With that in mind, it was no surprise that there was a festive buzz around the Twisted Pepper, despite an extraordinarily early kick off time of 6.30pm.

At 7pm, the musical treats kicked off with a set from At Last an Atlas - a boy-girl combination which has only recently expanded from being the solo efforts of main man Greg O'Brien. The pair eased into the evening with their electro-acoustic melodies, and if any flaw could be found it was the obviousness of the band's recent expansion from a solo project - with the sometimes under-emphasized contributions of Frances Downey, particularly in the vocal department. Still, tunes from debut album From Which We provided the ideal start to the evening and earned the admiration of all present.

The unique idea to use the main stage as well as two separate specially set up floor stages meant that transitions between bands were swift, with the only down side being some attendees at the back of the crammed room had a limited view of proceedings on the floor stages.

Nevertheless, after a quick chuckle from their front man about the speedy transition, SquAreHeAd launched into a set which very much proved that there was a lot more to them than a quirky use of capital letters. Live, the pop melodies take on a slightly heavier feel giving flashes of a sound not too unlike the West Coast grunge of Weezer, but probably more attributable to a mélange of influences like Neil Young, the Cure, the Smiths, Nirvana, Wipers and Stiff Little Fingers. In front man Roy "Sugar Burger" Duffy, the band definitely have an appealing and interactive stage presence, complimented by the very capable efforts of his equally extravagantly named band members, bassist Ian "Snake Hips" McFarlane and drummer Ruan "Goth Dad" van Vilet. You can check out their recorded efforts on the recently released Popical Island compilation, as well as their forthcoming single and albums. Expect their track 'Fake Blood' to be a summer favourite for years to come!

Straight on with the action, and up next are NouveauNoise, a duo from the West of Ireland who have a take on the old way of sampling, looping and electronic tomfoolery informed by a taste for real organic instrumental sounds. It was no surprise that the set comprised of material from their debut album Paraphrase Accolade - considering the album was to be launched the next night. Unfortunately the stage presence of the band was not such that everyone in the room was paying full attention to the amazing variety of airy textures and original rhythms coming from their area - perhaps this was partly due to the unusual system of stages in use on the night as much as anything else. Still, after their set and a few low key words to the audience, there was a sense that is these guys got a riveting live show, some lights and other bells and whistles to their name, they could be the great white hope of electronica, on an international scale!

Finally wrapping up the evening's proceedings just in time for the 9 o'clock news were Enemies - of the Richter Collective stable. These guys have been compared to Redneck Manifesto, but certainly bring something new to the table with their live show. A good rapport with the audience from Mark O'Brien - clearly the band's spokesperson on stage. These four Wicklow men surely know how to bang out some instrumental riffage and the highly developed and progressive interaction between the rhythm and melodic sections of the band work diligently to ensure these instrumental songs don't get boring. For more of the guys, check out their debut album We've Been Talking, out now on the Richter Collective.

So to conclude: a belly full of free chips, free booze and an uplifting showcase of what this great country has to offer in terms of original music isn't a bad result from a night, and all before 9pm.

Entries are open now for HWCH 2010 until July 30, and if this launch is anything to go by, 2010 is going to be every bit as interesting as last year.