Musician and TV presenter Jools Holland is one of Kent’s most well-known residents and now he has brought his work home to the county. The Maidstone Studios is the new home of his series Later...With Jools Holland. Kathryn Tye went along for the filming of the first show.

It was the first recording of Later... With Jools Holland to be recorded in the county – and I had a front row seat at the Maidstone Studios.

The long-running BBC2 music show, featuring live performances from a mix of up-and-coming and established artists, has moved to Maidstone from its former home in Television Centre in White City.

Jools, who lives at Cooling Castle and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, proudly welcomed the 500-strong audience to the Maidstone venue, telling them before recording started: “We have never made a show here before. This is a first time for all of us in this room, so good luck all of you.”

He was joined on the first show of the series by Britpop’s founding fathers Suede, who have just reunited to create album Bloodsports, their first in 11 years. Birmingham-born soul singer Laura Mvula performed tracks from her debut album Sing To The Moon and American alternative folk artist Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power sang her new track Bully. Also making their UK television debut were hotly-tipped Irish teenage four piece rock band the Strypes and 24-year-old American folk and blues singer/songwriter John Fullbright, performing a song from his Grammy-nominated debut album From the Ground Up.

An injection of funk and soul was provided by New York’s ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’ Charles Bradley, a former James Brown tribute act, performing tracks from his new album Victim of Love.

When the show’s move to the Maidstone Studios was first revealed earlier this year, Jools said he was delighted, joking that the journey from his home would be easier, but also because it would benefit the county.

He said: “It will bring musicians from all over the world into Kent, which is great. It’s a thrill for the county and couldn’t be better for the show. It’s a brilliantly-equipped studio and a world-class facility. I couldn’t be happier that it’s gone there. If it goes well the show could stay there.”

And that is just what the Maidstone Studios’ chairman Geoff Miles is hoping.

Speaking to What’s On after the first show was recorded, he said: “It went very well. We have had lots of terrific feedback about the look of the first show and the production team have been really positive. It’s one of the few big music shows on TV – apparently there were 12,000 applications for tickets – and to have it at our studios is a massive coup. We would love to facilitate more programmes for the BBC in the future, but we will have to wait and see. It is also a great promotional tool for the area. You can’t get a better plug than Jools starting the show by saying ‘Welcome to Maidstone’.”

Line-ups for Later...With Jools Holland

Episode 2, Friday, April 19: Primal Scream, Haim, Everything Everything, Ana Moura, Night Beds

Episode 3, Friday, April 26: Phoenix, Rokia Traore, Laura Marling

Episode 4, Friday, May 3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Seasick Steve

This series will feature eight episodes. Visit www.bbc.co.uk for more info on forthcoming shows.

TICKETS

Online applications for free tickets to see the show closed on Easter Sunday, but those who applied could still get lucky as names are drawn out randomly each week for each show. To apply for next year’s series visit www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tickets