Magazine: BBC INTRODUCING - November 2011

October was all about the live music for us - with three bands joining us in the studio.
Timmy Booth says he goes for Timmy rather than Tim so he doesn’t get confused for the front man of James. Not that I can see this happening too regularly, as Timmy is so young that most of his friends probably haven’t even heard Sit Down or Laid. From listening to Timmy’s music, there’s no sign that he has either. For his leftfield output is very much of the now rather than a throw back to the 90s (but possibly to the 2000s and especially Tom Vek). In the studio he was led by a backing track on his laptop and played along with the guitar, keyboard and egg shaker. It’s the set up he’s used to, but it’s one he’s also forced to use at the moment as he’s on the look out for band members. The opportunities for playing live in Stowmarket aren’t great, he says. So, get in contact with Timmy if you want to get involved. He’s a talented guy, and very nice too.

A week later we were fortunate enough to broadcast the first radio appearance from the reformed Shadow Project. Feel free to spend £60 plus on watching the Stone Roses get back together, I’m sure it will be an experience, but if you’re on a budget the Shadow Project’s return will be good value. Four years ago they had built up a reputation for being one of the most engaging live bands around, while their debut album was heavily praised by Radio One’s Huw Stephens. Their return has seen them pick up where they left off, with their first show back being at Norwich Arts Centre.
What they lacked in informative and fulfilling answers to our interview questions they more than made up for in their performance. They played four stunningly good live tracks, showcasing a hard-to-pull-off knack of straddling the depressing and uplifting. They bought a new drum kit the day of the session, so hopefully this is a sign that they’ll be back with us for a while.
The trio of live acts was concluded by Black Sands, who I was in love with within the first few bars of hearing them. They’re from Bury St Edmunds and have a sound not a million miles away from The Maccabees, which is a good thing. Live, they jingle and jangle in the way that indie bands with a taste for fashion tend to do, but they dance and are lively and are good fun and are very talented. They’re definitely ones to watch.
Saying that, all three are. They’re promising, raw talents who you can watch and support for next to no money.....or you could pay a lot more to see someone pretending to be a band that is in the charts.
Finally, hats off to Adam Moss, Gary Osbourne and Lewis Mokler. Myself and producer Anna Dobbie had the pleasure of stumbling into a gig of theirs at the Brewery Tap in Ipswich whilst on a work’s night out. All three acts were really supportive of each other and the young crowd was clearly enjoying the music. It was heart warming to see.