email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 117 April Oxford’s Music Magazine 2005

SunnyvaleSunnyvale NoiseNoise Sub-ElementSub-Element “we“we cancan experimentexperiment withwith impunity!”impunity!” -- interviewinterview insideinside

alsoalso inin thisthis issueissue -- OxfordOxford PuntPunt 20052005 Line-upLine-up announcedannounced photo: Miles Walkden photo: Miles

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

NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected]

THE LINE-UP FOR THIS YEAR’S OXFORD PUNT HAS BEEN finalised. The Punt takes place on Wednesay 11th May and features 24 local bands and solo artists playing across eight venues on one night. The Punt is now established as the best showcase of local unsigned music. This year Nightshift received over 100 demos from local acts hoping to take part. The Punt received an added boost last month when Kiss Bar became the eighth venue to be added to the event, meaning we could fit an extra three bands on the bill, making this the biggest Punt ever. The full line up is as follows: Borders: 6.15pm: Laima Bite; 7pm: Kate Chadwick. Jongleurs: 7.30: The Evenings; 8.15: A Silent Film; 9pm: The Factory THE YOUNG KNIVES release a new EP on May 16th on hot new indie Far From The Madding Crowd (in conjunction with Delicious Music): label Transgressive, the label that launched The Subways earlier this 8.15: Zoe Bicat; 9.15: The Thumb Quintet; 10.15: Chantelle Pike. year. Tracks on the limited 10” EP are ‘Coastgard’, ‘Kramer Vs The City Tavern: 8.30: The Half Rabbits; 9.30: Fell City Girl; 10.30: Kramer’, ‘Weekends And Bleak days’ and ‘Trembling Of The Trails’, all Junkie Brush. of which were produced by Gang Of Four legend Andy Gill. The songs The Wheatsheaf: 8pm: P.Y.E; 9pm: Vena Cava; 10pm: The Confidential will also be available to download. The Young Knives head out on a Collective. national tour to promote the new EP, including a headline show at the The Purple Turtle (in conjunction with The Beard Museum): 8.30: Zodiac on Friday 6th May. Tickets available from the box office (01865 Moocher; 9.30: The Family Machine; 10.30: Film Noir. 420042) or online from wegottickets.com. Kiss Bar: 8.30: TV Baby; 9.30: Harry Angel; 10.30: Script. The Cellar: 9pm: Blue Kite; 10pm: The E Band; 11pm: Big Speakers; 12am: The Walk Off. DONOVAN heads a list of big THE HALF RABBITS contribute With a solid six hours of great live music on show, with styles ranging name acts coming to Oxford. The a track, ‘Fast Breeder Reactor’, to from acoustic folk and hip hop, to punk, new wave and industrial techno, 60s folk legend appears at Oxford `Public Service Broadcast 6’, fans of local music shouldn’t miss out. The best way to enjoy the Punt is Town Hall on Thursday 9th June to released on Jetplane Landing’s with an all-venue Punt Pass. There are 100 of these available, priced £7, promote his new album, ‘Beat Smalltown America label. The on sale now from The Polar Bear on Cowley Road, The Oxford Music Café’. Also coming up in Oxford is compilation, including tracks from Shop on St Aldates or online from oxfordmusic.net. Alternatively simply the return of former Spice Girl Mel 65daysofstatic and Thee More pay on the door at whichever venues you fancy. Borders and Far From C at the Zodiac (Mon 2nd May), Shallows, is available now from the Madding Crowd are free entry. The Futureheads at Brookes www.smalltownamerica.co.uk. Nightshift would like to say a big thank you to everyone who submitted University Union (Sun 15th May) a demo for consideration. The quality, as ever, was extremely high and and a highly-anticipated first visit we’re just sorry we couldn’t fit even more bands on the bill. to town for The Magic Band BOB WOODS rd In the May issue of Nightshift we’ll be running a four-page Oxford Punt (Zodiac, Mon 23 June). Tickets Nightshift was saddened to special with a complete guide to everything that’s happening on the for all shows are available from the learn of the death of former night. Zodiac box office (01865 420042) Jericho Tavern landlord Bob or online from wegottickets.com. Woods last month after a long period of ill health. Bob, along THE DOWNLOAD, BBC Radio NATION, who released their debut KISS BAR opens its doors to with his wife Kath, ran the Oxford’s local music show, album, ‘Today Is The First Day’, regular live music from this month. Tavern in its heyday as a live continues its initial 8-week run this in December last year, make their The Park End Street bar, which has music venue and played a large month. The show, hosted by Tim latest bid for rock and roll glory just become the eighth venue on part in making it the legendary Bearder, goes out every Friday with a headline gig at the New this year’s Oxford Punt, will host venue it has become. Their between 7-8pm and features songs Theatre on Saturday 13th August. gigs every Tuesday, Wednesday enthusiasm for live music and interviews with Oxford bands, They become the first Oxford band and Thursday starting on 5th April allowed gig promoter Mac to as well as gig reviews, a gig and to headline the 1,700-capacity when experimental hardcore noise build the Tavern up into one of club guide and a local demo vote. venue since Supergrass last year. legends Nought headline. Lee the best small venues in the For anyone who misses out on the Tickets, priced £10, are available Christian, singer with local rockers country before it was shut live airing, you can listen to the from the New Theatre box office or Smilex, as well as former presenter down in 1995. show again on bbc.co.uk/oxford. Virgin Megastore on Cornmarket. of The Fortnightly Fix and As well as a great pub landlord Bands wanting to submit music to Quickfix Records label boss, is the of the old school, with an be played should send it to Tim promoter for the new music nights. attitude and sense of humour Bearder c/o BBC Oxford, 269 He hopes the Kiss Bar will become that made the Jericho such a Banbury Road, Summertown, a cool hang-out for local gig goers in great place to visit, Bob was Oxford, OX2 7DW. a part of town dominated by crap also a talented singer in his own nightclubs and vile weekend binge right and would often perform DAYS OF GRACE have called it a drinkers. As such there will be 100 at Your Song nights, including a day. The local emo faves decided to club membership cards available classic rendition of The split at the end of February, due to that will allow cheap entry to all Specials’ `Gangsters’ with ATL. “different life commitments”. gigs and priority entry on busy Nightshift extends its deepest Singer Patrick Currier has since nights. As well as live bands, local sympathies to Kath and to joined Blood Roses, while drummer band members will be DJing Bob’s children, Mick and Shel Chris will be concentrating on his between band sets. See this and raises a glass to his other band, Sow.. month’s gig guide for full line-up. memory. a quiet word with Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element

