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[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 237 April ’s Music Magazine 2015

“I now understand more than ever that we must have done something right!”

MarkMark GardenerGardener The Ride man on working with Robin Guthrie and getting the OXFORD DUPLICATION CENTRE [email protected] old gang back together again Office: 01865 457000 Mobile: 07917 775477 Supporting Oxfordshire Bands with Affordable Professional CD Duplication Also in this issue: FANTASTIC RATES Introducing THE BALKAN WANDERERS ON ALL SERVICES photo: Andrew Ogilvy photo: Andrew CORNBURY, TRUCK, OXFORD PUNT, Professional Thermal Printed CDs Full Colour/Black & White BIG FEASTIVAL and WOOD line-up news Silver or White Discs plus Design Work Support Digital Printing Packaging Options News, reviews, previews and six pages Fulfilment

Recommended by Matchbox Recordings Ltd, Poplar Jake, Undersmile, of Oxford gigs. Desert Storm, Turan Audio Ltd, Nick Cope, Prospeckt, Paul Jeffries, Alvin Roy, Pete The Temp, Evolution, Coozes, Moon and many more... 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

THE LINE-UP FOR THIS finishes at The White Rabbit at YEAR’S OXFORD PUNT has midnight with Rainbow Reservoir. been announced. The annual The bill takes in an eclectic range showcase of up and coming local of sounds, from indie, blues, metal, bands takes place on Wednesday electronica and , to , 13th May and features 20 acts eastern European folk, post-rock, across five venues in Oxford city and acoustic pop. Still no brass centre. band, though. One year we will. TOM JONES headlines the Saturday night of Cornbury Festival this The full Punt line-up is: A limited number (100) of all- year. The legendary Welsh singer and The Voice judge joins The Purple Turtle: The Shapes; venue Punt passes are on sale now, singer Roger Hodgson and Razorlight atop the bill over the weekend of Indica Blues; Cassels; Wardens. priced £8, online at wegottickets. the 10th-12th July at Great Tew Estate. The Cellar: The Balkan Wanderers; com, or from Truck Store on The line-up for the twelfth Cornbury features the festival’s characteristic Rhymeskeemz & Bungle; Peerless Cowley Road and Blackwell’s mix of big-name acts, cult legends, country, folk and blues stars and pop Pirates; Zaia. Music on Broad Street. Entry to acts. The Wheatsheaf: Ghosts In The individual gigs is £5, though Turl Among the extensive cast joining the headliners are Martha Reeves and Photographs; Cameron A.G; Little Street Kitchen and The White the Vandellas, The Fratellis, Blue, Billy Ocean, Lulu, , Brother Eli; Maiians. Rabbit are free. Larkin Poe, Jack Savoretti, The Felice Brothers, Ward Thomas, Hank Turl Street Kitchen: My Crooked Profits from this year’s Punt will be Wangford, Paper Aeroplanes, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Police Dog Hogan and Teeth; Katie Jackson; Despicable split between Tiggywinkles animal The Shires. Zee; Adam Barnes. hospital in Haddenham, and the Plenty more stuff besides, and with the line-up for the Charlbury The White Rabbit: White Beam; Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Riverside stage yet to be announced. Water Pageant; Esther Joy Lane; Crisis Centre. Cornbury organiser Hugh Phillimore said he was excited to get Tom Rainbow Reservoir. Check out the Oxford Punt 2015 Jones on this year’s bill after coming close last time. “Yes it’s been The Punt kicks off at 7pm at the page on Facebook for updated quite a long road with Sir Tom but we got there in the end – I’ve always Purple Turtle with The Shapes and news. been insanely persistent. I’m really looking forward to Larkin Poe and particularly Paper Aeroplanes – saw them at the Union Chapel last year and they were totally stunning. Martha Reeves should be pretty Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes entertaining – she’s the only act that Secret Garden have ever booked Nightshift has a new email address: twice. I think Chastity Brown will surprise people and I’ve just added Trevor Horn’s band, The Producers, who play all the hits that he and his [email protected] other mates in wrote or produced – much better than it sounds.” and website: As well as the live music Cornbury hosts its usual array of comedy, including Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea and James Acaster, nightshiftmag.co.uk workshops, kids activities, the Disco Shed and more. Tickets for Cornbury are on sale now from www.cornburyfestival.com.

Delta Sleep and Freeze the Atlantic. Other acts already announced for the 18th include & the Light, Saint Raymond, Slaves, Baby Godzilla, Jawws, Rae Morris, Honeyblood and King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys. Truck organiser Matt Harrap told Nightshift he believes this could be the festival’s best ever line- up. “We’re so pleased to add a band of the calibre of The Charlatans to the line up; it’s absolutely amazing to get a band that have headlined huge festivals around the world for the last 25 years. We caught them on their recent sold out UK Tour and the show is better than I could ever have hoped for, it’s going to be absolutely awesome. “Overall we’re so happy with how the line up THE CHARLATANS have been confirmed as the Library pub. They’re joined by post-hardcore is coming together, it’s definitely the biggest the second main stage headline act at this year’s crew ; New indie stars Darwin we’ve ever had. There will be some more new Truck Festival. The indie veterans, who released Deez; sleazy-rockers Fat White Family, and names added to the line-up soon, including some their twelfth , `Modern Nature’, earlier this poetic hip hop star Ghostpoet. There are also huge names, plus we’ll have twenty slots open to years, join Basement Jaxx over the weekend of slots for Lucy Rose, Eagulls, The Wytches, Bo local and unsigned artists through our band app. the 17th-18th July at Hill Farm in Steventon. Ningen and Demob Happy. We received over 1200 applications to play; the Charlatans are among 25 new names added Japanese acid-noise band Bo Ningen will plays shortlist of 100 bands will be announced in the to this year’s Truck, along with Augustines, as part of Alcopop! Records and Big Scary coming weeks.” whose last Oxford show at the O2 Academy led Monsters’ takeover of the Barn stage, alongside Adult weekend tickets are £79.50, with under- to riotous scenes along Cowley Road when the , Tellison, Brawlers, 12s going free. For tickets and more details, visit band concluded their set in the street and then Talons, Waylayers, Bloody Knees, Woahnows, www.truckfestival.com. will also be joining headliners RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL takes Tunng, Songhoy Blues and place over the weekend of the Treeptop Flyers over the weekend 25th-26th July at Mill Field in of the 15th-17th May at Braziers Charlbury. Oxfordshire’s biggest Park, near Wallingford. WOOD’s free festival will feature over 30 NEWSaward-winning environmental acts over two stages. Organisers Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU approach to festival-making are currently looking for acoustic continues this year with a acts to perform on the festival’s Phone: 01865 372255 celebration of The Year of the Bee, Fringe Stage. Solo acts, duos or email: [email protected] as well as the festival’s usual array trios can apply to play by emailing Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk of talks, workshops and activities. Alan Jenkins at gandlasatal@ Weekend tickets are on sale from gmail.com. More festival Truck Store on Cowley Road, priced news as it emerges at www. afternoon of live music in its new £74, and kids under 12 going free, riversidefestival.charlbury.com. upstairs venue and vinyl emporium, and for the first time, day tickets with Phousa, Black Feathers, Jonny are available, from £20. Visit TUFTHUNTER release their Payne and Loud Mountains among woodfestival.tumblr.com for more debut album this month, available the acts playing. A whole slew of news and ticket details. as a free download. Tufthunter is limited edition releases from Gaz a collaborative effort from former- Coombes, Ride, Glass Animals Talulah Gosh and Heavenly guitarist and Slowdive among others are set Pete Momtchiloff – more recently for the annual celebration of the a member of Les Clochards and country’s surviving (and thriving) Hot Hooves. The album features record stores. a different guest vocalist on each Blackwell’s Music on Broad Street track, with contributions from ex- also join this year’s celebrations, Gosh bandmate Amelia Fletcher, with collectors’ edition releases The Relationships’ Richard Ramage as well as a 10% sale on all full- and Les Clochards singers Ian price records and CDs, and record Nixon and Karen Cleave. Sixteen players. STORNOWAY play an intimate tracks in all. Full review in May’s instore show at Truck Store as issue. Get your copy for free at CC SMUGGLERS, GILL part of Record Store Day on tufthunter.co.uk. SANDELLS & CHRIS TT AND Saturday 18th April. The local stars THOMAS TRUAX are among will perform songs from their new BALLOON ASCENTS play the latest acts to be confirmed for album, `Bonxie’, in the Cowley a benefit gig for Cowley Road WOOD Festival. Barna Howard, Road shop, while over in Witney Carnival at The Ultimate Picture Jali Fily Cissokho, Band of Hope sister shop Rapture hosts a full palace this month. The rising and Trevor Lou & Hannah Moss PALOMA FAITH, Groove local indie stars play the Jeune Armada and Grandmaster Flash Street cinema on the 29th April, are among the big names at this followed by a screening of classic year’s Big Feastival. The music and rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. food festival organised by Jamie Oliver and Blur’s takes AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into place on James’s farm in Kingham, BBC Oxford Introducing every near Chipping Norton over the Saturday night between 8-9pm on weekend of the 28-30th August. 95.2fm. The dedicated local music Paloma Faith headlines the Friday show plays the best Oxford releases night with Groove Armada playing and demos as well as featuring a DJ set on the Sunday. Saturday’s interviews and sessions with local headliners are yet to be announced, acts. The show is available to stream but it’ll probably be Blur, right? or download as a podcast at Other acts confirmed so far include .co.uk/oxford. Ella Eyre, The Cuban Brothers and Regularly updated local music news Norman Jay. News and ticket details is available online at at www.thebigfeastival.com. www.musicinoxford.co.uk. The site also features interactive reviews, STORNOWAY AND JOAN a photo gallery and gig guide. ARMATRADING have been added to the line-up for this summer’s OXFORD GIGBOT provides a Towersey Festival. They join a regular local gig listing update on bill that features and (@oxgigbot), bringing you . The annual folk new gigs as soon as they go live. festival, which celebrated its 50th They also provide a free weekly anniversary in 2014, runs over the listings email. Follow them. weekend of the 28th-31st August at Thame Showground. Other acts already announced include Sally Barker, The Treacherous Orchestra, LOOK! Martin Simpson, John Smith, The Travelling Band and The Spooky KITTENS! Men’s Chorale. Tickets are on sale Not this time, sadly, but Nightshift now, with adult weekend tickets at does have a new email address. KIDSK ZONE | FAIRGROUND | GOURMET CATERERS | FESTIVAL SHOPS £90 and discounts for under-18s and [email protected] DISCO SHED | AMAZING VIP & GLAMPING children. Visit Get used to it. Kittens next month - promise! www.towerseyfestival.com A quiet word with with ’ ethereal music; OX4 were set to ride again. older fans but I think there will be more noisy `sonic cathedral’ sound. how did you find him as a person? Was it daunting getting Ride back many more curious new fans who “We were influenced by the “Great sense of humour and irony. together; the band’s legend and would have been too young to have originators of that sound but we were We had a lot of common ground and influence has grown and grown since been at shows the first time around. also influenced by lots of other music shared experiences with our band the split. I think the age demographic will be from dub reggae to The Who. As I pasts. Robin and Kevin Shields are “It’s amazing; I love it. It’s been very wide.” mentioned earlier I think the likes of to me the godfathers of that guitar amazing playing with Ride again. It’s Kevin Shields, Robin Guthrie, Sonic start throwing vocal ideas at the song. cathedral of sound. Both were in very heartening and incredible how While Ride’s full-on , Loop and Spacemen 3 were I love Robin’s dreamy soundscapes; bands that were completely original, the band’s legend has grown. I now reunion shows are set for the summer the original godfathers of that sound.” it was a very conducive environment brilliant and unique that have totally understand more than ever that we – including a headline set at Field Back then the term `indie’ also for me to work out vocal ideas and stood the test of time. We get on must have done something right! It Day and a show at The Roundhouse seemed to have a genuine meaning melodies to go with Robin’s. We very well. If we didn’t we would was daunting thinking about some that sold out in a matter of seconds – encompassing a host of bands were pretty much always together in have never made the album. It was of the festival headlines until we got – Mark’s first Ride-related foray and musical styles that stood against the same room working out our parts all about us connecting and enjoying ourselves into the studio and got back back onstage came with a low-key the musical mainstream in a time and usually by the evening I would the experience, exchanging many into full-on rehearsals. Now I can’t unplugged show with Andy at the before the internet when major labels be ready to start and putting anecdotes and enjoying some great wait for the shows and to hit it again.” in aid of the Warchild still dominated the landscape and down some first idea vocals. We French red wines together!” How’s it been in rehearsals – is the charity in February; how was that – anything alternative was exiled to would also normally get the red wine Was Robin a fan of Ride? spirit and enthusiasm and camaraderie good to be back on stage together? the darkest reaches of Radio 1’s late- flowing in the evening, which always “Yes, I think we passed the Guthrie now much like it was back when you “It was a special night. I’m still trying night schedule. Do you think the term works!” test! However, I’m sure I listened to first started? to get used to the fact that any show `indie’ has been cheapened or made How did the pair of you first get the Cocteau Twins a lot more than he “We definitely crashed the car in the becomes a show for the world as they redundant? And any thoughts on this together? would have listened to Ride!” year’s roundly-criticized Reading “We crossed paths and met a few `Universal Road’ feels very personal Festival bill? times back during the Ride and and reflective in mood. “In the end I’m just a massive music fan. I “I think indie changed when the likes Cocteau Twins days in the early 90s. “It is personal, reflective and of Oasis became massive along with “We met again in a more sober way atmospheric. The music and our love music. It’s always been a life force for me. the independent labels they were once when Robin came to Oxford when collaboration demanded that honesty. I love the natural chaos of the sound.” signed to. I think ‘indie’ is still a term he was touring a few Picture Houses, We have lots of shared kind of mad used to describe a kind of sound but where he was combining music with band and general life experience to like I don’t completely get visuals. We started talking about the draw from.” end in 1996. After some needed time all seem to be filmed and uploaded what it all means anymore. Above: Mark, with drinking buddy Robin Guthrie. Opposite: the old gang back together again. idea of making some music together apart we’ve all remained very good these days. I’ve watched back a few “As for Reading… a re-run of in a curry house opposite the Phoenix As mentioned, most of friends. When we started and it all of the clips and I think we did a great Reading 92 with Ride and then Public in Jericho where Robin played that Mark’s musical time in recent years happened it was sometimes hard to gig under a fair bit of pressure with no Enemy closing the Saturday night Even if the word legend The Jesus and Mary Chain and latterly from two men with so much musical night. We didn’t really plan to make has been taken up by his own studio appreciate it as it was all we knew and noisy guitars to hide behind.” would have been better than what I’m has become cheapened in recent ’ band among others, experience behind them, and as an album but we just thought it would in west Oxford, seeing life from the it was kind of like being in a bubble Ride, along with early-90s musical seeing now!” times, it would be fair to say that as well as becoming a renowned mellow and warm as that experience be good to work together, so I went other side of the mixing desk. Does and in the middle of a hurricane at the bedfellows like Chapterhouse, Mark Gardener, along with his fellow drum tutor. After the short-lived but would suggest. over to France shortly after that and he think that having been in a band same