email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 152 March Oxford’s Music Magazine 2008

FOALS! Oxford’s rising stars talk about their mad year and being the most hotly tipped band on the planet. Interview inside NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255

year’s event will feature over 40 hosted by local hip hop duo GTA, acts across three stages. runs from 1pm through to 4am; Tickets for Cornbury are on sale bands confirmed to play are Bad NEWNEWSS from Friday 7th March on the Science, Q.T. & The Reservoir Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU festival website at Dogs, Mean Poppa Lean, Tonic, www.cornburyfestival.com or from Sub-Func, Swervin Merv, Kojo, Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] various outlets around the county. Bad Sandwich and Funky Justice, plus DJ sets from Rob Life, Indecision and Count Skylarkin. THIS YEAR’S TRUCK FESTIVAL takes place over the weekend of Tickets are on sale now, priced 19th-20th July at Hill Farm in Steventon. Tickets for the event will go on £16, from wegottickets.com sale locally on Monday 31st March, ahead of national sales. Last year’s festival sold out in under a week and local fans wanting to get a ticket THE SKITTLE ALLEY relaunches should register their details at www.thisistruck.com to get priority this month after a couple of information on booking. Line-up details for Truck will be announced in months in hibernation. The next month’s Nightshift. Last year’s event – which was initally Abingdon-based live music club postponed due to the flooding that hit the county in July - featured lost its monthly acoustic night headline sets from Grant and Maud Hudson and Idlewild. when the King’s Head and Bell Truck are also running a new festival called Wood, which takes place at closed down late last year but Braziers Park in south Oxfordshire over the weekend of 16th-18th May. returns with an acoustic session at The festival will feature two live music stages as well as workshops and the Venue in Abingdon on Saturday activities for all ages, plus organic food and drinks stalls and compost 1st of March, followed by an all- toilets. Tickets for Wood go on sale on Monday 3rd March, priced £45 THE FAMILY MACHINE release day event at Abingdon British for three days (including camping); children under 13 get in free. Day their debut album, ‘You Are The Legion on Sunday 23rd, featuring th tickets, priced £25, are also available. Tickets will available from Family Machine’ on 17 March Superdeadlyninjabees, Superloose, wegottickets.com, Videosyncratic, the Inner Bookshop, Scribbles and the and are planning a series of guerrilla Running With Scissors and more. Music Room. gigs and assorted stunts to mark They also host a gig at the Stocks the occasion. Events already Bar at the Crown and Thistle on planned include a Family Machine Saturday 29th March featuring BLENHEIM PALACE is set to BANDS wanting to play this treasure hunt following a trail of Nightshift favourites Little Fish host one leg of this year’s year’s OXFORD PUNT have until trees decorated with “Family and The Epstein. The Skittle Alley th Wakestock Festival in June. Friday 14 March to submit Machine fruit” as well as copies of will also be starting a regular live Wakestock has been running as a demos. This year’s Punt takes the album launched on computer music night at the Jericho Tavern in th live music festival for eight years in place on Wednesday 14 May memory sticks down the Isis. Visit Oxford from Thursday 3rd April, north Wales, celebrating the sport across six venues in Oxford city www.myspace.com/ featuring Superdeadlyninjabees and of wakeboarding (a cross between centre. The Punt aims to showcase thefamilymachine for updated This Is My Ship. Bands wanting to surfboarding and water skiing), the best new unsigned talent in news on gigs and events. play any Skittle Alley nights which is the fastest growing Oxfordshire; the event runs from Fans who missed last month’s should email Nigel at watersport in the UK. Wakestock 6pm at Borders through til Nightshift interview with The [email protected]. will run over the weekend of 27th- midnight at the Cellar, taking in the Family Machine can read it online th 29 June with a capacity Purple Turtle, Wheatsheaf, QI at nightshift.oxfordmusic.net. An AS EVER, DON’T FORGET TO somewhere around the 15,000 Club and Thirst Lodge along the extensive archive of old Nightshifts TUNE INTO THE DOWNLOAD mark. A host of big-name indie, way, featuring some 20 acts. Bands in available online in PDF format. every Saturday evening between 6- dance and rock bands are set to or solo artists should send a CD, The site also features an online 7pm on BBC Radio Oxford play across three stages within the clearly marked Punt, to Nightshift discussion forum for local music 95.2fm. The dedicated local music 2,100 acre palace grounds, although at PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 fans. show plays the best Oxford no names have officially been 1ZU, or email a MySpace link to releases and demos and features announced as yet. Local promoters [email protected], again WINCHELL RIOTS play a launch interviews with local and touring TCT Music will be heavily clearly marked Punt and including a gig for their debut ‘Histories’ EP at acts as well as a gig and clubbing th involved in the organisation. Last contact phone number. the Wheatsheaf on Saturday 12 guide. The show is available to year’s festival featured Mark All-venue Punt passes are now on April. The band, formed by listen to online all week at Ronson, The Bravery, Dirty Pretty sale from Videosyncratic on former-Fell City Girl people Phill bbc.co.uk/oxford Things and Scratch Perverts. More Cowley Road or online from McMinn and James Pamphlion, are news next month. Oxfordmusic.net. Passes are limited currently on tour around the UK. to 100 and cost £7 (plus booking Support for the gig comes from Her NIGHTSHIFT fee). Name Is Calla and This Et Al. presents The full Oxford Punt line-up will Tickets, priced £6, are on sale from The Oxford Punt be announced on the Nightshift Wegottickets.com. Visit forum at nightshift.oxfordmusic.net www.myspace.com/ 1 Night, 6 Venues, 20 Acts on Monday 18th March. thewinchellriots for more news and Quite simply the best showcase of gig dates. unsigned local music of the year THE LINE-UP FOR THIS Want to play? YEAR’S CORNBURY THE HALF RABBITS were Send Demos, clearly marked Punt, FESTIVAL will be announced on featured on MTV last month after to Nightshift, PO Box 312, Friday 14th March. This year’s reaching the semi-finals of the Kidlington, OX5 1ZU event takes place over the weekend MTV/Oxjam bands competition. A Or email MySpace links to [email protected] of the 5th and 6th July at Cornbury new round of Oxjam events is set Country Park near Charlbury. Last to be launched in April, with details Deadline for inclusion is 14th March year’s festival saw headline sets online at www.oxfam.co.uk. All-venue Punt Passes now on from David Gray and Blondie as sale. £7 from Videosyncratic well as appearances by The THE BULLINGDON hosts (Cowley Road) or online from Waterboys, Echo & The Oxford’s first all-day funk festival Oxfordmusic.net. Bunnymen and Seth Lakemen. This on Saturday 24th May. The event, Only 100 available A Quiet Word With