THE HISS AND CLANG OF A The five tracks on the EP have malfunctioning futuristic factory. captured our sound pretty well; The clatter and skitter of they’ve also forced us to focus on spasticated off-funk rhythms. The the intricacies and detail of our crunch and skronk of a belligerent songs, resulting in tighter guitar getting its own back on a arrangements and less being left to society that refused to understand chance. I think our live set has it. No, not the new McFly single. improved massively as a result of This must be Sunnyvale Noise working on this EP.” Sub-Element, Oxford’s premier How has the band changed since exponents of dissonant electronic Simon left? And how do you feel post-rock and fractured guitar you’ve progressed or regressed noise. They’ve come to make your since we last interviewed you, back stereo bleed. in 2003? STUART: “Possibly in the early SUNNYVALE’S ABILITY TO days, we were trying to weave turn heads while turning the elements of bands we love like accepted norms of rock music Prolapse, Unwound or Hovercraft inside out is an art form that has into an electronic backing, but been honed over the past five probably ended up sounding more years, ever since their first like Godspeed You! Black Lace or incarnation recorded one of the something. Now I think we just most indulgently unlistenable sound like Sunnyvale. With fewer demos Nightshift has ever heard. members, we’re able to give more Nowadays, of course, we can’t get emphasis to each constituent part enough of their intricate, often Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element (l-r): Giles, Simon, Stuart of the sound, and achieve a finer brutal, always fascinating, brand of balance in the sound. When we anti-music. were using three guitars, two Having become an integral part of SUNNYVALE (STUART live. Sometimes the electronics are basses, a desktop PC, a sampler the Oxford music scene in recent Fowkes: electronics, bass and too harsh to be put through a PA, and a keyboard, I think people times, spearheading a left turn into keyboards; Simon Minter: guitar as we’ve discovered to our didn’t know what the hell was more experimental sounds, and Giles Borg: guitar) spent personal extreme discomfort when going on - us included half of the organising (and starring at) the much of last year touring the trying them out in rehearsal. Or time, and the sound engineer the annual Audioscope Festival, as well country, the highlight of which was from time to time we’ll end with other half of the time. The process as running the excellent a blistering set on the Barn stage at something that works well of composition is still the same. Oxfordbands.com website, Truck Festival. That gig was also recorded, but which is too abstract We’ve never used a pre-set sound Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element have the final appearance with founder or too distinct from everything else or untreated sample in a backing finally gotten round to releasing member Simon Proffitt, who has to form part of our live set. For the track, so with every sound being their debut EP this month. ‘Techno moved back to his native Wales for EP, we really set out just to created from scratch or nicked from Self Harm’, released on Field good. The loss of Simon, however, capture some of the tunes that had someone else’s music and Records, follows on from a has been the spur for Sunnyvale to been going down well live, and the manipulated until we can claim it as succession of acclaimed demos and move on and get things moving live sound we’ve developed, and I our own, the backing tracks can last year’s contribution to the properly, the band now less think it does that well.” take a long time to come together. ‘Asking For Trouble’ compilation geographically dispersed (Stuart: GILES: “On the one hand, I never Frustrating in terms of coming up EP, which showcased a clutch of “Until Simon decided to call it a day feel any of our recordings capture with a song by messing about in the very best underground we were essentially just practising the Sunnyvale experience because rehearsal, but incredibly satisfying experimental bands around at the for upcoming shows. Now we have there’s something about hearing it to start with a couple of guitars and moment. more freedom to sort out where we live. I don’t know if it’s valve amps a blank computer monitor and ‘Techno Self Harm’ might not want to take things.”). or what, but when all the sounds eventually ending up with capture the full majestic attack of mix together into one sonic mass, something with which we’re all Sunnyvale’s live sound, where NIGHTSHIFT TALKED TO it’s an effect that’s really hard to happy.” volume as much as their elaborate Sunnyvale about their position as get on CD, unless you’re Kevin SIMON: “It was a real shame that weave of sound textures, is such a Oxford’s leading proponents of Shields, I suppose. That said, I Simon decided to call it a day, but it part of the experience, but it is experimental music, the state of think the new EP is an okay was becoming increasingly difficult their most accomplished recorded leftfield music in the UK, introduction. The next one is going to have a band member living so far work to date. ‘Music that actually especially since the death of John to be even better, as our new song away. I don’t think it’s particularly sounds like architecture’ is about as Peel, but first about the new EP. rocks like Satan.” connected to Simon’s departure – close a description as Nightshift STUART: “I think it succeeds in SIMON: “It’s been in the works probably more to the number of has ever managed of Sunnyvale, capturing the essence of what we for a long time, and to have it gigs we did last year – but we’ve although `Kraftwerk remixed by do live, but that’s only half the finally released is fantastic. I think become a much tighter unit, which Shellac’ (and severely brutalised story, really. What you hear when we’re all very pleased with how makes it far easier to perform live along the way) might possibly you go to see Sunnyvale live is it’s come together, and it was great and work on new material. In terms steer you in the right direction. But essentially the pieces we think will working with a label that left us in of our sound, there is obviously the difficulty in fully matching a work in that context, but there’s a control of the music and packaging. less going on in there than when we description to the reality is whole slew of other material that Simon [Proffitt] was heavily were a four-piece, but if anything testament to the band’s ingenuity will see the light of day if and involved in the recording process, we’ve honed what we individually and divergence from the rock and when we do an album, but which and we continued to mix and do and things have never been roll norm. for various reasons wouldn’t work finalise the recordings after he left. stronger.” SINCE SUNNYVALE HAVE You would probably accept that become a more coherent live Sunnyvale exist on the leftfield of prospect, the temptation to call the UK music scene; do you think their music ‘difficult’ has lessened. that scene as a whole is still The new EP is focussed even at its healthy and, since the death of most frenetic, but the awkward John Peel, what hope is there for shapes and textures they use, as bands like yourselves breaking well as the underlying belligerence through to a bigger audience? of the whole sound and dynamic GILES: “John’s death is a terrible and their lack of adherence to blow, as although his was a show traditional song structures will still you would dip into, just hearing a alienate anyone with strict track on his show gave it a certain conservative musical tastes. cachet that you just wouldn’t get STUART: “That tends to be from from some other show. It was like people whose background entirely a seal of approval, and I think the lies in more ‘traditional’ forms of scene, whatever that is, needs APRIL guitar music. All we’re really doing someone with his sort of stature to is combining elements from sort out the best for people, different artists and areas of music especially as there’s just so much that members of the band find music out there these days.” Every Monday: THE FAMOUS inspiring and trying to add SIMON: “The loss of John Peel MONDAY NIGHT BLUES – The best in something of our own from that was terrible, and I was surprised at UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 - Call for details starting point. When you take into how much of an emotional blow it account that we’re really not an was. He was obviously a great extreme band (original, we hope, focus and conduit for the country’s Every Tuesday: THE OXFORD JAZZ but not extreme. Or Extreme.) and leftfield music scene; but I think that so much of the best music that the underground scene in CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET from the last fifty years has general is as strong as ever. The – Free live jazz, plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul wilfully stolen as much as possible internet is hugely responsible for from as many areas of music as this – there is a rich and varied until 2am.* possible, I’m still surprised that network of people across the * - Except Tue 26th – with PADDY MILLER we’re considered particularly country with similar ideals, and to challenging. When we first started some extent we are fine with Sunnyvale, I always thought that if accepting that we’ll probably never Every Thursday: THE REMEMBER we’ve even managed to influence break through to a huge audience CLUB – Classic 80s and 90s sounds. 9-2am £3 the way one person thinks about doing what we’re doing. There music even slightly, then I’d seem to be enough people out there consider that a major achievement.” who appreciate us, and I don’t Every Friday: BACKROOM BOOGIE – GILES: “Tom Waits said a great have a problem with operating thing about music, something along entirely separately from the ‘big’ Funk, soul and R&B. 9-2am Free B4 10pm; £4 after. the lines of you make music music scene. It’s perfectly possible because you can’t find the music to be a successful independent Every Sunday: THE CHAPEL - you want in the record store. So band (in terms of releases, gigs and with that in mind I’d say it’s not so development) without the LOCAL BANDS SHOWCASE. much difficult as just not what involvement of huge labels, budgets The best unsigned local bands. 8-11pm. £3 you’d find in the record store. and audiences. We’re never going to rd Unless you played two records at be able to support ourselves 3 – NINE-STONE COWBOY (Mark Cope, ex- the same time. Perhaps if you financially from Sunnyvale, but we Candyskins) / THE INVISIBLE played ‘We Built This City’ by never expected to, and if anything 10th – OSPREY & THE NEW WORLD / support Starship and some Kraftwerk at the this gives us greater freedom – not th same time, maybe with a little needing to rely on income created 17 – THE SPIRALIST / EARNEST COX Prolapse, though that would in fact by the music we’re creating means 24th – MACKATING / support be awesome and probably much, that we can experiment with much better than we are. I have no impunity!” Plus idea how that story fits into the STUART: “I’ve never felt as much question, but it’s a nice story.” sadness for the death of a stranger SIMON: “We all have pretty as I did when John Peel died. It’s Saturday 2nd – SIMPLE – funky house. 9-2am diverse listening tastes, and so it’s just crucial for everyone to keep Wednesday 6th – COMEDY with ANDY still a surprise when people building on what John left behind 8.30-12 consider us challenging – much and keep things going the way they PARSONS and DOUGIE DUNLOP th more so these days, compared to in always have. We know from the Saturday 9 – BLAG – New club night. 9-2am the past when a greater part of response we’ve had in playing Wednesday 13th – YYZ (tribute band). 8-12 what we did was improvised or other cities across the UK that Saturday 16th – DEPTH CHARGE – drum’n’bass. 9-2am based around more abstract there are people who seem th arrangements. It’s nice to think that genuinely to have connected with Wednesday 20 – ELECTION FUNDRAISER we might challenge people in a our music, which is incredible. It’s for THE NEW LOONY PARTY. 8-12 positive way – making them aware just a case of getting our music out Saturday 23rd – BROOKES ROCK SOCIETY of sounds they weren’t aware of to those people, and I hope we can BANDS NIGHT. 9-2am beforehand, and even opening do that.” th peoples’ eyes and ears to Wednesday 27 – Live rock from DOUBLE something beyond simple guitar CROSS – album launch gig. 8-12 music. There is still obviously ‘Techno Self Harm’ is released Saturday 30th – ROADRUNNER – Mod, northern music around which is far, far more on Field Records this month. challenging, though. We’re happy Check out www.sunnyvalenoise soul, funky Hammond. 9-2am to be at some point between subelement.co.uk for news and traditional and extreme.” gig dates. Sponsored RELEASED by and brash, as on the 70s-style rockathon, NARCO ‘Young Man Vs The 747’. In fact classic early- ‘Control Of The Stereo’ 70s rock is the real starting point for Narco. You can hear echoes of Golden Earring on songs (Surface To Air) like ‘Pick It Up’, while the drumming is straight As mentioned in last month’s review of out of the John Bonham school of human drum comeback single, ‘Evil Brother’, Narco have machines. Elsewhere The Stooges and Doors been too long gone. Back in 2000 they were top help cake on the darkness and rough edges, but of the Oxford pile, but other creative at their very heart you feel Narco would be commitments mean they disappeared from happiest stripped to the waist, poured into view in the interim. This debut album has been tight PVC trousers, thrusting their groins at a a good long while in the making and finds Narco long-haired, scantily-clad LA club crowd. Ah, in a very different rock landscape to the one wouldn’t we all. where they began their journey. If there’s a fault with ‘Control Of The Stereo’ As a producer of other local bands such as The it’s with the reworking of their classic, ‘Teen Domes of Silence and the now defunct Six Ray Suicide Explosion’, which really demonstrates Sun, Rich Aitken is adept at coating pretty Cave drawls his best Bobby Gillespie drawl how much they’ve changed since their initial traditional rock and roll noise with a sharp, over a fuzz of dirty guitar and splinters of impact on the local scene. Where once was shiny coat of electronic noise, in a similar way keyboard noise. It’s music that simply graceful dead-eyed New Wave nihilism, now is to modern day Primal Scream. It’s easy to hear bulldozes you into submission. thundering industrial funk rock. But then, the where that comes from listening to ‘Control Of Where Narco aim for gutter-level rock original would have sounded completely out of The Stereo’. Rich’s bass guitar rumbles and sleaziness, ‘Evil Brother’ succeeds best with its place in this company. The new-look clangs metallically, always underpinned by Suicide-inspired motoring, but they also do heavyweight Narco packs a hefty punch. solid, single-minded drum patterns, while singer yobbish, like on the driving ‘Une Kilo De Stilo’, Ian Chesterton

SUNNYVALE NOISE SUB-ELEMENT MATT SAGE & THE ORCHESTRA ‘Techno Self-Harm’ OF LOVE (Field Records) ‘Strange News From Another Star’ Given how established Sunnyvale funky beats, gurning guitar licks are on the local scene, both as and a stubborn refusal to sit down (Own Label) leading propagators of avant-rock and behave like a good little tune. As host of The Catweazle Club, which could almost pass itself off noise and organisers of the annual Heck, you could almost dance to it Matt Sage has been a pivotal as one of Mercury Rev’s dreamier Audioscope festival, it comes as a if someone plugged you into the player in the local live music scene creations, to the back-to-basics bit of a surprise to discover that mains and fed you pure base speed. for ten years now, encouraging and acoustic folk of ‘Take Time’. Matt ‘Techno Self Harm’ is the band’s ‘How Spiderman Was Tricked By collaborating with all manner of strives for eclecticism while debut release (aside from a His Wife’ is more oblique and musicians and singers who have sticking to what he knows best, so contribution to last year’s four- cinematic, while the exhaustingly- passed through his all-comers club. there’s a slight Arabic edge to ‘The band ‘Asking For Trouble’ titled ‘There Are Already Enough Matt’s Orchestra Of Love features King Of Everything’, which compilation). Still, it takes time to Photographs Of People And no less than 14 of these musicians, otherwise owes more to Richard capture and properly distil all that Doors’ is an ugly gruel of synthetic including a hurdy gurdy player and Thompson, as well as gospel, vicious electronic noise. belches and crunching guitar and a three-piece string section (as well bluegrass and classical guitar all If Coldplay-inspired pop bass blasts, kind of like an as one set of siblings and two sets adding life to gently uplifting 60s fluffiness is your bag, look away unhappy but oddly effective mash of lovers, according to the folk-pop in the vein of Donovan now. Sunnyvale have nothing you up of Coil, Shellac and something worryingly spiritual press release). or, on the rootsier songs, a young could effectively call a song, but unpleasant that lurks in Warp There’s a rustic hippy vibe about Bob Dylan. Meanwhile, ‘Outlaws’, there is a sternly-adhered to Records’ kitchen cabinet and likes this debut album (hey, Matt lives an old-fashioned country soul coherence to each of their passages playing with cutlery. By on a boat and sings about love and ballad, sounds strangely like Billy of dissonant, rhythmic noise so comparison, the thankfully briefly- the sky and stuff and probably Joel’s ‘Always A Woman to Me’. that they never risk falling into the titled ‘Cow’ is a picture of calm doesn’t drive a large family saloon), The album does tail off towards the abyss of random, self-indulgent art- with its gently spangled spangled but thankfully any mysticism is end, but only the terminally cheesy for-art’s sake that too many guitars ad slow rising tide of rarely overpowering, with the piano-led power ballad, ‘Sweet practitioners of experimental music tension. Ambient coffee table tendency being towards Provider’, has you reaching for the fall all too willingly into. music, then. For people who don’t uncomplicated folky pop songs. skip button. An album for people Lead track ,‘Techno Self-Harm’, like coffee and think tables are for Songs range from the lush, whose hearts and minds are away flutters and stabs its way through practising power tools on. orchestral lysergic fluff of opening in a more innocent age. typewriter rhythms, spasticated Dale Kattack track, ‘All Around The World’, Terry Molloy Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day

