email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 195 October Oxford’s Music Magazine 2011 BORDERVILLE “As soon as you put a giant insect on stage it all gets a bit Stonehenge”

Oxford’sOxford’s baroquebaroque poppop heroesheroes bringbring Kafka’sKafka’s `Metamorphosis’`Metamorphosis’ toto lifelife

Also inside: Introducing AGNESS PIKE Remembering THE NUBILES RAPTURE on the move plus All your Oxford music news and reviews and six pages of local gigs

NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255

NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net

Truck Store is set to bow out with a weekend of live music on the 1st and 2nd October. Check with the shop for details.

THE SUMMER FAYRE FREE FESTIVAL due to be held in South Park at the beginning of September was cancelled two days beforehand TRUCK STORE on Cowley Road after the organisers were faced with is set to close this month and will a severe weather warning for the be relocating to Gloucester Green weekend. Although the bad weather as a Rapture store. The shop, didn’t materialise, Gecko Events, which opened back in February as based in Milton Keynes, took the a partnership between Rapture in decision to cancel the festival rather Witney and the Truck organisation, than face potentially crippling will open in the corner unit at losses. With the festival a free Gloucester Green previously event the promoters were relying on bar and food revenue to cover occupied by Massive Records and KARMA TO BURN will headline this year’s Audioscope mini-festival. their costs and a poor turn-out due Fopp. The West Virginian instrumental stoner-metal act round off the event at to bad weather would have led to Rapture are promising the new the Jericho Tavern on Saturday 12th November. store will operate with the same huge losses. Since 2001 Audioscope has raised over £22,000 for homeless charity spirit as the Truck store, featuring Explaining the decision to cancel Shelter. Over the years it has hosted leftfield and underground stars new releases alongside an extensive what was a highly-anticipated such as Damo Suzuki, Wire, Four Tet, Deerhoof and Luke Vibert. vinyl selection and a wide range of event, featuring a strong bill of local Other highlights of this year’s event include: Brighton’s krautrock- local releases. acts alongside ABBA and Jimi influenced dance-pop outfit Fujiya & Miyagi; ATP Recordings star Manager Carl Smithson explained Hendrix tribute acts, Gecko Events’ Alexander Tucker; Cardiff-based art-rockers The Victorian English the move, saying, “Our time on the Tony Delahaye told Nightshift: Gentlemen’s Club; doom electronica specialists Necro Deathmort and Cowley Road has been an “We had an extreme weather Bletchley’s Glenn Branca-inspired noise band Action Beat, who can incredible experience and we will warning on the Wednesday for rain feature up to six guitarists and two drummers. The local contingent is take away some great memories. and strong winds for the weekend made up of Spring Offensive, The Cellar Family and Listing Ships. We’ve been involved in some but that didn’t happen. We had to Audioscope organiser Stuart Fowkes said of the event, “It’s hard to fantastic in-store gigs, some epic make a decision and felt it was believe that Audioscope has been going for eleven years now, but we’re all-day shows and met some great safer to be careful so we could pay enormously proud of what we’ve achieved, and grateful to everyone characters. Most importantly our bills instead of going bust. We who’s given their time to come and support what we do. though it has shown us that Oxford had heavy rain the previous “At the same time as bringing some of what we consider to be the finest is still a town deeply in love with weekend at our Bedford event and music in the world to Oxford, we’ve raised £22,000 to support Shelter’s music and as such we’re really keen couldn’t risk it happening again; it vital work. This is one of the most exciting and varied line-ups we’ve to set up shop in what we feel is in was a very hard decision but we ever put together, and we’re sure it’s going to be the best possible way to the best possible location. The idea have five events lined up for next celebrate more than a decade of using music to tackle homelessness.” of the Truck Store is so year already and couldn’t afford to A further Audioscope fundraising show takes place at the Wheatsheaf on Friday 18th November, featuring The ODC Drumline Vs Coloureds, intrinsically linked to the OX4 put those at risk. We pitched Dead Jerichos, Gunning For Tamar and D Gwalia. community that we feel going out Oxford as our biggest event but it Visit www.audioscope.co.uk for more details. under our own name makes sense depends on how things pan out in the city centre. We are keen to whether we try it again next year.” make the store just as welcoming to used all the available keyboard out-of towners arriving on the bus THE KEYBOARD CHOIR have players in Oxford, so there was no as it is to those in the know about split up. The local synth orchestra one to replace him. how vibrant the local music announced their disbanding ahead of “We’ll continue with remixes in community is. a final show at the O2 Academy at some capacity and our members We will be just as actively the end of September. continue to play in Flight of involved in the local music scene as Seb Reynolds told Nightshift, Helios, The Epstein and We we are on Cowley Road. We will “Essentially, we’ve been together Aeronauts. There may well be continue to sell local band CDs and for eight years and we’ve had some another project at some point but merchandise and we are also keen great times: three Truck Festivals; that’s up for debate.” to increase the amount of tickets The Big Chill; Brian Eno’s 60th for local events we sell. Again the birthday bash at his house; a host of LITTLE FISH are set to publish a extra accessibility of the city centre remixes; an EP and an album. But book in conjunction with writer should make us the key location for we haven’t released anything in a Miranda Ward. The New Original the local music scene. We will also number of years and new material Little Fish Paper Club Handbook continue to support the Truck was just not coming as naturally as will be “a series of essays on a organisers with whatever future it should. On top of that we lost a rock’n’roll band” and is set to be events they are involved in.” member, Alex, recently and we’ve printed in hardback on new NEWNEWSS publishing label Unbound. The on Tuesday 11th October. Further band are looking to get 400 fans to highlights of the new season pledge to buy the book in advance. include a bonfire night concert of In return fans will have their names ice instruments at the Northwall printed in the back of the book as Arts Centre in Summertown (Sat well as receiving a series of random 5th Nov) with ice instrument gifts from the band. Visit http:// pioneer Terge Isunget and unbound.co.uk/books/12 for more Norwegian singer Lena Nymark; an details. Little Fish are set to fly out evening of central American music for a series of gigs in Singapore next with singer-songwriter Aurelio month, followed by a tour of China Martinez at the Northwall, in in February next year. conjunction with Big Village (Sat 12th Nov); Matthew Sharp’s NICK COPE releases his second ‘Death’s Cabaret’ at the Northwall album of songs for children this (Fri 18th Nov) and the return to month. ‘My Socks’ is the former- town of ambient keyboard Candyskins singer’s follow up to composer Harold Budd, alongside last year’s ‘What Colour Is Your T- cult Australian trio The Necks for Shirt’, which has been a sing-along an evening of music entitled Time favourite in the Nightshift family Being at the Holywell Music Room car over the past year. The CD is (Tue 22nd Oct). For a full list of on sale now from OCM shows, plus ticket details, FIXERS are this year’s BBC Oxford Introducing Band Of The Year, www.nickcope.co.uk. A full review visit www.ocmevents.org. following in the footsteps of Stornoway, Little Fish and A Silent Film. in next month’s Nightshift, by Dave Gilyeat, who presents the dedicated local music show, explained which time we’ll have the likes of TROJAN HORSE the decision to pick Fixers: “This year was an incredibly tough choice ‘Pour In The Bubbles’ and ‘The RECORDINGS and Silver Street but we were of the opinion 2011 belonged to Fixers: they got signed to Very Long Shopping List’ firmly Studios in Reading have teamed up Vertigo; played an astonishing set at Truck; had Radio 1 playlistings, wedged in our brains, never to be with Nightshift to offer our Demo wrote one of our favourite tracks in ‘Swimmhaus Johannesburg’ and removed. Of The Month winners a free half- headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Reading. Huw Stephens heartily day session in the studio with agreed with our choice too. OXFORD CONTEMPORARY producer and engineer Umair “By a strange quirk of fate the Band of the Year show was almost two MUSIC launch their new autumn Chaudhry, himself a regular years to the day that we first played Fixers on the programme. They’re season this month with a concert recipient of the award over the a band that can surprise you with each new release, entertain you by jazz guitar duo Pete Oxley and years, both as a member of electro- without fail at each new show and they just happen to be splendid and Nicolas Meier. The Eclectica! duo metallers Xmas Lights and with his humble chaps all round too. It’s been great watching everyone else perform at the Warneford Chapel myriad solo projects. Trojan Horse come round to our way of thinking!”

KLUB KAKOFANNEY organisers Phil irrelevant for us. Our other principle is to pay Freizinger and Sue Smith have been talking to the acts, which we have always done for the Nightshift about the longstanding live music last 20 years. We have no desire to make club’s 20th anniversary celebrations this money out of promoting; we are musicians month. who promote other musicians and we Phil and Sue, who also play together in their understand what it means to do a gig. band The Mighty Redox, started Klub “Amazingly Klub Kak gigs have always Kakofanney back in 1991 with the aim of retained a special intimate and friendly “recreating the free festival spirit in an Oxford atmosphere, more like a festival vibe. We have venue”, an ideal that hasn’t changed over the worked with Wheatsheaf promoter Joal and two decades Klub Kakofanney has been our lighting man Ainan for over 15 years, so running. wanted an eclectic ‘anything goes’ showcase gig every gig feels a bit like a reunion, and this Over the weekend of 7th-9th October Klub where you could mix genres of original music extends to the bands - new and old. The Kak will be celebrating its anniversary at The and make it into a party. Also, [pioneering Atmosphere of the monthly gig feels to us Wheatsheaf with a host of acts who have sound recordist] Michael Gerzon nagged us very much the same as when we first started graced its stage in that time. Among those when we were in our old band Tin Tin Tin to in October 1991!” performing are The Vicars Of Twiddly, Fuzzy set up a monthly club to promote wackier stuff With Klub Kakofanney renowned for its Logic, The Relationships, Mary’s Garden, in Oxford: music that more suited our own off anything goes policy, Nightshift wondered Space Heroes Of The People, Red Square, the wall style as a festival band. what the weirdest performance Phil and Sue Knights Of Mentis, Superloose and of course “Our old band played many free outdoor had witnessed over the years. long-term Klub Kak favourite Twizz Twangle, festies and played lots of gigs with Hawkwind, “Miles Doubleday in a gas mask with a who we were proud to have introduced to Here and Now and Gong, but apart from The screaming banshee called Sybil Madrigal and Klub Kak back at the very beginning. Sunday’s Cricketers, The Jericho Tavern and the their band hurtling out thirty minutes of session additionally features a stage Bullingdon, there weren’t the venues available ‘Fuck Off Batman’!” downstairs at the Sheaf hosted by Abingdon’s there are now. likeminded Skittle Alley crew. “Klub Kakofanney is non-profit making; we Klub Kakofanney’s 20th anniversary party Phil and Sue explained the Klub Kakofanney want to promote music of all types, from avant kicks off at the Wheatsheaf on the evening of ethos. “We wanted to hear music no one else garde to straightish rock and everything in Friday 7th, followed by two full days of live at the time would put on, or if they would, the between. For us there are only two types of music on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is £5 for venues didn’t exist to put newcomers on. We music: good and not so good; genres are each day. For full line-up, see gig guide. are also offering special deals for venue. The 1,500-capacity UTE HAVE SPLIT. The Oxford bands. Call Umair on 0845 converted cinema in east Oxford local favourites, who featured 519 5723 or visit recently hosted Stornoway’s sold- on the front cover of www.trojanhorserecordings.co.uk out Concert4Conservation, as well Nightshift as recently in for more details. as shows from Mogwai, The August and were voted BBC Unthanks and Frank Turner. Imelda Oxford’s Band Of The Year in RADIOHEAD WERE HERE is a May and Bellowhead are already 2010 announced their split at short film made by Ling Low and lined-up for November. Promoters the start of September, featuring interviews with Oxford interested in hiring the venue following the release of their musicians about the influence of should contact Autumn at latest single, ‘Brother’ on Radiohead on their bands. The six- [email protected]. Alcopop! Records. Bassist minute short features Spring Michael Chilcott told Offensive, The Scholars, Inlight, THE BULLINGDON has just Nightshift, “It’s very sad, but Ben Philips and Empire Safari. You spent £6,000 on upgrading its it just one of those things can see it here: http://vimeo.com/ Backroom venue, including a new really; we always maintained sweetandlowfilms/radiohead-were- stage, lighting and effects and a that if being in the band here stage backdrop. The venue has also wasn’t fun then we’d end it. installed a stage camera to enable There were no on-stage – or HANNEYFEST celebrates the gigs to be screened on new plasma off-stage, for that matter – presentation of its charity cheque screens in the front bar and will histrionics, juts a simple with a one-day mini-festival at the soon be able to offer bands a DVD parting of ways for a cluster Black Horse in East Hanney on of their show. Bands or promoters photo:Johnny Moto of different reasons.” As well Saturday 1st October. The original wanting to put on shows at the as their Nightshift cover and BBC Oxford Band Of The Year award Ute three-day event raised over £2,000 Bully should call Arron on 01865 played at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Sound City events as well as Truck for local causes. Acts so far 244516. Festival and 2009’s Oxford Punt. confirmed for the 1st are AAA, Lost Dogs, Laima Bite, The Scott AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into Gordon Band and Amy Ireson. BBC Oxford Introducing every REGULARLY UPDATED LOCAL nightshift.oxfordmusic.net. Entry is free with any voluntary Sunday night from 9pm on 95.2fm. MUSIC NEWS is available online donations going towards staging The dedicated local music show at musicinoxford.net. The site NIGHTSHIFT CURRENTLY next year’s Hanneyfest. features the best new Oxford also features interactive local gig HAS A BACKLOG OF CDs and releases and demos, live studio reviews, new releases and demos, demos for review. If you have sent THE REGAL is set to host more sessions and interviews with local interviews, live sessions, a photo anything in and it hasn’t been regular live music shows with the acts. The show is available to gallery, gig guide and forum. You reviewed yet, we will get round to arrival of Coo Promotion’s Autumn download as a podcast at can also discuss local music issues it. At least once we’ve finished this Neagle as music co-ordinator at the bbc.co.uk/podcasts. on the Nightshift forum at rather fine bottle of Claret. a quiet word with BORDERVILLE photo: Johnny Moto

