[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 268 November Oxford’s Music Magazine 2017 “Music that comes from the darker parts of our lives has more depth, and resonates more”

Little Red

Into the deep, dark woods with Oxford’s southern gothic folksters Also in this issue: The Cellar - safe, for now... Introducing 31HOURS Ritual Union reviewed plus: all your Oxford music news, reviews and EIGHT pages of local gigs NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk

this date are still available, priced £12 at www.wegottickets.com/ michaelbarryfund. Youthmovies recently put their entire back catalogue, including CORNBURY FESTIVAL returns next year. This summer’s Cornbury, 2008 album `Good Nature’, up on th Bandcamp on a pay-what-you-like the 14 annual festival, was advertised as the last one after years of basis. Get your fix at financial struggle. But the event, headlined by Bryan Adams, Kaiser ymss.bandcamp.com. Chiefs and Jools Holland’s Rhythm’n’Blues Orchestra, sold out – only the second time the festival has recorded a profit, and after pressure from MAIIANS make a return to live OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL fans and musicians, organiser Hugh Phillimore changed his mind and next action in December. The local th th returns for its fifth outing this year’s Cornbury Festival will take place over the weekend of the 13 -15 instrumental electro band, who July at Great Tew Country Park. headlined the Uncommon stage at month. The multi-venue mini- th Announcing the return, Hugh said, “So many people have sent messages Common People in 2016, went on festival runs from Monday 20 through to Saturday 25th November, since July: our audience love the event and want it to keep going. Literally hiatus at the end of the year with hundreds of our supporters, together with bands, agents, managers, various members heading abroad taking in The Bullingdon, The Wheatsheaf, The Jericho Tavern and sponsors and media partners told me I shouldn’t let such a jewel in for work. But the former Nightshift the festival calendar end. The festival market has become a tough playing cover stars, who released their The Cellar. Run by local promoters It’s All About the Music, the week field over the last few years and very saturated, which lead partlyto eponymous debut album shortly my decision to leave whilst we were on a high, however the response has before the break, will return for includes a Church Of The Heavy rock and metal show, Let the Lady been so overwhelming, with support for Cornbury to remain, that it a one-off show at The Cellar on has caused a rethink on my part and I can confirm that we have decided Friday 22nd December as part of sing female vocalist showcase and to listen to public opinion and return next year as strong as ever in Divine Schism’s Christmas party. an all-day show at the Jericho on the 2018, If people still want us here, in a way it would be foolish to stop Support comes from Porridge Radio, Saturday to close the festival. Check now and 15 years does give us another great reason to celebrate! Garden Centre and Kid Kin. An out this month’s gig guide and “We all know that a party is only as good as its guests and thanks to EP of new and unreleased Maiians the Oxford City Festival page on everyone we had a truly fantastic and memorable weekend. I’ve been tracks is also due to be released to Facebook for full line-up details. humbled by the depth of feeling for this event and I now feel that I coincide with the show. should keep Cornbury going as a worthwhile community event because it contributes to the local economy and seems to spread quite a lot of joy.” YOUTHMOVIES play two Over the last decade and a half Cornbury has played host to star names nights at The Bullingdon next such as Robert Plant, Amy Winehouse, Blondie, The Pretenders, Paul year. As hinted at in last month’s Simon and Simple Minds. It has raised thousands of pounds for local Nightshift, the band, who split schools and charities, including last year Banbury’s Dogs For Good. in 2010, are reforming to play a Line-up news and ticket details are expected in early December. In the brace of shows at The Bullingdon meantime follow Cornbury Festival on Facebook and Twitter. in aid of the Michael Barry Fund, which has so far raised over £78,000 for the Brain Tumour month. The Banbury folk-rockers, on Saturday 16th December. Charity. The first date to be who have performed at Cropredy Tickets are on sale now, priced announced, on Friday 9th March, Festival as well as making a name £16 from the Academy box office sold out in a matter of minutes, for themselves on the Oxfordshire and website. Support comes from 3 so a second show, on Thursday LEATHERAT play their farewell folk scene, bow out with their Three Daft Monkeys, Kapelle and 8th, was added. A few tickets for show at the O2 Academy next biggest ever Oxford headline show Steve.

THE CELLAR is safe – for now. The venue’s owners, the St Michael’s and All Saints charities, withdrew their planning application at the start of October after Oxford City Council planning officers rejected it on the grounds of protecting local music venues. However, the owners have vowed they will “consider their options” when current leaseholder Lush move to the new Westgate shopping centre in 2018 and have refused to rule out continuing their attempt to turn the building into yet more retail space. Over 13,000 people signed a petition to save the iconic local club and venue, which has been a cornerstone of the Oxford music scene since the early 1980s when it was known as The Dolly. Rupert Sheppard, clerk to the trustees of the charities, said: “Strong representations have been made regarding The Cellar. The trustees regularly receive persuasive requests for support from other causes. The trustees will take account of the interests of the wider community of which music fans are part. All gigs and club nights at The Cellar are set to carry on for the foreseeable future, but the fight to retain the venue is ongoing, and as ever, the most important thing to remember is that if you don’t use a venue, you will lose it. LITTLE BROTHER ELI were nominated for Best Unsigned Band at the Best Of British Unsigned Awards last month. The band have been FIRST-CLASS LIVE MUSIC AND NEWS in the studio recording the follow-up to last year’s debut album. ENTERTAINMENT ON YOUR DOORSTEP OXJAM’S OXFORD TAKEOVER takes place at The Tap Social in Botley on Sunday 5th November. The show, organised by 14-year-old music fan Max Blansjaar, features sets from NOVEMBER JANUARY APRIL Lucy Leave, Moogieman, Semi Urban Fox and Brixtons. The all-ages event runs from 1-6pm. OXFORD CONTEMPORARY MUSIC is ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SAT 4 ICONS OF THE 80s THU 18 BETH HART WED 18 ORCHESTRA Tickets are £5, with al proceeds going to partnering Dutch experimental band Tin Men THE CHICAGO FRI 26 THU 19 Oxfam. & The Telephone next year and wants local SUN 5 BARRY STEELE & FRIENDS - JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS BLUES BROTHERS THE 30 SPECIAL THE ROY musicians to become part of the band in exploring RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA ORBISON STORY ECLECTIC CABARET are looking for the interaction and boundaries between artists and MON 6 DAISY RODGERS MUSIC host a new monthly performers for their gig and cabaret nights next audiences. COLLABRO MOTOWN’S GREATEST HITS: WED 25 FEBRUARY HOW SWEET IT IS gig night at the newly refurbished Jericho Tavern year. The free bi-monthly shows take place at The band will be in residency with OCM in ALISON MOYET TUE 7 from this month. The indie promoters are teaming Wootton Community Centre, near Abingdon, January 2018 and are looking for local artists to THE JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW THU 1 up with Heavy Pop who have taken over bookings featuring bands, solo artists, poets, comedians, join them at the end of the month as part of the JOHN MAYALL IN CONCERT WED 8 for the Tavern and have a long history of promoting trio’s three year project to explore ways of building SOMEONE LIKE YOU – SAT 10 speakers, circus performers, dancers and more. THU 9 gigs in Reading. The collaboration will see Oxford WHITNEY - THE ADELE SONGBOOK Organisers say acts can be of any style or genre on the technology and hybrid performance they’ve QUEEN OF THE NIGHT bands get a chance to play in Reading. Post-punk but they prefer anything “funny and strange”. Get created. Polly Nuttgens from OCM said, “the band CILLA TUE 13 band KONE (pictured) headline the first show on in touch via eclecticcabaret.net. would like to invite you to join them to try out their DR HOOK FEATURING FRI 10 – SAT 17 Thursday 30th November, a launch gig for their material, to learn about what they’ve been up to DENNIS LOCORRIERE new single, `For John Heartfield’. They will be AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into BBC Oxford and to hear from you about what you like and what MAMMA MIA! TUE 14 MARCH joined by The Autumn Saints and Freemantle. Any Introducing every Saturday night between 8-9pm you think could be done differently.” THE SMASH-HIT MUSICAL - SAT 25 acts interested in playing should get in touch with on 95.2fm. The dedicated local music show plays Anyone keen to get involved should contact BASED ON THE SONGS OF ABBA G4 THU 1 JAKE BUGG FRI 9 MAR Daisyrodgersmusic on Facebook. the best Oxford releases and demos as well as [email protected] featuring interviews and sessions with local acts. Before that OCM hosts an evening of music JAKE BUGG FRI 9 ROTATOR STUDIOS closed its doors for the The show is available to stream or download as a inspired by the planets at The Museum of the DECEMBER last time in October. The three room rehearsal podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford. History of Science in Oxford. Ensemble Sirinu PAUL CARRACK SAT 10 studio in east Oxford opened in 1999 but a decline will perform three hour-long shows accompanied BANANARAMA MON 4 MERCURY: THE ULTIMATE THU 29 in trade means the studio is no longer viable. OXFORD GIGBOT provides a regular local gig by projections, playing music from medieval to THE SENSATIONAL FRI 8 QUEEN TRIBUTE Owner Richard Cotton said “I want to thank all listing update on Twitter (@oxgigbot), bringing modern times, including `Einstein’s Tafel’, a brand 60s EXPERIENCE the bands who have used Rotator over the past you new gigs as soon as they go live. They also new music-theatre composition by Martyn Harry. 18 years. Sadly we’ve been losing money every provide a free weekly listings email. Just contact Tickets, priced £10, are available at CHRIS REA SAT 9 month and it’s no longer viable to keep it going.” [email protected] to join. www.ocmevents.org. PAUL CARRACK SAT 10 MAR

BOX OFFICE 0844 871 3020* | ATGTICKETS.COM/Oxford* *Booking fees apply. Calls cost up to 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. A Quiet Word With so I just had to keep working with playing in such a beautiful building least anyway. It’s great to straddle set of songs yet, while retaining the these guys.” and as part of that great event. In both scenes and take them together intricacy and intimacy that makes “Ian just asked one day if I’d hindsight the gig itself wasn’t a as somewhat of a whole.” them such a joy. Together they consider singing some of his standout but it was the first time I explore an American southern gothic songs with him and I thought, why noticed people listening with their That set at Common atmosphere and the pagan traditions not,” adds Hayley. “I didn’t really eyes shut, absorbed in the music. At People in May saw the band playing of old British folk. Nightshift’s think about whether we would get least I hope that was what was going as a six piece. Having originally review of `Siren Song’ marked is as anywhere with it, I just thought it on.” started as a three piece, for the a meeting point between The Wicker Little Red would be nice to carry on doing Do you think folk music is a more recording of the new album, and Man and O Brother, Where Art Thou. some singing of some sort. I really broadly appreciated now? for many of their bigger shows, Ian: “I was delighted with that. It’s struggled with nerves back then so Ian: “I don’t think it is really Ben, Ian and Hayley are joined by certainly where I am right now, so was happy rehearsing in Ian’s living accepted in the general school drummer Marc Challans, bassist that was a great thing to hear. room and recording some songs. The of thought. I’m mindful of being Nathan Allsworth and keyboard “Because my songs are quite visual, gig part terrified me; I Iove it now, pigeonholed now, though, because player Tom Hodges, which brings out the feel of that sound helps add a though.” if you listen to our releases, we are new dimensions to their otherwise more cinematic vibe. I’ve always Ben: “I think I’d recently got back clearly not folk but alt.folk at the intimate set-up, beefing their sound loved artists like Nick Cave and from a year away somewhere and I very least. The sound is a little too up in a similar way that fellow local Tom Waits because of this. The was missing playing music, and so varied now in my opinion.” travellers The August List have done atmosphere of the genre really helps when one of your best mates asks Ben: “I guess you are what you for their latest album. add to the lyric.” you to start playing music with them, say you are, so we’ll term ourselves Hayley: “I love the August List and `Diamond Back’, meanwhile, has a who would say no?” folk when it suits, and whatever else so does my five-year-old daughter, chain gang song vibe about it; how do whenever it’s required! I don’t think who sings along in the car at full three Home Counties musicians start United by a shared love we ever set out to create music in a volume. My two-year-old also tries to to capture that feel? of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Nina certain style, folk or otherwise. join in, though not so tunefully! They Ian: “I wanted a song in the set that Simone, Billy Bragg and PJ Harvey, stomped. We have an outstanding Little Red set about exploring their drummer in Marc and bassist in own haunted take on traditional folk “I am terrified of being lost in the woods and Nathan and I really wanted a tune music. At their best they’ve been get genuinely anxious when my children that was more tribal. Going back to compared to Nick Cave, Alison Tom Waits, so much of his music Krauss and Mark Lanegan’s work make me play hide and seek. I’m starting to borrowed from this area and I felt it with Isobel Campbell. Their songs was another delivery that would add are usually stark and minimal but think Ian owes me some therapy” a deeper visual element to our sound. rich in spirit, Hayley’s voice often The concept of the song was also a sweet centre point of the acoustic While they are a fixture are lovely too, I always enjoy it when charged by an idea that the feeling melodies and harmonies. on the Oxford gig scene and were we play gigs together. that drove the song was something “I’ve got far more cheesy tastes picked to play on the Uncommon Ben: “Because we get to listen to that many felt, so a chain-gang drum than the boys, so the darkness side stage at Common People back in them for free!” loop was used to add to that group of things definitely comes from Ian,” May, Little Red are split between Ian: “The six-piece can get people mentality concept. admits Hayley. “I like any music Oxford and Reading, with Ian living moving. It’s a far more driving with beautiful voices and harmonies in Oxford and Hayley and Ben experience. In saying that, we like For all the musical so when Ian comes with a new song, across the county border. to perform as a trio and as a sextet darkness, the immediate future then the first thing I do is try to hum some Hayley: “The benefit of being in because the two sets offer two very looks bright for Little Red and the “I love music with a end of 2015, alongside `Teeth, We Those stories do tend to have a Tim Armstrong and Ian as Lars harmonies along with it. If I can find two places is having different friends different things. The trio sound is new album should bring them more darkness to it. Music which comes Have’, an EP of electronic remixes, hint of the timeless scare stories Frederiksen,” recalls Ben. “We a really sweet sounding harmony, to come along and support us in each more harmony driven and gentle, new fans. But before we let them go from the darker parts of our lives saw the band far more fully formed generations pass down through their were playing a song called `Dead then I’m happy.” town. We manage okay going to the band sound is a more pounding and enjoy that future, let’s take them often has more depth, and resonates and exploring the romantically children. We wonder if there are any Bodies’ and Ian/Lars was giving a Oxford as it isn’t too far and Oxford and bluesy affair. Like Neil Young back to that deep, dark forest one more. I believe that good songs foreboding forests of old world particular childhood stories that have terrifyingly intense performance. I One of the nascent trio’s particularly is a great place to play, I guess, we like to shake things up. more time. If we were to leave them are quite visual and in a way quite English folk and gothic bluegrass. had a lasting influence on Ian’s songs. enjoyed that dream.” earliest shows was at Oxford so we prefer playing there anyway. The album will be a much fuller each stranded in the middle of the vitriolic. I just write about what I The band’s three-way vocal “My childhood has had a part to Folk Festival, and songs like `The The late night rehearsals can be sounding record, more pounding, woods what are their realistic chances know but I do feel that music which harmonies are a delight, creating play in the songs but not so much Little Red got together Huntsman’ are rooted in traditional tough sometimes, especially with and has more soul than previous of survival and what do they think has a darker heart lends itself to a sweetly haunting atmosphere on childhood literature. Perhaps Clive when they all played as part of balladry; did they consider young children who don’t sleep well releases. There is a little bit of all would finish them off? more opportunities for people to almost fairytale-dark songs like `Mr Barker’s The Thief of Always, Neil Hayley’s brother David’s band a few themselves a folk band back then, and there’s work to get up for in the our previous efforts in there but it’s Ben: “I think I’d go at it like Bear identify with it.” Wolf’ and `Black Dog’, both inspired Gaiman’s Neverwhere and Lewis years ago. Ian and Ben previously with all the baggage and expectation morning, but that is only a few times without doubt our strongest and most Grylls, then get a bellyache from by Ian’s battles with depression. Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, but worked together in a vegetarian that can bring? in the weeks running up to a gig.” cohesive record yet. I’m curious eating the wrong mushrooms and be Ian Mitchell is generally it was more graphic novels restaurant in Reading and met Ian: “At that time I did, and I saw Ben: “But it’s great that as a band to see how tracks like ‘Well, Well’ found years later curled up in a hole contemplating the darkness at the A regular feature of and David Lynch movies.” Hayley through David who was nothing wrong with it. I think folk we can have two hometowns, which and ‘The Quiet Ones ‘ are received. somewhere, being eaten by magpies.” heart of so many of his band’s songs. Little Red’s songs is a feeling of There’s something of a dreamlike an old friend of Ian’s. “I was very music will always be around and will allows us to milk it a bit when it They push the Handsome Family and Ian: “I wouldn’t last more than a day. His band are Little Red, the Oxford- something lurking in the dark, quality about tracks like new single nervous about singing when we first always feed other genres. Folk music comes to album release shows.” bluegrass influences a little further. I’d probably go in with a hangover Reading trio he formed with friends a constant shadow; if it can be `Woebegone’. Do the band find started and had no confidence in my is all about good songs, and that’s How do the two places compare and ‘Woebegone’ is a little different; and never escape the existential crisis Hayley Bell and Ben Gosling in suffocating for the writer, it’s themselves hunted in their dreams? voice,” remembers Hayley, whose all I really care about. Now I would what could each learn from the other? it’s more upbeat and driving; it also I was having.” 