gig guide

FRIDAY 1st energy and exotic bhangra and traditional Indian folk sounds. SOL SAMBA + B-LOCO: The Zodiac PIGPEN with MARK BOSLEY + BOBBIE + (upstairs) – Third annual Oxford samba party, REDOX + TWIZZ TWANGLE: The Elm Tree – featuring local outfit Sol Samba. APRIL Twizz Twangle hosts more esoteric pop nonsense, EMILIANA TORINNI: The Zodiac (downstairs) with downbeat gothic troubadour Mark Bosley – Gentle, honey-sweet vocals and sparse acoustic SKETCHY: The Cellar – Hip hop and funk club headlining. World funk vibes from Redox and pop from the Brighton-based Icelandic-Italian night with DJs Toby Kidd and Mr Brogan. anti-pop lunacy from Twizz himself. songstress best known for writing Kylie’s number THE CORSAIRS: The Baytree, Grove SALSANEROS: The Cellar – Live Latin dance. 1 single, ‘Slow’, as well as her ‘Gollum’s Song’ BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon – A FEAST OF FIDDLES: Nettlebed Folk Club contribution to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Weekly club spinning classic soul, funk and disco. th Atmospheric stuff in the vein of Kathryn TUESDAY 5 nd Williams and Nick Drake. SATURDAY 2 RACHAEL DADD + DREW ATKINS + AL NED KELLY: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney THEE MORE SHALLOWS + BILLY HUGHES: The Port Mahon – Traditional OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN NIGHT: The MAHONIE: The Wheatsheaf – Sad and soulful Celtic and Appalachian folk from Ms Dadd, with Port Mahon alt.pop outta San Francisco – see main preview support from Paul McCartney and Noel BOYWITHATOY presents MESAPLEX + Gallagher-influenced songwriter Drew Atkins. nd DARK PHASE + CAMP ACTOR + DJ JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: Saturday 2 PEEPSHOW PADDY: The Port Mahon – The Bullingdon Former Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia NOUGHT + XMAS LIGHTS: Kiss Bar – Jazz- THEE MORE chaps return without leading lady Emily, now core instrumental rock pioneers return to Oxford exploring their more electronic side. Dark-edged to launch the new Kiss Bar live music club. SHALLOWS / electronica from Dark Phase, plus Human Expect sonic carnage and guitar virtuosity on an League-influenced synth-pop from Camp Actor. unprecedented scale. BILLIE MAHONIE: SCRIPT + STUEY MUTCH: The Exeter Hall, OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Melodic, eclectic guitar pop. Cowley The Wheatsheaf THE FIGHT + FIREBRAND + NAGATHA P.Y.E + THE HOLIDAY STABBING: The San Francisco’s Thee More Shallows’ new KRUSTY + CANNON FODDER: The Zodiac – Cellar – Nought-inspired instrumental rock from album, ‘More Deep Cuts’, the band’s Fast-rising UK punk teens The Fight, from P.Y.E, plus hardcore mayhem from Holiday second, is a small thing of genuine beauty. Dudley, are already taking coals to Newcastle, Stabbings. Despite losing their songwriter, Tadas metaphorically speaking, having been discovered DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: by New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert and toured Old School Inn Kisielius, partway through its recording, the with them and Rancid. Spiky, belligerent but DAVE HOUSE + RED DAWN + THE SHAKER band have managed to bridge the gap melodic female-fronted punk noise in the great HEIGHTS + UNDER THE IGLOO: Freuds – between the ephemeral pop dreams of British tradition of The Clash and Buzzcocks. Local bands showcase. Grandaddy, Yo La Tengo and Sparklehorse Support tonight is from local punk scrappers ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, Cowley and the glitchier avant-rock of Godspeed and Firebrand and ska-core nutters Nagatha Krusty. Road Tortoise, while existing well below the radar SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house. A FEAST OF FIDDLES: Nettlebed Folk Club of major labels who long ago forgot what FRESH OUT OF THE BOX with SNEAKY: WEDNESDAY 6th The Cellar – Breakbeats. great pop music really sounded like. Centred COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, DEEP SPACE CLUB with MASCERPONE around singer Dee Kesler, whose fragile Cowley – Weekly trad Irish folk session with SIDEWINDERS + UNDERGROUND resident band and guests. vocal tremors add such emotion and depth to SANDWICH: The Mill, Banbury DELICIOUS MUSIC LIVE JAZZ: Aqua Vitae the songs, Thee More Shallows are equally MOFO: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney – Free live jazz session down by the river from grandiose and introvert, sweeping strings, big LEE GABEL & KATE SAUNDERS: The Magic the Delicious Music crew. horn arrangements and toy piano refrains all Café (1pm) NIRVANA TRIBUTE NIGHT: Kiss Bar – Local rd rubbing shoulders. Oh yes, it’s all loneliness, SUNDAY 3 rock luminaries pay homage to dear, dead Kurt paranoia and mass graves round here; party EDITORS + THE HALF RABBITS: The Zodiac and chums. on! Support at tonight’s Vacuous Pop club – Another bunch of cool, but oh so hot new wave CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall – All- night comes in the wholly unexpected form revivalists following in the footsteps of Interpol, comers live music and poetry club. of Billy Mahonie, who we suspected had British Sea Power et al, Birmingham’s Editors BARCODE: The Hollybush, Osney – Weekly split up years ago. They did, however, have also helped resurrect the Kitchenware label, ‘energy jazz’ residency. release a new album, ‘Dust’, last year, and once home to Prefab Sprout and Fatima THURSDAY 7th Mansions, and you can expect shimmering appear to be back in action. One time THE SUBWAYS: The Zodiac – Raw and Bunnymen-style guitars, desolate, romantic reckless rocking fun with the Welwyn Garden City acolytes of Nought, their dynamic mix of lyrical images and long, grey overcoats aplenty. teens – see main preview jazz, hardcore and cinematic rock itself went New single, ‘Munich’, the follow up to last year’s KAHOUTEK: The Exeter Hall, Cowley on to be influential and it’ll be interesting to acclaimed debut, ‘Bullets’, is out this month. THE SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf see how the years have changed them. NINE-STONE COWBOY + THE INVISIBLE: WARHEN + KING FURNACE + YOUR LOSS: The Bullingdon – Former Candyskins guitarist The Cellar – Heavyweight indie pop from Mark Cope returns with his new lo-fi pop thrill. Warhen, plus funky hard rock from King Furnace. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC SESSION: The THE WALK OFF + ASHER DUST: Kiss Bar – Victoria, Jericho More industrial techno hardcore mayhem from th MONDAY 4 the Walk Off, with support from Big Speakers ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION: The Zodiac – singer AJ’s lo-fi hip hop solo project. Welcome return for the Anglo-Asian rap-rock- DELICIOUS MUSIC BLUES & JAZZ BANDS dance collective, burning with a passion and NIGHT: Far From The Madding Crowd political astuteness most sloganeering chancers SKYLARKIN’: The Brickworks – Weekly dose would kill for. The subject matter of their songs is of funky house, Latin dance, reggae, ska and more gritty and inflammatory but the music carries it with host DJ Aidan Larkin and guests. on strong shoulders, zealous party anthems SABOTAGE: The Zodiac – Weekly rock club pumped full of hip hop bullishness, punk rock night. SATURDAY 9th THURSDAY 14th THE GLITTERATI + HURRICANE PARTY + THE BLACK WATCH + THE JAZZ BUTCHER BLACK VELVETS: The Zodiac – Horrible sub- + ANTON BARBEAU + THE NEW MOON: Aerosmith hair rock from the ever-touring The Port Mahon – A rare chance to see LA’s Glitterati, who appear to be proof positive that long-standing best kept pop secret, The Black trendy London media types will fall for any old Watch, in the UK. The country-tinged janglers cobblers if Alan McGee says it’s cool. Equally carry echoes of The Go-Betweens, My Bloody retro, equally irrelevant hard rocking clichéd Valentine and Lloyd Cole, alternating between landfill from the supports. Save your pennies and lysergic fluffy pink cloud pop and lachrymose go and see the real Iron Maiden at Reading, kids. balladeering. And they’re really quite lovely. Even POKEY + ROOKIE + THE CLIFFHANGERS: better, you get 80s indie cult star The Jazz The Wheatsheaf – Local bands night. Butcher (aka Pat Fish) into the bargain. The SLIDEWINDER: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – former Creation Records signing, now playing Blues. solo acoustic shows is joined by prolific Anglo- BLAG: The Bullingdon American singer Anton Barbeau with his 60s- FRESH OUT OF THE BOX: The Cellar – Phat styled pyshcedelic acoustic pop, plus local folk- pumping breakbeats with Hexadecimal from rock duo The New Moon. Heavy Disco Records. RAPHAEL & FRIENDS: Oxford Playhouse – MARK SOLLIS: The Magic Café (1pm) Locally-based master of Spanish guitar, combining SUNDAY 10th gypsy soul and energy with Andalucian chants, OSPREY & THE NEW WORLD + MAN BEEF: inspired by his travels. SAME OLD SAME OLD + BEN DUGARD: Thursday 7th The Bullingdon – Rustic folk rocking from the local singer. The Exeter Hall, Cowley THE SUBWAYS: OPEN HAND: The Zodiac – Californian heavy THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS + ELATION rockers take time out from their tour with My THROUGH SOUND + FROM MARS: The The Zodiac Chemical Romance for an intimate headline gig at Cellar – Local bands showcase. the Zodiac. New album ‘You And Me’ is winning JABBERWOCK: Kiss Bar After nabbing a prestigious unsigned band rave reviews across the board with favourable slot at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, The comparisons to Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, The Tuesday 12th Subways – hailing from that none-more Mars Volta and Black Sabbath. rock metropolis, Welwyn Garden City – ELECTRIC JAM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley DO ME BAD THINGS: now find themselves lauded as one of this (5pm) – All-comers jam session with in-house year’s big breakthrough rock acts by rhythm section. The Zodiac th everyone from Q and NME to Zane Lowe. MONDAY 11 Amid the trail of weird, wild and wonderful But don’t let that put you off. Their last THE FEATURES: The Zodiac – Organ-driven pop nuggets that unearthed themselves at showing in Oxford, supporting StellaStarr*, power pop and jock punk-baiting blues rock from last year’s Truck Festival, Croydon’s Do showed a band possessed of all the raw Tennessee’s Features, fresh from supporting Me Bad Things shone as brightly as any. A recklessness that you hope against hope to Razorlight and Kings of Leon on tour. nine-piece ensemble featuring a seemingly GORDON GILTRAP: Nettlebed Folk Club find amid the rising tide of contrived, SALSANEROS: The Cellar never-ending supply of lead vocalists, posturing wannabes. A classic three-piece th including a lung-bursting black soul diva, a fronted by guitarist Billy Lunn and bassist TUESDAY 12 seriously camp male crooner and an old Mary-Charlotte Cooper, they’ve got the THE LEVELLERS: Brookes University Union school blues-rock pig gravel gargler, they – Back in town for a full electric gig after last pop looks of a young Ash but the licks of year’s acoustic show at the Town Hall. All the hits also feature a trio of singing doo-wop The Stooges, Sonic Youth and, most of all, and more. With fiddles. dancers who appear to be experiencing Royal Trux. Most recently they’ve been DO ME BAD THINGS + FIEBLE WIENER + either some kind of religious epiphany or a out and about supporting the likes of TOKYO DRAGONS: The Zodiac – monumental orgasm. New single ‘What’s Graham Coxon and the similarly-minded Rock’n’soul party riot with Croydon’s nine- Hideous’ comes with a hefty coat of polish, Von Bondies, while this month sees the strong ensemble – see main preview while its predecessor saw Do Me Bad release of debut single for Infectious, ‘Oh BURNING BLUE + BENEVA + IAN NIXON: Things performing on CD:UK and MTV2, Yeah’. Most importantly, they’re one of the The Port Mahon – Jazz guitar and vocals from but live they’re alive with rocking energy: Burning Blue, plus a set of French songs from few bands who can sing, “Rock and roll is former ATL and Relationships chap, Ian Nixon. sounding like The Commitments if they’d gonna save us”, and make you actually JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: grown up listing to Judas Priest, or Scissor believe it to be true. The Bullingdon Sisters possessed by The Screaming Trees. CHANGE AT LOHNE + THE BIG SLEEP: Kiss They’re all powerchords, unrefined soul and FRIDAY 8th Bar – Post-rock action. a one-band party waiting to explode. It’s not THE E BAND: The Zodiac – Improvised OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, just a gig, it’s a show. electronic weirdness in the key of E. Cowley THE FACTORY: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: Superb noise-pop newcomers on the local scene, Old School Inn funnelling The Stooges, Loop and Th’Faith ACOUSTIC NIGHT: Hobgoblin, Cowley Road Healers into an magnificent storm of noise. INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth club night. th CHRISTINA KUBISCH: The Old Fire Station WEDNESDAY 13 – Berlin-based sound artist who has pioneered the TAURPIS TULA + VIRGIN EYE BLOOD creation of site-specific sound and light BROTHERS + HERTTA LUSSU ASSA + THE environments, sound sculptures and sound THUMB QUINTET: The Port Mahon – Avant- installations. Tonight Christina will be mapping folk oddness and haunting, hymnal pop from an the hidden sound world of Oxford using electro esoteric bill of noisemakers – main preview magnetic technology. Fans can also enjoy a sound COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, journey around the city using specially designed Cowley headphones. YYZ: The Bullingdon OXFORD FOLK CLUB with PINT & DALE: DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon Far From The Madding Crowd BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon GUNNBUNNY + MONDO CADA: Kiss Bar – THE CORSAIRS: The Barn, Red Lion, Return of the howling grunge heavyweights. Witney – Classic rockabilly covers and originals. BOSSAPHONIK with SUGAR BEATS: The HQ: The Cellar – Drum&bass with Renegade Cellar – Up and coming UK jazz dance. Hardware’s Keaton. BARCODE: The Hollybush, Osney BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, STRANGERS: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney Cowley FRIDAY SOLUTION with TASK FORCE UK: MINDEFINE + ACTION AND ACTION: Kiss The Cellar – Live hip hop and DJs. Bar – Local indie rockers. SATURDAY 16th DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: Old