“THE IDEA FOR THE OPENING waywardly ambitious idea will come disparate make up: Joe, a drama previous album. The novella itself is song “Uneasy Dreams”, which takes as no surprise. The band have teacher by day, has the literary a perfect example of a short story place within Gregor’s dreams and always stood well apart from the vision and is a natural performer. examining a theme metaphorically – the terrifying moment when he local rock pack, musically, in the Tom ‘Woody’ Woodhouse is a a salesman called Gregor is unable to wakes, came to me when I was in subject matter they tackle and the virtuoso keyboard player who can provide for his family having woken bed for a week with swine flu. I’d way they make records. makes the most complicated pieces up one morning as a giant insect. accidentally taken these painkillers Borderville’s previous album, ‘Joy sound effortless. Drummer James Through this Kafka examines how that had caffeine in them and I Through Work’, released back in Irvine has played in musicals like fervent capitalism dehumanises the couldn’t sleep at all but had an 2009, was a concept album on the West Side Story, while bassist Matt worker and, when the worker can no horrific temperature, with just the theme of how work traps humanity. Halliday, a fan of The Birthday longer work – perhaps through opening line of the novel going Rather than some lumpen nouveau- Party who has moonlighted for sickness or some other incapacity round and round in my head: “ONE prog indulgence, ‘Joy Through Stornoway in the past, brings a caused by the work itself – they MORNING GREGOR SAMSA Work’ was a startling success – a scuzzy, bluesy underbelly to the become trash, vermin. Though it’s AWOKE FROM UNEASY DREAMS rich, complex, musically diverse songs. Together the four of them often translated as `insect’, the TO FIND THAT HIS BODY HAD song cycle that touched bases with make music they’re loathe to be German word `Ungeziefer’ from the BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A everyone from Queen and Meatloaf labelled theatrical but which comes untranslated text is actually more MONSTROUS INSECT”. Over and at one extreme and Van der Graaf with a flourish most bands would vague – vermin might be closer. over, for hours and hours. I realised Generator and David Bowie at the struggle to emulate if the entire That’s what Gregor becomes – how completely unnerving it is to other, all by way of Jacques Brel and Royal Shakespeare Company landed unclean, unwanted. It makes for a feel ill and mad and immediately felt Kurt Weill. on stage with them mid-set. desperately sad narrative which has affinity with Gregor. Though I think ‘Metamorphosis’, its follow-up, timeless meaning: the way our anyone can find empathy with him; released this month, continues the BORDERVILLE WILL LAUNCH current government is systematically anyone who has been left behind, quartet’s enterprising if perhaps ‘Metamorphosis’ with a show at the deconstructing the way it supports who feels useless or alone, who has perilous quest to take rock music O2 Academy on 7th October and those in need makes it more relevant no place. He’s a great protagonist into new places, swatting away Nightshift is talking to Joe ahead of than ever. So the two strands – the for a rock song. He’s Thom Yorke potential cries of pretentiousness the launch and we wonder first why political and the emotional – with mandibles.” with an armoury of stunning songs he chose this book in particular and pointed to a structure and a theme that run the full gamut of moods, how he imagined putting such a story that we felt we could explore in an BORDERVILLE FRONTMAN from the gloriously triumphant ‘I into the concept of an album. album, which can function just like a Joe Swarbrick is recalling the not Am The Winter’ to the dark, “It was while we were working on short story in terms of being so entirely pleasant source of his band’s dense gothic horror of ‘The Human `Joy Through Work’; we were tightly conceptual.” decision to turn Franz Kafka’s Way’. looking for our next project and What parts of Kafka’s story did seminal novella ‘Metamorphosis’ knew we wanted to adapt an existing you most closely adhere to and into an album. BORDERVILLE’S MUSICAL narrative, and I think we found a which parts, if any, have you For fans of Borderville, such a triumphs come from the band’s resonance with the story and our changed or taken liberties with? “It’s pretty much as it was written… original text. I hope it provides an was recorded, Borderville are now a You’ve got The Cellar Family and a couple of things disappeared, most interesting interpretation, or stable unit. On a purely musical level The Goggenheim supporting; two of notably the lodgers that the Samsa something that can be experienced though, how does Joe feel they have the most exciting new acts in family get in to help them make alongside Kafka’s novel. We thought changed since the first album? Oxfordshire. ends meet when Gregor can about releasing our own edition of “I think this feels like a progression “When Woody was a child he was obviously no longer work. One the novella along with the CD but all from those musical ideas. The album best friends with The Cellar Family’s major change we made was to existing translations are in copyright is a lot less silly and a lot more bassist. They never stopped holding nominally set it in the 1960s, which and none of us can speak German.” comfortable with getting darker and hands apparently. Aged six, they gave us a musical palette with which darker and darker – the record would stay awake for hours discussing to work. So you have the flashback BORDERVILLE LIKE TO doesn’t really let you up for air for the infinite universe. This may have scenes that play with chord tackle big, complex subjects on their the last two thirds, it just gets more had a great effect on their musical progressions and textures of 1960s albums; once upon a time that would and more intense. Playing it live abilities, because The Cellar Family, pop and an altogether darker, have had them labelled a prog band. feels like throwing ourselves into an much like us, have a healthy disdain heavier sound that we use to explore In fact there’s something of the Van abyss – the string of songs from for doing what’s expected of them in Gregor’s current predicament.” der Graaf Generator about songs like when Gregor gets injured to when he a song. In fact, the Cellar Family are ‘Human Way’. Is that something Joe eventually dies is pretty full-on. very appropriately named because THUS FAR NIGHTSHIFT HAS is aware of when creating such a We’re not going to chuck in a they sound as if they’ve never only heard half of the album; connected series of songs? `Glambulance’ to lighten the tone.” encountered such bourgeois concepts Borderville finish its final stages the “Prog is such a dirty word. You may How much and in what ways does as verse and chorus, as if they’ve week we meet Joe, but the most as well label a band “numbingly being a drama teacher affect the way been sheltered from pop structures in striking initial impression is how boring” in the eyes of your average you make music and perform it? some sort of underground much darker and musically heavier it punter. But we don’t do twenty- “Well I try not to swear too much. penitentiary, like The Shaggs with is than ‘Joy Through Work’. minute guitar solos. We always try to And in actual fact, I feel like making frightening effects pedals. We are “The way we set about recording it perform like pure bandits. We want music is what influences being a honoured by their presence.” was completely different. This album our live shows to be visceral as well teacher. Good theatre is made in the Each time we’ve interviewed you was pretty much set down live at as to take listeners to unexpected same way as good music – keeping you’ve despaired of the state of dull, Vale Studios in Pershore, where we places. I guess there just isn’t a label an open mind, trying new things out grey indie rock; has anything changed did a couple of tracks off the last since last time we featured you two album. There’s a lot less layering and years ago – for better or worse? Any tinkering, making it a lot more of a “Prog is such a dirty word. You may as acts around at the moment who you heavy rock record. That said, it’s well label a band `numbingly boring’. But can feel an affinity with or who are not without its tender moments. pushing the boat out more than There are quiet, reflective songs as we don’t do twenty-minute guitar solos. We others? well. What all the tracks have in “Well I definitely feel completely common is a real sense of space and always try to perform like pure bandits. differently about modern music, energy. Hopefully it sounds a lot though I’m not sure why. There are more like how we sound live.” for us. We’re not quite difficult practically and reflecting on what two possible reasons: a) I’ve stopped Saying that, there are common enough to be in the post-rock camp works and what doesn’t. Having being such a grumpy gobshite, trying threads running through both albums but we’re definitely not an indie-pop respect for your audience and their to give what we make value by setting – the idea of people being trapped by act. Self-description has always opinions. Not being afraid to it in complete opposition to all forms the need to work, to earn money and eluded us. Theatrical rock sounds alienate people one moment and of contemporary music or b) music provide for those around them even worse than prog. Cabaret rock draw them in the next. It’s all part has fractured into a quite gloriously however much they hate the work. sounds like it’s a drag show, which it of the same game, and that’s how I anarchic spectrum of anti-genres each Is that true? usually isn’t. Care to help? You could try to teach the subject – using as with a charming lack of respect for “Well in a way it’s the flipside to coin a genre and start a movement.” much music as possible, looking at sounding like Coldplay. There are the last record. Gregor wants to work Any thoughts on what you might developing an aesthetic appreciation loads of bands that I’ve really liked – however badly he’s been treated by tackle next? of art in all its forms. Reading a lot recently – Pulled Apart by Horses, his bosses, he throws himself into it. “We have two plans: the first is about theatre and the ways in which Sleigh Bells, Japandroids. Of course It’s only when he’s unable to do his going to be a musical. There’s a theatre is taught and developed there was loads of stuff like this job that he realises how much of a director attached called Sam Yates, makes me more and more aware of around a few years ago but it’s very commodity he’s become. which we felt was vital – we need how rigidly I have stuck to heartening to see interesting rock Thematically, `Joy Through Work’ someone to shape the thing and comfortable ways of working music taking off. Locally, Fixers are feels like a bit of an adolescent hissy bounce our ideas off, making sure musically. I’m trying to free up obviously superb and we really rate fit at times – the student who won’t we’re not too indulgent. The aim is more, lose the clichés.” the Cellar Family.” get out of bed, who won’t accept the to start workshopping songs and You talked last time of wanting to fact that he has to get out and earn a scenes from the show at some point WHILE BORDERVILLE ADHERE take the Borderville show to living. This is much more about over the next six months. At the to the standard rock band line-up – Edinburgh; is that still a plan, or at responsibilities within families and moment, we’re looking at it being guitars, keyboards, drums, a singer; least a dream? how they can contribute to how about conspiracy theorists and secret live, as on record, they strive to “Apart from the more famous someone defines themselves. If societies – heavily influenced by Jon escape such strictures. There is stand-up side, the Edinburgh Fringe is Gregor had no awareness of his Ronson’s book Them – Adventures always, with them, a desire to put on a frightening pit largely populated by responsibilities you wouldn’t feel with Extremists which is a fascinating a show, without resorting to children, animals and madmen. We much sympathy for him – as it is, piece of gonzo journalism where he pantomime or cheap gimmicks. think we would go down brilliantly if he’s desperate to be useful but finds travels round the world spending Launching ‘Metamorphosis on a big we can juggle the potential insanity everyone turns against him.” time with complete nutcases. We stage at the Academy, what can and the ludicrous cost of the thing. Some people might think you’d think we’ve found a narrative in people expect from the show? So it’s not yet a plan, and as dreams have been better off writing a full-on there that could really work as a “As we’ve done before, we’ll go we’re aware that it’s an uneasy musical rather than an album. What musical. The second idea is to make perform the whole album in its dream. I’d like to perform would you say to that? a gay disco record aimed at entirety. We’re hoping to have some `Metamorphosis’ there if we can “We did originally want to do that heterosexual men. The working title big, visual elements to the develop the visual side a bit more. but felt that as soon as you put a is ManDate.” performance too. It’s all still in I’d also just like to go up and play a giant insect on stage it all gets a bit development! We’re not entirely sure load of shows…let’s see…” Stonehenge. Also, by leaving the HAVING ENJOYED – OR MORE how the piece will come across live in music to speak for itself as much as accurately endured – a slightly its entirety – we hope people come ‘Metamorphosis’ is launched at the possible and trying to avoid getting unsettled line-up early on, losing open to the experience and willing to O2 Academy on Friday 7th October. too specific lyrically, we hope we’ve almost half the band at the start of engage with it on its own terms, Visit www.facebook.com/borderville avoided re-writing and reducing the 2009 before ‘Joy Through Work’ however it comes out on the night!” for more news on the band. Sponsored by RELEASED THE WORKHOUSE TROPHY WIFE ‘The Coldroom Sessions’ ‘Bruxism’ (Hungry Audio) (Blessing Force) Could sound ever be 3D out of stereo speakers? There’s a sense of irony about Trophy Wife’s We only ask since there are moments on this, new EP being titled ‘Bruxism’: the gnashing or the third album by The Workhouse, notably in grinding of teeth, predominantly during sleep. the introspective ‘And We Watched The Such a title suggests tension and anxiety, Waves’, where the music seems to physically whereas the music here sounds singularly at unseat you by yawing on its axis, revealing a ease with itself, songs somnambulating in that hidden side to its sonic plane. space between sleep and waking, a theme The Workhouse’s second album, ‘Flyover’, Trophy Wife return to throughout the five was a genuinely unstoppable masterpiece, but songs here. ‘The Coldroom Sessions’ cements the notion Having previously released two self-produced that is wasn’t just a lucky strike, as it picks up singles for Moshi Moshi, ‘Bruxism’ finds where its predecessor left off, despite the Trophy Wife signed to the newly-minted gargantuan creative loss of their companion to enthral and compliment the atmospherics on Blessing Force label, something that makes the producer, Rich Haines (to whom this album is ‘The Last Time I Saw The Stars’ and ‘Seen whole BF thing a more tangible proposition, dedicated). ‘The Coldroom Sessions’ is the Sometimes’; part Joy Division, part House Of while cementing the bands more closely to the sound of a band drilling down through magma Love. In ‘The Whistler’, you’re left to wonder, is label and it s ideals. The band have also caverns to explore the very core of their that a voice from beyond the grave when Chris expanded their horizons by teaming up with existence, after ‘Flyover”s cinematic, neo- sings “The clocks don’t work here / Time stands different producers for each song, including orchestral orbits of their blue earth. still.” Yannis Philippakis, Plaid, Ewan Pearson and ‘Stalker’ (Workhouse fans know the song titles The highlight of ‘The Coldroom Sessions’, James Yuill. That overriding sense of lysergic are not a conceptual guide to the music, and that though, is ‘Drag Queen’, a pentimento of the fragility about Trophy Wife’s music remains, the band are wry enough to have simply named track ‘Peacon’ from their first album, a slow- though, EP highlight ‘Wolf’ in particular drifting this track after the ex-chief constable of the building trip out beyond our galaxy, hazily through some half-seen dreamscape, Manchester Police Force) is a classic example of supplemented by a gorgeous chiming riff that blissed out reverie shadowed by a sense of eerie their technique of planting their feet squarely weaves throughout the immensities at play. foreboding, fleeting glimpses of ghosts dancing down with Peter Lazell’s halting drum tattoo, The Workhouse are something way more than at its edges. overlaying it with a TV theme-style tune that’s soundbed clip-art for videomakers; this is the While Trophy Wife possess a far more just a few crotchets short of being ‘Telstar’ by music that will be playing when you walk propulsive edge when they play live, those The Tornadoes and deep frying this confection through the door of your potential and reach the beats – harking back to Balaeric house and like a Mars Bar in a rush of guitar pedal power. complete understanding of enlightenment. early-80s disco – impede far less here, only Bassist Chris Taylor’s inspired vocals continue Paul Carrera ‘Sleepwalking’, ironically, stamping its more earthly presence on proceedings. The instrumental diversions ‘Bruxism’ takes feel less we were very excited to see she’s back with like conscious detaours as the involuntary scene this new single, a download-only affair on shifting of dreams, pretty pastoral pictures of Junkie Brush’s Rivet Gun label. dandelion seeds carried on a summer breeze Although it’s heralded as a solo release, fading into darker, shadowy scenes. ‘Breathe’ is closer to Laima’s most recent It’s precious, tender stuff – music that’d get its band, Mary’s Garden, the billowing Euro-rock arse royally kicked by Therapy?’s – on the similarly ostentatious, all swirling keyboards, surface, similarly-themed – ‘Teethgrinder’, but soaring guitars and epic drumming, Laima’s more like Sonic Boom’s Spectrum, this isn’t vocals multi-tracked, self harmonising and music for fighting, or even dancing to, but overlapping to create that vast cathedral of slipping between planes of consciousness sound you’d expect from some late-80s where imagination plays subtler tricks. German pop festival headline act. Victoria Waterfield The song amply demonstrates what a powerful singer Laima is, one with few equals locally, but there’s a slight sterility about the whole affair that undermines her innate emotional bite: listen back to her breathtaking LAIMA ‘Did You Used To Love?’ and you’ll understand the fantastically epic fragility ‘Breathe’ she’s capable of, or Mary’s Garden’s (Rivet Gun) ‘Gasoline’ to hear the imperious grace she can Having been a huge favourite of ours here at conjure amid the most cacophonous of musical Nightshift for the past few years, both as an storms. acoustic solo act as well as fronting The Hopefully ‘Breathe’ is simply a taster for Factory and Mary’s Garden, Laima Bite has more bountiful fare to come. We hope so; been conspicuously quiet in recent times, the Laima’s talent is far too great to disappear odd low-key solo show the only clue that she from view again any time soon. hasn’t vanished completely from the scene. So Dale Kattack of Dale Winton. AGNESS PIKE The abrasive relationship between band and ‘Minum Vitae’ ringmaster is most apparent on ‘Now Is The Time’, the slow-burn intensity of the riffs (Rivet Gun) twisted askew by the Hammer Horror faux- Agness Pike’s musical pedigree is impeccable. gravitas of the vocals. On ‘Taking Control’, Bassist Pete Marler previously served time in meanwhile, Martin sounds like Christopher Lee Underbelly and Suitable Case For Treatment, fronting Machine Head on what proves to be while the rest of the quartet - singer Martin Agness Pike’s strongest melodic showing. Spear, drummer Mick Brown and guitarist Chris Of course, what is the band’s defining Brown - last shared bandspace together in characteristic also proves to be their most seminal local punk-metallers Madamadam. limiting, as they threaten to slip into formulaic Additionally Martin fronted doom-metal legends thrash panto towards the end of the EP and Sevenchurch, retrospectively hailed as pioneers maybe four tracks here instead of six would have of the genre by Terrorizer magazine. left you wanting more. But that’s not to say So of course the formation of Agness Pike last Agness Pike are either one-trick ponies, or year was a cause for much excited anticipation. merely an extended joke at metal’s expense. Their How close the new band comes to emulating its ‘Ruthless’, with its non-too-subtle nod to ‘Fight individual talents and experience meld well members’ previous work remains open to debate Fire With Fire’, but it’s the almost incongruous enough to elevate them immediately to the upper but this debut mini-album does demonstrate a presence of Martin’s vocals that give the band its echelons of Oxford metal, while live they’re band that, in its own peculiar way, could take on unique character. Pitched partway between the mercurial enough to provide relief from the most-comers in a battle of local metal bands, Lydon-esque sneer of his Madamadam styling standard chest-beating of the metalcore massive. while surreptitiously giving the finger to the and the Gregorian intonations of his time with And perhaps Agness Pike remember what too genre’s macho posturing and self-seriousness. Sevenchurch, he’s a camply gothic presence here, many bands forget, that without a sense of its Musically Agness Pike owe their biggest debt particularly if you can picture him in your own ridiculousness, metal loses a little of its to early Metallica: Chris’s serrated riffs and mind’s eye in his live show get-up of military original soul. relentless chug are instantly recognisable, notably uniform and handbag, like a devilish reincarnation Dale Kattack

