email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 169 August Oxford’s Music Magazine 2009

Love Music, Hate Stupidity DDDOWOWOW MRMRMR SSSHAOHAOHAO The kung-fu rapper talks grime, idiocy and the DIY work ethic - inside photo: Louis Taylor NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255

www.theunsignedguide.com next month’s issue.

FAT LIL’S in Witney hosts an all- AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into NEWNEWSS day free mini-festival on Sunday BBC Oxford Introducing every NEWNEWSS th 30 August. Lil-Lapolooza will Saturday evening between 6-7pm. Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU feature an assortment of local indie The dedicated local music show Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] and metal bands from 1pm features the best new local releases, Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net onwards. Visit www.fatlils.co.uk interviews, demos and gig guide. for line-up details. The show is available to listen to online all week at bbc.co.uk/oxford. THE NIGHTSHIFT ONLINE details for free. Visit TRUCK will follow up July’s FORUM now features an nightshift.oxfordmusic.net. festival with a special one-day A REMINDER to all venues, clubs interactive local music directory. celebration of the local music scene etc. about the Academy’s alternative The directory features contact THE UNSIGNED GUIDE on Saturday 10th October. OX4 will freshers fair which takes place on details for local bands, studios, launches its new website this feature gigs and music workshops Wednesday 23rd September. Anyone promoters, web designers, van hire, month, offering a guide to unsigned at various venues along Cowley interested in taking part should magazines, record labels and more. bands, blogs and discount vouchers Road, as well as film, poetry, art contact Lauren at the venue at Anyone interested can register their for various musical services. Visit and theatre events. More details in [email protected] RICHARD HAINES 1963-2009 LOCAL MUSICIANS have been Mark Crozer from International paying tribute to RICHARD Jetsetters summed up many HAINES, who passed away on people’s feelings for Rich when Monday 13th July, after battling he said, “Rich was a true with cancer. He was 45. gentleman. One of the loveliest Rich ran Dungeon Recording blokes I’ve ever worked with. Studios for almost 30 years, in No, I’ll even say he was the that time producing pretty much loveliest bloke I’ve ever worked every band worth its salt in with.” Oxfordshire, including early Former Jericho Tavern and Point sessions by Radiohead and promoter and ATL? frontman Supergrass. Mac added, “Richie was a lovely Rich started his own studio at guy and a top engineer. I worked the age of 17 and made producing with him many times and have music his life’s work. Over the nothing but fantastic memories of nearly three decades that he ran every session. His easy style and Dungeon Studios, for the most acerbic wit never failed to get the part from a barn studio near best out of the musicians, and Ascott in north Oxfordshire, and later at the the best performance out of you when your he’ll leave a gaping hole that’ll be tricky to Coldrooms in Cumnor, he produced and fingers had turned to sausages on the fretboard fill.” engineered a series of bands that reads like an with studio nerves. `Which song are you playing Witches guitarist Martin Newton also A-Z of Oxford music from the 1980s onwards, again?’ would come dryly in the headphones recorded with Rich many times over the years and earned a reputation for getting the best from the control room, and after a burst of in different bands and said of the man, “I from every act, whatever their ability. Rich tension-busting laughter, you’d find you’d nailed honestly believe with all the bands Rich was also renowned for his rich, dry sense of the take after all. Rich’s studio always felt like recorded during his time who went on to bigger humour which he regularly used to coax the home, in the best possible way... but also like a and better things that the Oxford Music scene best out of musicians. musical adventure, funfair and comedy theatre, would be a very different place if he had not Rich was himself a highly talented musician. all at the same time. I’ll miss the crosswords, the been involved - and will be a very different In the 1980s he played guitar in Freezing In creativity, the enthusiasm, the laughs, the place without him.” Cannes who appeared on the 1988 scene- friendship. I feel privileged to have known him, Rich’s best friend of 20 years and manager of defining ‘Jericho Collection’, as well as touring and have such great recordings to remember him Freezing In Cannes, Jonny Bell, added, across Europe. A decade later he formed by.” “Richie was an inspiration, musically, to Nightshift favourites Soma with singer Laura many, even to a non-musician like me. We Kramer. Most recently Rich formed a new Les Clochards, whose members also worked would talk for hours at Dungeon about the band, Martha’s Ghost, with friends Bob with Rich many times over the years added their benefits of analogue recording – which we Prowse, Richard Willoughby and Emily Holt. tribute: “While Rich was a hugely talented and championed – over digital. His `ear’ was his diligent recording engineer, he was so much more best attribute, but people didn’t realise what a It is for his work at Dungeon Studios that Rich too. He was a gifted guitarist and musician who fine guitarist he was and his dry wit was will always be remembered. cared passionately about the music produced in legendary. We would have each other in tears, Richard Ramage, singer with The his studio, coaxing, teasing and sometimes even especially with musician gags, which being one Relationships, recorded at Dungeon regularly bullying a great performance into being – his meant he could laugh at himself too. A very over the past 20 years, and remembered the musician’s sensibility gave him insight into what self-deprecating and humble man. I miss him man with particular fondness: “Recording with was possible and drove him to get the best out of terribly and always will.” Rich was a creative rollercoaster ride, while he every take. He was also possessed of a wicked remained at all times a man of infinite patience, sense of humour: a master of the gently withering Rich would have been too modest to admit it, great good humour, talent and imagination. The putdown when a take wasn’t up to scratch (and in fact he would doubtless have laughed at the Relationships’ third album was recorded with Lord knows he must have had some practice!), very idea, but he was a genuine Oxford music Rich at Cumnor. We called it `Space’, which he was visibly thrilled when an artist produced legend and he will be sorely missed by seems appropriate because Rich always gave the goods. When we heard ‘that’s the puppy!’ everyone who knew or worked with him. you lots – both in terms of that lovely 3-D we knew we’d nailed it – there could be no better Nightshift’s thoughts go out to Rich’s wife, quality to his mixes, and in the way he coaxed feeling.” Sue and all his many friends. a quiet word with MRMRMR SSSHAOHAOHAODDDOWOWOW “YEP, I GOT A 2:1 LAW DEGREE, SHAODOW’S MUSIC HAS but I’d rather be a poor musician. changed a lot since ‘Look Out, Fantastic!” There’s A Black Man Coming’; the beats in particular have become more LOCAL RAP STAR MR accomplished. How did he team up ShaoDow is mapping out his future. with Offkey and how do the pair And despite the seemingly difficult work together? choice before him, he’s apparently “It was always a natural progression set on the more difficult, but that I had planned for my music. I ultimately more spiritually rewarding aim to make commercial sounding path. Elliot Haslam QC? Or Mr music that can compete with the ShaoDow MC? majors but with more intelligent Still, we’d expect nothing else from a lyrics. I love some of mainstream man who as a 16 year old, saved stuff that’s coming out but the lyrics every penny from his job in a call and concepts make me want to rip centre to travel to the middle of the little hair I have out of my head. nowhere in China and learn kung fu “I met Offkey randomly at from Buddhist monks, earning university. A friend had mentioned himself a good beating if he was ever him to me before but we didn’t end up late for breakfast. meeting until a year later. When we met I was working on the second TWO YEARS AGO WE verse for `The British Are Coming’. featured Mr ShaoDow on the cover of Offkey spent the evening building a Nightshift. Then he was 20 years old, beat which six months later became still studying law at Oxford the instrumental for the song. University and had made an instant “For me Offkey does with impact on the local scene with his production what I am trying to do brilliant, witty ‘Look Out, There’s A with my lyrics: the versatility he Black Man Coming’, a sly sideswipe brings with each different song allows at casual racism (so sly in fact that me to work on different genres and hip hop channel Channel U banned it test my skills while forcing me to for being racist!). constantly improve myself. We don’t Since then ShaoDow – Elliott to his work with each other exclusively; mum and hopefully his lecturers – has we’re both independent artists in our earned himself a decent reputation as own right. I see it as a Timberland/ a rapper well beyond Oxford by Timberlake relationship. Although if busking and selling his CDs on the anybody asks, I’m Timberland!” streets of London, Birmingham and You’ve just released ‘That’s Mr photo: Louis Taylor wherever else the train takes him, ShaoDow To You’ as a mix tape. while collaborating with local bands the beats and backing to a new level, trying to highlight the negative “The truth is I was bored of `The like Smilex and Baby Gravy, as well as away from the minimalist rhythms of aspects of a genre that I think has a ShaoDow Saga’. Don’t get me wrong, managing to finish his degree. Oh, ShaoDow’s earliest performances, lot of potential. it’s a good CD, but I felt that it no and designing a range of clothing to adding a harder-hitting instrumental “I listened to a lot of bad grime and longer represented my ability. So I tie in with his music. side to his lyrically-sharp, machine- then made my own representation in worked on a new mixtape. I’m gun delivery. the hope that it would inspire people reluctant to call it an album as I have LAST YEAR SHAODOW As with ‘Look Out, There’s A Black to put more effort into their music. A big plans for my first album. But released a single, ‘Grime’, that Man Coming’ and ‘Grime’ before it, lot of people understood what I was that’ll also require big money. satirised say-nothing grime MCs with ‘R U Stoopid!?!’ retains a playful doing; unfortunately some people “Right now I travel around the the same elan he’d swatted racists edge and an easy pop hook. missed the point and assumed I had country and sell my CDs to open- before. And this month he puts out a ShaoDow raps with the crisp clarity just made a bad grime song. I should minded people; it’s going really well new mix tape of his rapping, plus a of classic homegrown rappers, but note those are the same people who so far: I’m meeting a lot of new single, ‘R U Stoopid!?!’, a augmented by the more modern ask me why my rap name is MC interesting people and it’s doing a lot genially abrasive commentary on, trappings of grime and electro. Wasteman...” to raise my profile. I’m very proud of well, stupidity. The character MC Wasteman is, in the mixtape; I’ve tried a few new “It’s a song about stoopid people for ‘GRIME’, DWELLED ON ShaoDow’s lyrical universe, ‘the things on it and the new versions stoopid people by stoopid people. It’s ShaoDow’s frustrations with the worst grime MC in the world’. have a few extra secrets if you insert mainly about people who don’t think genre, although the influence of the “Wasteman will be making a it into your computer.” before they act. I have seen some style is there in his music. What were reappearance during the `R U intelligent people who really should the issues he was trying to deal with; Stoopid!?!’ campaign. A lot of people WHEN WE LAST SPOKE TO know better doing some incredibly where can grime go from here? enjoy his antics so I’ve been trying to ShaoDow, he had just had the video to dumb things and that is when I was “Satire and irony are two of my arrange a meeting with him to talk ‘Look Out…’ banned from the forced to ask, `R U Stoopid!?!’” closest friends when it comes to my about starting his own mini series. Channel U hip hop station, who, ‘Grime’ saw ShaoDow collaborating lyrics; unfortunately some people Unfortunately he’s such a wasteman ironically, deemed it racially with local producer Offkey, who took tend to miss that. With `Grime’ I was he keeps forgetting to turn up.” offensive. Since that difficult start, he’s started to earn himself airplay, Love Music, Hate Racism campaign, including an interview on Tim in which he has become active; what Westwood’s Radio 1 show, while have been his experiences of the Channel U have also come round to campaign and how important does he his music. What’s it like for an feel the organisation is, particularly unsigned rapper to get noticed? with respect to the current social and “It’s not easy at all but God made me political situation? relentless; if you can help me get “Well, I love music and I hate racism further and I manage to get hold of so already they’re speaking my your name and your number, you are language! They are fantastic. I rarely in trouble! Seriously though, when I have a lot of money to donate to think of what I’ve managed to causes but I’m always up for donating achieve in two years I’m very happy, what little talent I have been blessed but then I think about what else needs with. to be done for the week and I start “The Oxford branch of LMHR have August crying. been incredibly supportive. We made “As an unsigned unmanaged artist a music video for the Mr ShaoDow/ Every Monday getting onto Tim Westwood’s show Smilex collaboration. That’s up on was a dream come true but afterwards YouTube at the moment; I’m also THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES I was slightly lost. I’m the type of looking to get it on some TV The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. person that needs a direction and channels. I’m hoping it’ll help raise 3rd THE ADAM BOMB BAND (USA) / purpose, otherwise I’m just raw, awareness for the release on iTunes, unconfined energy. Getting on as we donate a percentage of the RESERVOIR CATS (UK) Westwood was such a big thing for me profits to LMHR.” 10th STEAMROLLER (UK) – reunion gig! that after I had done it I was like, 17th THE DINO BAPTISTE BAND (UK) `what next?’” BORN AND RAISED IN LONDON, th Back then there was also a feeling ShaoDow has lived in Oxford for 24 ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART (USA) st that it was difficult for UK rappers to three