School Inn SUNNYVALE NOISE SUB-ELEMENT + THE ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Hobgoblin, Cowley WORKHOUSE + ANN ARBOR: The Road Wheatsheaf – This month’s Nightshift cover th stars launch their debut EP, mixing up twin bass WEDNESDAY 20 rhythms with guitar and electronic noise; 100 BULLETS BACK + OFF THE RADAR + sometimes abstract, sometimes physically painful, ALUMINIUM BABE: The Wheatsheaf – always captivating. Support from sublime guitar Synth-pop and new wave from 100 Bullets Back. soundscapists The Workhouse, plus post-hardcore COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, noiseniks Ann Arbor. Cowley I AM KLOOT: The Zodiac (upstairs) – DELICIOUS MUSIC LIVE JAZZ: Aqua Vitae Manchester’s maverick art-pop trio return, PHYAL + FORK: Kiss Bar – Local punk- promoting the release of ambitious new album, metallers remain inseparable as Phyal launch their Wednesday 13th ‘Gods And Monsters’, full of their trademark dark new EP. tales from northern suburbia. CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall TAURPIS TULA / TH’LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS + BARCODE: The Hollybush, Osney SUITABLE CASE FOR TREATMENT: The THURSDAY 21st Zodiac (downstairs) – Yee! and, in a very real VIRGIN EYE BLOOD THE TWO DUOS: Modern Art, Oxford sense, ha! Deep South rockabilly rebels The (5.45pm) – Jazz-influenced new music and modal Legendary Shack Shakers bring their vaudevillian BROTHERS / HERTTA improvisation from leading lights of the local cowpunk to town to teach us lame-assed limey improv circuit, including violinist Malcolm indie fops how to ROCK AND ROLL. Bible in LUSSU ÄSSÄ / THE Atkins, tabla player Chris Hills, bassist Dom Lash one hand, bottle of whisky in the other, deranged and saxophonist Pete McPhail. frontman Col JD Wilkes and band do backwoods THUMB QUINTET: JAMES BLUNT: The Zodiac – At ease, men. punk, rockabilly, swamp blues and polka like the Former guardsman James prepares to disarm you Devil hisself got their souls. He’ll very likely The Port Mahon with lovelorn acoustic pop and Elton John- have yours by the end of the night too. approved power choruses – see main preview Another night of live music with a difference THE INVISIBLE: The Exeter Hall, Cowley DAN AUSTIN, MARK NEWSON & RAMI: from the Oxfordbands.com crew. Glasgow’s DEPTH CHARGE: The Bullingdon – The Exeter Hall, Cowley Taurpis Tula (pictured - no, really) return to Drum&bass club night. town after last year’s acclaimed gig at the NBS: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney THE CORSAIRS: The Crown, Didcot same venue. They are Heather Leigh Murray st from Charalambides, plus Wire journalist CHICKS WITH DECKS Vs Thursday 21 and one-time Telstar Ponies man David ROLLERCOASTER: The Cellar – Mix’n’match of punk, indie, electro, trash pop JAMES BLUNT: Keenan, together creating improvised, and riot grrl sounds. futuristic avant-folk and gamelan. Spectral TRACEY & MATTHEW COLLINS: The Magic The Zodiac and atonal, made up of loops and drones, it’s Café (1pm) When you discover that singer-songwriter both unnerving and hypnotic in its quiet SUNDAY 17th James Blunt’s stand-out track from his intensity. Kentucky’s wonderfully named ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK: The Zodiac – debut album is an anti-war ballad, ‘No Virgin Eye Blood Brothers are an equally Perennial favourites round these parts, Japan’s Bravery’, you might stifle a yawn and haunting duo, creating subterranean heavy metal clown princes strip down to their declare that a spell in the army might sort industrial jazz that owes some to Throbbing socks and sideburns again for an unabashed trip him out. Except that’s exactly where he’s Gristle, but equally to arid desert folk and through AC/DC and Motorhead rock heaven. emerged from. A former captain, he served in THE SPIRALIST + EARNEST COX: The free improvised psychedelia. Definitely not Kosovo and guarded both the Queen and the Bullingdon – Former Animalhouse people Jason emo, then. Equally other-worldly are Queen Mother’s coffin. So, he knows of Finnish all-female folk trio Hertta Lussu and Hari return with their new laptop soul project, mixing up dub, jazz breaks, gospel vocals what he sings. And he sings it well. Blunt’s Ässä with a wild and sometimes messy and bossanova rhythms. Cheltenham’s bright and clutch of uplifting acoustic ballads saw him collage of psychedelia and alt.folk. Local shiny pop thrill Earnest Cox continue to endear quickly signed to Linda Perry’s record label electro-folk trio The Thumb Quintet open themselves to local gig goers with a cool blend of (her what writes songs for Pink and proceedings with their mash up of Pentangle Tiger and The Go Betweens. Christine Aguilera), writing with Robbie and Four Tet. UNITING THE ELEMENTS: The Exeter Hall, Williams’ songwriter Guy Chambers and Cowley – German rockers on tour. supporting Elton John on tour. Debut album OXFORD IMPROVISORS ORCHESTRA: ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC SESSION: The Victoria, Jericho ‘Back To Bedlam’ is a sure-fire Radio 2 OUADA X-Change Gallery, Gloucester smash hit, Blunt’s reedy falsetto and tender, Green THE CORSAIRS: The Black Horse, Kidlington th hopelessly romantic songs all set to break THE SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf MONDAY 18 hearts across the nation, partway between DELICIOUS MUSIC BLUES & JAZZ BANDS MORRIS ON: Nettlebed Folk Club NIGHT: Far From The Madding Crowd SALSANEROS: The Cellar the sensitive folkiness of Elliot Smith and SKYLARKIN’: The Brickworks TUESDAY 19th the pastoral pop of The Byrds and Crosby, SABOTAGE: The Zodiac Still and Nash. Mind you, he’s a right JIM MORAY + DIALECT: The Zodiac – th scruffy urchin for someone who’s spent FRIDAY 15 Currently getting the contemporary folk world in 65 DAYS OF STATIC + RANDOM NUMBER + a froth with his acclaimed ‘Sweet England’, 21- most of his adult life in uniform. DIEGO GARCIA: The Wheatsheaf – Blimey, year old Jim Moray updates traditional English have they moved in or something? Fifth Oxford songs, drawing on influences as diverse as Charlie gig in as many months for Sheffield’s post-rock Mingus and leftfield electronic music. Dialect, battlers, using guitars and electronics to make for meanwhile mix up classical, electronic and post- a loud-as-war cacophony of beats and ambience rock into an atmospheric whole. that’s something akin to Sigur Ros scrapping it JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: out with Squarepusher. Hood’s Matt Robson brings The Bullingdon his Random Number project along in support, plus KISMET + JANE GRIFFITHS & COLIN Worcester’s instrumental rockers Diego Garcia. FLETCHER: The Port Mahon – Mix up of OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN NIGHT: The traditional world sounds from all-female group Port Mahon Kismet, plus Catweazle Club stalwarts Jane and MID-LIFE CRISIS: The Exeter Hall, Cowley Colin in support. THE SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf ZOE BICAT + DAN AUSTIN + FORK DELICIOUS MUSIC BLUES & JAZZ BANDS ACOUSTIC: The Port Mahon – Dark, fragile NIGHT: Far From The Madding Crowd folk from Zoe at tonight’s acoustic club night. BIG SPEAKERS + CAPSKEY & GEASY RED: CASSETTE FOR CASSETTE + WE THE Kiss Bar – Old school rap sounds from Big STARLING: Kiss Bar – Former Moonkat lasses Speakers, plus lo-fi hip hop and electronica from and lads return for more indie racket making. Capskey & Greasy Red. JAZZ CLUB with PADDY MILNER: The THE DRUG SQUAD + SEXY BREAKFAST + Bullingdon THE CHERRY BOMBERS: The Cellar – Ska- OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, punk and spaghetti western rocking from The Cowley Drug Squad, plus ace glam-tinged space rockers DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: Sexy Breakfast. Old School Inn DELIVERENCE with PACIFIC OCEAN FIRE + WEDNESDAY 27th DON’S MOBILE BARBERS: The Elm Tree – DOUBLE CROSS: The Bullingdon Country’n’western themed club night with live COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, country music, plus free wild west food, tequila Cowley and gambling. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SESSION: SKYLARKIN’: The Brickworks Far From The Madding Crowd SABOTAGE: The Zodiac VENA CAVA + THE PROCESS: Kiss Bar – Old nd FRIDAY 22 school metal with a hardcore kick from Sunday 24th A VERY METAL YOUR SONG: The Zodiac newcomers Vena Cava. (downstairs) – One-off hard rocking special of CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall KAISER CHIEFS / the legendary covers night. Expect classic metal BARCODE: The Hollybush, Osney covers from such local luminaries as The Walk BOSSAPHONIK presents MARIANA NINE BLACK ALPS: Off, Near Life Experience, Outofinto, Phyal, MAGNAVITA: The Cellar – Samba, bossanova, Harlette, Place Above and Chinese Finger Trap. batucada and Brazilian dance. Brookes Union FLOGGING MOLLY + THE BRIEFS: The th THURSDAY 28 “Watching the people get lairy / It’s not very Zodiac (upstairs) – Guinness-soaked Irish- THE RAKES: The Zodiac – Skinny, wired and American folk-punk in the vein of The Pogues, pretty I tell thee”. It’s gotta be the best blood-spattered east London post-punkers, Men they Couldn’t Hang and Dropkick Murphys comedy lyric of the last few years. There’s dealing in buzzsaw anthems and social from the longstanding faves, always guaranteed to just not enough 16th Century-style language commentary on singles like ‘Strasbourg and the bring the craic, force you to dance your legs to in pop music, but then Leed’s Kaiser Chiefs snappy, anti-city slicker hit, ‘22 Grand Job’, bloody stumps and leave you with a sore head in fronted by Ian Curtis acolyte Alan Donohue. are all about raising the ghosts of England the morning. What do you mean you don’t go to CHAMFER + KING FURNACE: Kiss Bar – past. Strange to think that less than a year those sort of parties? Wimp! Funky psychedelic rock with an eastern flavour ago they were playing second fiddle to the KRISSY MATTHEWS BLUES BOYS: The from Chamfer, plus Chili Peppers-influenced likes of The Ordinary Boys at the Zodiac Exeter Hall, Cowley heavy rock from King Furnace. THE WORRIED MEN: The Barn, Red Lion, while this time around they’ve had to MARA CARLYSLE: Modern Art, Oxford Witney upgrade to Brookes after the Zodiac sold out (5.45pm) – OCM presents the acclaimed jazz OXFORD FOLK CLUB with WHALEY & in two days. Still, they’re riding high on the vocalist, recent support to Arto Lyndsay. FLETCHER: The Port Mahon back of extensive NME patronage, while last OPAQUE: The Exeter Hall, Cowley BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon THE SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf year’s `I Predict A Riot’, from where that rd SATURDAY 23 TWENTY SIX FEET + THE RICHARD lyric comes, was as addictive as it was BROOKES ROCK SOCIETY BANDS AND WALTERS BAND + CUSTOMERS: The belligerent. New single `Oh My God’ is ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Bullingdon Cellar – Post-rock from Twenty Six Feet, plus probably better still and the band manage to KING B: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Electric excellent Tim Buckley-inspired pop from Mr scrunch up the likes of The Clash, Kinks, blues with singer Claire Johnson and band. Walters and gang. Supergrass, Blur and Dexy’s with admirable VERBAL KINK + MALCOVITCH: The DELICIOUS MUSIC BLUES & JAZZ BANDS aplomb. Manchester’s hotly-tipped Nine Wheatsheaf – Grunge rock from VK. NIGHT: Far From The Madding Crowd Black Alps, meanwhile, look across the FRESH OUT OF THE BOX presents DOPE SKYLARKIN’: The Brickworks AMMO OLD SKOOL SPECIAL: The Cellar SABOTAGE: The Zodiac Atlantic for inspiration. More specifically LOADED: The Barn, Red Lion, Witney FRIDAY 29th Seattle. Okay, so they sound very, very like THE CORSAIRS: The Prince of Wales, Nirvana. Hasn’t stopped Island Records MARK OWEN: The Zodiac – Former Take Didcot winning the predictable bidding war to That puppy dog and Celebrity Big Brother inmate JANE GRIFFITHS & COLIN FLETCHER: The makes another go of it. secure their signatures. Does this presage a Magic Café (1pm) FELL CITY GIRL + THE HALF RABBITS + second grunge revival? How the cycle of th SUNDAY 24 P.Y.E: The Wheatsheaf – Top quality local fashion spirals ever faster and tighter. THE KAISER CHIEFS + NINE BLACK ALPS + triple bill from the oxfordbands.com crew DUAL: Brookes University Union – We tonight. Headliners FCG continue to prove that th predict a sell out as UK indie’s fastest rising they’re one of the most promising young bands in SATURDAY 30 starlets hit town – see main preview Oxford with their skyscraping, Muse-inspired epic KLUB KAKOFANNEY MAY FESTIVAL: The MACKATING: The Bullingdon – Local roots rock. Rambling and fuzzy indie goth noise from Exeter Hall, Cowley (12-11pm) – First day of and dancehall stars bring the reggae party to the Half Rabbits, plus jazzy instrumental rock from Klub Kak’s traditional two-day May Bank Holiday Bully. P.Y.E. weekend live music festival with a full day of pop, ELECTRIC JAM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley (5pm) BIG BOYS BLUES: The Exeter Hall, Cowley rock, funk and world music sounds. MONDAY 25th GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with ESKIMO COMA KAI: The Wheatsheaf – Local metal DISCO + THE EPSTEIN: The Zodiac – Melodic and hardcore favourites return to action after a BLUE TAPESTRY: Nettlebed Folk Club electro-pop from Eskimo Disco at tonight’s GTI lengthy absence. SALSANEROS: The Cellar club night, plus full-blooded country rock from th ROADRUNNER: The Bullingdon – Mod, TUESDAY 26 The Epstein. northern soul and funky Hammond sounds from HONDO McLEAN + WHEN REASON EAST 42nd STREET: Red Lion, Witney the Roadrunner crew. SLEEPS + BLOOD ROSES + BACK BY SIX: OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN NNIGHT: The FRESH OUT OF THE BOX presents The Zodiac – Progressive Welsh metallers Hondo Port Mahon CAPTIVE STATE: The Cellar – Live nine-piece McLean finally make it to town after a couple of BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon hip hop and funk orchestra. cancelled shows, mixing up Slayer-style heaviosity with Poison The Well’s melodic edge. Blood Roses sees the re-emergence of former Days Of Grace singer Patrick and Marconi’s Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no Voodoo’s Snuffy. exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. This gig guide is copyright of Nightshift Magazine and may not be reproduced without permission. LIVELIVE Photo: Miles Walkden

