email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 114 January Oxford’s Music Magazine 2005 OnOnOn TheTheThe RiseRiseRise The best new local acts to see in 2005 inside Fell City Girl by Miles Walkden Fell City Girl by Miles NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 SEXY BREAKFAST release a QUICKFIX RECORDS release new single later this month, a compilation of local NEWNEWSS entitled ‘Launch the Missile, teenage bands on the 29th of Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Conrad!’ on their own label. It is January. ‘Under 18s’ aims to Phone: 01865 372255 the follow-up to 2003’s acclaimed showcase the best up and coming debut, ‘The Grin and Nod EP’. young bands in Oxford and email: [email protected] Long-time live favourite ‘Launch features two tracks each from the Missile, Conrad!’ is backed by Harlette, Mondo Cada, The Walk two new tracks, ‘Sadness Is The Off and 20:20 Vision, plus more supported The Finn Easiest To Choose’ and ‘The to be added. The album will be Brothers on tour, plays World Had Changed’. Talking launched with a gig at the Zodiac, at the Zodiac on about the new single and Sexy in conjunction with The Club th Tuesday 8 February. Breakfast’s future plans, singer That Cannot Be Named, on the The reformed House Joe Swarbrick told Nightshift, 29th, featuring Harlette, Mondo Of Love, featuring Guy “We’ve stripped everything back Cada, The Walk Off and more. Chadwick and Terry a little for this one. ‘Grin and Bickers reunited for Nod’ was great fun and I’m really ALESIACHAIR have split. The the first time in nearly proud of it, but it was guilty of a highly-promising Oxford-based 15 years, are at the few too many 70s prog rock Anglo-French indie rockers, th Zodiac on Saturday 5 excesses. This one feels more whose track, ‘Introduction To A February, while The modern and a lot less Rainy Day’ featured in Wedding Present visit introspective. It captures our live Nightshift’s Top 20 songs for th on Friday 25 sound a lot better than the last 2004, bowed out with a gig at the February. The Dears one. Thematically, it’s a lot less Wheatsheaf just before make a return visit to about relationships and a lot more Christmas, supporting Caretaker. the Zodiac on Friday about the world and its woes - not th 11 February. Big as a direct political statement, just LOCAL MUSIC ZINE OHM names coming to other exploring conflict and its has called it a day, having covered local venues soon repercussions, personally and the Oxford music scene for over a include The Levellers, nationally, and you can dance to it year; financial reasons are who play at Brookes all as well. It’s funny and blamed, as well as the departure University on Tuesday disturbing simultaneously. Over of some of the zine’s main th ACTRESS MINNIE DRIVER as 12 April, and chart toppers Girls the top, but rooted in true contributors. As well as featuring well as 80s indie legends The Aloud who play at the New feelings. Like a disco in the interviews and reviews of local th Wedding Present and The House Theatre on Monday 9 May. For trenches. bands, OHM was notable for its Of Love are amongst the big all Zodiac gigs, plus the Levellers “We’ll all have finished excellent coverage of the local names heading to Oxford later his show, tickets are available from university by next summer, so jazz scene. spring. Minnie Driver, who the box office, on 01865 420042. then we’ll start properly touring, recently writing loads of new stuff and TWO LOCAL BANDS have releasing as much as we can. I changed their names recently. think we’ve always been a band Hardcore merchants The DR SHOTOVER that has shown a lot of potential. Fencott Disaster are now known Happy War, Christmas is over The time has come to start as The Holidays Stabbings, while Bloody hell. Rumours have been circulating about the Nightshift showing everyone that we can post-hardcore / outfit Xmas knees-up and the acts of seasonal terrorism committed after properly realise that potential, and Cardboard have finally relented Yours Truly and assorted scribes, hacks and wastrels had I hope the new CD will go at least and are now called The Corvids. consumed the hottest curry dishes that the East Oxford sub- some way to proving that.” So now you know. continent has to offer, washed down with several crates of something called “lager”. Suffice it to say, there is no truth in any of it. Messrs Lagun and Carrera, re-directing traffic the wrong way round the Plain in “borrowed” police uniforms? Ms Jerome, singing a bawdy song from the top of Magdalen Tower? Our noble editor, challenging our talented webmeister, Mr Bond, to arm- wrestle over an alleged slight to the hallowed name of Gary Numan? The assembled company, staging a sit-down protest in the billiards room at my gentlemen’s club on being refused further ATHLETE play a secret, free gig downstairs at the Zodiac on alcohol by Wednesday 2nd February at the Zodiac. The gig marks the release of Bedingfield, the the band’s second album, ‘Tourist’, on January 31st and is part of a chief steward? series of low-key ‘thank you’ gigs to fans who made 2004 such a While sporting successful one for the band, with debut album ‘Vehicles and Animals’ Santa Claus hats? shortlisted for The Mercury Prize. Since Athlete’s last Oxford gig, at Oh God. It IS true, the Zodiac’s upstairs venue, was a sell-out, tickets for the gig in isn’t it? Bloody hell. Chief steward Bedingfield: “Sorry, Dr S – the February are bound to be in big demand, and they’ll be available from cat can come in, but you’re barred.” HMV in Oxford and Polar Bear Records on Cowley Road. Pop in and Next month: ask for details. February ON THE RISE JANUARY IS, OF COURSE, A Chantelle Pike is a match for great time to look forward to the almost anyone vocally, her recent Laima Bite year ahead. Being named after shows displaying a young singer Janus, the two-faced character who isn’t afraid to stretch to try from Greek legend, January, and emulate sirens like Lisa meaning looking both ways, is Gerrard or Sinead O’Connor. As also a great time to look well as her own minimalist folk- backwards over the previous year. pop band, she’s got together a You see we know poncy wordy rockier outfit, The Cliffhangers, learning stuff like this at hoping to take her talents in new Nightshift. directions. But, we don’t want to look Zoë Bicat’s voice – part gravely backwards, do we? We did last growl, part ghostly whisper – has issue with our (rather splendid made her a favourite on the local and not open to debate) Top 20 acoustic circuit and her Oxford songs of 2004. No, here melancholic folk songs deserve a we’re looking forward to some of wider audience, while Brookes the new acts you maybe should student Kate Chadwick tends to spare an evening or two checking look on the brighter side of life, out if you want to hear where her infectious warble, closer to local music is heading in 2005. Edie Brickell.

THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST witnessed the rise and rise of impressive young rock band to hit metal, punk and hardcore in the Oxford scene last year were Morrison such a spectacle, while epic soundtrack noise promises so Oxford, but 2005’s crop of young Fell City Girl, who seemed to their obstinately out-of-time much in the coming year, and talent seems to be heading in a grow in stature, sound and talent alternative pop thankfully refuses with live shows being planned it’s different direction. with every gig. From their earliest to fit in anywhere comfortably. going to the exciting to see where Nowhere is this more obvious outings, coming on like an Amongst the other indie hopefuls he can take his music from here. than in the rise of a whole wave updated Cure, to more monolithic around town, newcomers Harry Already pounding and of excellent new female singer- recent shows, where they seemed Angel (yes, named after Mickey pummelling local stages are The songwriters on the scene. Rising to be sucking in everything from Rourke’s character in Angel Walk Off, a teenage three-piece up from the plethora of open mic Muse and to Queen, Heart) are worth a hearing, who seem intent on nights around town are singers they’ve never failed to impress, distilling their myriad classic pop soundtracking World War III like Laima Bite, Zoë Bicat, managing to inject a pop core into influences into something, if not before it even starts. Laptop Chantelle Pike and Kate their often convoluted guitar wholly new, then more than the carnage collides with Rammstein- Chadwick who are now following workouts, while frontman Phil sum of its parts, while Warhen style beats, hardcore guitar noise in the footsteps of Katy Bennett McInn has some of the nervous now sound much more like the and lots of primal screaming to and Sharron Kraus, giving rock god feel about him, like a finished product after a couple of make for (depending on the traditional acoustic pop and folk a young Matt Bellamy. years of solid gigging, sounding weather) the most thrilling live new lease of life. Laima’s No doubt about who were the like a band in the classic tradition spectacle in town, or utter bloody stunning demo back in the most improved young band in of Oxford pop, like Supergrass, chaos. summer heralded one of the most Oxford last year: The Half The Candyskins and The Bigger Since The Animalhouse split startling new vocal and lyrical Rabbits rose out of clunking The God. Jazz-rock we’ve heard little from any of the talents around, with a dark, indie pop scrap to become instrumentalists P.Y.E have also former members except Mark almost gothic twist on a genuine big time pop contenders come on some of late, steering Gardener, but with the arrival of traditional sound, recalling the by the end of the year, while their clear of obvious post-rock cliches The Spiralist, that’s set to likes of Kendra Smith and Heidi debut EP, ‘Disclaimer’, was full in favour of a dynamic style that change. Formed by bassist Hari Berry. Her solo shows have been of the classic indie and New recalls Billy Mahonie as well as Teah and keyboard player Jason intoxicating enough, but we’re Wave noises that today’s guitar- local innovators Nought. King, their sound is all jazzy, really looking forward to seeing wielding bruisers have long cinematic grooves and funk- her with a full band sometime forgotten. In Michael ANOTHER PART OF THE driven housey beats, with some soon, while she’s also apparently Weatherburn, the Rabbits have a local scene that has really come great vocal getting together an industrial singer with the kind of gravely into its own in recent times is the performances from the likes of noise band. snarl that made Jim (mostly studio-bound) electronic drum & bass MC Tali. They made side. Live acts like The Evenings their live debut at December’s and Sunnyvale Noise Sub- Peepshow at the Bullingdon and Element still lead the way locally have a sure pedigree. but the fall-out from the Rock of On a more rootsy dance tip is Big Travolta split has given us Speakers’ AJ whose Asher Dust Boywithatoy – Phill Honey’s solo project is really shaping up into project. Two demos of the month something special, from the already, and featuring dexterity of Ultramagnetic MCs collaborations with Smilex to Horace Andy’s more soulful frontman Lee Christian, Phill’s vocal stylings. Breaks and hip hop and – it appears – a feud with The Half Rabbits unselfconscious and unapologetic fusion of post-rock, electronic local funk-rockers Hedroom still experimentation and simmering away, he’ll be well Sponsored RELEASED by

MAEVE BAYTON while the gentle, wistful ‘Red River’, with its laidback, sunshiny 60s disposition equally ‘Blues And Ballads’ shows off her way with an uncluttered pop ballad. (Own Label) She can be a bit airy fairy and earth mother- Veterans of the local music scene, and in ish at times, it’s fair to say – the whimsical particular the acoustic and open mic clubs, ‘Willow’, with its man-done-me-wrong tale will know all about Maeve Bayton, a regular being the obvious example, and we’ll just take at the Magic Café and Catweazle Club, as it in good faith that ‘Inappropriate Man’ is well as a member of possibly Oxford’s first meant as a joke (Maeve, a self-confessed all-female band, The Mistakes, back in the “Marxist feminist green” gets drunk and picks late-70s. Maeve was also the author of Frock up a Tory-voting techno-addicted stoner who Rock, an excellent sociological examination of fails to satisfy in the bedroom department), female experience in popular music, published although it smacks a little too much of one of by OUP a few years back and featuring those songs that Phoebe from Friends tends to Beaker guitarist Teresa Hooker on the front come up with once in a while. cover. All in all though, ‘Ballads and Blues’ is an Maeve’s debut album comes with a give-away – originally recorded back in 1924). Nina accomplished album, helped no doubt by title, telling you pretty much what you need to Simone seems to be a primary inspiration for contributions from the likes of Tim Turan, know about what’s inside. Split between her Maeve, even on her own, folkier songs, Frei Zinger and Jon Boden. It’s a mature own folky ballads and classic blues standards, especially Letting You Go’, which oddly counterpoint to the emerging young local folk it’s an album happily steeped in tradition, seems to echo ‘Lilac Wine’ and, backed by talents of Chantelle Pike, Laima Bite et al respectful and contented in its treatment of Barney Morse-Brown’s solemn cello, captures with whom Maeve comfortably shared a stage songs made famous by the likes of Bessie a little of that old smoky jazz melancholy. The at the recent Klub Kakofanney Winter Smith (‘I Ain’t Gonna Play No Second harmonica-led ‘Take It Slow’ is the best of Weekender. Fiddle’), Nina Simone (‘Trouble In Mind’) Maeve’s own works, a bluesy folk shuffle, Sue Foreman and Ida Cox (‘Wild Women Never Get The Blues’ recognise when to bail out, having made their P.Y.E point. The best track here is ‘Trademark P.Y.E SPELLBINDER ‘Wreck Tangle’ Jangle’, which rests on a darker, slightly featuring ALICE heavier rhythm, the guitars chiming with (Own Label) echoes of The Chameleons. ‘Wooden LOCKHART In the shadow cast by instrumental rock Drivers’, by comparison is a little superfluous colossuses Nought, Youth Movie Soundtrack and rambling. ‘Come Outside’ Strategies and The Rock of Travolta, it’s hard What shouldn’t be ignored at this point, is (Throom) for any other similarly-inclined local band to that P.Y.E are still a young band but already While it’s true that trance has never gone flourish, damned as they ever will be by trying to stretch themselves musically. As away, and is probably as big as it’s ever been, comparisons to those that have gone before. such this is a fine debut outing and a firm and you still get some cracking stuff heading It’s just unfortunate for Abingdon’s P.Y.E that foundation to move on from. It’s just that in chart-wards, notably last year’s ‘Loneliness’ Oxford has already produced three bands of Oxford at least they’re going to have to work by Tomkraft, it’s sweet hearing singles like such immense talent in this field. twice as hard to hit those highs. this made with the DIY spirit of the late-80s. This three-track debut EP makes all the right Dale Kattack Spellbinder is production duo Andy noises and moves in all the right directions Somerville and Anthony Barlow, plus but it’s always looking over its shoulder. -based singer Alice Lockhart. ‘Come Nought in particular are a major inspiration Outside’ rides on the bulging analogue synth behind P.Y.E’s jazz-inclined guitar workouts. and cheapo drum machine beat of the likes of Lead track ‘Squoon’ is a jagged, dynamic Messiah, but with the sort of mischievous journey, alternately meandering and stabbing noise of Baby Ford. Alice’s vocal is a frenetic guitars underpinned by an almost jazz-funk squiggle of nonsense that appears to be a rhythm, a lightweight nephew to its guided tour of her local farm and spirals into predecessor’s bludgeoning output. itself in slightly sinister fashion to the point That’s not to damn P.Y.E outright by any where she collides with an old Polymoog and means. Live in particular they can pile on the the whole track disappears into a black hole, pressure to a satisfying degree, and if the possibly to start a whole new acid house brevity of many of their pieces sometimes revolution in a parallel universe. Ooh, it’s like indicates an inability or unwillingness to take 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with drum an idea to another level, at least they – unlike machines. Great stuff. so many post-rock, instrumental types – Victoria Waterfield Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day

