BBC Bristol Introducing

Bristol is such an amazing city for new music. It’s a bit of a travesty that the only world famous bands to come out of Bristol are Massive Attack, Portishead and The Wurzels (not that they aren’t all amazing, Wurzels included) but because we got so much more to offer. Nowadays though it can be a real struggle getting a record deal, OK getting your music out there is less of a problem with sites like MySpace and YouTube but people have got to be actively looking for you. This is where BBC Introducing comes in. Regional radio stations across the country are following suit, having a regular programme to showcase the talent of local musicians. This is well worth a listen if you want to be kept in the loop or want to beat your pals to the next big thing. Bands featured include Olo Worms, The Volt and Emily Breeze.

BBC Bristol Introducing is a great resource for up and coming bands, events and people who want to hear about these. I was on here once, and had a great time in the studio playing live and being interviewed to tens of people…
It’s such a shame that the actual programme is actually broadcast at 1am on a Saturday night, who’s going to listen then? At least you can listen again.

I have to agree with the other two previous reviews on this one. BBC Bristol Introducing is a fantastic late night show from 1am-​3am on Saturday nights, featuring a whole gamut of local acts across all genres, from the most chin-​strokingly abstract electronica to the most singalong pop numbers in waiting. It’s literally a rundown of top shows to check out during the week after the show has aired, with tunes from the headliners being played to help you decide if it’s your bag. On top of this, they’ll often play a bunch of tunes from a local new release that’s particularly note-​worthy, have interviews with acts, promotors and record labels, and finally feature the odd live session that is recorded at the BBC’s studio. If you can’t stay up that late to catch the show live, or you’re still out partying at that time, you can always get the show on BBC’s iPlayer for the entire week after it was first broadcast. Oh, and if you’re in a band or you’re a solo act after some attention, send your music to Introducing — they’ll always play worthy stuff and highlight any performances you have coming up. Ace.

You’re probably familiar with the BBC Introducing concept because of its Radio 1 incarnation hosted by the likes of Huw Stephens. Basically, it’s a platform for discovering and broadcasting new and unsigned bands inspired very much by the work of the late John Peel.
Many local BBC stations have their own incarnation, as does Bristol with a show that goes out every Saturday night between 1am and 3am (you can also listen again online for a week if you’re doing something more interesting with your weekend evenings). The formula is simple, with alternative sounds from the likes of Kid Carpets and interviews with local bands and promoters.
They were ridiculously taken off air for a while recently when, in the wake of Sachsgate, they accidentally played a song with explicit lyrics (at gone 1am remember!), but after much deserved protest, they’re once again giving exposure to small local bands who wouldn’t get it elsewhere, and for that we should be very relieved.