SECRET MACHINES / M83 The Zodiac A sold-out show and a tangible air of expectation suggests that last year’s best kept rock secret are rapidly becoming dearly beloved rock champions. New York’s Secret Machines have doubtless benefited from a national tour supporting Chemical Brothers and their own support tonight, M83, will hopefully build on tonight’s exposure, displaying an occasionally awesome mastery of all-consuming drone rock that stretches from Pink Floyd to Death In Vegas. The stage bathed in blue neon light and drenched in an ominous organ buzz suggests a religious experience in store, and for at least half of tonight’s set it’s not far short. The lights turn a blinding white and the trip begins. Josh Garza utilises his expansive drum kit to full effect, kicking out powerful, lock-tight rhythms that demonstrate an incredible talent without ever being fancy. Brothers Benjamin and Brandon Curtis share vocal duties, Brandon on piano, Benjamin on guitar. It all looks very prog, and its roots lie within the complex arrangements and virtuoso displays of the 70s, but without the indulgence or fripperies. Sure there are times, mainly towards the end of the main set, where it all gets a bit Styx, but their mastery of atmosphere and dynamics forever push things forwards with an insistency that’s impossible to resist and a deep, rich melodic vein running through every song that’s closer to the 60s folk-rock sounds of The Band or The Byrds. Sunshine harmonies battle with turbulent passages of noise, ideas flower and die in an instant while other notes hang on the air for an age. On ‘Now Here Is Nowhere’, Neu! are infected by the spirit of Guided By Voices. Pink Floyd’s opulent music fireworks are consumed by cavernous galley slave beats and it’s as magnificent and oppressive as the heart of the maelstrom. But then once did, tricking half the crowd with its sudden false ending before they’re soaring as majestically as an eagle on the airy ‘Nowhere Again’. burning a path to some glorious higher plane. An absolutely stunning The real, cacophonous climax is kept until last, of course. ‘First Wave finale from quite possibly the most vital rock band currently on the Intact’ is simply stunning, a combustible fusion of prog and krautrock, planet. ploughing a singular guitar furrow in much the same way as Spacemen 3 Dale Kattack