foalsIT SAYS EVERYTHING ABOUT really hard to impress people. how the world has gone mad for Foals “Being able to afford a proper van recently that Nightshift is with a driver is something that we’re interviewing Oxford’s most exciting pretty complacent about now, but 12 band in years while they’re in New months ago it was a new luxury, and York. The band are over in the States we remind ourselves how privileged – where they recently signed to the we are. It wasn’t all that long since legendary Sub Pop label – for a couple we were putting the entire fee from a of showcase gigs and another round of show back into petrol money for our press and radio interviews. The mood clapped-out old ex-Royal Mail van is a mixture of exhilaration and just so we can drive back home to get exhaustion; they’ve barely paused for a few hour’s sleep before we had to go breath this past year, rising from to work the next morning. I’m pretty word-of-mouth bright new hopes on sure we’ll never forget that.” the back of endless gigging, to across- Foals have been everyone’s tips for the-board media darlings and 2008’s this year. How do you feel about that? Band Most Likely To. Do you feel it puts any pressure on the band as far as people’s FOALS’ RISE AND RISE HAS Foals get in party mood at the Cellar in January - photo by Paul Tipping expectations go? been little short of phenomenal. In “We feel flattered and anxious January they were tipped as the band just starting to attract the attention ‘ANTIDOTES’ WAS RECORDED according to who’s saying what. None to watch by everyone from NME to of Transgressive Records, with whom in New York with producer Dave of us have ever been into the NME. the Observer to Mojo; they’ve been they signed a deal soon after. Yannis Sitek from TV On The Radio, a band They’re infamous for building and fêted by Jools Holland and played as and Jack were joined in Foals by whom Foals much admired, and the burning bridges to bands within the party band on a special episode of bassist Walter Gervers and guitarist result is a more than accomplished months. But they’ve been good to us Skins. Last autumn they went out as Jimmy Smith, formerly of fellow debut, stripping down and polishing so far, so we’re obviously not in a tour support to Bloc Party, and on local hopefuls Face Meets Grill, and a up the tightly-reigned chaos that is position to complain about that. And the 24th of this month they will play little later, by keyboard player Edwin the Foals live experience. It is certain some of the writers seem to alongside REM at the Royal Albert Congreave. to be one of the most significant understand where we’re coming from, Hall to celebrate 60 years of the ICA. Foals had quickly become a new band albums of 2008, offering, as it does, which is good. I’m pretty confident March also sees Foals head out on altogether – the convoluted math- Foals’ forward-thinking take on rock, that a lot of the hype, if you want to their biggest UK headline tour yet, a rock-leaning sound of that debut pop and dance music. call it that, is a result of the shows tour that takes in a sold-out gig at the replaced by a frantic, restless form of The first single from ‘Antidotes’ was we’ve played, and the record that Oxford Academy. The tour coincides disco-fied guitar pop with its roots in ‘Balloons’, which exemplifies their we’re about to release, so when we let with the release of debut album post-punk and African rhythms, as catchy but restless brand of pop. The ourselves think straight we don’t ‘Antidotes’, out on the 17th of March well as those earlier post-rock album finds Foals sounding like have much reason to be worried. And and one of the most keenly influences. Two highly-acclaimed nothing else around at the moment, as we’re about to start touring again, I anticipated releases of the year. singles in 2007, ‘Hummer’ and with its trebly, fidgety guitars, think we all feel a lot less pressured True to their Oxford roots, though, ‘Mathletics’, pricked up ears, but it alternately chanted or screamed about people’s expectations. they’re taking long-time friends was Foals’ shows at last year’s South vocals and propulsive dancefloor “It’s easy to sit at home on the Youthmovies out as tour support. At By Southwest music conference in rhythms. It is intelligent but inviting, internet fidgeting mentally, basically the end of January, meanwhile, Foals Austin, Texas, that had the music complex but easily accessible. And it consuming yourself with worry, and played a semi-secret gig at the Cellar industry in a lather, fully looks increasingly likely it’s going to that is definitely a result of the kind for local club night Abort, Retry, Fail? demonstrating the band’s astonishing make the five young university of press that we’ve received, but it’s who had supported the band early on. live energy and invention. dropouts into international stars. also our fault. We just want to get The gig received widespread national Gigs since then have rightly attracted away from it all. We want our record press coverage with queues down ever more attention: broken bones, RIGHT NOW THOUGH FOALS to be released, to play shows, and to Cornmarket Street, hundreds of fans smashed equipment and crowd chaos are in New York, and we’re reflecting get back into a studio as soon as unable to get in and a crazy party have become part and parcel of Foals’ on the whirlwind that has been their possible. That’s all that should matter atmosphere inside the venue. touring agenda. At last year’s re- last twelve months, and in particular to us. Right now we’re really excited arranged Truck Festival, the band’s the band’s personal highlights. by how people are reacting to us from FOALS LAST GRACED THE set had to be stopped before the tent “It’s been fun, and it’s been a blur. A outside the UK. We’ve had journalists front cover of Nightshift back in they were playing in nearly collapsed lot’s changed, but we’re the same from Brazil, Singapore, and Japan November 2006. The band had under the weight of people wanting to smelly obnoxious boys we were a year want to write about us, and we get released their debut single, ‘Play This see them, while the crowd for their ago. We drink too much to remember loads of requests on MySpace from On Your Piano’, on Try Harder set at Reading Festival spilled well much, but we have some photos, and people all over the world asking us to Records earlier in the year and had beyond the tent’s capacity. The a couple of stories, and a few more come and play shows, and they all recently parted company with fervency of Foals’ ever-growing fan- friends, and so on. Playing SXSW in seem genuinely into us, so, you know, guitarist Andrew Mears – also of base is plain to see; at their best gigs Texas was an obvious highlight, as who can complain about anything. Youthmovies – who had originally the barrier between band and fans was recording the album in Brooklyn, We’re going to be playing all over the formed Foals with Yannis Philippakis breaks down and the thrilling and pretty much all the touring we’ve world this year, and the kind of and drummer Jack Bevan after the spectacle is a welcome relief from the done. Basically anything that excitement that generates within the demise of The Edmund Fitzgerald. At often staid atmosphere of too many involves flying, eating good food, lots band puts all the `scene’ anxiety into the time of the interview Foals were gigs these days. of sunshine, and having to work perspective.” TO MUSIC FANS IN OXFORD, more delay and reverb – in FOALS’ SOUND OFTEN SEEMS A and on the UK’s underground scene, moderation – and that is still triumph of precision and tightly- Foals, and their previous bands, are changing our sound today. The first reined energy and yet it seems to no strangers or newcomers. Given the few singles we released were work best amid the chaos of gigs such band’s history and hard work, how do extremely dry and clipped, and while as that at the Cellar and Truck where they feel that some people will think we like that sound we’re much more the whole event feels like it might of them as an overnight sensation? excited by what Sitek brought to the explode at any moment. Is that “Yeah, that’s surreal. People call us a album and what this means for our something you’d agree with or haircut band and a hipster band and, sound in the future. In retrospect it is complete bollocks? yeah, like you say, a get-rich-quick easy to say that we knew what we “Hah! You tell us. We played those buzz band. But we have terrible, were getting into by getting Sitek to massive arena shows with Bloc Party, home-made haircuts, we’re seriously produce the record, but we really and it wasn’t the best experience, as uncool provincial layabouts, and after didn’t, and I think it’s amazing that we think we felt pretty lost on a stage two years or so of touring we still what we wanted and what he that size, and the whole event felt can’t afford to pay any sort of rent. I envisaged, from a position of having pretty, I dunno, anaemic, but that’s don’t know why that kind of shit gets never seen us live, combined so not to say we wouldn’t want to make spread around. Boredom, perhaps, or effectively.” it work in the future. Jimmy has some just plain, abstract hatred. None of us pretty epic guitar melodies up his BEFORE THEY really mind, though. I don’t know THERE’S BEEN SURPRISE, sleeve, and as soon as we get live WERE FAMOUS... who’s responsible. Read the even incredulity, that you’ve left brass players involved I’m thinking Foals’ past life through DrownedinSound forum and you can ‘Hummer’ and ‘Mathletics’ off it’s going to open up a lot. But, of see that some people will slate ‘Antidotes’ in favour of creating a course, you’re right, we’ve always the words of Nightshift anything and everything just for the more cohesive album. Such a move preferred playing smaller shows, and “Elizabeth know all about the idea sake of giving themselves a boner, so feels like a return to a time when the the shows we play to a `home’ crowd of guitars as weapons, handling it’s not like we’re not specially music industry was perhaps a bit less in Oxford are always the craziest and them with a deft touch while letting targeted. And it’s not like there are cynical and more artists had the the most fun for everyone.” their dysfunctional melodies hover these corrupt powerful figures who freedom to do that. Was it a The Cellar show felt like more than and crackle in the air before control the industry from above who deliberate ploy or simply that those just a gig; it was a proper event. What crunching down on the fretboard are responsible. It’s strange and songs didn’t fit with how you felt the prompted you do it and do you still with an easy venom and sounding complicated, and we don’t album should be? want to keep springing surprise gigs on odd occasions like a teenage understand. Like I said, our record is “Less a deliberate ploy and more like that in the future? Captain Beefheart trapped inside Sonic Youth’s `Daydream Nation’. finally coming out, and finally people instinctive. We never liked those “We did that show partly out of Elizabeth straddle the divide can write about that rather than what songs that much, you know, and we boredom and partly because we all between post-rock unease and a our favourite colour is or what we ate simply didn’t want them on the really like the Cellar and obviously surging brand of melodic hardcore. for breakfast, so we’re hoping.” album. To be honest we’re incredulous we’re friends with a lot of people One of the best and most Another misapprehension about that anyone is surprised by it. It’s our who work there and spend a lot of unexpected surprises of the year.” Foals has been about their supposed record, and I don’t see why we’d do time there. There’s no way we’re (First live review of Elizabeth – ‘attitude’, much of which comes from anything but what we want to do not playing shows like that in the Yannis and Jack’s first band – some people simply not getting the ourselves. It’s not even like putting future. It’s fun, and it keeps us from the Zodiac, January 2003) band’s dry, often sardonic sense of `Hummer’ on it would sell more grounded. I wouldn’t say it’s better humour. If anything, Foals are rather records. Would it? Everyone who’s than big shows, as we want to be able “On any other bill they’d be the modest given their achievements so liked it this far has probably either to play to as many people as most extreme band, but tonight far. One particular interview, with the downloaded it or bought the 7", so as possible, and the prospect of they’ll have to fight for their lives. BBC’s website, early in the year far as we’re concerned it’s finished. If translating across that gulf is hugely And fight they do. Their weaponry painted them in a particularly poor it’s a return to how things used to be exciting.” is more complex – tight twists and light. How difficult is it to properly then that’s pretty sad. Transgressive This month you’ll headline in front turns of the sonic screw, convoluted convey what you want to say, or work as any label should work, which of 1,000 people in Oxford. How does and intricate, but never indulgent, spurts of of noise and pools of would you, in an ideal world, simply is to say that they focus on that feel after building your way up calm. Oxes mesh with The God want to let the music do the talking? distribution and let us focus on the on the local venue circuit? Machine and Sonic Youth are left to “It wasn’t the humour, if you can music. We would never have signed to “Pretty much great. We’ve worked pick up the pieces. Too much rock call it that, that was misinterpreted in a label that did it differently.” really hard; Yannis and Jack have music is weak willed, following the that interview. I think we were baited, Do you feel creatively restless? Each obviously been playing around Oxford path of least resistance. This is the and I think the journalist knew what set of new songs feels like a move on for years and years, so it is, to an sound of guitars on a victory roll. he was doing. But whatever. We’d and often at a tangent to previous extent, deserved. Mostly we’re just Resistance is futile.” love to let the music do the talking, ones. Stuff you’re writing now, how happy that people from Oxford are (The Edmund Fitzgerald, but that’s impossible, and it’s different will that be from the album? still into it.” Wheatsheaf, September 2004) flattering and usually pretty “No doubt. Yannis in particular interesting to be asked to speak about can’t keep still. He has an incredibly AND SO WE LEAVE FOALS TO “Dinky guitar runs that sound like the music. At the same time we need short attention span with new music, another photo shoot in New York scattershot sequencer pulses flutter to have fun to stay sane, and if that and with his own music. Jack also has before they head across the continent amongst jittery jazz-inflected means bullshitting our way through a very short attention span, and the to Seattle, home of Sub Pop, for flourishes and drum skips, the interviews, or just plain lying, then interplay between the two of them another gig. The next time we catch gossamer mania of it all somewhat whatever. The truth is usually pretty explains. Songs will get trashed up with them will be their akin to the incessant business of a disturbed ants nest.” mundane.” entirely after weeks of work. And we homecoming gig at the Academy on (Foals’ debut single, ‘Try This rarely go back to old songs and Saturday 15th March, a gig that might On Your Piano’, May 2006) ‘ANTIDOTES’ WAS RECORDED relearn them or rework them. The lack the intimacy of that Cellar show in New York with Dave Sitek; what drive to make something new is but will be no less fervent. Their days “Foals’ armoury contains more was it like to work with him, and the always far stronger than the drive to as Oxford’s best kept secret might be stealth weaponry. Two guitarists, likes of Antibalas? How different was consolidate everything done so far. long gone but we can be justly proud bassist and keyboard player all face the album from what the band maybe That totally affects the direction of their success. Hopefully this is each other, like a counselling group envisaged before they went over that we take. Right now the songs only the beginning of even greater for musicians unable to find anyone there? that we’re writing, the songs that we things. able to keep up with them; they lock “It was great. He’s an amazing recorded for b-sides to our next horns and hit the funk button, producer. He brought Antibalas in, and single `Cassius’, for example, sound ‘Antidotes’ is released on freewheeling through many-angled he gave the record this rich, dark nothing like our early songs. Transgressive on 17th March. Visit spazz-jazz math-rock.” ambience that we could never have They’re rougher, and meaner, and, www.myspace.com/foals for news, (Live review from The brought to it. He encouraged us to use well, heavier.” tour dates and to hear tracks. Wheatsheaf, October 2006) Sponsored RELEASED by individual components can sound remarkably YOUTHMOVIES traditional – the Thin Lizzy-like guitars ‘Good Nature’ scattered here and there or the odd melodic inflections that remind us of Steely Dan at (Drowned in Sound) times; and particularly guitar runs that could be One of my abiding memories of studying poached from Iron Maiden’s earliest incarnation psychology years back was looking at photos – but put together and continually toyed with of webs that spiders had spun while under the and stretched out of shape, they take on fresh influence of various drugs. Oddly enough the life. The only constant throughout these ten most bizarre web was built by a caffeine- tracks is Andrew’s vocals which, while for the sozzled arachnid – a puzzling, complex but most part satisfying enough, do benefit from fascinating tapestry of tangents, open spaces the choruses of backing vocals or overlapped and pockets of highly-condensed silk. It’s an effects, as on the muted ‘Cannula’, with its image that’s come back to me many times while clickety clack rhythm and almost reverie-like listening to Youthmovies, consistently one of feel. The album’s real high point, though is the the most adventurous, ambitious and expansive ‘Something For The Ghosts’, where sometimes, perplexing bands around. into the picture and with Andrew Murray’s Youthmovies allow themselves time and space Having signed to Drowned in Sound last year, vocals pushed more to the fore. to build up the tension and power with two ‘Good Nature’ is Youthmovies’ first full-length Soon enough, though, they’re wrenching those opposing guitar lines and some tribal drumming. album, following on from a couple of mini- twingling guitars and Toytown keyboards Whether Youthmovies really can become a albums and a series of singles and collaborative sideways with bulldozing, grunged-up guitar King Crimson for the 21st Century remains to EPs. Initially at least this album seems to find sludge, tracks like ‘Soandso & Soandso’ be seen. There rarely seems to be enough Youthmovies ditching much of their prog-rock sprawling through several decades of heavy patience around these days for bands with a tendencies in favour of a poppier, more airy duty rock and the vocals veering between less linear approach to thrive. But, like a spider approach, an elongated electro hum making way plaintive cry and desperate bark, punchy brass dutifully spinning its web, patience can bring for a tender, almost acoustic song, ‘Magdalen stabs adding extra bite at each turn. great rewards. Bridge’, a bit of pastoral whimsy trying to sidle The thing with Youthmovies is that their Dale Kattack

FOALS COGWHEEL DOGS ‘Antidotes’ ‘Cress’ (Transgressive) (Own Label) There probably hasn’t been such a highly Swimming’, it shows that they’re far more than Cogwheel Dogs is the name under which local anticipated album from a local band since ‘Kid a one-trick pop pony, something that’s best singer /guitarist Rebecca Mosley and her A’ and weight of expectation has a way of displayed by the Cure-like ‘Big Big Love (Fig longstanding cellist partner Tom Parnell now putting a dampener on the best musical 2)’, which retains a steely grip on its central operate. The pair’s interaction on this EP amply offerings. But while Foals’ debut album never melody even as the guitars wash ethereally over displays that they’re a team of equal input rather achieves the intensity or mania of their it. Among the album’s high points is the almost than a token string back-up to the vocal lead. consistently astonishing live shows, it’s a militaristic ‘Electric Bloom’, a distant cousin of Tom’s cello scrapes and wheezes obnoxiously confirmation of why so many people have got Gang Of Four’s art school agit-pop disco, around Rebecca’s more tenderly-strummed so excited about the band over the last couple of typifying the band’s restless nature. Similarly melody on ‘Cress’, giving it an urgent bite that years, culminating in such across-the-board `Two Steps Twice’ which challenges you to most acoustic pop lacks. The vocals too seem acclaim at the start of 2008. keep your feet still. Elsewhere, Foals dare to desperate to keep up, just about retaining a The restless, urgent flurry of opener ‘The touch on something approaching jazz-funk, but demure nature while occasionally spitting lines French Open’, with the Antibalas horns speed off down a more rhythmically ambient out like bitter pips. ‘Anticoagulent’ is an even bolstering the trebly guitar twitch and its path, swirling synth lines and menacing better demonstration of this restlessness, sharing dyspeptic vocal chants, recalls early-80s saxophone creating a dense, uneasy atmosphere. an almost frantic determination to collapse in on funskers Pigpag and sets out the band’s stall – ‘Antidotes’ should – and must – override any itself with Rebecca’s occasional other mixing the unselfconscious fun of the dancefloor premature backlash against Foals. It’s the collaborator, Ally Craig. Closing track, with post-punk’s strident, irony-free intensity. culmination of years of hard work, rather than ‘Ghostwriter’, is a more graceful piece, folky The rinky-dink propulsiveness of ‘Cassius’ is the work of an overhyped overnight sensation. chamber pop with the cello more tempered and neatly offset by Yannis’ clipped vocals as it It’s a great introduction to a band who manage complementary. Like the plant it takes its name builds up a head of steam that’s neatly released to make pop sound interesting and intelligent from, ‘Cress’ is an odd little thing at first glance, in such short, sweet bursts that there’s rarely a while never succumbing to indulgence or seemingly unlovable, and takes a little while to chance to sit and take stock. When Foals do forgetting that it’s all about having fun in the grow on you, but with a little patience the end loosen the reigns, as on the dreamy ‘Olympic end. result is unexpectedly rewarding. Airways’ and the oddly out-of-focus ‘Like Sue Foreman Sue Foreman

Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day SARAH WARNE THE FAMILY MACHINE ‘Secret’ ‘You Are The Family (Crash) Machine’ Sarah Warne won the inaugural Top Of The Ox competition at the end of last year – a text- (Alcopop) based chart battle between various local bands In last month’s cover feature, Nightshift and solo artists in which she pipped suggested to The Family Machine that their Stornoway. Her reward is a deal with Chinnor- debut album had the feel of a film soundtrack, based label Crash for whom ‘Secret’ is her debut each track shifting the mood slightly, from its single. chirpy, almost cheesy, intro to a downbeat It is also evidence for why the public shouldn’t coda, something the band themselves didn’t ever be allowed to vote for anything, whether it refute. be band competitions or who gets to run the Repeated listenings confirm that initial country. The nicest thing you could say about impression, and as The Family Machine’s ‘Secret’ – a nominally epic piano-led power stated intention is to invite their audience to ballad in the vein of Beverly Craven or Celine join them in a celebration of pop music, so we It Made’, itself a trilogy, that shimmers with Dion – is that it might pass muster as the become fellow travellers through this CD. If it the noir-ish elegance and hazy psychedelia of soundtrack to a Disney film where the heroic is a film soundtrack then opener, the cheerily an old 50s spy movie. After the dry-as-a-bone but lost lion cub first meets and falls gooily in sardonic ‘Ko Tao’, is an American campus humour of relationships-as-addiction track love with a cute ickle lady lion cub and they romantic comedy, with the languorous, folky ‘Lethal Drugs Cocktail’, the mood takes a cavort merrily through savannah grass before electro-pop of ‘Did You Leave’ being its more downward shift towards it’s close, ending with going off to maul a wildebeest or somesuch. A refined and bucolic English cousin. ‘The Do the contemplative ‘There’s Bees That Sing and more apt description, though, would be to say Song’, replete with banjo and cheeky “Doo-dee- Birds That Sting’ and an untitled closing it’s the musical equivalent of your stereo leaking doo” vocals veers scarily close to Billy Crystal instrumental piece, that signify… what exactly? weak, sugary tea all over the desk to the sound of or Chevy Chase territory, but the heroically Bassist Darren Feller suggests redemption and sickly kittens mewling for dinner. With a piano. melancholy ‘Flowers By The Roadside’ is pure reassurance, a happy ending, but the listener She’s got talent, we wouldn’t deny that, but Cohen Brothers, revelling in its cheery can make their own mind up. Sarah’s victory suggests she’s also got plenty of ghoulishness and reviving the ancient lost art of Perhaps all that is reading too much into what mates, or just an astronomical phone bill. whistling while it’s about it. is essentially an album of sweet, fun pop music Next time round I want every single one of you The album wanders a little in the middle, that carefully manages to mix emotional shifts bastards to text in and vote for Clanky Robo Mariachi trumpets bolstering slender acoustic and understated wit, but to hear an album that Gobjobs. For Top Of The Ox winner and for balladeering (that’ll be the landscape-heavy sounds like plenty of thought was put into its Prime Minister. Mid-West road movie segment, then), but it’s narrative is a treat in itself. Dale Kattack dragged back into action with recent single ‘Got Sue Foreman gig guide

