Beat 102 103 has revealed three South East acts who will be supporting Kilkenny’s Robert Grace at ‘Summer in the City’ in Waterford this July.
Jessica Brett from Tipperary, The Donny’s from Kilkenny, and 2time Charlie from Waterford were selected following a six-month radio campaign across Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary.
The regional youth radio station’s campaign called ‘21 Beats’ showcased twenty-one artists and bands from across the South East to mark the 21st birthday of Beat 102 103 broadcasting in Ireland.
Every week for the last 21 weeks an act was selected from the region to showcase their talent on IrishBeats, the homegrown Irish music programme on Beat 102 103.
Each of the acts performed LIVE in studio with Presenter Ava Somers which was then shared on Beat’s website and social media platforms for members of the public to have their say on who should be selected to play on stage at Summer in the City.
Every Sunday for the last 6 months, Ava chatted with some of the hottest new talent from the region all about discovering their music and uncovering their stories. The public voted for their number one act online for a chance for them to perform on stage at a very special Summer concert.
The selected act from 21 Beats will perform on Beat's stage at Summer in the City on O'Connell Street in Waterford on July 6th, along with Beat DJ, Chris Ward, and Kilkenny singer/songwriter Robert Grace, to mark the 21st birthday of Beat 102 103.
There was a tremendous response from the public who voted for their favourite act. As a result of the phenomenal reaction, three acts were selected to perform LIVE at Summer in the City, not just one.
The first is Jessica Brett, a solo wedding singer turned pop princess from County Tipperary, who takes inspiration from Raye, Lewis Capaldi, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Next was The Donnys, who hail from Kilkenny. They are a five-piece rock and roll band, blending classic rock sounds with modern energy.
Last but not least, Waterford quartet 2time Charlie were selected by the public. The group describes their music as a mix of pop, funk, and soul.
The three acts take to the stage alongside Beat’s Chris Ward and Kilkenny's Robert Grace o on Saturday, July 6th at Summer in the City on O'Connell Street in the heart of Waterford City.
Ava Somers, presenter of IrishBeats says all twenty-one acts were extraordinary.
"These past 6 months have been an incredible journey of discovery. I did not realise how many fantastic musicians there are in the South-East, and how vastly different their genres are. It was so difficult to try to whittle it down to just 21 artists, as every entrant was extraordinary in their own right. A huge congratulations to The Donnys, 2time Charlie and Jessica Brett, they are very deserving of the slots on stage that night.
"As for the other 18 acts, this certainly is not the end of the road for any of them. My mission was to show off 21 of the best musical acts in the South-East, and it was a huge success. The first of our 21 acts, Kingfishr are on a European tour at the moment, and played at Glastonbury over the weekend; Cormac Looby played on the main stage at When Next We Meet festival, and Just Alice was heavily involved in the Carlow Arts Festival. And I can guarantee they will not be the only acts of the 21 to achieve great things in the future. 21 Beats was a springboard; now it is time to sit back and watch these acts take off."
You can check out all 21 acts who took part below:
