Amid the balloons, smoke machine and sparkling faces of the crowd, the Northcote Social Club played host to dazzling talent on Saturday night. The launch of the debut EP from Melbourne band Northeast Party House has been highly anticipated; particularly for those dedicated followers who thrive on the crazy dance music they create.

Since being discovered in 2010 thanks to a streak of high energy local performances and winning a spot at Pyramid Rock, they have played alongside the likes of Yuksek, Kimbra, The Go! Team and Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The final leg of their national tour, appropriately in their home town before heading around Victoria, was a completely sold-out event, probably helped along by recent exposure of one of their support bands: Snakadaktal (winners of Triple J Unearthed High this year).

Snakadaktal played a cracker of an opening set with their wistful, dream-like melodies and experimental, psychedlic instrumental jams. Their young faces were covered with glitter as they performed with the poise of veteran musicians, rather than just high school students. Each song seamlessly drifted into the next, including ‘Air’ and ‘Chimera’, which has been making waves all over Triple J for the past month. They finished off with an awesome cover of Swedish House Mafia, setting the party vibe for the rest of the night. It’s a shame that the support act to follow, Mildlife, faced technical difficulties because their electronic jungle jamming had serious potential. The feeling of frustration the band encountered radiated into the crowd, who had been lapping up their music with enthusiasm and were undoubtedly disappointed the set was disturbed. I’ve made note I’ll have to check them out at a later date, hopefully with faultless technology, to hear what they are really capable of.

As the headline act began soundcheck, the curtains remained closed and faint flashes of light would occasionally be seen, heightening the excitement. The occasional pluck of a guitar string and beat of a drum on stage led the impatient crowd to grow ever more so as they waited for Northeast Party House to begin. Finally, the first notes of ‘Stand Tall’ kicked off, resulting in a wild response from the animated audience. The members of the band stood among smoke and balloons as they pounded their way through their energetic set. Lead singer Zach Hamilton-Reeves has an effortlessly soulful, smooth voice, which somehow doesn’t falter or fall behind the intense pace of the band. And nor does it distract from the essence of the music; voice and instrumentation complement eachother perfectly in this performance. A mosh was formed almost immediately, with members of the crowd dancing wildly and crowd surfers occasionally diving into the sea of hands. Notably less crazy than last time I’d seen them, it seems Northeast Party House had no choice but to tone it down to avoid chaos (a happy chaos, but chaos regardlesss) ensuing amongst the punters. Though clearly ecstatic at the response, Zach had to remind people to ‘chill out a bit’ so everyone could enjoy themselves and nobody's heads got inadvertently kicked in by a crowd surfer. Despite this, the band still looked like they were having the times of their lives as the boys, most who went to the same high school as Snakadaktal, jammed together and jumped around as they played. Musically, they’re all super talented. It’s clear that they’ve played together for a while, as they seem to have distinct skill at remaining in symmetry with one another – there is never any doubt that this is a band, an ensemble, rarely dominated by a particular member. The set was versatile, featuring the charming, catchy, slower paced track ‘Horror Hud’ and extending to the crazier, dance numbers for which they’re becoming known. ‘Dusk’, the track which gained them exposure through Triple J unearthed, was a highlight with its loud, powerful, catchy guitar and synth hook – probably still my favourite Northeast Party House track. Unsurprisingly, the final track was the single ‘Embezzler’, virtually tearing the house down, with the band letting really loose. The response from the audience was, needless to say, fanatical. For this song, lead guitarist Jack Shoe dropped his instrument and somehow produced the mad, animal-like sounds occurring throughout the track. ‘Embezzler’, to me, is the essence of Northeast Party House’s self-affirmation to ‘not take themselves too seriously’, and, in doing so, to quote Triple J’s ‘The Doctor’, ‘now other people can’. 'Crack house furniture party' music at its best.

In case anyone had forgotten, just before the end of the set, Zach said with humility and gratitude, ‘We’re Northeast Party House, and we wouldn’t be anything without you’. Hopefully with the inevitable success to come they can keep this relationship with the fans, and remain energised, talented, confident yet humble, as these things emanate in their music and totally epitomise their appeal.