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For such an underground band, Vivian Girls have faced an unusually close examination into their own personalities and appearances. Maybe it’s evidence of the unfair pressures placed upon women in music or perhaps it’s what can be expected for a band that has developed under the bright lights of the blogosphere. Either way it has sometimes felt that the least interesting thing about the Vivian Girls has been their music.

The controversy surrounding one particular interview in which the band appeared to scoff at the lifestyles of ‘normal people’ has since become part of indie folklore. It’s tiresome to trudge through all of this again, but it’s perhaps a partial explanation for why the band looks so cautious about imposing themselves upon the audience. There’s none of the sassy banter that first got them into trouble. They mutter the odd pleasantry but look as though they’d prefer to let the songs speak for themselves.

If October’s ‘Everything Goes Wrong’ re-established the band as three tattooed girls singing pretty punk songs about boys, then their tight live show should serve as a further reminder of the musical prowess that first caught people’s attention. They fill the venue with a warm and often brash holler. Clanging open chords reverberate across the room, contrasting with sugary harmonies that lift the songs to a higher plateau.

The set consists mostly of the band’s shorter, faster songs. It’s almost as if they’re trying to prove a point, pausing only for a charming acapella rendition of The Chantels’ ‘He’s Gone,’ before returning to their instruments to bash through more of their own songs.

In a rare moment of crowd interaction, bassist Kickball Katy compliments a member of the audience for his SSD (Boston hardcore band) sweatshirt. A fleeting and insignificant detail perhaps, but away from the hype, the controversy and the girl-group covers, Vivian Girls have their roots buried deep in punk rock territory and are doing a great job of reconnecting.