Huw Stephens On The Opening Night Of BBC Radio 1's The Fringe

Just before BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend happens this weekend, The Fringe is in full force in Swindon. A week of free gigs in four different venues in Swindon, rather than a foppish haircut, it's kicked off. On Monday I went to the 12 Bar in Swindon to see the first night of the Fringe gigs, which celebrate and highlight the local live music scene in Swindon and Wiltshire. I sat down with Daniel Garett from BBC Wiltshire and Steve from Frequency magazine to pick the bands who are playing all this week, while Lyndsey Boggis from Radio 1's Live Music team has organised the week.

Radio 1's Fringe gigs are legendary by now. When I joined the station it was perfect timing; The Fringe was in Cardiff and the city was buzzing with so many free gigs happening. It brought a huge focus on the city and its scene, and the legacy has continued. Hopefully the same will happen in Swindon, creating a unique atmosphere, getting the local scene involved in the huge free festival, and showcasing brilliant new music.

I loved the line up on Monday. 12 Bar's a really good venue, with the Karlucci March opening up to a rammed venue, all of us loving their rock n roll. The Volt, from Bath, make bluesy raw rock which intricate and powerful and got the crowd going. The Shebeats have some killer pop tunes, again powerful but fun and giving everyone who'd have one a CD of their brash tunes. Headliners The Alfonz seem to be the toast of Swindon at the moment, and rightly so; they were confident, have good tunes, and left us wanting more. The Beatbullyz were in the crowd, excited about their gig on Sunday on the Introducing stage at the Big Weekend, and the atmosphere on the night was electric. And that was just the first night; there's more to come!

Find out more about this weeks BBC Radio 1 Fringe Events here

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