gig guide

SATURDAY 1st OXFORD FOLK CLUB with KEITH KENDRICK & LYNN HERAUD: The Port Come on you Blues! JANUARY Mahon – Fine harmony singing with nd SUNDAY 2 OPEN MIC SESSION: Exeter Hall, Cowley traditional songs. Nothing happening today ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, THE STRANGERS: The Barn, Red Lion, MONDAY 3rd Cowley Road Witney th BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Tum-de-tum, this is getting boring now… WEDNESDAY 5 SKETCHY: The Cellar – Hip hop club night TUESDAY 4th WARHEN + DIATRIBE: The Cellar – with DJs Toby Kidd and Mr Brogan. JAZZ CLUB WITH THE TOM GREY Promising indie pop from Warhen, picking up SATURDAY 8th where Supergrass left off. Hard rock noise QUINTET: The Bullingdon – Hurray! Some PEEPSHOW: The Zodiac – Now relocated to live music – the popular Bully jazz club kicks from Diatribe. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC the Zodiac on a fortnightly basis, Peepshow off the new year with resident band and DJs. brings the best in live dance with eclectic mix And all for free. SESSION: Bar Baby – All-comers welcome. COROFIN & FRIENDS: Exeter Hall, of dance DJs and visuals. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: JEREMY HUGHES PRESENTS: Exeter Old School House, Gloucester Green Cowley – Weekly trad Irish folk session. CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall – All- Hall, Cowley Thursday 20th comers club night for singers, musicians and SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house performance artists. club night. HENRY ROLLINS TONGUES OF FIRE: Brookes University FRESH OUT OF THE BOX with THE Drama Studio - Improvisational free jazz, folk INVISIBLE MAN + SOUNDZ: The Cellar – SPOKEN WORD: song, laments and wild grooves from eight New skool breaks, Apparently. Oxford Playhouse piece band featuring whirlwind drummer Steve THE WORRIED MEN: The Barn, Red Noble (ex Rip, Rig and Panic) plus reeds and Lion, Witney – This month they have been It almost seems a lifetime away that Henry brass players including saxophonist Pete mostly worrying about credit card debt and Rollins was the hardest, most furious man McPhail and Geoff Hawkins. Music by Tim croup. in hardcore rock. Back when he was tearing Hill. CHRIS HAWES & MICK ING: Magic Café up the American underground scene with th (1pm) Black Flag, fighting and drinking every THURSDAY 6 SUNDAY 9th night to a soundtrack of brutish punk noise, DEAD HORSES WILD: Exeter Hall, ELECTRIC JAM: Exeter Hall, Cowley you’d have laughed at the idea of him Cowley – Local teenage rockers. (5pm) – All musicians welcome to jam with gracing the Oxford Playhouse. But, as his TONGUES OF FIRE: Brookes University the in-house rhythm section. last spoken word appearance in Oxford Drama Studio – Second night of improv, as (back at the Apollo a good few years ago) above. showed, if Henry hasn’t exactly mellowed SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks – in his world outlook, he’s contained his Weekly dose of reggae, soul, jazz, anger and what’s revealed is one of the dub and Latin grooves from DJ most intelligent, articulate and genuinely Aidan Larkin and guests. funny men in music and writing today. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac – Weekly There are anecdotes from his hellraising Club That Cannot Be Named night days, a lot of self-deprecating humour, plus with a mix of metal, hardcore and plenty of blunt but considered opinions on indie. the state of the world, including the war in LOVE FUNKI: Old Fire Station – Iraq. All this and he’s still the true Weekly funky house club night with godfather of American hardcore. You live rhythms plus DJs Mr Smith and wouldn’t want to get in a scrap with Rollins Lil T. (have you seen the size of him?) but two FRIDAY 7th hours in his company is a rare pleasure. THE SAMURAI SEVEN + NICK KENNY & THE PIG IMPROVEMENT COMPANY: The Zodiac – High-energy punk-pop action from the local stalwarts, getting ready for the release of their second album later this year. Former Four Storeys frontman Nick Kenny brings his new band to the show. KLUB KAKOFANNEY with FILM NOIR + SMUG JUGGLERS: The Wheatsheaf – Melancholy indie rocking from Film Noir. RAMI & THE EYE-LAND MONK-EYES: Exeter Hall, Cowley – Funk, soul and rock. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: Bar Baby Live & Free @ The Ex COROFIN & FRIENDS: Exeter Exeter Hall Pub Hall, Cowley Corner Cowley / Marsh Road 01865 776431 CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate December Hall Every Tuesday - Open Mic - all welcome THURSDAY 13th Every Wednesday - Corofin & Friends MAX: Exeter Hall, Cowley – Led Thu 6th Dead Horse Wild - 8:30 Sat 15th Morph plus Satellite 17 Zep and AC/DC tribute. Fri 5th Rami & The Eye-Land Thu 20th The Factory 8:30pm Monk-Eyes - 8:30pm Fri 21st The Invisible 8:30pm THE INVISIBLES + ROB Sat 8th Jeremy Hughes - Host An Sat 22nd LeBurn’s Gimme Hendrix HALLIGAN: The Cellar – Evening of Music - 8:00pm Experience 8:30pm Coventry songwriter Rob Halligan Sun 9th Electric Jam - 5:00pm Sun 23rd Electric Jam - 5:00pm th th brings in influences as diverse as Thu 13 Max - Led Zep/AC/DC Fri 28 Assassins of Silence 8:30pm rd Fri 14th Transmission 8:30pm Sat 29th Rami & The Salamies 8:30pm Sunday 23 Bob Dylan, U2 and John Mayer to ROOSTER: his emotional and political songs; from The Invisibles. J.C PRODUCTIONS (studio) The Zodiac SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks Young up & coming producer has recently set up in So, like, someone’s decided that the girls SABOTAGE: The Zodiac Oxford with a state of the art recording studio, all are sick to death of wimpy, asinine pop LOVE FUNKI: Old Fire Station genres of music now welcome. Specialising in th bands and really want some kick-ass rock FRIDAY 14 singer songwriters who want to turn their music laddies to stick on their bedroom walls. So ONE LOUDER with THE HALF into the next Big Thing. This is a chance to walk here are Rooster: four late-teens / early- RABBITS + THE CORVIDS + away from a studio with something you didn’t think twenties fellas with guitars and a bunch of HORSEFIGHTER: The you were able to achieve, taking your songs to songs that, if you can suspend your Wheatsheaf – Oxford’s most another level. disbelief for a few minutes, sound a bit like improved band of last year, and one Very competitive prices – Availability from Jan crossed with Busted. And so far of the best prospects for 2005, The 2005. it’s all working out very well indeed, with Half Rabbits kick off their assault on Contact – 07909 568 527 / 01993 898700 debut single, ‘Come Get Some’ hitting the the new year early, brandishing Top 10 and follow-up ‘Staring At The Sun’ classic new wave and 60s rock set to follow. And you can’t fault Rooster’s influences with an admirable 80s commitment to the true rock and roll cause, indie feel. neither – tonight’s gig is part of a 30-date TRANSMISSION: Exeter Hall, UK tour. Hey, they even write their own Cowley – Indie rock with an exotic songs and play their own instruments. And Arabic edge. frontman Nick Atkinson does a decent SLIDE: The Zodiac – House club 5K Mick Jagger impersonation, while looking a night. 