time. You kind of naively feel Slowdive and Lush are credited Lastly, if the last 20 years Ride bandmates , Loz underrated The Animalhouse project Right now Mark, who became a that was when we wrote and recorded and recorded with some of the best that this is just going to go on forever with pioneering what became have taught Mark one thing, what Colbert and Steve Queralt, has his with producer Sam Williams (and dad for the first time last year (“I’m ‘The Places We Go’ single, which was producers around, including Alan and then… crash! Since then we’ve known as shoegaze. While any would it be, and what piece of advice place in the local music firmament set Loz), Mark has been less visible, but even more focused now as time is released a few years ago. We were Moulder and John Leckie, he can bring had lots of time working with lots of act associated with the tag was would he give to a bunch of kids just for all eternity. no less involved in music. He released more limited, and party time is pretty both happy with it so then we thought something extra to the acts he records? different groups and musicians and understandably uncomfortable with starting out in a band in Oxford now? Without Ride, Oxford’s world- a brace of solo last decade nonexistent. I did plenty of that back it would be great to make an album. “I love being both sides of the mixing have all been free birds experiencing it, the term has taken on a life of “Just to keep on keeping on and famous music scene probably and toured, mostly in the States. He in the day so it’s all good! Sleep “We were both really busy with desk. It’s all about passion and trying life’s highs and lows. When you its own over the intervening years, enjoy it without too much expectation. wouldn’t exist, at least not as we also opened his own recording studio, deprivation can get pretty dreamy and our mixing and production work, so to make interesting records. That can then get back into a room together becoming something far bigger than It’s only over when you stop playing know it. Talulah Gosh might have concentrating on production work trippy, though,” he says) is spending it took a while for us to both have be as a producer and mixer or as an you are immediately aware of that a cosy Thames Valley sub-scene, music and give up. Until then you put the key in the lock, but it was in recent years, while keeping his every hour of every working day in some clear time at the same time. artist. In the end I’m just a massive special chemistry and voodoo that flourishing into a global concern, never know what could happen. Ride that kicked the door open hand in music making, collaborating a studio in rehearsing with After I made another visit, where we music fan. I love music. It’s always only happens when we’re in a room changing, mutating and leeching into It should be fun playing music. It and announced to the world that with the likes of Adam Franklin of Ride, but despite the need for a good recorded ‘Dice’ together, then a tour been a life force for me. I love the together. The spirit, enthusiasm and other styles of music, from rock to doesn’t have to be a a career, but if it Oxford had arrived. In their wake , New York’s Dive Index night’s sleep, he chats to Nightshift together around the UK I went back natural chaos of the sound. I have no camaraderie has grown as the music electronica. Does Mark feel like Ride is then that’s a bonus.” came Radiohead, , Foals, and LA’s Miranda Lee Richards, about the new album and that over to France. We thought we would answers, I just wanna do the work and level of shows have.” were the godfathers of it? Stornoway, Glass Animals and so and adding guest vocals to French impending reunion tour. record another four or five tunes but channelling all musical sounds, pieces How much do you think the fans at “It’s definitely a more global concern `Universal Road’ is out now on Soliel many more. Suddenly local musical electronic funksters Rinocerose. as everything happened pretty quickly and fragments into some kind of the comeback shows will be old fans now than it was back then; it’s really Après Minuit. Buy it direct from ambition didn’t have to end at the ring Some of this work will see the light `Universal Road’ has been I stayed on for another couple of forms which can hold the promises to and how much new kids who’ve got flourished. I do kind of feel a part of markgardener.com and you’ll also road. You could be the biggest band of day later in the year, but this month two years in the making; how did it weeks and then we ended up with ten be able to keep going and make more into you through other bands maybe? the original godfather crew of that get a free limited edition CD of `The on the planet. Mark releases a new album with come together, especially with Robin tracks and the album.” music. Some connects with a lot of “I’ll tell you soon once we’ve played sound as I guess we were one of the Places We Go’. Ride play Field Day In their seven years together Ride former-Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin living in France? Were you a fan of Cocteau Twins people and some connects with less. some shows! I think there will be first bands to hit the charts with that on Sunday 7th June. released four studio albums, including Guthrie, his first album in a decade. “Robin lives in in the rural wilds when you were getting into music? That’s the beauty. It’s definitely not their epoch-making debut `Nowhere’, `Universal Road’ has been over two of Brittany. I jumped in the car and “I was a huge fan of Cocteau Twins an exact science. The learning never enjoyed a plethora of hit singles and years in the writing, recording and took a few overnight ferries to Le and . I would often stops. I’ll never know or be sure. I’ll EPs, toured the globe, and inspired a mixing, Mark, still living in Oxford, Havre so it wasn’t too tricky getting listen to the Cocteau Twins on the tour always feel like a kid in a toyshop whole new generation of indie bands, regularly commuting to Robin’s everything done. The writing and bus when I was touring with Ride, when I’m making music in a studio. I inadvertently inventing the shoegaze studio in Brittany, but finally it’s ready recording process flowed very easily. along with other 4AD bands like Dead like it that way.” genre along the way. to be heard. Either Robin or I would come in with Can Dance. I loved all that music Who’s been the best band you’ve Ride split in 1996 but their legacy has some initial chord progressions, loops and still listen to it. Robin is a great worked with in the studio? remained, their legend has slowly but While the excitement of or start of a song. We would then guy. We became good friends so it (Deapan) “Ride.” surely grown, and their long-awaited Ride’s reformation is grabbing the structure and write the bare bones wasn’t daunting for me to work with reunion at the end of last year was headlines, the coming together of two of the song together normally with a him; it was inspirational. We’re both Ah yes, Ride. At the end greeted with a fervour that took your indie pioneers is newsworthy in its scratch keyboard and guitar. competent and confident musicians of 2014 the news broke that Mark’s breath away. own right. “Once we were happy with the in the studio, we both love the studio old band were set to reform. It was The album is snow-soft and structure Robin would then get to environment, books, guitars and news that so many fans around the The past 19 years have not introspective in mood, Mark’s work on the bass, guitars and drums, musical gear. If we couldn’t get into world had dreamed of for almost seen Ride’s former members idle. voice reflective and full of longing I would add my acoustic guitar but a creative flow together and make an two decades since the band split. Andy of course formed Hurricane over Robin’s instantly recognisable would mainly start thinking about album then something would have Such hopes had lingered for so long #1 and enjoyed some -era shimmer and spangle, a world away lyrics and vocal ideas. By the time been seriously wrong.” many believed it was the reunion success before joining Oasis and from the cacophonous soundstorm Robin had got his dreamy guitars, Robin’s always had of a reputation that would never happen, but with subsequently Liam Gallagher’s Beady of those early Ride records. It’s bass and drums in good shape I’d be for a sense of humour - sharp, dry, the demise of Beady Eye, Andy Bell Eye, while Loz has toured as part of delicately crafted as you’d expect ready towards the end of the day to sarcy – that seemed rather at odds was commitment free and the original Sponsored by relaxed rhythms. “The table is set for two / And DUOTONE this candlelight shines for you” typifies the lyrical skill throughout `Let’s Get Low’ – truthful, but `Let’s Get Low’ not mawkish; honest, but not needy. The affecting (Garrett Brown Music) emotional pull of songs like ‘Silver & Gold’, `Let’s Get Low’ is the third album from Duotone, which generates almost unbearable sadness, or RELEASED aka Barney Morse-Brown, cello player and session ‘Our Lands’, which closes out the album with musician for the likes of The Imagined Village and nothing more than pure vocals and strummed STORNOWAY BALKAN WANDERERS Eliza Carthy. guitar, is balanced by, for example, the artful While Morse-Brown’s multi-instrumental skills electronic squiggles wending through the album’s `Bonxie’ `The Pride EP’ – vocals, cello, guitar and piano – are augmented title track or the almost perky ‘Shoes Were Meant (Cooking Vinyl) (Self-released) there by other musicians, this ten-track album is To Last’. In a recent interview Johnny Marr was asked The musical genre that is ‘Balkan’ is very liable very much a personal project. At its core is a deep `Let’s Get Low’ is an elegant, delicate album, to “tell us something you’ve never told anyone to cause deep upset to the world’s geographers, sense of melancholy and sadness, albeit tempered and one that is at once an incredibly raw insight before,” and responded by saying that The Smiths denoting, as it tends to do, offerings from a very by feelings of hope and of the beautiful things in into personal sadness and a hopeful, inspirational had planned to release a disco album before their wide swathe of Central and Eastern Europe, the world. demonstration of belief in the good to be found in split scuppered the idea. some parts of which are a long way off from Morse-Brown has experienced the most intense a world that can throw cruel situations at us. As He was either joking or it would have been the mountains that originally gave the region its of personal and emotional tragedy in his life, and well as being a damned good set of songs, it goes the most unlikely left turn in music history. As name. From St. Petersburg to Split; from Prague to although this is an album shot through with loss and Opener ‘Little White Caravan’ sets the scene with far beyond what most musicians would be happy unlikely as Stornoway revealing their difficult Cappadocia, the church is broad. struggle, it remains a gloriously listenable set of crisp, lonely vocals engulfed in an increasingly rich to share, and we should be appreciative of this. third album to be a hardcore gabba opus or hip Taking their lead from this, Balkan Wanderers have songs that is far from difficult or overwrought. landscape of guitar, subtle electronics and Simon Minter hop concept album about gang-related violence been working tirelessly for many months across the in . Of course it wasn’t going to happen live scene, so the quartet of songs on their debut EP and `Bonxie’ finds the quartet sticking firmly already feel familiar. It’s a strong series of tracks to the path they’ve followed so faithfully since if ever there was one, impeccably produced and GHOSTS IN THE NUBIYAN TWIST Power. Gift of Blindness is Chaudhry’s latest `Zorbing’ revealed their romantic longing back in intimacy of love set against the hugeness of beautifully voiced by singer Antica Culina. Indeed, project, alongside his Abandon and Monday what now seems like the mists of time. As `The nature again in Brian Briggs’ unsullied romantic it’s that voice that elevates the band over a number Morning Sun work, and this self-titled debut PHOTOGRAPHS `Nubiyan Twist’ release is a monolithically heavy exercise in Road You Didn’t Take’ – the first track to be put world. Similarly the intricate arrangements of those they are influenced by - gravelly vocals (Wormfood) online from the album’ – showed, Stornoway within these big, questing melodies – the tinkling to the point of parody are a mainstay of the genre doomy post-metal. Droning, otherworldly, reverb- `Our Memories Are Here Summer comes early in the form of this debut can look back at the life paths they might have musical box beneath the heroic vocal lead of `The and can be an acquired taste whereas Culina’s drenched dissonance is the name of the game album from London/Leeds/Oxford twelve-strong taken, but they got to the top of the mountain Road You Didn’t Take’ for example – reflects intonations are mellifluous. To Haunt Us’ here, and it sometimes makes for a challenging collective Nubiyan Twist. by surefootedly making it the way they do best. the way those vast landscapes are made up of a The other major asset the Wanderers (as a football (Self-released) listen on tracks like ‘Watcher’, but sitting down to blogger, I almost described them as the Trotters A fusion of myriad styles, it boils down to the tackle the album in full is an extremely rewarding And so `Bonxie’ – after the nickname for the trillion tiny pieces of flora and fauna. For twenty years or so now, the genre loosely in homage to Bolton Wanderers) possess is Clare soundtrack for long sultry summer nights and experience, enveloping the listener in waves of great skua seabird – follows the winding coastal You won’t find too many surprises in `Bonxie’, known as post-rock has captured our attention. Heaviside’s simply magnificent clarinet; she’ll have afternoons in the sun at whichever festival the sound to create a dreamy, trancelike atmosphere. path with its breath-taking vistas and abundant but that doesn’t have to be a disappointment; you Tortoise are arguably the originals while Mogwai the spot for that instrument cornered should ever ensemble will inevitably be playing. ‘Gift of Blindness’ meanders easily between wildlife, past epic metaphors for love and life, wouldn’t really want to discover a seven-storey and Godspeed You! Black Emperor have plans develop for an Oxford supergroup orchestra. After a woozily smooth sax solo intro, we’re doom and post-rock, with tracks like ‘Escape’ and as often as not couched in the language of the towerblock in the middle of a woody glade, shown remarkable longevity in perpetuating With Heaviside providing mainline warmth to every into a land where jazz, hip hop, brassy funk, soul, ‘Martyr’ featuring experimental chord voicings wilderness. Opener `Between The Saltmarsh & would you? Stornoway’s world comes with its the tradition. In Oxford 2014 was a somewhat track, influences do indeed range from across all Latin dance, tropical pop and dub mingle and and darkly uplifting vocal harmonies that call to the Sea’ uses the two parts of the natural world as fair share of melancholy and soulful reflection disappointing year, due to the consistently points of the former Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman exchange fluid dance grooves without a care for mind bands like ISIS or earlier Intronaut. Slow, a metaphor for two lovers, the song introduced by but it remains an unspoilt wilderness, one where excellent Listing Ships calling it a day, Kid Empires and beyond. Best known track ‘Cairo’ is consequences. Luckily it’s a well-oiled party and synth-heavy soundscapes give way to abrasive, the sound of geese in flight, while the expansive, Brian Briggs’ daydreams can take flight alongside Kin having assumed responsibility as the local inevitably middle-eastern in feel, almost to the point everything slips easily into place. At the heart misanthropic doom on opener ‘Automaton’ string-laden `Man On Wire’ reaches skywards to those skuas and kittywakes. Of course it lacks standard bearer. of vaudeville (one can imagine it soundtracking of everything are the delicious, honey-dripping and lead track ‘Dynamitard’, which has more the accompaniment of gull calls. gritty urban realism, but you’ve always got 24- Like Kid Kin, Ghosts in the Photographs are a film starring Peter Ustinov and Omar Sharif), vocals of Nubiya Brandon, part Etta James, part of a futuristic, almost industrial feel. Whilst As ever Stornoway are at the best when they hour news channels for that kind of stuff. effectively another one man operation with Jamie while ‘Sleep Around’ is a foot stomper to recall the Ms Dynamite, occasionally part Sade as she takes vocals between low, monastic voices that conjure widescreen folk-rock anthems from “This is the world we belong to,” sings Brian Morris responsible for recording, production work of close cousins, the Forty Thieves Orkestar. on soulful jazz, rap and even blues, particularly call to mind Peter Steele or Mikael Akerfeldt, near-orchestral arrangements and heavily-loaded on `Sing With Our Senses’. It’s a world you can and mixing, assisted by David Freeman. Having Pick of the lot is opener and title track ‘Pride’ on `Work House’, a song in three parts that hits and harsh, haunting