might have brewed up ahead of punk’s main stately promenade that owes something to assault. Which leaves the real highlight as British minimalism, before introducing a spikily ‘Dreams’, DB Band showing their softer, more elegant vocal line that reminds us of The High carefree side, closest in feel to Supergrass, Llamas. Later, ‘Alphabet’ leaps halfway laidback, slightly sunny day 60s psychedelia, through from bucolic lullaby to something that just a touch bluesy, a distant cousin to ‘Lenny’ isn’t far from a Knight Rider chase theme. perhaps. Something we’d prefer to hear more of ‘Broken Earth’ is a high point, a Hansel & Gretel from them in future. referencing chunk of goth folk that reminds us of Ian Chesterton an urbane take on 60s experimental folk, a clean- shaven Comus if you will. There are a couple of mis-steps on ‘Ropes’, DUOTONE from the fluffy Disney refrain of ‘Till It’s Over’ to the directionless doodle of ‘Powder House’, ‘Ropes’ wordless female vocals flitting politely about (ECC) like ‘The Great Gig In The Sky’ repackaged for Habitat, but these are minor blemishes. ‘Ropes’ There’s a sense of retreating into safety about is a gorgeous record that is immaculately Duotone. Not only are the band named after an DB BAND performed and recorded, but which still retains old printing technique, but their promotional an enticing air of melancholic mystery: for all material is steeped in sepia Edwardiana, and ‘Stranger In The Alps their abilities, this is the important element despite copious use of loop pedals their music most Sunday supplement boutique folk acts (Own label) nods towards well-behaved salon folk. Add a seem to be missing. With Gaz Coombes still recording his debut few lyrics about the hermetic safety of an old- David Murphy album with ‘I Should Coco’ producer Sam fashioned middle class childhood, all bedtime Williams, and working on Little Fish’s next stories and warm nurseries, and you’d be album, it’s Mick Quinn who becomes the first of forgiven for thinking that Duotone are a soppy the original Supergrass trio to release his own panacea for delicate wallflowers who think the record. While Mick can also been seen pumping world is moving too fast and who wish they out some serious r’n’b alongside Sir Bald were back at prep school. Diddley in Beat Seeking Missiles, DB Band is But you’d be wrong. Comforting and hushed very much his own thing, Mick taking over vocal the music might be, all deep in the womb of and guitar duties as well as his usual bass skills. Barney Morse-Brown’s impeccable cello, but It’s the latter which hold ‘Stranger In The Alps”s this is far more than insipid ambience. Not only head above water, a slightly awkward, strung-out are there moments of chilling eeriness ‘Hunky Dory’-era Bowie stomp that maybe just throughout the album, but the music is needs to stamp its authority a bit harder. restlessly inventive. When it might have been Of the rest of this four-song EP, ‘Five A Day’ easy for Duotone to stick with some whispered and ‘Bus Stop Shuffle’ are yobbish punk grinds, melodies and a few pretty James Garrett guitar the former sounding like a less aggrieved parts, they slip some eclectic elements into the Stranglers, the latter like something Dr Feelgood album: ‘Walking To The Shore’ starts with a

