit-pop. By the third track, the energy in the room was the most intense I’ve experienced for a while for such an up and coming band – not in a crazy push-shove way, just controlled hype. Frontman Nick Johnston started a mosh trend early by falling forward into the front rows, leading two guys to follow suit in the next few songs. Security weren’t too happy about this and demanded a moshing ban which the band sensibly acknowledged. The appreciative crowd behaved themselves and kept their feet on the ground when not busy dancing.

Non-stop punchy songs kept rolling out, highlighted by popular single Still Fond where I imagined them on a small black and white TV screen in the 60’s pop rock era. A Morrissey -like number caught my attention as did the catchy single Closed Eyes with its Buzzcocks influence. They threw in a cover by 60’s garage rockers The Sonics called The Witch and then it was over for Cut Off Your Hands in an all too brief set. They’ll have to work on an encore for the next promised visit later in the year.

As the bands packed up the tunes were cranked for the monthly Modular Party which continued into the wee hours.