screams, instrumentation harmonies. `We Were Giants’, for example, finds belong too, once you cast off the dirt and fumes recently shared a bill with Kid Kin at the - an at turns melancholic and righteous nod to its grooves best in the final third, horn skronks becomes obviously dominant, with fuzzed-out, a couple gazing upon the curvature of the earth of the city. Tell us it isn’t a better world. Wheatsheaf to launch this EP, the immediate Ukrainian tunesmithery and poignant given current signalling Nubiya’s gear change into something soul crushing bass and abrasive synth parts used from their point of view above the clouds – the Dale Kattack impression is that the two acts occupy very much geopolitics. harder and rawer. to drive home a dark and at times uncomfortable the same space – on record at least, the two men In a live review of one of the band’s Wheatsheaf The lively, dubby `Hypnotised’ is the album’s atmosphere. At its heaviest, the album descends reflect the less thunderous, less deafening end of shows at the back end of last year, I made a plea high point, one of those songs you feel you know into the anarchic, full-on noise of ‘Invisible’ and `Lemon’, the woozily uplifting -via- the spectrum and Morris’ style largely consists that The Balkan Wanderers should not be ignored or the first time you hear it and never kets you go ‘Corroded’. Ibiza electro road trip from late last year? of the quiet bits in the ‘quiet/loud’ formula. (I’ll pigeonholed due to the style of music they choose for the rest of the day, but `Straight Lines’, with At no point is this album an easy listening Put bluntly, no, but `Sionara’ is no less hypnotic concede that Kid Kin can be blisteringly noisy to purvey. They offer something essential and its Afrobeat rhythms and meandering sax, is pure experience. However, for fans of doom, post- and compelling in its slow-release way, and, as live as evidenced by a searing performance at last different, eschewing the straitjacket of Anglo-Saxon festival party fodder, ending on a Samba carnival metal, or indeed any kind of extreme heavy music, with `Lemon’, when it finishes you wish it would year’s Oxford Punt.) traditions; Culina’s Croatian inflections marking her note just as you’re wondering where it might be it’s well worth putting the time and effort into a keep on motoring for another twenty minutes at Opening track, ‘Gesturing Hands Seek Approval out as one of the very best vocalists the city has to heading. series of full listens to acquaint yourself properly least. From an Empty Sky’, inevitably recalls offer currently. See them live and buy the EP. Capturing the energy of a live dance band in the with music that gives no quarter. `Sionara’ follows the classic layer-added-upon- Godspeed’s franglais ‘Levez vos Skinny Fists Robert Langham studio, particularly one with so many working Tal Fineman layer-upon-delicate-layer dynamic, synth hums, Comme Antennas to Heaven’ but the markedly parts, isn’t easy, but the way Nubiyan Twist guitar loops and disembodied vocal snatches less confrontational wording is reflected in the exude party vibes throughout this album suggests repeated in almost idly rhythmic fashion before music which, initially at least, fails to arrest – it’s they’ve caught that magic down pat. If they’re the beat itself arrives, languid but determined, pleasant and just jarring enough to avoid the even better live, then heaven help our poor only gradually everything morphing, becoming dreaded ‘background music’ tag, but only just. dancing feet. distorted, coruscating synths weaving around A second listen, however, reveals greater texture, Sharon Eastmond overdriven guitars that lurk just beyond the already detected on the release’s second, superior, middle distance, the intensity ratcheted up in track, ‘Fault Lines’ – again, it doesn’t exactly increments until, there you go, you’re hooked. slam into the listener’s eardrums but there is It’s musical heroin, lulling you into a becalmed, a greater tendency on Morris’ part to let go, MAIIANS idyllic stupor from where you can only hope to push the audience to greater limits and the GIFT OF BLINDNESS there’s more to come. whole thing culminates in a crackly sample of J. `Sionara’ It’s a tease of course – six and a half minutes it Robert Oppenheimer channelling the Bhagavad `Gift of Blindness’ (Beard Museum) lasts but feels half that length. And then you want Gita – ‘Now I Become Death…The Destroyer (Blindsight) When your first single was one of the most more. So you go back to the beginning, only this of Worlds’. That may be overstating Ghosts in Anyone who follows Oxford’s heavy music scene acclaimed debuts from an Oxford band of the time turned up louder. the Photographs’ menace but the sentiment is should be familiar with the name Umair Chaudhry, last few years, putting out a follow-up is always And that, dear reader, is the sign of a class act. appreciated. a sound engineer who’s produced recent releases going be slightly daunting. Can Maiians equal Dale Kattack Robert Langham by local pioneers such as Undersmile and Girl hosting Berlin’s thrash-punk duo Mulltute, playing CLUB: The Bullingdon the route one game in the style of Discharge and MY CROOKED TEETH: The Old Fire Station Crass, plus spindly, splenetic hardcore thrash – Emotive acoustic pop from ToLiesel frontman fighters Cianuro. Did we mention it’s free? It’s Jack Olchawski. loud and nasty and free. Like wrestling with a OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern gang of delinquent tigers. But even more fun. SHARPEES: The Jericho Tavern – Classic WEDNESDAY 8th GIG GUIDE r’n’b in the vein of Dr Feelgood, The Rolling TURBOWOLF: The Bullingdon – Heads down, Stones and George Thorogood at tonight’s Famous no-nonsense -boogie from the Bristol rockers Monday Blues. WEDNESDAY 1st across the genre. – see main preview STEREO KICKS: O2 Academy – Oh Christ. HELEN HIGHWATER STRING BAND + th VALERIE VALE & HER AYLBESBURY th TUESDAY 7 Oh Jesus Christ. Why? How? And what the actual Friday 10th SATURDAY 4 BLUE: The New Theatre – Inexplicably still effing fuck? If you go to this gig and you are over AYLEVATORS: The Bullingdon – Bluegrass, HOMEPLANETEARTH + ECHOIC + popular boyband return to town after 2013’s sold- the age of 12 you are a quarter-witted gullible blues, and string band fun from Nashville’s Helen ESTHER JOY LANE: The Bullingdon – Tigmus LARKIN POE: APRIL out show at the Academy, Anthony, Duncan, Lee, fool who will burn in Hell’s hottest fires for all Highwater, featuring fiddle, guitar, mandolin and play host to former-Kites siblings Homeplanetearth and electronica with Greek influences for a lively, Daphne, Thelma and Shaggy knocking out all the eternity – and we got that direct from the big upright bass. Hillbilly fiddle tunes and harmony- with their electro-acoustic mash-up, joined by alt. The Bullingdon rootsy sound in support. old classics, from `Too Close’ and `If You Come man upstairs as soon as he saw this eight-headed Having begun their musical careers in their heavy Americana from Valerie Vale in support. rockers Echoic – recent support to Fatherson – and TROYKA: The Wheatsheaf – Electro-jazz fusion Back’ to `Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’ pop hydra were out on tour. Eight of them. Eight teens playing in elder sister Jessica’s bluegrass HODGEPODGE presents THE FEAST OF local newcomer Esther Joy Lane, already causing from the rising stars of the London scene – see main and `Altar of Scum’. times absolutely fuck all. That’s one big old talent band The Lovell Sisters, Rebecca and Megan FOOLS: The Cellar – Hodgepodge return to the a stir on the local gig scene for her alternately preview PAT THOMAS: The Old Fire Station – Virtuoso vacuum you got there, Mr Walsh, you WANKER. Lovell are very much in the tradition of folk Cellar for a night of hip hop and jungle, regulars ambient and striking electro-soul, that’s drawn FLUID: The Cellar – Bank Holiday special for improv from the keyboard wizard and founding LUCY LEAVE + BEL ESPRIT + LAKE OF family bands. And when Jessica called time on Rhymeskeemz & Bungle and The Book Thieves comparisons to Grimes, Jessie Ware and Sade. the bassline, garage and house club night, Flava D member of Oxford Improvisers, tonight back in KINGS + ELLIOT VANDERHYDE: The the band after four years and two acclaimed joined by High Focus stalwarts Dead Players for an FERRYMAN + IN SEARCH OF SUN + rinsing the tunes out alongside Lazcru, Masp and his home town to play solo and alongside fellow Wheatsheaf – It’s All About the Music new local albums, the younger siblings went it alone, April Fools Day special. CHILDREN LOST IN TIME: The Cellar – Fluid residents. Ox Imps. bands showcase. branching out into a rockier sound as Larkin Oxrox hosts a weekend of heaviosity, kicking off THE AUREATE ACT + MYTHS + 31 HOURS THE GWILYM SIMCOCK JAZZ QUARTET: MIILENNIAL: The Cellar – Showcasing Poe – the name taken from a great-great-great nd tonight with Brit rock vocalist Andy Jones’s classic THURSDAY 2 + FLOURITE: The Jericho Tavern – It’s All St John the Evangelist – Jazz interpretations Oxford’s urban talent, including, tonight, DJ grandfather who was related to horror writer melodic hard rock band from Germany, Ferryman, BUNTY + OKINA: The Bullingdon – Inventive About the Music local bands showcase with prog- of Sebastian Bach’s Harpsichord concerto in D Simpy, G-Trotsky MC, Frith and Gonzo. Edgar Alan Poe. Much of that old roots sound releasing their debut album `What Is Mine’ after and playfully oddball dub-infused electro-pop from rockers The Aureate Act. minor, Oboe concerto in F minor, and Air from remains but the band’s sound is slicker now supports to Axxis and House of Lords. former Resonators singer Bunty at tonight’s Tigmus CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community 3rd Suite. th and more bluesy, with electric guitar riffage ABADDON INCARNATE + BASEMENT THURSDAY 9 show, the singer looping her voice via assorted – Oxford’s longest-running and best open club JAZZ CLUB with BULLINGDON HOT dominating lap steel. They’ve been dubbed TORTURE KILLINGS + BLACK SKIES : O2 Academy – Sweetly made-up languages, while throwing all manner of night, with local singers, musicians, poets, `The Allman Brothers’ kid sisters’ for their BURN + OH DAITH + STRIKE OFFENSIVE: woozy, joyous soul, pop and hip hop fusion from toys, synths, ukuleles and more into a summery storytellers, performance artists and more every southern-fried take on blues and country rock, The Wheatsheaf – Another quality night of death th former frontman Adis Marchant, and infectious mix that occasionally sounds like a week. Wednesday 8 but they’re at the best when they go back to and grind from Slave to the Grind, with Irish death/ back in town with his solo project, coming in wonderful hybrid of and You Are Wolf. OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon those roots more fully for fiddle and mandolin- grind veterans Abaddon Incarnate making a rare somewhere between and Bill There’s a trippy visual accompaniment from VJ BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst – TURBOWOLF / led numbers, piano ballads and spirituals visit to town, taking inspiration from Carcass and Withers, having supported Phoenix, Bastille and metaLunar. Local six-piece Okina mix up folk, jazz Weekly open blues jam. which showcase their harmony singing best. Possessed. Support comes from gore-obsessed, Haim on tour. Rearranged from last November. THE FURROW COLLECTIVE: The DOLOMITE MINOR: Musical virtuosity is very much order of the serial-killer-worshipping grindcore crew Basement BRIGHT WORKS + ROBOT SWANS + nd Cornerstone, Didcot – Traditional folk balladry day, the pair having backed up Conor Oberst Thursday 2 Torture Killings; local deathcore stalwarts Black SUPER SQUARECLOUD: The Cellar – Afro- from a quartet of folk luminaries – , The Bullingdon and in between Larkin Poe Skies Burn and more. Coming off the back of their support to Royal pop infected indie dance from local regulars Bright Lucy Farrell, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts. tours, and it’s an assured badge of quality SPIN JAZZ CLUB HEADCOUNT + PDMC + CIVIL Blood at the Academy in November you’d Works, alongside electro-indie shamblers Robot ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure – that’s tonight’s gig is hosted by Empty Room DISOBEDIENCE: The Jericho Tavern – hope Turbowolf’s return to town for a headline Swans at tonight’s Tigmus show. with TROYKA: Weekly acoustic and open mic session, tonight with Promotions. Anastasia Gorbunova. Heavyweight melodic punk/metal of the old school show will pull the crowd the band have long ARCANE + BLAME FATE + AFTER THE from Headcount, back in action for the first time deserved. It was a brave move to get the THOUGHT + GRAHAM HOOPER: The Bell, The Wheatsheaf Bicester – The Strummerroom hosts a free night If the idea of taking jazz to the masses still rd since the release of 2013’s `Lullabies For Dogs’ Bristol-based rock wrecking crew to open soundtrack to `The Adventures of Prince Achmed’ FRIDAY 3 album, fusing Killing Joke’s sturm und drang, for them – few would want to follow their of live music. at tonight’s Divine Schism show. Opening the feels like an alien concept, Troyka might TREMORHEART: The Bullingdon – 80s-fuelled Therapy?’s bullish alt.rock and The Banshees dark no-prisoners, high-velocity barrage of stoner CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford night will be an open talk / discussion about music just be the band to do it. Following in the pop in the vein of Future Islands from the local post-punk noise with a bellicose political edge. riffs, punk venom and psychedelic grooving Community videos and their relevance, with a host of local footsteps of fellow London jazz scenesters newcomers. Banbury’s indie rockers Punchdrunk Monkey Club which takes Sabbath, Led Zep and AC/DC as OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon film makers, artists and musicians Electric Ladyland and Polar Bear, the trio (Kit KLUB KAKOFANNEY with FUZZY LOGIC support, alongside rustic, romantic folkies Civil its starting point and doesn’t so much run with BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst THE FUTURE RAYS: The Jericho Tavern – Downes – keyboards; Chris Montague – guitar, BABY + PUNCHDRUNK MONKEY CLUB + Disobedience. it as rampage down the street with sword and ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure Alternately jangly and poetic, and jauntily blokey and drummer Joshua Blackmore) have been AFTER THE THOUGHT: The Wheatsheaf – : O2 Academy – Grungy, ethereal flaming torch in hand. Since their inception – Weekly acoustic and open mic session, tonight indie rocking from the local newcomers. playing to ever larger crossover audiences This month’s Klub Kakofanney throws up the usual pop somewhere between Hole and Mazzy Star from in 2008 the quartet have toured with Pulled with Sanne Daal. PLAY-ALONG-A-SILENT-FILM: OVADA, since their eponymous 2009 debut album. New mixed bag of musical goodies, with fusion-pop the London outfit, on tour to promote forthcoming Apart By Horses, The Eighties Matchbox Botley – Bring along a musical instrument of your album `Ornithophobia’ finds them at their most crew Fuzzy Logic Baby mixing up funk, hip hop, debut album `My Love Is Cool’ ahead of a summer B-Line Disaster, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Death th choice and play along to the screening of a classic lyrical and accessible, a simmering fusion pot reggae and with grungy rocking for some horn- FRIDAY 10 of festival appearances. From Above 1979, so despite their adherence silent film.Nightshift is bringing bagpipes. that takes in clamouring prog rock; thrash- fuelled fun. They’re joined by indie rockers PDMC, LARKIN POE + JESS MORGAN: The DESTA*NATION: The Bullingdon – Roots and to The Riff, they’re not bogged down in metal MANIC STREET CREATURES: Fat Lil’s, jazz (oh yes); blues; Hammond minimalism; and densely-textured soundscapist After the Bullingdon – Slick country blues and southern dub from the long-standing local soundsystem. traditions – a covers EP found them tackling Witney – Tribute band. spacious film soundtrack ambience; Latin Thought. spirituals from the Atlanta sisters – see main RED MOON ROAD: Tiddy Hall, Ascott-under- MGMT, Lightning Bolt and Jefferson Airplane, FIREFLY BURNING: Quaker Meeting House, grooves, and hip hop beats. Probably more SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar preview Wychwood – Harmony-heavy folk from Canada’s while the addition of scuzzy synths add to the St Giles besides. From mellow pulses and pianism to – Count Skylarkin’ monthly reggae, ska and soul BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Latin dancefloor, enduring trio at tonight’s Wychwood Folk Club depth of their sound while taking them to all Zappa-like melodies and occasional discordant party, with 60s-style ska act The Nine-Ton Peanut Afrobeat, Balkan beats, global grooves and nu show. manner of musical corners with suitably feral th excursions, they don’t let their eclectic Smugglers playing live while Skylarkin’ himself jazz club night, tonight featuring a live set from SATURDAY 11 DIRTY EARTH BAND: Fat Lil’s, Witney – energy. Great support from ’s approach become a chore or too esoteric, and spins calypso, ska and vintage island treats. drummer, percussionist, composer and bandleader LEE `SCRATCH’ PERRY: O2 