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SATURDAY 1st THE RIVERSIDE VOICES + DES & YOUNG LEGIONNAIRE: The Jericho OCTOBER JEREMY + BEARD OF DESTINY + SUE & Tavern – Angular, grungy post-hardcore from PHIL: Donnington Community Centre – Free acoustic session. the band formed by ex-Yourcodenameis:milo and THE PETER BRUNTNELL BAND + BRIAN TREVOR WILLIAMS: The Swan, Wantage – Automatic guitarist Paul Mullen and Bloc Party HOUSTON: The Bullingdon – Country-rock Emotive acoustic pop from the local troubadour. bassist Gordon Moakes, veering pleasingly stomp and wry acoustic whimsy from Kingston- ACOUSTIC & OPEN MIC NIGHT with towards Mullen’s old band more than anything on-Thames’ songsmith Peter Bruntnell at on debut album ‘Crisis Works’ and out on a ADAM MATTHEWS + DARREN LESTER: tonight’s Empty Room Promotion, the singer The Hobgoblin, Bicester headline tour following a support to Les Savy being one of very few British country-inspired Fav. acts to make a connection with American rd SAVE MATES & DATES BENEFIT: O2 audiences, something he’s being doing since his MONDAY 3 Academy – Charity gig for the Save Mates & 1995 debut, ‘Cannibal’, aided and abetted by his VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS: The Dates friendship and dating service for adults association with Son Volt. New album ‘Black Bullingdon – Hard-rocking, riff-heavy blues- with learning difficulties, featuring This Elegant Mountain UFO’ is out now and finds him rock and classic rock’n’roll from the fast-rising Chaos, The Black Tears and more. traversing his trademark Crazy Horse-meets- teenage band, discovered by Otis Grand when Chris Isaac territory in style. Virgil was only 12-years-old and since then Saturday 1st YOOF! with TEETH + MY GREY HORSE: mentored by Joe Bonamassa as well as touring The Cellar – Trashy electro-punk from Teeth with Joanne Shaw-Taylor. Inspired by the likes YOOF! with TEETH / at tonight’s Yoof – see main preview of Led Zep, ZZ Top and Alvin Lee, theirs is a MY GREY HORSE: PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101: frenetic but cleverly textured take on classic O2 Academy – Weekly three-clubs-in-one sounds. The Cellar extravaganza, with indie and electro faves at MATT KILFORD + HEY SHOLAY + MY OTHER LIFE: The Port Mahon – Delicate, Yoof! the club night run by Oxford Mail Propaganda; kitsch pop, glam and guilty pleasures at Trashy and metal, alt.rock and punk romantic acoustic pop in the vein of James clubbing reporter Marc West, returns after Taylor, Rufus Wainwright and Van Morrison at Room 101. its summer hiatus, offering a good mix of from the talented Mr Kilford. emerging indie and electro talent with local HANNEYFEST: The Black Horse, East Hanney (4pm) – Mini free festival to celebrate and guest DJs similarly mixing up indie, th electro and dubstep. Tonight’s live sets the handing over of the main Hanneyfest’s TUESDAY 4 comes from Moshi Moshi-signed electro trio charity cheque, tonight featuring AAA, Lost JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Free weekly Teeth, laptop-wielding Ximon Tayki, singer Dogs, Laima Bite, Scott Gordon Band and Amy live jazz, tonight with regulars Alvin Roy & and synthist Veronica So and drummer Ireson, plus more to be announced. Reeds Unlimited. Simon Wybray combining to soundclash JESS & NESS + WATER PAGEANT + CAT OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon heavy-duty electro house with lo-fi punk MATADOR: Fusion Arts Centre – First of a th attitude, kind of like Crystal Castles in rave series of bi-monthly pop-up gigs and art WEDNESDAY 5 mode. Recent single ‘Care Bear’ reminds us a installations from local troubadour Aiden AGNESS PIKE + ANNERO + BERSICKER + bit of very early Metronomy, although there Canaday and friends. BEAT THE RED LIGHT: The Wheatsheaf – A are also similarities to Test Icicles, Adult and THE BIG SOCIETY + FAGIN’S GANG: The trio of local metal bands, including theatrical even Fuck Buttons when they’re at their Folly Bridge Inn – Ska-punk and reggae from thrash merchants Agness Pike launching their heaviest and most discordant. Already ex-Drugsquad people Big Society, with support debut mini-album – see Introducing piece lumped in with the possibly imagined from American folk-blues outfit Fagin’s Gang. FREE RANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass club illwave scene, their raucous, skronky N_EV/ERL”AND: Fat Lil’s, Witney night. electro-punked dance is a most pleasing SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – House and techno mess with the right balance of attitude and club night with MJ Cole. THURSDAY 6th sense of fun and guaranteed to upset readers THE PETE FRYER BAND: Highfield Social ENTER SHIKARI + YOUR DEMISE: O2 of Classic Rock magazine, so double bonus Club, Bicester Academy – St Alban’s hardcore-cum-rave crew points all round. Considerably more CARMENTA + WHEN WORDS FAIL + A return for more anthemic rock-dance fun, all big restrained, if not completely bucolic pop COLD HARBOUR + PARADIGM SHIFT: guitar hooks, synths, vocal chants and occasional support from Stratford-on-Avon’s My Grey The Wheatsheaf, Banbury – Jambox rock and dance beats, with a third album on the way this Horse, plus DJ sets from Blue Flowers and metal night. autumn following on from a Vans Warped tour of OxfordMusicBlog’s Jack Olchawski. GROWLER: The Swan, Wantage – Rock the States and sets at Reading and Leeds covers. Festivals. MISSING ANDY: O2 Academy – Rap-tinged nd SUNDAY 2 Britpop-inspired mediocrity from the Sky 1 ED SHEERAN: O2 Academy – Soulful, Must Be The Music runners up. lightweight acoustic pop and r’n’b from the DAVID’S LYRE: The Jericho Tavern –Return Suffolk songsmith, whose Van Morrison- to the Tavern for Manchester’s Paul Dixon under inspired sound has found him championed by his David’s Lyre moniker, best known so far for Rio Ferdinand and Elton John, as well as his Ellie Goulding cover and remixes for Marina playing with Example, Whiley and Ghetts along and the Diamonds and Everything Everything, the way and most recently hitting the Top 5 but starting to make his own name more and with ‘The A-Team’. Unsurprisingly given his more with an exotic blend of folky pop and high profile, tonight’s show is long-since sold dubstep that’s drawn comparisons to Jack out. Penate and Wild Beasts. VERA GRACE + PALM READER + DEAD ALPHABET + WHITE BONE SLEEPWALKERS + IN DECADENCE: Fat RATTLE: The Bullingdon – Double dose of Lil’s, Witney – EP launch gig for local 60s-styled psychedelic blues, with Dead metalcore outfit Vera Grace, plus a heavyweight Alphabet mixing up The Doors and Hendrix, supporting cast. while Kent’s White Bone Rattle ply a groove-led CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford form of heavy psychedelia. Community Centre – Oxford’s oldest and THE BASEMENT MIXTAPE SESSIONS: best open mic club continues to showcase local Modern Art – Experimental music night with singers, musicians, poets and storytellers every east London’s Ian Dury-inspired types Jukebox Thursday. Collective mixing up lo-fi punk and electro WELCOME TO PEEPWORLD + STEM + grooves, alongside local glitchy electro ensemble ONE GEAR GO: The Bullingdon – Intimate Wild Swim and Death In Vegas chap Tim th acoustic folk-pop from WTP at tonight’s It’s Fairplay playing retro electro on the decks, Friday 14 All About The Music promotion.. alongside Neural Ohmlette DJs. TENDER TRAP: FRANCIS PUGH & THE WHISKY WHOLE LOTTA DC: Fat Lil’s, Witney – AC/ SINGERS + THE A TRAIN + KNIGHTS DC tribute. The Wheatsheaf OF MENTIS: The Port Mahon – Whisky- JACKIL: The Port Mahon – Live & Loud As singer with Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, soaked folk from Francis Pugh, tonight session. Marine Research and, in recent years Tender launching their debut album, ‘Here In The FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon – Classic Trap, Amelia Fletcher is undoubtedly the Night’, plus London’s alt.folksters The A Train funk, soul and r’n’b every Friday. Godmother of Oxford music, possibly even and country and Americana outfit Knights of DISCO MUTANTE: Baby Simple – Monthly The Queen Of Indie. With Talulah Gosh she Mentis. cosmic funk, Afro-disco and acid-dance club pioneered a twee-pop movement that PETE BAILEY + CJ QUINN + JAY COBAIN night, tonight featuring a live set from old school flourishes even today, and inspired the + THOM MUDDLE: The Wheatsheaf, acid house duo Manacles Of Acid. original riot grrl movement. That band were Banbury – Jambox acoustic and open mic BAD SIGN + CHERRY & THE SCREAM: the first local stars to really break out of session. The Wheatsheaf, Banbury – Jambox rock Oxford and make a national and international OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon night. reputation for themselves that still endures BLUES JAM: Jack Russell, Marston MOLOTOV SEXBOMB + STEM + THE today. Heavenly were a slight mutation of PLANES: The Swan, Wantage – Indie punk that early incarnation but over the years and FRIDAY 7th noise from Witney’s Molotov Sexbomb. each new band Amelia, alongside long-time BORDERVILLE + THE CELLAR FAMILY + WHO DO YOU LOVE?: The Duke, partner Rob Pursey, has stayed true to her THE GOGGENHEIM: O2 Academy – This St.Clement’s – Alt.rock, 60s garage, soul, new indie roots, inspired by The Shangri La’s and month’s Nightshift cover stars launch their new wave, punk and electro-pop session with DJs Ronettes on one hand, The Pastels and Mary Kafka-inspired album alongside local hardcore Jim, Jen and Grizilla. Chain on the other. Tender Trap’s 2010 heroes The Cellar Family and whacked-out album, ‘Dansette Dansette’, found them th post-punk psych-rock crazies The Goggenheim SATURDAY 8 ditching their more electronic side in favour – see main interview feature KLUB KAKOFANNEY 20th ANNIVERSARY of classic 60s girl-pop harmonies and the JAGUAR SKILLS + ZINC + MC SKIBADEE WEEKENDER: The Wheatsheaf (2pm) – The classic lo-fi sounds of The Shop Assistants + DJ@WAR: O2 Academy – The ninja- party gets into full swing with a full day of live et al. while a new set of songs is promised obsessed hip hop DJ brings his eclectic mixing music, including sets from Fuzzy Logic, The for this return to her spiritual roots (an early skills back to town. Altogether now: Mighty Redox, Billy Pure, Country For Old Talulah Gosh show at this very venue saw “HoooOOO!” Men, The Relationships, Moiety, Space Heroes Amelia supporting My Bloody Valentine in KLUB KAKOFANNEY 20th ANNIVERSARY Of The People, Beaver Fuel, Big Society, The their pre-‘Isn’t Anything’ days). Fantastic WEEKENDER: The Wheatsheaf – two New Moon and Film Noir, covering all bases stuff, and from a woman who, as a Doctor of decades young and Klub Kak shows no signs of from electro-pop, indie rock, ska-punk and Economics, is also just about the brainiest mellowing, celebrating their anniversary with swamp-blues to Americana, folk, funk and pop person to come out of Oxford, and ain’t three days of live music at its long-time home, comedy rock. that saying something when you consider the the Sheaf, with favourite bands old and new. THE BIG TEN INCH DIRTY WATERS competition? Tonight’s opening session features clergy-core RECORDS SPECIAL: The Cellar – Count surf-rockers Vicars Of Twiddly, gothic electro Skylarkin’s monthly celebration of vintage jump BATTLE OF THE BANDS: O2 Academy – rockers Mary’s Garden, bluesy rockers Not blues, rock’n’roll, rockabilly, r’n’b, doo-wop Bands competition in aid of Against Breast Too Shabby and an acoustic set from indie- and garage tonight welcomes Dirty Waters Cancer, featuring Black Hats, Ways Across, rockers Deer Chicago. Records, who present Beat Seeking Missiles, Young Lust, Colour Change For Camouflage, DENIS JONES + MATTHEW P + TIM the band formed by Sir Bald Diddley and Molotov Sexbomb and The Reaper. GILL: The Jericho Tavern – Soulful, scuzzy former-Supergrass chap Mick Quinn, with THE DIRTY EARTH BAND: Fat Lil’s, Mancunian blues from singer Denis Jones at support from Bury St. Edmund’s raw teenage Witney – Classic rock covers. tonight’s Coo Promotion, utilising loops, garage rockers Thee Vicars and Sir Bald PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101: samples and electronic beats alongside organic Diddley’s vintage garage outfit The Arousers. O2 Academy instruments to create a sound that veers from DESERT STORM + BETRAEUS + CELIDH: Kennington Village Hall – emotive acoustic folk to heavy-duty electro. FRAGMENT + MOTHER CORONA + Traditional folk dance with Panjandrum, plus a Support from summery Suffolk folkster SLEEPWALKERS: O2 Academy – Skeletor Morris dancing workshop from 2pm. Matthew P and improvisational violinist and and Room 101’s monthly metal extravaganza CRUDE MEASURE: The Swan, Wantage – viola player Tim Gill, previously seen playing this time round brings Manchester’s fast-rising Rock covers. with Message To Bears. progressive death-metallers Betraeus to town, TREVOR WILLIAMS: The Magic Café (1pm) SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The coming in somewhere between Death, Opeth Cellar – Live reggae from bright new hopes and Bloodbath and having shone at last year’s SUNDAY 9th Desta Zion & The Elements at tonight’s Bloodtstock as well as this summer’s KLUB KAKOFANNEY 20th ANNIVERSARY Skylarkin Soundsystem, playing a lively Download. Local stoner-metal titans Desert WEEKENDER: The Wheatsheaf (2pm) – The selection of roots, dub, ska, soul, hip hop and Storm top the bill and are joined by grindcore third and final day of Klub Kak’s well-earned more. Croatia’s DJ Shepdog mans the decks and death-metal types Fragment; psych- anniversary party, today featuring two stages, alongside Count Skylarkin, while Mancstafarian metallers Mother Corona and hardcore crew upstairs and own. Upstairs, Knights Of Mentis, mic master MC Kwasi hosts the party. Sleepwalkers. Superloose, Barry & The Beachcombers, MONDAY 10th COLOUR CHANGE FOR CAMOUFLAGE + ASHTON CURTIS + KNAVES + LES WILSON & THE MIGHTY HOUSE CRACKERDUMMY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Hip ROCKERS: The Bullingdon – Gutsy slide hop-tinged bluesy pop from Colour Change at guitar veteran of some 30 years on the UK blues tonight’s local bands showcase. scene, Wilson returns to the Famous Monday EMILY SCOTT + ARTHUR SAWBRIDGE + Blues with a style learned from the likes of DRONEY MITCHELL: The Albion Beatnik Buddy Guy, Hound Dog Taylor and Albert King. Store – Bittersweet ukulele folk-pop, plus string JAWLESS & FRIENDS: The Cellar – Jungle, trio from Emily Scott, fresh from a sold-out drum&bass, dubstep, garage, house, funk and Edinburgh festival showing. Violin and loops-led soul. pop from Arthur Sawbridge in support, inspired by Arthur Russell and Owen Pallett. th th Saturday 15 TUESDAY 11 CAT MATADOR + MILLION FACES: The LEYLINES: O2 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB: O2 Academy – Port Mahon – Darkly-inclined, violin-led pop Long-since sold-out show from the jangly indie from Cat Matador. Academy / Bullingdon / teens, out on tour to plug their third album ‘A CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Different Kind Of Fix’, produced by Ben Allen, Community Centre Old Boot Factory who has also produced Animal Collective; he FROWSER + RIOTHOUSE: : The seems to have introduced more loops and layers Although it’s not officially a replacement for Hobgoblin, Bicester – Jambox rock night. to the band’s jangly sound but that trademark OX4 Festival, Leylines inhabits similar OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon mixture of bouncy sensitivity and earnest terrain, both musically and geographically, BLUES JAM: Jack Russell, Marston determination remains intact. taking over various venues along and around WORDPLAY: The Cellar – Hip hop, dubstep, SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA: O2 Academy – Cowley Road for a full day and evening of reggae and drum&bass. Formed by a collective of Leeds music scene live music and clubbing, featuring over 25 luminaries after the Arts Council commissioned a acts, as well as featuring workshops, music FRIDAY 14th live dubstep piece to be performed at York classes, talks, exhibitions and stalls. The O2 WOLF GANG + S.C.U.M + DZ Minster, Submotion Orchestra are actually less Academy, The Bullingdon and the Old Boot DEATHRAYS: O2 Academy – The latest NME- dubstep, more a woozy fusion of dub, funk, jazz Factory are among the venues confirmed for branded package tours brings ambitiously and drum&bass, a bit like Sade fronting Massive the 15-hour event. Jamie Woon and Futures anthemic and shiny stadium popsters Wolf Gang Attack and, unsurprisingly, beloved of Gilles top the list of bands performing, sultry back to town after their showing here back in Peterson. electro-soul and dubstep singer and producer June. Max McElligott’s epic, piano-heavy tunes MAZES: The Jericho Tavern – Exuberant indie Woon being the man behind hit single ‘Night draw on influences as diverse as David Bowie, fizz and jangle from the Fatcat-signed froth-pop Air’, while Buckinghamshire’s Futures offer David Byrne, The Beach Boys and La Roux and outfit whose recent debut album, ‘A Thousand their take on epic stadium indie. The addition have previously seen him supporting the likes of Heys’, traces a nicely fizzed-up line between of Sheffield DJ and producer Toddla T Editors, Florence & The Machine and The Pavement, Buzzcocks, The Kinks and Weezer. (pictured) to the bill ups the ante somewhat, Naked & Famous. Darker and decidedly scuzzier This UK headline tour is followed by A US tour with his second album ‘Watch Me Dance’ are S.C.U.M, also recent visitors to the O2, as supporting Sebadoh. offering a more soulful, poppier update on support to The Kills, mining a dark seam of PETE OXLEY & NICOLAS MEIER: his bass-heavy dancehall-influenced sound, inspiration that features The Velvet Warneford Chapel – Oxford Contemporary and having produced Roots Manuva and Underground, The Jesus & Mary Chain and Music open their autumn season with a concert Tinchy Stryder, remixed Hot Chip and Spacemen 3. Uberfuzzed Aussie hardcore types from Eclectica! duo Oxley and Meier performing Gorillaz and label managed Sticky and DZ Deathrays open the show. Pat Metheny and Turkish-inspired jazz on a Roska, there are few more high profile BEDLAM IN OXFORD: O2 Academy – DJ wide range of guitars. credible DJs around. Potential star turn of Fresh leads an extensive cast at tonight’s Bedlam, JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live jazz from the day, though, might come from his new album ‘Louder’ seeing him make a move trumpeter Stuart Henderson’s jazz quintet. Newcastle’s gorgeous Let’s Buy Happiness, into dubstep after a decade committed to OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon with their swooning, shimmering update on drum&bass and collaborating with Kosheen’s INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial, Sundays and Sugarcubes-style pop. Sian Evans. Elsewhere on the bill are sets from darkwave, ebm and 80s club night. Elsewhere Nottingham’s Dog Is Dead return Joker, Friction, Wilkinson, Koan Sound, after their showing at last year’s OX4, th Document One, Zomboy and Linguistics. plying a playfully jazzed-up form of WEDNESDAY 12 TENDER TRAP + THE MELTING ICE CAPS euphoric indie; there’s electro-heavy grime PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar – Open jam + THE COOLING PEARLS: The from Merseyside’s Melé and synth-funk session with in-house band The Phat Sessions Wheatsheaf – Talulah Gosh and Heavenly pop from Theme Park. Amid a strong local Collective playing funk, soul, jazz and hip hop, legend Amelia Fletcher returns to her home town cast are riff-heavy math-rockers Gunning plus UK beatboxer Layth. with her current indie outfit – see main preview For Tamar; electro-tinged fightpop outfit ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – THE TRAVELLING BAND + TWO FINGERS Secret Rivals; gothic rockers Vixens; kraut- Unplugged session, tonight featuring Phousa, OF FIREWATER + YARNS + CRAYON: The groove experimenters Listing Ships and Welcome To Peepworld, Black Hats’ Nick Jericho Tavern – Cosmic country pop, Kill Murray, the new band formed by Breakspear and teen metallers The Reaper. psychedelia, rock’n’roll and classic Americana assorted members and ex-members of Dial F OSPREY, ADY DAVEY & MARIA ILETT: from The Travelling Band, touring their new For Frankenstein, 50ft Panda and Phantom The Fir Tree, Iffley Road ‘Screaming Is Something’ album. Support from Theory. Guildford’s roots-rock outfit Two Fingers Of THURSDAY 13th Firewater and local indie-folk janglers The Yarns. Mundane Sands, Twizz Twangle, Red Square, ROACHFORD + SCARLETTE FEVER: O2 DROPOUT + THE ROGUE MOTEL + True Rumour and Blin’ Jonnie do their respective Academy – Over twenty years on from his big GEORGE CHOPPING: The Bullingdon eclectic thing, while downstairs Skittle Alley host hit, ‘Cuddly Toy’, the soft-centred British soul- DIRE STREETS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Dire Headington Hillbillies, Zim Grady, Beard Of pop singer continues to enjoy cult status, Straits tribute. Destiny, Mark Sollis, Les Petits Clochards, remaining a big selling star around Europe even as THE HOLLIES: The New Theatre – The 60s Moon Leopard, Mark Atherton, Mark Bosley, his commercial star has waned in the UK. and 70s hitmakers keep on keeping on, running Phil Garvey and Maeve Bayton. COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN + RICHARD through classic hits like ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s OXJAM: The Bullingdon – Red Valve play at BROTHERTON: The Bullingdon – Old-time My Brother’, ‘The Air That I Breathe’ and ‘I the Oxfam fundraiser. country folk from C4OM. Can’t Let Go’. THE NEON VIOLETS + THE CELLAR intimate but auspicious surroundings, joined for FAMILY + NUDYBRONQUE: The Swan, the evening by Colin Fletcher and Jane Griffiths Wantage – Heavy duty drone-rock, acid blues and poet Alan Buckley. and garagey psychedelia from The Neon Violets, EXTRACURRICULAR: The Cellar – Launch alongside Cellar Family’s fantastically angular night for the Cellar’s new club night playing a rage-fuelled post-hardcore. mix of garage, house, drum&bass, hip hop, beats FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon and breaks. FROWSER: The Wheatsheaf, Banbury CAT MATADOR + THE COOLING PEARLS BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Dancefloor + TOLIESEL: The Port Mahon – Oxjam show Latin, Balkan beats, world breaks and nu-jazz with dark-hearted indie types Cat Matador; club night with a live set from Lokkhi Terra. wistfully gothic acoustic trio The Cooling Pearls and epic indie rockers Toliesel. SATURDAY 15th FUSED: Fat Lil’s, Witney – 90s and noughties LEYLINES – O2 Academy / The Bullingdon / pop and rock party band. The Old Boot Factory – Fifteen hours of live VIKING MOSES + ROB St JOHN + Thursday 20th music, workshops, talks and more along various PETRELS: Modern Art – Emotionally taut venues around Cowley Road – see main preview alt.folk, blues and electronica from erstwhile UGLY DUCKLING: DUOTONE: The North Wall, Summertown Devendra Banhart bassist Brendan Massei and – Barney Morse-Brown and James Garrett his band. The Bullingdon launch their second album, ‘Ropes’, in suitably PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101: Just over a year on from their last visit to O2 Academy Oxford, it’s great to be able to welcome Long VINYL VANDALS: The Swan, Wantage – 80s Monday 17th Beach, California trio Ugly Duckling back to covers. town. DJ Young Einstein and MCs Dizzy CHAPEL CLUB: Dustin and Andy Cooper grew up SUNDAY 16th surrounded by gangsta rap but their brand of O2 Academy BLESSTHEFALL + PIERCE THE VEIL: O2 hip hop is far removed from that genre, As with The Horrors, who play the same Academy – Arizona’s post-hardcore crew return heavily referencing classic old school acts venue this week, Chapel Club are a band with their third album, ‘Awakening’. like The Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, who create moody music inspired by the EMILY BARKER & THE RED CLAY HALO: De La Soul and Eric B & Rakim, preferring greats of 1980s alternative rock. Chapel Club The Jericho Tavern – Haunting desert songs the old school way of sampled rather than are signed to James Oldham’s Loog Records, with an occasional gypsy folk flourish from the self-created beats and frequently lampooning with whom The Horrors also started out, but Norfolk-based Aussie songstress, best known for contemporary mainstream hip hop’s there the two bands diverge. Whereas The her theme tunes to Wallander and The Shadow excesses, while paying homage to its golden Horrors spike their cocktails of doom-laden Line, sometimes compared favourably to Laura era acts – their track ‘Do You Know What post-punk with krautrock and gothic garage Cantrell and Gillian Welch and out on tour with I’m Saying’, for example, is made up entirely noise, Chapel Club’s pensive but swooning her regular chamber folk trio The Red Clay Halo of lines from classic hip hop tunes. Live the pop sails closer to Echo & The Bunnymen’s in support of new album ‘Almanac’. emphasis is on interactive fun and their orchestral splendour. And if Chapel Club’s BEETROOT JAM: The Port Mahon – Live relentlessly upbeat outlook, frequent biblical debut album, ‘Palace’, was hardly on a par bands and open jam session. references and lyrical sharp rapping has with ‘Ocean Rain’ or ‘Heaven Up Here’, it OPEN JAM SESSION: The Swan, Wantage made them cult stars, releasing six albums showed the band have plenty of promise. SUNDAY ROAST: The Cellar since they formed in 1993, including their Their chief weapon of course is singer Lewis latest, ‘Moving At Breakneck Speed’, and Bowman, a man possessed of a similarly MONDAY 17th playing festivals across the globe, including rich, doleful voice and onstage charm to Ian Coachella, Reading and Australia’s Pyramid CHAPEL CLUB: O2 Academy – Lustrous McCulloch or Morrissey and a crooner to Rock, while over in the UK a cult following Bunnymen-inspired rocking from the rising indie match Matt Monroe. It’s his dark, honeyed was earned from the frequent use of their starlets – see main preview voice that made early singles like ‘Surfacing’ music on Ideal. GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOUL DIGGERS: and ‘All The Eastern Girls’ such perfect The Bullingdon – The Melbourne-based blues- playlist fodder, although the similarities of rocker and previous winner of the prestigious th ‘Surfacing’ to classic standard ‘Dream A WEDNESDAY 19 Albert King Award for most promising young Little Dream’ prevented the single becoming SPECTRALS: The Jericho Tavern – Leeds- blues guitarist returns to the Famous Monday the hits it deserved to be. Tonight’s show based songsmith Louis Oliver resurrects classic will feature a main headline set from the Blues club, excelling at both electric and acoustic doo-wop and 60s girl groups with his two-piece band, plus a separate support set where blues styles, adding jazz and funk improvisations band Spectrals, coming across like a Yorkshire they’ll be airing a whole slew of new to his traditional repertoire. Best Coast at times, drawing inspiration from material. With ‘Palace’ receiving only Dion, The Shangri-La’s and the mellower side of th lukewarm reviews on its release, Chapel TUESDAY 18 The Jesus & Mary Chain on their debut album, Club will have to prove they’re capable of BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH: O2 out this month on Wichita. consistently writing songs to match those Academy – Wistful acoustic melancholia from THE PIERCES: O2 Academy – Slick, singles but whatever happens, you feel the York singer-songwriter in the mould if Elliot nominally folksy pop from sisters Catherine Bowman at least has a bright, if darkly-lit, Smith and Jose Gonzales, out on his biggest and Allison Pierce, recent back up to Lissie on future ahead of him. headline tour to date, in support of debut album, tour and now going out in their own right in ‘Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm’. support of new album ‘You & I’. POP WILL EAT ITSELF: O2 Academy – FREE RANGE: The Cellar Graham Crabb reforms his old grebo-industrial act, without co-frontman Clint Mansell, but now THURSDAY 20th in league with Gay Byker’s Mary Byker, for a UGLY DUCKLING: The Bullingdon – run through old hits like ‘Def Con One’, ‘Ich Bin Return to town for the Californian rap trio in Ein Auslander’ and ‘Can U Dig It?’ awe of hip hop’s golden age – see main preview JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live jazz from VISIONS OF TREES: The Jericho Tavern – The Stuart Henderson Quintet. Ethereal electro-heavy dream-pop from the OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon London duo –see main preview dubstep, drum&bass and hip hop alongside SUNDAY 23rd 2Bears and Ray Foxx. THE CORRESPONDENTS: The Cellar – MECHANICAL BRIDE: The Jericho Tavern The hard-gigging band plug their ‘What’s – Quirky melancholy and eerie acoustic pop Happened To Soho?’ EP, mixing up jazz, hip reveries from Lauren Doss, somewhere between hop and funk into their oddball but dancefloor- Lykke Li, Laura Marling and Florence & The friendly electro-pop. Machine. NINE-STONE COWBOY + PANDAS & th PEOPLE + ALAMAKOTA: The Wheatsheaf – MONDAY 24 Daisy Rodgers club night with lachrymose pop WRETCH 32 + LOICK ESSIEN + TEEZY + from Mark Cope’s NSC; quirky electro-tinged DUCHESS: O2 Academy – Pop-friendly hip alt.pop from Redditch’s Pandas & People and hop from the chart-bothering Tottenham rapper Thursday 20th funk, dub and jazz fusion from Alamakota. – see main preview LEFT OUTER JOIN + HALF DECENT + ERJA LYYTINEN BAND: The Bullingdon – VISIONS OF TREES: ASTRO SNAKE: The Bullingdon – Big, bold Return to the Famous Monday Blues for the The Jericho Tavern squelchy acid trance from Left Outer Join, plus young Finnish guitarist who has earned an electro-heavy rap from Half Decent. enviable reputation as a rising blues star in her Visions of Trees claim to be from “nowhere” FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon homeland and has previously worked with UK and describe their music as “nothing”, SIX BULLET CHAMBER + WHERE’S BILLY blues faves Ian Parker and Aynsley Lister. proclaiming only that they want to “create + DOGSTATE: The Wheatsheaf, Banbury – our own wilderness”, all of which makes it Jambox rock night. st quite hard to discover anything much that’s WE ARE ELEMENTS: The Cellar Friday 21 useful about them, but it’s well worth persevering since the duo’s debut single, nd THE HORRORS: `Sometimes It Kills’, on Moshi Moshi, is SATURDAY 22 gorgeous, in a slightly unsettling kind of way, DAVE GILES: O2 Academy – Quirky folk-pop O2 Academy pitching distorted electronic beats and in a similar vein to Frank Turner from Dave Funny how things turned out for The abstract electronic soundscapes underneath Giles, out on tour to promote new album ‘Tales Horrors. Originally seeming to be little more fantastically crystalline female vocals. So it Of A Social Misfit’. than NME-hyped clothes horses kicking out turns out Visions Of Trees are Joni Juden BOWLING FOR SOUP + SUBURBAN a frenzied brand of garage-rock, their second and Sara Atalar and they’re from London. He LEGEND + ORANGE: O2 Academy – Texas’ album, ‘Primary Colours’, saw them makes the beats and synthy bits, she’s the most puerile addition to the punk-pop firmament artistically and critically reborn. Updating one with the heavenly voice. Doubtless return to full band action after Jaret and Erik’s classic 70s and 80s alt.rock in style and someone somewhere has already lumped recent acoustic tours, back with a new album, produced by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, the them under the heading Chillwave, and there ‘Fishin For Woos’, but doubtless plenty of old album fused the likes of Joy Division, The are moments where they share airspace with jokes. Chameleons, Psychedelic Furs and Sisters the likes of Washed Out, but more than that BEN HOWARD: The Jericho Tavern – With Of Mercy with Can’s krautrock and PiL’s the pair are like a fully-updated-for-the-21st- an almost religiously devoted following behind post-punk, coated it all in pitch black Century Cocteau Twins or AC Marias – him already, Devon’s delicate folk-pop clothing, drenched it in reverb and, hey music that sometimes feels almost too fragile troubadour’s gigs already have an air of prayer presto, instant classic – one that was to exist in the physical world. It’s gothic and meetings about them, but it’s a following he’s predictably robbed of a deserved Mercury ethereal but occasionally club friendly in an rightly earned through word of mouth rather than Prize. Two years on and The Horrors’ third ambient r’n’b fashion, the clamour of beats any social network site buzz. Howard’s cosy opus, ‘Skying’, is greeted by critics and fans and synths providing a discreet canvas for form of acoustic pop, at home on Ben alike with almost religious anticipation. A Sara’s dreamy vocals. Tonight’s show is part Mumford’s label, is spiced up by jazzy intricacy, difficult task to fulfil such expectation but of a headline tour to promote new release mixing up influences like Tim Buckley, John while the new album is more restrained than `Sirens’ and follows their appearance at the Martyn and Nick Drake. its predecessor, it’s an album that repays Ashmoleon back in the summer, a venue THE NORTHSEA RADIO ORCHESTRA + repeated listening, switching its gaze perfectly suited to their lush but intricate WATER PAGEANT + LEWIS WATSON: St. towards Simple Minds’ early electro-heavy music. Michael’s at the Northgate – A contemporary pop as well as early-90s shoegaze. Live mix of classic romantic and chamber music with they’re as self-consciously enigmatic as contemporary classical, folk and art-rock from you’d hope for, Faris Badwan’s wonderfully HAWKLORDS: O2 Academy – Harvey The Northsea Radio Orchestra, recently seen glowering baritone cutting through the storm Bainbridge, Steve Swindells, Nik Turner and backing Stornoway at their Regal show. Pretty of heavily treated guitars and scouring assorted other Hawkwind associates reform their pastoral pop support from Water Pageant. synths, a perfect blend of period cool space-rock offshoot for more spirit of the age fun BLIN’ JOHNNIE + SCATTERED FEW + performed with enthusiastic panache. and psychedelic sound exploration. JON BOYD: The Folly Bridge Inn – Glenda Fantastic stuff. APPLE PIRATE PRESENTS: Fat Lil’s, Huish’s new band Blin’ Johnnie headline, plus Witney – Indie, punk and rock bands. ambient psych-rockers Scattered Few and CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford mordant Americana singer Jon Boyd. Community Centre DUBWISER + HOOKS + EVO SYLVIAN: SIX BULLET CHAMBER + DOGSTATE: The Port Mahon – A proper old school punky The Hobgoblin, Bicester – Jambox rock and reggae party as last month’s Nightshift cover metal night. stars Dubwiser pitch their dub, roots and soul up OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon against young local punk pups Hooks, plus Craig BLUES JAM: Jack Russell, Marston from Dead Jerichos’ electro solo project Evo Sylvian. FRIDAY 21st PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101: THE HORRORS: O2 Academy – Skinny, O2 Academy black-clad gothic garage-rock joy unbounded – SELECTA: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass club see main preview night. ANNIE MAC PRESENTS: O2 Academy – MAD MODS & ENGLISHMEN: The Swan, Radio 1 DJ Annie spins a mix of electro, Wantage – Mod covers. JAWLESS & FRIENDS: The Cellar THE KIXX: O2 Academy – Cheesy blues- meets-All American Rejects shitemongery from TUESDAY 25th Reading’s “boy band with a difference”, who SAM DUCKWORTH: The Jericho Tavern – have supported Ollie Murs and boast they were Stripping off his Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly! once offered advice by Robbie Williams. Whether moniker, Mr Duckworth plays an intimate that advice was along the lines of sticking their acoustic show. godawful songs up their arses and fucking off MAVERICK SABRE: O2 Academy – R’n’b, while they were about it is something we may trip-hop, Motown soul and jazz-infused hip never know. Our lives are so much emptier for it. hop from the Hackney rapper, a vocal KILL MURRAY + BETA BLOCKER & THE contributor to Professor Green’s ‘Jungle’ BODY CLOCK: The Bullingdon – Kill Murray, the band formed by members of 50ft single and a Top 20 hitmaker in his own right Monday 24th with his ‘Let Me Go’ single earlier in the Panda, Phantom Theory and Dial F For summer. Frankenstein play their first headline show. WRETCH 32: JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live jazz TOO REX: Fat Lil’s, Witney – T-Rex tribute. from guest Robert Vienna. THE GRACEFUL SLICKS + FEUD + O2 Academy OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon CYNOTIA: The Swan, Wantage – Velvets and In the absence of an obvious soundtrack to Sonics-inspired 60s psychedelia and garage rock this summer’s riots, Tottenham rapper th from Graceful Slicks. Wretch 32’s second album, ‘Black & White’ WEDNESDAY 26 FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon FOREIGN OFFICE: The Jericho Tavern – seems to be a popular choice for some. The FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford man born Jermaine Scott is the son of a local Squelchy electro-funk from the recent Erasure Community Centre – Roots and dub club support act. reggae DJ who took part in the 1985 session. Broadwater Farm riots and was a friend of BG RECORDS SHOWCASE: O2 Academy HQ: The Cellar – Polemical female rap and grime star No-Lay Mark Duggan, whose shooting indirectly triggered the riots. Despite his roots in grime, headlines BG Records’ showcase night, joined th by reunited electro-punk crew Baby Gravy, SATURDAY 29 though, ‘Black & White’ sounds too pop- Foals-y indie tykes The Vibe and a supporting UPSTAIRS: O2 Academy – The Academy’s friendly to properly backdrop footage of cast that includes SUD, Exonic, Volume, monthly team up with BBC Oxford Introducing burning buildings: big hits like the singalong Domino T and Blueprint. to showcase the best local acts this month ‘Traktor’ and the Stone Roses-sampling CHARLIE BAXTER + SPACE HEROES OF features Charly Coombes’ soulful rockers The ‘Unorthodox’ lack that grit and bile. While THE PEOPLE + LEFT OUTER JOIN: The New Breed, alongside blues and rockabilly siren he’s hardly a good-time MC like Dizzee Wheatsheaf – A night of electro-pop courtesy Tamara & The Martyrs, haunted gothic Rascal, he’s hardly Roots Manuva either, his of Moshka tonight, with SHOTP mixing up folksters Samuel Zasada, epic indie types conscious rapping eclipsed by his big vintage Kraftwerk, Numan and The Normal Toliesel and A Genuine Freakshow. choruses and a swaggering sense of with acid house and techno. WINCHELL RIOTS + MAGIC LANTERN + showmanship. The new album is also a NERVANA: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Nirvana DOUG TIELLI: The Jacqueline du Pre pretty soulful affair wherein Wretch unveils Building – A suitably grandiose setting for tribute band. his more sensitive, loving side; it feels, more Winchell Riots’ elaborate indie rock, fusing PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar than anything, like a grown up record. Which Sigur Ros’s intricate glacial soundscapes with isn’t to put the man down: he’s a great rapper Snow Patrol’s epic intent. Support from folk, THURSDAY 27th of the old school and live in particular has jazz and contemporary chamber pop group more presence than most, even if he does AS GODS + RED SEAS FIRE + CRYSIS + Magic Lantern and Toronto folk singer Doug have a predilection for covering The Script. ANNERO: The Bullingdon – Skeletor metal Tielli. He’s an adept freestyler too, putting his skills night with a double dose of prog-core from THE CELLAR FAMILY + DALLAS DON’T to Jay-Z’s ‘99 Problems’ and with a healthy Guildford’s As Gods and Bristol’s Red Seas + MEAN RIGHT HOOK: The Port Mahon – handful of MOBO nominations to his name Fire, plus local thrash support from Crysis and Ferocious, angular post-hardcore from Cellar this year, his rise to the upper echelons of Annero. Family, with support from local indie British urban music is undeniable. JOHNNY GET THE GUN: O2 Academy – newcomers Dallas Don’t, leaning towards the Chugging, anthemic soft rocking from London’s mellower side of Idlewild. SUNDAY 30th JGTG. MY BIG UK: The Folly Bridge Inn – BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Open CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Oxford’s 1970s hitmakers prepare to release Community Centre their new album, ‘Bitter Street’. jam session with Dave Smith and his band. KILL CITY SAINTS + MOONMOTH + W.A.M: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Ska and punk st BLACK SUNRISE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Local covers. MONDAY 31 rock bands night. PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101: PATRICK WOLF: O2 Academy – More lupine WHEN WORDS FAIL + PARADIGM SHIFT O2 Academy musical loveliness from the London folktronica + THE COLD HARBOUR: The Hobgoblin, JAMBOX ROCK ALL-DAYER: The troubadour, cutting his pastoral hymns with Bicester – Jambox metal and rock night. Wheatsheaf, Banbury (1pm) – Benefit gig in analogue sounds, violin and electronic beats to OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon aid of the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, with underpin his elegantly doomed lyrics, marking BLUES JAM: Jack Russell, Marston former-Sikth chap Mikee Goodman’s new band him out as a latter-day Nick Cave or John Cale at WORDPLAY: The Cellar The Painted Smiles, plus thrash merchants times. He’s out on tour again in support of new Reign Upon Us and sets from Izzi Stone, Nine album ‘Lupercalia’, his fifth. FRIDAY 28th Lights, Molly Makes Mistakes, Grindhouse, GREGG WRIGHT & LEFT HOOK: The BRITISH SEA POWER: O2 Academy – Lo-Audio, Haunted Tranquillity, plus acoustic Bullingdon – Classic blues and rock anthems Always welcome return to town for Brighton’s sets from Riothouse, Serotonin and CJ Quinn. from the Californian guitarist, a veteran session elegantly bookish indie rockers, following their ROOTS & REGGAE NIGHT: The man who has worked with Michael Jackson and support to The Manics with this headline tour Bullingdon Spencer Davies in an illustrious career, renowned to promote ‘Valhalla Dancehall’, still ahead of GREEN ONIONS: The Swan, Wantage – for his left-handed playing of an upturned right- the game in the epic grandeur stakes, the new Blues Brothers tribute. handed guitar. album adding a sweeter melodic edge to their Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no sound but live, as ever, they’re a superbly exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. visceral experience. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission photo: Johnny Moto LIVE

