BBC Introducing East Midlands gig brings together upcoming talent
As people walked into the venue, the mixed crowd of veteran rock fans and younger indie fans headed to the bar for a pint or put their coats away, getting ready for the 7:30pm show of up-and-coming artists.
At the Metronome, just off Huntingdon Street, people excitedly lined up in the rain to see the latest talent from BBC Introducing on January 31, 2024.
To kick off the night, Dean Jackson of BBC Radio Nottingham introduced Set In Motion, a freshly made band of Trent students with an angsty alt-rock sound, playing a mix of unreleased tracks like their fast paced song “Runner” and their debut single “Break Free” with a pace that builds tension for a cathartic end.
Next on stage was Jude Forsey, a confetti student who blends genres from pop-punk to hyper-pop; he brought a new sound to the stage, not quite expected from the crowd. With pitched-up vocals and ansty tracks, he brought something new, performing glitchy “Searching” and the high energy track “At This Party”.
The third band April Tapes, hailing from Chesterfield, stole the show entering the stage one by one as drummer Goose played them on as each instrument joined in stepping into their first song. They won the crowd over with their ability to engage the audience even when a member needed to tune their guitar. Not to mention their promising indie sound on tracks “Giving Up” and “Those Days”.
Last but certainly not least, Lucy Crisp ended the show with energy and enthusiasm for the Nottingham crowd. As an alumni of Confetti and Fly Live, her radio roots showed when introducing each song telling the story of her EP “65 roses”, which is a play on words of cystic fibrosis bringing a feel good energy to end the night out with upbeat pop and synth elements.
Overall, I highly recommend going to a BBC Introducing gig to find your next favorite artist, not through Discover Weekly for once, and saying you knew them before they hit it big. It’s a fun night out with friends and between each act, you’ll be debriefing the last performance’s mishaps or best track.
If you want to catch a cheap or free show head over to Metronome. It’s a great all-ages venue that is not far from the city campus with an intimate stage and a free cloakroom.
The next BBC Introducing East Midlands gig is on March 6 with four more up-and-coming local artists.