Academy – A Rock covers. moody, monolithic noisemongers Dolomite Downes in particular looks like becoming an TRUST FUND + ROBOT SWANS + TWO Dave Betts and his sextet, playing jazz dance, funk welcome return to town for the dub legend, Minor. unlikely poster boy for a new wave of jazz. WHITE CRANES: Modern Art Oxford – Divine and Latin grooves. whose production credits is a list of the greats of th Schism hosts a night of quintessentially indie SUNDAY 5 : O2 Academy – Jamaican music – ; Junior Murvin; noise, with Bristol’s quirky lo-fi crew Trust Fund TERMINUS + THEIAuk + 12 GAUGE + Melodic post-hardcore from the rockers, King Tubby; Sir Coxsone; The Heptones; Max clattering, jangling and making mopey and merry CONTRA VERSE: The Cellar – Oxford’s rock back out on tour to promote their eponymous Romeo; The Congos – mostly back in the 1960s in decidedly old-school style. They’re supported by and metal covers crew Terminus headline the fourth album, their first for Sony, and Rocksound’s and 70s at his home-built Black Ark studio where ramshackle indie-popsters Robot Swans and Two second day of Oxrox’s heavy weekender. They’re album of 2014. he helped develop reggae and practically invented White Cranes, the solo musical incarnation of Roxy joined by Burton’s heavy-duty blues-rockers CROW’S REIGN + ICONS + COLOUR BY dub while pioneering sampling among other studio from Mountain Parade. THEIAuk and Austria’s hard rockers Contra Verse. NUMBERS + LAST RITES: The Wheatsheaf techniques. Now 79 years old, Perry’s importance HI ON MAIDEN: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Iron – Local bands metal night, with thrash and in the history of Jamaican music is irrefutable. Maiden tribute. th metalcore from Crow’s Reign, and old-school His often lunatic onstage persona means that, like MONDAY 6 metal from Last Rites. SANCTUM: The Varsity Club – Monthly metal MÜLLTÜTE + CIANURO: The Library – other eccentric performers, what you get at any gig FLIGHTS OF HELIOS: Modern Art Oxford – club night with classics and new releases from Quality noise at tonight’s Smash Disco show, can range from the sharpest dub grooves known to Local ambient space-rock ensemble perform their Jericho – Intimate bookstore show from North mix d-beat and classic Amphetamine Reptile chart hit with `When You Were Sweet Sixteen’. free festival scene before splitting in 1982. Lake Dakota folk singer Tom Brosseau, over in the UK hardcore with a suitcase full of Semtex, alongside Dublin brothers George and Eddy Furey, along continued to make music while drummer Josef to promote his new John Parish-produced album Hamburg’s monstrously heavyweight stoner-blues with Davey Arthur have toured the world, playing Porta formed The Mob and Blyth Power. Zounds `Perfect Abandon’, having previously played riffmongers High Fighter, Warsaw’s downtuned their takes on classic Irish folk songs and tonight’s reformed in 2007, continuing to fight the good with Bonnie Raitt, Susan Orlean and Patrick psych-doom behemoths and disconcertingly camp show should include all the favourites, including fight and releasing new album `The Redemption Marber, as well as being awarded the keys to the thrash merchants Agness Pike. This is gonna be the immortal `Green Fields Of France’. of Zounds’. Support comes from hooligan punk North Dakota city of Two Forks for his album of loud. This is gonna be heavy. This is gonna fuckin’ DEEP COVER: The Cellar – Hip hop, bass and crew Yorkshire Rats, previous support to Rancid, the same name, recounting the floods of 97 that rule. electro club night. and local post-punk noisemakers Spinner Fall. engulfed the city. He’s joined tonight by Toronto WOMBATS: O2 Academy – Catchy indie guitar GREENISH DAY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – a different Followed by house club night Extra Curricular. singer Doug Tielli, a well-known figure in that pop hooks hide singer ’s inner hue of Green Day hits. BELLOWHEAD: The New Theatre – One city’s underground scene for his time playing bleakness in ’ on-the-surface-cheery of Nightshift’s many eulogies to Bellowhead, drums in a number of bands. His new album musical world, the band out on tour to promote SATURDAY 18th simply surmised that it’s impossible to leave one `Keresley’ takes in African hi-life, folk, free new album `Glitterbug’, the follow-up to 2011’s RECORD STORE DAY with STORNOWAY: of their gigs without having had a good time. And improv and Brazilian spirituals along its way. `The Modern Glitch’. Truck Store (5pm) – Celebrating record stores that’s the most important thing you need to know th RECKLESS SLEEPERS + FIREGAZERS + Thursday 16 SPARKY’S JAM NIGHT: James Street Tavern across the world, Truck hosts an afternoon of about the band – a massed ensemble formed by DES BARKUS: James Street Tavern – Jam and open mic night. live music, limited editions and special offers, Oxfordshire folk scene veterans John Spiers and FREEFALL: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Classic rock GEORGE CLINTON: including an intimate in-shop set from local heroes Jon Boden with the intention of reviving several covers. th THURSDAY 16 Stornoway, playing songs from their new album, centuries of traditional and reforming O2 Academy GEORGE CLINTON: O2 Academy –Dr `Bonxie’. them into a frenzy of theatre and dance. From their Singer, musician, bandleader, producer, th Funkenstein in da house! – see main preview LOUD MOUNTAINS + JONNY PAYNE + live debut at Oxford Folk Festival in 2004, to their legend. George Clinton is all of these, but SUNDAY 12 RECKLESS SLEEPERS + DES BARKUS COVER ME with THE MIGHTY DISCO STEVIE RAY LATHAM + PHOUSA + BLACK now legendary Truck Festival show in 2010 and legend probably suits him best. Only James + MOON LEOPARD + RICHARD BISCUITS + WHITE SWAN: The Jericho FEATHERS: Rapture, Witney – Live music onwards to international fame and acclaim via a Brown and Sly Stone can really be considered BROTHERTON: Donnington Community Tavern – It’s All About the Music present a night all afternoon instore as part of Record Store Day, succession of BBC Folk awards for Best Live Band, th his equals when it comes to the defining and Friday 24 Centre (6pm) – Free evening of acoustic live of cover versions. with Rapture opening their new upstairs vinyl Bellowhead are first and foremost entertainers. refining of funk, in particular P-Funk, which music with psychedelic folkies Reckless Sleepers, ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure emporium and venue. While their love and respect for everything from Clinton pioneered in the 60s and 70s with LAURA MOODY rock’n’roll vet Des Barkus and host Jeremy – Weekly acoustic and open mic session, tonight ZOUNDS + YORKSHIRE RATS + SPINNER Napoleonic ballads and Jacques Brel to classic Parliament and Funkadelic, fusing soul and Hughes’ Moon Leopard. with The String Project. FALL: The Cellar – One for seriously old-school English folk dance is core to their appeal, they’re r’n’b with the heavyweight noise of Cream and / ALABASTER TOM IVEY BAND + SAL & TONY + MARK CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford punks tonight as Reading’s original anarcho- far from po-paced custodians of a by-gone age, Hendrix to create some of the dirtiest, sexiest BOSLEY + JULES PENZO + PURPLE MAY: Community punk scrappers Zounds come to town, the band, taking in New Orleans jazz, township jive and grooves ever made. Grooves that remain the DE PLUME: The The Wheatsheaf (3.30pm) – Free afternoon of OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon fronted by Steve Lake, forming in 1977 and going even a hint of punk as they cartwheel through the standard for everyone who’s come since. unplugged music in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar. BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst on to team up with Crass and The Poison Girls, centuries, gay abandon an equal partner to musical Norrington Rooms, Throughout the 70s he enjoyed unparalleled releasing their debut record on Crass Records virtuosity. Spiers will be playing a solo set earlier success, including 40 hit singles and three in the day as part of his role of patron of the Oxford th th and becoming heavily involved in the squat and Blackwell’s Platinum albums, but the 1980s brought trouble MONDAY 13 FRIDAY 17 Folk Weekend. A show in The Norrington Rooms is not just a and eventual destitution as contractual issues, FEDERAL CHARM: The Bullingdon – Riff- MAIIANS + KAYLA PAINTER: The OXFORD FOLK WEEKEND: The Old Fire gig in a bookshop; the place has an atmosphere th addiction and the cost of running his empire heavy blues-rocking from ’s Federal Bullingdon – Fast-rising local electro Friday 17 Station – Continuing the folkie festivities, today’s all of its own, set inside Blackwell’s bookstore threatened to gut his astonishing career. As Charm at tonight’s Haven Club show, the band instrumentalists launch their new EP on Beard round of shows includes sets from , and extending under Trinity College, creating an you’d expect from such a formidable character, inspired by Golden Earring and The Black Museum Records, the recent Nightshift cover stars DEMOB HAPPY: Ninebarrow, Wednesday’s Wolves, Patsy Reid, atmosphere of scholarly grandeur. In a similar he overcame every obstacle and resurrected Crowes, who they supported on tour. taking a double drummer-propelled trip along The August List, Rheingans Sisters and a special way, Laura Moody is so much more than a girl his musical career, going on to be acclaimed BABAJACK: The Jericho Tavern – Powerful the Ibiza coast by way of ’s Autobahn, The Jericho Tavern solo set from festival patron John Spiers ahead with a cello, variously hitting her face with her by everyone from Afrika Baambaata, Dr Dre blues, roots and folk fusion from Babajack at taking in influences like Fuck Buttons and Banco Beneath the clamour of debate around whether of Bellowhead’s show at the New Theatre this bow to create odd rhythms, to yodelling and and Ice Cube to Red Hot Chili Peppers as tonight’s Famous Monday Blues. de Gaia along the way. Enjoy this trip. And it Royal Blood are the saviours of or evening. caterwauling in disconcertingly witchy fashion an untouchable innovator. He’s 73 now but ANDY IRVINE: Nettlebed Folk Club – Classic is a trip. They’re joined by Bristolian musician, a two-man production line of ripped-off classic THE DEPUTEES + NUDYBRONQUE + as she attacks her instrument in inventive ways. age can surely mellow the man no more than Irish folk from the former Planxty and Patrick producer and visual artist Kayla Painter, with her rock riffs, a growing army of new untidy and MARK COPE + SLATE HEARTS: The One quarter of The Elysian Quartet, she’s he’s Canute could turn back the tides. Tonight Street singer. layered techno, garage and post-dub soundscapes decidedly noisy new rock bands are emerging Wheatsheaf – Meaty blues-tinged rocking from a striking proposition, patently mad as a goat promises all your Funkadelic/Parliament faves taking the bass sounds of her native city into to refertilise the rock landscape that has been The Deputees, debonair from Swindon’s but you’d expect nothing else from a woman and more. Like we say, a legend. th exotic new terrains. pretty barren for a few years. Among their Nudy Bronque and lachrymose acoustic musings who records string quartet compositions in a TUESDAY 14 ranks are Brighton’s unkempt /garage LEISURE SOCIETY: O2 Academy – OXFORD FOLK WEEKEND: The Old Fire from Mark Cope at tonight’s show. fleet of helicopters. In fact, calling her a cellist Station – Opening day of the now annual Folk crew Demob Happy, loud and unapologetically man, or some nutter gibbering wildly for his own Gorgeously sombre folk-pop from Leisure THE SHIRES: O2 Academy – Authentic is a bit like describing Heston Blumenthal as Weekend, which took over from the Oxford Folk brash in their dedication to sludgy, sleazy amusement. What’s never in doubt is that Perry’s Society, the band centred around singer Nick Nashville-style country out of Bedfordshire and a chef; it’s correct, but tells you less than half Festival. Three days of live music in the Old Fire which tends to hurtle along at quite live band is spot-on in a set littered with classics Hemming, once a member of psychedelic noise Hertfordshire with duo Ben Earle and Crissie the story. This evening’s show is hosted by the Station, as well as the Story Museum, Pitt Rivers a pace, stopping off to pay due respect to The like `War In A Babylon’, amid more obscure cuts rockers The Telescopes and a former bandmate Rhodes becoming the first British country act to reliably eclectic and inventive Irregular Folk, Museum and St Barnabas Church, featuring over Stooges, Queens of the Stone-Age and even and jams, so whatever lyrical detours the of Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine (he sign to a major Nashville , releasing and is part of Laura’s first proper solo tour, fifty acts plus ceilidhs, workshops and a village Beck in his more slacker moments. Melodies main man takes, the music remains high wrote soundtrack music for A Room For Romeo their debut album, `Brave’, earlier this year, to promote new album `Acrobats’, taking in fete. Today’s line-up includes sets from Fabian peek out from under a welter of distortion quality. Brass and Dead Man’s Shoes). Compared to and out on tour ahead of a summer of festivals, cafes, bike sheds and a launderette as well as Holland, Jenkinson’s Folly, Man Choir, Oxford and screaming on songs like `Succubus’ and BRETT DENNEN: O2 Academy – Because an Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, Leisure Society are including Cornbury. this book shop. Intimate and highly inventive University Ceilidh Band, Threepenny Bit, Kismet `Suffer You’, as well as an unexpected cover another acoustic singer- who sounds a peculiarly English take on Americana, wistful MONKFISH + RECKLESS SLEEPERS: The support from Manchester’s Alabaster de and Gordon Potts. Full festival line-up can be of Technohead’s `I Wanna Be A Hippy’, and if like a cross between Paul Simon and James Blunt regret and an air of menace hanging around their Bullingdon – One Gig Closer to Wittstock with Plume, touring his `Copernicus’ album, its found at www.folkweekendoxford.co.uk. all that doesn’t sound wildly original, it don’t and has a haircut like your granny’s is exactly dreamily bucolic songs. gothic country rockers Monkfish and psychedelic almost hymnal nature cut through with a highly SWINDLESTOCK + LITTLE BROTHER ELI really matter too much when you’re crammed what music needs to save it right now. JAZZ CLUB with THE MARTIN PICKETT folkies Reckless Sleepers. individual sense of humour. + BILLY T’RIVERS & THE WILD WEST into a small sweaty venue with a few bodies BLOODSTOCK METAL TO THE MASSES ORGANISATION: The Bullingdon – The BEDROCK: The Bullingdon – Skeletor’s RETIREMENT HOME: The Wheatsheaf – flying above your head and the band kicking it HEAT 5: The Bullingdon – Fifth heat of the Bully’s free weekly jazz club plays host to the monthly rock club night, with heavy, heavy sounds style of Cream and Hendrix. Daisy Rodgers Music night with bluesy Americana out raw and ramped up. So stop thinking and metal battle of the bands to win a slot at this year’s Martin Pickett Organisation. from across the decades. th crew Swindlestock bringing rootsy party and just dance. SUNDAY 19 Bloodstock Festival. INTRUSION: The Cellar – Oxford’s long- OSPREY + MARIA ILETT + ADY DAVEY + whisky town vibes to the Sheaf. They’re joined by OXFORD FOLK WEEKEND: The Old Fire ALPHABET BACKWARDS + ROB GREEN running monthly goth and industrial club night SHAKIN’ LIPS: The Marsh Harrier, Temple rough-hewn blues and soul crew Little Brother Eli, Station – Third and final day of the weekender, + GEORGE CHOPPING: The Wheatsheaf keeps it dark with DJs Doktor Joy and Bookhouse. Cowley – Unplugged sets from the local scene and alt.country types Billy T’Rivers. today featuring Chris Wood, Boldwood, Benjamin – Local sunshiny synth-popsters Alphabet OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern stalwarts. DEMOB HAPPY: The Jericho Tavern – Folke Thomas and Jess Hall among a host of live Backwards return to action with their big-hearted THREE PRESSED MEN: The Swan Inn, Unkempt grunge-garage from Brighton’s riotous acts and more. tales of love and Primark and polar bears. And just th Ascott-under-Wychwood – English folk of the WEDNESDAY 15 rockers – see main preview JAMES BAY: O2 Academy – Ladies and in time for summer. old school at tonight’s Wychwood Folk Club gig, GIRL POWER + HIGH FIGHTER + THE FUREYS & DAVEY ARTHUR: St John gentlemen, we have arrived at the bottom of the THE STEVE GIFFORD BAND + with a capella harmonies, ballads and dance tunes SUNNATA + AGNESS PIKE: The Wheatsheaf the Evangelist – Coinciding with this year’s barrel, feel free to start scraping. SCREAMING HOUSE MADRIGALS: The played on concertina, melodeon, harmonica and – If, dear reader, you can feel an ominous Oxford Folk Festival, a return to town for the Irish Cellar – Soft centred classic acoustic rock from hammer dulcimer. rumbling in your ribcage as you read this, it’s folk stalwarts, their first visit to town since 2011’s th Milton Keynes guitarist Steve Gifford and band, STANDARD: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Classic and MONDAY 20 likely the advance pressure ripples from tonight’s show at the Town Hall. The Fureys & Davey inspired by the likes of Crowded House, James