years now as a student. How 31 No Gig celebrate their own culture, that you does he feel the city has taken to him had to be American. Does that and his music since he’s been here? situation still exist, or have things Does he think he’ll stick around here Every Tuesday improved? or is still a London boy at heart? THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB “I’ve got to say I’m so proud to see “Oxford is officially the birth place Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am some UK `urban’ – I hate that term – of my music and my style so that’s th artists achieving number one records. the place I represent, regardless of 4 KATYA GORRIE It’s very encouraging, I think that the where I am. With so many rappers 11th ALVIN ROY situation still exists: luckily, otherwise from London I always have a silent 18th THE HOWARD PEACOCK QUINTET `The British Are Coming’, wouldn’t chuckle when I tell people I’m a th be relevant anymore. rapper from Oxford; it raises some 25 THE HUGH TURNER BAND “I think now there has been a culture eyebrows. People in Oxford seem to shift; there’s a lot more people be very open-minded. I always enjoy Thursdays enjoying UK music. The only trouble selling CDs here plus it’s a bit of a th is that artists are still following trends thrill when people recognise my 13 BIG NIGHT OUT presents JESSIE GRACE and copying whatever is popular at black face. / SIKORSKI / DJs. £3. In aid of Children In the moment. It does get annoying but “So yeah, all in all I’m very happy I Need. I’m just keeping my head down and came here. I’m a nomad at heart, churning out quality until everybody from when I picked up and moved to knows who I am.” China for a bit, I know I can settle Every Friday Last time we interviewed ShaoDow most places quite comfortably. he talked about collaborating with Oxford has some incredibly talented BACKROOM BOOGIE other artists from different genres. people though, not just artists, it’s a Funk, soul and R&B. 10.30pm-2.30am; £4. Since then he’s worked with Smilex, great place to build a name.” on a rock remix single of ‘Look Is there a place where Elliott Haslam Friday Early Shows Out…’ and with Baby Gravy on their ends and Mr ShaoDow begins? st furious electro-rap skank live “Erm, these days I have no clue. I 21 MELTING POT presents BANDS TBC favourite, ‘Don’t Touch Me’. How work on my music so much these Includes entry to Backroom Boogie afterwards has that been? days my idea of relaxing is when I’m “Fantastic on both accounts; the printing up new CDs. I try to keep bands have very different styles, the two entities separate, just have Saturdays characters and ways of working but some non-music time as Elliott, but 1st SIMPLE (electro-house club night) 10-3am they are both incredibly talented and what with everything to do I find 8th PHISH (90s tunes) it has been an honour being valued myself up at all hours working on 15th REGGAE & SOUL CLUB NIGHT enough that they would want to work projects, making plans and most 22nd TBC with me. I’m always up for importantly enjoying it. th collaborating with anybody who is “So right now I’d say I’m more 29 SELECTA – Drum’n’bass with ORIGINAL SIN / serious with their music, I have ShaoDow than Elliott but that’s CABBIE. 9-3am. £6 before 11pm worked a lot with Asher Dust as well, understandable, I have a world to who is incredibly talented. I prefer to conquer!” Coming up in September.... work with bands and singers over th rappers. One thing I would like a bit ‘R U Stoopid!?!’ and ‘That’s Mr Thursday 10 more is to work with some more ShaoDow’ are both out now. Visit THE LOW ANTHEM female singers. I’m just looking to www.myspace.com/mrshaodow to Wednesday 30th make bigger and better music.” hear tracks and download an instrumental version of ‘R U MUMFORD & SONS SHAODOW FIRST MET SMILEX Stoopid!?!’ for your own MC or Tickets available from Wegottickets.com due to his involvement in the local remix. RELEASED sponsored by the spirit of The Jam’s ‘In The City’; on the THE BLACK HATS flipside, ‘Callow Man’ sees the band’s sweeter, more playful side taking over, even as it comes ‘What’s Not To armed with that serrated Young Knives edge and Understand?’ a blatant Sex Pistols steal in the middle-eight. What can let ‘What’s Not To Understand?’ (In The Pocket) down is that, for all its high energy levels and When Morrissey penned ‘Sweet And Tender admirable brevity, there’s precious little variety, Hooligan’ he wasn’t thinking about The Black token slowie ‘Shout Out’ an overwrought sub- Hats but it’s a term that feels wholly Manics trawl that only proves the band do loud appropriate to the band listening to this debut and fast so much better. And while the band are album. A classic power trio who have been uncomplicated, unpretentious fun on stage, earning themselves a decent reputation on the such lack of artifice on CD means much of the local gig scene over the past couple of years, album blurs into noisy bluster. The Black Hats, like The Who, The Faces and Saying that, in songs like ‘Made Of Paper’, The Jam before them, come across as slightly The Black Hats show an ability to craft genuine yobbish artisans, one moment swaggering with anthem material where their yobbish tendencies bullish confidence and gruffly describing city filled by our own Young Knives, whose spiked meld best with their undying pop sensibilities. streets at night time, the next indulging in post-punk attack adds an edge to Black Hats’ Get the album by all means, but use it to learn sweet-natured vocal harmonies. Those three strongest songs. the words so you can belt them out in time with bands similarly provide three corners of The ‘We Go Out’ is all muscle and prickly attitude, the band in their natural, live, environment. Black Hats’ musical inspiration, the final while ‘Broken Bones’ is brash and aggressive, in Dale Kattack quarter

album using only synthesisers. Sort of. An Album opener ‘A Million Hungry Eyes’ is THE EVENINGS impression confirmed by the sprawling, plaintively epic and not a million miles away ‘Open Letters’ epically ambient EP closer ‘I Take Myself Too from Elbow, while ‘Just Try’ floats along Seriously’. genially, high-quality production substituting for (iTunes) Funny old band, The Evenings; we’ll listen genuine character, while ‘Killing All My Friends’ Bands come and go, often signing off with little back to this in a week’s time and come up with showcases Seet’s rich, mellow voice but falls into fanfare, so it’s gratifying to know that one of completely different impressions. And that’s a soft’n’sensitive pop slop territory all to easily, Nightshift’s perennial favourites are still very rare thing. Glad they’re back in action. even as it strives for a heroic finish. much alive after something of a hiatus. In the Dale Kattack All is not lost though, as the more rhythmic interim they’ve stripped down to a three-piece ‘Fashion Tips For The Homeless demonstrates – centred around drummer and singer Mark a far neater take on his observational style, with Wilden. imaginative layering of guitars beneath the As The Evenings morph and mature, so their JONATHAN SEET dominant drums. Similarly, closing track ‘The sound shifts, and it’s good to have a band End Of The Tape’ finds the polished sheen around who don’t always deliver what’s ‘Thanks To Science blistering as Jonathan adopts a more ghostly expected of them. Previously their stock-in- We’ve Got Love’ vocal presence while machine beats combine with trade has been quirky, experimental