WARHEN / P.Y.E SONDRE LERCHE The Wheatsheaf The Zodiac Having recently been deeply while the singer and the lofty Sondre Lerche is a Norwegian almost overly-cheerful original. traumatised at seeing G4 on TOTP bassist spar vocals like a demented singer-songwriter with two albums He’s picked up the momentum at performing Radioheads’ ‘Creep’, Cotswold Libertines. full of big brash, bouncy pop last, so in typically perverse reviewing local bands has suddenly It’s a good night for tunes. So it’s something of an odd fashion he throws in a new number become an unsettling business, for percussionists. It’s P.Y.E’s move that he decides to tour alone, and loses it again. fear of encouraging one to such a drummer’s birthday, and he plays stripping the songs of their One thing that does keep you success, that in a decade’s time it like he’s never going to see another. glamour. Tonight is a challenge, for entertained amid all the false gets covered in a way that finally The whole band capitalise on the the audience, and for Sondre promises is Sondre’s endearing sends me over the top with an axe. raucous crowd this occasion had himself. At times his guitar playing banter, the broken English he uses Tonight I’m in safe hands, as here brought in, and they jam the roof can be abrasive, like a Billy Bragg making it even more charming. In are two very good quality teams of off, with their piledriving solo show, yet there’s always an air keeping with this he finishes the three, producing il-Divo-immune instrumentals. They’re best of playfulness. It’s only on the main set, bows politely numerous sets. I like Warhen’s no nonsense described as the kind of manic jazz third song that he hits his stride, times, fakes an encore and launches garage approach. Songs with short / post-rock that Base Jumpers courtesy of a jagged guitar break into his best song, the title track of titles that tumble and thrash and would want to soundtrack their reminiscent of The Loft. Then it’s his latest album, ‘Two Way rock out in a mind-meld of The globe-trotting video clips with. left to ‘Modern Nature’ to kick Monologue’. And even though he Jam, Queen (when they were in Again no latitude or variation, just things back to life, the usual male/ gets overexcited and plays it way, jeans), and classic 70s rockers like tight as a Scottish clam, nowhere female duet being supplemented by way too fast it’s still glorious. Jo-Jo Gunne. ‘Get Away’, ‘Fooling near as complex or oblique as an unusually enthusiastic crowd. The encore finally shows Lerche Around’ and ‘Off My Face’, all Nought, while remaining solidly To further the Peter Astor as the talent he is, especially as have the same great heads-down- loud in its wayward funkiness. comparisons, this could easily have he’s brave and talented enough to and-go-for-it feel, though after that P.Y.E party like you wish the come off the Weather Prophets pull off another a cappella there is really no variation on a Wheatsheaf was on wheels and debut, ‘Mayflower’. number, Chet Baker’s ‘The More theme. The best of the action tops barrelling down the motorway at a This heralds the romance segment, I See You’. A sporadic genius, out with Cameron Grote, the ton. Now all I need is house arrest which includes a beautiful a but then aren’t they the best young drummer, going for all out for Tenors. cappella cover of Bing Crosby’s sort? Bonham warfare on his cymbals, Paul Carrera ‘Moonlight Becomes You’, and an Russell Barker THE RELATIONSHIPS / VEDA PARK / ADY Live & Free @ The Ex DAVEY / LOZ COLBERT Exeter Hall Pub The Bullingdon Corner Cowley / Marsh Road 01865 776431 You could almost call this gig veterans’ rock. Their opening shot is a deadringer night, such is the length of musical service for one-hit wonders It’s Immaterial, but April of everyone on display. But what might be further in they’re closer to Robbie Every Tuesday - Open Mic - all welcome lacking in urgency is made up for in innate Robertson’s solo material. Generally Every Wednesday - Corofin & Friends and learned skilfulness. It’s a surprise to they’re best when they keep it low key Fri 1st Launch of The New Loony Party election see former Ride sticksman Loz on stage and dour, less effective on the rockier campaign - local candidate HonestT Blair. Music singing, armed with an acoustic guitar. numbers. & Entertainment from Nick Toczek, Darren “You’ve come a long way since you were All these, however, are but pups Poyzer, Twizz Twangle, Glen & Vincent 7:30pm nd a drummer”, chirps one wag. Loz looks at compared to The Relationships. The band Sat 2 Script 8:30pm FREE Thu 7th Kohoutek 8:30pm FREE the kit set up behind him and returns, celebrates its tenth anniversary this month Fri 8th The Factory + Anton Barbeau 8:30pm FREE “about two feet”. He then goes on to but the various members have been Sat 9th Slidewinder 8:30pm FREE demonstrate an accomplished singing voice playing in bands locally right back to the Sun 10th Electric Jam - All Welcome - 5:00pm FREE and a neat way with a simple song, from 70s. Richard Ramage’s beautifully-crafted Thu 14th Same Old Same Old + Ben Dugard the melancholy `Autumn Leaves’, to the tales of humdrum suburbia are full of 8:30pm FREE th more upbeat `Futurist’, his first night disappointment rather than heartbreak and Fri 15 Mid-Life Crisis 8:30pm FREE Sat 16th The Invisible 8:30pm FREE nerves only occasionally showing through. come from a politer place than the hoary Sun 17th Uniting The Elements 8:30pm FREE Looks like we’ll be hearing plenty more rock and roll circus but still they have the Thu 21st Dan Austin, Mark Newson & Rami from arguably the best drummer Oxford timorous freshness of a new-born fawn. Fri 22nd Krissy Matthews Blues Boys The Genius has ever produced. To a soundtrack that gently stirs in parts Sat 23rd King B - electric blues 8:30pm FREE th Ady Davey has being doing the solo of The Byrds, Go-Betweens and even The Sun 24 Electric Jam - All Welcome 5:00pm FREE th singer-songwriter thing far longer but Mekons at times, there are lyrically Thu 28 Opaque - 8:30pm FREE Fri 29th Big Boys Band - Rock/Blues - 8:30pm FREE tonight’s brief set shows that just because dextrous stories of librarians and living in Sat 30th & Sun 1st Klub Kakofanny @ the X May someone’s almost become part of the a house with Brian Jones: the 60s dream Feast 2 Days 25 Acts musical furniture, you can’t write them holed up in a home counties cul-de-sac, off. Ady’s Dylan-inspired songs offer a staring wistfully at a rose-tinted past and mix of vulnerability and humour, a shadow a quietly turbulent soul. Really, there isn’t casting a certain darkness over his easy a teenage rock tearaway in the land could vignettes. There’s a darkness too about touch on such things. Veda Park’s lightweight, jazzy acoustic Dale Kattack 5K 32 THIRTEEN SENSES The Zodiac Imagine the agony: four Cornwall coincidence. Their non-piano tracks nod youngsters meet at college, find common towards Coldplay and Elbow, but again musical ground, form a band, draw their it’s probably not deliberate; just a case of songwriting inspiration from their growing up in the same country in the last surroundings, spend years crafting their few decades, drawing on the same sound, move to London and get signed – influences. Singer Will South directs only to find a trio called Keane occupying proceedings, either from his Korg or guitar their space in the MOR indie scene. The – roughly half of the set is driven by each. band is Thirteen Senses, and this story Will introduces their first top 20 hit, tells you most of what you need to know ‘Thru The Glass’, as one of their few about their sound. “jumping around” numbers; it’s also the However, this doesn’t mean that they the most memorable - anthemic rather should be dismissed out of hand. Their than delicate, positive rather than piano-based similarity to Keane may not plaintive. New single ‘The Salt Wound be deliberate, just an unfortunate Routine’, conversely, is all string-laden emotion, and best just described as “nice”. Thirteen Senses create an assured, expansive sound; it’s evocative, like a soundtrack to a childhood, though any child might get a bit bored after 15 songs. The way they repeat hooks and layer parts makes the flat melodies a bit more palatable. One supposes that their debut album, ‘The Invitation’, is a grower, but I don’t know whether I’d be willing to investigate; my initial impression hardly leaves me hungry for more. Kirsten Etheridge Photo: Richard Hounslow (07761 682297) THE RAVEONETTES / DOGS The Zodiac Every so often, a band come along who make me re-examine my faith in the system which should (I know, but I’m an idealist) mean that good bands get signed and turgid pub rock stays where it belongs. Dogs are one such outfit, wheeling out some of the most insipid, charmless pub rock I’ve ever had the misfortune of hearing. They exist in that execrable middle ground between the most bloated excuses Oasis have ever made and The Strokes with all of the life sucked out. Worse, they conduct themselves with a completely unjustified swagger, singer Johnny Cooke conducting himself like he thinks he’s the offspring of Bono and Jesus. With any luck, I’ll wake up tomorrow and find that Dogs were just a terrible nightmare and The Raveonettes are at number one.

Photo: Richard Hounslow (07761 682297) ‘Cos they’re great, thank goodness. With Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo bolstered by a full backing band, they’re an invigorating, joyous pop experience. In fact, they sound a bit like that smell Lenor are always advertising. While they might have hit on one of those so-simple-it’s- brilliant ideas in fusing reverb-drenched 1960s surf pop with periods of staring at their shoes and invoking the ghost of Slowdive at their best, they really make it work. ‘That Great Love Sound’ stitches together Spector and Spacemen 3, while ‘Noisy Summer’ throws cute handclaps into the mix and ends up as ‘Leader of the Pack’ reworked by Flying Saucer Attack. Where they occasionally let themselves down is in producing the odd track that takes the signifiers of its influences without fully embracing them. Sometimes there’s the sheen of girl group pop without the underlying sadness that made much of it so remarkable, but mostly, however, The Raveonettes keep it fresh enough to remain enthralling: mining a rich seam of music from which to draw inspiration, with a palpable delight in what they’re doing that’s infectious. My faith is reaffirmed, albeit before it even had a chance to flee the Zodiac. Stuart Fowkes