Music. And as long as The times when a 1,500-strong crowd STORNOWAY / THE EPSTEIN / Epstein’s tunes can keep up with are most roused, come with old the expansion in sound, they’ll favourites: ‘We Are The Battery DREAMING SPIRES soon develop their own gravity Human’ provoking a mass fields. singalong only two songs into the The Regal Tonight’s show might have been set; the gorgeously nostalgic ‘Fuel There’s something about The of the stage, an opening number described as a homecoming for Up’, with its metaphorical car ride Regal’s weathered glamour that that promises to turn into ‘Venus Stornoway – it is, after all, their through a lifetime of memories; the makes any gig here An Event, but In Furs’ drifting into the sort of first Oxford gig in a year – but it’s child-like simplicity of ‘I Saw You tonight’s show, as with anything wistful nostalgia we’ve long since more like a well-wishing party for Blink’ with its indefatigable glee involving Stornoway in recent come to expect from brothers conquering heroes about to set off tinged with exquisite melancholy times, does feel like a special Robin and Joe Bennett. Their set, on a new epic quest. Tonight is, of and, best of all, the sublime occasion. though, gradually feels uplifting, course, a first chance to hear some ‘Coldharbour Road’, awash with It is, of course, a Concert 4 powered along by drummer Loz of the songs that will appear on the nature-related metaphors for the Conservation, raising money for Colbert, Robin’s voice initially band’s next album. They’re keen storm of a love affair. various environmental charities, tremulous and fragile but becoming that their hometown fans get first Brian remains an unassuming including Sumatran orang-utans and optimistic by turns until, by the listen, and for the most part we’re frontman, recounting stories of the RSBP, volunteers from whom final, slightly cheesy, song, he’s in amply rewarded. ‘When You Touch cross-eyed possums and a German shuffle about the venue in furry or full Christian rock cheerleader Down’ is about aliens landing in cow that escaped the abattoir to feathered fancy dress all evening mode. South Park, a quirkily romantic go and live in a forest, before shaking collection buckets, no The Epstein are simultaneously piece that might have come from announcing ‘The End Of The doubt suffering more than anyone more earthy and more rarefied, the the pen of Paul McCartney, while Moooovie’ with wry from the venue’s rising internal trio now bolstered by the addition ‘The Bigger Picture’, played out understatement, the band tonight temperature. When the bar of Humphrey Astley and Tommy alone and acoustic by Brian Briggs, joined for the second half of their subsequently runs out of Longfellow, from Tamara & The and a close-harmony song aired set by the North Sea Radio everything apart from cider and Martyrs. There’s always been a during the encore, show off Orchestra, who add discreet WKD before Stornoway have even widescreen feel about The Epstein Stornoway’s extraordinary range strings to the likes of ‘Here Comes taken to the stage, we’re inclined to but lately Ollie Wills’ songs and and increasing confidence. Slightly the Blackout. organise a Concert 4 Intoxication. voice have moved from the less satisfying is a folk shanty A final encore of ‘Zorbing’ is as Dreaming Spires’ bucolic 60s- campfire and the porch to featuring Brian on autoharp that welcome as it is predictable, giant styled Americana neatly reflects encompass the entire horizon, could be a bold Orcadian inflatable balls let loose from their the pictures of fauns and orchids typified by closing number, and roustabout but ends up sounding moorings to surf over the crowd as and wholesome children enjoying recent single, ‘I Held You Once’. too much like ‘What Shall We Do Stornoway, as ever, close the wood-related activities that play This is, as The Waterboys might With The Drunken Sailor’. show with a sense of triumph. out on the giant screens each side once have described, The Big Of course the best moments, the Dale Kattack THE GOGGENHEIM / MacGILLIVRAY / D GWALIA Modern Art We’ve been on a mission to catch Dylan when you’re reminded of Cat Power or Bat Gwalia ever since the Welshman-turned- For Lashes, but MacGillivray is a singular Oxfordian’s debut album, ‘In Puget Sound’ talent. completely blew us away last year. On After such ethereal fare, The Goggenheim paper the rarefied confines of Modern Art are a stunning wake-up call. Singer Grace should provide the perfect setting for his Exley is dressed up like some kind of sombre, sonorous music, but in reality the ancient Eqyptian burlesque performer, high wooden ceiling tends to swallow the possessed of the most stunning vibrato subtleties of his sound, and when his bass voice you’ll hear outside of Italian opera, guitar packs up early on, we worry we’d and backed by a five-strong band that have been better of sticking with the CD. plays with the fluid tightness of a jazz He’s not to be defeated though and two ensemble but with the taut, nervous tracks in particular from the album, the energy and spikiness of post-punk’s first gorgeously sinister ‘Orson Welles’ and set flowering. Early set highlight ‘Ah Samina’ closer ‘The Cruel Ships Captain’, show is a wired, dissonant freakout that recalls what a rare talent he is, the rich welsh burr the best extremes of Renaldo & The Loaf of his voice drawing obvious but deserved and The Residents, only mashed through comparisons to John Cale, while he shares The Slits’ witchy punk-funk. an ability with This Mortal Coil’s Dominic Further in they’re no less fevered or Appleton to mine a deep, rich seam of esoteric and our battered notebook ends melancholy with almost nonchalant ease. up littered with references to everything Our first impression of MacGillivray is of from Throbbing Gristle to This Heat, via a strangled cat randomly pounding a piano. The Grateful Dead and some kind of Not great, then. Quickly though she drops crazed krautrock. Just occasionally they down to a more comfortable vocal register lose their focus, playing it hazier and and reveals, like her sometime collaborator looser, but by the time they finish with D Gwalia, a singer of exquisite depth and ‘Plastic Space Disco’, a title that might range, from breathless operatic swoon, well sum them up as well as anything we lonely as the ocean, to tortured tragic can muster, they’re a brilliantly squalling heroine via some wonderful Gaelic bundle of musical nonsense, a genuine one- incantations. Her music, played entirely on off act in a world of conformity. piano tonight, swoops from barely-there They are also, having managed to minimalism to an oddly restrained form of personally piss of Rupert Murdoch, catharsis, everything reaches a peak as she impossible to Google. Embrace their loops her vocals and allows them to swarm insanity. around the room. There are brief moments Dale Kattack

