Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music Introducing Feed This is a collective blog about Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music Introducing's support for unsigned and undiscovered artists. It features advice for under-the-radar artists, the latest music from Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music Introducing acts and guest posts from our DJs and figures from around the music industry. 2014-12-18T17:25:11+00:00 Zend_Feed_Writer /blogs/introducing <![CDATA[Christmas in Kent with Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing]]> 2014-12-18T17:25:11+00:00 2014-12-18T17:25:11+00:00 /blogs/introducing/entries/20ba1bac-411d-3e19-969e-e309ddd5c208 Abbie McCarthy <div class="component"> <img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02f8mtr.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p02f8mtr.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""></div> <div class="component prose"> <p>Myself and the rest of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d715">Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing in Kent</a> team are feeling super festive after our special Christmas Party last night! We were lucky enough to be able to record in a fancy and stunning room called The Great Hall in a Tudor manor house at <strong>Hall Place and Gardens in Bexley</strong>. Performing for us around the Christmas tree and under the chandeliers was some of our favourite acts from Kent at the moment:</p><p><strong>Florrie / Shy Nature / Island Cassettes / First Family / Coronation Ball</strong></p><p>We OF COURSE made everyone dress suitably festive for the occasion, I myself was wearing a light up Christmas jumper and lots of the acts were wearing big jumpers with ridiculous patterns and Christmas hats (the best dressed band accolade went to Island Cassettes, that's them in the photo above). You can have a little look at all the pictures from the night <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/galleries/p02f8hy2">right here</a>. Every act on the line up performed an original song as well as a special Christmas track, here are our favourite moments:</p><p>Maidstone indie pop band <strong>Shy Nature</strong> have had a brilliant 2014, they smashed <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ep3g9r/acts/a6q6v2#p01zsd2d">their set on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend </a>this summer and have received national radio play across Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6 Music. The guys actually wrote a Christmas song especially for the occasion and it sounded awesome:</p> </div> <div class="component"> <div class="third-party" id="third-party-0"> This external content is available at its source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8onS5bGuzo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8onS5bGuzo</a> </div> </div> <div class="component prose"> <p>The next band to perform were Kissability Records favourites <strong>Island Cassettes</strong> and they did an ace cover of The Waitresses’ ‘Christmas Wrapping’:</p><p></p> </div> <div class="component"> <div class="third-party" id="third-party-1"> This external content is available at its source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klU6ZrVyTHQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klU6ZrVyTHQ</a> </div> </div> <div class="component prose"> <p>Next to perform at our Christmas bash was Westerham popstar <strong>Florrie</strong>. Some of you may have seen her singing and dancing her heart out on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/evx38g/acts/abd6v2#p022s22s">Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing stage at T in the Park</a> earlier this year. We got a very special treat from Florrie, she performed a brand new never-been-heard-before tune for us (and it’s got future hit written all over it!):</p><p></p> </div> <div class="component"> <div class="third-party" id="third-party-2"> This external content is available at its source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74fFWP-U5ik">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74fFWP-U5ik</a> </div> </div> <div class="component prose"> <p>Then I got to see Gravesend band <strong>First Family</strong> perform live. I have loved playing tracks from their incredible new EP time and time again on my show but hadn’t actually got to go to a gig of theirs yet, and their performance certainly did not disappoint! They exclusively previewed their next single ‘Set Sail’:</p><p></p> </div> <div class="component"> <div class="third-party" id="third-party-3"> This external content is available at its source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqxgPuiSIio">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqxgPuiSIio</a> </div> </div> <div class="component prose"> <p>Then last to perform, but by no means least, were <strong>Coronation Ball</strong>. They performed what is without question THE best Christmas song EVER! Be sure to add this one to your festive playlists:</p><p></p> </div> <div class="component"> <div class="third-party" id="third-party-4"> This external content is available at its source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1nU6nCDQs8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1nU6nCDQs8</a> </div> </div> <div class="component prose"> <p>If you'd like to, you can <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02dk339">listen back to the whole show</a> in one go.</p><p>We've also got a YouTube playlist with all of the videos, including extra performances and interviews <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhnS285_T6nXrFJH3f99kn_tko6s-PIiR">right here</a>.</p><p>MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!</p><p><strong>Abbie x</strong></p><p> </p> </div>