Review: BBC Introducing, Bristol Beacon – ‘A grand stage for the emerging local musical talent’

BBC Proms triumphantly returned to Bristol Beacon for its second consecutive year, where the world premiere of Symbiosis set the tone for a busy weekend of performances. One of Saturday’s standout events was a five-hour marathon of a free concert at Bristol Beacon – BBC Introducing, showcasing some of the finest emerging local talent already making waves in the music scene.

The stage was set on the lower ground floor of Bristol Beacon, conveniently next to the Loaf Bar where audiences could order a pint or a soft drink while enjoying the music. The concert, presented in five acts, featured boci, Chloe Foy, Firewoodisland, Immi Dash, and closed with a headline set from Lady Nade.

The atmosphere was informal and fluid: attendees could sit or stand wherever they could catch a glimpse of the stage, from the lower ground to the foyers and stairways above. With each half-hour set followed by a short break, audiences had the freedom to dip in for their favourite acts or return later in the evening.

Chloe Foy bringing her reflective and heartfelt compositions to the set

The supremely talented Firewoodisland opened the proceedings as the concertgoers began to trickle in. The duo — Norwegian-born Stian Vedøy and Abi Eleri from North Wales, now settled in Bristol — set the bar high with heartfelt songs such as Who Knew, a warm musical hug about a chance encounter with a busker that changes a life, and Golden, inspired by their travels in Eastern Europe. Their self-coined style of the song, “Eurocana” — a blend of European folk sensibilities with Americana — was brought to life with delicate fingerpicking guitar, looped with delay and reverb to create a sound both intimate and expansive.

The styles and presentations varied widely across the evening, with some acts proving supremely at home in conversation with the audience while never losing their musical bearings. Chloe Foy, for instance, captivated the crowd armed with just her acoustic guitar, weaving reflections on her art and her life between songs. With a nonchalant ease, she slid her capo, tuned up mid-set, and asked the audience, “Have you ever been heartbroken?” before launching into the next track.

boci and TLK weaving a rich tapestry of dream folk with the mastery of multiple instruments and looping

Her set was a study in contrasts: Elephant in the Room, hypnotic and steeped in nostalgia; Blinkers, beginning with a lullaby-like gentleness before bursting into a powerful refrain; and I Tried Hard to Disappear, a subtle, almost prayerful meditation on fragility and resolve. Each piece revealed the emotional depth of her songwriting, holding the audience in quiet contemplation.

In contrast, boci, an anointed figurehead of Bristol’s folk scene, was immersed in her set with less conversation but more musical offerings. She acknowledged the audience briefly before asking their permission to play the set, intent on squeezing in as much music as possible. The multi-instrumentalist, originally from Bradford and now long-rooted in Bristol after moving here at 18, has found her true métier as a folk artist within the city’s vibrant tradition.

Firewoodisland opened the five-hour songathon in style

She was joined on synths by the supremely talented TLK, whose evocative and ethereal textures provided a canvas for boci’s heartfelt playing and singing. Equally at home on tin whistle, guitar and violin—an instrument she studied classically—boci channels influences that at times recall the spectral echoes of Máire Ní Bhraonáin of Clannad, Enya, or Loreena McKennitt. Yet, while those comparisons may spring to mind, boci is perhaps an artist with no true antecedents. The rich tapestry of sound she weaves, enhanced by looping and layered instrumentation, is entirely her own. With her, folk music is not just preserved, but given a gleaming, contemporary sheen.

Her dream-folk compositions were heartfelt and ethereal. For example, Last Leaf felt like a slow, lamenting farewell to happier times, gently encapsulated in the turning of seasons. Golden Sky, opening with tender guitar strumming, soon blossomed into a musical idiom of such beauty, as it unfurled an evocative sonic landscape, enriched by looped violin passages that shimmered.

Immi Dash brought the uncompromising energy of R&B to the set

Immi Dash brought the unbridled, uncompromising energy of R&B with her fine stage presence and vivacious persona. Her delivery felt like a shaft of sunlight piercing through an overcast sky, her voice halliante, velvety and smoky had the audience in her palms. The Stroud-based artist opened with You Ain’t Good, an infectious, foot-tapping rhythm with a thumping bassline that carried flashes of Ashanti and Kelly Rowland without ever sounding derivative—it was captivating. Fix It, from her latest single, which begins with an insistent, choppy piano line was the perfect canvas for Dash to showcase her artistry.

When Bristol’s own Lady Nade took to the stage for the final and headline act of the songathon, the lower ground of Bristol Beacon was filling up, where anticipation was running high. And she did not disappoint. What better way to celebrate her birthday than headlining BBC Introducing at Bristol Beacon — her second home, no less — where she blossomed into an artist of rare brilliance and empathy.

What better way to celebrate Lady Nade’s birthday than headlining BBC Introducing at Bristol Beacon, her second home

Lady Nade refuses to be pigeonholed, moving effortlessly between jazz, blues, Americana and pop. Backed by a stellar band — Sophie Stockham, Matt Stockham Brown, Holly Carter, Daniel Everett and Seán Snook, who delivered a tight and virtuosic set. A poignant moment came when she reflected on the loss of her grandmother at the age of ten, the first time she truly felt the rawness of grief. Music became her solace, discovered through her grandfather’s record collection of Nina Simone and other greats. With the later passing of her grandfather and father, she channelled that pain into It’s Complicated, a song contemplating how we live and carry on through grief.

Her engagement with the audience was effortless, her presence both commanding and warm. Returning triumphantly to Bristol Beacon after her sold-out December 2024 show paying homage to her icon Nina Simone, she once again held the space in rapt attention. Rainbow explored the duality of emotions with heartfelt sincerity, while her anthem Ain’t One Thing celebrated love in soaring, powerful tones that filled the hall.

BBC Proms returned for a second year to Bristol Beacon

With a new musical offering due in October, she offered a tantalising glimpse of her next musical project, with a tentative query about its reception. She needn’t have worried. It was met with a resounding approval. The evening closed with a breathtaking three-part harmony line between Lady Nade, Snook and Everett, their voices intertwining like a triple-strand helix, suspending time. It was a fitting conclusion to a showcase that celebrated the very best of West Country’s musical talent and placed them firmly on the nation’s creative map.

All photos: Milan Perera

Read next:

• Review: Symbiosis, Bristol Beacon – ‘A tour de force of catharsis, healing and affirmation’
• Review: Mozart, Arvo Pärt and Gavin Higgins, Bristol Beacon – ‘Unexpected moments of joy’
• Review: Lady Nade sings Nina Simone, Bristol Beacon – ‘A soulful and cathartic homage to a trailblazer ’
• Get to Know: boci