st England to make his career, ending up living and SATURDAY 1 touring round Europe in an old post office van, PNEU + SHIELD YOUR EYES + EDUARD producing and selling albums without the aid of SOUNDING BLOCK: The Wheatsheaf – MARCH a record label. Inspired as much by the 60s Great triple bill of wigged-out guitar mayhem British folk revival as the likes of Bob Dylan, from Poor Girl Noise. Pneu and Shield Your LATE OF THE PIER + VIDEO NASTIES + Tom Waits and Steve Earle. Eyes are currently on tour together, both CLANKY ROBO GOBJOBS: The Academy ANOTHER LOST LEADER + cranking out a frenetic, oblique guitar attack that – Rescheduled gig for the retro-futurist synth- NORDGARDEN: The Port Mahon – mixes up 80s Chicago hardcore with post-rock poppers out of rural Nottinghamshire, in the Acoustic folk-pop. experimentation. Local prog-core monsters welcome vein of Numan, Fad Gadget and The PHIL BEER: Nettlebed Folk Club – Classic Eduard Sounding Block open the show. Faint. Local digital hardcore loon Clanky opens English folk from the Show Of Hands chap. THE HOOSIERS: The Academy – Long- the show. since sold out gig from the chirpy post-punk SMILEX: The Port Mahon – Reliably th rockers in the vein of Dexy’s and Squeeze. TUESDAY 4 anarchic sleaze-rock mayhem from Smilex. It’s THE GO! TEAM: The Academy – Last night Lee’s birthday tonight so expect genteel on earth party fun from Ninja and chums – see Tuesday 4th between-song banter and sober contemplation main preview in abundance. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon THE GO! TEAM: MELTING POT with LITTLE FISH + HELIUM SOUL + LECORUM + ROB th The Academy LEVER: The Jericho Tavern – Superb garage- WEDNESDAY 5 Go! Team’s rise and rise brings a warm glam rocking from local starlets Little Fish MUMM-RA: The Academy – Ebullient feeling to the hardest of hearts. From headlining tonight’s Melting Pot mixed bill and lightweight synth-rock and jangle-pop from Bexhill’s rising starlets, leaning towards the underground thrill-givers, riding a reputation coming on like a wild-eyed young Patti Smith. Killers and Cure scheme of things. for some of the most life-affirming live There is no higher compliment. GRAVEPAINTINGS + ALEXANDER shows in the country, to national recognition TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM THOMAS + EUHEDRAL + ANTON and a Mercury Prize nomination, they’ve 101: The Academy – The Academy’s weekly three-clubs-in-one session with indie hits at MAIOF: The Port Mahon – Quality remained the sound of eternal summer. In Transformation, heavy rock at Room 101, plus experimentation from Birmingham’s bleak Go! Team’s supercharged pop world, it’s a special 80s-themed Trashy night with music, minimalist Gravepaintings mixing up electronics always sunny and it’s always time for a films and dress code from that decade. and found sounds, while Bristol’s theremin party (no doubt fuelled by lashings of BRICKWORK LIZARDS: The Cellar – manipulator Alexander Thomas is a mesmeric strawberry jelly and fizzy pop). Check out Cowley Road Carnival awareness gig featuring performer. Local abstract electronic their 30-minute, ultra-compact, fun-packed eclectic world-jazz-blues-hip hop outfit soundscapists Euhedral join an esoteric bill. debut album, ‘Thunder Lighting Strike’, if Brickwork Lizards, plus DJs til late. COO COO CLUB with SON OF DAVE + you’re in any doubt. There you’ll find the SUGARDIRT + RUE ROYALE: The Purple TOM MANSI & THE ICEBREAKERS + Brighton crew’s good-time mash up of Turtle – Folky heavy rock from Sugardirt, plus LIAM ING-REEVES: The Jericho Tavern – stolen beats, old school hip hop, cheerleader folk-pop in a Fleetwood Mac and Sufjan Fantastic night of leftfield blues at Coo Coo, pop, northern soul and NYC punk raising Stevens vein from Chicago’s Rue Royale. featuring a rare UK showing for Former-Crash the dead and bidding them dance. Last year’s CLASSIX: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Classic rock Test Dummies chap Benjamin Darvill, aka Son follow-up, ‘Proof Of Youth’, continued the and pop covers. Of Dave, utilising loops and samples to create a mood of unbridled childlike glee, even as it SKITTLE ALLEY ACOUSTIC SESSION: weird, mayhemic form of hillbilly blues featured a guest appearance from Chuck D. The Venue, Abingdon featuring his trademark human beatboxing and Fronted by a girl simply called Ninja, The LEE DAVIES: The Temple unique harmonica solos; he’s played with Neil Go! Team (see, even the name bleeds Young and Jon Spencer and toured with positively) hark back to the glory days of SUNDAY 2nd Supergrass in the past. There’s more old- fashioned porch-style blues from Tom Mansi in uplifting, slightly mischievous hip hop, like THE AUDITION + YOU ME AT SIX + support, inspired by everyone from Charlie Salt’n’Pepa and Neneh Cherry, but updated VALENCIA: The Academy – Chicago Victory Mingus and John Coltrane to Captain Beefheart by way of The Avalanches’ bamboozling Records-signed emo crew’s first UK headline and Beck. Liam Ing-Reeves (from Mephisto sampladelica. 80s US TV themes mingle tour after supporting Aiden and The Academy Grande) opens the show with his monstrous with sweet strings and children’s voices and Is. Support from Surrey’s Blink 182 clones You Tom Waits-like vocals. any urge to resist the temptation to dance Me At Six and Philadelphia’s Blink will be roundly mocked. 182 clones Valencia. ZANGRYUS + SACRED DIVIDE: The Jack Russell The Port Mahon – Gothic prog- 21, Salford Rd, Marston, OX3 0RX metal noise from Zangryus. Electric Jam Session rd MONDAY 3 Every Thursday 2100 – 2300 SET YOUR GOALS + DAVE HOUSE + CHAOS DAYS: The Academy – Punk-pop noise from Sing or play with our house band San Francisco’s New Found Glory- ‘Rough Mix ’providing support influenced rockers Set Your Goals. THE DERRIN NAUENDORF Tel 01865 791899 BAND: The Bullingdon – Australian guitarist who migrated to Email [email protected] JAMES FORD + JAMES MOSS: The SINE STAR PROJECT + THE Purple Turtle – Acoustic night. MARMADUKES + THE ROUNDHEELS + HIT & RUN: The Cellar – Hip hop and SARAH WARNE: The Jericho Tavern – drum&bass club night. Crosstown Traffic night with bombastic pop OPEN MIC SESSION: The Temple from One Little Indian signings Sine Star Project, mixing up ELO and Sparks. Local THURSDAY 6 th alt.country act The Marmadukes support alongside banjo-led bluegrass troupe The FUTUREHEADS: The Academy – Roundheels and pianist Sarah Warne. Sunderland’s pop-friendly post-punk champs ELECTRIC JAM SESSION: The Jack make a welcome return to town after their last Russell, Marston – Weekly jam session with (secret but sold-out) show here a couple of in-house band Rough Mix – all singers and years back. The newer material might show musicians welcome. signs of more considered songwriting but the CATWEAZLE CUB: East Oxford effusive blend of Gang of Four spikiness and Community Centre Undertones bouncability remains undiminished. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon DREADZONE: The Academy – Veteran SMASH DISCO: The Academy – Electro, reggae-dance crew return to action after tragedy indie and garage club night every week. Friday 7th – see main preview GRAND POCKET ORCHESTRA + THE th SIOUXSIE: FOLLYS + TALE OF TWO HALVES: The FRIDAY 7 Bullingdon – Madcap frantic Toytown SIOUXSIE: The Academy – Imperious goth- The Academy pop ice queen goes solo – see main preview electro-pop from GPO headlining tonight’s Now 50 years old and with a musical career FRESH OUT OF THE BOX & ECLECTRIC Swiss Concrete club. Chirpy 60s-styled rockers stretching back 32 years, it’s amazing to PRESENT: The Academy – Two of Oxford’s The Follys support. think that last year’s ‘Mantaray’ was SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – best cutting edge club nights team up with a headline set from Germany’s deep, minimalist Siouxsie Sioux’s debut solo album, her Pianist Tim Lapthorne is tonight’s guest. musical life until then taken up entirely by KING FURNACE + A GENUINE trance producer Gregor Tresher. With resident The Banshees and her Creatures side project FREAKSHOW: The Cellar – Raucous DJs Ed Steele, Rich Smith and Matt Carter. with drummer and (now ex-) husband heavyweight rocking from King Furnace. KLUB KAKOFANNEY with THE KATE GARRETT BAND + MOIETY + MAEVE Budgie. Under her assumed stage name BAYTON + TONGUE TIDE: The Susan Dallion has become not only the most th Thursday 6 Wheatsheaf – Sweet jazz-inflected folk-pop influential British female rock singer of the from KGB at tonight’s Klub Kak, plus folky last 30 years but a true icon, inspiring DREADZONE: electronics from Moiety and blues and folk generations of musical and aesthetic The Academy from Maeve. copyists, her trademark explosion of black OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon spiked hair still as recognisable today, along Dreadzone could so easily have called it a SOULJACKER + LETTABEES + with her imperious gothic ice-queen vocals. day back in 2006 when guitarist Steve CHRYSTINA TOMLIN + LAMPLIGHT: ‘Mantaray’ is in keeping with her arty style Roberts died, but brother and band founder The Jericho Tavern – Classic 60s and 70s- of post-punk and portentous gothic rock, Greg (originally drummer with Big Audio influenced heavy rock and funk from the yet again dealing with the subject of Dynamite) rallied together a new band and headliners. suburban conformity (something she has they are back out on the road doing what BABY GRAVY + THE NOYZE: The Purple always railed against since she was part of they’ve always done best – playing live to Turtle – Oddball punky electro-prog from the the Bromley Contingent, sporting a – long- packed houses. Dreadzone’s is a peculiarly mighty Baby Gravy. time regretted – swastika armband), as well British form of reggae, fusing roots sounds FREEFALL: Fat Lil’s, Witney as magical imagery. Tonight’s show is likely and dub with a folky feel, trance and DUGOUT: The Cellar – Soul, rare groove and to lean heavily on the new songs but there breakbeats. The band are 16 years old this funk. will be a handful of old Banshees favourites, BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon year, veterans of five albums, six Peel among them classic debut single ‘Hong Kong SHAKE: The Academy sessions and countless tours and festival Garden’ and ‘Arabian Nights’, but if you GET DOWN: The Brickworks – Weekly appearances, Glastonbury surely being their want to see how someone can remain disco, funk and Latin DJ session. spiritual home. Their classic 1995 second monumentally cool right through to middle album, ‘Second Light’ spawned their only age, watch and learn. Top 20 hit, ‘Little Britain’, but their SATURDAY 8th enduring appeal rests in their ability to INSPIRAL CARPETS: The Academy – Manc transform any room, or field, into a reggae pop heroes return to life – see main preview party. The trippy, spacious, almost rustic HIT & RUN BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: The feel of their sound might feel almost archaic Academy compared to what’s come since but it’s TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM following their own path that’s ultimately 101: The Academy kept them on top of their game for so long. NOVAKICKS + FREAKISHLY LONG And it’s weird to think that amongst the MIRRORS: The Wheatsheaf – Crowded band’s earliest backing singers were Alison House-style jangly pop from Banbury’s Goldfrapp and Melanie Blatt. Novakicks. COO COO CLUB with JOHNNY FOREIGNER + THE YOUNGS PLAN + RECONCILIATION: The Jericho Tavern – Ebullient garagey hardcore boy/girl pop in a Huggy Bear / Bis / Yeah Yeah Yeahs vein from Birmingham’s sweetly psychotic newcomers Johnny Foreigner at tonight’s Coo Coo Club. Twitchy math-rocking from local youngsters The Youngs Plan in support. PISTOL KIXX: The Purple Turtle – Trashy roadkill rock and roll from this month’s demo of the monthers. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS: The Academy – KID HARPOON: The Jericho Tavern – Jake Burns’ old school punk warriors take it Candid, heart-on-sleeve punky busker-rock once more round the block, playing ‘Alternative from London’s Kid Harpoon. Ulster’ and all the other classics. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon SWISS CONCRETE with ELIZA INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial GEIRSDOTTIR + COGWHEEL DOGS + an darkwave club night. WE AERONAUTS: The Bullingdon – One KATE GARRETT + SU STARLING + of the late-90s great lost pop gems were SANDRA SHELLS + MANDY WOOD + Iceland’s Bellatrix (they once co-headlined a MAEVE BAYTON: East Oxford Community UK tour with Coldplay before their Centre – Celebration of local female singer- commercial paths diverged quite songwriters. spectacularly). Anyway, they split up ages ago but here’s the band’s singer Eliza, out on her WEDNESDAY 12th own and still a sweet pop sprite, mixing up MOSHKA with EASY TIGER + Kate Bush-style vocal acrobatics with Kim RESERVOIR CATS + THE SHE BEATS: Deal-like seductiveness and a spot of Nico- The Bullingdon – Fun southern-fried rock esque portent. Good to have her back. from Easy Tiger at tonight’s Moshka club, plus Oxford’s own female vocal gymnast Rebecca hard-rocking blues from Reservoir Cats and Mosley joins the bill with her band Cogwheel punky 60s girl group noise from The She Beats Dogs. ASIA: The Academy – Anyone reading this FLIES ARE SPIES FROM HELL + 50ft who remembers the very depths of 80s prog Saturday 8th PANDA + RED PAPER DRAGON: The hell will understand why the very mention of Wheatsheaf – Instrumental rock power play Asia brings us out in a rash and provokes us to INSPIRAL CARPETS: from piano-led mini marvels Flies Are Spies acts of unspeakable violence towards these From Hell, out on tour in support of their debut multi-million-selling musical abominations. The The Academy EP, plus support from local riffmeisters 50ft only band who make Marillion sound like The A band who will forever be intrinsically Panda and oceanic post-rockers Red Paper Sex Pistols. linked with the late-80s / early-90s indie- Dragon. ALL OR NOTHING + NIGEL BROWN + dance crossover boom, not to mention that JAMIE MOORE + THE MENUS + DAN SANDMAN: The Purple Turtle period’s associated dodgy haircuts, Inspiral MATTHEW COLLINS: The Port Mahon OPEN MIC SESSION: The Temple Carpets probably never got the acclaim they LUCY & THE CATERPILLAR + MATTHEW deserved. In truth they were master pop BOARD: The Purple Turtle – Sugary folk- THURSDAY 13th pop from Lucy and her pet grub. craftsmen, and not afraid to seriously wig GARY NUMAN: The Academy – Synth-rock out when duty called. So, for every radio- legend plays the whole of his seminal ‘Replicas’ th friendly ‘This Is How It Feels’ there was a MONDAY 10 album in full – see main preview. blistering, twenty-minute ‘Plane Crash’ GUILLEMOTS: The Academy – Return to HAYSEED DIXIE: The Academy – Top class wherein Clint Boon’s Frafisa organ battled action for Fyfe Dangerfield’s expansive, fun as ever from the metal-loving zydeco and ferociously with Graham Lambert’s guitar in orchestral pop troupe, set to release their bluegrass boys, covering everyone from Queen, a manner not dissimilar to Lou Reed and second album, ‘Red’, this month, the follow-up Spinal Tap and Motorhead to the mighty AC/ John Cale’s instrumental scrapping. And of to Mercury Prize-nominated Top 20 debut DC in hoedown style. course then there’s frontman Tom Hingley, a ‘Through The Windowpane’. Eccentric and SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – With great songwriter forever associated with a adventurous and prone to extended improv tenor saxophonist Art Themen. special era of Mancunian music but who pieces live, and featuring in their line-up Greig MIRROR MIRROR + COW TOWN + was originally from Abingdon and who has Stewart, former-drummer with local faves TUBELAND + THE YOUNGS PLAN: The regularly gigged Oxford’s pubs and clubs Suitable Case For Treatment and Camp Cellar – Jerky post-punk out of Nuneaton since the Inspirals’ demise. Our favourite Blackfoot. from Mirror Mirror, plus frantic electro punk memories of seeing the band first time round TINA DICO: The Jericho Tavern – Danish from Cowtown. were queuing round the block to catch them singer-songwriter inspired by Dylan and Cohen ELECTRIC JAM SESSION: The Jack at the Jericho Tavern in the late-80s and then and previously singer with Zero 7 heads out on Russell, Marston watching them headline Reading Festival not tour in support of her new album, ‘Count To CATWEAZLE CUB: East Oxford long after, accompanied by an army of drum Ten’. Community Centre majorettes. But for a band perhaps as STEVE ARVEY: The Bullingdon – Acoustic OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon and electric blues-rock from the Chicago-based famous now for once having a young roadie SMASH DISCO: The Academy guitarist, renowned for his reinterpretations of called Noel Gallagher (who was originally old classics by The Rolling Stones, Chester th rejected as the band’s singer), they remain FRIDAY 14 Burnett and others. CHARLIE DARK’S AFRICAN BEATS: The curiously contemporary. The band are set to RED INK + OLIVER JARVA: The Port Academy – African west coast beats meet UK relaunch their Cow label this year and Mahon electronica with Attika Blues chap Charlie tonight should give girls and boys of a WATERSON: CARTHY: Nettlebed Folk Dark’s new project, featuring Nigerian certain age a chance to dig out that old Cool Club – Eliza, Norma and Martin come round percussionist Chief Udo Essiet, broken beats As Fuck t-shirt once again. again with a set of traditional and contemporary champion Mark de Clive-Lowe and jazz English folk. guitarist Dave Okumu. QUICKFIX presents LITTLE FISH + THE GREEN: The Port Mahon – Darkly- th inclined indie rock. TUESDAY 11 BLACK HATS + REVERSE E + MALENC KING EARLE BOOGIE BAND: Fat Lil’s, THE DELAYS: The Academy – Return of VOSSE: The Wheatsheaf – Another chance Witney – Blues and boogie. Southampton’s ethereal 80s-styled indie fops, to catch Oxford’s brightest new rock starlets THE MIGHTY REDOX + THE PETE FRYER now signed to Fiction Records and set to release Little Fish, plus 60s-styled poppers The Back BAND: The Cavalier, Marston third album, ‘Everything’s The Rush’. Lovely Hats, trip hop from Reverse E, and Hretha side stuff, somewhere between The Manics, New project Malenc Vosse. th Order and Cocteau Twins. OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon SUNDAY 9 FAMILY UNDERGROUND + SORREL: The THE NOYZE + BOY DID GOOD + 12 DUFFY: The Academy – Welsh singing Port Mahon – Experimental noise from Divine SIGNS + APOLOGIES I HAVE NONE: The sensation resurrects the spirit of Dusty – see Coils / Hellhesten collaboration Family Jericho Tavern – Indie rock from Reading’s main preview Underground. badly-named The Noyze. THE MIGHTY REDOX + THE PETE FRYER THE POACHERS: The Black Horse, BAND + FILM NOIR + SEV & STEVE + Kidlington – St Patrick’s Night special with JEREMY HUGHES: The Magdalen Irish dance band. MONKEY PUZZLE + TRAWLERS + NEW SOCIALS: The Purple Turtle – Sturdy indie TUESDAY 18th rocking from local newcomers Monkey Puzzle. BUCK 65: The Academy – Return of the FREE AT LAST: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute Canadian Truck Festival favourite MC, to Free. gradually leaving behind his pure hip hop roots BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon as he explores blues, country and folk. BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Live jazz JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon dance club night. SHAKE: The Academy th GET DOWN: The Brickworks WEDNESDAY 19 MATILDA + CHANTELLE PIKE + NICK th BREAKSPEAR: The Port Mahon – Sneaky SATURDAY 15 Pete club night with Swindon’s Matilda FOALS: The Academy – Long-since sold-out boasting a four-vocalist all-female line-up, plus show for the local stars, currently enjoying their local songstress Chantelle Pike and Black Hats status as hottest young band on the planet and frontman Nick Breakspear. here playing their biggest hometown gig to date. THE BOOTLEG BEATLES: The New HIGH & MIGHTY: The Academy – The long- Theatre – All the classics, plus costume time local punk-metal favourites reunite once changes just like it were back in the day. again for another run through their old classics. FISH: The Academy – The very tall Scottish DESMOND CHANCER & THE LONG bloke what used to be the singer in Marillion Sunday 9th MEMORIES: The Wheatsheaf – Funereal (and God help us, that’s the second time we’ve crooning in a Tom Waits vein from the mentioned them this month) heads out on a solo DUFFY: The Academy extremely talented Mr Chancer and his doomy tour. A great way to really wind up Marillion Unsurprisingly this show sold out long ago. cohorts. fans is to go up them at gigs and ask them Aimee Anne Duffy is, after all, this year’s TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM where Fish is and they’ll get all uppity and tell hottest young singer. Okay, joint hottest 101: The Academy you that ACTUALLY he left twelvety-six years SHIRLEY + PALE BLUE EYES + THE with Adele, whom the media seem ago and ACTUALLY Steve Hogarth has been the compelled to have set up as a direct rival in HULAS: The Purple Turtle – Latin-tinged frontman since 1988. Like anyone fucking cares. 60s-styled rock’n’roll and surf pop from that old Blurs Vs Oasis type of thing. Both Anyway. Fish. So named because he was born share the limelight in these post-Amy Shirley. with a set of gills and smells of haddock. ABORT, RETRY, FAIL?: The Cellar Electro Winehouse days, a return to proper old- LLOYD + B-PHIL: The Purple Turtle fashioned chanteuses, the polar opposite of and post-punk club night with live bands and OPEN MIC SESSION: The Temple DJs. Lily Allen and Kate Nash. In Duffy’s world THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT SPASM th there are no tales of kebab shops and mobile BAND: The Hollybush, Osney THURSDAY 20 phones but instead songs of yearning and DANIEL KAYE + TOMMO: The Temple THE NEXTMEN: The Academy – Skylarkin love gone wrong. Having grown up in the presents beatmakers Brad Baloo and Dom splendid isolation of a north Wales village, th Search, mixing up classic soul and disco with Duffy took part in SC4’s answer to Pop Idol SUNDAY 16 funky beats and old skool hip hop, having THE METROS: The Academy – Cockernee and was scooped up by Rough Trade’s worked with the likes of Public Enemy, Jeannette Lee who has nurtured her talent ska and rockabilly-tinged indie punk. Pharcyde and Blackalicious. SUGAR DIRT: The Port Mahon for three years, set her up with songwriting SWISS CONCRETE with MICHAEL and producer partner Bernard Butler and KNIGHT + BABY GRAVY + ECHO allowed her time to come up with her debut th BOOMER: The Bullingdon – Lachrymose MONDAY 17 album, ‘Rockferry’. Vocal comparisons to country-spiked lounge pop from Dublin’s THE FALL + I, LUDICROUS: The Academy Dusty Springfield are obvious and not – Another year, another visit from The Fall – Michael Knight, plus spirited punk-pop noise from Baby Gravy. entirely unwelcome, sharing not just her and do you see us complaining? Course not, for assuredness and vulnerability but also her Mark E Smith’s ever-changing band of merry 4ft FINGERS: The Cellar – Return of haircut, and there’s also a hint or two of men and women are proper legends. For 30 Cheltenham’s boozy skatepunks, still kicking it Lulu in the mix. Unsurprisingly Jools years now they’ve been the most consistently out in a Pennywise-inspired style and back out Holland has been foremost among her fans inconsistent band in Britain, if not the world. on tour with new album, ‘New Beginnings For What can never be denied, however, is that Old Stories’. and doubtless Duffy will soon be hitting Mark E Smith is a musical genius. Since he CATWEAZLE CUB: East Oxford arena-sized venues so tonight is a rare formed the band in 1976 he’s created some of Community Centre opportunity to enjoy her pure blue-eyed the most startlingly original, awkward, SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – soul in such intimate surroundings. exhilarating and obtuse music you’re ever likely Featuring The Organ Trio. to hear. The Fall sound is a constantly mutating ELECTRIC JAM SESSION: The Jack beast but forever remains unmistakably The Russell, Marston Fall – an uneasy meeting of Beefheart, Can and ONE NIGHT STAND: Fat Lil’s, Cochran, with an oddly arty edge to it, plenty Witney of punk-inspired bile and a wit and grasp of OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half social reality that few songwriters can equal. Moon Gigs can be unpredictable but on their night The SMASH DISCO: The Academy Fall remain, three decades on, more innovative and dangerous than any teenage rock rebels. A FRIDAY 21st national treasure. THE FAMILY MACHINE + FUNKYDORY: The Bullingdon – Rough and ALPHABET BACKWARDS + raw blues-rock with a soul edge from the UK’s RICHARD WALTERS: The rising stars, drawing on Led Zep, Frank Zappa Wheatsheaf – Album launch party and Tina Turner for inspiration. for last month’s Nightshift cover DIXON: The Port Mahon stars The Family Machine, with MADDY PRIOR: Nettlebed Folk Club support from promising local GET DOWN: The Brickworks down a flight of stairs and hitting an old man at the bottom who’s playing Verve songs badly on SATURDAY 22nd an over-priced guitar”. His live band features MARY’S GARDEN: The Wheatsheaf – Delgados’ Paul Savage and Mogwai’s Barry Billowing gothic Euro-rocking from Mary’s Burns in its ranks and as spring approaches, Garden. it’ll be a grand occasion to plunge yourself right FRIENDLY GHOST DAY OUT: The Port back into the winter of the human heart. Mahon – Full day of emo, punk, hardcore and THE SWORD: The Academy – Sludgy but metal with Kill The Arcade headlining, plus sets melodic stoner-metal from the rising Austin, from LAP, Antikid, Arc Angel, South Central Texas behemoths, inspired by the likes of Black heroes, Leaving December, We More As One Sabbath, Prong and The Melvins and out on and Target9. their first UK headline tour after supporting FLYING COLOURS + DIVINE SECRET + Clutch here last time round. UNDERSIDE: The Purple Turtle LUKE & MARIUS + KATE CHADWICK: DANNY, CHAMPION OF THE WORLD + The Purple Turtle MORRISON STEAM FAYRE: The OPEN MIC SESSION: The Temple Portcullis Club, Wallingford – Uplifting th Dylan-inspired folk-pop and gospel from Truck rd Thursday 13 Records signings Danny, Champion of the Sunday 23 World, plus skiffle and rockabilly folk support EELS: The New Theatre GARY NUMAN: from London’s MSF.. Can it really be seven whole years since Eels The Academy TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 101: The Academy – Transformation features a last graced this same stage? The memories of Back in 1979 Gary Numan – then going special live set from up and coming post-punk that show still ring clear: Mark Everett (or E under the band name Tubeway Army – disco types Rosalita, launching their Rapture- as he’s more commonly known) playing the released his second album, ‘Replicas’, a meets-Shit Disco single, ‘Manga Girl. part of mildly deranged psychiatric patient monolithic synth-rock concept album THE REPEATS + CLAIRE BEGLEY: The on day release while he and his band – inspired by Bowie, Ultravox and sci-fi writer Temple including star in her own right Lisa Germano Philip K Dick. From it came the number 1 – deliberately played silly buggers with the single ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ which rd best known of Eels’ catalogue, radically launched Numan into the pop mainstream SUNDAY 23 reworking the likes of ‘Susan’s House’ and and a 30-year career as one of music’s EELS: The New Theatre – Give us an E! – ‘Novocaine For The Soul’. It was music as unlikeliest survivors. ‘Replicas’ also made see main preview theatre and displayed another side to E, SKITTLE ALLEY RE-LAUNCH PARTY: Numan one of the most influential stars of generally regarded as a bit of a daydreaming Abingdon British Legion – Jazz-funksters the past three decades, notably in the States misery guts, albeit an extremely talented one. Superdeadlyninjabees headline, with support where everyone from Kurt Cobain, Marilyn The man’s songwriting credentials have kept from Running With Scissors, Superloose, Moon Manson and Trent Reznor to Beck, Afrikaa Leopard and more. him on top of his game over the past decade Baambaata and Billy Corgan were inspired THE CORSAIRS: The Black Horse, or so and now he celebrates the release of a by its bruising bass synths, nightmarish Kidlington – Classic rock’n’roll and rockabilly. Greatest Hits album, ‘Meet The Eels’, as dystopian imagery and futuristic feel. Back well as an expansive compilation of old in Blighty the likes of Blur and Moloko have MONDAY 24th rarities, ‘Useless Trinkets’. Although Eels’ paid their respects and covered his songs, line-up changes pretty regularly, E’s while Thom Yorke’s sci-fi angst owes some LITTLE JENNY & THE BLUE BEANS: The downbeat, laconic singing and songwriting Bullingdon – Swedish all-female blues-rockers, debt to ‘Replicas’. To celebrate both his 50th style remains as its core as he mixes up kicking it out in the style of Led Zep, Stevie birthday and his 30th year in music, Numan alt.rock, folk, jazz, bluegrass and country Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. is playing ‘Replicas’ in its entirety, plus into a gorgeous, fuzzy felt whole. Given E’s associated b-sides and rarieties, following on th relentless ambition to mess up every career- from 2006’s successful ‘Telekon’ revisit. TUESDAY 25 enhancing opportunity presented to him, Roundly hated by the UK music press for JOSH RITTER: The Academy – Warm- each show is an experience and if it’s being the first post-punk rock star, Numan hearted country rocking in the vein of Bob anything like his last visit, it’ll be like a two- has outlived his critics and proved them Dylan and Bruce Springsteen from Idaho hour visit to another planet entirely. wrong and reaches his half century held in songsmith Ritter, riding high on the acclaim higher regard than ever. afford last year’s ‘The Historic Conquests of Josh Ritter’ album, displaying a deft lyricism and ambitious musical outlook. Idaho once too, alt.rock newcomers Alphabet Backwards and but some bastard broke into my shed and sweet’n’gloomy songmeister Rich Walters. nicked it. MOSHKA with BEAVER FUEL + THE MIGHTY REDOX + THE PETE FRYER BEELZEBOZO: The Bullingdon – Likeably BAND chaotic punk noise from Beaver Fuel at JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon tonight’s Moshka Club, plus titanium-coated doomy metal from Beelzebozo. WEDNESDAY 26th VAN MORRISON: The New Theatre – The MALCOLM MIDDLETON: The Jericho musical master of mirth returns with his classic Tavern – Ah, so close and yet so far. Malcolm Celtic soul. Give him a hug, he’s just a big, Middleton so nearly could have nabbed the cuddly teddy bear. No, really. Christmas number 1 spot with his festive OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon ‘We’re All Going To Die, and yet, such success HI FLYER + HOT CITY SYMPHONY + would surely have spelled ruin for a man who THE KEYZ + YOUR ARMY: The Jericho has spent the past decade or so revelling in his Tavern – Chiming epic stadium pop from own joyous gloom and lack of self worth, from Bristol’s Hi Flyer. his days as half of Arab Strap to his new solo BIG BLUE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Live blues. album, ‘Sleight Of Hand’. Here is a man who BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon describes himself rather brilliantly as sounding SHAKE: The Academy “like a fat child throwing a Casio keyboard THURSDAY 27th playing all the big hits (‘End Of The THE RIFLES: The Academy – What’s Road’, ‘I’ll Make Love To You’ and ‘One this, The Sword last night, The Rifles Sweet Day’ with Mariah Carey) from their tonight. At this rate Nuclear Assault will recent Best Of compilation album. be reforming for a gig next month. TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / Anyway, Jam-indebted Britpop revivalism ROOM 101: The Academy from the Walthamstow crew. LITTLE FISH + THE EPSTEIN + LE SKY PARADE + THE DILETTANTES + VEN: Stocks Bar, Abingdon – Skittle FREELOVEBABIES: The Cellar – Great Alley club night with Glam-garage blues triple bill of modern psychedelia with LA’s rock starlets Little Fish, plus country Sky Parade boasting influences from Ride, rockers The Epstein. Spacemen 3, Primal Scream and The Jesus UNDERCLASS STRIFE + NEMONIX: and Mary Chain informing their darkly The Purple Turtle – Jam-styled indie lysergic rock. San Francisco’s Dilettantes, rock from Underclass Strife, plus funky meanwhile, feature Joel Gion from The hard rock from Nemonix. Brian Jonestown Massacre and find a HQ: The Cellar – Drum&bass. meeting point between Lloyd Cole and INSPECTED BY TEN: The Temple Loud Reed via the 60s Californian sunshine. One-time Spacemen 3 chap Will Carruthers SUNDAY 30th brings his gospel country band Free Love BE YOUR OWN PET: The Academy – Babies along for extra LSD-spiked fun. Splendidly frenetic garage punk from the MY FIRST TOOTH + CAT MATADOR Nashville teens who’ve managed to + TRIAL AND ERROR + THE survive the industry frenzy that followed COOLING PEARLS: The Port Mahon their shows at SXSW back in 2005. From ELECTRIC JAM SESSION: The Jack their DIY basement beginnings – all hand- Russell, Marston drawn sleeves and bedroom-recorded OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon singles – they’ve gone on to XL Records SMASH DISCO: The Academy – Local (home to White Stripes) and been hailed as Vaudevillian glam-pop starlets Borderville the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Fronted by play live at the eclectic indie club night. vivacious frontwoman Jemima Pearl, who sounds like a young Kathleen Hanna, they FRIDAY 28th fire out an exuberantly poppy noise that’s BOOG + THE BROMPTONS + LE somewhere between The Pixies, Sonic VENS + DIFFERENT DAY: The Youth and the best bits of riot grrl. A Jericho Tavern second album, ‘Get Awkward’, is due for OXFORD FOLK CLUB: Port Mahon release this month. STORNOWAY + RAMI: QI Club – The CHRIS REA: The New Theatre – The QI Club returns to gigging action after a gravel-voiced blues-rock veteran airs his major refurb, tonight hosting local celtic- old hits like ‘On The Beach’ and ‘Let’s pop favourites Stornoway, plus bluesman Dance’ as well as material from his new Rami. ‘The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Blue KHYBER PASS + APOLOGIES I HAVE Notes’ album, back in action after retiring NONE: The Purple Turtle from live performance on health grounds a GINHOUSE: Fat Lil’s, Witney few years ago. BACKROOM BOOGIE: Bullingdon BIG BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney SHAKE: The Academy (3pm) – Open session.