2013, and whose gothic take on captivating for the listener. “I often get chased or hunted,” pure, ungilded voice has regularly say that our harmonies and attack are “Ian: Reading could benefit from features strings, thanks to Tom; he’s Hayley: “I am actually terrified of traditional British and American folk “`Mr Wolf’ and `Black Dog’ were says Hayley, who admits to being been described as Little Red’s magic very similar but we are embracing seeing the scene in Oxford. Reading awesome.” being lost in the woods and even get music has cast a bewitching spell both written the same morning when genuinely disturbed at times by ingredient. “Ian was very supportive more dynamics. It’s healthy to do so, has a great radio scene and a couple Hayley: “I love harmonies and those genuinely anxious when my children over their shared hometown scenes I was quite unwell,” explains Ian. the song lyrics. “Maybe it’s all this and encouraging but also knew we want to develop.” of good promoters – Sid Siddle are a little lost with the noise of the make me play hide and seek and I over the last three years. “It was my way of expressing how singing about wolves in woods not to push too hard, so if I wasn’t Hayley: “I’ve never really known should be knighted! – but lacks full band, so I equally like going back can’t see them right away. Actually, debilitating the illness is and a way and shadows lurking that haunts comfortable singing something we what to say when people ask what a decent amount of live venues. to our little trio from time to time I’m starting to think Ian owes me This month the band of getting to the other side. I don’t me in my dreams; cheers for that didn’t do it. Now I am a bit braver.” sort of music we play. I say folk now Oxford is ahead; it has several and really enjoying those harmonies some therapy, what with the scary release a new single, `Woebegone’, really write for cathartic purposes Ian! Maybe you could write about When David decided to quit making because we have been labeled as publications which follow the scene, and making a more beautiful sound. dreams and the wood phobia. Maybe their third in as many months. It but that day I needed to. Generally bunnies and unicorns next time!” music, Ian, Hayley and Ben decided folk, but to be honest, when I think several really good live venues and It’s also nice to be able to hear what that’s why `Mr Wolf’ seems to go follows `Siren Song’ in September though, depression isn’t something Ian: “My dreams are always really to stick together and go their own of folk music, I’m not sure we fit. I as a result a slightly healthier pool you’re singing, which you can’t do down so well at gigs, my genuine fear and `Diamond Back’ last month. I constantly choose to write about. surreal and abstract. Like a Mighty musical way. guess we have a slightly folky sound of talent. Reading needs some more when you’re standing in front of the sells it!” The run of releases will lead up to `Diamond Back’ is inspired by Boosh episode on LSD.” “I had just written some songs that to some of our songs but it’s a bit decent live venues and a magazine drums!” a full album in January. It will be mental health issues but a lot of the “I once had a dream where our were a bit of a step up for me,” says dark for folk isn’t it?” like Nightshift dedicated to the local `Diamond Back’ is out now on their second full album after 2014’s time I’m writing stories and creating Little Red gig on the banks of Ian, “so I immediately got Hay and Ben: “That Folk Festival show was scene.” The expanded line-up means All Will Be Well. `Woebegone’ is th formative debut `Sticks & Stones’. dialogues based on overall life the Thames somewhere morphed Ben involved. Also, I write a lot with a bit of a landmark gig for us at the Ben: “I think the two live in a the forthcoming album is likely to released on the 17 November. Find `The Huntsman’ EP, released at the experiences.” into a Rancid gig, with me as Hayley’s and Ben’s voices in mind time, and for me it was great to be decent state of symbiosis, for us at be Little Red’s most accomplished out more at www.littleredband.co.uk Sponsored by album, delivered in a matter-of-fact way by Stolze. ‘Cell To Cell’ touches on the work of PHIL SELWAY Philip Glass, with clipped, repetitive cello `Let Me Go (OST)’ and violin melodies circling one another. Electronic sounds then bring simultaneously (Bella Union) There is an old and fatuous Hollywood tradition RELEASED rich and light feelings, moving things into the that says, the better a motion picture score is, the realm of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. less attention it attracts; i.e. it should be screened 31HOURS FOCI’S LEFT ‘Silbersee’ echoes the opening track, setting and not heard. similar tones against a foreground of simple `Tell Me What You See’ `Bassomata’ That of course is a falsehood, as hundreds xylophone sounds, with a feeling of much (Self released) (Self released) of hummable pieces; from The Third Man to space and weightlessness. ‘Holy Island’, Tell me what you see? I see a little silhouette-o Almost wildly prolific, Foci’s Left – the solo Indiana Jones, will attest. The score obviously the piece led most by Reynolds, is a gentle, of a man. I see dead people. I see the vast, work of electronics/drones/pianism man is designed to strengthen and underline the meandering, enjoyable piano mirror to looming spectre of Radiohead over subsequent Michael Buckingham – seems to have a slightly emotional content of the entire picture and to ‘Silbersee’, and it rounds out the album very generations of Oxford musicians. scattershot approach to music making. His that end Radioeahd drummer Phil Selway has pleasantly. 31Hours would never deny it of course, and starting point seems to be press record and let’s composed, in his debut film work, a pleasing why could or should they: the opening title see what happens, rather than any great pre- There’s quite a variety of sounds and variety of music, embracing both classical and track of this debut album features a neat if planning. Such unpredictability inevitably leads SOLO COLLECTIVE approaches that make up `Part One’, and this mystic-industrio sonics. hardly subtle steal of Jonny Greenwood’s guitar to a mix of the inspired and the simply slapdash reflects the nature of the trio as a collective of The film, Let Me Go, based on Austrian born melody from `Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ and and `Bassomata’ is no exception. It is, however, soloists. What could have become fractured or Helga Schneider’s memoir of the same name, is `Part One’ confusing instead hangs together as a compact, throughout `Tell Me What You See’ the band his strongest outing for some time, with more of (Nonostar) a generational tale of raw matriarchal desertion, pay all due respect to various stop-off points the former than the latter. accomplished, and eminently listenable work. seared and scarred by events in Auschwitz- At the Oxford launch for `Part One’, held at from Thom & Co.’s varied career. Really, if Extended opener `Dispersed Into Nothingness’ Simon Minter Birkenau and deals with the confusion of genetic the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, Solo you’re going to draw inspiration from anyone, All this while the band keep a tight rein on is the album’s best track: nine and half bonds, a subject Phil has visited before in his first Collective described their concept as three solo why not one of the most innovative bands of the what they’re doing and an understated vibe: minutes of pulsing electronics, deep space solo album, `Familial’, in 2010. performers who decided to bring themselves past 30 years. There are enough bands out there `Clumsy on Foot’, with its hi-life spirit and bleeps, solemn synth strings and sporadic On opener `Helga’s Theme’, he immediately together to prevent becoming lonely. There’s a BROWN GLOVE / still milking Oasis’ heavy-handed bloke-rock jazz skronks, is another sidestep but keeps but increasingly imposing beats. It’s well sets the character a leitmotif of five notes: G-flat, nice idea. posturing as it is. everything rolling neatly: a refresher rather than structured, with piano creeping in and starting E-flat, D, E-flat and B-flat, with the rising last The trio comprises German musicians Alex OLD ERNIE No, musical debt aside, 31Hours have also a distraction. `Trees’ treads perhaps too closely to take over as the piece drifts atmospherically note giving her a sense of hopefulness. This is a Stolze and Anne Müller, alongside familiar taken from Radiohead the idea of staying to Foals’ electro-indie-funk and `November along. The spooked `A Minor G String’ is Split Single satisfying start, and is extemporized and echoed Oxford face Sebastian Reynolds, well-known restless, going off on tangents and creating Fog’ takes the band’s sometimes contemplative more lo-fi but holds onto a chilly atmosphere, throughout and on into the haunting coda, `Helga around these parts for a musical history that (Self released) intoxicating atmospheres. `Royal Box’, for approach into ponderous navel-gazing but it’s somewhere between Coil and John Carpenter, Very much an odd couple in the musical stakes, Saw’, played on a musical saw. takes promoting as Pindrop Performances, and example, follows that opening by upping the over before you’ve had time to stifle a yawn, building gradually to a clamouring level of Gemma Moss and David Kahl play together as In between there are three charming ballads and playing as part of Keyboard Choir, Braindead ante with a funk groove and trilling afro-pop segued seamlessly into the fidgety `Under The intensity. both Brown Glove and Old Ernie. If Gemma a further nine pieces of short incidental music, Collective, Flights of Helios and many more. guitar, while `Foreign’ is a clamouring swarm Influence’. At this point Buckingham seems to lose his takes the lead in the former, and the latter is ranging from the avant gardening of `Mine’ and The instrumentation is violin (Stolze), cello of guitars and synths, dense textures and a A confident, precisely directed album closes on grip on proceedings; if `Sorry’ just about retains more David’s vehicle, their shared love of the `Last Act’ to the wonderfully competent string (Müller) and piano (Reynolds), with all three sense of urgency. The all-too brief `Invisible the bamboo and icicles synth-pop ambience of a sense of coherence it’s overlong and too macabre shines through in both. quartet pieces like `Zakopane’ and `Mutti’, which throwing some electronic soundcraft into the Threads’, more of an interlude than a full song, `Idyll’ and the languorously starlit `Golden Fruit’ abstract, while `Time’ is haphazard and hurried, On Brown Glove’s `String Me Along’, from refer to, and futuristically build on, Barrington mix. Across the album’s six tracks (linked drops in on `Low’-era Bowie and recent single and 31Hours do what any good new band does almost frenzied, and like previous albums we her most recent `Majorly E Minor’ album, Pheloung’s Inspector Morse textures, and ominously on the sleeve by a dotted line `Castile’ introduces a more claustrophobic feel in a world where nothing is truly new: take what worry it’s all belly up from here. This time, Gemma is at her most operatically intense, an more aptly, as the film is largely set in Vienna, to the album by way of some Deathgrips-style you can from the best and make it your own. though, he rescues himself, with the neatly linking ‘Life’ to ‘Death’), they play together, outpouring of frustration, longing and deep set Beethoven’s `No.11 Seriso’. clang. Dale Kattack understated ambient drum&bass on `Some as various duos, or solo. fears over a marching piano sonata; Youtube Of course, with Phil being Radiohead’s (Euthanasia)’ and the playful future factory ‘Solo? Repeat!’ opens the album, sounding have been forced to offer a warning ahead of percussionist, there will inevitably be ardent wash and swell of `Default Self-Orders 1’. like the prelude to Bach’s `Cello Suite No. `Head fans who will come truffling through The trio are far from humourless, revealing the song’s accompanying video, which serves There are further lapses, including a track that 1’, before going its own way as a skittering, it all in search of any of the group’s residuals, in a recent chat with BBC Introducing in to accentuate the disturbing nature of the song, sounds like a bee trapped in a jam jar, but the sparse, and mournful piece. It sets the tone and certainly a glimmer of Ed O’Brien’s guitar Oxford’s Dave Gilyeat that the EP’s title is and it’s a genuinely startling performance from unexpected swing skitter of `What A Shame’, for the whole album: circling cello melodies phrasings underlies the excellent `Walk’, with a reference to the texture of drummer Will’s a genuine local maverick. with its busy jazz stabs, perks things up and a forming the backdrop to more expressive Lamb’s Lou Rhodes’ throaty husk cloaking them, labrador’s ears and that they’re contemplating On the flipside we get something similarly trio of nominally dub mixes closes the album violin lines. Next, ‘Ascension’, probably or even start singing “Rows of houses...” along christening a future recording `Constant dark if less outré with Old Ernie’s warped well, particularly the Vangelis-via-King Tubby the most experimental piece, is a highlight; to the familiar pace of `Necklace’ or `Day & Ploughmans’. take on grunge, the short and less than sweet `Pincer Care’. a linear cello tone rises gradually and Night’, but overall it would be slim pickings; But, as Gilyeat pointed out, their songs are `Clowning’, and the scouring, scowling `Part If `Bassomata’ doesn’t entirely hold together relentlessly, before falling away, the sound Phil is in his own creative world away from the positively laden with self-loathing – this 2’, with its echoes of Mudhoney’s `Sweet completely as a coherent album, it’s several steps augmented by electronic harmonics and day job, and while the quickest way to a person’s release contributes barbed self-assessments Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More’. up from Foci’s Left’s last couple of offerings, echoes. It’s like the very end of The Beatles’ brain is through the eye, he knows, even in the ‘Loser’ and ‘Hypocrite’ to a lengthening list Both acts will turn far more people off than and a better window into what Buckingham’s that already includes ‘Freak’ and reads like ‘A Day In The Life’ presented in microscopic on, but people who see the world differently movies, the quickest way to their hearts and improvised approach can conjure. the worst Tinder profile bio ever. “Was it my detail. It’s stunning and remarkably effective. will always be more interesting than normal feelings is still through the ear. Dale Kattack body, my mind or my mouth that repulsed ‘Don’t Try To Be’ is more whimsical, folk- folks. Paul Carrera you?”, from ‘Loser’, sounds like a desperate like, and features the only vocals on the Victoria Waterfield post-date-gone-wrong plea for feedback screamed through a letterbox. SLATE HEARTS And there’s more. After those two tracks, THE LONG INSIDERS TJ alternately frantic and sludgy, comes ‘Lice’, `Honey Roasted Henry’ which opens with the line “I look back and `Taste’ `Serenity’ (Self released) hate myself for all the same reasons you did”. (Self released) (Substance) Slate Hearts launched their new EP with an The weakest song of the set, it’s followed by The Long Insiders release a new single for Dreamy, euphoric deep house from Substance acoustic set at Truck Store back in September. the strongest, ‘I’m Not There’, which (aside Halloween and unsurprisingly it finds them in Records’ honcho en-Trance under his TJ guise, Having not been in attendance, it remains a from some irritating studio trickery) delights full gothabilly mode, midnight Gretch twang this woozily uplifting floor filler celebrating complete mystery as to how its four tracks with its huge Cloud-Nothings-esque melodic and sloping alley cat rhythm underpinning the fledgling label’s fifth release in lush, could possibly work unelectrified and at any punk chorus before going all old-school metal Nick Kenny’s vampiric delivery. It sounds like progressive Ibiza club style. Critical analysis is volume other than one sufficient to earn a at the end and the EP is more than enough Nick Cave eviscerating `The Monster Mash’ somewhat irrelevant with music like this: the noise complaint from those currently orbiting to justify Slate Hearts feeling good about with some help from The Cravats. Very much a only question is will it get the house rocking; in Earth onboard the International Space themselves. For once. Halloween treat. this case it’s never in doubt. Station. Ben Woolhead Ian Chesterton Victoria Waterfield SILENT DISCO: The Bullingdon – Silent music fan Ela Ozbayraktar, who took her own life Social host their first Oxford night. last year aged just 16 after battling depression. JESS HALL & DUOTONE + ANNE-MARIE Leeds indie band Marsicans, local indie-pop SANDERSON: Old Fire Station – Former crew Flatlands, heavyweight prog-rockers Oxford-based folk singer Jess returns to town for Subatomaton and rock covers band Wayfarers a show with long-time collaborator Duotone, the play with all proceeds going to the Charlie Waller pair having played a joint set at Common People Memorial Trust, helping young people with GIG GUIDE back in May. depression. TOMMASO STARACE: St Giles Church – MARTYN JOSEPH: Tiddy Hall, Ascott- st PAPERCUT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – OxRox host WEDNESDAY 1 Alto sax player Starace and his Blue Note Milan under-Wychwood – Rich, celtic folk roots from Saturday 4th MATTHEW E WHITE: The Bullingdon – A a night of young local rock bands, including Trio play as part of the Jazz at St. Giles season. the veteran Welsh singer and political activist rare chance to see Virginian singer-songwriter NOVEMBER glam/thrash heavyweights Twisted State of FREERANGE: The Cellar – UK garage, at tonight’s Wychwood Folk Club, his social EMPLOYED White in an intimate setting as he sets off Mind and raw punk newcomers Sprung From bassline and grime club night. commentary and political protest songs a staple on a solo tour to showcase new songs from KAGOULE + CATHOLIC ACTION: The Cages. SPARKY’S SPONTANEOUS SHOWCASE of his 30 albums in as many years. TO SERVE / his forthcoming third album, following his Cellar – Nottingham’s grunged-up noisemakers & SPOTLIGHT JAM: The White House – RORKE’S DRIFT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock excellent collaboration with London singer return to town after playing as part of Modern rd Sparky hosts his monthly bands night, with sets and metal covers. th FRIDAY 3 SLABDRAGGER / Flo Morrissey earlier this year, the pair adding Art Oxford’s 50 anniversary celebrations last GHOSTPOET: O2 Academy – Dark nights from Lucy Leave, Mark Atherton & Friends and STEAMROLLER: The Brewery Tap, their own personalities to covers of The Velvet year, the Earache-signed trio channelling Pixies, of the soul from the trip hop king – see main No Horses. Abingdon MSRY / RESOLVE: Underground, The