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Abbie McCarthy, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 1 presenter, has been running her own monthly band night, Good Karma Club, since January 2016. Keen to celebrate under the radar talent and give them an opportunity to play a buzzing, intimate venue – some of them for the very first time – acts that have played in the past, The Amazons, Pale Waves and Bad Sounds, were all given a crucial stepping stone through gracing the stage at Good Karma Club and have subsequently gone onto great things.

Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday 18th April, Good Karma Club is hitting the road and touring 7 UK cities with some of Abbie’s favourite bands on the bill - The Academic, Sea Girls and Zuzu -, plus Abbie will be on the decks every night to truly bring the party vibe! With some dates already sold out, you'll need to be quick, but tickets are still available for London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds. If you're nearby, get yourself along to check out these hotly tipped acts in a grassroots venue while you still can.

We had a quick chat with Abbie to find out more about how Good Karma Club came about and what's in store for the future...


Where did the idea for Good Karma Club come from?
As a massive live music fan, I always wanted to put on special parties to share with people my new favourite bands, so when my friends at Killing Moon agreed to help me get it started, it was all go! I thought it would be a great platform for brand new artists – a nice, cosy and intimate setting where they can play to a friendly music-loving crowd.

These small nights are crucial for new bands to play, it’s somewhere they can learn how to play live and get really good at it. It's ace for the audience too because they get to see these acts nice and early & can treasure that memory when they go on to be massive!


What makes an artist really stand out for you the first time that you hear them?
There is nothing more exciting than when you hear an artist doing something nobody else is doing, something truly brilliant and original. I also really love bands that have something to say for themselves, that aren't afraid to use their songs to speak out about their life, society, politics, love.


What do you look for in emerging bands you select to play on the Good Karma Club bill?
It ultimately always comes down to the music. If the act in question is making really good music, I'll definitely want them to come and play a Good Karma Club! But, it's always cool when you keep hearing excellent things about the act and keep seeing their name cropping up, whether that's someone writing about their new track, people going to see them live and loving it or one of my BBC Music Introducing pals supporting them on the radio.


Why did you choose to take GKC on tour?
As the monthly parties have been such a success I wanted to take the show out on the road to make Good Karma Club even bigger and better! I'm so excited to visit lots of new places and see some new venues around the country. I'm also going to get to see awesome bands play every single night with The Academic, Sea Girls and Zuzu all on board.


Do you think you’ll take GKC on the road again in the future?
The plan is to make the Good Karma Club tour an annual occurrence. We're also looking at taking it overseas too, so watch this space!



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