electronica angry, storm-brewing guitars for a song that, or groove-heavy krautrock. This new EP shifts (Mazurka) almost an hour into the album, makes you sit up the sands again, firstly into almost folk territory In last month’s feature on the Joe Allen Band we and wonder what he’s really capable of. and then glammed-up synth-pop. marvelled at how Oxford was gradually attracting Elsewhere the spirit of Macca looms large, at its ‘Music That Doesn’t Remind Me Of Her’ is more musicians from other towns, hoping to most mawkish on ‘My Wasted Youth’ and oddly what great lost English folk-punks Blyth Power make their reputations here. And here’s Jonathan coupled with Radiohead’s electronic ambience on might have sounded like had they survived long Seet, who’s moved here from Toronto. Already ‘Watching You Sleep’. All of which is forgivable enough to discover glitchy laptop electro-pop, established in his homeland with a string of enough but for the album’s overlong presence. Mark offering an unexpectedly melancholy releases under his belt, ‘Thanks To Science…’ is Ever since CDs became the dominant format, vocal lead about wishing he could listen to his third album, one that betrays not an ounce of artists seem intent on filling every minute of their music without it reminding him of his ex. his Canadian roots, steeped as it is in a capacity in a misguided attempt to provide value Hardly world-changingly original sentiments – thoroughly English form of pop, possessed of a for money, when most of the greatest albums of distinct echoes of Womack and Womack – but genteel nature that finds its roots in Paul all time benefited from their vinyl-restricted here done with an unsentimental sweetness over McCartney’s post-Beatles oeuvre. brevity. No wonder people increasingly prefer to a gentle shanty. For an album whose lyrics reference download individual tracks. ‘Maybe It’s Too Late’ is what The Human lesbianism, hardcore porn, Rohypnol and Anyway, ‘Thanks To Science…’ is an album League might have sounded like if they’d tried drunkenness, there’s nothing wild or depraved mostly content to cruise along the middle of the to go gospel, all chitter chatter synths and to be heard. Instead Jonathan croons, mostly road, but Seet has both musical and vocal talent oddly restrained soulful vocals. Hell, scrap that. soulfully, over well-orchestrated but ultimately in abundance, and given his obvious ability to Remember Queen always used to put “No overly-smooth Radio 2-friendly pop that too stray into more adventurous terrain, it’ll be synthesisers were used on this album” on their often sounds purposely designed to sneak into interesting to hear how his relocation to Oxford record sleeves? Well this is what they might the more emotional scenes of some family shifts his horizons. have sounded like if they’d done a ballads drama or other. Dale Kattack

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SATURDAY 1st WEDNESDAY 5 th CHARLIESTOCK: The Black Horse, TRISTAN & THE TROUBADOURS + Kidlington (Midday) – A whole day of live music AUGUST ALPHABET BACKWARDS + THE across two stages at the Black Horse, all in aid of GULLIVERS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Great triple the Children In Touch charity. After last night’s bill of local bands with expansive indie pop from Monday 10th opening session, the mini-festival continues Tristan & The Troubadours, party-friendly today with sets from The Elrics, Night Portraits, electro-folk pop from Alphabet Backwards and STEAMROLLER: Beaver Fuel, Vixens, Riot House, Fajita Eaters, ethereal gothic rocking from The Gullivers. Ute, Mollie Hodge and more. The Bullingdon ARCANE FESTIVAL: Horsenden Meadow, THURSDAY 6 th It seems there isn’t a band on the planet that Tetsworth – The West Oxfordshire mini- NATALIE IMBRUGLIA: O2 Academy – Low- hasn’t reformed for at least a few gigs over festival returns for its third year, featuring live key show for the multi-million-selling former the past few years, with even the death of music from A Silent Film, Guggenheim, The Joe Neighbours star, best known for her international the main players seemingly not a barrier, if Allen Band, Tristan & The Troubadours, Reload hit ‘Torn’. The Aussie songstress gears up to The Doors were anything to go by. Perhaps The Radio, Borderville, Anton Barbeau, Ivy’s release her fourth album, ‘Come To Life’, which we’ll still get that long-awaited Jimi Hendrix Itch, The New Moon, Horns of Plenty and more features songs written for her by Chris Martin, Experience reunion some day soon. It’s even across two stages, plus hardhouse in the Square the follow-up to her last CD, the number 1 hit happening in Oxford, where local 70s rock One dance tent, dubstep, breaks and drum&bass ‘Counting Down the Days’. from Pure Alchemy and trance from Lucid. heroes Steamroller have reconvened after a MOTOR CITY SHUFFLE + VULTURES + FUSED: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Covers of thirty-year hiatus. Hendrix was their chief DIRTY MONEY: The Cellar – Local indie rock Radiohead, Kings of Leon etc. triple bill at Big Hair. inspiration way back in 1970, along with TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM KENAII + THE ELIJAH + IMMERCIA + Cream, with guitarist Robert Wakeley 101: O2 Academy – Weekly three-clubs-in-one VISIONS FALL: Fat Lil’s, Witney – A night of renowned for his fiery blues-rock style of night with indie and electronica at metal with Essex’ post-hardcore and electro- play. Along with bassist Roger Warner and Transformation; glam, trash and 80s sounds at metallers Kenaii, epic rockers The Elijah and drummer Larry Reddington, the trio got Trashy, plus hardcore, metal and alt.rock at local heavyweights Visions Fall. together in the now legendary confines of Room 101. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford the Oranges and Lemons pub in St REGGAE REGGAE SATURDAY: James Community Centre Clement’s and became big favourites on the Street Tavern – Reggae, dub, dancehall and ska OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon local pub and college circuit before heading every Saturday with DJs Zappa and Selectah ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, off on UK tours. They split in 1978 and in Spanners. Marston the intervening years have collectively survived a stroke, prostate cancer and SUNDAY 2nd FRIDAY 7th chronic alcoholism, but decided to do it all CHARLIESTOCK: The Black Horse, GLINT + THE SHAKELLERS: 02 Academy – again after meeting at the Jack Russell’s Kidlington (Midday) – Another full day of Lush, orchestral New York City electro-rockers weekly blues jam nights. Tonight the music with two stages featuring sets from The Glint attempt to find a middle ground between Famous Monday Blues club hosts their Frigging Beatles, Todd, The Roundheels, God Of Muse and Kraftwerk. reawakened talents. With musical histories Small Things, Thin Green Candles and more. INVISIBLE VEGAS + THE ELRICS: The going back to the late-50s and time spent Wheatsheaf – Rough’n’ready bluesy rocking in touring with the likes of Dusty Springfield MONDAY 3rd the vein of Free from Invisible Vegas, plus (Roger) and being produced by Joe Meek THE ADAM BOMB BAND + RESERVOIR promising Smiths-y indie rocking from Elrics. (Robert), Steamroller are a little bit of CATS: The Bullingdon – Swift return to the HANNEYSTOCK: The Black Horse, East Oxford history come back to life. Famous Monday Blues for Adam Bomb, the big- Hanney – First evening of the free south haired