32 little like a young Jon Bon Jovi. So maybe OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN it’s churlish to point out that half their NIGHT: The Port Mahon debut album sounds worryingly like BLON-D: The Barn, Red Lion, Westlife, or worse, Savage Garden. They’re Witney very popular, and look set to become more BACKROOM BOOGIE: The popular throughout this year. But so does Bullingdon the Tory Party. HQ: The Cellar – Drum&bass club night. MONDAY 10th SATURDAY 15th RESERVOIR CATS: The Bullingdon – WIGOUT! with SIR BALD DIDDLEY Hard rocking electric blues, fronted by & HIS WIGOUTS + PAINTERMAN: Tony ‘Flash Harry’ Jezzard. Port Mahon – Surf, swamp and garage TUESDAY 11th rocking in a classic and authentic 60s style from Baldie and chums, plus JAZZ CLUB WITH THE TOM GREY moddish from Newbury’s, QUINTET: The Bullingdon possibly Creation-inspired DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC Painterman. SESSION: Old School House, VERBAL KINK + SMILEX + Gloucester Green SEXTODECIMO + THE PROCESS: OPEN MIC SESSION: Exeter Hall, The Wheatsheaf – Grunge rock action Cowley from Verbal Kink, with all-action noise ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, and mayhem from Smilex in support. Cowley Road Sextodecimo threaten to blow more than INTRUSION: The Cellar the bloody doors off with their monstrous th WEDNESDAY 12 stoner grind. REMTEK presents CHRIS BROKAW: MORPH + SATELLITE: Exeter Hall, The Port Mahon – Still to be confirmed Cowley – Rock and blues. as we went to press, but hopefully a LOCAL BANDS NIGHT: The Zodiac chance to see New York’s mesmeric – To be confirmed. acoustic guitarist. Former drummer with THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE: The Come and drummer with Codeine, Barn, Red Lion, Witney – U2 tribute. Brokaw is an exceptional guitarist and THE PETE FRYER BAND + REDOX: performer, injecting his brand of haunted Chester Arms – Crazed off-the-wall folk music with a punk attitude and a rocking from the Ex’s resident precise kind of violence. legend. OPEN MIC SESSION: Exeter Hall, Cowley VERBAL KINK + MINDEFINE + ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, INNOCENTS + IVAN DRAGO: Langdale Cowley Road Hall, Witney WEDNESDAY 19th MARK ABIS: Magic Café (1pm) rd DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SUNDAY 23 SESSION: Bar Baby ROOSTER: The Zodiac – Young men play COROFIN & FRIENDS: Exeter Hall, old men’s – see main preview Cowley ELECTRIC JAM: Exeter Hall, Cowley CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall (5pm) BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Latin and MONDAY 24th jazz grooves. THE OTHERS: The Zodiac – Swift return to th THURSDAY 20 town for the wannabe indie revolutionaries, MOUNTAINMEN ANONYMOUS + marrying the Manics’ sloganeering with The TWENTYSIXFEET: The Cellar – Smiths’ commentaries on small-town British Occasionally sublime post-rock soundscaping life, and earning themselves a fanatical army of Friday 28th from the masked guitar attack team, last fans in the process. spotted tearing up the Port Mahon with their THE ADAM BOMB BAND: The / Mogwai-inspired noise. Bullingdon – Big-haired rock and blues from THE FACTORY: Exeter Hall, Cowley LA, featuring ex-members of Aerosmith and : SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks AC/DC. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac THE BULLY WEE BAND: Nettlebed Folk The Zodiac LOVE FUNKI: Old Fire Station Club One of only two UK gigs on their current FRIDAY 21st tour for ’s incredible Apocalyptica Friday 28th (pictured), a group of classically-trained PANDA BEAR + ARIEL SPRING + musicians who specialise in interpreting SIGNER: The Wheatsheaf – Carpark JARCREW / THE heavy metal songs solely on the cello. Their Records night in conjunction with the reliably debut album, ‘Plays By Four esoteric Vacuous Pop. ’s Panda Bear / Cellos’, did exactly what it said on the is Noah out of Animal Collective, ploughing a sleeve and since then they’ve tackled more classical furrow, alongside his ASHER DUST: Pantera, Faith No More, Sepultura and experimental pop and noise sounds, The Wheatsheaf Slayer. Subsequent , ‘Cult’ and somewhere between Spiritualized and ‘Reflections’, have seen them writing more LaBradford. LA’s Ariel Spring, meanwhile, January being a quiet sort of month, gig- of their own material, while retaining the makes karaoke-style electro-pop that – wise, it’s a welcome return to Jarcrew – one metal-classical crossover style, while new allegedly at least – bridges the gap between of the most ferociously noisy bands single, ‘Bittersweet’, features vocals by Englebert Humperdink and Mouse On Mars. Nightshift witnessed last year. Hailing from fellow countrymen of HIM and We’re open to anything round here. New Ammanford (home also to John Cale, who Lauri Ylönen from . Tell your Zealand’s Signer are almost normal by was once the local church organist), folks it’s a classical music recital and bring comparison – dubbed-out fuzz pop that owes Jarcrew have battered their way out of the them along. They’ll particularly enjoy co- some to the mighty Flying Saucer Attack. Welsh rock underground with a frenetic live headliners Breed 77 who have been on the Vacuous Pop, as ever, come up with the goods. show that centres on wild man singer up and up since relocating to the UK from THE INVISIBLE: Exeter Hall, Cowley Kelson Mathias, a screaming dervish who in 1996 and winning Kerrang’s OXFORD FOLK CLUB BURN’S NIGHT spends as much time getting touchy, feely Best Unsigned Band award in 98. Recent SPECIAL with IRVINE McCLEVY: The and in yer face with the crowd as he does single, ‘The River’, scraped into the Top Port Mahon spasming around his mic stand. Their high- 40, while their appearance at Download BEAVER: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney wired fusion of Fugazi and Big Black- Festival convinced everyone they are BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon inspired hardcore and Kraftwerk-styled amongst the best live metal bands in the SOLUTION: The Cellar synthetics saw them signed to Gut Records UK, mixing up furious riffage with Alice In SATURDAY 22nd and debut album, ‘Breakdance Euphoria Kids’ was the start of great things to come. Chains-style atmospherics and Flamenco BOYWITHATOY presents AT RISK + Just don’t go if you value your personal guitars. ZELEGA + INTERMEZZO: The Port space. Top-drawer local support from The Mahon – Cool triple bill of local talent Young Knives, soon to be recording with CHICKS WITH DECKS Vs tonight, with goth-popsters At Risk taking Gang Of Four’s Andy Gill, plus Asher ROLLERCOASTER: The Cellar – Indie, The Sundays and Cure on board, while there’s Dust, the breaks and hip hop solo project electro, punk, riot grrl and 80s pop. Godspeed-inspired noise from Zelega and from Big Speakers’ AJ, fusing the SIMON DAVIES & COLIN FLETCHER: jazzy techno and big beat fun from contemporary urban storytelling of The Magic Café (1pm) Intermezzo. Street with the rootsier sounds of Horace th PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS + SUNDAY 16 Andy. Anything good on telly? Best open a bottle of OCTOBER FILE: The Zodiac – Ugly, dirty wine, then. and fierce US hardcore from Planes Mistaken th For Stars, promoting their new album, ‘Up MONDAY 17 Them In Guts’ on No Idea Records. Local post- PETE BOSS & THE BLUEHEARTS: The hardcore supergroup October File, featuring Bullingdon – Local Clapton-inspired blues ex-members of Jor and Schindler, crank up the guitarist stars at tonight’s Oxford blues club. amps another notch and prepare for battle. TUESDAY 18th LeBURN’S GIMME HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: Exeter Hall, Cowley JAZZ CLUB WITH THE TOM GREY FRESH OUT THE BOX with RICH QUINTET: The Bullingdon THAIR: The Cellar – Red Snapper fella on ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Port Mahon the decks. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: DERORA: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney Old School House, Gloucester Green TUESDAY 25th SATURDAY 29th JAZZ CLUB WITH THE TOM DOMES OF SILENCE + BLUE KITE GREY QUINTET: The Bullingdon + THE KICKS: The Wheatsheaf – DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC Doors-meets-Depeche Mode dark rocking SESSION: Old School House, from The Domes, with trip-pop and jazzy Gloucester Green pop in support from Blue Kite. OPEN MIC SESSION: Exeter Hall, THE WALK OFF + HARLETTE + Cowley MONDO CADA + 20:20 VISION: The ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, Zodiac – Launch gig for Quickfix Cowley Road Records’ new ‘Under 18s’ compilation, UNIVERSITY ROCK SOCIETY showcasing the best local teen bands. NIGHT: The Cellar Headliners The Walk Off do digital ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Port Mahon carnage with style, while Harlette do WEDNESDAY 26th gothic grunge pop and Mondo Cada rev up their Black Flag and Damned engines. