Independent Venue Week x BBC Introducing Review
Photo by Barny Cutter
“His voice is tender, emotive, and seemingly full of soul and wisdom from a time beyond his own.”
By Sadie Rycraft
“The BBC Introducing show at The Smokehouse was a great end to the first run of the Be course; a free 13 week course introducing 12 core sectors of the music industry to those aged roughly 16-24. Having participants hear directly from director of The Smokehouse, Joe Bailey, on running his venues and the role venues play in the industry, before watching watching Pearll, Leon O Leary and Study Of Us soundcheck ahead of their showcase for BBC Introducing that evening, aimed to crystalise what they’d learned throughout the course in a live content. The informal Q&A with Leon O Leary and some of the venue crew and team provided some extra, personal insight into their specific roles. The gig that followed was a huge success and the artists, each very different, were fantastic and showed great representation of genre. Inviting the participants to stay for the BBC Introducing showcase felt like a celebration of the course and what better partner than one that supports local, emerging artists in such a meaningful way.” - Kyri of Independent Venue Community
The opening act of the night was 4 piece rock band, Pearll, who are young, confident and characterised by skilled electric guitar solos, energetic drum beats and understated rock vocals that can sporadically shift into eloquent rap verses. They are made up of Chloe as lead vocalist and guitarist, Chelsea as rhythm guitarist, Lydia on drums and Christian on keys. Chloe has the unique ability to be fragile and fierce all in the same breath, while their insightful lyrics such as ‘you say you wanna see the world well, what do you mean, the one in your head or one they sell on tv screens?’ boasts the maturity in their craftsmanship. Their influences lay heavily in the rock-pop genre such as The Killers and Foo Fighters and, despite only playing together for just under a year, they have been given a number of opportunities to play in different settings around Suffolk. When talking with Pearll, they say they thoroughly enjoyed playing in such close proximity to an intimate audience, alongside the atmosphere that The Smokehouse supplies, different to other gigging opportunities in the area. Likewise, the audience of a diverse demographic were buoyant and head-banging at all the right moments. The band say ‘it was a privilege to be welcomed into a creative space where everyone is so passionate about music.’
For fans of: Pale Waves, Paramore
After a short interval, an eager audience continued to show immense support as Tyrese Gough - known by his stage name as TSG - took to the stage as a solo rapper. Despite this being his debut performance in his hometown, his flair for performing was timeless and enduring. His combination of catchy, upbeat backing tracks, motivational dialogue samples, and raw lyrics inspired by significant events and relationships in his life, is a flawless potion for a hit rap song, used by many of the greats. Having a whole audience singing ‘it’s TSG season’ in return to you during your very first show is something to be proud of. Hailing from Harare in Zimbabwe, with a bachelor's degree in Business and Broadcasting, his musical influences derive from Hip Hop, RnB, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Afro Beats and Dancehall. His music journey started back in 2018 when he began making beats and wrote his first ever song. 3 years later, he released his first single, spurred on by his passion for poetry and desire to create his own sound. TSG is a characteristic performer, knowing exactly how to encourage audience interaction and put everybody else at ease.
For fans of: Sam Wise, J Hus
The third act of the night was indie folk and alternative rock singer-songwriter, Leon O’Leary. Performing in front of an audience is in Leon’s blood. His voice is tender, emotive, and seemingly full of soul and wisdom from a time beyond his own. Making up his band is Adam Mansfield on drums, Stuart Braybrook on bass guitar, and Leon’s younger sister Issy O’Leary as lead guitarist and backing vocalist. Leon says ‘They’re honestly the best people to work and perform with’ and the synergy they share on stage pays tribute to this. Serene melodies entwined with fluctuating, dynamic vocals impelled the audience to sway along to his performance. Leon’s musical journey began when he was a young teenager with a ‘tiny, cheap, blue ukulele’. He hoped to follow in the footsteps of his guitar-playing friends, and found heightened enjoyment in writing and performing his own songs rather than covers. In terms of stagecraft, songwriting and sound, he is most influenced by Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver and Ben Howard. Backed by BBC Introducing East, Leon and the band have been marked as one of their artists to watch for 2022.
For fans of: James Bay, Ben Howard
The final performance of the night was Study Of Us, a self described ‘one-man glitch, alt-rock, EDM band’ hailing from Suffolk. Josh, the man behind the keyboard, grew up watching his dad play in bands; and still does! His rugged vocals are reminiscent of Jamie T’s, with ardent melody in every syllable, every bar. His performance is unique and packed with energy, with a set-up that started during lockdown as a project and soon became an album. His performances include stunts such as leaping off of his keyboard stand, and playing animatedly in the midst of the crowd. ‘I can’t pretend that the end of the world ain’t charming’ is the hook of his most played single, Doomscrolling, that is full of vigour and stamina; much like all of his tracks. The sheer spirit Josh puts into his performances demonstrates how determined he is to keep pursuing what he loves most, and has been playing in pubs since an early teen. Amongst the buoyant crowd were supportive students of his, speaking very fondly of his performance, as he continues to inspire other people while working as a music tutor.
For fans of: Jamie T, RAT BOY
Photo by Barny Cutter
All 4 acts of the night were put forward by Angelle of BBC Introducing as auspicious and upcoming local musicians, and were contacted by Joe Kenway of Independent Venue Week to be a part of the collaboration. This celebration of local talent, alongside the end of the Be course, was prosperous in delivering an insight into the meaningful work that goes on behind the scenes at music venues, and offering the young people on the Be course a taste of numerous aspects of the industry, while altogether accentuating the satisfaction in seeing hard work pay off.