For those of you not equipped with an ordinance survey map, various cooking implements and a GPS, navigating the Herriot-Watt campus after dark may prove a slight challenge—equivalent to climbing Kilimanjaro with Tabasco sauce in your eyes.

A rather thin audience greet warm-up act Augusta Fireball, who smash and croon diligently beneath a web of lights. Straddling an interesting line between grunge and indie, Augusta’s minimal, earthy guitar sections suddenly bloom into massive, sizzling loud soundscapes. The Glasgow-based duo show a commendable aggression in showcasing their grungy wares incorporated with an Americana twist, with airy vocals and a great line in arpeggiated rythms, particularly on stand-out song ‘Too Late’.

Edinburgh band Isa and the Filthy Tongues are next to appear. Vocalist Stacey Chavis looks radiant with her stylish blonde hair and she floats across the stage with confidence. Their opening song is a strange sort of modern punk, punctuated by tough chanting from Chavis that betrays the teasing, easy charm of her singing voice. During the set she converses casually with the audience, some of whom evidently follow the band regularly and soak up her powerful, feminine aura.

Stylistic similarities to the swagger of Blondie are apparent—there is certainly evidence of an edgy, defiant spirit at work here. ITFT’s jagged guitars and dreamy pop have previously soundtracked Richard Jobson’s Edinburgh-based thriller "New Town Killers", befitting the ‘Burgh quartet’s widescreen appeal.

Standout tracks include ‘Do What I Want’, which leans towards early Patti Smith, and ‘Nae Tongues’, one of the best tracks you will hear this year with opening guitar notes that will make a grown man weep. ITFT serve up a mesmerising performance that bathes the Herriot-Watt Union in a warm, inviting glow that proves it a worthy venue—even if getting there is a total bugger.