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC RAMI & THE SALAMIS: Exeter Hall, Mars Entertainments presents SESSION: Bar Baby Cowley – Dylan-inspired local COROFIN & FRIENDS: Exeter Hall, songwriter. DELICIOUS MUSIC Cowley STICK IT ON: The Bullingdon – Open CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall Open Mic Music Nights in January decks night for local DJs. No ‘Come On HIT’N’RUN: The Cellar – Hip hop Every Tuesday - THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE, Eileen’ now, y’hear. club night. Gloucester Green 8.30-11.15 Free! SLEEPWALKER: The Barn, Red th Every Wednesday - BAR BABY, Cowley Road 8.30- THURSDAY 27 Lion, Witney Midnight Free! WILSON + THE RACE + THE NEW FRESH OUT THE BOX with Alternate Thursdays - FAR FROM THE MADDING MOON: The Cellar – Former Jazz CONFIDENTIAL: The Cellar – Live CROWD (Friars Entry) - 8.30-11 Free! Butcher Pat Fish returns with his new hip hop and house collective. band Wilson. Back in the mid-80s the JAN MAURO Magic Café (1pm) – For bookings/info- Tel: 07876 184623. Demos to Mars at: Oxford guy was a minor pop legend. His new Galecian hurdy gurdy player. Music Shop, 99 St. Aldates, Oxford. Tel: 01865 242784 band mixes the bounce and beats of SUNDAY 30th Happy Mondays with the rockier side of UNDER OATH + THE HURT Primal Scream. Reading’s The Race offer PROCESS + SILVERSTEIN + ROSES a Pixies-influenced brand of noise while ARE RED: The Zodiac – Great bill for Abingdon’s New Moon get things going fans of new hardcore rock music. in a more sedate folk-pop vein. Underoath, Silverstein and Roses Are SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks Red all land in the UK for the first time, SABOTAGE: The Zodiac with co-headliners The Hurt Process, LOVE FUNKI: Old Fire Station returning to Blighty scene after recently th FRIDAY 28 being the only UK band to ever feature on JARCREW + THE YOUNG KNIVES the US Warped tour. They also had their + ASHER DUST: The Wheatsheaf – album, ‘Drive By Monologue’, released Squalling post-hardcore noise – see main in the States this year on Victory Records. preview. BEARD MUSEUM with MERZ + APOCALYPTICA + BREED 77: The ANDY LOVEGROVE + UNDER THE Zodiac (upstairs) – Cellos in a metal IGLOO: Purple Turtle – Passionate, stylee – See main preview poetic pop from Merz at tonight’s gentle MUSICIANS WANTED GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES pop thrill club The Beard Museum. KEYBOARD, BASS, present AIRPORT TIGERS + BONE Support from someti e AwayTEAM chap MACHINE + THE FAMILY Andy Lovegrove and delicate local pop RHYTHM / LEAD GUITARIST. MACHINE: The Zodiac (downstairs) – dreamers Under The Igloo. Looking for the BIGGER PICTURE? Mixed bill of local indie rock and sweet LA FAMIGLIA: The Cellar – Live hip Singer-songwriter performer in the pop talents from the Gappy Tooth crew. hop in aid of Odaid. vein of Kravitz / Prince funk, with REAL LIFE: The Zodiac – Hard house, MONDAY 31st serious R.C. interest (and 24 hour use techno and breakbeats club night. 3rd DEGREE LEBURN: The of studio) is aiming for the London gig ASSASSINS OF SILENCE: Exeter Bullingdon – Live blues. scene, so if you are very talented and a Hall, Cowley – Hawkwind tribute. SECONDSMILE + THE SEVENTH natural performer, contact OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN CROSS + KING LIFTING + NIGHT: The Port Mahon 07909 568527 for more info. CHINESE FINGERTRAP: The Cellar HOWLING ROLF: The Barn, Red CHRIS AND KELLY WHILE: Lion, Witney Nettlebed Folk Club BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon SKETCHY: The Cellar – Hip hop and scratching sets from DJ Fu and Cuban John.

ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in January’s gig guide is the 15th SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN- of December - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to REGGAE-DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B- [email protected]. This gig guide is copyright of Nightshift Magazine and DISCO-1950s-2000s. Brand new back catalogue may not be reproduced without permission. CDs £4 - £7 each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each LIVELIVE Photo: Richard Hounslow (07761 682297)

LAMB OF GOD / THROWDOWN The Zodiac Not a night for the faint-hearted this, as Throwdown’s pummeling straight-edge attack incites an almost Nuremberg-like atmosphere amongst the lads down the front and a violent slam pit expands with every song to consume half the venue. Throwdown’s raw, unrefined brand of hardcore isn’t the sort of thing you’d care to take home and inflict on your precious stereo, and the high levels of testosterone that leak from stage to pit aren’t always attractive, but, by God, if you want your adrenaline levels shot through the roof and your sensibilities given a good kicking, you won’t get much better than this. And, in this day and age at least, you won’t find better metal than Virginia’s Lamb Of God. They got long hair and beards and it’s motherfuckin’ this and motherfuckin’ that for a whole hour and half and the riffs just pile on, courtesy of guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton, while down-at-heel Elvis-alike Randy Blythe barks and growls demonically until you feel his throat must surely collapse under the pressure of it all. Ahead even of Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God are spearheading America’s metal renaissance, wiping away the last cobwebs of nu-metal that now sounds so frail and embarrasing in comparison to tonight’s grinding festival of the heavy. Like some kind of missing link between Iron Maiden (whose riffs you can spot throughout tonight’s set) and Pantera (whose patented rage is prevalent in Blythe’s delivery), Lamb Of God are so Very Metal, you can almost imagine a sharp-eyed cartoonist creating them. But you’d never tell them as much. Not if you valued your life. Sue Foreman

DHAFER YOUSSEF RODRIGO AND GABRIELA The Zodiac The Zodiac This gig is all about going with the to puncture expectations of how It’s not often you see an absolutely allusions mixed in with their own flow. Dhafer Youssef, Tunisian-born their instruments usually sound. packed crowd here to listen to an material which is brilliantly oud player who learned singing in a Dhafer’s sparse oud playing acoustic duo. Especially if it’s a executed, that leaves others Koran school, now defies easy frequently uses a single hanging relatively unknown (and un-local) treading in their wake. categorisation as Arabic, or world note and he plays in short bursts. act. A prime example is tonight’s jazz. Tonight his beautiful voice is Not for him the traditional But Mexican-born Rodrigo highlight - a cover of Metallica’s as much his instrument as his oud. elongated serpentine runs of Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero ‘One’ that shimmies into Paul His vocals are about stretching cascading notes. Arve Henriksen are so delightful and entertaining Desmond’s jazz classic, ‘Take sound to see where it takes you, clearly draws inspiration from the that it isn’t surprising in the least Five’, with a snatch of the White rather than the words. Soft breathy Miles Davis of ‘Silent Way’ and to see a sea of smiling and Stripes to boot. Get the picture? sounds made by cupping a hand to Tomas Stanko. His soft trumpet is rapturous faces beaming back up It’s not surprising they went down his mouth or by turning away from amazing, being a flute and then a at the stage. a storm at Glastonbury and the mic become soaring spine clarinet. And he also gives us vocal Rodrigo and Gabriela play their Womad earlier this year. tingling calls which climb the vocal sounds, some of which might be acoustic guitars with flair and a Their technical abilities are register, by way of yelps and shouts. Sami, and are as beguiling and speed that sets your heart racing. If perfectly complementary, Rodrigo Dhafer sits very still; the man has mysterious as Dhafer’s. On guitar they were flamenco or classical specializing in intricate melody, presence and this is part of the Eivind Aarset often sounds like he Spanish purists we’d no doubt still and Gabriela augmenting her whole mesmeric effect. His calls is playing an organ. Eivind Aarset’s be impressed. But like with any plectrum skills with a tabla-style echo Islamic call to prayer and his meditative, elegiac tribute to his act these days – no matter if it’s mastery of percussion on the body roots, but they call on his fellow mother, ‘Norwegian Girl’, is a pop, jazz, country or rock – it’s all of her instrument. musicians and the audience to standout. But the biggest surprise the right combinations and added Lucky for us they’ve upped sticks immerse themselves in music, to was just how much this band rock, nuances that makes this couple from Mexico City and have now come explore and enjoy with him. especially as they spend most of the stand out in their genre. settled in Dublin. Which should His onstage soulmates are four of gig seated. There’s certainly chemistry prove for some interesting the finest of Norway’s electronic The danger with bands who are between them. As the playing gets forthcoming material (let’s hope nu-jazz scene. They clearly share into the mystic and depth is that the more frenetic and their ‘question for more U2 influence rather