SAMURAI SEVEN / RED STAR THE EPSTEIN / REDOX / FORK / CYCLE / FILM NOIR THE NEW MOON The Wheatsheaf The Bullingdon With so many bands seeking to switching between the two while Tonight’s Oxfam benefit gig brings session, like a dogfight under six remind us of the 1980s, it seems singer Jeremy likewise keeps the together four bands whose feet of mud. impossible to forget them, and audience engaged, displaying an presence is ever present on the Redox bring some cohesion back to that’s where Film Noir join us. In impressive vocal range combined local live circuit but perhaps tend proceedings. Going in for groove- addition to the obligatory synth with an onstage charisma. to fall beneath the radar of the cool led jams, funky reggae skanks and riffage, Film Noir add jangly-pop Unfortunately for The Samurai police. Acoustic duo The New an upbeat festival party vibe, you guitars, combined with the quaint Seven, having technical problems Moon’s use of a double bass to feel they could have slipped melodies of 90s Britpop. from the off, this momentum is underpin the guitar gives them through a timewarp, landing here Developing further contrast as the lost. The band are not only added resonance, although it does from a muddy field in 1972, still set goes on, they bring raw, rough- sporadically haunted by feedback, tend to dominate their sound at convinced Jethro Tull are the here edged, punk instrumentation, yet but recurrent problems co- times, at least until singer Matt and now, but it’s that uncaring with high-register bass from the ordinating their computer backing starts strumming even harder and attitude towards current trends Peter Hook school of music, tracks. The band clearly feel becoming more vocally animated. that’s so endearing and their topped off by an Ian McCulloch / uncomfortable with the delays, and His songs tend to be whimsy cowpunk finale, where The Men Morrissey-modelled singer. seem less assured on stage than dressed up as something more They Couldn’t Hang collide with Despite this fruitful combination, usual. This is a damn shame as profound and his voice lacks range the 60s hippy dream, is a belter. the set is distinctly static. backing tracks or no, they do a fine over a whole set but the diverting And now for something altogether Attempting to counteract this Red job. With a sound that combines jazz runs and the addition of Phil more serious and beardy, the ever- Star Cycle invite the audience as raucous rock with 60s sensibilities, Freizinger’s flute for the closing gigging Epstein, eschew the dark, close as they dare. Setting up a we get both Pete Towsend numbers at least keep the downbeat emotions of their violin along with the standard rock windmills, and overblown endings, momentum going. Trucking chums Goldrush. Instead fare suggests the band are going to but also super-sweet melodies Gig organisers Fork describe they’re more of an old-fashioned try something different and before layered in three part harmonies. themselves as progressive punk, country rock band, more akin to anyone can say Levellers, RSC The band at times have a sound but beyond James’ snarled vocals The Eagles. There’s close harmony launch into a song that’s more reminiscent of The Wildhearts at and the elongated passages of singing and a full-blooded Midwest synth disco than crusty folk. their peak. However their widdly indulgence, it’s hard to see twang, while Goldrush’s Diversity is the name of their undeniable qualities unfortunately what they are other than a increasingly hirsute Joe Bennett game, mixing drum’n’bass, fail to salvage the show and as the shambles. Incoherent and chaotic, goes for it on fiddle duties. Not for industrial metal, and more venue begins to empty, there’s the only the opening number, which them weeping into a bottle of sour restrained piano balladry within a feeling that on another night The could have come direct from the mash; instead they’re hitting the single song. Such genre juggling Samurai Seven could have stolen Class of 76, has any form. dusty highway and heading for the makes for enthralling viewing, with the show. Eventually the whole thing Hotel California. violin/keys player Ben frantically Patrick Casey degenerates into a prolonged jam Terry Molloy THE ADVENTURES OF / EMILY HOLT / THUMB QUINTET The Cellar Tonight’s gig celebrates the release of the There is currently a surge in female singer Beard Museum club’s first compilation songwriters in Oxford and it won’t be long album, and of course showcases some before Emily Holt is mentioned alongside local talent. First up is one time Eeebleee Chantelle Pike and Laima Bite. After a guitarist Ben Ulph with his chosen line up shaky start (covering Coldplay’s for the evening, The Thumb Quintet. This ‘Yellow’), Emily is soon well into her may be their first gig, but it doesn’t show. stride. Not only an accomplished pianist, It’s an entirely instrumental affair, and one she has a voice that can melt hearts and that dips its toe in to the waters of strip wallpaper. Although at times tonight stripped-back country folk. This is the she really soars, she is a little way from stuff that sitting under neon bar lights was being the finished article. With a little invented for: intricate guitar runs and the polishing, the Beard Museum, might just occasional bottleneck on the fret board. It have unearthed a diamond. makes for an oddly American feel, but The Adventures of… close tonight’s smoky bars are a feature of any landscape, proceedings, but they have a tough act to and here in The Cellar it all makes perfect follow. Their folky rock set might impress sense. It won’t be long before they’re on another evening, but Emily Holt raised soundtracking documentaries about long the bar just a little too high. distance lorry drivers. Allin Pratt

HAL / THE MAGIC NUMBERS The Zodiac An evening of mellow mellowness. Hal with the groovy troubadours who quit the lovingly recreate 70s soft rock, all skinny- New York coffee house folky protest scene rib jumpers and crimped hair, with those to ‘go electric’ on the West Coast. The key changes that say, “Hey baby, it’s Magic Numbers have certainly gone kinda late, but there’s some wine in my electric… they own some pretty tunes, and fitted bachelor-pad kitchenette and some some nice harmonies to dress them up in. coke on the smoked glass coffee table… The instrumentation is pleasantly quirky – Let’s listen to some sounds on my 8-track there’s even a xylophone duet on one song, and get, uh, comfortable, on the and I keep expecting The Lovin’ Spoonful’s nangahyde, know what I mean?” Very FM John B. Sebastian to appear with his radio, very LA. Their favourite year is autoharp. This music has a blissed-out 1975… and let’s face it, this is exactly the smile on its face as if to say, “Like wow, stuff punk wanted to vaporise (much man, this is our thing! And you can be part more so than the habitually-reviled Yes / of it!” But sadly I can’t. Like Hal, The Floyd dinosaurs of prog). Retro Magic Numbers are just a bit too knowing. compilations such as `Guilty Pleasures’ Their enthusiasm for their chosen specialist have set up this smooth blow-dried area is surely real, but it’s all to self- balladry as the fashionable follow-up to referential, verging on smug. I am happy to easy listening, but easy listening was sail on the great rivers of the musical past, funnier. It’s all Hall and no Oates. but these guys are just paddling round on The Magic Numbers’ favourite year is safe, calm backwaters. 1965. We’re still in LA, but now we’re Harry Lime

MARK ABIS The Magic Café Londoner Mark Abis used to have a pitch off beat feel. Other songs possess strong on the Portobello Road selling oriental echoes of the Bob Dylan of ‘Blood on the carpets, so it seemed right that one of his Tracks’ and ‘Desire’ in both Mark’s first Oxford gigs is the Magic Café. This is singing and his harmonica riffs. His not an easy one for any musician. While evocative love song, ‘Summer Breeze’, as the lunchtime live music slot here is well sung by Emiliana Torrini featured in Buffy established, most people come to eat and the Vampire Slayer; for his version today, only a very few to really listen. Mark’s voice barely rises above a tender Mark is a singer songwriter with an easy whisper. It matches the words but is laid-back presence. His staple is mellow, almost drowned by the clatter of cutlery. slightly melancholic cool folk. His easy on This is a low-key performance that hints the ear fluid singing is backed by plenty of of more to come. Even so by half way ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- variety in his guitar and harmonica through the set Mark’s charming applause SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- playing. But he does have more than one from all corners of the previously DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- style. The opening number, the optimistic, disconnected café crowd. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 ‘Steppin’ Out’, has an appealing jazz and Colin May each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each QUEEN ADREENA / IVY’S ITCH The Zodiac The great thing about rock and roll is that it allows people to get on stage and behave in a manner that, were they to do the same thing in the middle of the street, would get them locked up for life. Ivy’s Itch singer Eliza Gregory, part baby doll, part Linda Blair, has a can of cider in one hand and is screaming barely decipherable abuse at a room full of strangers. Ivy’s Itch have been making such a hellish racket for a good while now, but tracks like the ghostly ‘Laudanum’ are still fully charged. Eliza does spooky kid whisper and molten- throated roar with mildly unhinged style, all underpinned by her band’s rumbling, tumbling industrial gothic sprawl that prevents it ever becoming just a well-orchestrated scream fest.

Photo: Richard Hounslow (07761 682297) Still, Eliza’s a picture of sober respectability compared to Katy Jane Garside, singer with Queen Adreena and a woman whose onstage antics are legendary. A year off to write new songs seems to have tempered most of Katy Jane’s self-abusive tendencies but she still has a worryingly haunted look in her eye. She has the body and behaviour of a particularly wayward teenager but the tension in her face would better suit a woman who has lived through the worst the world has to offer. For someone who recently admonished an interviewer for being voyeuristic, she’s far too keen to display her underwear, but Katy Jane’s performance is still a benchmark by which all others must be measured, part pantomime, part atrocity exhibition. The band have condensed their sound into a solid tribal metal attack, as on ‘FM Doll’, that has you checking your teeth to make sure they haven’t been kicked down your throat by the tom- heavy beats or Crispin’s lacerating guitar. ‘Soda Dreamer’ is the flipside – quirky, childlike and fizzing with sugar-coated nervousness. ‘Pretty Polly bridges these two sides of Queen Adreena’s sound, but it’s in this live setting that everything gels so perfectly, not so much a backdrop as a real time soundtrack to semi-choreographed chaos. Thank the lord for rock and roll, then. Without it the mental wards would be overflowing. Victoria Waterfield PORT MAHON 82 St Clements, Oxford. 01865 202067. Gigs in April Friday 1st Thursday 14th OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN THE BLACK WATCH / THE NIGHT JAZZ BUTCHER / ANTON BARBEAU / THE NEW MOON Saturday 2nd BOYWITHATOY presents: Friday 15th MESAPLEX / CAMP OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN ACTOR / DARK PHASE / NIGHT DJ PEEPSHOW PADDY Tuesday 19th Tuesday 5th KISMET / JANE GRIFFITHS RACHAEL DADD / DREW & COLIN FLETCHER ATKINS / AL HUGHES Friday 22nd Friday 8th OXFORD FOLK CLUB with OXFORD FOLK CLUB with WHALEY & FLETCHER DALE & PINT Tuesday 26th Tuesday 12th ZÖE BICAT / DAN AUSTIN BURNING BLUE / BENEVA / FORK (acoustic) / IAN NIXON Friday 29th Doors: 8.30pm OXFORD FOLK CLUB DETWIIJE / WAIT FOR CONISTON / THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE The Wheatsheaf The theme for this night of Vacuous Pop Wait for Coniston are tonight’s low point. is post-rock, though those with longer Their Cardiacs-style diddly-diddleyness memories might observe prog-rock trying comes across as self-indulgent rather than to raise its mulleted head. The main challenging and, though the only band distinction could be that prog hails back to tonight to introduce a few vocals, they a time when it was pretty much the only struggle to create any clear identity. The game in town, in terms of albums made by singer looks like a busker, which may be a white people, while post-rock currently pursuit better suited to his talents. occupies a small part of a huge universe of London’s Detwiije have an EP in the musical exploration. shops and an album out soon on Vacuous The best is served up first in The Pop. Like the Exploits, there’s a clear Exploits of Elaine, from Telford. Very Godspeed! influence, particularly in the young, very intense, they like quiet violin, but rather than extend an idea over passages of contemplation shattered by several minutes, Detwiije play around huge explosions of sound. David Bell with musical themes in a rather more comes across as a molecular collision of varied and sophisticated way. They’re not Gary Numan and Keith Emerson, afraid to rock out too, which suggests a approaching his old Korg synth as an spot of movement might be in order but, adversary as much as an instrument, in true post-rock fashion, both band and wringing ever more unlikely sounds from audience stand virtually motionless. it while banging at the door of Can. Maybe it’s seeing three bands with such Completely over-the-top, not a hint of similar agendas, but after a while three- self-consciousness, a great example of chord melancholia starts to creep in to why so many bands sound their best what is generally an impressive evening. before they’re signed. Art Lagun DELICIOUSDELICIOUS ENTERTAINMENT THE WEDDING PRESENT Live Music in April Every Tuesday - OPEN MIC SESSION The Zodiac The Old School House, Gloucester Green 8.30-11.15 Free! Can it really be nine years since the last doors shut, and hoped that one day, just Every Thursday - LIVE JAZZ & BLUES Wedding Present album, ‘Saturnalia’? maybe, Gedge might reform The Wedding Far From the Madding Crowd, Friars Entry 8.30-11 Free! Although David Gedge had been around Present. First and third Wednesday in April - LIVE JAZZ in his Cinerama guise for some time, when And then, after a rather unfortunate event Aqua Vitae Restaurant (on the river) - Free! the Wedding Present fell apart, many (Gedge’s fourteen-year-long relationship Second and third Wednesday in April - OPEN MIC people felt genuinely hurt. Gedge wrote recently ended) it finally happened. It was The Old School House, Gloucester Green 8.30-11.15 Free! break-up songs like no one else; so when bad news for Gedge, but great news for For bookings/info- Tel: 07876 184623 / 01865 242784 all those ‘boy meets girl, boy dabbles everyone else. He’s greeted tonight with a with someone else, girl leaves boy, boy hero’s welcome, and he’s grinning like a mopes about a bit’ songs disappeared, man who’s rediscovered something where were we to go? Who would emote incredibly special. We get a few songs our pain for us? Some, judging by from the new album, and the odd hint of tonight’s audience, simply nailed their Cinerama, but when ‘My Favourite Dress’ makes an appearance, the whole place erupts. There are points in tonight’s set when it appears that time travel is entirely possible, all these great songs make for a truly Proustian experience. “Who would believe, all these great songs from one man?” enquires Gedge wryly. These great songs are the reason why there are grown men (the same ones who nailed theirs doors shut – all bald and shocking shirts) heckling and creating an entirely unpleasant sweaty mess at the front. Had he lived just a few months longer, John Peel would have had the chance to see one of his favourite bands playing live again. Thankfully, we now have that chance; it’s wonderful to have The Wedding Present back. Allin Pratt Photo: Sam Shepherd DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS Demo of the month wins a day’s free recording at Ursa Audio. For special deals for local bands, call Ursa on 01865 242055.