SATURDAY 29th MONDAY 31st GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with BARRY ADAMSON: The Academy – MILE HIGH YOUNG TEAM + TOUPE With a CV that includes stints with + DAVID K FRAMPTON: The Magazine, The Bad Seeds and Visage, Wheatsheaf – Expansive, orchestral folky Barry Adamson should need little pop from headliners MHYT with off- introduction, but it’s as a solo composer kilter funk-metal, cabaret-pop support that he’s spent the majority of his musical from Toupe and heavy duty electro career, inspired by the likes of Ennio soundscaping from Mr Frampton. Morricone and John Barry, as well as ECLECTIC CIRCUS: The Bullingdon - Motown, dub and experimental electro. Music, cabaret and poetry with a headline He’s written scores for films by David set from Inflatable Buddha, plus guests. Lynch amongst others, as well as HARRY ANGEL + KINGS OF SPAIN + imaginary soundtrack albums on his own. THE REPEATS: The Jericho Tavern – Adamson’s new album, ‘Back To The Cat’ Fuzz-heavy gothabilly hardcore from is due out to coincide with this UK tour. Harry Angel at tonight’s Coo Coo Club. EDDIE BLUE & THE RAVENS: The BOYZ 2 MEN: The New Theatre – Not, Bullingdon – Upbeat mix of blues, funk, as Michael Jackson supposedly believed, a jazz and Southern rock from Michigan special delivery service for pop star kiddie singer and saxophonist Eddie Blue and fiddlers, but multi-million-selling Philly band, taking their cue from the likes of soul crew, signed to Motown and tonight Hendrix, Ray Charles and Otis Redding.

ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- month - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 reproduced without permission each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each Photo: rphimages LIVE

GLASVEGAS The Jericho Tavern Just as there are always shows that the much-quoted Phil Spector are doomed to failure no matter how influence at work. In truth that’s much effort goes into them, there doing the band an injustice, since are others that are irrevocably fated they have effectively managed to to end up talked-about for all the carve themselves a fully-formed, right reasons. distinct sound out of influences so A portentous intro to Glasvegas’ set, well-worn you’d be forgiven for accompanied by swathes of dry ice, thinking there was precious little is cut short with no small degree of inspiration still be wrung from bathos by the sounding of the fire them. alarm, but thankfully we’re spared And the songs? Underneath the evacuation. Two songs in and a bluster and noise are some guitar amp blows, attenuating their beautifully-observed, tender pieces glorious sheets of feedback into little of songwriting, whether it’s a paean more than a warming drone in the to the love between a son and his background. absent father in `Daddy’s Gone’, Such technical mishaps, however, twisting the lyrics of `You Are My only serve to throw other aspects of Sunshine’ sideways to spell out the Glasvegas sound into relief. heartbreak, or the stunning James Allan boasts the most centrepiece `It’s My Own Cheating evocative Scottish brogue since Heart That Makes Me Cry’, which Prolapse’s Mick Derrick, and the might just sew up single of the year basslines are wonderfully propulsive, as early as February. Glasvegas, keeping songs that might otherwise then, are a rare entity in 2008’s be placed at the ‘stately’ end of the unsightly mélange of best-ofs and tempo spectrum pulsing along to a `ones to watch’ lists: a hyped-up tip climax. Beyond the slabs of Jesus and for the top who are actually worth a Mary Chain-inspired noise, there’s damn. everything from C86 loser-pop to Stuart Fowkes