than Dhafer’s desire to paint music eventually meanders and and answer’ dueling is more The Corrs). soundscapes and resist being fails to move forward. No chance charged, they smile at each other Whatever they decide to do next confined within particular genres. with these brilliant musicians, as if they’ve just remembered the no doubt it will be intriguing, Not a new idea to get away from whose modesty genuinely adds to same secret. surprising and certainly boundaries but this is one band their immense presence. But most of all it’s their total entertaining. taking it further, using electronica Colin May concoction of styles and cultural Katy Jerome ZOE BICAT / SHIELA SALWAY / CHARLOTTEFIELD / THE MARK BOSLEY / DAVE NOBLE & EDMUND FITZGERALD SHARRON SUBBARAO The Wheatsheaf There’s a guy stumbling around When they finally release their Port Mahon the venue, all straggly hair, debut album early next year, it Hot Club of France-style seems to have a harder edge to go unshaven, and looking completely would not be a surprise to see instrumentals; unaccompanied with his newly shaven head, but lost. For a minute he looks like Charlottefield’s star rise and blues and gospel; a song about his Beatles cover is too much he’s just managed to scrape rise. Brian Clough and a singer sugar and not enough bitter zest. enough money to get into the gig, If you are not already familiar songwriter leading a five piece Tonight Zoe Bicat is joined by and then he’s going to drink any with The Edmund Fitzgerald band: another typically quirky mix different combinations of drums, pints he may find unattended. But then you should hang your heads at the Port Mahon’s Tuesday night electric bass, violin, cello and her he keeps on walking and heads in shame, and think about what acoustic session. talented fellow musicians’ voices. towards the stage, and as he does you’ve done. Easily one of the Dave on guitar and Sharon on They give us a restrained set of the rest of Charlottefield follow most impressive bands in the fiddle doing their Django and clever, carefully crafted and him. He may look lost off stage, Oxford area, they fuse prog and Stefan-influenced take of controlled arrangements, which but behind that kit he’s like the post rock to create brutal but standards like ‘Sweet Georgia heightens the melancholy of Zoe’s tramp Jesus of drumming. What beautiful songs. Brown’ generates a warm good songs. Her lyrics are mainly about Ashley Marlow can do with his Certainly The Rock of Travolta time feeling. Dave is a gifted and failing to make that special, drum kit occasionally defies the spring to mind as The Edmund subtle guitarist whether lasting, intimate connection and of laws of physics tonight, and how Fitzgerald hammer their way strumming or plucking, and the inevitability of relationship lucky Charlottefield are to have through instrumental sections, Sharon’s fiddle grabs your breakdown. The songs have titles him. They are thrashing a path coping with tricky time changes attention when it’s fast and loud. such as ‘You Just Use Words,’ and between the noise and abandon of with aplomb. But the Travolta’s They close with a favourite tune of lines like, “The end of it for you is Nirvana, and the control and had a knowing sense of humour mine, ‘Blue Monk’ with Dave where I begin”, and they hit home. intelligence of Fugazi. Yes it’s when they interspersed tracks with doing fine work. What a pleasure We’re not averse to tales of punky, in places almost jazzy, at stolen riffs and clever segues; with to hear it live. melancholy and pain, especially as times it’s reminiscent of The the Edmund Fitzgerald, everything Sheila Salway dares to give us a Zoe has plenty of vocal variation, Paper Chase, and it is very, very seems much more serious, it’s couple of unaccompanied gospel including a pleasingly gravelly good. Their limited release on Fat played with their hearts on their blues. This taster makes me want voice and a penetrating whisper. Cat records is an absolute stormer, sleeves, rather than their tongues to hear her with a band even Except that in this set, the mood is and when they take it to the stage, in their cheeks. though tonight’s bold try doesn’t too unrelenting, too much of a it’s like the sun exploding. Allin Pratt really work. Then it’s club downer. You want Zoe to lighten organiser Mark Bosley living up to up a bit, and for her and her band his gothic reputation with his to trust their undoubted talent and Brian Clough songline and a dark turn up the power and energy and song about poverty. Tonight make us smile. Mark’s sweet Tim Buckley voice Colin May

THE THIEVES The Zodiac “Hello, we’re The Thieves, from been playing together in bands Oxford, England,” yelps Hal now since they were 13, and it Stokes as he, brother Sam and shows – they’re so well tuned and drummer Jamie Dawson bound choreographed that you can picture onstage for their first hometown them tearing up stadium stages gig in nine months. Just in case already. And that’s not such a far- we’d forgotten, as they ply their fetched thought when you consider rocking trade over in LA, that their talent for writing full-on rock they’re still local boys at heart, songs with fast-beating atomic pop still dedicating songs to long-term hearts. Like the new single, ‘You fans who never fail to give them a Get It Easy’, tapping into U2’s heroes’ welcome. epic style while borrowing a lick The Thieves’ new EP, their first or two from Bowie’s ‘Heroes’. since changing their name from They can do bumptious rock’n’roll Vade Mecum, shows a band in the style of Free, but just as becoming even more of a pop naturally beat it up with The proposition, but live they still rock Stooges, as with ‘It Still Goes out, cutting axe hero poses with On’. feet on monitors, Hal diving into The last song, a cover of ‘Whole the crowd, all three of them Lotta Rosie’, dedicated to Rose shaking their shaggy blond manes down the front sporting a Vade in unison. A keyboard player Mecum tattoo, displays their roots though adds a whole new in every sense. But as well as dimension to their sound, much roots, The Thieves have got wings like Charlie Coombes does with too. Just watch them fly. Supergrass. Hal and Sam have Ian Chesterton WINTER WEEKENDER TAURPIS TULA / THE MV & EE The Exeter Hall MEDICINE SHOW / The term Spirit Of Independence Sunday lunchtime’s acoustic was made for events like this. A session is a welcome oasis of calm SAMARA LUBELSKI collaboration between three of (at least once Twizz Twangle has The Port Mahon Oxford’s live music clubs – Klub finished his bizarre, off-key Samara Lubelski is a former and styles. He plays that funny Kakofanney, Gappy Tooth trumpet rendition of ‘Delilah’), member of Jackie-O ukulele that looks like a deep Industries and Mark Bosley’s with the likes of Maeve Bayton Motherfucker, the American saucepan with a neck, called a acoustic music club – at one of and a decidedly bunged-up Laima collective at the forefront of the cumbush but pronounced Oxford’s best small venues, Bite happy to drift through genteel new wave of US alternative folk ‘junebush’. Erika Elder’s voice is offering thirty acts over two days folk pop ballads with charm to bands. Their approach is so delicate you get worried you’re for a budget price and virtually spare. Former Eat frontman Ange wonderfully refreshing: put 20 breathing too loudly, while third nothing on show that wouldn’t makes up in urgency what he lacks people in a club, get them into member Nemo plays around with send major label A&R scouts in his old inspiration, while groups, make up some band things like mixing bowls to create scuttling back under the fridge. Station X’s Rob Mclean makes up names, write them on a poster, sound effects. This is pretty out Highlight of Saturday’s for an unforgivable cover of ‘Echo stick it on the door and you’ve got there stuff, but the quietest proceedings is returning Inflatable Beach’ with his John Foxx- yourself a gig. Then record audience of the year lap it up. Buddha hurdy gurdy player Jan inspired synth-pop doodlings. It’s everything and sell it from a Glasgow’s Taurpis Tula and inject Mauro, whose oddly exotic left to The Drug Squad though to website, burning off CD-Rs as some urban grit into proceedings. Galecian music is unlike anything really bring the party to its feet, people ask for them. Lubelski’s David Keenan is best known as a else you’ll hear on the local gig with their blend of ska-punk and music is gentle and wistful, with writer for The Wire and ex- scene. Similarly Tandara boozy , spaghetti western breathy vocals and understated member of The Telstar Ponies, Mandara’s Balkan folk and Kaled skanks and rhinestone ballads all guitar, bringing echoes of early while Heather Leigh Murray is in Bahloul’s North African songs, knocked out