Bee Gees and Frank Ocean Sebadoh and Mudhoney. Support from Glasgow’s preview VIVA ELA FIESTA: Shush, Wantage (6pm) – among others. White’s own revelatory 2012 indie rockers Catholic Action, led by Casual Sex FROM THE JAM: O2 Academy – Bruce An evening of music to celebrate the life of local th The Wheatsheaf drummer Chris McCrory. SUNDAY 5 If you’re suffering Halloween withdrawal debut, `Big Inner’, found him updating classic Foxton keeps the old classics alive. OXJAM: Tap Social (2.30-6pm) – Part of the American soul and jazz rock in the vein of Randy BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar TOO MANY T’S + DEATH OF HI-FI: The symptoms and want something properly evil th annual national network of gigs raising money Newman and Harry Nilsson as well as the likes – 80s classics, synth-pop, glam and disco club Bullingdon – Upbeat, funky hip hop from Saturday 4 in your life, here’s your party, hosted by the night. for the anti-poverty charity, which celebrated its reliably heavyweight Buried in Smoke. Have of Lambchop. London duo Too Many T’s, out on a headline tour th TUGBOAT CAPTAIN + CALYPSO + 70 anniversary this year. There are live sets from some seriously brutal technical hardcore to promote debut album `South City’ following BRIX & THE Lucy Leave, Moogieman, Semi-Urban Fox and PURPLE PATCH: The Wheatsheaf – supports to Snoop Dogg, De La Soul and Public from Woking’s Employed To Serve, out rd Brixtons. Friday 3 Downbeat rootsy folk and pop from London’s Enemy in recent times. Superb local support from EXTRICATED: on tour to promote second album `The Tugboat Captain, touring their debut album, JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS Warmth of a Dying Sun’ (released on the soulful, electro-heavy hip hop and trip hop trio RHYTHM’N’BLUES ORCHESTRA: The GHOSTPOET: `Everybody Seems to Think I’m a Raincloud’. Death of Hi-Fi. The Cellar entirely appropriately named Holy Roar DISTRICT: The Bullingdon – Weekly rock, Being a former member of The Fall probably New Theatre – Later... host and irrepressibly Records), the band, inspired by Converge, SIMPLE with LEVON VINCENT: The requires years of counselling for the toughest cheery ivory tinkler Holland heads back on tour O2 Academy indie, grunge and punk-pop club night across two Bullingdon – Long-running house and techno Rolo Tomassi and Veils, led by feral/ Amid strong competition `Dark Days & rooms. of musicians, so it’s hardly surprising some with his expansive r’n’b band after headlining the demonic throat-ripping singer Justine Jones night Simple hosts New Yorker-turned-Berliner of them gang together, possibly to help last night of Cornbury Festival this summer, the Canapes’ is a serious contender for best TEN STRINGS & A GOATSKIN: Thomas Levon Vincent, the pioneering, minimalist electro and coming on like an android pitbull with album of 2017. It might even be Ghostpoet’s Hughes Memorial Hall, Uffington – East each other reconcile themselves with what band regularly featuring big-name guest singers rabies and an appetite, whose just escaped purist, stripping linear Kraftwerk-inspired techno they went through. Which is where we find – including Sam Brown, Marc Almond and Mica best yet, with the likes of `Immigrant Boogie’ Canadian trio Three Goatskins kick off their down to its barest parts for a strangely sombre its leash by biting its owner’s hand off. The and `Freakshow’ among the darkest and UK tour after their star turn at Shrewsbury Folk Brix Smith-Start, brothers Steve and Paul Paris in recent times – for big-band renditions of new album expands on their breakneck and intimate experience. Hanley, and Steve Trafford, together in r’n’b classics, with a little boogie-woogie magic heaviest music he’s made. Obaro Ejimiwe Festival back in 2015, the trio mixing their native BOSSAPHONIK with ORKE DEL SOL: The debut while retaining all of its venom is an artist who is nigh on impossible to folk traditions with Celtic and Cajun roots. Brix & the Extricated (a pun on Fall album and plenty of cheeky banter. and, in a fair and just world, would be a Cellar – Latin dancefloor, Balkan beats, global title `Extricate’). If Steve holds the honour INTERVALS + POLYPHIA + NICK pigeonhole: rapper and poet, hip hop maestro STONE FOUNDATION: Fat Lil’s, Witney grooves, Afrobeat and nu-jazz club night hosted contender for the Mercury Prize, except it’d and alt.rock icon all at once. Championed by – Soul, jazz and funk from the Midlands outfit, of being the longest serving Fall sideman JOHNSTON: O2 Academy – Instrumental prog- probably disembowel the judges. There’s by Dan Ofer, tonight featuring a live set from at 18 years, Brix has the honour of not rock and tech-metal from Toronto guitarist Aaron Mike Skinner early on, he claims his chief touring their Paul Weller-produced album `Street Edinburgh’s ten-strong brass ensemble Orke del great support from Croydon’s sludgy stoner inspiration was Badly Drawn Boy; signed Ritual’ after supporting the Modfather at the only being a Fall member for two separate Marshall and his band, over in the UK to promote doom-metallers Slabdragger, as well as Sol, out on a farewell tour after 13 years together, stretches, but also married to the band’s most recent album `The Shape of Colour’. to Gilles Peterson’s Bownswood label, he Royal Albert Hall. mixing up Balkan brass, New Orleans grooves brilliantly brutish Nightshift Demo of the has as much in common with Radiohead and genius dictator-in-chief Mark E Smith (well IRATION STEPPAS: The Bullingdon – Leeds’ Monthers Msry, taking Pantera’s metalcore and Latin carnival vibes into a theatrical whole. documented in her The Rise, The Fall & The club leaders Iration Steppers bring their heavy Massive Attack as he does Gil Scott Heron or THURSDAY 2nd KLUB KAKOFANNEY with MOOGIEMAN for a rampage through Lamb of God-style Roots Manuva, and he first started to make Rise autobiography). Given she also joined duty dub soundsystem to the Bully. MEGAN HENWOOD: Truck Store (6pm) – & THE MASOCHISTS + NIGHTJAR + FUJI thrash and even a spot of death-metal his name supporting Metronomy on tour. Hole for all of one day, maybe she’s just a OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms – Instore set from the local folk singer. + MISSING NOTES: The Wheatsheaf – Klub noise, all shredded guitars, blast beats and A nice little mix of bases for the man not glutton for punishment. She is, however, Weekly open mic session. KANADIA: O2 Academy – Epic indie from the Kak host their monthly party with a mixed bag of screaming. Warming your soul up nicely quite pinned down by the description of him an immense talent in her own right. Her DES BARKUS + FIREGAZER + rising local stars, tonight launching new single sounds, including Moogieman’s quirky, electro- over the fire will be hardcore and djent crew once as a cross between Tricky and Dirty contributions to `Perverted By Language’ FRANKLIN’S TOWER + BEARD OF `Ocean Blue’, the quartet’s ambitious stadium- pop, young Buckinghamshire grunge rockers Resolve. Oh yes, that moshpit is gonna be Projectors. Early on there was a lightness and make it arguably The Fall’s finest record, DESTINY: Donnington Community Centre friendly sound in the vein of Radiohead, U2, Nightjar and funky blues rockers Fuji. something mad. playfulness to his music that touched on jazz, while her brief Adult Net project in the (6pm) – Free evening of unplugged live music, Muse and Jeff Buckley. BLOODY KNEES: The Library – Fuzzy, riff- but increasingly the mood of so many of his 80s alongside various members of The including acoustic singer-songwriter Des Barkus, THE EDDIE MARTIN BAND: The laden punk and raw, melodic grunge from the Awards Horizon winner Farrell, playing songs songs is pensive and anxious, stories often Fall and The Smiths is one of that decade’s trad folksters Firegazer, Grateful Dead tribute and Bullingdon – The renowned British blues rising noisemaker out on tour after supporting from his recent `Trueborn Irishman’ album, recounted through a fug of morning-after forgotten pop gems. Their influence is more blues duo Beard of Destiny. guitarist, twice nominated for best UK blues Wolf Alice, tonight’s free show already sold out. drawing comparisons to Christy Moore, Andy confusion, intense self-contemplation and apparent on The Extricated’s new album, guitarist and adept at acoustic, slide and electric, GUNS’N’ROSES EXPERIENCE: Fat Lil’s, Irvine and Paul Brady. even paranoia. If tracks from his Mercury- `Part 2’ than The Fall, despite the band’s th drawing on all manner of American blues Witney MONDAY 6 nominated debut `Peanut Butter Blues & collective pedigree, while The Stooges traditions, from Delta and Texan to Chicago and AKON with KONVICT KARTEL + TRE th Melancholy Jam’ album, like `Cash & Carry’, and Blondie play an equally large part in CARTER + OG BOO DIRTY: O2 Academy TUESDAY 7 New Orleans, returns to The Haven Club. th ALISON MOYET: The New Theatre – 36 sounded like they were somnambulating SATURDAY 4 the new sound which throws out a bit of – The r’n’b megastar previews new album CLUBBERS’ GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: years after first finding fame as one half of Yazoo, through fog, much of `Dark Days…’ feels BRIX & THE EXTRICATED: The Cellar psychedelic sunshine to counter the Salford `Stadium’ on a rare UK tour – see main preview The Cellar – House, techno and grove club night with Vince Clarke, Alison Moyet returns to synth- like it’s lost on a storm-swept ocean as the – The former-Fall and Adult Net singer and gloom. Unsurprisingly The Extricated have CC SMUGGLERS: The Bullingdon with Monotreme b2b Real Vita, DJ Villemin, pop with her ninth studio album `Other’, her horror of modern life closes in around it. All guitarist brings her crew of fellow Fall refugees been heavily championed by 6Music’s Marc – Rough’n’ready roots ramblin’ from Circadian Rhythms and OB. reborn love of electronics coming in the wake of of it is brilliant though, and after two near to town – see main preview Riley, himself a former Fall member. Proof Bedfordshire’s busking ensemble, back in the CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford collaborating with Guy Sigsworth on 2013’s `The misses for the Mercury, you hope next time AUTOBAHN + WHO’S ALICE? + ROCK that out of suffering comes great art. shire after their headline set at WOOD Festival Community Centre – Oxford’s longest running Minutes’, the mix of 80s pop sounds, disco and round the man will get his just reward. SOLID + SAM MARTIN: O2 Academy – Dark in May, inspired by old-time Texan folk and and most eclectic open club night continues trip hop a perfect vehicle for her wide-ranging, walls of noise and stark, reverb-heavy post-punk swing and starting a bluesy bluegrass barn dance to showcase local singers, musicians, poets, sensitive contralto voice. Alongside songs from from Leeds’ Autobahn, channelling early Joy wherever they do roam. storytellers and performance artists every the new record, expect the big hits - `All Cried Division and Magazine through The Horrors and GIRL RAY: The Cellar – Indie pop wot like it Thursday. Out’; `Love Resurrection’; `Love Letters’; Is Hookworms. should be made from the north London teens – ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure – This Love’, and `Weak In the Presence of Beauty’ EMPLOYED TO SERVE + SLABDRAGGER see main preview Weekly unplugged open mic session. among them, plus old Yazoo classics like `Only + MSRY + RESOLVE: The Wheatsheaf OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim – BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford You’ and `Don’t Go’. – Brutal technical hardcore from Woking’s Weekly open mic session. – Open jam session. CRADLE OF FILTH: O2 Academy – Darkest Employed To Serve, out on tour to promote DAOIRI FARRELL: Nettlebed Folk Club TWISTED STATE OF MIND + SHIRE + of the dark, blackest of the black, naughtiest of second album `The Warmth of a Dying Sun’ – see – Traditional Irish folk from recent BBC Folk SPRUNG FROM CAGES + ROCKSOLID + main preview the naughty, Dani Filth and cohorts ride back into Support at tonight’s Empty Rooms show comes Tory government led by a steel-hearted woman, grooves, including a special guest DJ set HAIRFORCE 5: Fat Lil’s, Witney – from London folk scene stalwart Peter Roe, best a Labour party actually espousing Labour from Toby Kidd, the venue’s first ever Tribute to 80s hair metal bands. known as part of Laura Marling’s band as well as values, and Billy Bragg’s on tour. Unsurprisingly resident DJ and one of the major figures TEXAN GHOST TRAIN: The Brewery tourmate with Mumford and Sons. given this is his first Oxford show since 2011 responsible for putting The Cellar on the Tap, Abingdon – Rock and blues covers. SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James (excluding an appearance at Towersey Festival) venue map. Street Tavern tonight’s show, hosted by Empty Room, is PORT ERIN + SEMI URBAN FOX SUNDAY 12th already sold out. The Bard of Barking is as + THE SHADES + MEEKAN: The TOSELAND: The Bullingdon – Former WEDNESDAY 8th relevant now as he ever was – an inspiration on Wheatsheaf – Atmospheric jazz and folk- Superbike champion James Toseland, who JOHN MAYALL: The New Theatre – Possibly the likes of Frank Turner and Kate Tempest and tinged post-rock, somewhere between Talk was forced to retire from motorcycle racing the only artist in this month’s gig guide to whom still a champion of new radical political pop Talk and Miles Davis, from West Country after a wrist injury, brings his band back with his Leftfield stage at Glastonbury – his mix crew Port Erin, alongside local fuzzy indie Monday 6th the title living legend could be justly applied, the to town ahead of an album release, mixing veteran bluesman – now 83 years young – has a of romantic longing and socialist soapboxing janglers Semi Urban Fox. hard rock and power ballads and having AKON with legacy equal to any in British blues, and a vast keeping the flames of justice burning. And BRIAN GITTENS: The Bullingdon previously collaborated with Little Angels’ back catalogue, including latest album `Talk just to make that 80s nostalgia complete, he’s GOAT GIRL: Modern Art Oxford – Toby Jepson. KONVICT KARTEL: About That’, that is impossible to fully keep track supported tonight by former-Pogues singer Shane Already sold-out free gig (rearranged from SUPERLOOSE + PURPLE MAY of (we think it’s 64 albums, but don’t hold us to McGowan, a man who’s struggled with his May) from south London’s slow-burning + BMW + CHEAP PETROL: The O2 Academy that). He’s best known, though, as helmsman of demons and associated ill health for many years grunge/garage rockers Goat Girl, coming Wheatsheaf (3.30pm) – Giddyup Music Even if you added up all your Facebook his Bluesbreakers band, bringing everyone from but remains one of the great punk poets. on like a smouldering, surfed-up mix of host a free afternoon of live music in the friends, including the ones you don’t Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Jack Bruce, to PEARL JAM UK: O2 Academy – Tribute to Mr Courtney Barnett, Tanya Donnelly and Sheaf’s downstairs bar. actually know and only accepted because it John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Mick Taylor Vedder and co. Thee Headcoatees on recent Rough Trade OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms would have been awkward not to, it won’t to prominence. He’s never stopped gigging CHELOU: The Cellar – Fragile, reclusive debut `Country Sleaze’, and named in acoustic pop from Camden songsmith Chelou, honour of Bill Hicks alter-ego Goat Boy. be as many people as Akon has collaborated or recording and tonight’s show finds him on MONDAY 13th with across over 100 records in the past tour with another Bluesbreaker alumni, Buddy touring his new single `Damned Eye See’. DR HOOK with DENNIS th OXFORD CLASSIC JAZZ: The decade and a half. Seriously, the guy can THE CELLAR’S 18 BIRTHDAY PARTY: LOCORRIERE: The New Theatre – Whittington, whose fiery blues-rock style has Harcourt Arms – Classic jazz and ragtime barely have time to make love to all those The Cellar – Party like it’s 1999 as The Cellar New Jersey’s soft rockers team up once reinvigorated Mayall’s sound and he remains the from the local ensemble, taking on Jelly ladies in his songs in between adding his comes of age, and celebrates its recent reprieve again with Dennis Locorriere, the singer undisputed godfather of British blues. Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller distinctively plaintive voice to songs by from closure. A night of hip hop, jump up and from their golden 1970s period, for run REWS + HAXAN + ECHO4FOUR: The et al. Eminem, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, through hits like `Sylvia’s Mother’, `A Wheatsheaf – Anthemic grunge rocking from DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE: The David Guetta, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani Little Bit More’, `Sharing the Night London/Belfast duo Rews, back in town for th Cellar – Indie, alternative and new rave and scores more. And that’s before you even Monday 6 Together and `When You’re in Love With a tonight’s OxRox show, alongside Cardiff hard club night, with DJ sets from The Shades get to his own output, which includes three Beautiful Woman’. rockers Haxan and local Sabbath-inspired and Korova. multi-platinum albums, including global GIRL RAY: TIGMUS LIVE with BANDICOOT: The heavyweights Echo4four. THE ELEPHANT SESSIONS: Nettlebed megabeast `Konvicted’, which we think sold Mad Hatter – Effervescent indie rocking DISTRICT: The Bullingdon The Cellar Folk Club – Rocked-up traditional Scottish more copies than there are people on the from Swansea’s Bandicoot at tonight’s The shadow of blokey indie rock that’s folk from Inverness’s award-winning planet. Documenting his early hard-knock th Tigmus show, the band having supported THURSDAY 9 loomed since the mid-90s really is beginning quartet, out on tour following their show at life in Senegal and Atlanta, his sudden fame Vant, The Sherlocks and Blaenavon WIRE: The Bullingdon – Difficult shapes and to dissipate now as the trickle of great new Celtic Connections. and, yes, his successes (and failures) with recently. blasted noise from the punk rock intelligentsia – old-school indie bands becomes a veritable STRUM WHAT YA BRUNG: The Black the laydeez, he’s always managed to retain STORYTELLERS: The Black Swan – see main preview flood. In the wake of The Orielles, Dream Swan – Fortnightly open mic sessions a buoyant pop edge to his mix of r’n’b and Live acoustic music from the local duo. HARAM + GUILT POLICE + DRORE: The Wife, Alvvays, Desperate Journalist, The hosted by local musicians Spike Holifield; hip hop, which has made hits of songs like MUDSLIDE MORRIS & THE Library – Righteous Arab-American hardcore Tuts and several hundred others, come north free pint for all performers. `Locked Up’, `Smack That’, `I Wanna Love REVELATORS: Tap Social, Botley from New York’s Haram at tonight’s Smash London’s Girl Ray, another band whose OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal You’ and `Lonely’, and allowed him to – Cigar box guitar-led stomp blues and Disco show – see main preview romantic jangle and fiery fuzz harks back Blenheim become something of a philanthropist for boogie from the local regular. WHITNEY – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: The to The Shop Assistants and Talulah Gosh, mainly African charities. He’s got a new New Theatre all heartbreak and sunshine, winsome th single out now – `Yes’, with Dutch DJ Sam th TUESDAY 14 JON BODEN: The Cornerstone, Didcot – harmonies, lo-fi guitar buzz and a cheerily SATURDAY 11 Feldt – and he’s over in the UK to play a MARIKA HACKMAN: The Bullingdon Post-Bellowhead, Jon Boden continues his lopsided approach to melody. The trio – HELL’S ADDICTION + DOOMSDAY (for him) intimate tour, showcasing new – Newly grunged-up confessionals and journey to becoming the greatest living British Poppy Hankin (dubbed the Finchley Nico), OUTLAW + BROKEN DEVICE + material ahead of a fourth album, tentatively revenge tales from the SubPop-signed siren folk musician, while having to build a succession Iris McConnell and Sophie Moss – were all REECE: The Wheatsheaf – Leicester’s titled `Stadium’. – see main preview of new mantelpieces to keep all his awards on. just 16 when they started playing, inspired melodic heavy rockers Hell’s Addiction mix up Skid Row, Guns’n’Roses and AC/ NELLY + SIR THE BAPTIST: O2 Virtuoso, maestro, genius – probably all labels by Cate le Bon and Todd Rungren, and Academy – Over a decade and a half on town like the Horsemen of the Rock Apocalypse DC into a hoary, hairy brew at tonight’s you could stick on him, his skill with the fiddle, despite admitting they were pretty terrible from breakthrough debut album `Country for their first Oxford show in over a decade, OxRox show, joined by Derby’s groove- as well as myriad other instruments, put him in at first they quickly attracted the attention Grammar’ Missouri rapper Nelly is out on touring `Cryptoriana, The Seductiveness of laded heavy rockers Doomsday Outlaw. the top echelon of folk music people. of Moshi Moshi, who released their debut tour playing club shows with just a DJ and Decay’, the gothic symphonic metallers’ twelfth CRUCAST – SKEPSIS & DARKSY + CHARLIE WORSHAM: Truck Store (6pm) – album `Earl Grey’ this summer. They’ve hype man rather than the massive stadium studio album, following `Godspeed on the Devil’s NOTION + MR VIRGO: O2 Academy Instore set from the Mississippi country star. toured with labelmates Teleman as well as and arena gigs he once enjoyed, but if Thunder’, `Hammer of the Witches’ and `Blimey, – Bass club night from indie label Crucast LIVE LOUNGE: The Bullingdon – Fortnightly Ezra Furman and Slow Club and more than multi-million selling albums are a thing Will You Look at the Size of that Spider’. Total on tour, with south London’s Skepsis and unplugged open session in the Bully’s front bar. anything helped bring a sense of naivety and of the not-so-distant past, he seems to be fucking darkness and all that. Valkyries come as Nottingham’s Darksy among those on the KANADIA + ONE COLOUR SHORT + AS fun back into indie. The influence of Gorky’s enjoying himself as much as ever going by an optional extra. decks. EVERYTHING UNFOLDS + BE STILL + Zygotic Mynci as well as Cate le Bon has reviews of recent shows, the new-found BURY TOMORROW + LOATHE: O2 VIPER – THE SOUND OF COUNTING CARDS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – seen them described as the Welshest band to intimacy adding a freshness to monster hits Academy – Southampton’s melodic metalcore DRUM&BASS: O2 Academy – Kanadia bring their epic stadium-sized indie rock come out of London, while there’s elements like `Hot In Here’, while those old Neptune- warriors head back to town to promote fourth Underground drum&bass showcase tour. to West Oxfordshire, with support from grunge of post-punk pioneers The Raincoats and produced tunes haven’t passed their sell-by album `Earthbound’, increasingly following a JOHN JOSEPH BRILL: The Cellar crew One Colour Short, among others. spangle-pop stars The Sundays in there too. date yet. more technical path in the style of Killswitch – Bold, throaty southern gothic folk and 4X4: The Cellar – Tech house club night. Dark days are over, pop music is back and INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, Engage and As I Lay Dying. acoustic rock from the touring singer- CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Girl Ray bloody well rule. industrial, ebm, darkwave and more from EMILY BARKER BAND + PETER ROE: songwriter. Community Centre Doktor Joy and Bookhouse. The Bullingdon – Return to town for the TURF X TIMEDANCE: The Cellar ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure THE Sgt PEPPER SHOW: Simpkins Lee Australian singer-songwriter after her Truck – Techno, bass and 4x4 club night with BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford Theatre – The Oxford Beatles perform the Store show back in May. Having earned her Bruce, Ploy and Batu. seminal `Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club musical spurs on the Cambridge folk scene TROPICLE POPSICLE: The th Band’ album in its entirety as part of a play Barker subsequently moved to Memphis where FRIDAY 10 Bullingdon – Tropical house club night. about the life of Beatles manager Brian she recorded new album `Sweet Kind of Blue’ at BILLY BRAGG + SHANE McGOWAN: O2 40s REWIND NIGHT: The Harcourt Epstein. The band are joined by guests from the legendary Sam Phillips Recording Service, Academy – Anyone still doubting that the 1980s Arms – Swing and jazz retro night. the local music scene. Runs until the 18th. continuing her freewheeling journey through are back? We’ve got an intellectually challenged HOUSEWURK: The Black Swan – nutjob in the White House, a callously rightwing SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James folk, country and Fleetwood Mac-style 70s pop. House session. Steve Black, out on tour again together and from the local faves and recent Nightshift cover BON GIOVI: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute night. MONDAY 20th supported tonight by Mr Ags Connolly. stars. THE MIGHTY CADILLACS: The Old ARMED FOR THE APOCALYPSE: The DISTRICT: The Bullingdon SOUL SESSIONS: The Cellar – disco, funk and Anchor, Abingdon – Blues and rock covers. Cellar – Ruthlessly raw-throated and brutal sludge ROCKSOC: The Wheatsheaf – Live rock soul classics with Musical Medicine, Tim Hinson SATURDAY 18th from California’s Armed For The Apocalypse bands hosted by the University’s rock society. and more on the decks. NEWTON FAULKNER: O2 Academy – The at tonight’s Buried in Smoke show, the band NO HORSES + ASH LEWIS + ROSE SEGAL ever affable Mr Faulkner returns to town as part helmed by former-Will Haven man Cayle Hunter THURSDAY 16th + CHANUTE’S PLASTIC ARMY: The of a tour to promote new album `Hit the Ground and touring their new album having previously STRAY BIRDS + THE GREAT WESTERN Wheatsheaf – Electric blues from local band No Running’. supported Sepultura, Crowbar and 36Crazyfists TEARS: The Bullingdon – More class-A Horses, plus acoustic songsmith Ash Lewis. DEFINITELY MIGHTBE: O2 Academy – on tour. Americana courtesy of Empty Room Promotions JEB LOY NICHOLS: Friends Meeting House, Certainly, possibly an Oasis tribute band. RESOLVE + RATS EAT RATS + KING tonight with a return to Oxford for Pennsylvania’s St. Giles – Country, soul hip hop and reggae CHEROKII + BLACK CANDY + BEARD BOLETE + ONE COLOUR SHORT: The th th Thursday 9 Stray Birds, the classically-trained acoustic fusion from globetrotting songsmith Lowe at OF DESTINY: The Wheatsheaf – Mountain- Bullingdon – Hardcore and djent from Resolve Tuesday 14 three-piece, led by singer and guitarist Maya de tonight’s Glovebox gig, bringing his love of Bobby sized beats and riffs from garage/grunge beasts at tonight’s Church of the Heavy gig, launching WIRE: The Bullingdon Vitry, having earned a global audience as well Womack, The Staple Singers and Al Green to bear Cherokii, alongside RATM-inspired rap, funk- this year’s Oxford City Festival and showcasing MARIKA HACKMAN: Punk’s most awkward sons return to Oxford as plenty of critical love for their stark, emotive, on traditional Nashville sounds, the Wyoming- metal and hardcore crew Black Candy, and blues new local metal and rock acts. They’re joined for their first show here since 2011. The born singer currently resident in Wales after spells by melodic grungers Rats Eat Rats, old-school The Bullingdon harmony-laden country-folk, inspired as much rockers Beard of Destiny. Originally a cut glass-voiced alt.folk singer, band emerged from punk’s revolution pool in Spain, New York and twenty years living in blues rockers King Bolete, sticking to their Led by The Beatles and The Band as by The Carter MUSICAL MEDICINE with MEDLAR: bandmate of Cara Delevigne and tourmate but were always beyond the nihilistic rage London, where he worked with Adrian Sherwood Zep and Deep Purple guns, and L7-styled grunge Family and Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys. The Bullingdon – Funk, soul, disco and house of Laura Marling and Ethan Johns, Marika of the Pistols et al, and continued to mutate and Dennis Bovell. newcomers One Colour Short. They’re touring Europe in support of last year’s club night with a guest set from Wolf resident Hackman’s brought the grunge to her latest and innovate at every turn. The quartet’s SOFAR SOUNDS: Venue TBC – Two shows in CHARMS AGAINST THE EVIL EYE + THE `Best Medicine’, their second album. Top drawer producer Medlar, playing Chicago and deep album, `I’m Not Your Man’. Bolder and less opening gambit, `Pink Flag’, had all the two nights from the Oxford arm of the global pop- FIREGAZERS + KIVA: The Jericho Tavern local support from Great Western Tears with their house floor fillers. mannered than her debut, `We Slept At Last’, energy of punk but was more ambitious and up gig movement. Acts and venue to be announced – Oxford City Festival show with psychedelic earthy, ruminative barroom country-folk and 60s SOLO COLLECTIVE + SUZY BOWTELL: she’s backed on the new record by The Big eclectic than its contemporaries and over the to ticket holders ahead of the show. Visit the popstrels Charms Against the Evil Eye and more. West Coast pop. The Jericho Tavern – An electronic live set from Moon, who bring their own exuberance to next couple of albums, `Chairs Missing’ and Sofar website to find out more. LAU: Nettlebed Folk Club – A rare visit to the JOHN SMITH + WILL STRATTON + Seb Reynolds’ Solo Collective, launching debut play. The sweet acoustic pop is still there on `154’, Wire became increasingly eclectic Shire for the award-winning Anglo-Scottish trio, MATHEW BAILEY: St. Barnabas Church – album `Part One’, following a classical set at the tracks like `My Lover Cindy’, but on songs while keeping that raw, stripped-down edge. Orkney singer Kris Drever alongside fiddle player Devon’s doleful folk troubadour returns to the th Holywell in September, keyboard maestro and like single `Boyfriend’, she goes down a more Disbanding in 1980 they reformed in the Thursday 9 Aidan O’Rourke and accordionist Martin Green, Shire for tonight’s Tigmus, having played the composer Reynolds joined by cellist Anne Müller slacker rock path, with the influence of The late-80s with a poppier sound for `A Bell Is the trio bringing virtuosity and experimentation suitably olde world Holywell Music Room last and violin player Alex Stolze, plus an ensemble Breeders, Liz Phair and Courtney Barnett to A Cup (Until It Is Struck)’ but have become HARAM / GUILT to their traditional mix of jigs, reels, ballads and time round. He’s a much-travelled singer and of local musicians, for a concert of solo and the fore. The Hampshire-born, London-based increasingly experimental over the years, drones. musician, regularly touring round the globe, POLICE / DRORE: collaborative sets. Support from Young Women’s singer and guitarist, who learned her musical while original guitarist Bruce Gilbert has long opening for John Martyn, Iron and Wine, Richard Music Project’s Suzie Bowtell. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim since departed. Frontman Colin New, bassist trade while living in London, was originally Hawley and Martin Carthy amongst a host of big The Library THE SPITFIRES + THE NOVATONES: discovered by Jonny Flynn, who helped her get Graham Lewis and drummer Robert Grey names, as well as being a major influence of Ben Even by their high standards Smash Disco The Cellar – Mod rocking from Watford’s st still remain from the original line-up though TUESDAY 21 her first record deal with Transgressive, and Howard. He’s out on a headline tour to promote serve up a treat tonight, the DIY punk Spitfires, inspired by The Jam, The Clash and YEAR OF THE KITE + KRIEF + JUNIPER and if you can judge a band on those they she was also a model for Burberry for a while, most recent album `Headlong’, his fifth, and collective bringing New York’s Haram Arctic Monkeys and out on a headline tour to NIGHTS + SPIKE HOLIFIELD: The inspired, Wire have few equals: REM, The but she’s now signed to SubPop, which feels performing in the suitably ornate setting of St to town for the first time. The American promote their album `A Thousand Times’, having Wheatsheaf – Oxford City Festival show with Cure and The Manic Street Preachers were like a more natural home for her new, more Barnabas. underground hardcore scene is a haven for previously been tour supports to The Specials and lush, orchestral, downbeat pop, classical post- huge fans, while Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand confident and acerbic musical style and lyrics, RESTRUCTURE: The Library – The local the righteous voice and disaffection, but a Paul Weller. rock outfit Year of the Kite alongside former and Futureheads all quoted them as a chief which variously find her seducing some guy’s punk-rap-rave hoolies launch their new single hardcore punk band, fronted by a Middle FLUID: The Cellar – Bassline, drum&bass, UK Dears multi-instrumentalist Patrick Krief and his influence. Across the Atlantic Big Black and girlfriend or delicately singing “I’m a fucking and remix EP, coming on like a belligerently Eastern Muslim who sings entirely in garage and house club night, with Sound Affect, emotive, epic pop and sombre alt.rockers Juniper Minor Threat took up arms after hearing pig / I’m going to get my fill” in a voice that funky mix of Crass, The Streets, Sleaford Mods Arabic is still a rare thing. Frontman Nader Blair, Masp and Tritech. Nights. Wire. Famously anti-nostalia, what you sounds like butter wouldn’t melt. There’s still and The Shamen. consciously uses his language’s harsh sonics THE OXLEY MEIER GUITAR PROJECT: KONIK: Old Fire Station – Oxford Improvisers get from Wire on any given night is rarely plenty of moody romantic musing to be had CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford as an instrument in themselves, delivering St Giles Church – Virtuoso guitar display from host a trio of Mark Langford (tenor sax, predictable, but previous shows have seen but this time round Hackman’s apologising to Community Centre challenging political and cultural messages Nick Meier, from Jeff Beck’s band, and Pete bass clarinet), Dominic Lash (double bass) them revisiting many of their classic older no-one and sounds like she’s having far more ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure over the band’s tumbling onward rush of lo-fi Oxley, from world jazz group Curious Paradise, and Roger Telford (percussion) in the OFS’s Loft tracks, but whatever they play they are a rare fun for it. BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford rock shrapnel; the band name comes from together playing music inspired by Turkish, venue. thing: a band that defies categorisation and KYROS + L’ANIMA + PARALLAX the Islamic word for forbidden and they’ve Latin American sounds and Bach, on a variety of DOCTOR FEELGOOD: The Cellar – Disco, Wheatsheaf – Oxford City Festival show. still sound cutting edge, even well into their METHOD: Fat Lil’s, Witney – OxRox present earned a reputation as one of the most intense guitars, as part of the Jazz at St Giles season. afrobeat and house club night. DISTRICT: The Bullingdon fourth decade together. a night of prog and technical rock. and exciting bands on the US scene and The SOFAR SOUNDS: Venue TBC PIZZA MIC: The Library – Open mic night. THE TRAVELLING BAND + THE FACTORY Library is a perfect setting to enjoy this kind TONY NANTON’S SOUL DANCE NIGHT: SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James Street LIGHTS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Return of th of music face on. And so only the best in The Black Swan – Soul sounds from the local Street Tavern FRIDAY 17 Tavern Manchester’s rootsy psychedelic folk-pop local hardcore to support them, with Guilt DJ legend. BOSSAPHONIK with BUKKY LEO & collective, in the vein of Crosby, Stills and Nash Police, fresh from a European tour, dishing FREEFALL: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock covers. th BLACK EGYPT: The Bullingdon – Latin nd and The Band, with support from Shapes side WEDNESDAY 15 out riotous Fugazi sharpness, Amphetamine WEDNESDAY 22 BIG GILSON & BLUES DYNAMITE dancefloor, Balkan beats, global grooves, PEERLESS PIATES + THE project The Factory lights. Reptile aggression and Discharge-inspired th featuring DEL BROMHAM: The Bullingdon Afrobeat and nu-jazz club night hosted by Dan SUNDAY 19 rage with well-honed aplomb, alongside DEADBEAT APOSTLES + SPINNER FALL – The Haven Club hosts Brazilian bluesman Big Ofer, tonight featuring a live set from Nigerian AUDIOSCOPE: The Bullingdon (12.30pm) rd super-heavyweight sludge from Drore, + CRYSTALLITE: The Cellar – Oxford City THURSDAY 23 Gilson, the Rio-born guitarist inspired by Johnny afrobeat man Bukky Leo and his eight-piece – The annual Shelter fundraiser returns with the band made up of three parts former Festival show with roustabout indie/rockabilly MAD DOG McRAE: The Bullingdon – Folk- Winters and Little Walter and over in the UK on band. Born in Lagos, he grew up playing splendid noise from Nathan Fakes, JK Flesh, The Undersmilers and one part Crippled Black romantics Peerless Pirates, plus goodtime soul, rock, bluegrass and gypsy jazz from Plymouth’s tour with London-based blues-rock guitarist Del alongside pioneers Fela Kuti and Tony Allen KVB and more – see main preview Phoenix chap and crunking out a molten rhythm’n’blues and roadhouse rocking Mad Dog McRea, championed by Mike Harding Bromham, once of 70s rockers Stray and more before moving to London in the 1980s, becoming AIRBOURNE + PHIL CAMPBELL & mix of Pissed Jeans, Melvins and Babes in from Deadbeat Apostles, shoegaze-tinged recently his own Blues Devils band. one of the lynchpins of the Acid Jazz scene. THE BASTARD SONS + THE WILD: O2 Toyland. And as it’s a Smash Disco show, post-punk and 80s hardcore from KATY HURT & FRIENDS: The Cellar – ANTARCTIC MONKEYS: O2 Academy Academy – Gruff, primal rock and roll from entry is by voluntary donation – and a line-up Spinner Fall and post-grunge rocking THE OXFORD Country, Americana, blues and rock from Long – You don’t get polar bears in Antarctica, or Australia’s Airbourne, back with recent Top 10 like this deserves a big one. from Crystallite. Island singer/guitarist Katy Hurt, joined on a penguins in the Arctic, but monkeys, as any fool album, `Breakin’ Outta Hell’, staying true to AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE: RECORD & CD FAIR short UK tour by chums Sonia Leigh, The knows, love sub-zero temperatures in either their simple and effective AC/DC, Thin Lizzy The Bullingdon – Ethereal post-rock St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE Healers, Journey Home and Shelly Fairchild, hemisphere and exist on a diet of snow and whale and Spinal Tap-inspired hard rock sound, all big and shoegaze from Nottingham’s 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP Hurt having recently been nominated for Best blubber. riffs, even bigger choruses and unapologetically glacial soundscapists, touring ahead of Female Vocalist at the British Country Music KURUPT FM: O2 Academy – Brentford’s unreconstructed tales of booze, chicks and their first release since 2010, the new Saturday 18th November Awards. ill-starred UK garage massive bring their west fighting. And if that don’t grab ya, tonight’s single `Our Goal To Realise’, having 10am-4pm BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar London pirate sounds to Oxford for the first time support comes from legendary former Motorhead previously toured with M83 and 65 ALAN WEST & STEVE BLACK + AGS since their showing at Common People last year, axeman Phil Campbell with his new band The Daysofstatic and recorded with Sigur Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres CONNOLLY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rootsy MC Grindah, and DJs Beats and Steves and gang Bastard Sons – featuring his three sons. Ros. Accessories/memoriabillia/books. Americana and country rock from veteran Devon forever attempting to match ability to ambition. OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms OTTO + THE SURGE + GHOUL Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl singer Alan West and long-term musical partner ZAIA: The Cellar – Soulful reggae grooves STEAMROLLER: Bell Inn, Wantage (5-8pm) + WEBS & MARIONETTES: The www.usrfairs.co.uk and chums with Seth Lakeman ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure club night. see main preview THURSDAY 30th LET THE LADY SING with THE PINK BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford KIM LOWRINGS & THE GREENWOOD TALISK: Nettlebed Folk Club – Lively Scottish MOOGIEMAN: Truck Store (6pm) – Instore DIAMOND REVUE + THE DEMOISELLES WORRY DOLLS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Pure, + ALEX & JESS: Tiddy Hall, Ascott-under- folk dance from the winners of the BBC Young show from the local electro-pop star, launching his + KHAMSINA + OCEAN RUINS: The Cellar rootsy bluesgrass and country folk from London Wychwood – Original songs and traditional Folk Awards and the Danny Kyle Award at Celtic new EP. – Oxford City Festival show. Reading’s brilliant duo Worry Dolls, back in the shire after playing at folk tunes from Lowrings and chums at tonight’s Connections, out on tour after sets at Cropredy and SCOUTING FOR GIRLS: O2 Academy – In acid-surf-rockers The Pink Diamond Revue stretch WOOD Festival in May, the pair – Zoe Nicol and Wychwood Folk Club. Cambridge Folk Festival. the words of Marwood, “will we never be set the idea of singing ladies somewhat with their Rosie Jones – inspired by Nickel Creek, Gillian MIGHTY DISCO BISCUITS: Fat Lil’s, Witney STRUM WHAT YA BRUNG: The Black Swan free?” mannequin-fronted, Death in Vegas-inspired show. Welch and Alison Krauss and out on tour to – Funk, soul and disco covers. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim BARNY HYDE: The Cellar – A solo acoustic FRACTURE + GLUEMAN + BE STILL + promote debut album `Go Get Gone’. FUD: The Brewery Tap, Abingdon – Blues and show from Futureheads frontman Hyde, playing SUMMIT 7 + ACORD DIOX: The Jericho rock covers. TUESDAY 28th new songs alongside old Heads faves like `Dead Tavern – Local bands showcase at tonight’s FRIDAY 24th SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James Street Days & Nights’ and `The Beginning of the Twist’. Oxford City Festival gig. GLASVILLE: O2 Academy – Country rocking SUNDAY 26th Tavern KONE: The Jericho Tavern – Daisy Rodgers LIVE LOUNGE: The Bullingdon from Glasgow’s tribute to US TV show Nashville, 31HOURS + LUCY LEAVE + DAISY: The Music host the first of their monthly local bands CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford out on their first major UK tour to promote debut Bullingdon – Album launch show from the th showcases at the recently refurbished Tavern, Community Centre WEDNESDAY 29 tonight with sparse, atmospheric post-punkers single `One Time Thing’. th atmospheric local indie/electro starlets – see TOM RUSSELL: The Bullingdon – Tex-Mex Monday 27 Kone launching their new single, `For John Dr JOHN COOPER CLARKE: O2 Academy – Introducing feature and traditional Texan country music from the el Heartfield’, mixing up elements of The Raincoats, th Manchester’s titan of scabrous wit and legendary BELIEFS + FEVER DREAM + SLATE Paso-resident veteran, whose been covered by the Sunday 19 PUMAROSA: Young Marble Giants and Delta 5 with The xx. punk poet JCC – now with added doctorate title HEARTS: The Library – Blissed-out shoegaze likes of Johnny Cash, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark GOODNESS: The Cellar – House, techno and AUDIOSCOPE: – returns to Oxford after terrifying Cornbury The Bullingdon in a My Bloody Valentine vein from Toronto’s and kd lang among many others, tonight playing disco club night. festival goers last year and continuing to explore If you’ve been paying even the slightest Beliefs, back in town for tonight’s Divine Schism songs from his extensive back catalogue, including THE HERETIC ORDER + The Bullingdon the gutter and the sky in his undiminished bit of attention to Nightshift over the past show. More shoegaze from Fever Dream in most recent album `Folk Hotel’, his 28th. PROMETHEAN REIGN + SHIRE: Fat Lil’s, Audioscope’s annual all-day mini-festivals sardonic style, the godfather of slam poetry and a couple of years (admit it, you hang on our support, plus virulent grunge from Slate Hearts. PICTISH TRAIL: The Cellar – Spectral, Witney – Occult metal from London’s Heretic have become one of the most fun and rhyming genius with few peers on classic cuts like every word) you’ll have noticed we love OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms ambient folktronica and indie-folk from Order at tonight’s OxRox metal night. The challenging musical traditions on the local `Beasley Street’, `I Wanna Be Yours’, `Evidently Pumarosa. Possibly to an unhealthy degree. SUNDAY SESSION: Florence Park Edinburgh’s well-travelled Johnny Lynch, band joined by local blackened heavyweights music calendar. Since 2001 the event Chickentown’ and `Twat’. But what can you do when you’re faced Community Centre (2-5pm) – Return of the whose CV includes time spent playing with Promethean Reign. has raised over £30,000 for homeless SON OF MAN + THE MARK PONTIN with a song like `Priestess’, the band’s debut family-friendly gig afternoons, today with pianist Fence Collective, James Yorkston and Malcolm CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford charity Shelter while bringing some of GROUP: The Bullingdon – Bluesy psychedelia single and one of the most beautiful songs and organ maestro Andy Quin, mixing up styles, Middleton among others, as well as being a regular Community Centre the world’s most pioneering musical and prog-rock from ex-Man fellas George Jones we’ve heard in recent years, a serpentine including ragtime. tourmate of KT Tunstall. ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure mavericks to Oxford. Wire; Four Tet; and Bob Richards and chums. psychedelic electro-pop funk journey that MUDSLIDE MORRIS & THE BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Damo Suzuki; Deerhoof; Clinic; Public SKYLARKIN’ SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar winds its way across seven minutes of REVELATORS: Prince OF Wales, Iffley (3pm) DISTRICT: The Bullingdon Service Broadcasting; Plaid; Silver Apples; – Count Skylarkin hosts his monthly funky reggae hypnotic splendour as singer Isabel Munoz- BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Open Sandford Explosions in the Sky, and Rother & Moebius party, tonight with a return trip to town for regular Newsome pays poetic tribute to her sister, a jam session. are just a few of the names to grace the favourites Laid Blak, the Bristolian reggae, professional dancer. It’s just gorgeous. We dancehall and hip hop collective last in Oxford for Audioscope bill over the past 16 years while first encountered Pumarosa by chance back MONDAY 27th Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion is the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Email Shit & Shine’s set in 2007 remains one of the celebration of DJ Derek’s life at the Bully. in 2015 when they were first on at this same PUMAROSA: The Bullingdon – Gloriously listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright Nightshift Magazine and may not the most incredible shows we have ever STORYTELLER + JERAMESA + SWITCH venue to Gengahr, who frankly didn’t stand witchy gothic psych-funk from the London stars – be reporoduced without permission. witnessed in town. This year’s line-up lives OUT + FUJI: The Wheatsheaf – Funk, reggae a chance and were blown clean offstage. up to high expectations, with a headline set and pop fusion from Storyteller at tonight’s City Since then the London quintet have played

from atmospheric electronica star NATHAN Festival show, plus dark, trippy psych-rock from Truck twice and released their debut album FAKE, making a rare foray away from his Jeramesa and more. `The Witch’, which continues their cosmic beloved Norfolk coast, whose landscape MATT MALTESE: Modern Art Oxford – groove into epic, tripped-out grunge, fluid bleeds into his music, including new Ninja Drama-laden indie balladeering in the vein of funk and synthetics. Munoz-Newsome is an Tunes album `Providence’. He’s joined by JK Leonard Cohen, John Grant and The Divine imperiously witchy presence, part Siouxsie FLESH – the electronic guise of Godflesh Comedy from Reading’s `Brexit-pop’ songsmith, Sioux, part Bjork, part Elizabeth Freeth from and Jesu man Justin Broadrick (pictured) recent support to Foxygen, and tonight playing a lost 90s indie stars Bang Bang Machine, The Black Swan – whose set at last year’s Supernormal was free show and showcasing songs like apocalyptic whose mix of gothic pop, shoegazy noise an astonishing experience, like a rave in the single `As the World Caves In’, which imagines and dance beats Pumarosa sometimes echo. Fri 3rd “DJ Lucy C” seventh level of Hell (anyone who doesn’t Trump and May shagging as they launch their We’ll stop here anyway before we get too The Black Swan, 11 Crown Street, think that sounds like great fun isn’t invited nuclear missiles. Not an image anyone really want excited – don’t want to wear ourselves out to any of our parties ever again); Warp’s to have lingering in their head. before we get another chance to dance in Sat 4th “Back for Good” Oxford. OX4 1QG multi-media club music deconstructors ROBB JOHNSON: St. Aldates Tavern – ungainly fashion down the front. No way PATTEN; Brighton’s dark, fuzzy shoegaze Fundraising show from the folk-rock protest Pumarosa will be writing a song about our Phone: 01865 427704 duo THE KVB; a solo set from Grumbling singer and vocal Corbyn supporter, in aid of Close dancing skills. Won’t stop us loving them Fri 10th Live Music “Story Tellers” theblackswanoxford Fur man DANIEL O’SULLIVAN; noise- Campsfield House. unreservedly. rock behemoths SEX SWING, made up of FAUX FIGHTERS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute @blackswanoxford members of Mugstar, Part Chimp, Earth and show. Art Theefe at tonight’s GTI. They’re joined by Sat 11th “Housewurk” Deathscalator; minimalist drone/kosmiche STEAMROLLER: Prince of Wales, Shippon – London’s smooth, funky, keyboard-led jazz- fella R. SEILIOG; pastoral soundscapist 60s blues, rock and r’n’b. pop outfit Sky Coloured, and rootsy roadhouse JULY SKIES, and local math-core warriors rhythm’n’blues from Missing Persians. Mon 13th “Open Mic Night with Spike” MASIRO. Great music in a great cause, SATURDAY 25th SAEDLY DORUS & THE HOOLIE BAND: WHAT’S the most adventurous and respectful DESERT STORM + SUNS OF THUNDER O2 Academy – Funk and disco ceilidh, with local audience you’ll find at a gig and a day spent + BAD BLOOD RECOVERY: The Cellar – dance leaders Saedly Dorus hosting their regular Fri 17th “DJ Lucy C” discovering new and exciting sounds. Tell us Oxford’s heavyweight champions celebrate ten shindig, helping you to do-si-do your partner to the that ain’t a perfect Sunday. years together, in which time they’ve become strains of Chic and The Bee Gees. ON IN Oxford’s greatest metal export, releasing four OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL ALL-DAYER: Sat 18th “DJ Nanton’s Soul Dance Night” albums and regularly touring Europe. Their The Jericho Tavern (12.30pm) – A full day of mix of bluesy psychedelia, sludge, desert metal local live music to round of this year’s Oxford and stoner-rock is a powerful beast and must be City Festival. Sets from Strike One; Ennor; Neon Fri 24th “DJs Dasher & Wazzy” NOVEMBER worshipped accordingly. Teepee; Mogmatic; Real Cool Killers; Cora Pearl; GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with ART Laima Bite; Lost Darren; Daisy Eaton; Brixtons; THEEFE + SKY COLOURED + MISSING Sprung From Cages; Mark Cope and more. Sat 25th Destiny Radio’s “Dan Gill” PERSIANS: The Wheatsheaf – Classic rock, THE DEADBEAT APOSTLES: The Harcourt soul, folk and country, taking inspiration from Arms – Country rocking, soul and rhythm’n’blues Bob Dylan and Van Morrison among others from from the goodtime local faves. Mon 27th “Open Mic Night with Spike” MOVE: The Cellar – Bassline, garage and grime LIVE Bo Ningen photo: Helen Messenger

Mellotron drones and harmoniser- to a plateau of incandescent sonic fury. RITUAL UNION treated vocals works surprisingly It’s glorious. Utterly fucking glorious. Cowley Road well in such expansive surroundings, Astonishingly BO NINGEN are even Storm Brian is blowing a gale along CANDY, who aren’t Scandinavian their delicate, eerie minor chord better. They begin, by their standards, Cowley Road. Flurries of leaves and as far as we know but are a pretty melancholy a perfect soundtrack for slightly awkwardly, like they’re litter skitter along the pavements, but wonderful mix of psychedelic 60s autumn evenings. trying to battle their way out of some it’s something else that’s driving a harmonies and crunching Sabbath riffs There’s an almost criminal clash mid imagined musical shackles, but by thousand or so people, armed with and incantations. evening as Russia’s ethereal shoegazers the end they’ve become a cataclysmic gold wristbands and fold-out gig Considerably less impressive is SYD PINKSHINYULTRABLAST go head rock and roll headfuck, like Hawkwind timetables, hither and thither today: ARTHUR whose ponderous, vaguely to head with TOY, so we’re forced and Steppenwolf cranking out the that giddy thrill of skipping lunch and proggy jazz-rock just sounds like a to catch snatches of either set. Toy soundtrack to Ragnarok at the gets of heading straight to one of half a dozen pauper’s My Morning Jacket. come out best with an onward rush of Hell. This is musical fury at its most venues for the inaugural Ritual Union, There are few weak links across grooved-out psych, while the Shines, as pure, an apocalyptic tour de force from an event that makes you forget it’s no today’s line-up, and it’s Nightshift’s we’ll call them for brevity’s sake, come quite possibly the most intense rock longer festival season and allows us to own fault we pick MAGIQUE over across as nervous and stuttering until band on the planet. Utterly fucking indulge in twelve hours of live music Flamingods and end up balking at their blizzard of cherry blossom pop glorious times a thousand. without the worry of the elements. their overwrought electro-soul-pop. finally finds its wings and makes itself How can PEACE follow that? They And what more apt way to begin But there’s just too much great stuff felt in spectral, Cocteau Twins-meets- can’t so we head off down to the Ritual the day than with two Cowley Road elsewhere to fret over such moments. Sundays-style fashion. Union aftershow party, hosted by LOW stalwarts, Maria Ilett and Richie Down at Truck Store EYRE LLEW is WILLIE J HEALEY is earthier but ISLAND. And despite their rather more Wildsmith, together rocking it as making a giant, Sigur Ros-style noise no less fun. He’s growing and growing airy grooves, they are a perfect finale, THE OTHER DRAMAS in an that almost takes the shop’s windows as a showman and his confident capturing the vibe of a chilled out rave: impressively full Library. Their fuzzed- out, while RASCALTON, rather than performance on the O2’s downstairs rarefied vocals and delicately driving out garage-pop comes with added being a robo-reggae act are short, sharp stage brings the biggest crowd of the synths powered along by motorik live harmonies today; they’re a band still and highly effective punk partway day so far. He doesn’t disappoint, drums. After Bo Ningen’s fiery furnace building their own sound and getting between The Stranglers and Shame. managing to inject his slyly eccentric it’s a refreshing breeze of fresh, cool air, better with every outing. More heavy-duty psychedelia from worldview into deftly grunged-up pop even in a room packed to the gunnels With the O2 Academy not open until regular visitors to town ULRIKA songs that flit between styles – from with bobbing bodies and sends us the evening The Library, Truck Store SPACEK, whose hazed-out grooves woozy and daydreamy to abrupt and buoyantly back into the night a smile and Bullingdon are packed pretty and stoner-shoegaze has a heaving almost punky – while now very much on our by now rather drunken faces and much from the get go, which gives the Bullingdon nodding along in unison. The Sound Of Willie J Healey. a groove in our heart. We’re off to bed; less well known acts a chance to play Early contender for set of the day There are two sets today, though that go Low Island are off to Barcelona in a to decent crowds. TRAAMS almost comes from BABY IN VAIN, whose so far beyond brilliant they’re genuinely few short hours time. On this showing blow that chance straight away with a sludgy grunge mixes contemplation transcendental. JOSEFIN ÖHRN + they’re only going to go higher. thunderous mess of tribal noise rock that with beastly riffage, like a meeting THE LIBERATION at The Bully are And as for Ritual Union: any new comes with little sense of structure, but point of Mudhoney and Oxford’s own a dark well of lysergic electro-rock, a event on this scale is going to be an it soon starts to cohere into something Drore. Just a shame the muddy sound heavier, more single-minded show than experiment, but any scientist present more motorik and hypnotic. Hypnotic doesn’t do them any favours. her gig here last year, and a masterclass would tell you it was an unqualified being a recurring theme across a day Considerably better acoustics at the in sound building and finding a groove success – a triumph in fac. And once where psychedelia reigns. now open O2 for CANDY SAYS, and mining it to the max. `In Madrid/ we’ve recovered we’re going to start You can barely make it past the door of whose intimate tom-heavy electro- Rainbow Lollipop’ begins as a brooding looking forward to next year’s. The Library for SWEDISH DEATH pop lullabies, all vox humana synths, incantation before building inexorably Dale Kattack photo: Ali Gibbons boxes. ‘Endtroducing’ tracks like‘BuildingSteam With aGrain ofSalt’ are is confinedtoaturntable, aCDJ,MacBookand coupleofmodest away likeGordon Ramseyabouttomissadeadline, thoughhisequipment MCs whoarepresent tonightonlyinthedigitalrealm. Hisfingersslice than hisdebut,whichnowsounds very 90s,andfeaturesnumerousguest recent LP ‘TheMountain Will Fall’,ismuchtougheranduncompromising his ownmusic(thoughalawyermight disagree). Newmaterial,mainlyfrom his lastvisit,andfeelstheneedto twice tellusthatwhatwe’rehearingisall appropriation everundertaken. sample stillstandingasthemosthauntingandcreativepieceofmusical finest momentwas‘Changeling’,itsuseofatwisted Tangerine Dream created entirely from samples, though only six are credited on the sleeve. dropped ‘Endtroducing’ asDJShadow:reportedlythefirstalbumtobe It seemsastoundingthattwenty-oneyearshavepassedsinceJoshDavis O2 Academy DJ SHADOW as muchabouttheworldwelivein Sciencefictionhasalwaystaughtus goes unbroken. devastated desertwherenosoul any brighterafterthat;it’s abrutal, From aBroken World)’ doesn’t get on newalbum`Savage(Songs tonight, andtheworldhe’s created first linewehearGaryNumansing “We liveinawindswepthell”isthe O2 Academy GARY NUMAN Tonight he greetsuswithanamecheckfor Tiger Mendoza,thesupportactat LIVE be abouttherefugeecrisis(“We ran opener `GhostNation’ couldeasily religious fundamentalismreigns.Set future wastelandwhereperverted its startingpointtopictureanear lunatic environmentalpoliciesas global warming and Donald Trump’s writing overthelastfewyears,takes based onanovelNumanhasbeen as anydocumentaryand`Savage’, Its Art Lagun always welcome here. who hasremained truetohismusicalrootsandthe raptcrowdconfirmhe’s past mastersabove strivingforradicalinnovation, buthereisarealmaster Hiphophaslongharbouredaconservative elementthatvaluesrespecting employing moreofthesubtletyhe onceemployed. into abitofcorner, banging andclatteringaboutwhenhecouldbe allow himcreateanysoundhecan imaginehecontinuestopainthimself interest. Either waythere’s a naggingfeelingthatthoughtechnologycould that helacksconfidencethe music aloneisenoughtomaintainour allowing productionofveryrealistic3Deffects. But thiscouldsuggest screens andameshcurtainthatfallsinfrontofhimpart-waythrough, which wegetalotofallnight,givesitpleasinglyfreshre-boot. greeted withahugecheer, andtheadditionoflotshigh-endpercussion, Anyone solelyfamiliarwith zealotry further. synths, nailsthatbloodyreligious Arabic motifsandscouringsiren the Pain You Serve’, withitsghostly endgame, whilesongslike`PrayFor our sins”)asclimatechange’s righteous came,andtheycleansed of religiousfundamentalism(“The from thewarsofmen”)andrise The setisaccompaniedbyanelaboratevisualexperience;threeangled Dale Kattack now. for theendofdays.Musicright world headingintotheabyss.Music of astounding:aspectaclefitfor and tonight’s showisnothingshort `Savage’ isaphenomenalalbum as thepioneeringgeniusheis. back ontopofthecharts,recognised finds himselfontopofhisgameand the ageof59,Numanonceagain mainstream. 