THE JOEL HARRISON QUINTET ROYWORLD The Wheatsheaf The Jericho Tavern In comes Joel Harrison, American grounded, tuneful comprehension, Nightshift’s preview of tonight’s gig guitar and electric piano) know how guitarist and composer, to usher in only endless floating on drifting, found us in two minds about to kick out a crashing anthemic the New Year, along with his quintet moody keys. An arbitrary key Royworld, London-based newcomers crescendo. Debut single ‘Elasticity’ is consisting of two guitarists (Harrison change here, pointlessly fractional, heading out on their first headline Royworld’s real gem – a deadringer included), alto sax, bass guitar and chords hopelessly embellished as to tour. On the one hand they’ve got a for Roxy’s ‘Virginia Plain’ – but it’s beautiful, magnificent drums. reduce any warmth. Unless we’re great arty weirdo side that recalls encouraging to see that their choice Harrison is a dab hand at the old speaking noise or free-improv, you Roxy Music’s early electro-glam of follow-up, ‘Man In The composition game, especially film can’t deny that music needs a tune. explosion; on the other, they might Machine’, veers towards the madder scores - he’s had HBO and the Even in the most oblique Monk, as well be supporting Keane in an side of things, sounding like Sparks History Channel pumping out his Melvins or Matmos hit there is a enormodome somewhere in front of battling for the soul of the song with lithe, dignified pieces. His new album recognisable riff lying somewhere to people who would literally collapse Supertramp. Christ, Supertramp – ‘Harbor’ (that’s right, no ‘u’ - creep up on the persistent muso in a puddle of their own wee if how much does it say about today’s enough to make you scream) is after a listen or fifty. Despite this, exposed to music that challenged homogenised music scene that supposed to be a ‘pan-cultural’, I’ll admit the drummer is an absolute their brain cells one iota. After Supertramp can sound like ‘multi-stylistic mélange’. He is ‘our demon. Incessantly inventive, just tonight’s show we’re really little the something weird and new? respected jazz guitarist’ - English light enough, and the paragon, the wiser. Elsewhere there’s a risk that language studies have endlessly height of a drummer’s Everest: Royworld look like a band that has Royworld might turn into Marillion drilled in my pasty face that the use delicate yet powerful. This Edmund been cobbled together by mistake – at any moment and their final of the collective pronoun here Hillary of the hi-hat world is not all untidy beards, bad hair and number is little more than condensed demonstrates the jazz world’s fuzzy, afraid to go a-rocking when he gets mismatched clothes – which is kind stadium-pop bluster. So, it still come-her-Harrison-you-old-mucker the chance, his name is Jordan of a good thing, but you start to remains to be seen which path relationship. Perlson, Google him! sense that maybe their music is an Royworld take. If they chase the The Spin Jazz Club’s crowd are Before I go too harsh on these jazz equally hotchpotch mismatch of money, their frustrating MOR characteristically warm, young, old brainiacs, I’ll allow that the ‘Here styles. Frontman Rod Futrille is tendencies will doubtless take over. and cordially diverse. The first set Comes the Sun’ cover and jaunty possessed of a strange, urgent But if Royworld want to be truly comprises most of ‘Harbor’, which number ‘Mood Rodeo’ are modest charisma and has a voice that loved and to be remembered in years all feels relentlessly modern. The Mount Fijis in this tuneless tundra. switches from Bryan Ferry to Phil to come, they’ve got enough of that sound is sleek and dignified but like An anomaly, let’s hope, for Spin Lynott at will, stopping at Tom strange magic to really make their all faceless technology; cold and Club’s balmy nights at the ‘Sheaf. Chaplin along the way, while behind mark unfeeling. Tonally, there exists no Pascal Ansell him the band (bassless and led by Ian Chesterton JOHNNY FLYNN & THE SUSSEX LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION / WIT / FIREWORKS NIGHT SEMIFINALISTS The Jericho Tavern The Academy Half the audience tonight look like Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit London faux-artistic scenesters Nobody involved with the execrable, Jarvis Cocker when he dressed as don’t seem to be having the best Semifinalists tonight feature Mister pathetic Test Icicles can ever, ever, Rolf Harris for Stars In Their Eyes; night of their lives, due in part to Lightspeed Champion, Dev Hynes, in ever be described as involved in neckerchiefs abound.The other half technical difficulties, but also to a their number, who contributes little anything but a form of musical are all Topshop gypsy princesses. cellist who looks terminally ill, beyond a big hat and some functional penance, so I’m not predisposed to a Such rustique is, of course, slumped in his chair rubbing his bass and guitar playing. This, favourable reaction here. It turns out exceptionally contrived, but what of sweaty face. Lemsips must wait, combined with an impressively that there are in fact two Lightspeed it? Onstage, hairy six-piece however, as the melancholic ghost of annoying chirpy and bouncy Champions. Number One is the Fireworks Night pound out a four-to- Nick Drake must be summoned - keyboard player, who spends the ‘genius’ (© NME) punchable furry- the-floor beat on what is essentially Britain’s affluent children are slightly majority of the performance jumping hatted tool who has rescued a music an electric cardboard box, and no- miserable and need a home counties up and down like a rubbish child actor scene that didn’t need help with an one can argue with the Bright Eyes. The boy Flynn’s trying out for a Sunny D commercial, output of weak proto-new-rave and entertainment value in that. This certainly doing something right; his would likely add up to a set to be bandwagon-jumping alt-folk. Number soon expands into an intriguingly calm, silky voice, neat fingerpicking more tolerated than enjoyed. So it’s Two is the surprisingly charming angular, understatedly theatrical and sound understanding of country surprising to realise that they’re chap on stage tonight, knocking out performance taking in Kurt Weill, harmonies are as attractive as his actually not too bad. They sound half perfectly listenable indie-pop songs ‘Aladdin Sane’-era Bowie and the pretty blond head, but there’s a like the intricate indie rock so with a voice that’s not actually too darker, better bits of The Divine palpable sense that he’s too wryly artfully created by Built To Spill and horrendous at all. All marketing-led Comedy. They do burlesque without dispassionate to be worth the hype. half like an irony-drenched take on idiocy aside, I get the impression that the irritating “look mummy, I’m Eventually though, the band seem to mid-80s sheen-rock a la Power Number Two is the real Lightspeed stripping” wackiness of some of lock in with each other, the audience Station. I must be in a good mood, as Champion. Have I just turned a their similarly-inclined peers, finally start moving their feet and by the end of their set I’m fair old corner? His music may be of a managing to be simultaneously the atmosphere becomes good-time enjoying myself. standard that could be easily equalled progressive and traditional, not to enough to deflect from the fact that So I’m in a better mood to approach by any number of local acts playing mention rather moving. And is that there’s nothing particularly new Lightspeed Champion than I was at smaller venues in town, don’t get Nick Gill of former Oxford about this nu-folkie. Johnny Flynn is, upon setting off into the cold night me wrong. But I’m rather calm at the instrumentalists The Monroe at present, one dodgy Dylan cover air for tonight’s show. Hopefully I’m end of the night, when I thought I’d Transfer on guitar? Indeed it is, and away from simply being a star turn at not the only person in Christendom have gnawed my own eyes out in now he’s playing the musical saw. By a university open mic night, but for to be thoroughly, violently sick of frustration and anger. Lightspeed this point in the set, it barely seems now the jauntiness of his jigs can the relentless, vacuous, hyperbolic Champion is quite good, despite contrived at all. Impressive, and a keep the trendies interested enough. arse-kissing visited upon Dev Hynes’ everything you may have read. hard act to follow. Dominic Colquhoun person in recent press coverage. Simon Minter

XMAS LIGHTS / 50ft PANDA / DR SLAGGLEBERRY The Cellar Wearing masks on stage isn’t league entirely. Having parted anything new but Dr Slaggleberry’s company with their old singer expressionless white face coverings Marco Ruggiero, they’ve recruited still add a spooky dehumanised feel Mounted Insanity Cannon lunatic to their all-out math-core assault. Nick B and expanded to a six-piece. Hailing from Thame the four-piece In doing so they’ve moved so far strike out in angular fashion, beyond standard metal and hardcore possessed of a spasmodic type of that they’ve become a force of fury, personified by the vocalist sheer musical violence. A squalling whose middle-distance screaming intro explodes into virulent life, adds menace to the occasionally twin guitars and keyboards duelling proggy guitar excursions. Leaning above and behind Nick and Umair towards the Primus and Locust Chaudhry’s distorted screams. For scheme of things, they’ve got an the next forty minutes they push energy and imagination all of their industrial hardcore to its very limits, own. veering from monolithic Sunn0))) 50ft Panda prefer the more grind to all-out Anaal Nathrakh- straightforward approach to rock’s style electro blitzkrieg. For all the summit; an instrumental drums and all-consuming brutality of it, Xmas guitar duo, for them the beat and the Lights’ music is intricately textured, riff are everything. Straddling raw from James Gray King’s wired guitar roadhouse blues and angular hardcore attack to the punishing keyboard noise, they bury their few moments drones that push everything along of calm contemplation under a like an unstoppable bulldozer. The welter of shredded guitar noise. band take an enforced six-month They’re a sonic evisceration of 70s break from here before returning hard rock, marrying precision metal with their debut album in the autumn to hellbastard mayhem with splendid and after that Satan can move aside single-mindedness. because, to use the rock vernacular, But on a superlative night for local Xmas Lights rule. rock, Xmas Lights are in another Dale Kattack I WAS A CUB SCOUT / ROLO TOMASSI The Academy The last time we saw Rolo Tomassi they were turning in one of the most electric and exciting performances at last year’s Truck festival. They stood out on that weekend because they were one of the few bands who were about nothing other than unbridled psychotic rage. They hit the stage tonight and nothing is any different. From the first note to the last Rolo Tomassi are a hurricane of ideas spat out in a frenzy that might well need the intervention of a Catholic Priest in the near future. Eva Spence seems to have dispensed with singing altogether (something that once gave them something of a pop Rolo Tomassi photo by Sam Shepherd Rolo Tomassi edge here and there) and has opted for a roar that few can match. As she whirls around the stage the rest of the band blend jazz with frantic hardcore to create a noise that dreams and nightmares are made of, depending on which side of the fence you sit. Reminiscent of the random grind and release Mr Bungle utilised on ‘Disco Volante’, Rolo Tomassi are without a doubt one of the most exhilarating live bands we’ve had the pleasure to witness recently. How do you follow such an unrelenting blast? Not with I Was A Cub Scout for a start. Apart from having to follow Rolo Tomassi, the problem with IWACS is that they don’t know quite what they want to be. Do they want to be a rock band, or dabble in electronica? We don’t know, and they certainly don’t. Well, drummer William Bowerman probably does, as he pounds his kit like he’s in Slayer, which at least gives the songs a bit of a kick that they lack on their current album. The likes of ‘Pink Squares’ and ‘Save Your Wishes’ indicate a band with some potential, weighing in like a weedy cousin of Secret Machines, but when they’re delivered with such an incredible lack of charisma or passion they fail to make any kind of lasting impression. Whatever happened to “Akela, we will do our best”, eh? Sam Shepherd

noodling (especially on the very AOR ‘White only two actual black kids in the five-strong line- PALLADIUM / Lady’) shows they can play well. But for all the up), comparisons with Arcade Fire are apparent in ALPHABEAT harmony and structure, they just can’t muster up the set’s anthemic centrepiece, ‘I’m Not Gonna memorable songs – which utterly defeats the Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance’, a The Academy object, surely. cluttered, almost orchestral disco stomp with Kirsten Etheridge Reggie and Ali trading closely harmonised vocals If the words ‘Danish’ and ‘pop’ automatically over an incessant but good-natured disco bass make you think of Aqua, Junior Senior or throb. More frequently, though, notably on Whigfield, fear not, Alphabeat are far less one- ‘Hurricane Jane’, Black Kids are much closer to dimensional. Poppy and jaunty, yet more The Cure circa-‘Head On The Door’, Dawn heartfelt than flippant, they flirt with Motown BLACK KIDS Watley’s sleek synth lines riding under Reggie’s and soul, but not in any dodgy Toploader way. spookily uncanny Robert Smith impression. The `10,000 Nights of Thunder’ reminds me of the The Jericho Tavern band are at their best when they veer into dancier Supremes, despite Anders and Stine’s boy/girl Weight of expectation bears down ever more territory, as on ‘Hit The Heartbreaks’, Stax soul- vocal swooning, and `What is Happening’ is a oppressively on new young bands these days as style grooves and 70s funk mixing up the tender slower but still perfectly Radio 2-friendly slice of the media’s insatiable desire for Next Big Things pop melodies, but even when Ali chants “Dance! pop-soul harmony. The band’s single, and quick thrills shows no sign of letting up. So it Dance! Dance!” as a song nears its climax, the `Fascination’, was Radio 1 play-listed, but there is was that Jacksonville’s Black Kids found crowd remain, for the most part, motionless. And better to come; they’re still innocent, kooky and themselves at the centre of a rabid music industry that, quite likely, will be Black Kids’ biggest Europoppy enough to get away with the lovely feeding renzy after their recent SXSW Festival obstacle: living up to the hype they’ve played no `Boyfriend’, with its lyrics about holding hands, showing. After one free download-only EP part in creating. Given time to breathe and time parents not wanting to know and whatnot. they’re being touted as The New Arcade Fire and to fully get their act together, they have the Alphabeat are so infectiously upbeat that it’s have been picked up by that band’s management songs to confirm all that fevered talk. impossible not to be charmed by them. company. Dale Kattack Palladium, on the other hand, are rather All of which means the irritating. The fact that their best song (‘High 5’) band have barely had a sounds like sixth formers trying to play a medley chance to prove of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ and that Orson song raises anything to anyone alarm bells immediately. The official line of them before they’re thrust meeting on the session musician circuit and into the international discovering a mutual love of Toto and Hall & spotlight. Tonight’s Oates sounds very suspicious; the whole thing sold-put show is gives the distinct impression of being evidence of their lack manufactured, especially considering their woeful, of experience with the presumably Virgin-dictated look. I resent having first fifteen minutes had a childhood being told that particular acts featuring missed beats photo: Paul Tipping were unfashionable only for them to resurface 20 and a muddled sound years later via embarrassing, exploitative and that does little justice frankly offensively cynical plagiarism with the to their unarguably sole purpose of lining record executives’ pockets. sweet songs. It’s the glam rock 50s revival all over again. Fronted by brother and So it might not even be all Palladium’s fault, sister duo Reggie and despite the posturing; their guitar/keyboard Ali Youngblood (the thethe portport mmahonahon Live Music in March 2nd Zangryus and Sacred Divide 3rd Another Lost Leader, Nordgarden 5th Permanent Vacation presents Grave Paintings + Alexander Thomas + Euhedral + DTV 6th Port Mayhem 7th Oxford Folk Club 8th The Green March 9th Jamie Moore + The Menus + Matthew Collings 10th Red Ink + Oliver Jarva & Band 14th Oxford Folk Club Every Monday 16th Sugar Dirt THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES 17th Dixon The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 19th Sneaky Pete presents Matilda + Chantelle Pike + 3rd DERRIN NAUENDORF BAND (Australia) Nick Breakspear 10th STEVE ARVEY (USA) 21st Oxford Folk Club 17th FUNKYDORY (UK) 22nd Friendly Ghost Day Off II featuring Kill the 24th LITTLE JENNY & THE BLUEBEANS (Sweden) Arcade, LAP, Anti Kid, Arc Angel, We Move as One, 31st EDDIE BLUE & THE RAVENS (USA) Leaving December, Farewell City, Target 9, South Central Heroes Every Tuesday 27th Dirty Boys presents My First Tooth + Cat THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB Matador + Trial and Error + The Cooling Pearls Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am 28th Oxford Folk Club 4th KATYA GORRIE & DENNY ILETT Jr 11th / 25th THE HOWARD PEACOCK QUINTET Book your band into play at Oxford’s best small music venue! 18th THE HUGH TURNER BAND 82 St Clements, Oxford. Tel: 01865 202067 Thursdays 6th SWISS CONCRETE presents GRAND POCKET ORCHESTRA / THE FOLLYS / TALE OF TWO HALVES 13th MOSHKA presents EASY TIGER + RESERVOIR CATS + THE SHE BEATS 20th SWISS CONCRETE presents MICHAEL KNIGHT / BABY GRAVY / ECHO BOOMER 27th Live bands to be confirmed