contemporary pop hits. EARL THOMAS: The Bullingdon – Powerful gig creating a shockwave through the very fabric Arthur have over 30 years of experience behind Taylor, Cat Stevens and Don McLean. STEAMROLLER: The Millennium Hall, gospel and soul-influenced blues-rock from the of time. Local hardcore tyrants Girl Power them, including, for an Irish folk band, a rare UK TOM BROSSEAU + DOUG TIELLI: Art Horton-cum-Staley – Classic blues-rocking in the Tennessee singer at tonight’s Haven Club show. BIG BOY BLOATER: The Jericho Tavern – with Rancid’s melodic punk. duo Kathryn and Sean return to playing and – Reformed 90s glam-rockers Last Great Dreamers a big name in her native Italy’s blues scene and has Swamp blues, swing and rocking r’n’b from the ROBERT LANYON + SAM EDWARDS + recording with each other with their album return to town after their gig here in February with collaborated with Scott Henderson amongst others. acclaimed guitarist at tonight’s Famous Monday PHOUSA T + DAVIS TUDOR + DANDY `Hidden People’, mixing tender folk ballads with their suitably sleazy take on Hanoi Rocks and Sadie Johnson, from Indiana is just 18 years old Blues. CAVALIERS + PHIL WICKER: The stomping acoustic rock, having previously formed Dogs D’Amour’s power-pop. and the youngest player to tour as part of the Blues ARTISAN: Nettlebed Folk Club – Close- Wheatsheaf – Singer- night. Equation with and Sean’s brother AMBER RUN: O2 Academy – ’s Caravan, but she can mix up old-time country harmony singing from the reformed folk band at WILLIE J HEALEY: Truck Store – Laidback, Seth. epic soft rockers Amber Run return to town blues in the style of Robert Johnson with Clapton- tonight’s Nettlebed Folk Club session. soulful acoustic pop from the local singer- DURAN DURAN EXPERIENCE: Fat Lil’s, after playing last year’s New Faces package tour esque blues rocking. Mississippi’s Heather Cross, songwriter. Witney – Experience Duran Duran! Or something alongside Pixel Fix. meanwhile, is a full-blooded soul’n’blues maestro, TUESDAY 21st a bit like them! Not really them! Experience it! LOWLY HOUNDS: The Cellar – Blues and with a voice akin to Big Mama Thornton and Etta JAZZ CLUB with THE STUART THURSDAY 23rd Experience it now! country-flavoured rocking from the London James, that’s earned her support slots with Robert newcomers, influenced by White Denim and HENDERSON QUARTET: The Bullingdon – BIG BLUES NIGHT OUT with NO HORSES Plant and BB King. th Alabama Shakes. Free live jazz from trumpeter Stuart Henderson + ADY DAVEY & SHAKY LIPS + ANDY SATURDAY 25 STEVE KNIGHTLY: Nettlebed Folk Club – THE ALLEN FAMILY BAND: The Three and band. ROBINS: The Cellar – Live blues. GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with ORANGE Show of Hands singer plays solo, with his strong Horseshoes, Towersey – Guitar picking and th OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure VISION + P/R/P/E + REUBEN’S ROCKET: storytelling style. Sunday 26 harmony singing from the family folk band. – Weekly acoustic and open mic session, tonight The Wheatsheaf – Another inviting mixed grill BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Open th nd with Scott Gordon. of a gig from Gappy Tooth, this month mixing up TUESDAY 28 UGLY DUCKLING: WEDNESDAY 22 blues jam. CREEPER: The Bullingdon – Green Day-style CALE TYSON + AGS CONNOLLY: Fat Lil’s, Orange Vision’s sizzling indie rock in the vein of JAZZ CLUB with ALVIN ROY’S REEDS Witney – of the old school tonight The Cribs and Palma Violets with Gloucester’s UNLIMITED: The Bullingdon – Trad jazz, bop The Bullingdon punk rocking action from Southampton’s Creeper With decent hip hop gigs still an all too rare from Empty Room Promotions, Nashville’s heart- one-man sonic adventuring sausage P/R/P/E MONDAY 27th and swing with veteran clarinettist Alvin Roy and out on tour. treat in Oxford, it’s great to be able to welcome on-sleeve balladeer Cale Tyson singing songs of blending guitars, drum machine, tape loops and RUF RECORDS BLUES CARAVAN – GIRLS his Reeds Unlimited band at tonight’s weekly jazz THE INTERRUPTERS: O2 Academy – LA’s Long Beach, trio Ugly Duckling romantic woe and heartache in the tradition of short wave radio samples, and warm, acoustic WITH GUITARS: The Bullingdon – The idea club. ska-punk crew visit Blighty, mixing the classic back to town for their first gig here since 2010. Hank Williams Sr and Gram Parsons, with support folk-pop fillet Reuben’s Rocket, coming in of female rock guitarists shouldn’t really still be WILD AND NOUGHTIE: The Cellar – Hip Two Tone skank of The Selecter and DJ Young Einstein and MCs Dizzy Dustin and from Witney’s very own country songsmith Ags somewhere between and Newton considered a novelty in any sense, and the Girls hop, r’n’b and pop from the noughties, from R Andy Cooper grew up surrounded by gangsta Connolly, digging back to those classic roots Faulkner. Steak around, you might like it. With Guitars tag doesn’t help, but the latest Ruf Kelly to Destiny’s Child. rap but their brand of hip hop is far removed sounds, following the lead of Dale Watson’s GOIN’ LOUD + TOO MANY POETS + Records Blues caravan tour brings together three OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern th from that genre, heavily referencing classic Friday 24 Ameripolitan movement. CRIME + ECHOIC + THE FIXATION + of the leading female lights of world blues to at old school acts like The Beastie Boys, A Tribe CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford ALAN JAGGS: The Bullingdon – New bands least show the blues scene isn’t just tedious old th WEDNESDAY 29 Called Quest, De La Soul and Eric B & Rakim, FRNKIERO ANDTHE Community showcase with blues rock in the vein of the Jeff blokes with a Stevie Ray Vaughan fetish. Singer DUOTONE: The North Wall, Summertown preferring the old school way of sampled rather OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon Healey Band from Didcot’s Goin’ Loud; proggy and guitarist Eliana Cargnelutti, inspired by CELLABRATION: – Cello’n’loops master Barney Morse-Brown than self-created beats, just DJ and two MCs, BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst indie rocking from Too Many Poets, and polished Bonnie Raitt, Ana Popovic and Joe Bonamassa, is launches his frankly gorgeous new album, `Let’s stripped back beats, call-and-response vocals pop in the vein of Room 94 and Lawson from The O2 Academy Get Low’, in the suitably intimate and rarefied and a whole heap of catchy hooks. They’re th Fixation. After ’s visit to town in November FRIDAY 24 th setting of the North Wall, his busy onstage also adept at lampooning contemporary CLOUDBUSTING: O2 Academy – Kate Bush Sunday 26 last year, we get some more of the fall-out from NEW FACES TOUR with FRANCES + virtuosity belying the stark, emotional beauty of mainstream hip hop’s excesses, particularly tribute, probably playing more of the ones you ’s split this month in TENTERHOOK + CHARLOTTE OC + his music. Seriously, go and watch him in action the machismo and beef. Live the emphasis is actually want to hear than Kate herself did, and for SIMPLE MINDS: the form of guitarist and co-singer Frank Iero’s FREDDIE DICKSON: The Bullingdon and feel humbled and inadequate in your own on interactive fun and their relentlessly upbeat a fraction of the cost. new band, the confusingly monikered Frnkiero SLY & THE FAMILY DRONE: The The New Theatre puny musical abilities. outlook, frequent biblical references and THE SELF-TITLED + ALEXA DE STRANGE andthe Cellabration. It’s sort of a reflection of Wheatsheaf – Dissonant craziness from the Back in town after their sold-out show here I’M WITH HER with SARAH JAROSZ + lyrical sharp rapping has made them enduring + SECOND RATE ANGELS: The Cellar – the band’s lo-fi sound, which (as with Way’s freeform ensemble who blur the boundaries back in 2013 and last year’s show-stealing AIOFE O’ + SARA WATKINS: St cult stars, playing festivals across the globe, Oxrox continue to keep life heavy, tonight with 80s-influenced solo work) is a radical departure between band and audience, and abstract noise and headline set at Cornbury, Jim Kerr and co. head John the Evangelist – Empty Room Promotions including Coachella, Reading and Australia’s prolific UK rock/metal crew The Self Titled, from My Chemical Romance and even his random aural carnage. out on tour to promote last year’s `Big Music’ hosts a coming together of three stars of the Pyramid Rock, while releasing a succession of who reformed in 2010 and have supported Gene Leathermouth project. Out goes slick, stadium- LAURA MOODY + ALABASTER DE album. For those that know Simple Minds only American folk-roots scene, the trio having albums, with a follow-up to 2011’s `Moving Simmons, Breed 77 and as well friendly punk-pop, in comes a noisy, joyous PLUME: The Norrington Rooms – Cello-based for bombastic stadium-pop hits like `Alive & performed an impromptu jam together at the at Breakneck Speed’ hopefully due to coincide numerous biker festivals along the way. Followed garage-pop cacophony, as on tracks like debut wizardry and maybe even witchery from the Kicking’ and `Don’t You Forget About Me’ it Telluride Bluegrass Festival last year. Californian with these UK dates. single `Weighted’, and you can already imagine Elysian Quartet virtuoso – see main preview by Extra Curricular club night. can come as a surprise that they were, for their singer and fiddle player Sara Watkins is best a packed venue going ape to this racket (which FRNKIERO AND THE CELLABRATION: ONE WING LEFT: The Jericho Tavern – first five albums, one of the coolest bands to known as part of Nickel Creek as well as playing it undoubtedly will, since tonight’s show is O2 Academy – Another former My Chemical Drama-laden epic rocking from the local outfit. emerge from the post-punk era, initially fusing fiddle for The Decemberists. At only 23 years of busking ensemble, starting a bluesy bluegrass barn long-since sold out). MCR drummer Jarrod Romancer goes free range, with pleasingly raucous MAETLOAF: Fat Lil’s, Witney – A matier, not that movement’s arty leanings with the glam age, Texan-born singer and multi-instrumentalist dance wherever they do roam. Alexander guested on Frank’s new album results – see main preview meatier, version of Meatloaf. Meat on the ledge. of Bowie and Roxy Music, before becoming a Sarah Jarosz is rather less of a veteran but has SIMPLE featuring PEARSON SOUND: The `Stomachaches’, but beyond that he played THE STRING PROJECT + EKO Tasty. near-perfect electro-pop force with `Empires & already released three albums, earning herself a Bullingdon – House and techno club night with everything himself and that rough-edged DIY COLLECTIVE + JULIA TURNER + ISOLDE: TRUE RUMOUR + HEADINGTON Dance’ and `Sons & Fascination’. The band hit brace of Grammy nominations, while ethereal minimal-man Pearson Sound, one third of the charm shines through. After tours with Taking The Cellar – Oxford string collective The String HILLBILLIES + THE REVALATORS: the big time with 1982’s still excellent `New New singer Aoife O’Donovan has Hessle Audio label, and the man behind Leeds’ Back Sunday, and , it’s Project team up with Bristol’s Eko Collective for Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst Gold Dream’, before they became a staple previously collaborated with Alison Krauss, the vinyl-only club night Acetate. He’s remixed time for a headline tour. Sounds like the guy’s a night of improvised experimentalism involving STEAMROLLER: The Three Horseshoes, soundtrack to Bratpack movies and a stadium- three of them together exploring the rich roots Radiohead, and MIA along the way and out to have some serious fun. live strings, a capella harmonies, beatboxing, Long Hanborough filling rock act often compared (unfavourably) heritage of their different strands of traditional folk this month releases his eponymous new album on found sounds and loops. Folktronica artist Isolde to U2. Times change though and nowadays music. Hessle. opens the show. SUNDAY 26th it’s increasingly Simple Minds’ fantastic early ONLY REAL: The Jericho Tavern – Slacker SUPERMARKET: The Cellar – Pop, disco, UK FREERANGE: The Cellar – Jungle Junction HENRY CLUNEY + ADY DAVEY & SHAKIN’ work that is heralded for its prescience. What rap-pop with a grungy underbelly from west garage and 90s house club night. night with classic jungle and drum&bass from DJ LIPS + THE CORSAIRS + SCOTT GORDON was never in doubt, even when they were London chap Niall Galvin, owing a little to Best YES PLEASE + RADIOGRASS + THE Fu playing a set of tunes from 98-2002, alongside + PURPLE MAY: The Wheatsheaf (3.30pm) releasing pompous hogwash like ` Coast and Real Estate. OXFORD BEATLES: The Jericho Tavern – Wyatt Noise’s Rich Raw, D-Ranged and Dremz. – Free afternoon of unplugged music in the Child’, was what a powerful live band Simple BALLOON ASCENTS: Ultimate Picture Covers night. Hosted by Macular and Sandman. Sheaf’s downstairs bar, today with a special guest Minds were and the chance to hear classic Palace –A benefit gig for this summer’s Cowley CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford BALLOON ASCENTS: Truck Store – Instore appearance from original tunes like `The American’, `I Travel’ and `Love Road Carnival with rising local indie darlings Community show from the local indie faves. guitarist Henry Cluney, who played on all the Song’ live alongside the big hits and newer Balloon Ascents mixing up electro-pop, blues, OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon AUDACITY: East Oxford Community Centre band’s big hits before moving Stateside and going material is something not to pass over. dub, folk-rock and more into an eclectic blend BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst – Setting out to recapture the spirit of Oxford’s on to support The Damned and The Alarm on somewhere between Radiohead, Stornoway and ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure 1990s free scene in the (entirely legal) tour as well as forming X-SLF with Jim Reilly. King Tubby. Followed by a screening of cult – Weekly acoustic and open mic session, tonight confines of the East Oxford Community Centre, He’s joined by local rock veteran Ady Davey and classic rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. with Takeshi. Audacity features a live set from Audacity Al, classic rock’n’rollers The Corsairs. mixing classic 60s and 70s hits together via some SIMPLE MINDS: The New Theatre – Jim Kerr th THURSDAY 30 New email address: acid house craziness and live instrumentation from and co. return with their Big Music – see main CC SMUGGLERS: The Bullingdon – [email protected] Alan Brown, Fi McFall, Bert Audebert, Osprey, preview Rough’n’ready roots ramblin’ from Bedfordshire’s Moose Taykor and more, plus a main DJ set from UGLY DUCKLING: The Bullingdon – Golden Tom Samsara, veteran of the original free rave Age-inspired hip hop from the Californian cult scene. heroes – see main preview Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion is the 20th of each mont - no exceptions. Email & SEAN LAKEMAN: LAST GREAT DREAMERS + HELL’S listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright Nightshift Magazine and may not The Cornerstone, Didcot – Husband and wife GAZELLS + BEAVER FUEL: The Wheatsheaf be reproduced without permission. a benchmark for reckless rock and roll entertainment, to such MODS GUITAR / SONGWRITING TUITION LIVE a degree that anything less than O2 Academy utter carnage is going to feel like In recent weeks Noel Gallagher has both swatting away invisible wasps, his words a disappointment tonight. At least Most styles, acoustic and electric, and bass bemoaned the lack of working-class voices exploding over the mic in a shower of spittle. Beginners welcome - full-time teacher one young lady of our acquaintance in contemporary music and dismissed With his barely suppressed rage, wired eyes photo: Jonny Moto is here just to see if Lias Saoudi as being like “Brown Bottle and accent, he recalls Paddy author of How to Write Songs on Guitar will get his willy out. He doesn’t, in Viz ... shouting about fucking cider and Considine’s character in Shane Meadows’ and many other guitar books performing topless but no more, fucking shit chicken”. Make up your mind, superlative revenge flick Dead Man’s Shoes. his hand creeping into his pants O monobrowed one. Just because the latter Little wonder that a firm request early on to a couple of times, like a toddler don’t conform to your particular, very narrow turn up the PA is instantly obeyed. www.rikkyrooksby.com that barely realises what they’re idea of a working-class voice – namely, Williamson’s very first words may be [email protected] doing, the band’s mutant rockabilly Richard Ashcroft or Bobby Gillespie. “Bunch of cunts”, but his lyrics aren’t throbbing and spasming like a giant For their part, Sleaford Mods – Jason merely aggressive; there’s a wicked wit that Tel. 01865 765847 wounded alien insect at times. For Williamson and Andrew Robert Lindsay elevates his diatribes above the rantings of some reason they’re so consumed Fearn – have branded Gallagher a “closet your average white-cider-swigging denizen by reverb it’s often difficult to hear Tory” who sees music as an “instrument of of the bus station. Signature song ‘Tied Up what’s going on, a marked contrast social mobility”. That accusation certainly In Nottz’ starts with the extraordinary line to the scratchy, stark clarity of that couldn’t be