38yearslater, andat arrival ofelectronicmusicintothe that morethananyheraldedthe `Friends’ Electric?’,thesong Are Glass’ andthetimeless`Are of, beforetheencorebrings`We the religionsheissocontemptuous characteristically virulentrepostto wife lostduringpregnancyanda monument tothechildheandhis Prayer FortheUnborn’,hismusical Numanclosesthesetwith`A filled withsuitablyreligiousfervour. faces theapplauseofcapacitycrowd does managetocrackasmileashe post-apocalyptic monks,althoughhe band dresseduplikeanorderof rock starflamboyance,heandhis mixture ofnervousreticenceand a charismaticperformer, astrange the Black’.Numanhimselfremains brooding andincendiary`HereIn Name IsRuin’ andthealternately to bulldozinghymnslike`My they’re increasinglyasideshow mood ofNuman’s newmusic, movie) arebeefeduptofitthe soundtrack tothenewBladerunner existentialism thatshouldbethe humans) and`Metal’ (pureandroid created bymachinesratherthan of afuturedystopia,albeitone Park’ (itselfagloweringprophesy Ifoldfavouriteslike`Downinthe heavy electronics. equal footingtothetrademarkbass- grinding industrialguitarsonan SteveHarris’precursor `Splinter’, `Savage’ anditsmorepersonal and cleancomparedtosongsfrom but it’s incongruouslylightweight `Cars’ getsanobligatoryouting just howheavyhismusicisnow. pop hitswouldbeblownawayby Numan’s late-70s/early80ssynth- warp and decided to get stoned instead warp and decided to get stoned instead singer hadmeteach otherinatime Dickensian urchin andChicagoblues the rightnoise,and lookinglikea drum machine,tryingtogetitmake with thecrowd,vainlypokingata songs, spendingmoretimelaughing only actuallymanagetoplayfour and unhurriedduringthisset,they bombast. Vienna Dittoaresorelaxed of pomposityandchoreographed to yourmates,avoidthepratfalls gig likeyou’reperformingdirect has wonitsspursistoplayevery Even betteradvicetoabandthat Glastonbury, nomatterhowsmall. play everygiglikeyou’reheadlining Goodadvicetoanewbandis Nicolette andBack To The Planet. conceived crustyknees-upfeaturing queasily backto1994,andanill- nous, butatothertimeswe’rekicked channelling GwenStefani’s sassy Waits cover, shesoundslike Tricky an intriguinglyasymmetrical Tom bouncy dubpop. At herbest,suchas the maximumliveimpactfromher just stagecraft,asSuzisqueezes hero. Perhapsthelastoftheseis bass anddrumsriff likeaconquering and sheenterstoasprightlylittle her presencebeyond`specialguest’, promoters feltunabletoannounce already stuff onthemerchtable, that it’s herdebutgig,butthere’s We’re alittleconfused.Suzi Wu says The Bullingdon SUZI WU DREAM WIFE/VIENNADITTO/ like it! of restrainedmenace. That’s more thoughtful hedonism,allwithanair Irvine Welsh-esque lyricsabout poet Pierquinnrecitessomerather sparse andstarkbeat.Meanwhile,the pounding his Akai drumpadsina voices andambientkeys,hestarts to thesoundofradiostatic,random sideways, almostasanafterthought) him (laptopontheedgeandfacing gadgets andcontrollersinfrontof shoulder, atablefullofsamplers, tiger mask,guitarslungoverthe allow it. Appearing inacolourful Quadros knowsthis,sodoesnot Luckily Tiger Mendoza’s Iande it comestotheliveexperience. underwhelming experiencewhen on alaptop,however, canbean and play. Simple.Musicmade (or not,ifyouarefullyacoustic) you knowwhereare.Plugin acoustic guitars.Niceandtraditional; understated style–bothplayon rapper withadisarmingyet voice –andRosociallyconscious songwriter, withawarm,woody Support actsJae–solid,singer The Library TIGER MENDOZA David Murphy themselves intosubmission. strategy: getthepatriarchy todance cream Ramones. There’s anew pummell poppily, likeawhipped supercilious intonation,andtheband the vocalsarealltaut, Talking Heads to thepromiseoftheiropener, where set, it’s thetheynever quiteliveup criticism tomakeofthispleasing “bad, badbitches”.Ifthere’s one hand-picking acoterieofmoshing way throughnewwaveanthemsand would bethebetterforsneeringtheir garage, andanysodafountainpin-up feminist iretowell-honedtuneful Dream Wife isabandthatmarries Or, weshouldsay, horriblyright,as 40s cheerleadergonehorriblywrong. stage inatiedoff shirtlookinglikea and thevocaliststalkinground of Arc meetsMrCfrom The Shamen, an austerewhitebowlcut,likeJoan positively polar, theguitaristsporting onstage, twoofDream Wife seem If Vienna Dittolookmismatched aspiring band?Be Vienna Ditto. barrier. The bestpossibleadviceforan and aguitarrubbedagainstthestage complete withrando-speedbreakbeats torch songandhalfsonicabrasion, Way Down’,whichishalfenticing minute readingofoldfavourite`Long of thesefourtracksisagloriousten- unprofessional, maybe,butthesecond of tryingtoworkouthow. All very Oxford stalwartsHalfDecent Mendoza’s EP alsofeatures hip hop,tripdanceandrock, and DepecheMode,aswell with aclearnodtoNineInchNails A purveyorofgothic-electronica, extra depth. the lo-fipunkthrash,bothadding Luke Allmond fromDaisyproviding grungy fuzzanddroningsolos, Death ofHiFi,withsomenice local guitarists:DanClearfrom ‘Unconscious’), butalsotwolive talented Pierquinn(on‘Dark’ and aided inthisbynotjusttheclearly sense ofspace.Ithelpsthatheis rhythms, processedbeatsandgreat washes oftexture,unusual,skittering tech, yetstrangelyorganic, with have clarity. The soundisbothhi- harsh ontheearorbrittle,mids grounds theset,treble’s not and real. The bassisroundedand production software,soundwarm feat ofmaking Ableton, themusic maiden name)managestheenviable favourite animalsandmum’s lifted fromapartygamecombining Tiger Mendoza(thenameapparently blues revival, andisalotof fun. with JohnMayall andtheBritish Round’ sees Natureboyconnecting influenced seduction song`ComeOn guesting onharmonica,theblues film score. With MattMorton reminiscent ofanEnnioMorricone a markedrhythmchangeandis funky disco,while‘Realise’ has perhaps unique,mixoffolkmeets Me BackHome’ isanunusual, has aworldmusicriff toit;`Bring The appealing`Gone Are The Days’ ensuring plentyofvariety. mixed withseveraldifferent genres, is evidentasmelodiouspop trademark”, andallthismore pop thathasbecomea(Natureboy) well-orchestrated jazz-inflected as “anotherextensivejourneyinto album backinJuneitdescribed When Nightshiftreviewedthe Natureboy way. in anamiable,wellcontrolled the bandreallystretchesoutthough concluding `Think Twice’, where pop of`Stands All Alone’ tothe from thegentleBeatles-inflected the sethasasatisfyingarcasitgoes from A to Z it doesn’t quite work but Sometimeswhenalbumsareplayed small stage. just aboutsqueezingontothepub’s play allthirteentracksinorder, after five, sometimessix-strongband of theSun’,soDaveNobleandhis launch ofhisfourthalbum,`Setting Tonight isNatureboy’s official The MadHatter NATUREBOY “how doIexplain Tiger Mendoza? interview sixyearsagoIansaid their turnatthePunt.InanOxbox particularly sweatyCellarduring seeing do‘Lovesick Vandal’ ata (‘Natural Beat’)whoweremember (‘Missing You’) and Asher Dust

Colin May optimism allthe more welcome. live insuchsteadfast, well-crafted ‘Setting oftheSun’. Intheworldwe heading towardsextinctionasin the worldandhumanraceare in ‘Swings&Roundabouts’,or are messingwithyourheadas arrangements evenwhenpoliticians He favoursoptimisticmelodiesand goes towardsthemusicaldarkside. This isaboutasfarNatureboy mirroring thesentimentsofsong. all iscalmandpeaceful,perfectly and disturbingwaybutintheend away inasomewhatdisturbed their emotions;thebandfirstchurns with difficultiescommunicating as amusictherapistwithchildren basedonhisexperience Be Clear’, as heisinthestudio`All Will composer-arranger foraliveband Natureboy tobeasskilfula The numberwhichbestshows compelling stuff. get intoaninstrumentaldialogueit’s Jarrett andwhenheNatureboy referencing PhilipGlassandKeith Again’ andastrikingopeningpiece variations onSteelyDan’s ‘DoIt with ashortsolosetincluding Dorian Ward openedtheevening us ofhisjazzguitarchops.Earlier Ward andwithNatureboyreminding funky keyboard playing from Dorian into ajazzfusionnumberwithsome along beforedoingastepchange The ethereal‘Feeling Alright’ drifts Leo Bowder already lookingforwardtoPart2. launch for ‘Old Ideas 1’ EP and we’re seems tobeworking. Tonight isa sounds good.” That strategystill involved tomakelotsofnoisethat It’s metryingtogetmymates photo: Leo Bowder Leo photo: photo: Leo Bowder having 50,000volts runthroughit. boiled downtoa thicksludgebefore the stageat ArcTangent festival sweat andtearsthat gathersbeneath metalism soundslikealltheblood, math-rock andBigBlack-style At theirbestjarringclashof they’re nervous;theyneedn’t be. their firstgiginayearandadmit NoDiceGrandmaareplaying ourselves sometimes. guy buthismusictoo. We surprise odds, weendupnotonlylikingthe interbreeding and,againstafairfew Devizes hepokesfunat Wiltshire in Chainsaboutthem.Hailingfrom songs havemorethanahintof Alice with credibleresults,whilehisown on KennyLogginsandFooFighters Ed Sheerancovers.Insteadhetakes light ofaudienceshopingforafew disposition. Mikehimselfmakes style hoe-down,dependingontheir and eventheoddshoutyLevellers- grunge, torturedsoftrockballadry by hisband’s mixofthroat-ripping disappointed, orpleasantlysurprised sensitive acoustictroubadourwillbe Industry billandexpectingsome Barham ontonight’s Gappy Tooth Anyone seeingthenameMike The Wheatsheaf GRANDMA /MIKEBARHAM SHOTGUN SIX/NODICE LIVE Dale Kattack them. things, freeyour head andfollow groove flow. Inthespiritofsuch in favourofjustlettingthelysergic casting asidetightsongstructures pressure whenitcounts,capableof mining agrooveandpilingonthe of theirmusicandthey’readeptat a Doors-yundercurrentaboutmuch meets-The Sonicswig-out. There’s jam thatrisestoafull-onHendrix- almost hystericalpsychedelicblues deeper anddarker, anintense, they’re sinkingintosomething just afalsestartthoughandsoon number that’s urgent buttinny. It’s with aslightlymessygarage-punk Shotgun Sixsoundsadrift,opening A difficultacttofollowandinitially stick aroundforgoodthistime. set isanewnumber;let’s hopethey again. Tellingly thehighlightoftheir other peoplearehappytoseethem sizeable crowdsuggestsplentyof stage andthereceptionfrom genuinely chuffed tobebackon awkwardly thrillingride. They look into genrestrapsbutmostlyan about turns,occasionallyfalling They’re allangles,obstinacyand whose simplicity has it stuck in your whose simplicity has itstuckinyour remains oneofthose irresistiblesongs For The Bees,while`GoldStarGirl’ Man’o’war, reminding usof Waitress tosongsaboutaPortuguese jauntiness song cheerleadervocalsbringinga like `Fuzzy’, Angela Space’s sing- that exuberantbuzzremainsonsongs credentials overtheirpopsheen,but drums, accentuatestheband’s punk line-up, featuringZahra Tehrani on A stripped-downRainbowReservoir up productionvalues. and vigourtwofingerstogrown- on ahighwithtrackthat’s allvim remind usofPixies,andtheyclose moments ofhurriedpopcorethat some rawcall-and-responsepunk, and directionless,they’reoffset by are timeswheretheycanbedirgy as abadgeofhonourandifthere horses. They weartheirawkwardness became avehicleforpolishedclothes emo meantsomething–beforeit post-hardcore isareminderofwhen HolyMoments’ belligerent,staccato technique oranythingtooshowy. value attitudeandaDIY spiritover tonight’s gig,whereallthreebands basement venueisperfectlysuitedto The Library’s compactandcosy The Library RESERVOIR /HOLY MOMENTS BREAKFAST MUFF /RAINBOW and itwon’t belongbeforethey’re than enoughtowarmupthecrowd Their infectiousenergy ismore believe theyareanewcollective. freestyler MCDuke)it’s hardto joined onstagebylegendaryUK seasoned veterans(andtheyare a neo-classicistquality. Already inflected hiphop,original,butwith Uncle Bungle,specialiseinsoul- and Booka T, andturntablist Astrosnare, fellowsingers Tiece rapper, alongsidevocalist/producer to releasetheirdebutalbum,the set atCommonPeople,andabout Buoyant stillfromtheirtriumphant is RhymeskeemzandtheP45s. to theO2tonight.Beforethat narrative andhebringsthatfire has alwaysbeenpartofhis OfIraqidescent,struggle and socio-politicallytuff. uncompromising lyricsbothraw since, withbottomlessandoften moniker andreignedvictoriousever battle andKareemDennistookthe warrior fashion,theyhadarap would notdo,sointruestreet mic nightinCarnabyStreet. This when hestartedoff atanopen rappers bythenameofLowkey Legend hasitthereweretwo O2 Academy THE P45s LOWKEY /RHYMESKEEMZ& Leo Bowder the year, thusfar. reviewer’s mostmemorablegigof left? Zero!”)helptomakeitthis activist” to“…howmanyletters an anarchistandangryacademic and ‘Alphabet Assassin’ (from“I’m relentless torrentofvocaldexterity, Booth’, withitsloopingriff and heard tobebelieved.‘FireInthe lyrical ferocitythathastobeseen/ It is,however, Lowkey’s flowand lyric dutiesfor‘ObamaNation’. bearded Omar)uponstagetoshare Grenfell’ andhegetsapunter(the a particularlymoving‘GhostsOf down andphones/lightersgoupfor of thestage. The houselightsgo go alongwithanaturalcommand and bigpophooks(‘MySoul’), (‘it’s inOxford!”aswesingalong), Vida’ rocks‘HipHop Ain’t Dead’ Iron Butterfly’s ‘In A GaddaDa his takeontherefugeecrisis,and Heart’ strangelyspicesup‘Ahmed’, samples: Roxette’s ‘Listento Your hits, ‘Terrorist’. Hisjudicioususeof and openswithoneofhisbiggest gripping themicinaclenchedfist t-shirt, Lowkeyprowlsthestage, Shavedofheadandwhite choosing theirownopeners. true spiritofpunk thanany40 move on. As suchit’s closertothe preferring tomakeapointand fancy solosorevenmiddle-eights, band whowillhavenotruckwith of cheeryandcaustic;here’s a set freshandspiky, aneatblend it tooneminute,butthatkeepsthe two-minutes, afairfewbarelymake pin-point shrapnelsharp,aresub- chaotic andtumbledown,sometimes blokes. Mostofthesongs,sometimes which drawsbloodonhypocritical notably setcloser`RU A Feminist’, There arebarbshere,though, of The LovelyEggsattimes. ponder-punk could be a toothy cousin their momentsofsweet-natured Bikini Killattackoftherecord,while Gosh’s earlydaysthantheincisive of micstands,iscloserto Talulah swapping andadjustingoftheheight set, markedbyfrequentinstrument would suggest. Their oftenmessy pincer-sharp debutalbum`Eugh!’ Muff aremoreramshacklethantheir Live,GlaswegiantrioBreakfast head fordaysafter. Dale Kattack disc boxsetwillever be. anniversary digitally remasteredfour-

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MAYDAY PARADE DAVID RODIGAN / DAWN PENN / LIVE O2 Academy COUNT SKYLARKIN “This is crazy, man. These songs are Wings That Keep Your Heart in the ten years old. You guys are singing Clouds’- songs which arguably take The Bullingdon photo: Jo Cox along to every word. I think that’s a longer to introduce than they do to Count Skylarkin’ has been blazing this necessitates a goodly number of pretty cool thing. Thank you, guys.” play. At one point the microphone cuts a distinctive, fedora-sporting, vinyl- ‘rewind!’s ). I for one dearly hope to Derek Sanders, lead singer of emo out, but thankfully the crowd keeps toting, rum-sipping path through the see Dawn back before too long, with a band Mayday Parade, might sound things going. Oxford reggae scene for many years full band and longer set list. vapid when he thanks his fans for The band’s signature song, `Miserable now. From early days selling records “Let’s go from Kingston Town to actually knowing the words to his at Best’, is predictably the album’s at the late lamented Polar Bear, and Kidlington!” proclaims Skylarkin’ to songs, but there’s a certain truth worst, and takes their offensively DJing at what is now the Library, he announce another musical seminar behind what he’s saying: it is, indeed, tasteless cheapening of human gravitated towards a natural home from Professor Sir David Rodigan “crazy” that `A Lesson in Romantics’, emotion to such an insufferable at the Cellar (safe, for now) but still MBE. He honours the rocksteady Mayday Parade’s debut, hasn’t been depth that it’s almost an artistic regularly finds himself dragged back credentials of Madame Penn with a displaced in the audience’s memories achievement. Sanders dismisses the by the mad gravity of the Cowley nice and easy lead in. A track by Jacob by more important things over the band for this one and brings out a Road. His selection, as always, is Miller, however, gives him all the past decade. It’s especially crazy piano, presumably in case somebody tremendously upbeat (occasionally excuse he needs to get contemporary, when you consider that most of the has the good sense to switch his mic verging on frenetic, but we can as ‘Tenement Yard’ was covered by people in this audience are teenagers. off again—so we’re prevented from forgive him, given tonight’s line-up). Chronnix, which follows. From here Apparently this isn’t a nostalgia gig. deliberately mishearing lyrics like “I He continues to man the record it is on with the Protoje, the Popcaan, Tonight’s first support act, All Get miss the lips that made me fly” and “I player for the woman with one of the the Damian Marley, the hard edged Out, get a pretty lukewarm reception; bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor/ most iconic voices in reggae, Dawn dancehall and the drum and bass. but With Confidence, the Australian And ask my girl to dance, and she’ll Penn. A frustratingly short set (“that Rodders quickly moves from behind band who follow them, come on say yes.” Some audience members cry what was on offer at the time,” she the decks to in front of the mixer, stage to loud cheers. This is reflected through this one. We get pretty close. later informs me) spans her career to losing the leather jacket, to the in their music, whose easy-to-learn Once the album proper has finished from 1967, when she recorded her vigorous bouncing, the Cowley Road/ hooks and swaggering brand of pop we’re treated to a cover or two, and signature song ‘You Don’t Love Me Blackbird Leys references and the punk set the tone for the rest of the an encore of `Oh Well, Oh Well’ (No, No, No)’, of which we get parts “hey, hey!”s. There is a gritty edge to night by following two golden rules: from Mayday Parade’s self-titled of more than one version. Recorded in his patter however; it is not good to make it singable, make it sincere. third album. Outside, after the gig, her mid-teens, it has wisdom beyond try and distract him during his set, as Cue: Mayday Parade. we nearly trip over one of the support its years. The cold, detached delivery an unfortunate punter does. Years of The band plays `…Romantics’ in its acts playing dice on the street. A still hits the spot half a century later. dealing with rude boys and yard men entirety, so we get to relive classics mysterious hooded figure has joined Dawn displays an effortless ease (his recent book My Life In Reggae like `I’d Hate to Be You When People them, and there’s just a hint that they with the microphone, paired with has some lively tales) has made Dave Find Out What This Song Is About’ might be trying to win their souls a rather fetching, playful style, at no pushover. In all, a wonderfully and `You Be the Anchor That Keeps back. odds with the world weariness of the spirited evening. My Feet on the Ground, I’ll Be the Tom Kingsley lyrics. The place goes berserk (and Leo Bowder