Every Friday BACKROOM BOOGIE Funk, soul and R&B. 10.30pm-2am; £4. (last Friday of the month with guest DJ Aidan Larkin)

Friday Early Shows 21st MOSHKA presents BEAVER FUEL + BEELZEBOZO + more 28th TASTE OF PURPLE (Deep Purple tribute) £5 Bands 8-10.30pm. £4. Includes entry to Backroom Boogie afterwards

Saturdays 1st SIMPLETHE – Funky House ANY 9-3am. DAYS 22nd OX4 – Drum’n’Bass. 9pm-3am 29th ECLECTICCD CIRCUS single - Music,`MONDAY cabaret andMORNING’ poetry with INFLATABLEat BUDDHA Polar Bear & guests Records, Cowley Road

Sundays 9th SWISS CONCRETE presents ELIZA (ex-Bellatrix) / COGWHEEL DOGS / WE AERONAUTS BLACK FRANCIS / ART BRUT Brookes Union The coming together of two gigs in a while to remind me why I love onto one pretty odd double header rock music. is what brings me here tonight. In So Frank Black becomes Black many ways it’s a deeply Francis again and a change is unfashionable night, Art Brut never underway. It’s almost as though he’s have been or pertain to be en learnt to love what he does again, vogue, while Black Francis has which seems evident from the spent most of his solo years in the busking down at the Bridge of Sighs

Black Francis photo by rphimages wilderness despite the huge love still before the gig. Shorn of his old showered on Pixies. backing band The Catholics and Art Brut are simply wonderful. with a new three piece band in tow, Tonight singer Eddie Argos will skip they’re on mighty fine form. As with his mike lead, cause an you’d expect there’s a lot of stuff accidental conga when he jumps played from the new album, into the crowd and throws all ‘Bluefinger’, but also from a manner of odd shapes. This forthcoming mini-album ‘Svn glamourless showmanship would be Fngrs’. A lot of the stuff is the surf- cringeworthy if it wasn’t so much blues in which he excels, but there’s fun. The songs, pulled from their a harder edge to the songs from the two albums, are quite basic rock mini album. It has to be said though tunes but it’s the lyrics that win you that this material is best in short over, observations of modern life sharp measures and can prove a bit from the perennial loser. It’s Half repetitive over the space of an Man Half Biscuit without the clever hour. All things considered, it’s a wordplay, or Luke Smith if he victory of sorts and a sign not to formed a rock and roll band. write off solo Black Francis just yet. They’re the first band I’ve seen live Russell Barker

DR SHOTOVER HOT CHIP My White Bicycle Howe! No, not “How!” - who d’you think I am, Poca-blasted-hontas?... I The Academy mean STEVE Howe... Yes! No, not Yes - I mean the band he was in A good measure of a band’s worth is moments. Alexis Taylor’s vocals BEFORE Yes, you paisley-jumpered moron. Tomorrow! No, that’s not sometimes, to paraphrase Voltaire, to seem a little reedy and underweight when I’m going to see them - that was the name of the band (or “group” ask yourself whether if they didn’t to make the desired impact, resulting as we used to say in 1967)... their psychedelic hit “My White Bicycle” exist, it would be necessary to invent in moments that bring to mind was inspired by the Dutch hippies who used to leave bikes around them. Hot Chip offer one of the nothing so exciting as Postal Service Amsterdam for other “groovers” to use, and it was all, like, free and (relatively) few cases in which the b-sides. On the other hand, at their mellow and peaceful. Well, it certainly was in my experience, until some answer would have to be a resounding strongest they’re thrillingly Situationist joker came along and spiked my waarmschokoladmelk with ‘yes’, such is the colour, invention unpredictable, bouncing from nursery Mandrax... Jezus Christus, wat een downer! Now then, while I’m ON and character the band bring to the rhyme acronym games (witness ‘C- Mandrax, I mean the subject, why oh why do these half-wit students keep table. They are, however, such a one- A-S-I-O’ et al.) to the kind of overtaking other cyclists on the inside? All right, by “other cyclists”, I off that you’d have trouble working undulating, arpeggiated workouts mean “me”. And yes, I admit it, I HAVE fitted Boadicea-like blades to my out yourself how to assemble such an that the likes of Justice and back wheel to deal with this sort of miscreant... Slice! Slash! Rzzzz! It was unlikely combination of buzzing Digitalism have been peddling to the like the cover of “Weasels Ripped My Flesh” by Frank Zappa all over synths, dancefloor nous and an kids with great success of late, albeit again... I’m delighted to tell you that THAT particular spotty Herbert honest devotion to pure pop sugar simultaneously tempered with an ear won’t be going skiing again for some time... Where were we? Oh yes, on into such a mercurial treat. for a classic pop chorus. the Cowley Rd, just near the secret location that houses the world-famous The overall effect of such an Hot Chip, then, are testament to East Indies Club! “How exciting”, I hear you say, “I’ve been wanting to idiosyncratic range of influence and the fact that you can make quirky, know for simply ages where THAT select and glamorous haunt of the instrumentation is split between infinitely-malleable music entirely Great and the Good of Oxford Pop and Rock is located...!” Shall I tell you inspirational moments and ideas that on your own terms and still reach where it is? Shall I? (Just one more Mandrax, thanks)... It’s... it’szzzz... don’t quite gel. For example, much of the very pinnacle of indie royalty, urgh [snores]... the set is marred by the kind of and for that reason alone they’re Next month: I’ve got a bike, you can ride it if you like... mawkish, awkward balladry that worth celebrating. forms the centrepoint of new album Stuart Fowkes ‘Made In The Dark’. Slight and insipid where they ought to be affecting, they often lack the nimble interweaving of ideas that marks out the band’s more inspired “Oh no, guys, I thought I was auditioning to be the new Dr Who, and look – and usually where I ended up! I’ll never take Mandies again!” upbeat – PARADISE ISLAND / PREFONTAINE THINGUMA*JIGSAW / / ELAPSE-O / SAD SHIELDS SHARRON KRAUS The Wheatsheaf East Oxford Community Centre Portsmouth’s Sad Shields have a multi-layered and more angular, but Sharron Kraus, Oxford’s witch-queen eccentric in a way that’s in danger of great name, great haircuts and an still obstinately antagonistic to of folk, is not very well tonight. For trying too hard and leaving you even greater guitarist. Harking back conventional song structures. this she apologises, before embarking itching to act out the homicidal plot- to the golden age of the Gang of Another vocals, guitar and drums on as much of her set as the lines of their songs. Four, The Slits and Fugazi was always two-piece, they’re annoyingly combined powers of Resolve and Actually, this is only half true. Little going to make them more friends reminiscent of someone you can’t Lemsip will allow. She’s a little Myth Martha (her real name) is a than enemies, but doing it without a put your finger on, and it’s not The croaky, which is a shame, but it delight. Her main instrument of bass player has always been a brave, White Stripes. They’re the sound of doesn’t undermine the bleak beauty choice is the saw, and from this if increasingly popular, move. Okay, a hangover, albeit the ones you find of her songs. Her voice lends a bird- unassuming piece of hardware she so they don’t always hit their target yourself quite enjoying. boned fragility to tales of infanticide plucks melodies of such softly but when they do, such as on Jenny Hoyston, from San Francisco, and winter, underpinned by the ululating, almost painful loveliness ‘Theme From Surf’, they tread the has had considerable success with her foreboding death-tug of accordion and that they seem to come from another line between noise and tunefulness main band Erase Errata, a fairly double bass. It’s got all the darkness planet, as though someone had given quite exquisitely. conventional punk pop band. This associated with traditional folk, and a the Clangers a Conservatoire Local duo Elapse-O are without Paradise Island project allows her to desolate kind of mysticism pervades education and a job-lot of laudanum. doubt the best new band I’ve seen in space out into a territory where the set. It all feels very interior; the Her co-pilot Seth (the Headmaster) the last year. Or rather ‘Golden Sonic Youth might dwell for a while sort of songs that seem to exist foregrounds her with vocals and Ships’ is the best song by a new band. and guess what, they’re a vocals, behind a veil or pane of glass. This banjo, and although there’s initially Not the lacklustre version on their drums and guitar duo! There are exclusion of the listener is perhaps something to be liked in his frail Myspace but tonight’s stomach- ponderous parts reminiscent of Cat what lends the music its poignant delivery and the psycho-whimsy of kicking, frighteningly exhilarating Power (fabulous records, unwatchable beauty; its ghost worlds perfected his narratives, it quickly gets grating. rendition, like Cabaret Voltaire live) and some unfathomable staged through being placed tantalisingly He contorts his voice into a meeting The Cocteau Twins at dialogue, but when she starts coming beyond reach. succession of poses without ever Michael Gira’s house and deciding to on like Thurston Moore a really With the lurgy forcing Sharron’s set finding one that suits it. He’s clearly make one last song together before interesting dialogue between the to a premature conclusion, an accomplished banjo player, he just huddling together in a funeral pyre. guitar and drums starts, and all is Thinguma*jigsaw take to the stage. doesn’t seem to be putting the effort It all sounds as much like a distress forgiven. In fact nothing tonight Originating from Norway, they are a in tonight, and his pluckings are signal as pop music, and they also sounds much like anything from her two-piece who perform under the clumsy. It’s Martha’s saw that glows manage to be menacing and camp at lengthy back catalogue (four bands aliases of The Severed Headmaster life into what might otherwise be the same time - no mean plus collaborations, DJ sets etc), and and Little Myth Epiphanymph. In a fumbling drear – which just goes to achievement. that’s saying something. way, these ludicrous sobriquets suit prove that DIY can be sexy, after all. Prefontaine are altogether less Art Lagun them down to the ground: cutesily Emily Gray RICHARD HAWLEY / VINCENT VINCENT & extravagant moments. Hawley himself is possessed of a wonderfully THE VILLAINS sonorous baritone and armed with a warm, The New Theatre sardonic wit, delivered in his dry Yorkshire accent; years of experience have made him a true Tonight’s show isn’t so much a gig as a trip back Sheffield bard Richard Hawley is similarly steeped performer rather than simply a singer. From the in time. To a golden age of classic rockabilly and in the past, a crooner of the old school, but one glorious, shimmering ‘Tonight, The Streets Are crooners; to pop music’s very birth. with impeccable contemporary connections Ours’, through to the dreamy swing of ‘Hold Back London’s Vincent Vincent & The Villains even (member of Pulp, guitarist for Gwen Stefani, The Night’, he evokes the spirits of Matt have the sort of name you can’t get away with beloved of everyone from Radiohead to REM). As Monroe and Bobby Darin, while ‘Something Is’ these days and kick out a stripped-down 50s-style his star has risen he’s managed to straddle the would fit easily on Morrissey’s most recent of rock’n’roll with a Latin kick that sounds like it divide between Radio 2 comfort and 6Music cool albums. escaped from David Lynch’s Wild At Heart. Such a with ease and his recent success is well deserved Strangely, and unfortunately, most of the encore rough’n’ready band seem ill-suited to these and hard-earned. is spent in downbeat acoustic contemplation, opulent surroundings and the audience’s On stage he cuts a dapper, anachronistic figure, Hawley and a harmonica player covering Ricky enthusiastically polite applause, and you feel bequiffed and bespectacled. “Right, let’s ballad!” Nelson’s ‘Lonesome Town’, before he brightens they’d be better suited to a raucous, sweaty pub he announces and we’re off into a parallel pop briefly for the final number. It can’t dampen a gig, but few could fail to fall for their timeless world. Current single `Valentine’ is luxuriant and sometimes magical evening, but then it’s back out tales of lovers’ tricks and songs with sweet, old- orchestral, full of Hawley’s trademark through-a- into the 21st Century and its rain and traffic. fashioned titles like ‘Pretty Girl’ (even if it does glass-darkly romanticism, while `Roll, River, Perhaps the past really is a foreign country, and a namecheck Tesco’s). It’s like Eddie Cochran and Roll’, with its swooning strings and huge double better one at that. Richie Valens never left us. bass rumble, recalls Neil Diamond’s more Ian Chesterton