LA glam-metal guitarist, still out on a Oxfordshire music festival, featuring sets from mammoth European tour, and whose past Drunkenstein, The Follys and Dirty Deeds. experiences include auditioning for Kiss when he Continues through Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds was 18, sharing an apartment with Izzy Stradlin, from voluntary donations, merchandise sales etc jamming with Eddie Van Halen and, along the will go to Cancer Research UK and Hanney pre- way, supporting the likes of Chuck Berry and school. There’s camping available – enquire at the Johnny Thunders. Stylistically he’s a heavy rock pub. guitar hero of the old school, with nods to Hanoi CHARLGROVE FESTIVAL: Chalgrove – First Rocks and Sweet along the way. Local night of the music festival with a headline set heavyweight blues-rockers Reservoir Dogs from soul tribute act The Motowners. support, doubtless seeing whether they can crank THE BACKBEAT BEATLES: Fat Lil’s, Witney their amps up even louder than Mr Bomb. – Beatles tribute. BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon TUESDAY 4th GET DOWN: The Brickworks JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Smooth, th sultry jazz with Canadian singer and composer SATURDAY 8 Katya Gorrie at the Bully’s free weekly live jazz HANNEYSTOCK: The Black Horse, East club. Hanney (2pm) – Full day of live music, with sets TAMARA PARSONS-BAKER + HUMPHREY from Smilex, Mary’s Garden, Slink, Lost + AIDEN CANADAY: Café Tarifa – Free Transmission, Mark Bosley, Lauren Dunnett, The acoustic session with local songstress Tamara and Halcyons, The Roundheels, Twizz Twangle, BJB, more. Pint and a Half Of Blues, Laima Bite and more. CHARLGROVE FESTIVAL: Chalgrove – Bon RIOT HOUSE + THE SILENCE + RUN WALK: Jovi tribute band Bon Giovi headline. The Folly Bridge Inn – Classic heavy rocking HEARTS IN PENCIL + SECRET RIVALS: The from Riot House, inspired by Led Zep, AC/DC et Wheatsheaf – Spiky post-punk and Libertines- al, plus grunge-pop from local newcomers The style rocking from Hearts In Pencil, plus electro- Silence and thrash-core from Winchester duo Run punk noise from Secret Rivals. Walk. GENERAL BOVINE & THE JUSTICE FORCE TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 5 + BEAT THE RED LIGHT + DR 101: O2 Academy SLAGGLEBERRY: The Cellar – Glam- PHISH: The Bullingdon – 90s retro club night. stomping blues-rock from the superhero-obsessed REGGAE REGGAE SATURDAY: James Street Brighton rockers General Bovine, plus local Tavern math-core instrumentalists Dr Slaggleberry. th SUNDAY 9 Wednesday 19th HANNEYSTOCK: The Black Horse, East Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th Hanney (2pm) – Final day of the charity DINOSAUR Jr: festival, with a headline set from recent Punt CROPREDY stars The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, along O2 Academy with the Vicars Of Twiddly, Out Of The Blue, When J Mascis and Lou Barlow reunited in FESTIVAL: Cropredy What The Folk, Superloose, Ady Davey and 2002 after years of antipathy, it was a Fairport Convention’s annual, erm, more. genuine cause for celebration. And when the CHARLGROVE FESTIVAL: Chalgrove – convention, once again turns a (very) quiet pair reconvened with drummer Murph to Classic soul tribute from Kommitments rounding corner of north Oxfordshire into a giant folk record 2005’s ‘Beyond’ album, one of off the three-day music festival. and rock party. The event is now well into alternative rock’s most iconic bands were THE JOE ALLEN BAND + AIRTIST: its fourth decade and while it still feels – Jacqueline du Pre Building – Last month’s well and truly back. Back in the late-1980s quite pleasingly, it must be said – like The Nightshift cover stars finally get to air their Dinosaur – later adding the Jr for legal Festival That Time Forgot, there are, as gorgeously emotive folk-pop in a suitably grand reasons – helped formulate what was to ever, hints that the wider, more modern venue, mixing up taut Thom Yorke-style angst become grunge, taking inspiration from world does touch upon it. Fairport with a lively modern folk flourish. Support from hardcore bands like Black Flag and classic themselves play their traditional three-hour fusion collective Airtist, utilising Jew’s harp, metal, particularly Black Sabbath. Along the headlining set on Saturday night, joined by didgeridoo and human beatbox. way they were mentored by Sonic Youth and an extensive cast of friends and became a huge influence on Nirvana. They collaborators, the whole shebang ending MONDAY 10th released the seminal ‘You’re Living All Over with a celebratory sing-along of ‘Meet On STEAMROLLER: The Bullingdon – Oxford’s Me’ and ‘Bug’ albums as well as the sublime The Ledge’. Almost equally traditional is 1970s blues-rock heroes come out of retirement – ‘Freak Scene’ single before Mascis’ control Richard Thompson’s headline set on the see main preview freakery split the band and he effectively ran Friday, the former-Fairport guitarist running Dinosaur Jr as a solo project throughout the through his extensive repertoire, hopefully TUESDAY 11th 90s. Since the reformation the trio have this year including material from his recent curated All Tomorrow’s Parties and now TALONS + ON HISTORIES OF ‘Thousand Years Of Popular Music’ tour. release a new album, ‘Farm’. And despite the ROSENBERG: The Wheatsheaf – Vacuous Thursday’s opening night headline slot is Pop club night with Hereford’s post-rock, math- fact their sound is mellower than the taken by Steve Winwood who, with The rock and hardcore instrumentalists Talons, plus distortion and feedback-drenched noise of Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Brighton’s indie noisemakers On Histories Of their early recordings, they’ve started Faith, has a musical history equal to anyone Rosenberg. playing all the old classics again. Despite the else on the festival bill. Just below JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Tonight’s noise, they were always a band very much in Winwood on the bill is the weekend’s guests are swing and mainstream jazz quintet love with melody and Mascis’ reedy, surprise inclusion, The Buzzcocks, who Alvin Roy and Reeds Unlimited. detached drawl lends itself to a more melodic should bring a little bit of punk rock shock form of rock, and to hear those old classics and awe to proceedings. On Saturday Seth WEDNESDAY 12th again played by the original trio, will be Lakeman offers a glimpse of English folk’s ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – something very special indeed. young generation, while on the opposite end Open mic session; all welcome. of the scale Ralph McTell brings his traditional folk tales to Sunday’s line-up. THURSDAY 13th Among the other acts playing are Nick Kershaw and Dreadzone as well as JESSIE GRACE + SIKORSKI: The Bullingdon – Big Night Out presents another Cropredy stalwart Richard Digance and benefit gig for Children In Need, tonight featuring BBC Young Folk Award winners Megan and folksy rocker Jessie Grace, coming in somewhere Joe Henwood. Meanwhile, Ade Edmondson between PJ Harvey, Judy Tzuke and KT Tunstall, comes close to resurrecting his Vivian plus heavyweight industrial electro noise from character from The Young Ones with a folk Banbury’s excellent cyber-rockers Sikorski. take on classic punk tunes. The perfect WITCHES + MIMAS + SHAPES + UTE: The English summer weekend. Cellar – Gloriously chaotic, opulent gothic party pop from Witches, adding a fun mariachi twist to their abrasive and intense noise rock. Denmark’s Mimas bring their epically morose rock along in support. REVOLVER: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Alt.rock club night. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community Centre OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston McCartney-inspired Canadian songsmith Jonathan Jericho Tavern – Bluesy psychedelia and groove- Seet. led garage rocking in the vein of The Doors and BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Mott The Hoople from LA’s Golden Animals, plus GET DOWN: The Brickworks local narcotic groove rockers Spiral 25. NATUREBOY + WILL PHIPPS + THEO SATURDAY 15th ATIERI: Baby Simple – Pastoral acoustic pop, MONSTER KILLED BY LASER + THAT Beatles-inspired melodies and nu-jazz from FUCKING TANK + IVY’S ITCH + BALLS Natureboy. DEEP: The Wheatsheaf – Poor Girl Noise night th of leftfield rocking, with a Leeds double bill of THURSDAY 20 Monster Killed By Laser, kicking out monster riffs FIXERS + HUCK: The Cellar – Rootsy over almost jazz-style rhythms, having supported Americana and 60s garage rocking from Jack the likes of Melvins, Oxes and USAisamonster, and Goldstein’s new band Fixers. They’re joined by a That Fucking Tank, now moving away from their bizarre supergroup formed by members of early math-core sound to a strung-out, angular prog Borderville and Sextodecimo. Which hopefully direction. Ferociously raw hardcore monsters Ivy’s adds up to a flamboyant glam-goth stoner metal Itch support. black hole of noise. STORNOWAY: Oxford Botanical Gardens – MIDNIGHT DRIVE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – EP A chance to witness Oxford’s current favourite release gig for the local grunge rockers. band in the serene setting of the Botanical Gardens, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford where their dreamily rustic folk-pop should charm Community Centre the birds from the trees and maybe even magic OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Wednesday 19th Lyra from her parallel Oxford. ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, WE AERONAUTS + GOOD THINGS HAPPEN Marston DRUM EYES / IN BAD TOWNS + TRISTAN & THE TROUBADOURS + KING OF CATS: The FRIDAY 21st KEYBOARD CHOIR / Cellar – Expansive folk-rocking from We MELTING POT: The Bullingdon – Mixed bag of Aeronauts, plus alt.country and folk-pop from bands at the monthly live music club. HREÐA: GTHIBT, dark, groove-heavy indie from T&TT MINERS CLUB + BILLY PURE + BETHANY The Wheatsheaf and Eynsham’s ukulele chap King Of Cats. WEIMERS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Lachrymose LIGHTNIN’ WILLIE & THE POORBOYS: Fat folk rocking from Miners Club. The build-up to this autumn’s Audioscope Lil’s, Witney – The Pasadena blues-rock guitarist BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon starts here in characteristically returns to Oxfordshire with his mix of Otish Rush, GET DOWN: The Brickworks uncompromising style. Drum Eyes is the Eddie Cochran and Stevie Ray Vaughan. band formed by and around DJ Scotch Egg, TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 101: SATURDAY 22nd the now Brighton-based Japanese gabba O2 Academy ELDER STUBBS FESTIVAL: Elder Stubbs producer and DJ, whose uncompromising REGGAE & SOUL CLUB NIGHT: The Allotments, Cowley Road – Annual live music musical war on the senses has won him Bullingdon festival in aid of Restore, with sets from praise from the likes of Lightning Bolt. LIVE APE: James Street Tavern – Live music and comedy all day in the James Street Tavern Hawkwind’s Huw Lloyd Langton, local swamp-funk Drum Eyes is a different beast, but no less back garden in aid of the Sumatran Orangutan faves The Mighty Redox and Hawkwind tribute act confrontational – a sort of nebulous Society, with sets from Bill Bailey, Ute, Pete The Assassins of Silence. supergroup that takes in members of Temp, Martha Rose, The Orange and Reggae REWIND FESTIVAL: Temple Meadows, Trencher, I’m Being Good and Comanechi, Reggae Soundsystem. Remenham – First day of the 80s nostalgia as well as former members of Japanese TECHNICOLOR TIME MACHINE: Folly festival near Henley, with Kim Wilde, noise-rock legends The Boredoms. Damo Bridge Inn – A night of psychedelia and prog- Bananarama, Belinda Carlisle and more – see main Suzuki has also joined, bringing his singular rock, complete with lightshow and oil lamps, preview vision of outre rock to proceedings. Most celebrating the groovy sounds of 1968. ALPHABET BACKWARDS + NINE STONE recently the band have performed at COWBOY + THE JOE ALLEN BAND: The Supersonic, where by many accounts, they SUNDAY 16th Wheatsheaf – Joyous electro-folk-pop from stole the show, mixing up punk, rising local starlets Alphabet Backwards, plus drama-heavy observational pop from Nine Stone psychedelia, electronica, post-rock and prog th into a hypnotic tribal storm of noise. It’s MONDAY 17 Cowboy and emotionally-wired folk-pop from Joe exactly the sort of act Audioscope are so THE DINO BAPTISTE BAND: The Bullingdon Allen. good at bringing to town and in the suitably – Theatrical blues, rock’n’roll and boogie woogie TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 101: intimate confines of the Sheaf should be one from the Brummie keyboard player in the vein of O2 Academy of the gigs of the year. Local support comes Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. REGGAE REGGAE SATURDAY: James Street Tavern from experimental ambient synth orchestra TUESDAY 18th Keyboard Choir as well as intricately- rd textured math-rockers Hreda. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Lively SUNDAY 23 keyboard-led contemporary jazz from The Howard REWIND FESTIVAL: Temple Meadows, Peacock Quintet at tonight’s jazz club. Remenham – Gloria Gaynor, Sister Sledge and FRIDAY 14th BETHANY WEIMERS + MOTION IN ABC join the 80s nostalgia fest – see main preview COLOUR + JAMES FOLEY: Café Tarifa – BIG BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON: The Wheatsheaf – Quickfix presents a special tribute Acoustic night with Punt star Bethany showing off All-comers blues jam. her powerful folk-pop style. Solo acoustic set from SILVANITO NIGHTS: The Jericho Tavern – to the former-Beatle, with a band made up of Motion In Colour in support. Self-styled spag-rockers Silvanito host their own members of Smilex, Nought, Black Hats and monthly club night, drawing inspiration from Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia performing th Ennio Morricone and The Shadows, plus support a set of songs Harrison wrote for The Beatles. WEDNESDAY 19 from UC3 and Adam Matthews. THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT SPASM DINOSAUR Jr: 02 Academy – The grunge BAND + EARTH CALLING ALICE + legends reunited – see main preview th JONATHAN SEET + SAM SALLON: The DRUM EYES: The Wheatsheaf – Stunning semi- MONDAY 24 Jericho Tavern – Superb 40s jazz with a punk improvised electro-core mayhem from DJ Scotch ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART: The rock bite from the recent Oxford Punt stars. Egg and chums – see main preview Bullingdon – Country blues and 60s and 70s Supporting cast includes Elbow and Paul GOLDEN ANIMALS + SPIRAL 25: The rock, somewhere between Led Zeppelin and Leadbelly from the Grammy-winning Californian Birmingham’s motorik noisemakers – see main guitarist at tonight’s Famous Monday Blues club. preview THE FAMILY MACHINE + MOTOR CITY TUESDAY 25th SHUFFLE + JP: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Genially JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Guitarist Hugh bucolic country-laced indie rocking with a gallows Turner and his band are tonight’s special guests. humour from the mighty Family Machine. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford th Community Centre WEDNESDAY 26 OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon WISE CHILDREN + ANNA LOG + THE ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, BUMBLEBEES: The Wheatsheaf – Dark and Marston tender folk-pop from Wise Children, plus sparse HYBRID4M: Cafe Tarifa acoustic pop from Anna Log. ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney FRIDAY 28th th AVIPAUL + QUADROPHOBE: Fat Lil’s, THURSDAY 27 Witney – New live music club night Glovebox Thursday 27th EINSTELLUNG + FROM HERE, WE RUN!: The brings West London’s Anglo-Asian funk and r’n’b Cellar – Krautrocking brutality from newcomers to Witney, drawing inspiration from EINSTELLUNG / Funkadelic, Kool and the Gang and Lenny Kravitz, Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd plus funk-rockers Quadrophobe n support. FROM HERE, WE BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon RUN!: The Cellar REWIND FESTIVAL: GET DOWN: The Brickworks Anyone who’s missed out on Einstellung’s Remenham SATURDAY 29th previous visits to town and has a love for all things noisy and hypnotic should make Pure unadulterated 80s nostalgia is the name GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with THIN room for tonight in their diaries forthwith, of the aptly-named Rewind Festival, GREEN CANDLES + FLASH BANG BAND + the Brummie quartet, featuring assorted ex- enjoying its first outing on Oxfordshire’s SLEEPING PASSENGERS: The Wheatsheaf – southernmost border. Gathered for the Eclectic mix of sounds at the monthly GTI club, members of Godflesh and Katastrophy weekend are some two dozen of that tonight with dark-edged electro troupe Thin Green Wife, having utterly captivated us at 2007’s decade’s hitmakers, some more fondly Candles, quirky Brighton rockers The Flash Bang Audioscope, followed by a show of serious remembered than others, but put together, Band, who are promising a raffle in which the strength at the Wheatsheaf last year. Like they read like the track-listing to one of the winner gets a new song written about them, while Kraftwerk’s ‘Autobahn’ re-imagined by first Now! albums. Saturday’s line-up is openers Sleeping Passengers sees the return of one- Smashing Pumpkins in their early grunge- headed by Kim Wilde, who’ll be running time local hopefuls Where I’m Calling From in a pop prime, Einstellung are a tightly- through hits from ‘Kids In America’ to hazy and hushed acoustic country-pop guise. orchestrated thunderstorm, equally ‘Cambodia’, along with cheesy popmaker SHEPHERDS PIE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Classic oppressive and delicate, from the twinkling Rick Astley, enjoying some huge kitsch hard rock covers. Neu! subtleties to the all-out pressure internet revivalism; Bananarama, Billy TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 101: cooker panzer rock crescendos. Theirs is a Ocean, Belinda Carlisle, Kid Creole, Heaven O2 Academy monolithic, slow-building storm of the sort 17, Dr & The Medics, Cutting Crew, Toyah SELECTA: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass club that finds you enveloped and consumed by and China Crisis. Sunday takes a more night with Original Sin and Cabbie. the end so you end up nodding involuntarily REGGAE REGGAE SATURDAY: James Street soulful look at the 80s with headliners along as the ante is gradually raised. Support Tavern Gloria Gaynor and Sister Sledge doubtless comes from rising local starlets From Here, We Run! adding a sweet-natured almost provoking outbreaks of dancing round th handbags, and they’re joined by ABC, Paul SUNDAY 30 gothic pop sheen to pretty math-rock. Young, The Christians and Go West, plus LOVE/HATE: 02 Academy – The perennially synth-pop fellas Midge Ure, Howard Jones unpopular LA hair metal underachievers hit the and Nik Kershaw. There’s also T-Pau, The road again, still clinging on to the vain hope that with someone. Anyone. Blockheads and Chas’n’Dave who might, their brand of trashy glam-metal will hit a chord LIL-LAPOLOOZA: Fat Lil’s, Witney for once, find themselves the most credible th act on the bill. It’ll be plenty of people’s Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20 of each month - no idea of musical hell on earth, and does lend exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission credibility to those who declaim the 80s as the worst decade ever for music. But for sheer cheesy retro wallowing, there’ll be no better event this summer. Sponsored LIVE by

SPINNERETTE / LITTLE FISH O2 Academy She’s swigging neat vodka from the bottle, perched post-gig on the side of the Cowley Road; Brody Dalle makes Courtney Love look like Margaret Thatcher. The punkette left Australia Photo: RPHimages in her teens to elope with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, wound up in LA fronting The Distillers, divorced Armstrong to marry Josh ‘Queens Of The Stone Age’ Homme and started Spinnerette, one woman’s take on nu-rave-dance-punk. Distillers may be pre-historic, but tonight’s ratio of mohawks to glo-sticks betrays what’s been behind ticket sales. We’re amply sated first by Little Fish, who shred liberation on a bigger stage: ferocious rock screeches split punchier rock’n’roll than recent festival sets have pushed them to air. Spinnerette emerge through the feedback, an amalgamation of Brody’s cigarette-scraped vocals infused with – it’s impossible to avoid the comparison – the blunt striding of her husband’s pseudo-stoner band. Somewhat anchorless, songs like - ‘Geeking’ - lean heavily on QOTSA lines, but lack the arrogance to execute. With a set admittedly devoid of her previous band’s energy, Oxford isn’t - optimistic shrieks from Distillers’ fans aside - feeling Spinnerette’s mash-up. “Where’s the bar in this place?” Brody snaps. “You all need to get another drink”. The grungier ‘Baptized By Fire’ settles into a more curvaceous groove, dropping into ‘All Babes Are Wolves’, all dashes of choppy dance-rock ripped out of family friends’ Eagles of Death Metal’s riff encyclopaedia. Pitching from ‘Sex Bomb’ – a sinking-diving melee that relies on Brody’s ability to carry a melody – into grrl-rock ‘Ghetto Love’, the set closes – sans encore – with the sludgier ‘Walking Dead’. It’s unlikely Brody’s choice of after-show refreshments reflect any performance anxiety. One uninspired show isn’t going to derail someone with more connections than Stephen Fry’s Twitter - but for the sake of the next generation’s riot grrls, let’s hope Spinnerette grow roots that keep them more whole, than Hole. Liz Dodd

