Island's music scene spotlighted on national radio

The Isle of Wight's music scene is a "success story that breeds success", BBC presenter Steve Lamacq has said.

Along with fellow presenter Huw Stephens, he presented Lamacq's Teatime Session live from the Strings Bar & Venue in Newport on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds to mark Independent Venue Week (IVW).

Andy Booth, co-founder of the venue, which hosted local bands Coach Party and The Pill on the show, said the experience had been "pretty crazy".

"It's an amazing thing for the Isle of Wight, let alone Strings," he said. "Everyone that's been here, all the crew has been lovely. It's been a bit of a mad day."

Claydon Connor, also owner of the 300-capacity venue which opened in 2017, said: "Having Strings as the only dedicated music venue on the Isle of Wight is really important to people.

"It's very quickly become a huge part of the community here.

"The Isle of Wight has always been enriched with music history with the Isle of Wight festival, with Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, all those big names who used to come over."

Stephens, who started the show by making an announcement over the loudspeaker on a Wightlink ferry, said it was "brilliant" to be on the island.

"There is quite a bit of a local scene down here," Lamacq noted, calling it a "great success story that breeds success".

Speaking to BBC South Today before the broadcast, Stephens said IVW "makes people realise what's on their doorsteps, and what venues like Strings bring to the local community.

"If you don't use them and celebrate them and support them and have a great time in doing so, there is a very real chance of them going."

As part of the programme, Stephens visited Triple A Records, where co-owner Andy Barding told him local artists were among his biggest sellers.

"A lot of Coach Party, and people like Panda Swim, The Bees – who reissued their stuff recently – Plastic Mermaids still sell, and Paul Armfield," he explained

Barding also gave him a guided tour of Wight Music Experience, a museum of the island's musical history on the premises.

Rob Da Bank, who ran Bestival at Robin Hill from 2004 until 2016, said he was "blown away" to have 6 Music visit the island, calling it a "dream".

He told the pair that Bestival brought "logistical problems but that was part of the magic".

"For people leaving on the Monday they thought it was absolutely diabolical taking all day to get off, but they'd still come back the next year.

"It's like muddy Glastonbury – the hardest ones are the ones you remember the best."

Da bank, who has lived on the island for about 14 years, also runs Rob da Bank Music Club, which aims to offer a space for creativity and opportunity to young people.

He said: "We don't want young people growing up here thinking they've been forgotten about, and to have 6 Music come here is a massive deal for the Isle of Wight."

The DJs played tracks from local artists including 5 Degrees North, The Bees, Ruby, Grade 2, Wet Leg, and even Level 42, with Coach Party playing a live session.

The show also included interviews from Platform One - the Isle of Wight's creative arts college where Wet Leg first formed - and Steph Nieuwenhuys, presenter of BBC Introducing on BBC Radio Solent.

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