levelled at the duo themselves. “The smell of piss is so strong it smells like Bullingdon show. And so `Cream As tonight’s gig proves, they’re very much in decent bacon”, while Williamson repeatedly of the Young’ loses much of its the gutter, but they’re not looking at the stars; and monotonously insisting “I’ve got a Brit sleaziness, while `Is It Raining In on the contrary, they’re writhing around in Award” in ‘McFlurry’ raises a chuckle. Your Mouth’ becomes little more the filth of everyday life, blind to any escape But both are arguably trumped by the than a wall of discordant noise. route. Their music – a lo-fi and distinctively mock signing-on interview in ‘Jobseeker’, `I Am Mark E Smith’, though, is British hip-hop/punk punch-up between The Williamson admitting he’d be tempted to Three state of the art rehearsal rooms. a towering brute of a song that Streets and The Fall, peppered with profanity steal from work because “I’ve got drugs to punches out of that veil of reverb For bookings. and fuelled by fury and disgust – is a perfect take and a mind to break”. to go toe to toe with The Fall’s own soundtrack for benefits offices, the top decks It’s not so much that Sleaford Mods have Call Jamie on 07917685935 `I Am Damo Suzuki’. A local punk of buses and pub car park drug deals. recently come to attention – more that Glasshouse studios, Cumnor, Oxford veteran passes us as he heads for the attention has come to them. They certainly exit in disgust. We’ll consider that a Beatmaker Fearn – baseball cap, Run DMC never courted it and you can be equally victory on Fat White Family’s part. T-shirt – has already done his work in the Palma Violets’ set is as much about bedroom/studio, so is free to press play certain that they won’t give two shits when the crowd as the band, as beer and on his laptop, grin, dance and drink beer, it’s gone. But, at a time when musical novelty bodies, even the odd pair of trousers, happy to leave the limelight to his partner usually equates to youthfulness rather than go flying above the bobbing, seething in crime. Williamson is testament to John invention, it’s reassuring that a pair of mass of heads. At one point someone Lydon’s declaration that anger is an energy, fortysomethings can still receive recognition lights a purple smoke bomb , which pacing about the stage like a caged tiger that for being genuinely original. fills the room with exotic colour and occasionally morphs into a menacing gibbon, Ben Woolhead an acrid smell, intensifying the crazy PALMA VIOLETS / FAT WHITE FAMILY / SLAVES atmosphere in the venue. Musically Palma Violets are little more than KIM CHURCHILL O2 Academy generic post-punk indie rock – heirs If, as reports suggest, NME is on its early we miss their set completely, message, just a rampant assault to The Cribs’ up-for-the-fight pop The Bullingdon last legs, no-one seems to have told but Slaves are in no mood to ease of noise and shouting, like Crass blunderbuss, and without such a The one man band used to be a comic Eccentric he might be, but essentially, at the crowd for tonight’s Awards tour, us into the evening gently. Like or Sham 69 filleted of political fanatical following to make the show spectacle, reserved for the pages of the heart Churchill is a bit of an old hippy. He which is the most up for it we’ve Royal Blood there’s just the two consciousness and infected with the a spectacle, their mix and match of Beano, whenever they wanted to depict had a dream of playing music around the seen in ages. Lively doesn’t even of them – drummer and guitarist most rudimentary of Home Counties bits of The Stranglers and the Clash someone as a little eccentric (or he’d be world and making a living out of it, and start to describe a capacity throng – but Slaves are the punk to Royal hip hop sensibilities. `Beauty Quest’ might fall by the wayside with so deployed if someone’s slumbering father he’s doing a pretty good job of it. Over the THE OXFORD RECORD that celebrates each act tonight with Blood’s classic rock, eschewing sums their route-one approach many other wannabes and chancers. required waking up). Thanks to the joys of course of a set, his material might be a little hedonistic abandon. subtlety for mercilessly yobbish perfectly but it’s the oddly anthemic But in the end it is a spectacle, and if technology, the one man band no longer has one paced, due to the limitations of his set DVD & CD FAIR The loss of Amazing Snakeheads rabble-rousing shout-alongs that are `Where’s the Car Debbie’ that raises NME is on death’s door, it’s patently to stomp up and down twanging at a banjo, up, but he radiates such a feel-good vibe, it’s St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE from the bill after they split on the as mindless as they are fun. Every cymbals on his knees, a bass drum on his hard not to get swept along with it. `Single the threat level to riot mode. obvious that rock and roll resolutely 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP eve of the tour is a shame, and their song goes bang bang bang stop, no Fat White Family’s gig at the isn’t. back, a car horn under each foot and a hat Spark’ is a ridiculously catchy earworm replacements, Wytches, are on so internal intricacies, no particular Bullingdon last year remains Dale Kattack full of bells adorning his whacky bonce. No, of a song, his rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Saturday 25th April these days, the likes of Kim Churchill can `The Lemon Song’ is truly inspiring, and do all of that sitting down. `Window To The Sky’ might just be the most 10am-4pm GLASS ANIMALS upbeat song ever written about housework Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres and relationship breakdown. Accessories/memoriabillia/books. O2 Academy His optimistic nature means that `Smile Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl In a little over two years, Glass Animals have gone from local enigma precedes the stripped-down minimalism of `Exxus’, the climax of which As He Goes Home’, a song written for his www.usrfairs.co.uk to international success story. Spurred on by last year’s impressively sends ethereal echoes swirling round the room. The honeyed resonance of deceased grandfather, is somehow gloriously successful debut album `Zaba’ they’re steadfastly following in the (aptly named) `Gooey’’s lyrics throbs around surging guitar loops and the uplifting. It’s introduced with a positivity footsteps of some of Oxford’s most successful musical exports, tonight’s twinkling flow of ascending keys. that could come across as syrupy, were it hometown appearance forming part of a relentless four month world tour In keeping with the tone of the music, there’s something almost tribal not for the infectious enthusiasm he seems that’s taken them to the States and Australia. about the crowd’s reaction; they appear to pulsate as one, moving in to have for absolutely everything. There are Hometown shows are special though, this one not least because unison to the rhythmic shimmer of `Hazy’. The band announce the need moments of introspection, like on the moody frontman Dave Bayley’s mum is in the audience. “I want to impress for “something a little bit more chilled”, before slinking into the drawn out `Fuel And Fire’, but they’re frequently her,” he announces, surprisingly on form considering the cancellation expanse of `Cocoa Hooves’, the song that arguably started it all, where, offset by Churchill’s jovial introductions of yesterday’s Cambridge date due to an unplanned hospital admission. over the ripples of a softly distorted guitar phrase, shadowy waves of and sunny disposition. Sometimes, he gets a Indeed, he charms the crowd, bemoaning in between songs the fact they sound are punctuated methodically with echoing percussion. little preachy when talking about the power don’t play enough local gigs, and thanking everyone who’s “been with us After a brief respite, they reappear for an encore comprising a cover of of positive thinking, but it seems to have from the start.” Kanye’s `Love Lockdown’, in distinctively Glass Animals style, before worked wonders for him so far, so it’s hard The slightly stilted earnestness of these monologues is at stark contrast they close the night with the tightly emphatic synchronisation of `Pools’, to judge him on this alone. His cover of the to what transpires when the band play. They exude cool. The words drip the rapturous applause of the crowd falling into rhythmic place, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ `Parallel Universe’, from Dave’s mouth and snake up to wind through staccato synth lines, extending the beat long after they’ve left the stage. however, is another matter altogether. Caroline Corke

intricately crafted and subtly placed. The crash of drums in `Black Mambo’ photo: Sam Shepherd Sam Shepherd MONKFISH / RUTH THEODORE / LIVE SUPERLOOSE The Wheatsheaf th photo: Jonny Moto Tonight is Gappy Tooth Industries’ 150 lifetime of first busking in Southampton gig. Divided by twelve, that equals twelve and then surviving a few medical dramas and a half years, so makes that sometime in has forged a more independent heart, and 2002 when Richard Catherall and co. were musicallyRuth has moved on from given the keys to the last Saturday of every Nashville to the deep south, and the vibe month, originally at the Jericho Tavern, then of old-time spirituals, last commercially the Zodiac and latterly at The Wheatsheaf. glimpsed in Paul Simon’s `Loves Me Like Nightshift doffs its cap in salute to such a Rock’, and his `Graceland’ album. By dedication and says thanks for all the music allying herself with three fabulous harmony (given GTI’s adherence to a no-return singers – Eliot Jett on countertenor, Jigh policy when it comes to acts, that’s getting Ejakpovi on tenor and percussion, and on for 500 different bands and artists in that Wayne Thompson’s baritone and drums time). – she has reinvented the whole soulful Superloose, formed in 2007 out of the genre, without pastiche, to take venues Skittle Alley club, are performing electric by storm. `Everyone’s A Time Bomb’ is tonight with occasional banjo (humorous a real icebreaker, and anyone who can cries of “Judas!” from the back). A snapshot out shred Ry Cooder and come up with of their set sees Teardrop Explodes’ `Reward’ the lyric “I’ll tell you what I told the and `I Want To Be Like You’ from ” (`Whistleblower’) is going to sell a Jungle Book, two of my favourite songs, lot of records. mauled and neutered without the necessary You could use Monkfish singer Kev brass, but sandwiched in between, they Riddle’s voice to dig graves. It’s a serious harmonize and a cappella the best original beast of a voice, pure southern gothic, and song of the night, with the poignant coastal the band haul it out of the depths of the lament of `We Are The Fishermen’, a Delta swamps and give it a good going sublime moment where the room goes silent over, trawling every influence from country and you can hear the sound of goose bumps rock, Steppenwolf, gothic grunge, The forming. More of this sort of thing, please! Mission, and Jo Jo Gunne, but at every Ruth Theodore has been making big stage that voice demands that you are not waves with her River Rat record label leaving to go home. And with Gappy Tooth on her boat down in London E5, with Industries continuing to put gigs of this favourable comparisons to Martha quality, why would you want to. Wainwright and Ani DiFranco, but a Paul Carrera musical incarnation of that scene in The Thing where the alien beast The Wheatsheaf infects all the huskies, turning them ALL TAMARA’S PARTIES Corby, that decomposing steel a slight worry when a band reforms a to b, but it’s going to get there into a seething mass of howling, town in the upper reaches of that the old magic – or in this case causing the maximum amount of snapping viciousness. It’s both Wild Honey Organic Health Store , must have been rage and musical violence – will damage. threatening and infectious. All Tamara’s Parties celebrated its twentieth and delivered with a voice that has as a the perfect breeding ground for have died a little. Oh we of little Despite their years of touring, “Come on Oxford,” they bellow show and its aim of promoting more female wealth of emotional range to match its tonal Raging Speedhorn, a band who soar faith. including last summer’s festival before the splenetic `Halfway To musicians with a line-up that boasts an range. on wings of pure fury. This isn’t the original line-up of appearances, there’s still an Hell’, “it’s been a fucking long time equal 50/50 split of female/male performers. Longstanding ATP compere and local poet It’s fifteen years since Nightshift the band, but with Frank Regan untidiness about Raging Speedhorn, since we played here,” instantly In the wake of Reading Festival’s widely George Chopping delivers a set of poetry witnessed the band playing at the and John Loughlin on dual vocals, but this is a particular element provoking a moshpit worthy of criticised paucity of female acts, it’s a small which plays out like a well-choreographed Bullingdon (alongside Medulla a safe run-through of the old songs of their monstrous magic, that such primal music. If bands reflect but important step in the right direction. train crash, veering between straight- Nocte and Faith In Hate), ending is never an option. “This one is a feeling things could fall apart at their geographical origins, Raging Another trait of ATP has been its use of laced delivery of his eclectic poems about the evening wearing most of our singalong,” announces Frank at any moment, doubtless leading to Speedhorn are the brutality of the unusual local venues and the yoga studio decapitating rowers and odes to ham, to pint and waking the next morning one point. In Hell maybe. Raging serious repercussions. The band foundries and factories of Corby of Wild Honey Organic Health Store on chastising the audience for not being able to with a large bruise covering most Speedhorn’s sludgy, downtuned have been on the piss big time in made musical flesh. If you could Magdelan Road ticks that box. There’s not guess what word he was going to use next. of our rib cage. While we’re too attack dog hardcore, a melting pot the build-up to tonight’s set but the bottle it, you could conquer the many shows which require the audience to Clearly Chopping is a man who understands sensible to want to repeat some of of Iron Monkey riffage and Black edge of onstage chaos manifests world. sit on the floor with no shoes on and allow the power and benefit of not delivering that carnage tonight, there’s always Flag fury, is in no hurry to get from itself not as looseness but the Dale Kattack you to browse a selection of ‘sacred room poetry in the way that poetry is usually sprays’ between acts. delivered. Aptly, the opening act Nia has a somewhat Headliners The August List seem to have POLICE DOG HOGAN gentlemen shines though, whether on `Man 60s type of protest approach to her music, a tricky balance to strike when it comes Needs A Shed’ and the band’s heroically daft albeit delivered with a staggering blues to their live shows. Although their debut The Bullingdon `Shitty White Wine’ anthem (choice lines: “Shitty falsetto reminiscent of Joanna Newsom, album ‘O Hinterland’ showed their material “Come on Oxford, you don’t want to be outdone musicians (eight of them in all). If they were ever white wine / A kangaroo on the label is never a matched with some hugely impressive in full fleshed out mode, they still appear at by Honiton, do you?” Tonight’s return to town for a dad (and token mum) band that got out hand, it good sign / Breakfast in a bottle, £3.99”). ragtime guitar playing. The protest element their best when they play smaller venues as Police Dog Hogan is packed to capacity, and we’re no longer shows. It’s not all jollity and drinking songs; there’s comes across in songs about the EDL and a duo. They comfortably skip through all not sure if it’s the allure of Guardian columnist They’ve been described as `suburban bluegrass’ heartache in a lament about a Galway girl, and Mark Duggan. Not an easy thing to do, but their standout tracks, with `Cut Yr Teeth’ in Tim Dowling on banjo, or the band’s untiring but Police Dog Hogan have more in common the spirit of The Waterboys’ `Fisherman’s Blues’ on balance Nia pulls off the right level of particular showcasing that they can convey willingness to play the UK’s most unfashionable with the old folk traditions of Devon and dances around the more Irish-flavoured numbers, earnestness with these topical songs without their sweeping country sound sans rhythm outposts that’s made their reputation. In the end Cornwall, with their idiosyncratic tales of but when they whoop it up, finishing on a hoe- eliciting sneering cynicism – although it section. By the time they finish there’s an it’s a bit of both but mostly it’s the simple fact they Crackington and Westwood Ho!, and fiddle down cover of Hank Williams’ `I Saw The Light’, could have been all the mellowing incense almost communal air in the yoga studio know how to entertain a crowd. player Eddie Bishop is as much a star of tonight’s their sense of fun is universal – whether it’s wafting through the air. (and an air of old socks). Goes to show Like all the best folk bands they balance humour show as lead singer and chief raconteur James Appalachia or Galway, Honiton or a back garden Tamara Parsons-Baker, accompanied by sticking people in a small room with some and storytelling with deft musicianship and a Studholme, reminding us more than once of barbecue in Cheam, folks will always come back Tommy Longfellow on percussion, plays good music essentially leads to a pretty party-hearty attitude than infects all before them Devon’s favourite son . if there’s fun to be had. a short set of songs from her forthcoming bloody good time. and belies what looks like a motley collection of The droll humour of middle-aged suburban Dale Kattack second album; her songs are finely crafted Stephen Tuohy LIVE photo: Marc West photo: Marc

