Local Nottingham venue Metronome delivered another sellout event in partnership with the BBC Introducing team, represented by Dean Jackson. There’s always a vibrancy inherent to nights like this, no doubt triggered by the breadth of grassroots talent, and Nottingham’s music lovers entered the room with the enticing persuasion that they might witness a slice of the future in the making...
Cee.ldn
First on the list tonight is cee.ldn, a young RnB rapper hailing from London. From the off it’s obvious she has real flow. Her second track articulates with a level of introspection impressive for her age, wrestling with self-esteem and boy problems. Her lyricism is honest and plays with irony well, to the extent that she lets us know multiple times “I don’t actually hate men”.
While cee.ldn stays relatively static at the mic in the middle of the room, her performance packs in enough attitude and punch to hold our attention. The final track of the set Sky Rise was produced by cee.ldn herself, signs of a creative talent to keep an eye on. @realcee.ldn
Bronco Lane
Onstage next is Bronco Lane, a mid-20s indie boy who declared that he hadn’t been on a skateboard for a week just in case he broke a bone and had to cancel the show. This commitment is visible throughout his gig. The energy through his songs misery likes company and advice is palpable. He kicks into each song with his band of mulleted mates with a “ready boys?”. Capo placed high up the neck of his guitar, his sad-boy soft rock takes on a rough-edged feel reminiscent of Nottingham legend Jake Bugg.
The set finishes with a wonderful solo from electric guitarist Harry, and the announcement that Bronco’s EP WHY SO BLU comes out on Friday. @boibronco
Saffron Gray
Saffron Gray enters the stage in a large white fur coat, striding forward. Her band glides through the first two songs Apprehension and Drifting, Caleb on the bass and Ed on the keys playing with notable flair. Gray’s vocals are studio-smooth and flutter between notes effortlessly; she looks at home onstage and even makes laughing conversation with the front row of her audience. Clicked rims on the drums take us into bouncy pseudo-reggae territory, Gray connecting with her Jamaican roots.
She comes into her prime towards the end of her set with two garage numbers which Gray states are "diss tracks to her ex". The garage beats contrast to her soulful voice and there’s an originality to this marriage which has the crowd bouncing. Her EP Pieces of Me is out everywhere now. @iamsaffrongray
Rainbow Frog Biscuits
Unusual by name, deeply endearing by nature. Real name Amber, hailing from Leicestershire and once playing at Trent Bridge to 17,500 people, her voice, with a lovely McAlpine-esque tone, navigates intricate folky falsetto with ease and wraps her listeners in a warm inviting lyricism. There’s something almost Celtic about this group, and their long hair and smiles take us through the clever refrains of the unreleased song The Candle. Fourth track Figure It Out is a particular highlight, a funky syncopated rhythm lies under a striking vocal performance.
Wrapping up the night, Rainbow Frog Biscuits gives us Hide Behind, featuring a pleasing boppy pop feel without the cliche, even making room to talk about her Myers Briggs classification (it’s INTP). They’ll be playing at The Grove in Sneinton Market on the 6th of March. @rainbowfrogbiscuits
The BBC Introducing showcase took place at Metronome on 28th January 2026. The next event takes place on 4th March 2026 and is free to attend (tickets can be booked here).
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