Stornoway play Jools Holland show

By Tim Bearder
BBC Oxford Introducing...

Stornoway perform live on BBC 2

A local music fan watching BBC2 the other night might easily have been injured falling off their chair.

The boogie-woogie legend we all know as Jools Holland skipped merrily in front of the camera.

"Now a brand new band from Oxford, Stornoway!" he shouted over the audience applause.

Stornoway aren't even signed and yet here they were cavorting with the likes of Sting and Jay-Z on a national television show.

The band have managed their inexorable rise with perfect English reserve. Like a village fete that has become an international festival, their talent and warmth has slowly but relentlessly drawn the crowds.

I asked Jools Holland before the show whether he thought it was unusual to have a completely unsigned artist amongst the big acts on his show.

Stornoway sold out the Sheldonian Theatre in October

He said: "Ultimately the talent comes through in the end, I mean the key is playing live. I think people that can play and sing and perform and are good at it will always be able to do something.

"That's the key to being a success in music now, because records are almost a thing of the past - not quite, but its going that way - so I think it's about going to see people live at the moment. So if you can cut it live then you've got a job."

Stornoway can certainly pull off a stunning live performance - they recently became the first Oxford group to play at the city's historical Sheldonian Theatre. Three floors of fans were treated to an incredible concert, complete with orchestral accompaniment.

Perhaps Stornoway are the archetypal new band, circumventing the traditional record industry with a myspace account and a few firm friends in the offices of their local Introducing show. But really, Jools had it spot on; fundamentally if you've got the talent you'll make it.