with a good-natured 80s British indie. Not immediately Charalambides. They start out both of which complement the dose of chaos. This mix of catchy, but new album ‘The their all-improvised set in an alt- ebullient but laidback atmosphere homeliness and exotic carefree Fleeting Skies’ is a grower. folky vein, but things soon build in of the day, with seemingly no-one attitude always makes these Klub The MV & EE Medicine Show intensity with complex, unusual bothered about trying to impress Kakofanney-centred events an out are part of American band/ chord progressions bringing to anyone in particular, preferring to of the ordinary pleasure, and as collective The Tower Recordings, mind Spaceman 3 or even early simply do what they do best. the masses spend themselves into which includes Lubelski, and they Jesus and Mary Chain. To no- Fencott Disaster doing what they a lather in the pre-Christmas rush continue the esoteric, psychedelic one’s surprise, things end with a do best – making a bludgeoning down the road, it’s a little like folk theme. They mix standards stage invasion by all parties, with grunge racket – unfortunately being lost in another age for a like ‘Freight Train’ with original a suitably chaotic but curiously finds their set cut short as the small time. material, Matt Valentine coherent finale. neighbours threaten to revolt. Terry Molloy / Dale Kattack constantly swapping instruments Art Lagun

NØUGHT / P.Y.E. PORT MAHON The Wheatsheaf 82 St Clements, Oxford. 01865 202067. Of all the artful, angular and Bewilderingly complicated but abstruse instrumental bands doing imbued with a sense of urgency the rounds in Oxford over the past that transcends any accusations of January year or so, P.Y.E. have consistently cerebrality, and technically been the quirkiest. Their music is mesmerising without ever Friday 7th OXFORD FOLK Friday 21st OXFORD a hyperactive, pumped-up wandering into cloyed CLUB Presents KEITH FOLK CLUB BURNS Frankenstein’s monster of funk ostentatiousness, Nøught are KENDRICK & LYNN NIGHT SPECIAL. bass stitched onto stabbing guitar nothing short of astonishing. HERAUD - fine harmony Celebrate the bard’s birthday instrumentals, with a composite Remarkable guitar work is singing and a great with some Scottish songs and effect something along the lines of underpinned by a flexible rhythm repertoire of largely tunes, with special guest watching Level 42 try to cover section, and for every elaborate traditional material. IRVINE MCCLEVY on fiddle. Don Caballero. Only, y’know, in a guitar flourish, there’s a wealth of There may even be some good way. Bouts of spasmodic imagination and precocity. ‘Cough

th haggis canapés! complexity rub up against the odd Cap Kitty Cat’ might have won all Wednesday 12 REMTEK period of longueur when the band the plaudits upon its release, but presents CHRIS Saturday 22nd drop into a more predictable it’s the B-side to that first Shifty BROKAW boywithatoy presents: groove, but their enthusiasm is Disco single, ‘Ignatius’, which has more than infectious enough to lasted the distance. The 2004 AT RISK + ZELEGA + Friday 14th OXFORD make up for it and, importantly, model loses the famed power drill INTERMEZZO FOLK CLUB OPEN there’s enough freshness and solo, replacing it with further NIGHT vigour here to make them a band guitar pyrotechnics snaking around Tuesday 25th Badly Built well worth looking out for this a towering bass figure. And five

th Boy Acoustic Night year. minutes through, everything kicks Saturday 15 WIG OUT Taking into account their long- back in with a previously- with SIR BALD & HIS Friday 28th OXFORD held status as one the figureheads unmatched ferocity that threatens WIG OUTS + FOLK CLUB OPEN of Oxford music a few years ago to tear down the whole venue. PAINTERMAN and the relative increasing Nøught might just be NIGHT popularity of whatever you want to simultaneously the best jazz band Tuesday 18th Badly Built Doors: 8.30pm call the latest strand of art rock, and the greatest band Boy Acoustic Night www.portmahon.co.uk it’s a mystery how Nøught aren’t I’ve ever seen. more widely-celebrated. Stuart Fowkes THE RELATIONSHIPS / THE WOULD-BE-GOODS / KATE CHADWICK The Wheatsheaf Freed from her native Brookes lends it that cute air, as the jangle Rock Society spotlight format, of songs like ‘Cecil Beaton’s Kate Chadwick’s acoustic debut Scrapbook’ and ‘Le Crocodile’, here is a delightfully wrong- each with their Mersey Beat footing experience of modest intros, makes us jig like naiveté and natural assurance. contestants on Junior Eurovision. From the perky ode to arrival, Charming beyond belief. JANUARY ‘Here’, to the closing allure of Tonight’s lesson has all been ‘Home’, her songs have none of about still waters running deep, Every Monday: OXFORD BLUES the jilted acidity that is so often and no-one epitomises that more CLUB - the best in UK, European poured out, but instead it’s the than Richard Ramage, songwriter oxygenated excitement of love, with the woefully underrated and US blues. and the surprising fact that men Relationships. His owlish, 8-12. £6 might actually be okay to have avuncular appearance almost th around. Her brilliant cover of detracts from his incisive 10 - RESERVOIR CATS Marvin Gaye’s `Sexual Healing’, observations on English Suburbia, th in a Lisa Loeb style, makes you narratives sung in a quiet offhand 17 - PETE BOSS & THE BLUEHEARTS think, forget the X-Factor, this girl manner, like Al Stewart covering 24th - THE ADAM BOMB BAND is the whole alphabet. The Smiths’ ‘Cemetery Gates’. st rd I’m often reading that time is The hazy sunlight of 31 - 3 DEGREE LEBURN doughnut shaped and with Jessica `Disappearing Girl’, the minor Griffin’s band The Would-Be- chord changes in `Something’s Goods, I’m ready to believe it. Strange’, and tales of flatmates Every Tuesday: THE OXFORD JAZZ Seeing the Elvis Costello-like likened to Brian Jones of the CLUB - live jazz from THE TOM vision of Peter Momtchilof on Stones, all get a rush from behind, guitar and my Jericho Tavern with the wonderful ‘bound and GREY QUINTET, plus DJs til late. flashback to Talulah Gosh and gagged’ rock drumming of Tim 8-12. Free entry Heavenly is complete. That whole Turan. Discovering The cute / fey genre is still being kept Relationships is like finding out shiny as silver Georgian you’re not really stupid. candlesticks. Jessica’s tricorn hat Paul Carrera Every Friday: BACKROOM BOOGIE - classic retro soul, funk and disco. THE BETA BAND 9-2am. Free B4 10pm; £5 The Zodiac afterwards The Beta Band have never been one cult classic to the next with ones to take the conventional ‘Easy”s shuffle and stomp, lyrical route, theirs is a vision way quirkiness and ‘She’s The One For Every Sunday: CHURCH OF THE beyond the norm. Everything they Me’ and ‘Dog’s Got A Bone”s see and hear is digested then spat heart-rending inclinations, to the HEAVY - Local band showcase. out in Technicolor and split into more recent unfussy slabs of 8-11pm. £3 millions of buzzing balls of skewed-pop brilliance from the brilliance. Their first three EPs heavier beat-laden ‘Assessment’ contained songs up to 15 minutes and ‘Outside’, with ’s plus long and spanned dub, jazz, blues, unique lyrical complexity of the dance, soul, pop, and created some human mind: “I wish I had a pot to th styles of their own. Then they piss in, I’d take it outside”, to “I Saturday 8 : SIMPLE - Quality unjustifiably branded their debut think I cracked my skull on the album as crap. With their latest way down, I think I lost my head House. album ‘Heroes to Zeroes’ better lay down, the fear facts 9-2am. £5 encapsulating and bettering their presented in the cold light of day”. previous work into a cohesive Things do sometimes get bogged masterpiece they bizarrely decided down, blurring into one, then you Saturday 29th: STICK IT ON - Open to call it a day. find your mind wondering to the Perhaps wanting the songs to tranquillity of your own private Decks night for DJs. speak for themselves, the lavish universe where they have always 9-2am. £5 stage show is left behind tonight worked best – it’s a personal thing on this farewell tour. The songs in more ways than one. still fizz in a schizophrenic Finishing at their peak, we salute Other events tbc - call for details. manner, coiling themselves in co- The Beta Band and bid them a ordinated knots and utilising that fond farewell onto solo projects many samples and sounds they and into further worlds of the Come and check out the Bully’s fantastic even render the customary kitchen bizarre. new £15,000 PA and lighting refit sink redundant. Sauntering from Gary Davidson DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS Demo of the month wins a day’s free recording at Ursa Audio. For special deals for local bands, call Ursa on 01865 242055.

