The 9th March 2010 saw Transmission celebrate it's first birthday and what better way to celebrate this than to have a Stirling University student that has been involved in the live music night perform. Step forward Matthew Rawlings: Transmission's very own DJ!! From the outside looking in this may have seemed like a bit of a joke. That is, of course, until you hear Matt play and sing. Matthew Rawlings falls very much into the classification of a story telling songwriter. His lyrics meander around observations of everyday life whilst immersed in some tale of being lost in the city or of infidelity. His vocals are distinct and offer a lovely contrast in vocal styles with Jonny Terrell (Only Living Boy) who features on many of Matthew's live tracks.

 

Influences such as Bon Iver, Death Cab For Cutie and Damien Rice are obvious in both Matthew Rawling's song writing and performance. A packed Underground stood in silence as he performed a glorious set. At no point was the room empty and, giving that this was his first performance for some time, shows the potential of this young singer/songwriter. The vibe of the set was extremely ambient with stand out tracks being Blankets and Cushions, Are You Alright and GAF. An acoustic version of Blink 182's What's My Age Again also demonstrated Matthew Rawling's sense of humour which was evident through out the set. Tune to check out - Blankets and Cushions - www.myspace.com/littledrawings

Make Sparks have developed a reputation for being not only one of the tightest bands on the Scottish gig circuit, but one of the most entertaining. Interacting effortlessly with the audience and support act LightGuides, Make Sparks looked so at ease with being on stage it's hard to imagine them doing anything other than performing. The impact their songs have had on the campus here at Stirling University was demonstrated not only by the number of people that crammed into Underground to see them but by the number of people singing along.

Rewind was an obvious crowd pleaser but Light in the Sky, Hey Kid and Now You'll Listen all gained a big reaction. The gig also saw a first outing for God's Eyes which was responded to warmly by the crowd. New tracks The Answer and Question were both tested out on the new audience with the latter proving to be especially catchy. Make Sparks once again demonstrated why so much hype surrounds them on the Scottish gig circuit. The boys have now set their sights on a summer of playing festivals and then hope to find themselves a record label. Given the quality of their songs and their ability on stage, the search may be a short one. Tunes to check out - Rewind and Question - www.myspace.com/makesparksband

Having supported Twin Atlantic at a sold out ABC in Glasgow and playing the headline slot at Glasgow's Detour a matter of weeks before attending Transmission, Glasgow's LightGuides could have been forgiven for being underwhelmed by the modest surroundings of Stirling University's Student's Union. As they turned up for their support slot on the first Transmission of the Spring semester it was obvious the lads were keen to put on a show. Having been too distracted by beer, pizza and fellow performers Make Sparks, The Glasgow progressive rock trio neglected to sound check before their first track which instantly gave the night a sense of negligence that would either prove to be stunningly fantastic or catastrophically disastrous. Thankfully for all in attendance, the set was delivered with blinding precision and enthusiasm, but with a twist of recklessness just for good measure. Songs like Chameleon, SwizzleStick and Midget Gems were gloriously performed showing that their support slot for Twin Atlantic was based neither on luck or an efficient contacts list but on merit. LightGuides' raw enthusiasm, intricate and catchy guitar riffs, intelligent lyrics and sense of humour (drummer Dave Cowan may be the funniest man alive) ensure that their gigs never fail to excite!! LightGuides are definitely one of the front runners from within the Glasgow music scene to make an impression beyond the G1 poscode area and, based on this performance, deservedly so. Tune to check out - Chameleon - www.myspace.com/lightguides

Being the first Transmission act of the new semester in freshers week is never an easy gig. Especially when you only knew about the gig the very same morning and were called in as a last minute replacement for the original headline act. Glasgow's The Boycotts, however, took all this pressure in their stride to produce a banging set of exuberant indie gems. With youthful enthusiasm in abundance and given time to hone their skills, the Boycotts promise to be a prominent player on the Glasgow music scene. Tune to check out - "No-A-Yo-Yo" - www.myspace.com/ startaboycott