give us the rawer autobiographic `In th rd SUZANNE VEGA Liverpool’. Monday 20 Thursday 23 The New Theatre It becomes clear then, as she Resolve / Rats Eat LetTheLadySing with I’ve always wanted to yell “boring” live from the residents of the city, makes the show such a success, the transports me through time and Rats / KingBolete / Pink Diamond Revue or “lazy” at artists who feel it’s and merges them with more personal reprieve of `Tom’s Diner’ coming place that the crafting of her albums appropriate to play their album from offerings. Live, the variation in the over the stereo in the interval, allows is something which deserves more OnecolourShort / TheDemoiselles / start to finish at a live show. Tonight style of each song also come to life. her to stay true to the album without examination than cursory glance. The Bullingdon Khamsina / Ocean however, Suzanna Vega manages to `Solitude Standing’ shakes off its needing to sing the same song twice Tonight makes it clear that it’s Vega’s make me realise a 20 year long view repetitive drum beat, and allows the as we move into `99.9f’ for the almost forensic precision of song Ruins th is in fact, wrong. swell of the guitar harmonies to take second half of the show. placement, which is part of her talent. Monday 20 The Cellar With `Solitude Standing’ up first, centre stage, and, in the context of Together the two albums couldn’t It’s this which carries the evening Charms Against The unsurprisingly she opens with `Tom’s it being the start of the second side feel more disparate, and in context from start to finish and makes me th Diner’, before moving into `Luka’ of the vinyl version of the album no of the life changing tracking down of realise that when someone takes such Evil Eye / FireGazers / Friday 24 and then to `Ironbound’. Yet, in doing longer does it feel like a jar in the her biological father the reasons feel a considered approach to their album, so Vega manages to make it feel like middle of the album, but instead an obvious. Yet the storytelling structure there is good reason to perform it true Kiva / Dreamsyndröm Storyteller / Jeramesa I’m meandering alongside her through important piece of punctuation. remains, with Vega introducing us to to its initial format. The Jericho Tavern / Switch Out / Fuji NYC, as she captures snapshots of It’s this attention to details which the character in `As Girls Go’ and Lisa Ward The Wheatsheaf Tuesday 21st YAK / SKINNY GIRL DIET Year Of The Kite / Saturday 25th The Bullingdon Krief / Juniper Nights Oxford City Festival The nonchalance with which London two piece Skinny Girl Diet amble on mash-up played through an addled Doors blender. It’s just one of the many / Spike Holifield All-Dayer stage is that of a Sunday stroll, but a walk in the park this is not. Blasting compositions that are capable of leaving a lump in your throat, bruises on The Wheatsheaf Brixtons / FactoryLights through eight slabs of lo-fi fuzzy grunge, they’re a formidable force.To give your skin and memories to cherish. / SprungFromCages / you a firm indication of where they’re coming from, they appear on the cover Over the course of an hour they give no quarter. That they are still something th of last year’s debut album `Heavyflow’ in period-stained white dresses, and of an underground sensation is somewhat of a puzzler, not to mention Wednesday 22nd The 5 annual OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL 2017 LiamaBite / Tarpit / TMA / second song `Yeti’ concerns the demonization of female sexuality in society. unfortunate for the masses not yet touched, bashed over the head and Peerless Pirates / The th th Daisy / Strike One / Ennor It’s not every day you witness a band’s singer retching before a note has even bowled over by the London three-piece’s garage-psyche melange. Yak aren’t 20 - 25 NOVEMBER / NeonTeepee / Mogmatic been played. Yak, though, are no everyday band. The sound they produce reinventing the musical wheel here, but what they lack in originality they Deadbeat Apostles nd rd / Real Cool Killers / Mark is staggering, and frontman/chief noisemonger Oli Burslem can command make up for in chutzpah, songcraft and fervour. From the get-go to `Curtain / Spinner Fall / Wednesday 22 Thursday 23 a stage with the best of them. The universal praise heaped on last year’s Twitcher’’s psychotic, cantankerous playfulness, we are gifted a visceral live oTTo / The Surge / Ghoul Fracture / Glueman / Be Still Cope / Lost Darren stunning debut album `Alas Salvation’, and a knack for putting on live shows experience. If Yak’s calling card is the ability to sound like a world falling Crystallite / Webs & Marionettes / Summit 7 / Accord de Voix The Jericho Tavern that astound and exhaust in equal measure, are just two reasons why tonight apart, yet one at peace with its own demise, we should just be thankful we’re The Cellar could only ever produce a morning worth waking up for. They come out of living in a time when a band of their ilk still exists. The Wheatsheaf The Jericho Tavern (midday onwards) the traps with `Harbour The Feeling’, an uncompromising Pixies/Stooges Gary Davidson photo: Shane Webster hear any localbandpaying tributetoPetty itwouldhaveto be The Shapes. bulldozing `Refugee’ plus`I Won’t BackDown’ andreally, ifyouwanted to about it. They followthiswithtwoof the late,greatman’s ownsongs,a Petty 1980’ an electricblueswigoutwithahint of The Travelling Wilburys tribute treatmenttonight, Anthony Kelly’s longstandinglivefavourite `Tom notably on`SweetLittleMystery’, butit’s Tom Petty whogetsthefull-on conquers all. Van Morrisonremainsamajortouchstoneoftheirsound, temper melancholyandnostalgia with euphoriaandthefeelingthatlove blue-eyed soulmakeswayfor`Passing ofthe Years’, wheretheyneatly bah backingvocals,honkytonkpiano andbonhomie.UpbeatDexy’s-style before they’reuptospeedinfull,brassyrhythm’n’bluesmode,allbah The Shapestoostartin(forthem)restrainedfashionbut it’s notlong a chorusof`MoonRiver’ atanymoment,whichisneverabadthing. Mancini andaFrankZappapastichewhereyouthinktheymightbreakinto the latter, althoughthere’s amomentneartheend,partwaybetweenHenry easy 70s pop punctuated by passages of bluesy psychedelia. They’re best on to easeusintotonight’s giggentlywithhalfanhour offunky60srockand Faced withopeningfortwoofOxford’s finestparty-starters, Art Theefeopt The Bullingdon THE DEADBEAT APOSTLES / THE SHAPES/ ART THEEFE holds anoteperfectlyforfullthirtyseconds. dazzling sunriseandMarc Almond, armsaloft, Sun Will Rise’,wherethestagelightscreatea There’s amomenttonight,attheclimaxof`The New TheatreThe MARC ALMOND LIVE voice thatmakehimgreat.Here’s whereallthe but likeallgreatsingersit’s thefaultlinesinhis associated with Almond. Heisagreatsinger, Vocal perfectionhasneverbeensomethingwe’ve Dale Kattack they’re servedup sowell. old friend reminding usaboutourdancing.Ittakessomething togetcynical exist. Itdoesofcoursebutwewake upSaturdaymorningtoatextfrom likebedtimedoesn’t they’re knockingoutpuregoodtime roadhouser’n’b doing amash-upof`Eyethe Tiger’ and `JeanGenie’.Bytheend cheesy onasongthattoallintents andpurposescouldbe The Mavericks minute soundinglikePercySledge gonerodeocrazy, thenextgoingall selfish. They’remore thangenerouswiththeirgoodvibesthough,one one decentsinger;thatDeadbeat Apostles havetwo seemspositively belter whoshouldbeleadingherownrevue.Mostbandstruggletohave rootsy voiceupagainstthephenomenalMichelleMayes,afull-onsoul Oprey meetsHarlem Apollo, steelguitartwangand MikeGinger’s big, via The Roxy, The Deadbeat Apostles aretheplacewhere The GrandOl’ for headliners The Deadbeat Apostles. If The Shapesare Wigan Casino the Pogues-y`Til They PutMeIn The Ground’ laystheperfectfoundation A rousingpunked-upfinaleofPlasticBertrand’s `CaPlanePourMoi’ and Nightshift’s feet movingbutevenweenjoythe goodtimeswhen Dale Kattack kick off. he’s steadfastlyplayedbyhisownrulesfromthe remarkably stillatthetopofhisgame:agame and it’s atourdeforce fromasupremeshowman, minor faultlineinthatimperfectlybrilliantvoice, but it’s notholdinghimback,it’s justonemore to apologiseforthefacthe’s gotasorethroat, Hepausesacoupleoftimesduringtheshow side oflifeandimbueitwithtragicromance. encapsulates Almond’s abilitytocaptureaseedy `Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ –whatelsewhich possibly stealstheshow, alongsidesetcloser but it’s anewsong,`FromtheUnderworld’,that Soft Cellfavourite`Torch’ iscracked andtender, `Jacky’ isbreathlesslyexhilarating,whileold his owncompositions.ElsewhereJacquesBrel’s letter toclassic60sballadry, mixingcoverswith recent album`ShadowsandReflections’,hislove Heart’ alongsideaflurryoftracksfrommost Spencer’ and`Something’s GottenHoldofMy blooded versionofbighits`DaysPearly Somebody’ and`Tainted Love’. We getfull- energetic mixof The VelVets’ `GonnaFindMe extravaganza intofull-onsoulrevue,withan takes thegigfromNeilDiamond-stylepop including operaticsopranoKatyBanks,he Joined byastunningquartetofbackingsingers, and soulintosongsofintensehurtbetrayal. mock ostentatiousness,butabletoputhisheart animated, fullofcheeryself-deprecationand Almond castsanelfinfigure:impishand up awinnereverytime. Count to Ten’), fillthemfull of dramaandcome and DustySpringfield(`ICloseMyEyes on Blue’),PeterHammill(`JustGoodFriends’) many otherscouldtakeonBurtBacharach(`Blue finest interpretersofsonginmoderntimes.How the Mambasworkandmarkinghimasoneof has beenbuildingto,fromhisMarc& is everythingMarc Almond’s fortyyearcareer Inmanywaysthisfullorchestralperformance also playedtonight,tobebetterthantheoriginal. declared Almond’s versionof`LondonBoys’, them liveagain.NosurprisethatDavidBowie own, mouldingthemtohisuniqueway, making is rife.It’s typicalofthewayhemakessonghis anthem in a country where systematic persecution Russian balladthathasnowbecomeagay The songis Almond’s reworkingofanold Formica sterilityof TV talentshowkaraokedolls. pain andpassionleakout:acontrasttothebland The New TheatreThe ALTERED IMAGES MIDGE URE/ THE CHRISTIANS/ at the empty seats and bemoans “the at theempty seatsandbemoans “the Garry Christiangazes almostsadlyout BycontrastChristians frontman will beoneofthe great popgroups. that Altered Images wereandalways Siouxsie Siouxphase”)isareminder (“back whenIwasgoingthroughmy but sethighlight`DeadPopStars’ genuine Altered Images classics, Skins, ratherthananynumberof which shewroteforanepisodeof solo song`Don’t GiveUpGirl’, she choosestoplayrelativelyrecent short timeonstageit’s disappointing song ever(sorryStevie).Givensucha which willalwaysbethebestbirthday inevitable setcloser`HappyBirthday’, a chiming`ICouldBeHappy’,to that visitsallthebig80shits,from beams herwaythroughashortset cool asiteverdidshepositively the bandandthatsoundsassweet onstage butitwashervoicethatmade actual memberof Altered Images of sedatemiddleagers.She’s theonly ball, evenfacedwithahalffullvenue beyond thatsheseemstobehavinga her tumbleintotheorchestrapit,but genuinely worryanymisstepwillsee awkward inapairofheelssohighwe ClareGroganmightlookatad refuse toacttheirage. what madeitfunfirsttimeroundand and collectthecash,orremember of twoways:gothroughthemotions heritage packagetourscanplayitone Pop starsontherevivalcircuitor sound likesomeone’s barrelledEcho possessed ofbig,boldmelodiesthat song comesballedupintensionbut their tumblingtideofaset.Every pressed onitforthedurationof button andkeeptheirdigitfirmly piste. Insteadtheyhittheepic OctoberDriftrarelywanderoff unintentionally. Very promising. Daffodils territory, almostcertainly and evenNewFast Automatic heads off intoBlue Aeroplanes Up, whiletheirsethighlight point betweenFoalsandFlowered previously unimaginedmeeting and funk. Their finalecouldbea their shoegazyspangleintosoul while thebandaren’t afraidtotake with plentyoflyricaldexterity, heads allovertheshopandcomes Quartermelon’s singer’s falsetto critical attemptstopinthemdown. band intownthatdefyalmostall It’s alwaysgoodtoseeanew The Cellar QUARTERMELON / OCTOBER DRIFT / DESPERATE JOURNALIST Ian Chesterton permanent. fun, ageisirrelevant andclassis as tonightshows, if youkeephaving is longbehindyouinevitablebut Growing oldandrealisingyourprime and remindedofhisstarquality. Adventure’, leavinguswantingmore to thefinishlinewith`Love’s Great heroically rousing,whilehegallops Grey’’s exoticsoul.`Hymn’ is,asever, just aboutmanagestoretain`Fade poor relationtotheoriginalbuthe of `NoRegrets’ sadlystillsoundsa annihilation shouldn’t be.Hiscover in awaysongaboutnuclear My Eyes’ isgloriouslyanthemic pop, while`Dancing With Tears In from `Vienna’ arestill primeelectro Stood Still’ and`PassingStrangers’ of Ultravoxclassics:`Sleepwalk’,`All Lynott, beforelaunchingintoanhour of thePopsthemehewrotewithPhil opens with`Yellow Pearl’,theTop fantastic nonhitsintothebargain. He We getthehits,morehitsandsome and heactsasifthat’s stillthecase. Midge Urewasfacingapackedhouse, Lasttimehewashere,withUltravox, taste. soft-centred soulwasnevertoour potent politicaledge,buttheband’s of whenmainstreampopstillhada and `Ideal World’ isaneatreminder in asardonicallyScouser-ish way long time”.He’s actuallyprettyfunny smallest crowdwe’veplayedtoina Ian Chesterton fully. The darkisrisingoncemore of synths,openthefloodgatesmore closer `Resolution’,withitsblizzard spangling, while`Control’ andset Your Love’ finds thembroodingand explode everywhere.`LackingIn want toopenbecausetheyknowit’ll can ofwellshakencokethatno-one an airofrawintensityaboutit,likea chiming fuzzandeverysongcarries permeates theband’s wallof Mercy’s Doktor Avalanche. Reverb often remindsusofSisters Hellbent’s metronomicdrumming Bevan’s acrobaticvoiceandCaz Deutschland’s Anja HuweaboutJo there’s morethanahintofXmal Cure songforstarters,while they’re namedafteranobscure deny their80sgothicroots; DesperateJournalistwouldn’t tunnel ofgothicpsych-rocknoise. & theBunnymendownalong,black The Cellar, FrewinCourt, Oxford, OX13HZ www.cellaroxford.co.uk 11pm –4am TOBY KIDD SPECIAL GUEST+ BIRTHDAY PARTY! CELLAR’S 18TH Fri 10 11pm –3am UKG /GrimeBassline FREERANGE 4 Sat 16+ Sat 11 Sat 7:30pm MORELLI CHELOU WITTBOY +KUDU Fri 10 11pm –3am Jump Up Tech House/Bassline MORELLI WITTBOY +KUDU 4X4 Thur 9 11pm –3am Garage ISIS EVENTS Wed 8 Mon 6 TO THEGALAXY CLUBBER’S GUIDE Thu 2 GUNFINGERS Tue 7 16+ 11pm –3am 80s /New Wave /Disco THE HOUSE BURNING DOWN Wed 1 7pm –10pm JOHN JOSEPHBRILL The MJRGrouppresents… 11pm –3am Bassline /JungleGrime 7:30pm GIRL RAY Future Perfect present… 7:30pm CATED BRIX &THEEXTRI- Future Perfect present… 4 Sat 10pm-3am -£8Adv ORKESTRA DELSOL BOSSAPHONIK Fri 3 11pm-3am -£5 House / Techno /Groove • 7:30pm –10pm CATHOLIC ACTION KAGOULE + Future Perfect present… Wed 1 £8adv WHAT’S ONINNOVEMBER THE @CellarOxford @CellarOxford • • • • 16+ £15adv £7adv £7.50adv • • • • • • • £5adv £6 £5 £5 £5 £5 £6 Adv • • 16+ 16+ TheCellar.Oxford DR. FEELGOOD Tue 21 11pm –3am Disco /SoulFunk SOUL SESSIONS Fri 17 £7 11pm-3am 80s /New Wave /Disco HOUSE BURNING DOWNTHE Wed 15 7pm –10pm FRIENDS KATE HURT & Wed 15 The 5 Wed 22 8pm Sludge Metal /Hardcore + TUSKAR APOCALYPSE ARMED FOR Promotions Buried inSmoke Mon 20 7pm –10pm + THENOVATONES The Spitfires AGMP Presents 18 Sat 8.30pm –2am Goth /EBMIndustrial INTRUSION Tue 14 7pm –10pm ZAIA Fri 17 11pm –3am / DnB Bassline /UKGarage FLUID 18 Sat FALL +CRYSTALLITE APOSTLES +SPINNER + THEDEADBEAT PEERLESS PIRATES City Festival 7pm Rock nRoll/Punk 11pm –3am /HighlifeDisco Afrobeat £12.50Adv 11pm –3am New Rave Indie / / Alternative HYPE DON’T BELIEVETHE Mon 13 11pm –3am TURF 11 Sat CELLAR • • TH £7adv £8adv Oxford • • 16+ £5 • • • • • • • • £10 £6 £6 £5 £4 £5Adv £10adv • £4 7.30pm RECOVERY BAD BLOOD 11pm –3am 80s /New Wave /Disco HOUSE BURNING DOWNTHE Wed 29 11pm-3am House / Techno /Disco GOODNESS Thur 30 11pm –3am Uk BassMusic MOVE 25th Sat Thur 30 Wed 29 7:30pm BEVERLY HILLSCOP Stars Cinema Underthe Mon 27 25th Sat £8 The 5 Thur 23 11pm –3am Best ofDecadent West! 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HARCOURT ARMS INTRODUCING.... Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under Saturday November 25th 31HOURS The Deadbeat Who are they? Oxford indie/electro band 31Hours are Jo Griffin (vocals/guitar/keyboards); Jake Kavanagh (drums); Rebekah Whittingham (keyboards/flute); Sam Apostles Davies (guitar), and Simon Himpson (bass). Jo and Jake met at Wheatley Park School and started jamming together in 2012 alongside ex-bassist Theo Plus Supports Howe. They spent their formative years experimenting with different sounds and gigging locally before settling on their current five-piece line-up. Their Saturday November 18th first recordings won them Nightshift Demo of the Month in February 2016. In the the past year they released their `Rockpools’ EP, which received airplay Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: Snap Crackle Pop on Oxford Tom Robinson’s 6Music show. They have also supported Royal “Catgod: their seductively moody instrumentation and vocals, luscious Canoe and Dutch Uncles and performed at Truck Festival back in July. This percussive rhythms and interactive stage presence makes them very worthy month they release their debut album, `Tell Me What You See’, and play a for checking out.” Disco launch show at The Bullingdon on the 26th November. If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: What do they sound like? “A long term favourite is `Out of Touch in the Wild’ by Dutch Uncles, which The band’s early debut was praised for “creating a woozy, almost ghostly is why we were so excited to support them. The strings definitely inspired us Saturday November 11th atmosphere with star-gazing electronics and lazily trilling guitars, vocals to venture into orchestral arrangements for our album.” lost in some pitch black middle-distance,” and its “hazy, fluid electro-pop When is their next local gig and what can newcomers expect? 40's Revival Night and r’n’b fidgeting,” and they retain a mildly disorientating sense of lysergic “November 26th at The Bullingdon for our album launch. This is going to be wooziness and glitchy electronics, bringing together influences as diverse absolutely fab: expect a front to back performance of the album with some but complementary as Radiohead, Wild Beasts and Deathgrips. In their own potential cameos from some familiar Oxford music scene faces.” Monday November 13th words they are “Eclectically bouncy whilst simultaneously swooshy.” Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: What inspires them? “This is by no means unique to Oxford but there’s a really rich sense of oxford classic jazz “Strange effects pedals; groovy rhythms; wonky synth sounds; poppin’ bass- community here. We’ve made a lot of new friends through gigging here, a lines; dreams; surrealism; pretty places; white chocolate.” few of which are featured on our debut album. Least favourite: getting half Career highlight so far: a dozen Facebook notifications and thinking you’re really popular, then Open Mic Every Sunday “At the end of last year we headlined the O2 Academy as part of a BBC realising they’re all from the same promoter.” Introducing event which is rather mind boggling. We had an insane time, and You might love them if you love: live music at the heart of jericho were very flattered to be asked to play.” Everything Everything; Wild Beasts; Battles; Foals; Radiohead; Fela Kuti; Cranham Terrace Jericho Oxford ox2 6dg And the lowlight: Syd Arthur. “One of our earliest London shows was at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden. Hear them here: 01865 556669 We performed to a hefty two people that night. 