XERATH / PROSPEKT / AETHARA / VENUE PHONE NUMBERS IN DECADENCE / ZAOS O2Academy: 0844 477 2000 (ticketweb) O2 Academy The Bullingdon: 01865 244516 A year on from Nightshift’s metal special, beats the living shit out of them. Fantastic. The Wheatsheaf: 01865 790380 the local scene has gone from strength to Prospekt are easily the most inventively The Cellar: 01865 244761 strength, evidenced by promoters Skeletor nuanced act on show tonight, Lee Luland The New Theatre: 0844 847 1585 making the move to the Academy for a eschewing sheer brutality for an almost The Jericho Tavern: 01865 311775 monthly team-up with Room 101. acrobatic fretboard performance that goes a Fat Lil’s: 01993 703385 While the tone of the night is one of long way to justifying the comparisons to East Oxford Community Centre: brutality, the five-band showcase displays Eddie Van Halen that have been directed his 01865 792168 enough variety to prevent metal fatigue way. The Port Mahon 01865 790970 setting in, openers Zaos adding an often You can hear immediately how headliners elaborate progressive twist on death metal, Xerath originally formed to create film frontman Mikey Goodson a grimacing, scores; their orchestral approach to growling gargoyle leading his band’s symphonic metal is cinematic in scope, but Records, CDs and Meshuggah-styled blast-core. as claustrophobic as any torture porn flick. In Decadence lack Zaos’s pure slam value Like Aethara before them they’re, at face DVD Fair but once they’re up to full steam their value, a standard package of modern classic thrash-cum-metalcore finds them progressive metal components but taken to scoring highly on the sweat factor. a higher level by their pin-sharp execution, SATURDAY 15th October Aethara’s pummelling beatdown reaches the stately, almost serene, chime of 10.30am-3.30pm epic proportions, the somewhat keyboards stacked at odds with the battling standardised death-growl-blast-beats-and- blastbeats and Richard Thompson’s death- ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- shredded-riffs set-up laced with almost growl vocals. They’re a suitably climactic SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- operatic backing vocals and a sheer, finale to what we can only hope is the first DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- unrelenting sense of purpose that lashes of many Skeletor extravaganzas to come. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 any reservations to the rack and mercilessly Ed Burnham Lonesome Cowboy photo by Giulia Biasibetti SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL Braziers Park Asking myself how I feel about Supernormal is a strange experience. On the one hand, I absolutely love the idea of it: Braziers Park taken over by musical and artistic curators, loads of obscure bands and everything from a singalong Wicker Man and a programme of experimental films to Bowie karaoke and a 36-hour improv performance clanking away with a nine-year-old on drums next to the hot dog stand. At times, it’s so pretentious it somehow manages to come full circle and become utterly straightforward. In practice, the musical highlights are disappointingly few and far between: far more common are sets of haphazard nonsense shouting from people dressed as clowns or vampires (take a bow, Lonesome Cowboys and Mr Solo) or look-at- me bouts of improv which could easily come under the heading of ‘couldn’t be bothered to practice’. Thankfully it’s not all dressing up and random shouting. Skullflower drill a hole in the head with their psychedelic drone noise; SJ Esau wobbles around a set of unpredictable hip hop, folk and electronica; Gum Takes Tooth are a squadron of brutal kosmische Panzers; the mighty Bong stretch two chords out into a monolithic set of Sunn0)))-mimicry. The discovery of the weekend, Fuzzy Lights, stitch together Dirty Three, Papa M course of its three long days mean for free to create something about this supernormal enclave and Broken Records into something that this is nearly an amazing appreciably different, is in itself to tucked away in the woods and we rather lovely of their own. festival. The fact that it exists, run be applauded. A higher quality of could have a genuine treasure of a But concerns about the by the time and enthusiasm of music across the weekend, and a festival on our doorstep. consistency of music over the artists and bands giving their time few more people knowing Stuart Fowkes