break it up. Thereafter it’s pretty dull trawl DEMO OF through generic indie grey sludge and fuzz with the singer moaning relentlessly over www.appletreestudio.co.uk THE MONTH the top to the point it becomes torturous and by the time we reach the token slowie, ‘Judas Smile’, you can feel your finger CULTURAL twitching on the trigger of your illegally- acquired bolt gun, normally licensed only AMNESIA to those charged with dispensing with You know it’s a bad month when a group diseased cattle. Disappointing – when we of blokes who first got together in 1979, saw them live a couple of months back split up in 1983 and have just reformed, they had more life than this. and sound 20 years out of date are demo of the month. But so it is. Cultural Amnesia are from Thame and, in their original SNAKE EYES incarnation, were part of the early Ooh, another guitar solo intro, and this industrial and electronic music scene. Since one’s one of them proper Snowy White Cultural Amnesia split one of them has elongated fretwank jobbies too. Well, what gone on to work with the late John Balance do you expect from a band called Snake of Coil and they dedicate their first track Eyes. Just how rock and bleedin’ roll is here, ‘Sea Song’, to him. The music here is that, eh? EH? Even if they do come from incredibly dated now, but some of it’s still Iffley village. We like this lot because pretty intriguing. ‘Sea Song’ is all ambient despite the fact they’re only in their teens electronic spots and squiggles with vocals and from a sweet rustic Oxford alcove, reminiscent of Eno on ‘Before and After they at least make a decent attempt to Science’, while ‘Fai-Ya-La’ could be the sound like beered-up LA rock pigs and missing link between Psychic TV and the have songs with titles like ‘Deep Inside’ Flowerpot Men; maybe it should have and ‘Fireball Woman’, which are only a been called ‘Flobadob’. If you’re a sad 80s pink torpedo away from being Spinal Tap. synth-pop trainspotter like us you can There’s a bit of Steppenwolf about the spot obscure influences like Karel Fialka former track, with its slow-burning growl, and even Men Without Hats on songs like while the latter is more AC/DC. If Snake ‘Perfect Activity’, although ‘Syst.Admn’ Eyes were a stick of rock they’d have the takes a different path altogether with its word cliché running right the way through uptight electro funk and teeth-grinding them and come wrapped in an old leather vocal rant. But it’s also symptomatic of jacket, but this just endears us to them still Cultural Amnesia’s main drawback – their further. self-conscious weirdness. Here they sound like arch nutters The Very Things, while on ‘Probably, Likely, No’ it’s all 50s sci-fi SEPIATONE android voices. Over a full album-length Band’s music is so often reflected in their demo it can sound a bit monotone but we chosen names and so it is with the tasteful like the primitive feel of the electronics, but ultimately rather twee Sepiatone. In even if you know you’ve heard it done fact you can almost imagine them before. 20 years ago. whimsically painting a watercolour landscape atop a gently sloping meadow as their folky demo plays gently in the background. It’s all very pretty and well constructed, a little like a photo of cutesy PLACE ABOVE chocolate box kittens with pink button Place Above’s demo is entitled ‘Thanks For noses and we spend much of the time Listening’, which is sweet. But then they listening to the demo worrying that it might have much to be modest about. They open have an attack of the vapours at any proceedings with a churning guitar solo that moment. That’s not to damn it too much: goes on rather too long, bludgeoning the the singer’s got a pure, sweet, Julianne point home too forcefully before the vocals Regan kind of voice, while musically the eventually arrive to restore calm. Evidently acoustic guitar reminds us of Tracy from the Axl Rose school of elongating the Chapman’s minimalist approach. ‘Standing last word of every line, the singer doesn’t Still’ would probably sell by the match the rocking intro but instead of bucketload given a bit of Radio 2 play, and opening up, the music comes down to meet there’s a fair chance Sepiatone would be him and what’s left is a sullen indie jangle an absolute wow on the Christian pop with only the occasional grungy thrash to circuit. does let them down, especially over ten THE DHARMA tracks, is singer Jess’s inability or Hmm, more hippies we suspect. The unwillingness to stretch her voice, plus a Dharma are pictured here attired in the sort somewhat overbearing sense of kitchen sink of garb you suspect people might wear if drama. they smoked too much dope and ate nothing but alfalfa sprouts, while much of the demo has a hint of a spiritually ROOKIE uplifting relaxation tape about it, replete Rookie’s demo comes with a photo of a with ‘evocative’ images of mountains in golfer on the front, which tends to fit shadow and sunlight breaking through neatly in with their, initially at least, clouds. Guitars are gently plucked, sensible slacks style of guitar noise. They keyboards swell warmly and gently on play with a bit of muscle but not enough to opening track ‘Universal Way’, but the knock you off your stride, while they’re vocals are dour and mournful and it carries contemplative without plumbing any a feeling of defeatism about it. By the time emotional depth. It’s all a bit Prefab the drumbeat finally comes in the song can Sprout, a bit Orange Juice, but without the THE COURTYARD STUDIO barely summon the energy or will to pick sparkle. But halfway through they drop it OTARI MTR90 MK11, 24 TRACK TAPE its feet off the ground. Only ‘Let Go’ down a notch, let their jeans hang low, neck MACHINE & MTA 980, 32/24/24 CONSOLE, makes the effort to break into a canter but a few shots of bourbon and turn their fuzz SOUNDSCAPE DIGITAL EDITOR, SUPERB even then only just and by the time we pedals on. Now they meander like CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION OF crawl, half dead with lethargy, to the end of Pavement, all gauche and pensive and OUTBOARD GEAR, MIDI FACILITIES INCLUDE the CD we find we’re stuck firmly in the finally, leaving their best ‘til the very end, LOGIC AUDIO, 8 MEG S1000, etc doldrums without even the faintest of give it a bit of a beating with a fuzzy stick breezes to carry us out. You’d think, being on `Something Happening’, an awkward RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES OPTIONAL hippies, they’d take some more interesting but more effective stab at that hazy drugs and do something a bit crazy. Sebadoh thing. Shame they took so long to get going. Phone KATE or PIPPA for details WILL TO LOVE on 01235 845800 And then, before we knew it, it was 1995 again and we’re stumbling through the mud THE DEMO and dropped Japanese noodles of a Britpop festival. In the distance we can DUMPER here Oasis warming up. But at double speed, and with the unmistakably nasal tones of Stephen Pastel on vocals. “I’m LE PWE BLO sure this is what the world is waiting for” Another band out of St Edmund’s College, snuffles the singer, hopefully not referring although originally from Wales. And they to his own band. Neil Young appears to can bloody well sod back off there on this have flown over for a jam but to no avail. rancid evidence. This is crap. Utter bleedin’ It’s all about as epic and skyscraping as effing bollocking crap, and that’s about all anything can possibly be when it’s got we can think to say about it. We can only both its feet set in a five-ton block of deduce that this was some kind of wacky concrete. Will to love? Reckon we’re student prank to get themselves in the rapidly losing the will to live. demo dumper. Well congratulations you smug bastards, you succeeded. It was tempting to give that dubious honour to FUJBUCKET someone else just to deny you the Fujbucket? Christ almighty, what kind of a satisfaction, but when we thought about crappy name is that for a band? Why not the, admittedly small, amount of the earth’s call yourselves Barrel of Shit and be done natural resources that went into making this with it? It reeks of indie underachievers, CD, its case and its sleeve, we got really but mercifully isn’t anything of the kind fucking angry. Wars are being fought and (well, except the out of place second track people are dying to secure yet more oil which absolutely is turgid indie rocking of reserves and all because bastards like you the most bog-standard kind, with its are wasting it making CDs of unmitigated horrible nasal vocals and tune nicked from bilge like this. Gentle reader, if you in any The Only Ones). Instead Fujbucket are a way think that a band that boasts someone nine-piece jazzy easy listening outfit from playing musical lollipops, a guitarist that St Edmund’s College with an occasionally models his style on George Formby and cute line in Hammond-led soft funk-pop cites Moldy Peaches as a prime influence with girly female vocals. While they do has any place on this planet, here’s your tend towards the musak-side of cocktail band. We must warn you, however, that lounge swing, they can pull it off, like the we’d appreciate it if you never read low-rent ‘Interview With A TV Critic’ or Nightshift again, we just don’t want your the jazzy ‘Too Proud To Phone’. What sort round here.

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