CLANKY ROBO GOBJOBS / SIKORSKI The Purple Turtle The Purple Turtle, with its bleak, arch-shaped gig room, is the perfect setting for Sikorski’s brand of industrialised electro-pop. The Banbury-based duo resurrect late-80s European techno of the type Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb once pioneered: acid house squelches subsumed by more monstrous synth pounding, the occasional vocal tracks featuring an angry sort of shouting about slaves and cool, dark stuff like that. Sikorsky’s death-faced metronomic techno assault almost seems to revel in the sparse, static crowd and really the only downside is the singer’s personable between-song banter with his mates in the crowd. Come on, we don’t want cheery sarcasm, we want the fucking Terminator! Clanky Robo Gobjobs, meanwhile, really is a bloke you wouldn’t want to leave in a room full of young children. Dressed in an ill-fitting tracksuit he contorts and cavorts around the available floor space, screaming maniacally over the top of brutal electro squiggles and crunches. And that’s it really: two-minutes slap- in-the-face slabs of vicious Toytown death techno and screaming punctuated by self-effacing asides delivered in a daft, fake Yorkshire accents. And it’s great, a one-man mash-up of Napalm Death, Atari Teenage Riot and Harry Enfield’s Kevin the teenager. Maybe his therapist suggested this act as a way of connecting to his primal inner self, but what is certain is that someone with such a lack of shame or self conscious cool is the real distilled essence of rock theatre. Dale Kattack LAURA VEIRS The Academy Laura Veirs. Who the heck is she? picking she sets into loops on a delay Have you ever heard of this pedal, where she builds layers upon American siren from Portland layers like waves in an ocean: the Oregon? Probably not. And yet she theme for most of her album. fills the Academy – and I am betting Mermaids, mermen, pirates, salt most shows on her tour. There is just water eyes, tattered sails. These something about her. She’s been backdrops to her enigmatic around for a while now and has what songwriting and the essence of her could only be called a cult following. style of folk, blues, and bluegrass She’s on her own this time round, combines for a hypnotic effect. out on tour promoting her latest Although her beautiful poetry set to album – actually not that new any catchy folky pop tunes is relentless, Witney’s Premier Live Music Venue more – ‘Saltbreakers’. with every song she brings something Usually Laura tours with a band but new and different. ‘Cast A Hook’ and on this latest one she’s flying solo. ‘Ocean Night Song’ are just two of MARCH Just her, a loop machine thingy the many hightlights. Not to mention st (sorry to get so technical) a guitar that her technical ability with the Sat 1 CLASSIX (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s covers) and a banjo. Feeling ever so slightly guitar is something that with a full Fri 7th FREEFALL plus support. Doors open jilted at Laura standing there on her band can’t be truly appreciated. 8.30pm own on that big empty stage, I’m Between songs Veirs reveals herself th soon put to rights. The intimate as an appealingly witty and warm Sat 8 KING EARL BOOGIE BAND £10 entrance setting just opens up whole new raconteur. Even folks new to her Fri 14th FREE @ LAST. £6 entrance (A tribute to insights into this truly gifted songs could not help but feel Free) songwriter and musician. Her opening enraptured by such a performance Sat 15th Closed: private do. track, ‘Pink Light’, lets the audience tonight. th know what’s in store. Complicated Katy Jerome Thu 20 ONE NITE STAND Fri 21st BIG BLUE Sat 22nd Closed: private do. MARIA ILETT BAND / Fri 28th GINHOUSE Sat 29th Closed: private do. PEANUT ALBINOS Sun 30th BIG BLUES JAM. The Jericho Tavern From 3pm. All Welcome Imagine a band that look like a restless. Her band, in the form of bunch of old-fashioned tinkers, who Paul and Lucy Hamblin (guitar and play skiffle banjo, mandolin and backing vocals respectively), and brushed drums with a masterful depth Ryan Dale (drums and backing APRIL of dark gothic and celtic soul, but are tracks), storm the stage, buckle up Fri 4th RICH CHASE mercifully devoid of any carousing and quickly get the pop-party off Fri 11th THE MIGHTY PIE Irish accents. London’s Peanut the launch pad with the aptly titled th Albinos, in soft, battered, slept-in ‘Pick Me Up’. This is Maria’s forte, Sat 12 THE KING & QUEEN SHOW suits and hats, have an English take being the kind of gal KT Tunstall (Tributes to Elvis and Queen) on longing, regret and coming to thought of when she sang that Thu 17th ONE NITE STAND terms with consequences, all while “Everything around her is a silver th making you think you are in a late pool of light”, while having the nous Fri 18 TAKE ON THAT night lock-in with Tom Waits on the on tracks like ‘Alpine Dog’ to be Sat 19th REVELATOR Kilburn High Road. able to say, “Hey, I can do epic and Fri 25th POWERTRAIN Tonight’s sold-out crowd has three paranoia too”. She is the reborn th separate garrulous birthday parties skittish soul of Kirsty MacColl on Sat 26 RESERVOIR CATS going on within it, so you’d think it her glowing pop classics ‘Sit On The would be a cinch for east Oxford Sun’ and ‘Hit The Blue’, and a darlings The Maria Ilett Band to mockney Sarah Cracknell on the take the warmed-up baton over. But equally hook-laden audience sing- Maria misjudgingly opts to go solo alongs ‘This Place’ and ‘You Play for the first two numbers, thereby These Games’. letting the said baton start to slip They finish up with a wonderfully from her grasp. The mob gets vampy cover of Feist’s ‘My Moon, My Man’, with Maria’s emerald hot pants and Goldfrapp-style pole dance sending the photographers into meltdown. Cowley Minogue Fat Lil’s or Kylie Ilett... you just can’t get 64a Corn Street, Witney too many myspace.com/johnnsphotos spangled pop 01993 703 385 divas in your life. www.fatlils.co.uk Paul Carrera Photo: DEMOSDEMOS Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free day’s recording at Keynote. Call 01189 599944 to claim your prize and get special deals for local bands!

slow and sensitive and generally sound like DEMO OF Boyzone toning their act down for a Christian pop convention. It only lasts a THE MONTH minute before they’re crunching out those nasty old metal chords and blast beats again but for those few seconds it reminds just how much more evil Christian pop is than any PISTOL KIXX amount of devil-worshipping aural carnage. “There is nothing clever about our music”, state Pistol Kixx bluntly, and they’re not wrong. But let’s be honest, which would you ASHER DUST rather sit through, a three-hour lecture on Demo page denizen Asher Dust has been quantum physics or a sci-fi blockbuster absent from these pages for some time, off packed with heavily-armed spaceships, doing a music production course at college exploding cyborgs and scantily-clad futuristic apparently, but now he’s back, with not one freedom fighters? If you go for the first but two demos, and, as we’ve come to expect option, you’re reading the wrong bloody from the man, the results are uneven but magazine. Anyway, Pistol Kixx: they cite never dull. Well, actually this offering does New York Dolls, Ramones and Nashville tend towards the less interesting end of the Pussy as primary influences and have a musical spectrum, AJ going for some straight guitarist called Sober Dave who is also the r’n’b / funk that sounds like it’d be more at singer in local hardcore monsters Thirty Two home in the mid-80s, replete with Herbie and who is doubtless ironically named. Hancock-style bass squelch and period- Musically each of the four tracks here are sounding electronics, plus the odd tendency pretty much interchangeable: straight-down- towards disco. At its best, there are faint the-line rockaboogie thrash that sounds like echoes of Stevie Wonder, but that’s a mere Motörhead in Mid-West trucker mode. wrong foot away from – gulp – Jamiroquai, Roadhouse blues gets a hairy metal make- an insult we’re loathe to heap on anyone. over and it’s down with that bottle of JD and Perhaps the demo’s main fault is that it feels off down the freeway til dawn. `Wild West’ under-produced. Much of AJ’s best music in would make a decent soundtrack to a saloon the past has had a great DIY feel to it but the bar brawl, while `Rock’n’roll Trash Queen’ is lo-fi quality here lets it down, modern r’n’b so unreconstructed you can almost hear it relying heavily on high quality production. scraping its knuckles along the ground. It doesn’t matter much that the whole thing is a living, breathing cliché. “Hopefully it’s as BLANKDREAD much fun to drink to as it is to play,” And so here’s AJ again, and a much more continues the accompanying scrawled letter. satisfying display of his often eccentric Absolutely. We’re off to the spirits cupboard output. This is all over the place, with an right now. everything-including-the-kitchen-sink approach to style and production. Opener ‘Kiss Me Neckback’ is a jumble of mumbles, clickety clack roots reggae, Depression-era ARCANGEL blues, gospel, old time jazz and scatting, that Ah yes, the squeal of guitars being wrung by sounds like an overused tape unearthed in an their necks until they’re close to death, and abandoned Trenchtown recording studio the sound of a young man bawling and from 40 years ago. ‘Queen Elenorriaa’ is bellowing and screaming like he’s re-enacting even more madcap, from its punky surfabilly the Battle of the Somme in his bedroom. It guitar strike that sounds weirdly like it was can mean only one thing: heavy metal. sampled from Sigue Sigue Sputnik, through to Arcangel’s brand of metalcore, at least on lyrics about chopping off willies and random lead track ‘Jigsaw’, ticks most of the right blasts of sci-fi lazer synths, to the stream-of- boxes, from the squiggly blasts of guitar consciousness vocal growl. ‘Piss Stain On My thrash to the larynx-threatening vocal Bed’ deals with… well, need we go into it in vomiting, the overall effect only slightly any depth? Needles to say it captures the tempered by the fact that the drumming glamour of stained sheets perfectly. And sounds like an angry toddler smashing a there we have it – a rambling, seemingly plastic cricket bat against a hollow wooden directionless collection of music, rhymes and door. It’s an efficient rampage with extra found sounds that makes little sense but entertainment value to be had hearing the remains, at each turn, oddly captivating. singer trying to see just how low he can get Good to have you back, AJ. his voice to go in the song’s breakdown (really, quite low, truth be told). Onwards they rage through ‘This Is War’ before we’re CABEZA stopped in our tracks by the intro to ‘And In A new band from Chinnor boasting 07967 229 102 Lites I’l Love’, wherein they go all soft and Winnebago Deal and Degüello as influences, along with Black Flag and The Melvins, flecked lips). Thing is, they’re not actually as which is always a good start. This slightly bad as all that makes them sound – they’ve rudimentary demo offers a few glimpses of got a bit of almost militant fire in their what might end up doing justice to those bellies and you can imagine that live they starting points, notably the last song on the probably make quite a racket; one song bares CD, ‘Old Stained Memories’, a slow-burning a passing resemblance to The Automatic’s grunge-sludge metal piece, nominally in the `Monster’, while there’s an almost rockabilly vein of Killdozer, that recalls some of the thing going on under the mess of grungy queasy heaviosity of US hardcore’s early guitar noise, but really, beyond that some years. Elsewhere, ‘March Of Melvin serious sorting out is in order. Mindugas’ and ‘Murky Waters’, lurch more into squalid 80s anarcho-punk territory with the feeling the band might drop into a reggae THE FOLLYS skank at any moment. Time will doubtless No trace of any anger here. Instead it’s all tell whether Cabeza can achieve the sunshine, harmonies and the 1960s in The monstrous heights of their fellow Follys world. The Follys are fronted by Oxfordshire noisemongers. Nightshift demo review regular Trev THE COURTYARD STUDIO Williams, but instead of the usual dose of lovelorn angst, here, at least on ‘Give A PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ TELLING THE BEES Little Love’, he seems to be in far more 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE Telling The Bees apologise for their demo, buoyant mood, guitars jangling pleasantly as MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB thinking it might be a bit “beardy” for he chirrups on about his heart leaping. Nice CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION Nightshift, perhaps under the to hear him having fun for a change. ‘Pretty OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI misapprehension that we only ever listen to, City Boy’ may contain traces of residual ire FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI say, 80s synth-pop or something (erm…) but even here the sun is, apparently, shining, S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) but, hey, as wee kiddies we were force-fed old and to a soundtrack of an old Kinks song if Corries records noon til night and love a bit we’re not much mistaken. ‘In The Dark’, Residential facilities included. of folk music, especially if it’s of the more unsurprisingly, brings the mood down and is a www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com downbeat persuasion, as this here most bit whiney in a ‘My Girl’ kinda way, truth be PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS undoubtedly is. The band features local folk told, but then we’re back in Cheesy ON 01235 845800 luminaries Andy Letcher, Colin Fletcher and Happyland with songs called ‘Sunrise’ and Jane Griffiths, whose names seem to crop up ‘Butterfly’ and we could swear spring is on its all over the place (notably on Sharron way. Kraus’s `Right Wantonly A-Mumming’ album last year) and, on the vocal tracks, `Beautiful’ and `Wood’, recall both early THE DEMO Fairport as well as Kris Drever, while instrumental piece `Lyra’ is an almost DUMPER classical lament, based on cello, English bagpipes and fiddle. Andy Letcher’s voice is softly resonant and adds a poetic edge to the STALKING TYLER flowery, occasionally psychedelic “We are young, enthusiastic, reasonably instrumentation. Of course the whole thing talented and desperately seeking fame and sounds like it’s landed unexpectedly in the fortune,” declare Stalking Tyler. You hear 21st Century from some time around 1968, that? They’re desperate! Oh dignity, where but, really, that only ups its appeal. art thou? Anyway, desperate is the key word here, but what would you expect from a band who claim they started out playing Libertines JC’s DIGITAL covers? Nowadays they play their own songs, but sadly these tend not have any verses or KITCHEN choruses or tunes or, well, anything really. As well as having the sort of name you’d They’re just untidy, clumsy thrashes through expect to come across at a student Battle of characterless sub-Pete Doherty pub rock, an the Bands, JC’s Digital Kitchen are a bit of a onward canter of musical slurry with only the mess, an ungainly juggernaut of a band, full odd incongruous and decidedly half-arsed ska of fuzz and bluster but lacking focus and skank offering any kind of variety. This is ending up chugging along inoffensively but the sound of a sewage pipe eternally oozing with little style or flair. They seem to be effluent into a bubbling stream. The band’s quite angry about stuff too. The singer shouts website tells us that Stalking Tyler recently a lot and his mood worsens as the demo had some small record label interest but progresses, from general disgruntlement at nothing further came of it. Maybe, just the start to all-out Daily Mail-reading rage maybe, the bloke at the label actually heard by the final song, which seems to involve a your music, boys. Might explain why he fair amount of spleen-venting at beggars and hasn’t called back. Tell you what, why not general scum of the earth types (“No I don’t try holding your breath until he does. We’ll have any fucking change!” proffers the well- be round to check on you in a couple of spoken vocalist, doubtless through spittle- months.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number (no email or mobile-only). No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Nightshift accepts no responsibility for deflated egos. We currently have a two-month backlog of demos for review. We will try and get round to all of them as soon as we can.