Earnest Cox refuse to rest on their laurels DEMO OF THE and are prepared to show off their versatility and imagination suggests they could grow www.appletreestudio.co.uk MONTH into a serious pop monster very soon. THE LONG SCRIPT We’re a bunch of paupers here at Nightshift, WEEKEND really we are. And local popsters Script Not strictly an Oxford band any longer, aren’t much better off. So first off they having returned, after a spell at Uni, to their apologised for the quality of their demo cos native Medway (a place they’re happy to they couldn’t afford a decent studio. So we espouse the pleasures of, in all its scag-head, said, send us a bottle of vodka and, being the run-down shopping mall glory), The Long desperate and immoral scum that we are, Weekend remain a classy but elusive act. we’ll make you demo of the month whatever ‘What Have I Got’ barely pauses for breath and then you’ll get a free day in Ursa as guitars, drums and Farfisa pile headlong Studios. Hurray! Except, being as poor as from start to finish while the singer does a they are, they only sent us a bloody vodka grand job of mastering the whole process, in miniature! That’s not even enough to go on a frenetic Teardrop Explodes sort of way. our cornflakes! Useless indie skinflints. He’s their greatest asset, capable of doing Anyway, so we could’ve thrown them in the rough and raw or slick and soulful within the Demo Dumper, but being miserly on the space of a single verse. The Long Weekend spirit front isn’t a crime deserving of such formula is pretty simple: throw absolutely punishment, unlike being utterly fucking everything into the mix and squeeze it so rubbish, which Script aren’t. No, ‘As I Do’ tight it has to fit together. Which is why is a sweet sliver of dreamy, dare we say ‘Itch’ sounds like a cross between shoegazing, guitar pop that hovers and Hawkwind and 60s , while the bubbles on rising currents of keyboard hum more epic but equally crashing ‘Stretch You and daydreaming female backing vocals, and Out’ echoes The Godfathers or even a then turns into something off ‘Sgt Pepper’ better-natured Fatima Mansions. We’ve for no apparent reason at the end and is never seen The Long Weekend live but we really rather good. They don’t do indie imagine them to wear ill-fitting suits, smoke rocking quite so well, as the somewhat a lot and get into fights with each other in clodhopping ‘6.5’ demonstrates, although the back of the van back home from gigs. the singer’s off-key Phil Oakey impression is Imagine of The Libertines were proper punk cool. They’re back doing what they do best rock and wrote decent songs. on ‘Any Last Words’, a serene acoustic folk- pop flutter with a vocal that stays just the right side of the emotional turmoil line. Drink more vodka, that’ll fuel those melancholy fires. Go on, treat yourself. To a EARNEST COX whole bottle. Currently starting to make a serious impression on folks on the local live circuit, Earnest Cox have come up with a novel idea NEW JACUZZI in this day and age: have loads of great ideas Despite cursing themselves forever with a and make all your songs sound different name that sounds like either a hopeless entry from each other. Of course it’ll confuse the in a student band competition, or worse, a hell out of children raised on Good Charlotte bunch of wacky, jazz-funk-playing hippy or Hundred Reasons, but the rest of us can filth, New Jacuzzi are pretty decent and not sit back and enjoy the fun. So here’s a nine- what we expect. They stride in with a wall of song demo that starts off sounding like fab guitar and brass noise that could be a mid-air late-90s pop freaks Tiger – all yelping vocals, collision between Ride and Beulah, before ebullient, unselfconscious guitar melodies leaving us with a timid acoustic guitar and and great “Oo-wah-woo” backing vocals in xylophone slope, finishing before it gets the the chorus – then gets all sensitive and chance to do anything of any great note. The melancholy on the ironically-named `Oh more satisfying ‘I’m Glad You’re Here’ Happy Day’, a bit like The Go Betweens’ comes with an almost obligatory these days Robert Forster on one of his downers. urgent funky guitar lead and a vaguely There’s funky guitar pop, sax stabs and David Byrne-ish talky lead vocal of the sort kitchen sink soul on `Two Can Play At That once preferred by crop-haired SWP- Game’ and a grungy guitar and synth dirge supporting frontmen of obscure militant 80s on `No Joke’. This being a new band, it’s post-punk bands, which we remember not all fully formed just yet, but the way fondly, and if it’s a bit messy to be really effective, it gives it a fair crack. And then it’s very soon, he doesn’t always allow. on to the post-rock oblique guitar noise with ‘Alligators’ is a seductive, minimalist ‘Five 4’, which unsurprisingly sounds a wee acoustic pop number, Mark’s lispy voice bit like Slint in places and at others like the leading it in a way that reminds us a little of CD is skipping. Oh, it actually is skipping. It Dominic Appleton, while musically it’s close suits them. to Red House Painters. Stick a cello in there and they’d be flying. And hey, here’s a violin, backing up the airy gothic folk of JUNKIE BRUSH ‘Different World, Same Planet’, sounding Junkie Brush’s demo comes accompanied by like it’s been lost in the early-80s indie a copy of their recent Nightshift live review wilderness all this time, again Mark’s voice which hails them as proper punk rock. And working with the song rather than against it. are they? Well, we don’t know since they’ve Quite what the hell is going on the final track neglected to put a CD in the case. Which in on the demo, ‘Beekeeper #2’, is anyone’s it’s own sweet way is about as a punk rock guess, but same band, different time zone as you can get. might be a more appropriate title. THE COURTYARD STUDIO R-R-ROOSTER OTARI MTR90 MK11, 24 TRACK TAPE TRANSMISSION MACHINE & MTA 980, 32/24/24 CONSOLE, BAND So here’s Mr Cobb again, here in his rock SOUNDSCAPE DIGITAL EDITOR, SUPERB incarnation. Claiming, correctly it appears, to CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION Stuttering blues silliness from Skittle Alley be influenced by Arabic music, Transmission promoter Nigel Meehan and former initially promise plenty with the epic ‘Kings’, OF OUTBOARD GEAR, MIDI FACILITIES Shrinkwrap chum Innes. It starts off part way between the soundtrack to INCLUDE LOGIC AUDIO, 8 MEG S1000, etc promisingly enough with the Beefheart / Lawrence of Arabia and one of Kula Muddy Waters-styled ‘Cows’, an odd little Shaker’s more ostentatious efforts. They RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES OPTIONAL dirge about cattle getting high on magic hold it together long enough for ‘Circles’ to mushrooms, based on a slide guitar motif, touch bases with both Muse – notable but it quickly degenerates into a bit of a Phone KATE or PIPPA for details Mark’s increasingly operatic vocalisation – on 01235 845800 private joke, innocuous campfire blues and a and A Perfect Circle, but by ‘Go’ they’re lopsided Leadbelly ram jam pastiche that’s at getting formulaic and overblown, while the least tolerably good humoured, but letting backing vocals seem to have accidentally themselves down badly with the final track, leaked in from an adjoining studio. ‘Hard On’, which, arf, arf, is all about – oh ‘Tammanrassett’, meanwhile, is a stadium- our aching sides – is about taking too many sized folk-rock power ballad and thus must drugs and not being able to get it up. be hunted down with dogs and slaughtered Knowing Nigel to be an all-round good mercilessly if only to save future generations bloke, may we simply suggest he tries from pain and embarrassment. different drugs in future. SEVENTH LEVEL THE DEMO Aagh! Shit! No! Jazz-funk! Get it out! No! Remember our duty to The Kids! Keep it on! DUMPER We must fully understand evil before we can expose it and defeat it! But they sound like they should have been first on to The Blow TSUNAMI Monkeys back in 1985! But, oh, oh, oh, And here’s Mark one last time, this time what’s this? It’s getting better! Sucking us promising a more Neil Young-influenced in! Scratchy production and spidery guitars. take on the country rock beast. By now Mark A man shouting rather than singing, a is starting to sound seriously desperate if not guitarist who only knows one riff and some deranged, elongating every line as if he’s ill-advised skat at the end of one song. Out fading in and out of a dodgy radio goes the jazz-funk, to be replaced by an transmission. At first the washes of organ awkward indie-funk lurch. Scrap what we and wah wah guitar are not unpleasant, said earlier: first on to Joseph K back in unremarkable though they are, and appear 1981. That’s better. content to go absolutely nowhere with any great haste. By the time Tsunami have repeated the idea twice more, wandering into TRUE RUMOUR a sea of semi-epic, self-contemplating soft Now here’s a fella, Mark Cobb, with a lot of rock indulgence, coupled with a recording time on his hands. Not only is he the singer quality that seems to have sucked dry what in three different bands, he’s sent us all their little life existed in the songs in the first demos. Twice. Just so we absolutely, place, and it’s all we can do to ask the music definitely know he exists. True Rumour vet to put them gently to sleep and not stab finds Mark at his best, doing his country pop them repeatedly with a screwdriver until thing and letting his voice and the tune in their eyeballs pop like small jelly-filled hand breathe, which, as we shall discover eastern delicacies.

Hey, stoopid people, read this bit before you send a demo in! Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number (no email or mobile-only). No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Go and have a cry instead.