Although the LCO musicians are LCO SOLOISTS & JONNY GREENWOOD a honed ensemble, the night’s highlights come from two solo St John The Evangelist pieces. Oliver Coates’s version There are a number of people necessarily austere) music is the sole and aching violin that is positively of cello and effects piece `Love’ who have taken the sometimes focus tonight. Perhaps we should Vaughan Williams, and `Future by Mica Levi takes the blasted shaky walk between pop and file Greenwood as “cross-under”. Markets’, a full throttle dirt-ride for romanticism of the original version classical but, whether they’re Tellingly, Jonny isn’t onstage that strings like a cross between Bernard and emphasises a cheap seasick iconoclasts who rubbed against much, leaving the spotlight to the Herrmann and Can. Occasionally awkwardness, until it resembles their new world (Zappa), surprising excellent London Contemporary the soundtrack origins of much of V/Vm tackling Nyman, and Anna traditionalists (Lord; Sting) or Orchestra Soloists. His one solo the music can make it feel a little pat Lapwood’s take on Messiaen’s vapid embarrassments (Klass), showcase, Reich’s `Electric and guilty of emotive signposting, Bachian boogie-woogie pile-up `Les the popular star generally retains Counterpoint’, has surprisingly but the sound has a depth and Anges’ on the SJE’s organ perfectly centre stage. Interestingly, neither bluesy phrasing, as if yanking the mystery that makes it far more mixes the twitchy intricacy with the Jonny Greenwood nor his promo airy serenity of Metheny’s famous Penderecki than Korngold. Only devotional intent. That the applause people have over-publicised his version down from the clouds to `Self-Portrait With Seven Fingers’ for these two pieces is as warm as recent compositions for concert hall dingy bars and city streets. As a disappoints, using the audience’s that for Jonny’s guitar spot speaks or celluloid and, whilst this event composer his work is balanced and phone-triggered tinny plinks to volumes about the quality of these probably sold out more quickly than varied, highlights being `Miniature’, create a Fisher-Price carillon: the performers, and the open-minds of your average contemporary music which adds to tambura drones a cold aleatory concept is intriguing, but the audience. gig, it’s clear that serious (if not constellation of Satie piano notes it’s mostly just annoying. David Murphy BUG PRENTICE / COGWHEEL / GREAT WESTERN TEARS The Bullingdon Tonight’s openers Great Western Tears are a late stand in after David Tudor the wait. Guitar rips are interspersed with Slint-style intermissions, while singer failed to show. While I’ve had my fill of Americana in the Oxford context, Ally Craig slings his instrument across his lap and helps recall at the delivery is impressively authentic, helped along perhaps by a mouthful of their most visceral. The chatter between songs is a cut above too – ‘Nebraska Nobby’s Nuts from the train operator the band might just have taken their name Admiral’ is a “deliciously pointless” tale while cinema forms a significant from. Those tears are also a feature of that mode of travel of course. backcloth – both via new song ‘Nicholas Ray’ and a cover of Cat Stevens’ Rebecca Mosley’s Cogwheel are back from a half decade hiatus. Often wispy ‘Don’t Be Shy’, a centrepiece of cult classic Harold and Maude. Indeed, Craig and faintly Kate Bush influenced, the songs are prone to ending too early and admits to having purloined many of his lyrics from screenplays because he when the guy at the bar unpacking plastic cups is louder than the band, the “couldn’t be bothered” to write his own – but the self-deprecation fools nobody. soundman perhaps needs to sort it out. At this point in the evening, the total The flip side of the ‘Nicholas Ray’ single is the brooding ‘Spoons’, while instrument count across two sets amounts to three while in keeping with the bar Craig’s voice and Ruth Goller’s bass extend powerfully to all corners of the tender’s deliberations, one song, ‘Cress’ deals with doing the washing up and auditorium and James Madrin, standing in for Stephen Gilchrist on drums, ‘Queues’ is a lengthier tune about the oppressiveness of London Town. provides impressive thumping. It’s a superb set by a must-see band. All of which leaves us impatient for Bug Prentice and they are seriously worth Robert Langham AQUILO LIVE The Bullingdon duo Aquilo expand to version of ‘Climax’ that sees both a four-piece live and create layers drummer and bassist practising the of gently haunting electronic loops statue life. photo: Jack Harvey and mellow, electric guitars. Slow, ‘Human’ shows that even three balladic keys and perfect vocal notes on Tom Higham’s guitar harmonies are showered with are enough of a refrain to carry a shimmering samples and their song forwards. Often it’s the way radio-friendly choruses are boosted Aquilo use silence that makes their with an appealing combination of music work, carefully building electric and acoustic percussion and up layer upon layer of sound and powerfully simple pop basslines. then demolishing it all suddenly “This is a song about where we’re at the perfect moment. Their final from,” they announce as electronic number sees a return to the epic drums lead us into a sonic pompom cymbal-rolls and muted, wilderness, perhaps evocative of tribal-sounding guitar as Tom their home landscape, with muted Higham’s narrative lyrics and the clicking guitars and pan-pipe like pulsing bass guitar bring us back to keys. But then a heartbeat drum the start. The show feels like one kicks in, underpinning the fluidity fluid movement rather than a set as a strong chorus sneaks up to of songs and when the restrained capture their audience. Mid-set heartache of ‘Losing You’ comes they unleash their Usher cover, to an end they close the show with originally played on Radio 1. From ‘I Gave It All’. An irresistibly inside the circle of instruments that soulful and captivating song with he alternates between rapidly Ben a beautifully simple four-word Fletcher admits he was “a little chorus and a perfectly timed snare wary” of the song choice “but Tom drum all wrapped up in an electric convinced me.” With organ keys lullaby. and lulling vocals, it’s a minimal Celina Macdonald

simply as ‘gorgeous’, and following this we get a potentially risky, in that it may prompt some TIM GARLAND Chick Corea number laced with those engaging people to come to their senses and walk out. But Holywell Music Room flamenco and Arabic riffs. John Elliott, the multi-instrumentalist behind The The optimistic ‘Bright New Year’ finds Law Little Unsaid, clearly feels there’s no danger of There are times the local gig going public and Rebello laying down a cascade of notes over that; not only does he have firm faith in his songs, can get to benefit from the Oxford Colleges, which Garland plays lyrical sax. When they play he’s also expecting us to share that faith. The band and tonight is one of them with Oriel College it again as the encore it’s notable how different – Elliott accompanied by bassist, drummer and inviting saxophone maestro and composer they make it sound by being bolder and more viola player – are in the midst of recording a new Tim Garland to be their musician in residence. playful, making for an even more upbeat ending album, ‘Fisher King’, with local producer Graeme Garland has a long association with jazz mega and sending both Town and Gown out into the Stewart, and Elliott is asking for crowdfunding star Chick Corea, and his horizon stretches from night with a smile on their faces. assistance to ensure it sees the light of day. small groups to symphony orchestras; his much Colin May After the first song, I’m tempted to find the praised latest album ‘Songs to the Northern nearest cashpoint and withdraw my life savings, Sky’ includes the strings of The Royal Northern such is the whirlwind their amped-up indie folk Symphonia. kicks up. But after a while, I’m glad I resisted. Tonight it’s straight ahead accessible THE LITTLE UNSAID / Though there’s a measure of anger and darkness contemporary jazz with most of the set list in the lyrical content (the image of horses Garland’s own compositions and an emphasis WALTZ IN THE dragging bodies through the street is particularly on melody, with an undercurrent of flamenco memorable), things never get quite so bitter riffs in some of the numbers. Alongside Garland SHALLOW END or bleak as to make the dubious endorsements are a couple of players who I’ve not seen him The Cellar they’ve received from Whispering Bob Harris and with before, both of whom are group leaders Jeff Buckley’s mum seem improbable. Elliott has in their own right: Jason Rebello is a pianist Waltz In The Shallow End may feature Bear On A covered Nick Cave and at one point cites Tom who has and returned to jazz after Bicycle founder member Jordan O’Shea alongside Waits, but lacks their maverick spirit, offering several years playing first with Sting (we forgive Kaye Dougall and Trenton Smith, but at first little that would seriously unsettle a Radio 2 him) and then Jeff Beck, while Ant Law is an the trio’s sunshiney (and, if truth be told, rather listener. Take ‘Riot Song’. Despite that title, some innovative guitar player on the rise. grating) twee-pop is some way removed from his crashing crescendos and the sounds of police Garland gives both of them space to express lachrymose solo material. sirens and lampposts going through windows themselves and the sound of Law on the twelve However, while the grins and goofy banter sampled from YouTube footage of the London string and the intensity of Rebello, body hunched remain throughout, the metaphorical storm riots, it’s all a bit too neat and well mannered – as over the keyboard, are impressive. It’s the clouds roll in with the more aggressive ‘Foxtrot though you’re watching the violent tumult on TV versatile Garland’s show though as he mixes Fitzgerald’ and a lyric about “being better off in the comfort of your own living room, rather atmospherics, lyricism and sax clout, not only as dead”, while the penultimate song’s repeated than first-hand on a street corner, with bricks a player but as a composer. refrain, “Are we madly in love with you?” is whistling past your ears. The spiky restless ‘Blues For Little Joe’, simple, resonant and beautifully harmonised. There’s no denying that Elliott and accomplices shot through with a blast of rock, is an early Nightshift may not be madly in love with them are accomplished musicians, and that plenty of highlight and is immediately followed by the quite yet, but our initial frostiness is certainly the gig-goers adding lusty vocals to set-closing very different ‘A Brother’s Gift’, dedicated to melting away. sea shanty ‘Lead The Way’ would be happy to Garland’s brother, and a Jan Gabarek-meets- Thanking your audience for attending by dip into their pockets, but personally I’d have John Coltrane lyrical meditation. ‘Tyne Song’ reminding them that they “could be doing preferred something a bit more raw and ragged. is one of several tunes which my notes describe anything else”, such as “having a foot spa”, is Ben Woolhead DR SHOTOVER: Cowley Road Undressed T H E W H E A T S H E A F [Camera pans across the car park behind Tesco’s with super-imposed whirly rd psychedelic patterns… a tinny unlicensed instrumental version ofXanadu by Dave INTRODUCING.... Friday 3 April – KLUB KAKOFANNEY Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich plays softly in the background… Dr Shotover Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under FUZZY LOGIC BABY strolls into shot wearing an Afghan coat, an over-stretched tie-dye t-shirt, crushed PUNCH DRUNK MONKEY CLUB + VIENNA DITTO + AFTER THE THOUGHT 8pm/£5 strawberry velvet loons and carpet slippers]. Ah, there you are, fellow-travellers. Saturday 4th April – SLAVE TO THE GRIND Welcome to the Mysterious East… of Oxford. The good folks at Yesteryear, formerly The Balkan Wanderers the Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler Channel, have commissioned this ABADDON INCARNATE little curio to fill a blank spot in the schedule – in between endless re-runs of The Who are they? BASEMENT TORTURE KILLINGS + COLDWAR + BLACK SKIES BURN 7:45pm World At War, Hermann Goering’s Favourite Antiques, The New Seekers: A Warning The Balkan Wanderers were formed by the songwriting partnership of th Wednesday 8 April – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC From History, and My Grandad Flew A Spitfire. I’ll be your host as we show some Antica Culina (vocals/piano) and Stu Wigby (vocals/guitar) in late 2013. grainy footage of East Oxford in the 1960s, sepia at first, then colourised to make Antica is a classically trained pianist from Croatia, well-versed in traditional LUCY LEAVE BEL ESPRIT + LAKE OF KINGS + ELLIOT VANDERHYDE 8pm/£6 it look as though we were all having a good time. Someone, probably from little- Balkan songs; Stu was previously in indie and folk-punk acts. The line-up is th Friday 10 April – MD PROMOTIONS known Kirtlington-based Shadows-copyists The Treble-Ohs, will say, ‘Everything completed by Clare Heaviside (carinet) and Germans musicians Marc Witte was in black-and-white till the Beatles played at the Carfax Assembly Rooms… then (bass) and Rene Niehus (drums). The band began by performing covers of ICONS + COLOURED BY NUMBERS 8pm/£5 CROWS REIGN it was like we started living in colour!’ Donovan will smile reflectively: ‘Yeah, I got Saturday 11th April traditional Balkan songs at open mics, weddings and parties, and then decided spiked at a folk club in East Oxford once… or was it East Grinstead?’ No expense to start writing their own material (“blending our respective influences and spent as the screen splits into four, showing extras in face paint and bellbottoms ALPHABET BACKWARDS ROB GREEN + GEORGE CHOPPING 8pm/£6 aiming to be both melodically infectious and highly danceable”). An early Wednesday 15th April – BURIED IN SMOKE dancing around on Angel Meadow, plus footage of disgraced DJ and presenter demo earned them airplay on 6Music, and BBC Oxford Introducing. Their Rufus ‘Quimbers’ Quimby-Saddleworth throwing money and Beatle wigs off debut EP, `The Pride’ is released this month. They play the Punt in May. dust off his guitar, and he introduced us to the Oxford music scene and hence Magdalen Tower to an adoring crowd of girls in miniskirts. The producers will open GIRL POWER HIGH FIGHTER + SUNNATA + AGNESS PIKE 7:45pm/£5 What do they sound like? the wealth of other great local artists.” th another can of generic Swinging 60s Hammond-organ music. A former model in a Friday 17 April – DAISY RODGERS A male/female-fronted multinational quintet featuring members from Croatia If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: floral poncho will nod sadly and say, ‘Yes, but the drugs ruined it’ and/or ‘Yes, but and Germany as well as the UK was always going to be an eclectic and “Asking us to pick just one album risks sparking a major international LITTLE BROTHER ELI + BILLY T’RIVERS 8pm/£5 then it got commercialised’. The End. At which point, dear friends, I will collect a SWINDLESTOCK musically exotic affair and Balkan Wanderers’ trans-European dance express Saturday 18th April – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC large BOAC bag full of cash from conflict, so we’ll plump for `Now That’s What I Call Music 26’. Something our corporate sponsors and light crosses musical borders between traditional Balkan folk and dance, punk, ska for everyone. It’s even got `Creep’ on it. THE DEPUTEES NUDY BRONQUE + MARK COPE + SLATE HEARTS 8pm/£6 an enormous Quimbers-cigar- and indie with the ease you’d expect in modern European travel. When is their next local gig and what can newcomers expect? Wednesday 22nd April – MD PROMOTIONS ACOUSTIC SHOWCASE sized reefer; then, going into my What inspires them? “Mayfest on May 4th at the James St Tavern, followed by the Punt on the 13th performer’s caravan, I will do “Sweat glistening on the brows of the audience; interspecies relationships; May. We demand action from the audience, so newcomers should know to EDEN CIRCLE ROBERT LANYON + SAM EDWARDS + PHOUSA TEA + DAVID TUDOR a quick change into my baggy unrequited love; coastal landscapes and meteorology. wear dancing shoes and consume carbohydrates and plenty of fluids.” PHIL WHICKER + THE DANDY CAVALIERS 8pm/£5 chalk-stripe demob suit, medals, Career highlight so far: Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: Friday 24th April – BURN THE JUKEBOX a stick-on moustache and a “Supporting The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band at their Cold War Party “The Oxford scene really does punch well above its weight for a town of its beret, for Dunkirk? FUN-kirk!, a last year. The Jericho Tavern was packed out and the crowd was awesome.” SLY & THE FAMILY DRONE YOUNG CONSERVATIVE + TELEGRAPHER 8pm size, so it’s a privilege to have easy access to lots of shows by brilliant local Saturday 25th April – GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES nostalgia-filled programme And the lowlight: acts. On the flip side, it is not quite big enough to attract many international about how we were all much “Playing with a concussed drummer. Rene got knocked unconscious playing touring artists – they often seem to overlook it for bigger towns.” ORANGE VISION P/R/P/E + REUBEN’S ROCKET 8pm/£4.50 happier during the Second World football but insisted he was okay for the gig that night. We picked him up You might love them if you love: Sunday 26th April – OXROX War. Cheers – down in one! straight from hospital, arrived late and spent the performance glancing over Manu Chao; Gogol Bordello; Supergrass; Xazzar; The Penny Black Here’s mud in your eye, Gladys! our shoulders to check that he wasn’t about to collapse.” Remedy; Goran Bregović. HELL’S GAZELLS + BEAVER FUEL 8pm/£5 Next Month: Strictly Come LAST GREAT DREAMERS SHOTOVER: ‘Which bloody programme am I Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: Hear them here: The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford Blitzkrieg presenting again?’ “Our good friend Shan, aka Moogieman, was instrumental in inspiring Stu to thebalkanwanderers.bandcamp.com