THE LOOSE SALUTE / CAT MATADOR / BAND from 1967, both musically and visually, all Dennis Wilson t-shirts and huge sideburns. OF HOPE / LEWIS WATSON / NICK RUCK Signed to Heavenly and oozing talent and professionalism, they’re almost too clinically The Bullingdon flawless to be simply enjoyable. Maybe we’ve Opening tonight’s Back & To The Left show, can’t make up for a shortage of great songs, just had enough of indie country by this point, the cruelly underrated Nick Ruck, ex- of The though ‘Summer Cold’ comes close. ‘This Is Love’ sounding a bit too much like the Roundheels and Cargo Cult, plays a short but There’s nothing so positive to say about Cat soundtrack to a T-Mobile ad. Things perk up enthralling set of his own material with a gentle Matador, sadly. Ponderous and overblown, when the two female singers take over vocal country blues theme. Tirelessly original, he they’re best described as a poor man’s Winchell duties, complementing each other perfectly, and could be Oxford’s answer to Jim O’Rourke, his Riots (even down to the great drummer), though anyone who can create a warm vibe on an continual inventiveness always a joy to watch. that really should read a poor man whose autumnal Wednesday night deserves a medal. Lewis Watson, another acoustic singer/ hardship payments have just been stopped by But ultimately there’s too much Beautiful South songwriter, is young, polite and nervous, and the Job Centre. If they could pull things polish and too little Mamas and Papas his music follows suit. Gentle and diverting for together and focus the introspection in a less innocence. a while, he seems a little too in debt to moany manner they could possibly be on to A film of this whole evening would make a acknowledged heroes like Ed Sheeran to something. great section of a documentary about the state maintain our interest for too long. London’s The Loose Salute are the brainchild of UK music in 2011, everyone capturing a Next up come more countryphiles in the shape of Ian McCutcheon, once drummer of piece of the zeitgeist in their own way. But the of Band of Hope from Wallingford. Inoffensive if influential 90s shoegazers Slowdive and then endless remoulding of folk and country has to a little downbeat, their mid-bill status is pitched Mojave 3, though now promoted to singer and stop somewhere. Please. about right. The tasteful violin and poignant air guitarist. The band seem to have arrived straight Art Lagun

DAVID FORD O2 Academy David Ford was cynical long before the photo: Jo Cox recession hit, but tonight there seems to be something timely about his brazen lack of romantic ideology. He opens with ‘Song For The Republican Convention’ mixed with ‘Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck)’, fusing whistle blues with his ability to spit lyrics out as if some kind of poison. Later in the night ‘State Of The Union’ follows a similar vein, loops being layered far beyond what Katie Tunstall might opt for, until it becomes a crashing wall of dissent, only complete by the foot stomps on the piano. Yet whilst David’s political messages often tumble out in the form of heavier songs, ‘Guantanamo Bay’ being giving an edge by the loop, it’s the piano-led ‘Stephen’ which hits the hardest nerve. Despite all the media that surrounds Irish politics there is nothing more moving than a single song told from the perspective of widow Mrs Carroll and no greater reminder of the reality of conflict than a story riddled with pain. Religion gets an equal smattering of disdain, the more autobiographical ‘St Peter’ being built on his tour of the southern American States. Meanwhile, ‘Panic’ combines frustration with speed until David is practically chanting his abhorrence for religion in some kind of trance- like mantra. It’s the juxtaposition of these protests against the likes of ‘To Hell With The World’ and ‘Song For The Road’ which make these latter piano driven numbers even more heartfelt. He may be back with new recordings, but it is the older songs which capture the crowd. Whilst ‘Pour A Little Poison’ is a solid, though more country sounding number, it’s ‘I Don’t Care What You Call Me’ and ‘Requiem’ which truly surmise what David is about. As I leave, I overhear a couple moaning about the level of noise and degree of reverb, but I for one, welcomed the chance to have my disgruntlement for 21st Century living matched by David’s dissident sound. Lisa Ward

RICHMOND FONTAINE On The Logging Road’, before launching into the gently ferocious ‘The Chainsaw Sea’. The Bullingdon ‘Angus King Tries To Leave The House’ Empty Room Promotions have served up a their innocent ways. That this type of album swirls and kicks like a toy boat in high winds, real treat tonight, bringing Portland, Oregon’s should work so well will be no surprise to disorientating wildly. They even pull off Richmond Fontaine to the back room of the anyone familiar with Richmond Fontaine’s ‘Driving Back To The Chainsaw Sea’, the sound Bully. They are here principally to promote back catalogue, or indeed singer Willy of a radio being re-tuned between awful country their tenth studio album, ‘The High Country’, Vlautin’s three novels. stations. an album that on first listen seemed Willy announces at the beginning of the show After a short break for beer, the band returns disappointing, but on repeated plays turns out that they are going to play the album in full, for a run through past favourites. In some to sneak up on you and be their best ever. followed by a brief selection of their back aspects this merely accentuates the giant leap This is some achievement for a band on their catalogue. It helps that there is an audience of the band have made with ‘The High Country’, tenth album, more so when you realise it is Uncut readers present to allow them to do but it also shows they can be a great rollicking more than a concept piece, rather a short story such things. Deborah Kelley of The alt.country bar band too, like a slightly defter cut up and set to music. The album is set Damnations is here to reprise her vocals from Hold Steady. When they play ‘Lonnie’ from the amongst the logging community in small town the album, and to provide extra album ‘We Used To Think The Highway Oregon, and tells the tale of a secret love instrumentation. She seizes the initiative Sounded Like A River’, you remember what between the counter girl of an auto parts store immediately, with her affecting spoken word great things they have done previous to that and a mechanic. The weirdos of the opening piece, ‘Inventory’. The band run with astonishing current album. community terrorise the young couple and this on the haunting instrumental ‘The Girl Russell Barker ADVERTISE IN NIGHTSHIFT

“I took out an ad in Nightshift and now I can afford to spend all day sat on my backside, drinking beer.”

Go on, do it. Do it. Do. It. photo: Colin May Colin photo: TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS / NINE TON PEANUT SMUGGLERS O2 Academy It must be tough opening for a is nothing dodgy about the 65- living legend but it doesn’t seem to year-old’s singing voice, his energy faze Oxford’s Nine Ton Peanut levels and his stagecraft in the Smugglers. They manage to grab manner he invites the crowd to get the attention of the growing crowd ever more involved. and warm them and the atmosphere What we get tonight is a revival up nicely with an entertaining set meeting celebrating Toots’ of mainly self-penned ska and catalogue of hits stretching back to rhythm’n’blues. The crowd even the mid 60s. Ska and reggae is respond to leader Sir Bald tinged with gospel and Toots is the Diddley’s call, ‘Everybody Ska’ preacher man. Early on ‘Reggae with some gentle swaying. Their Got Soul’ sets the tone with Toots set could be even better though, if at the front of the stage , arm more of the numbers were spiced outstretched and pointing over the up with the blistering jazz solos crowd as he declaims, which feature in the band’s last “Everybody’s got soul; he got soul; number, ‘Bald Head’. you got soul!” Behind him his five- The by now jam-packed crowd piece band is tight and shifts raise their game several notches for effortlessly between ska rhythms Toots and the Maytals. When and reggae skank. Quite why the asked “Are you ready for the veteran rhythm guitarist plays the guitar for my favourite moment of Back comes Toots for another half pressure to drop?” it’s astonishing whole night with a towel draped the night, a wonderfully liquid, hour, featuring, appropriately, ‘I how many belt out the ‘Pressure over his baseball cap remains a languid version of ‘Bam Bam’, Never Grow Old,’ and a half Drop’ chorus at top volume even mystery. which won him the first Jamaican gospel, half rap version of ‘54-64 before Fredrick ‘Toots’ Hibbert We get all the classic hits, of course. song contest in the 60s. Then, via Was My Number’, with much saunters on stage. Dressed in ’Time Tough’ and ‘Sweet and ‘Funky Kingston’, the main set spirited call and response between sleeveless leather jerkin, leather Dandy’ are followed by a mento- builds to its finale, a loud rendition Toots and a now very boisterous trousers, black bandana and shades, influenced ‘Louie Louie’, which of ‘Monkey Man’ with the audience who are almost as much Toots’ gangsta look is slightly Toots covered successfully in the congregation bellowing the refrain the stars of the night as the man dodgy and contradicts the goodwill 1980s. After that it’s further back before giving out a tumultuous, ear- himself. and warmth he exudes but there with Toots picking up an acoustic splitting call for an encore. Colin May HEALTH / LISTING SHIPS / THE MANACLES OF ACID The Jericho Tavern Knob-twiddling: a term that songs”. We eagerly await their take conjures up images of a greasy on Celine Dion’s `My Heart Will recidivist in a long mac lurking in the Go On’. bushes of your local park and “You will love each other”, reads indulging in a game of pocket the slogan on the HEALTH T-shirts billiards at the merest glimpse of at the merch desk. A sunny teenage skin. But thankfully prediction? A sinister command? tonight’s display of knob-twiddling Who knows. Equally unsettling is from the Manacles Of Acid is a the Californians’ music, the sound great deal more agreeable than that, of Wolf Eyes and Animal Collective if not entirely wholesome. Beats taking a power drill to each other’s and squelching synths mesh neatly, craniums and wallowing around in and the symbiosis between man and what issues forth. It’s a machines is impressive, if not kaleidoscopic collage of thrash, exactly a feast for the eyes. Given a noise, electronics, tribal drumming, late-night slot in a darkened Cellar, shouting, flailing hair and primary these Manacles might really grip. colours. And, by and large, it’s Comprised of veterans of the local thrilling. scene, Listing Ships haven’t taken And yet, two songs from the end of long to make a big splash. Not for the main set, they abruptly and them wearing their influences somewhat improbably morph into metaphorically upon their sleeves: MGMT circa ‘Time To Pretend’. no, they prefer to wear them The kids love it, sure, but the band literally on their t-shirts. Bassist suddenly look faintly depressed, as Stuart Fowkes’ Can T-shirt though contractually obliged to play signposts what’s coming, though the the hits. That they suddenly appear quartet perhaps wisely avoid to be caught in the headlights of the dropping anchor for too long in any mainstream and desperate to escape particular port. ‘All Aboard The away back into the shadows is Andrea Doria’, for instance, calls in underlined by the single-song on Mogwai, Rodan and (most encore, a minute of throat-shredding pleasingly) the bristling, aggressive and skin-bashing. “This is the real instrumental funk of Billy Mahonie us”, they seem to be saying. Next before setting sail anew. Fowkes time, they might hopefully spare us introduces one track by saying: “It’s the identity crisis. about a shipwreck, like all of our Ben Woolhead

EAST 17 O2 Academy As is customary these days, “edgy” Tony’s rapping seems lacklustre, 90s boyband East 17 have (yet but that could be due less to lack of again) reformed, though this time effort and more because what the gaffe-prone proto-Dappy, Brian worked in 1994 doesn’t work now. Harvey, has been replaced by the Oddly, given the marketing requisitely tattooed and baseball- opportunity, they only do one song capped Blair Dreelan. Songwriter from their imminent new album; if and rapper Tony Mortimer is back, the rest of it is anything like the sometimes brandishing a guitar sub-Olly Murs ‘Secret Of My (sadly hard to hear in the mix). The Life’, it’s probably just as well. other two, John Hendy and Terry Tony’s songwriting is still Coldwell – who don’t seem to have impressive – ‘Stay Another Day’ aged – look delighted to still be has outlived the output of most there. mid-90s boybands and remains one The poppier stuff like ‘House of of the most memorable ballads of Love’, ‘It’s Alright’, and the that decade – and he could surely slightly risqué (if you were in your still do a Gary Barlow and churn early teens at the time) ‘Deep’ and them out for X-Factor finalists. But ‘Steam’ are still fun, but John and for all the nostalgic excitement of the Terry – who do the occasional audience, it feels a little flat. Brian harmony and now stand in line was the band’s Robbie and Mark in with the others rather than dance one, but Blair’s voice and banter behind them – still seem underused. seem to work so satisfactorily that On the slower, more r’n’b numbers it makes me wonder how necessary like ‘Hold My Body Tight’, Brian was in the first place. Yet it ‘Someone To Love’ and ‘Around the still seems a bit pointless without World’ (which I’m sure didn’t use to him. sound so Lighthouse Family), Kirsten Etheridge DOCTOR SHOTOVER Look Into My Eyes Very excited, VERY. Just found my old vinyl copy of mid-70s industrial obscurity Follow-Up Fart Committee, by squidgy synth miserabilists Amoebic Dysentery. A vinyl gem it may be, but you want to avoid the run-off groove on that one, you really do... [wheezy laughter follows for several minutes]… now, where were we? Ah yes, you were about to buy me a OCTOBER drink. And then – ta very much, old boy, down the hatch – we Every Monday were going to discuss the THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES Anyone Can Play Guitar Oxford Premiere. Frankly The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. speaking, I imbibed SO bloody 3rd VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS (UK) much on that occasion that I will 10th LES WILSON & THE MIGHTY HOUSE ROCKS – 30th need a hypnotherapist to help me regress through all the SYNTHOTHERAPY - “You are anniversary tour (UK) getting bleepier” th buried memories associated 17 GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOUL DIGGERS (Australia) with the evening. But I am 24th THE ERJA LYYTINEN BAND (Finland) reliably informed that I behaved myself IMPECCABLY during the film 31st GREGG WRIGHT & LEFT HOOK (USA) showing, and that the cries of “Kidney Scans!” half-way through the feature were from the row behind where I was sitting. As for the after- show party, there are rumours of repeated stage invasions by a Every Tuesday dishevelled figure sporting an outsized pair of Y-fronts with “I HEART THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB COTTON” inscribed on the gusset… well, I will let you know what Dr Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am Darke my hypnotherapist has to say when he has listened back to the th tapes. (It will probably go something like this: “Childhood trauma… blah 4 ALVIN ROY & REEDS UNLIMITED blah blah… over-reliance on Nanny… blah blah blah… too much time in 11th / 18th THE STUART HENDERSON QUINTET Burma during the monsoon season… blah blah blah… oh hang on, 25th ROBERT VIENNA what’s this on Side B of this old cassette…? AMOEBIC DYSENTERY – far OUT!”). That’s enough of THAT rubbish. Harrumph! My glass – hel-LO- OH? It seems to be EMP-TY? Thursdays Next month: Analogue Can Play Guitar 6th MOGMATIC 13th COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN 20th UGLY DUCKLING 27th SKELETOR presents AS GODS / RED SEAS FIRE / CRYSIS / ANNERO

Every Friday FUNKY FRIDAY Funk, soul, boogie and R&B. 11pm-2.30am; £3.

Early Friday shows 7th DEAD ALPHABET / WHITE BONE RATTLE 14th DROPOUT / THE ROGUE MOTEL / GEORGE CHOPPING 21st LEFT OUTER JOIN / HALF DECENT / ASTRO SNAKE 28th KILL MURRAY / BETA BLOCKER & THE BODY CLOCK

Saturday Early Show 1st EMPTY ROOM PROMOTIONS presents THE PETER BRUNTNELL BAND / BRIAN HOUSTON

Saturdays 1st SIMPLE – Reunion with MJ COLE. House/techno 10.30-4am 15th LEYLINES FESTIVAL 22nd SELECTA – Drum’n’bass 29th ROOTS & REGGAE

Sundays 9th OXJAM with RED VALVE Join us on Facebook: Backroom @ The Bully Introducing….

Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local bands bubbling under Agness Pike Who are they? Agness Pike’s pedigree is second to none in the local metal stakes, formed last year by singer Martin Spear (formerly of Madamadam and Sevenchurch); bassist Pete Marler (Underbelly, Suriki, Suitable Case For Treatment), guitarist Chris Brown and drummer Mick Brown (both ex- of Madamadam and Underbelly). They are possessed of all the heaviosity you’d expect from their composite members, replete with Martin’s highly idiosyncratic theatricality. Their debut mini-album, ‘Minum Vitae’, is out this month on Rivet Gun Records. What do they sound like? An often bizarre fusion of straight-ahead classic thrash from the golden days Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: of Metallica and Anthrax and Martin’s high individualistic vocals that veer “The UndersmileCellarFamilyDesertStormKomradJunkieBrush Experience. from Lydon-esque squawk to stentorian narrative. Or, in their own words, Oh what a magnificent noise.” “Heavy, urgent and thrusting, concocted from a seething cauldron of If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: influences that include Killing Joke; Obituary; Hawkwind; Dead Kennedys; “`Among The Living’ by Anthrax – the album that brought us all to the Black Sabbath; Rush; Sex Pistols; Judas Priest; Joy Division; Anthrax; same place in, eh-hem, 1987.” Obituary; Monty Python; John Cooper-Clarke and Claire Petulengro.” When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? What inspires them? “Wednesday 5th October with Annero and Bersicker at the Wheatsheaf. “We are currently taking spiritual guidance from the writings of the Newcomers can expect to be royally entertained.” esteemed solar stargazer Shelley von Strunckel (The Sunday Times), always Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: consulting her forecasts before making any important creative decisions.” “The abundance of acts that hail from the heavier/noise side of the tracks Career highlight so far: that are treading the boards in Oxford at the moment. Least favourite: the “When Hot Hooves’ frontman left a sock behind at a recent Wheatsheaf lack of back-stage area at local venues – a man needs space to adjust his performance. This sacred sock has now been framed and forms the tifter and apply his fake moustache and the back stairs at the Wheatsheaf centrepiece of a shrine.” just will not do.” And the lowlight: You may love them if you love: “A handbag buying trip around Botley’s charity boutiques. Agness found a Anthrax; Metallica; PiL; Machine Head; Christopher Lee. perfect specimen but decided to sleep on it – went back the next day and Hear them here: there was a sickening void where the bag once sat.” ‘Minum Vitae’ is available to download from www.rivetgunrecords.co.uk

Whatever happened to… those heroes WHEN? The Nubiles existed for a few brief years in the early-90s but made a lasting impression on the scene, signing to Lime Street Records and releasing singles like ‘Layabout’; ‘Tatjana (All Over Me)’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Kunte The Nubiles Kinte’ ahead of the album, but it was their frenetic live shows that left the most lasting impression: they blew Oasis off stage when they supported WHO? them in Bedford, just one stop off on a seemingly endless UK tour. While Formed by Tara Milton in 1992 after the demise of his “schoolboy band” the band’s demise is sometimes attributed to a fondness for narcotics, Tara is 5.30 and inspired by Oxford’s then emerging local scene, The Nubiles quick to refute such a claim, tongue firmly in cheek: “we never experienced featured Tara on bass and vocals; Chris Nettleton (aka “pre-op Welsh any problems at all, getting hold of quality narcotics.” Tara convened a transvestite” Penny Schueller) and Italian Giorgio Curcetti on guitars and version of the band for the last night of The Zodiac in 2007. Dan Goddard on drums. Describing himself as “just a regular mulatto raised WHY? in a lunatic asylum outside Burford,” Tara’s vision As Jon Spira’s film Anyone Can Play Guitar was to form a band that “went past the demonstrates, a new generation of Oxford picturesque stereotypes of what I thought a band musicians grew up inspired by The Nubiles’ should be, visually and sonically.” The vibrancy incendiary live shows, chief amongst them of Oxford’s music scene at the time allowed such Supergrass, The Rock Of Travolta and a bizarre project to flourish, at least until Giorgio Smilex. Tara himself is more circumspect, was “frog-marched back to London by his paraphrasing The Jam: “`If we communicate ferocious fiancée” after being caught in a for two minutes only, it will be a START!’ I compromising situation and the band relocated to think we communicated to an audience that King’s Cross, living in the flat below Elastica. was often moved.” They released a slew of well-received singles before WHERE? splitting on the eve of the release of their debut Chris now lives in London (now happily post- album, `Mindblender’, a slimmed-down version of op, according to Tara, who also claims that the band continuing for a short while after. Giorgio “runs a lucrative brothel back in WHAT? Rome”); Dan, for a long time promoter at the A band that never quite fitted into any pigeonhole, Pit venue in Witney, currently plays drums in at least any that existed at the time, The Nubiles’ The Long Insiders, while Tara has a new sound was sharp, warped, urgent, elastic, musical project, Tara Milton With The Boy emotionally taught, ferocious, or, in Tara’s own & Moon, with whom he hopes to release words, “an interesting racket.” Had they arrived a something soon. decade or more later they might have been lumped HOW? in with the more freewheeling post-punk types, Most Nubiles releases are extremely hard to with a hefty dose of Zappa and Primus jabbed into find these days, although there is some stuff its heart for good measure; words like “mayhem”, up on Youtube. The band, of course, feature “paranoia” and “lunacy” cropped up regularly in in Anyone Can Play Guitar, out later this their reviews. photo: Paul Carrera year. DEMOSDEMOS Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day at Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy of Trojan Horse Recordings. Visit www.trojanhorserecordings.co.uk

sees Matt telling his own story of being denied DEMO OF his own death by doctors who have discovered its cure; his enthusiasm for such a cure similar THE MONTH to the morbid realisation of what immortality really means experienced in the current run of Torchwood. There are obvious echoes here of TOM ASHTON Jacques Brel as well as Brecht and Weill, There seems to be an air of weary though you feel the band could let rip a bit melancholy hanging over a lot of this more and add a Bacchanalian sense of mayhem month’s demos. Maybe it’s because autumn’s to the song. There’s similar influences at work creeping in and all that summer hope has with `4am’, though here you’re reminded been dashed by weeks of rain and dull, cloudy more of Marc Almond’s take on such things, nothingness. Still, some folks do misery Matt’s vocal range exposed slightly after three better than others and Tom here manages to songs. Truth is, Matt and his band probably take that old sad-man-and-his-lonely-guitar aren’t best appreciated either on a demo or in schtick and beef it up just the right amount, a normal pub venue and need a full theatre still not fully formed but heading very much production or the corner of a particularly in the right direction. Demo opener ‘You debauched period-themed bar to really get the Will Never Leave’ starts out as a maudlin, most out of their songs. And gin. You’ll most piano-led piece, Tom himself coming across definitely need gin. as a potential heir to Andy Yorke or Richard COLDROOMS Walter’s throne, playing to his vocal strengths, never stretching his voice beyond SHATTERED DREAMS what it’s capable of, never over-egging his Previously winners of the Demo Of The RECORDING AND REHEARSAL STUDIOS lines with warbling or over-emoting and Month award, Shattered Dreams have since sounding all the better for it. He creates a parted company with their excellent vocalist FULLY EQUIPPED RECORDING sense of chilly longing while his guitar paints Steph Branch and recruited Marnie Wood into * AND PRODUCTION STUDIO pretty patterns behind him and rather than their ranks. Their formula remains unchanged ending up like a good old moan round the though: simple, bolshy but pop-friendly * LARGE LIVE ROOM campfire, the song sounds satisfyingly chunks of grungy noise that don’t try robust. ‘He Was Innocent’ is better still, anything too clever or risky but are light on * 3 FULLY EQUIPPED REHEARSAL ROOMS minimalist but driven, Tom’s voice fragile – their feet and happy to bounce around on your echoes of Wild Beasts at times – yet tinged soul for a couple of minutes before chugging TEL : 079823770079 or 01865 863044 with venom, while ‘Flames To Burnt off to find something sweet and alcoholic to Matches’ is more buoyant and busy, adding guzzle. ‘Get Outta My Way’ is like a frothier, another slight twist to the prevailing mood. airier version of L7’s ‘Shove’, Marnie doing Whether this is a purely solo effort we’re well to fill Steph’s boots. She leads the line well not sure and maybe some sympathetically on ‘Honesty’ too, initially sounding too much discreet bandmates might expand these songs like any number of pub blues-rock warblers further, but for now, this is promising stuff. until she hits her stride, drops the stridency and kicks off her heels with the staccato guitars flailing with some abandon alongside her. ‘Live & Learn’, meanwhile, features MATT WINKWORTH Steph on vocals, a surging beast of a power ballad that could be Bonnie Tyler reborn into a & THE lo-fi grunge band. As so often is the case, the simple things in life are the best. 876084 WINKWORTHERS ORIGINALS BETTER FLY HONEY Fronting what he calls an eight-piece “anti- indie cabaret band,” and presenting a three- BEE song offering entitled `And Now For There is a fine line between being a beautiful Something Completely Brillig’, which doomed romantic and being a miserable, self- features his own musical interpretation of pitying misery guts who needs to man the fuck Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem, up. Over seven tracks here James Wright, the `Jabberwocky’, Matt Winkworth could be man behind the prettily-titled Better Fly insufferably smug, but it’s to his credit he, Honey Bee, slips over both sides of the divide, and his band, who incorporate condensed offering glimpses of a sweet-hearted singer and string and horn sections into their ranks, songwriter as well as warning us not to stand actually create something both clever and too close to him at parties. For the first inclusive. The take on `Jabberwocky’ is couple of numbers he’s like the earnest, pretty straightforward all things considered, maudlin bloke who’ll spoil your fun by the poem recited over a Weimer-era cabaret mithering about not having a girlfriend, roustabout, sounding a bit like Borderville’s vocally following that school of thought that precocious kid brother, but `Elixir Of Life’ believes you should never use a single syllable when four can easily be squeezed into the end word inoffensive should never be the nicest of every line and so lost in his own existential thing you say about any music. Thankfully angst that he’s quite forgotten to write a the former category includes the likes of chorus. Just as we’re resigned to losing half an `Lying Down’, with its authentic 60s-styled hour of our lives to someone else’s aimless psych-folk feel and lazy, lysergic feel, like moaning and strumming, James picks up Pink Floyd drifting off into a cloud-gazing speed, breaks into a gentle trot no less, his reverie, and `Peepshow’ where Simon’s voice becomes richer, augmented by some politely clipped pronunciation and oh-so- lovely female backing vocals and lets a English accent remind us of Syd Barrett’s simpler delivery reveal stronger songwriting more self-consciously whimsical moments. credentials. It’s like he’s necked a couple of Best of the lot is the decidedly tongue-in- glasses of strong cider and decided life’s not cheek `Psychedelia Smith’, which wouldn’t so bad after all. In fact he might have a go sound out of place on an old Dandelion on the karoake later (as long as they’ve got Records compilation. More mushroom tea some Mumford and Sons or Willie Mason on and hash cakes for Mr Felton, please. there). Sadly by the very end he’s slumped back into that original rut, soft-centred bordering on mawkish, but, hey, for a while GRUDLE BAY RIOTS back there he sounded like a man we Similarly there’s a fine line between chilled- wouldn’t mind sharing bar space with. out splendour and wallpaper musak. Grudle Bay Riots – who recently contributed to the local ‘We Do Not Have A Dinosaur’ electro THE SHAPES compilation – here present a one-track The Shapes proclaim themselves inspired by demo, entitled ‘Hon’, which seems content the local likes of Stornoway, The Epstein and to drift airily from start to finish without The Dreaming Spires, which shows good presuming to disturb your afternoon nap. On musical taste if nothing else, but this the face of it ‘Hon’ occupies a similarly elongated demo only goes a little way to rarefied place on the planet to Chad Valley or demonstrating they can live in such exulted Trophy Wife, all lazily brushed snare drum, company. Opener ‘Parochial Pete’ is abstract minimalism and gossamer falsetto, languorous to the point of laborious, a but without any progression or sense of countrified lope, replete with harmonica lead euphoria those acts evoke. It’s nice enough that suffers badly from the singer’s rough- but then so is a glass of milk and given the hewn, leaden delivery. You can imagine Robin choice we’d rather have six pints of lager and Bennett’s airy, plaintive tones lifting it to a couple of Jaegerbombs. another level instead of wallowing in the mire with a dozen or more like-minded bands. ‘Hey Little Girl’ feels similarly not-quite halfway there, although the discreet female backing THE DEMO vocals do leaven it slightly. They have a decent enough ear for a tune, ‘Falling Apart DUMPER Again’ being sweetly reflective even as it ramps up the volume with electric guitar and full-on drumming, but ‘The Sound Of Your THE ED MILLIBAND Strumming’ is just painful and by the time Seriously we should stick this lot in the Demo they reach ‘My Friend’ they’re treading Dumper for that band name alone, a non-joke disturbingly close to David Gray territory. Just that had its time about half an hour after the when we fear all is lost ‘The Last Time’ plastic-faced one was elected leader of the injects some jollity – and some banjo – into Labour Party. As it is, it’s about the best thing THE COURTYARD STUDIO proceedings, a country roustabout complete about this instrumental outfit who have only PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ been together for about two months, with fake American accents, and with ‘Live In 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE something which might excuse the fact they The Moment’ they come closest to fulfilling MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB sound like they’re still tuning up. They claim the potential their earlier songs had only CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION offered the briefest glimpses of. they’re looking for a drummer, after which they’re planning on moving towards a OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI shoegaze / dream-pop sound. Spare drummers FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI SIMON FELTON being a difficult thing to unearth in Oxford, S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) Despite a tediously overlong biography, Mr The Ed Milliband might be more productively Residential facilities included. employed searching for something even Felton’s CD isn’t too bad; certainly he could www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com apply some of his musical tidiness and brevity vaguely resembling a coherent idea, never to his press pack. Simon’s got two types of mind a tune, instead of rambling aimlessly and, PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS song: ones full of pastoral psychedelic whimsy it has to be said, tediously through four pieces ON 01235 845800 that sound like they’ve wafted down from the of non-music that sound as half-arsed and sky where they’ve been floating idly since barely-thought-out as their drone-bot 1969, and ones that sound like something fell namesake’s supposed alternatives to the out of the Radio 2 playlist panel’s “Don’t call Cameron-Clegg purge of everything good in us…” pile. In the latter category are tracks British society. If this is supposed to make us like `Slowing Down’ and `Compatible’, which imagine the potential of the band it doesn’t are so bereft of character or memorable work – it’s like cracking an egg into a bowl features they could get jobs working as deep and asking someone to imagine how delicious cover agents for the CIA, evading terrorist it might be if it formed part of a chocolate cell detection for years on end. Really, the and banana cake. Rather than a shit sandwich.

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