31hours.co.uk Dr SHOTOVER: THIS MONTH IN OXFORD T H E W H E A T S H E A F ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY Wednesday 1st November Transpurgers 7: Revenge of the Bullingdon Greetings, chickens. Welcome to the East Indies Club. Now stop clucking and November 2007. The duo, fronted by Julia Sophie “What is this,” we pondered, “National Shit Music buy me a drink. Yes, there’s a queue… but you can BOOK-BOOK-BOOK in at the 20 YEARS AGO TUGBOAT CAPTAIN CALYPSO + PURPLE PATCH 7:45pm As the Oxford music scene continued to enjoy a Heslop alongside drummer Neil Greenaway, had Month or something?” Friday 3rd November – KLUB KAKOFANNEY bar (geddit?)… Ok, Chicken No 1, your turn. Make mine a large Blue Hipster gin. established themselves as one of the most exciting Gulp-o, gulp-o, gulp-o. Ahhhh, that’s better. Though now I seem to be sporting collective lie-in after Radio 1 Sound City news was thin on the ground. The Hothouse in Charlbury, live bands in town and were starting to attract a FUJI + NIGHTJAR + THE MISSING NOTES 7:45pm a ridiculous beard and no socks. Good God. Now then, where were we? Ah yes, 5 YEARS AGO MOOGIEMAN which has been hosting blues, folk and Cajun gigs host of record labels to their incendiary shows. Julia th the latest Oxford Music-based feature film idea. Bunty Isleworth says he has It’s always sad to report the death of a local Saturday 4 November – BURIED IN SMOKE revealed how, in the wake of her previous band, contacts in Hollywood. Reckons he can pitch it to Michael Bay to direct. Plenty over the past few years closed down as its lease musician and in November 2012 we paid tribute to came to an end. Dolly, she had almost lost her voice forever due SLABDRAGGER + MSRY 7:45pm of slo-mo explosions and car-chases up and down Cowley Rd. Gaz Coombes Pete Galpin, who had died, aged 62, after battling EMPLOYED TO SERVE to stress and what might be politely described as Wednesday 8th November – OXROX and Yannis Philippakis as misfit bromance buddies taking on the MULTITRONS On the local release front The Bigger the God mesothelioma. Nicknamed `Mr Chillout’ for his unwise lifestyle choices, and also managed to chop of the evil music industry, with the help of a team of loveable geeks who meet put out `If Everyone I Ever Knew Left Me’ on the laidback blues and jazzstyle, the guitarist and singer part of one of her fingers off. These days she’s Julia REWS HAXAN + ECHO4FOUR 7:45pm up regularly in the Brewdog pub, and of course a feisty net-surfing beauty Shifty Disco singles club, while Dr Didg released a had been a regular performer on the local scene th Walker and alongside husband Ben forms half of Friday 10 November – DIN TWINS called Madison or Destiny. Yuh, yuh, both guys dig her. Who gets the gal? That new single, `Serotonality’ and Dreamweaver had a since he was 14. Candy Says. would be telling, dude, that would be telling. Meanwhile The Cellar is under new EP, `The World Turns All Around’ out. In happier news. Chad Valley released his `Young SEMI URBAN FOX + THE SHADES + MEEKERS 7:45pm PORT ERIN threat from a megalomaniac CGI monster which transforms from a charity Looking at the gig guide for the month it comes to BBC Introducing in Oxford named Spring Hunger’ album – “a collection of incredibly Saturday 11th November – OXROX something when Ozric Tentacles were one of the HQ into a horrendous over-priced shopping centre – but guess which skinny- Offensive as their Oxford act of the year, a title well constructed songs havily and unashamedly stand-out shows in town. They were at The Zodiac, jeans-clad doofus heroes save the day? Yuh, yuh, you heard me – ker-AZY, isn’t previously held by Little Fish, as well as Stornoway. indebted to mainstream 80s pop music,” according DOOMSDAY OUTLAW as were The Fall, and folk guitar legend John HELL’S ADDICTION it? Apparently a huge franchise deal beckons with the LEGO Group. I’ll courier The band celebrated with a sold-out show at East to Nightshift’s review. Joining him on the release 7:45pm Renbourn, while one of our favourite live bands BROKEN DEVICE + REECE you a treatment, and we’ll talk points over lunch. Yuh, yuh. I’ll courier you Oxford Conservative Club, with ticket holders only front were Wild Swim with their `Echo’ single, the Friday 17th November – JAM CITY & GIDDY UP Dr S wanders off in of the last 20 years Tansads were back at The a treatment, and we’ll talk points over lunch. Yuh, yuh. [ told of the venue the day before. core of the band re-emerging as current electro-pop beard and no Point, having near enough split up the year before Coming to town this month were Dizzee darlings Low Island. NO HORSES ASH LEWIS + ROSE SEGAL 7:45pm socks, prodding due to the usual record company/music industry th Rascal, 65Daysofstatic, The Cardiacs and The Highlights of the gigging month were soon-to-be Saturday 18 November feverishly at his machinations. Bands – be glad there’s so little Raveonettes at the Academy, with Action Beat Mercury winners Alt. J at the O2 Academy, as red, yellow and chance of being signed these days; it’ll do you no BLACK CANDY + BEARD OF DESTINY 7:45pm and Jackie-O-Motherfucker offering more were Katzenjammer; Mystery Jets; Imagine CHEROKII green Peter good in the long run. Tuesday 21st November – OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL leftfield pleasures at the Wheatsheaf. A classic Dragons; Gojira; Akala, and a sold-out show by Tosh i&iPhone]. Who else? Well also at The Point were Jonathan Audioscope featured Krautrock legends Michael Frank Turner. Jack Savoretti was on his way Hello? Hello? Fire*Eater; the annoyingly named A; Jack; The YEAR OF THE KITE KRIEF + SPIKE HOLIFIELD 7:45pm Rother and Dieter Moebius, as well as the up, with a show at The Jericho Tavern, as were nd Michael, is that Sweeney, and The Interpreters, while Camp Wednesday 22 November - OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL incredible Shit & Shine, still one of the greatest experimental folk stars Lau and Michele Stodart you? No, don’t Blackfoot; Earth Machine; Mogmatic; Katsuit sets Nightshift has ever witnessed. from The Magic Numbers, going solo. put me on Karate; Idiots Savant; Plastiscene; Flukestar, OTTO THE SURGE + GHOUL + WEBS & MARIONETTES Over in the demo pages, Mounted Insanity Over in the demo pages, Camena topped the pile th hold, you total and Canola were among local band names now lost Friday 24 November – OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL Cannon topped the pile, featuring one future half ****! to history for their unseasonably summery harmony pop, of techno crazies Coloureds, while Lightbox while down in the Dumper Torn Like Colours STORYTELLER JERAMESSA + SWITCH OUT + FUJI Next month: Saturday 25th November – GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES Ethics? A were dumped for their “over-earnest FM rock” that were “the sort of band the phrase generic battle of county in the 10 YEARS AGO sounded like “all the most depressing aspects of X the bands regional heat runner-up was invented for,” ART THEEFE + SKY COLOURED + THE MISSING PERSIANS 7:45pm Thouth-Eatht MOVIE NEWS: Prangin’ Bicester nu-grime duo BIZZY SISTAH Little Fish, photoshopped into a sardine tin, made Factor, regional battle of the bands competitions, and “torn like a new arsehole, more like.” They The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford of England to soundtrack Transpurgers 8: Dark Side of the Zodiac their first appearance on the Nightshift cover in village hall charity rock nights and James Blunt”. haven’t been back since. Maybe we upset them. and refuses to budge. And while it’s a bit of a plod, it’s hefty enough to stand its ground, COSMIC BOB Talking of DRUGS (sorry, Orchid’s mum), the singer’s Robert Plant-cum-Ian Gillan Cosmic Bob sounds like the nickname of vocals in particular give them an authentic a local dealer, or failing that someone who blues-rock feel. While fellow local rock DEMOS deals in heavy-duty space-cake psychedelia. Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day travellers Desert Storm et al have beefed On the one hand this album-length demo has at Soundworks studio in Oxford, up their classic sound with heavyweight a tendency to get a bit befuddled and lose its slabs of stoner-metal and sludgy psych, courtesy of Umair Chaudhry. Visit sense of direction at times, which indicates King Bolete sound like they’re having none www.umairchaudhry.co.uk/nightshift copious weed consumption, on the other hand of it. This is what heavy rock sounded like it’s not quite as cosmic as we’d hoped. Not back then and goddamit, this is what heavy bull in a china shop, they’re capable of that it’s bad at all: most of the songs follow rock should sound like forever more. Gotta stopping awhile and appreciating the a grungy lo-fi slacker-rock path, with hints DEMO OF admire any band sticking to their guns so delicate porcelain crockery on show, as on of Aerial Pink and Mac Demarco, although firmly. `K-Ursa’). They’re generally described as the occasional forays into something heavier, THE MONTH mathcore – by themselves as much anyone like the electro-goth churn of `Dissociate’, – but you could as easily lump Masiro into the trashy garage-punk of `Thrive’ and the the nastier reaches of jazz, the harsher end YAKEZ Enough of all this heaviness. Winter is industrial electro-clang of `Move On’ show EMSEATEE of shoegaze or the more cerebral sections of coming but all the more reason to let a him in his best light. Too often Bob (Cosmic Local producer Leigh Redding started metal’s diverse universe. We’ll simply call little chink of light shine into Nightshift’s to his mates) sounds like he’s in a hurry to making electronic music aged just six with them rock, since they do indeed rock. With otherwise gloomy midden of an office. Yakez get the thing over with (“we gotta get outta a science fair toy called a Micro Computer great effect. Catch them live, where they’re here (not sure if that’s meant to rhyme with this room now! And, like, order pizza!”), Trainer, whose initials give him his phonetic at their best, and you might end up bloodied shakes or, erm, er… no, we give up) describe sometimes his voice breaks and he sounds musical moniker. He obviously learned a and bruised, but at the same time you’ll themselves as “soft, erratically rhythmical alt. less like he’s singing and more like he’s thing or two from the experience as this learn stuff. frantically gulping for air, and sometimes it collection of remixes of his work shows. folk groove,” which is actually fair enough. Let’s just say their starting point seems to sounds like his drum machine has a mind of Lomea’s glitchy, warped take on `Peer’ rises its own, else it’s necked his entire stash and is through a trippy techno haze to a warm be Pentangle – particularly Hannah Jacobs’ THE PHAT sweet, playful voice, pitched somewhere suffering palpitations. Not so much the ghost acid fluff and squelch, while Echoel’s mix in the machine as the dope in the machine. of `Going’, with guest vocals from Zainab CARDINALS between Jacqui McShee and lost 80s jazz- Hourina, is stretched and airy deep house. Masiro sound positively delicate of touch pop siren Jeanette – and possibly Steely Seb Reynolds brings a dark sci-fi film score at times compared to The Phat Cardinals, Dan, what with all those slick, tasteful funk vibe to `Four’, with echoes of Jean Michel a band whose members include people lines and electric piano. First impression, THE DEMO Jarre and Vangelis, while Redding’s own called Mr Crutch Fungus, Mr Horse and Mr especially on the overlong and appropriately TURAN AUDIO.co.uk Professional, independent remix of `Allocate’ turns the track into a Awesome, feature the former guitarist of titled `False Start’, are of a band that’s maybe DUMPER audio mastering gently glowering plateau of warped brass. blasphemous local party-starters The Vicars too polite for their own good and lacking a bit of fluidity and variety, but `Vague Rant’ is far The highlight though is Malmo’s extended of Twiddly and come with a biography that Mastered in the studio last month; reading of `Kite’, a warm, oceanic swell was almost certainly written after several more appealing, catching an almost hypnotic ASH ADAMS JACK EELEY, DIO, VAN MORRISON, Apple approved It’s been a good month for demos up to this mastering of ambient techno that builds up a buzzing pints of gin in some benighted backstreet lightweight jazz-funk groove, while retaining TALISMAN P feat. BARRINGTON LEVY, point, but we must forever be vigilant for intensity. All five tracks share a lysergic, boozer. This is no-nonsense punked-up a sing-song folk melody. There’s even some DESERT STORM, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT, VALERYAN, there’s always some killjoy lurking, ready hypnotic vibe and even in a massively surf-rock and psychobilly that’s one part flute and if we have a brief moment when CACHORRO GRANDE, JJ CALE, BANDSMAN feat. to spoil out fun. More often than not they’re overcrowded world of ambient/techno shouting to three parts twang and often we think about Shakatak, it passes quickly JULIA HUFF, ASTRAL CLOUD ASHES, DANCE MUSIC armed with an acoustic guitar and a sack of UNPLUGGED, EDDIE AND THE HOTRODS, JONATHAN tripping, this is an accomplished project that sounds like The Cramps and The Dead enough to be forgotten. Suddenly we’re filled angst. We’re barely a minute into Ash Adams’ HICKMAN, FLATLANDS, BRIGHT WORKS, QUARTZ, deserves a wider audience, although maybe Kennedys hijacking an Elvis convention and with the urge to GO FOR A WALK and demo and we’ve already jotted the names SATAN, AT THE GATES, JIMMY PAGE. if we’d heard it a few months back we upsetting traditionalists in the audience by LOOK AT PRETTY NATURE STUFF. Good James Bay, Sam Smith and The Wanted could have made better use of it, providing breaking the songs. While fellow local surf/ lord, the sun’s even come out. Good work, 01865 716466 [email protected] down on a scrap of paper, next to a doodle the soundtrack to lying in the garden rockabilly aficionados The Long Insiders Yakez. The power of music and all that. of a lemming hurling itself off a cliff and staring at clouds and butterflies while, are fresh, dextrous and respectful, The Phat the word “WOE” written in big, bold letters. y’know, mashed out of our heads, imbibing Cardinals prefer to take a mallet to such It’d be easy to blame this sort of thing on Ed wholesome macrobiotic yoghurt drinks. sensitivities and probably enjoy farting ORCHID COURTYARD Sheeran, but at least El Ed uses a modicum of loudly in polite company (if they ever keep Last time we reviewed one of Orchid’s demos we got her into trouble with her mum imagination with his use of loops and stuff. RECORDING STUDIO polite company, which we rather doubt). 2 Tracking Rooms. Superb Control Room with: because we vaguely insinuated she’d taken This boy band power balladry, all tastefully Four songs in eight minutes shows they NEVE 5106 32 Channel Console. ProTools HD3 emotive fret thrashing, piano plonking MASIRO don’t want to hang around too long but for a shedload of drugs at Glastonbury before MTR 90 2” 24 Track Tape Machine. Vintage EMT Plate Reverb and overwrought soul-bearing, precedes Loads of Brilliant Outboard Gear Like Emseatee, Masiro know how to build all the agricultural approach to the source writing the song in question. Happily she’s Ed’s omniscient reign over pop music, like Loads of Great Mics, Vintage and Modern an atmosphere from music, though their sound, they’re never cackhanded, firing out no longer grounded and here’s another song, this time with less of a feel that the writer an ancient evil that’s been buried under a Old School Akai/Roland Synth Modules take on ambient veers away from stoned garage-rock salvos with rich raw energy Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Amps and great vibes. mountain by brave warriors from a different cloudgazing and closer to the ambience of and doubtless a keen sense you can’t be was coming down off an all-night skunk and Residential recording studio in Sutton Courtenay. age but destined to re-emerge on a regular a particularly threatening dockside pub at too precious with music that was originally MDMA bender. `Jasmines’ here has still got a www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk basis to eat the souls of fledgling musicians the moment a stranger wanders through made with foraged guitar parts and upturned nice, woozy tripped-out r’n’b thing going on, In-house producer: Ian Davenport www.ian-davenport.co.uk and prevent them discovering elements like the door and asks to see the wine list. dustbins. The sound levels are all over the all swooning vocals over busy electro-pop Email: [email protected] fun, experimentation or adventure. Because But, just as good horror films leave things place but three demos in we’ve got three back-up, which sounds like a meeting point Phone: Kate on 01235 845800 this evil entity thrives on over-earnest unseen, Masiro leave much of their anger contenders for Demo of the Month and no between Charlie XCX and The Saturdays. In soundtracks for mobile phone ads and the unsaid, their lack of a vocalist allowing crockery left. This is turning out to be a fact it sounds like it’s already a Top 10 hit. sort of stuff former members of Union J the guitars to have the first and last word. good day. Hopefully Orchid’s mum can live with that if The band are adept at mixing the complex it brings wholesome riches and rewards (an might consider sticking on the b-side of their and convoluted – plenty of about turns and invite to The Royal Variety Performance and comeback single. “I feel like I’m losing the clever rhythmic patterns – and the purely KING BOLETE a guest slot on The One Show) rather than the fight,” croons Ash on `Giving Up’ and it’s a visceral – pummelling beats and sheet-metal Talking of retro fun, new local rockers actual fun stuff (note to Orchid – invite us to sentiment we can fully empathise with once fretplay. Like Oxes they’re a sometimes King Bolete sound like they just landed your album launch party and we won’t tell). we’ve had a glimpse into his musical world. Rehearsal and Recording studios virulent musical page-turner of a band: you in a TARDIS from 1972, and hence the don’t always know exactly where things past 45 years having had not an ounce of Four state of the art rehearsal rooms Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to are going, but you’re hanging on every influence on them. They promise us blues, and a professional recording studio. [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without a twist the best you can because it’s loud and psychedelia and doom but mostly deliver contact phone number. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. We make it’s fun and there’s every chance people on the blues on this one-song offering, For bookings call Jamie on 07917685935 no pretence to being fair, objective or open-minded and reserve the right to use juvenile insults might get hurt and stuff broken before `Palm Reader’, which plants its flag firmly Glasshouse studios, Cumnor, Oxford • glasshousestudios.org while almost completely ignoring your music should we feel like it. Your Facebook friends are the end, (although, like a highly civilised in Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin territory welcome to get all huffy on your behalf, but we’ll laugh at them too. facebook.com/o2academyoxford twitter.com/o2academyoxford instagram.com/o2academyoxford youtube.com/o2academytv

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