THIS MONTH IN OXFORD ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY 20 YEARS AGO 10 YEARS AGO Dub Foundation, James Blunt, Maximo Park, In March 1995 Radiohead released `The Bends’. In a busy month for local news, Young Knives The Subways and former Take That puppy In May Supergrass would release their debut announced a new EP on Transgressive Records, Mark Owen, all at the Zodiac, while there was album `I Should Coco’, but in between these two featuring `Coastguard’, `Kramer vs Kramer’, noisy noise aplenty at the Wheatsheaf with monumental local music events, came a rather less `Weekends and Bleak Days’ and `Trembling of 65Daysofstatic, Billy Mahonie and Coma Kai. internationally celebrated event that nevertheless the Tails’. The trio also announced a hometown had equally far-reaching significance for the local headline show at the Zodiac. 5 YEARS AGO scene as The Hobgoblin opened its doors to live While BBC Radio Oxford’s Download show It being that time of year again, April 2010’s news music for the first time. The pub, on The Plain, continued its trial eight-week run, this year’s Punt pages were dominated by festival line-ups, with that would soon undergo a major refurbishment line-up was announced, featuring Laima Bite, The Jackson Browne and David Gray set for the to turn the upstairs venue into The Point, found Evenings, A Silent Film, Fell City Girl, The Half then two-day Cornbury Festival, while Truck former Jericho Tavern promoter Mac taking up Rabbits, The Family Machine, Harry Angel, had Esben & the Witch, Ms Dynamite and Lau residency. The venue would go on to be one of Big Speakers and more. Local heroes Days among their first batch of confirmations, local the greatest small venues the world has known, Of Grace called it a day, while stadium favourites Stornoway, Little Fish and This Town hosting early shows for The White Stripes, The rock gods Nation announced they would be the first Needs Guns also set to play. Strokes, Catatonia and many more, but its opening Oxford band to headline the New Theatre since Stornoway had just signed to 4AD this month, month was very much an Oxford-centric affair. The Supergrass. Whatever happened to them, eh? joining a roster that included Bon Iver, Scott Walker opening night saw local favourites The Daisies Sad news reached us that Bob Woods, the old and The Big Pink, and releasing a new single, `I alongside August – the band formed by former landlord of the Jericho Tavern during its glory years Saw You Blink’, with a debut album to follow. Sevenchurch members, minus singer Martin Spear, had passed away. The characterful cockney and his A plethora of local releases saw Foals’ classic his place in the band taken by Robert Lawrence. family had facilitated the pub’s transformation into `Spanish Sahara’ see the light of day, going on August would soon rename themselves Earth one of the UK’s best small venues with promoter to top many end of year charts, while The Half Machine. Mac. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Rabbits, Phantom Theory, Gunning For Tamar Local faves Thurman also played a sold-out show On the local release front, Sunnyvale Noise Sub- and D Gwalia also had new records out. at the Hob, fans, many of whom had travelled from Element released `Techno Self-Harm’, while also Turn to the back of the back of this month’s London to see the rising Britpop stars, left bereft gracing the cover of Nightshift.“You make music Nightshift and you’d find sitting atop the demo pile when they couldn’t get in, some weeping openly on because you can’t find the music you want in a an offering by a bunch of as-yet bedroom-bound the pub’s stairs. record shop,” said guitarist Giles Borg, “and we’re experimenters called Glass Animals. “This was the Elsewhere a still sparse local gig calendar saw not what you’d find in a record store. Unless you last demo in the pile and we were just about to give goth-pop starlets Wonderland and hardcore tigers played `We Built This City On Rock and Roll’ by up breathing,” read the review, “so you can thank Skydrive playing the Elm Tree, the Cowley Road Starship and some Kraftwerk and Prolapse at the Glass Animals for our continued existence. In a pub having been a heroic bastion of resistance amid same time. That would be awesome. No idea how month when most of the competition makes us want the carnage of the previous few months’ venue that fits into the question; it’s just a nice story.” to drink petrol Glass Animals are a welcome breath closures. Coming to town this month were Editors, Asian of fresh air.” Anyone know what happened to them? we in for some mighty stoner blues grooves to Vagueworld’s house and teach them what a la Indica Blues, or some monstrously actually means. Or at least give malevolent groove metal bluesing in the them a right royal kicking to learn them style of Desert Storm. Perhaps the 21st to sound less like a bunch of pantywaists. DEMOS Century sci-fi voodoo blues of Vienna Alongside Being Eugene – last month’s Sponsored by Ditto. Or maybe a load of widdly wank Demo of the Monthers – and Hatemail, Demo of the Month wins a free half day at from the school of We Wuv Stevie Ray Reveller seem to be part of a small core of Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy Vaughan and his School of Wretched local bands reviving metalcore’s original of Umair Chaudhry. Tedium. At first Get Loose seem to be ideals before they got sucked dry and Visit www.silverstreetstudios.co.uk/ offering some of the former – gruff, ballsy polished to buggery by simpering clothes nightshift-demo-of-the-month/ blues-rocking riffage that doesn’t smack horses describing themselves as `post- you down with the force of Ver Storm et hardcore’ (because still calling yourself al but has enough gumption to at least emo is just sooo uncool, right?). Reveller 01865 240250 DEMO OF REUBENS ROCKET stand in the shadow of Led Zeppelin. By don’t have Being Eugene’s techy tricks or By our calculations this is Reuben’s the second song, though, `Harm’s Way’, barrelling sense of unstoppable ferocity Rocket’s fourth demo and there’s little they’ve lapsed into Sunday boozer blues but they set about things with more than THE MONTH sign they’re going turn into an industrial session cliché, sounding like a hamfisted admirable vigour. “I don’t give a fuck grindcore band at time soon. The band is Eric Clapton doing JJ Cale’s `Cocaine’ on about you,” spits the singer at the start of ABLU essentially the work of Ollie Base, who a tape loop. Is that a guitar solo we hear? `Buying Into a Sellout’ before coughing Ablu is the musical moniker of Joel Scott- sounds like he should be a notorious local Say it ain’t so. This music couldn’t be more up half his internal organs in the pursuit Halkes, Cornish born and bred but latterly speed dealer rather than a gentle-hearted male if it sprouted a beard and got its willy of really getting things off his chest. The an Oxford University graduate, and if that balladeer of the sort who makes out. Which might at least add some kind riffage might not break new ground but it band name sounds a bit too much like the sound like Guitar Wolf. Still in his teens of entertainment value to proceedings. does the job, much as a sixth pint of Stella sound of a feverish tramp coughing up half despite his now long history of musical They finished with `Forgive Me’, which tastes exactly the same as the previous five a lung, don’t be put off, this is as soft and offerings, Ollie retains the same air of might well be an old ZZ Top track. Beards but still makes you capable of taking on inviting as a solitary fluffy white cloud on a romantic, wistful soulfulness he did back in again, you see. We’re sure plenty of folks half of Thames Valley Police’s finest of spring afternoon. Languid electronic beats the beginning, but with every new offering will forgive you, fellas, but in our heart a Saturday night, and as the song careers chatter amiably over twinkling synths with an he reveals more of his own character and of hearts, we’re struggling. Can we go towards its finale via some stoopidly fast underplayed oriental motif, while Joel sings less of his sometimes inadvisable influences. and listen to Lonelady’s new album again, double drumming, we swear we saw a kick with a whispered intensity and it sounds a lot Best of the three songs here is `Let Me Be’, please? drum pedal fly out of the speakers. You like Grimes, particularly opener `Hollows’ a full band effort, piano, drums and female see, people, it doesn’t have to be clever or with its woozy drifting ambience that can feel backing vocals adding a whole ton of extra complicated – just treat the world, and in like you’re hearing it through the tail end of a weight to a Nick Drake-like wander under VAGUEWORLD particular your instruments, as your enemy TURAN AUDIO.co.uk hazy dream. Those vocals do add a degree of the stars. It’s still essentially a sensitive If Vagueworld were a place rather than and punk rock will course through your Professional, independent CD urgency to proceedings, like someone gently acoustic ballad, but the hint of a rough a band, obviously nothing would ever veins like a fine double brandy at breakfast. trying to wake you from that reverie to tell edge in Ollie’s voice, and a neat hook in quite be anything in particular, just a Artists mastered in the studio last month include; you the house is on fire and you probably the melody make for a likeable if safe slice vague approximation of something people KISMET, TUFT HUNTER, THE TROPHY CABINET, need to get up and go without breakfast this of timeless folk-pop. Importantly, Ollie vaguely remember possibly being once ALEXANDER HAWKINS, YOUNG KNIVES, MERMAID time. Kind of folktronica for a chillout bar now seems a little less earnest, a little more upon a vague point in time. So, not starkly THE DEMO NOISES, NEVSKI, BURNING BEES, CROWBAR, on the island of the lotus eaters, where Toro carefree, even as he contemplates the sadder different to the band, then. Their first song OVERKILL, ORBITAL, TALKING HEADS, URIAH Y Moi and Mount Kimbie hang out smoking aspects of life, and that, from a promising is called `The the More I Like HEEP, HEN JENNY, INDIGO HUSK, GROVES, endless spliffs and forgetting they have to be young man making music that could make You’, which is an awful pun of the kind DUMPER WINTERFYLLETH, JOHN FOGERTY, GUNS N ROSES, anywhere anytime in the next six months. middle aged ladies weep softly into their The Moz himself might rather approve. ALCATRAZZ, THESE CERTAIN PEOPLE, VALERYAN, Very nice, in other words. Pinot Grigio, is extremely encouraging. And that’s about as good as it gets really. COSMIC WILL FLIGHTS OF HELIOS. Musically it sounds like a slick, slightly Talking of mislabelled post-hardcore, 01865 716466 [email protected] wimpy kid brother of Dive Dive’s tigerish Cosmic Will here take not just the biscuit HOMEPLANET pop-punk – lively but lacking any kind of but a sizeable chunk of cake and the coffee THE FUTURE RAYS bite – punk rock for people who’ve never table it was placed on. At what point did a The name The Future Rays feels like EARTH actually heard any punk music and think watery guitar jangling, some cursory fuzz Homeplanetearth are part of the fallout COURTYARD it belongs to a slightly precious, poetic James Bay might once have been the lead pedal misusage and someone mumbling in for mildly promising local funk/blues pop early-80s indie band, perhaps a bunch of singer of Black Flag because he wears a limp, out of tune fashion constitute anything RECORDING STUDIO outfit The Kites who decided to split up just 2 Tracking Rooms. Superb Control Room with: foppish young men who lounge around big hat and probably smoked cigarettes anywhere close to hardcore? This is post- their bedrooms all day listening to Felt or as people were starting to say they were a NEVE 5106 32 Channel Console. ProTools HD3 when he was a teenager. Seriously, threat hardcore in as much as a giant, stinking MTR 90 2” 24 Track Tape Machine. Vintage EMT Plate Reverb The Loft, and initially at least it seems that decent band. This one song demo suggests levels are amber and rising. `Why’, poo is `post-banquet’. The closest they get Loads of Brilliant Outboard Gear impression might be borne out as the band, a small step backwards from where they meanwhile, might as well be a discarded to making a bit of a racket is an innocuous Loads of Great Mics, Vintage and Modern until recently known as Crows, enter the left off with the old band, what decent ideas Old School Akai/Roland Synth Modules ballad that some ponytailed middle-distance fizz that might as well be musical fray with `Home’ and a sense of they have still floundering around looking Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Amps and great vibes. prick of an A&R man suggested might be the spin cycle of a washing machine as epic intimacy, some shoegazy guitar runs for other decent ideas to link up with. A Residential recording studio in Sutton Courtenay. improved with the addition of the most heard from the other side of the house, but and questing, slightly sorrowful vocals that bit funky, a bit folky, busy, almost jazzy www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk cursory grunge guitar solo about two thirds mostly Cosmic Will avoid even this pathetic In-house producer: Ian Davenport www.ian-davenport.co.uk cry out to passing girls, “I am a sensitive, arrangements shuffling along as the male/ of the way through, and if that doesn’t droplet of musical malevolence, preferring Email: [email protected] bookish sort and need love!” And it’s all female vocals try to get a bit of chemistry work we’ll give it to or someone to mope like a hungover teenager who’s Phone: Richard or Kate on 01235 845800 rather sweet in its jangly way. Come `Trust going, the whole thing sort of floating in else who might need some filler for their slept out in the rain in an oversized mohair No One’, though, and they’ve leapt forward a void like the detritus of the Big Bang destined-for-failure second album. It might jumper, finally rousing himself from self-pity a decade or so to mix it with the second waiting for gravity to bring the bits together be spring but after listening to Vagueworld enough to scrunch up his tiny fists like an wave of Britpop, jaunty yet plaintive indie as a complete piece. Thing is, you can sort all the bunnies in the immediate vicinity enraged toddler shouting to be let out of his rocking of the sort that once had Cast and of see how it will all come together once just lost their libido. cot. This is less cosmic, more comic. And The Bluetones garnering such critical it gets its bearings and a surer sense of that’s comic as in `utterly fucking tragic’. bouquets (just kidding). Another song on direction. A single track isn’t much to really Hey, Cosmic Will, “BOO!” Hah ha, look and another decade forward with `47’, judge them on, and if it doesn’t sound like everyone, Cosmic Will just pooed their which sounds rather like noughties hopefuls REVELLER it’s off anywhere thrilling right now, time Maybe we could get Reveller to pop round pants. Hardcore, my arse. The Holloways, again a jaunty, slightly and evolution should hopefully bring planet blokey jangle that feels like party-starting earth to life. wild times for people who enjoy drinking Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links Carlsberg in frequently refurbished chain to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without pubs. And like those pubs, after all the refits GET LOOSE a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you everyone agrees The Future Rays were best There’s always a feeling of trepidation when can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. And don’t fucking whine about your before they tried to modernise. a band describes themselves as blues. Are review on Twitter either, else we’ll print a screenshot and make you look like a prize tit. thevenuecollective PRESENTS

WEDS 29TH APRIL THE JERICHO TAVERN

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