FROM HERE, WE RUN! / SIDEWINDERS / shirt. The supreme gurning of one of the guitarist is merely a bonus, as we watch and wonder MINOR COLES whether it is possible to eat your own head. Quite why their vocalist appears to model himself on The Wheatsheaf Simon Le Bon is something we’ll ponder on the We arrive at The Wheatsheaf positively dripping be so proficient within months of their inception way home. from the torrential rain outside, only to find that is scary. Given a few more months Minor Coles From Here, We Run! appear to be having a bad since our last visit, the venue has been re- could just be the most talked about band in night. They’re clearly talented but for some developed as an oven. Oxford. reason their collision of math-rock and cutesy Braving the heat admirably are Minor Coles, who If there’s one thing tonight’s promoters Gappy indie fare (largely represented by the fey vocals have just secured a spot on the Truck line up, so Tooth Industries can never be accused of, it’s of Pietke) doesn’t quite come off tonight. Riffs we’re expecting good things. Although touted as putting together generic line ups. So it is we slip and patterns are stumbled over. Songs start. Stop. being an acoustic act we’re pleased to find this is from the college pop of Minor Coles to the full Rewind. And start again. There are glimmers of something of an untruth. Their compositions on rock’n’roll of The Sidewinders. You can hope when things lock in nicely later on, but the have the simplicity favoured by many a singer- imagine each and every one of them sleeps under band seems visibly rattled. From Here, We Run! songwriter, but with the muscle of a full band; an Iron Maiden duvet at night (though probably are overflowing with good ideas and tricky time they have more in common with the likes of The not the same one) because they play nothing but signatures, but tonight, in the pressure cooker of La’s than any thing else. Their set is peppered straight-up classic rock. Duelling solos are The Wheatsheaf they seem to have lost their with songs that are full of glorious hooks and dutifully in place, as is rampant drumming, cool. perfect vocal harmonies. For a band to thunderous riffing and the obligatory Maiden T- Sam Shepherd CAT MATADOR / UTE / THE ANYDAYS / DEAD JERICHOS AIDEN CANADAY The Bullingdon Something special this way comes. forty-odd years. They say the best The Wheatsheaf Dead Jerichos, a very young and songs have a simple familiarity about A pleasantly busy Wheatsheaf with a strange twist by the exciting three piece out of Drayton, them, but The Anydays test this tonight, for a Wednesday. It’s combination of lead melody on an marry the subcutaneous intelligence theorem to the ultimate destruction normally the day that promoters acoustic guitar, with a penchant for of The Jam with a commanding of their main amplifier, which causes fear. Perhaps it’s due to the free the exploration of structure and talent way beyond their years. It’ll be a stir by catching fire and filling the pick’n’mix that’s being handed out dynamics with a very sparse rhythm so easy for instant critics to skewer room with a pall of acrid smoke. on the door? If nothing else, that section that often recalls their on-the-sleeve mod influences, After the hapless electronics are gimmick provides me with the awful Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’. There but already the intricate guitar despatched to the car park to die, necessity of stating that tonight’s are moments of nervousness, but to flourishes within choppy songs like they carry on through the PA, arc bill was ‘something of a pick’n’mix continue the DJ clichés they’re ‘Red Dance Floor’ see them struggling welding together huge slabs of The of music’ (read that out in your best definitely ‘one to watch’. out of that nurturing cocoon into Troggs and The Stooges (‘Psycho 1980s Radio 1 DJ voice); the Cat Matador are a great headliner, experimental air. Leo Rayner on Baby’) Oasis and Primal Scream general high standards perhaps and tick a lot of boxes with a set of drums is astonishingly good alongside (‘Sixteen Days’) and ‘Saturday helping to explain the bustle. Aiden solid, slightly angular indie rock: Sahm Amirsedghi’s nonsense bass, and Night’s Alright For Fightin” via The Canaday opens the show with a acute indie rock, if you like. There if the charming, bullish confidence of Blockheads (‘Time To Get Up’) in a somewhat lightweight, but comes a time in one’s evening when singer-guitarist Craig Evans can wash manner that, if I were beered up, and reasonably heartfelt set of morose straightforward is best, and that’s off the Alex Turner glottal stops and not reviewing I’d thoroughly enjoy. indie-folk. One voice, one what this band does. They’re not find his own voice, we might have Instead, as I’m the reverse, I end up keyboard, one jauntily-placed hat. going to win awards for devastating that most rare of beasts; a local band trainspotting every song rip-off till Nice. The voice is good and echoey: originality or ferocious invention, with something to say. my note pad is almost comically full. perhaps that is more due to the PA but I believe they’re not trying to do Recently Richard Thompson I can’t be sure whether they know all than the singing, but it gives it a that – and that’s refreshing in itself. embarked on a tour in which he this or whether they simple don’t warm edge, which is welcome. They get on stage and they get on covered a thousand years of music. care. Maybe I’ve simply been around Ute, I’ll happily admit, are my with business, and they’re loud and The Anydays could equally do an too long. surprise highlight of the evening. effective. It takes skill to pull off educational tour demonstrating how Paul Carrera It’s their differentness that attracts music that’s compelling without it to put together me; they’re a musically-adept seeming challenging – and it’s a trick a modern combination of the familiar and the that this band has learnt pretty well. song out of odd. There are touches of what can ‘Keep on rockin’, lads’ – or the jigsaw of now be a very tired post-whatever whatever Kid Jensen would say. bands from kind of band, but they’re presented Simon Minter the last

WHITE DENIM / CALI COLLECT O2 Academy You know it’s going to be a long night it out, then has to scamper back to his amp when two songs into a support set, you can to plug it in while attempting to preserve feel the blood drain from your face and the last shreds of his dignity. Ah, time stand still, as if thrown into some schadenfreude, how we love you. hideous never-ending purgatory of Where Cali Collect scarcely have two watching thousands of opening bands at the ideas to rub together, White Denim are Bull and Gate all at once. practically a lesson in musical Cali Collect might play risibly poor alt. intemperance. They start off brilliantly, a rock, but they do unwittingly provide the looped, lucent guitar line on top of some highlight of the night when the guitarist tense percussion, ripping into a stoner- treads on his guitar cable mid-solo, pulling tinged, loping riff that promises great things. Sadly, things go downhill from here. If a preternatural mastery of the wah wah pedal was the mark of a great band, White Denim would be bigger than U2 by now, but much of the next hour is spent watching the band flit from a watered-down interpretation of psychedelia to some periodically interesting but stubbornly anaemic seventies rock grooves. Except they neither pause between songs or shift the tempo, instead churning out an hour- long morass of chunky, mid-paced riffs interspersed with prosaic soloing. If you’re going to transform music by making the most of a single idea, you’d better make that idea a really good one, as opposed to making us feel like we’ve been mugged by a particularly tenacious Kyuss covers band, as we do by the time they ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- introduce the final lump of their SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- interminable wig-out with “we’ve got one DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- more jam left”. Saints preserve us. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 Stuart Fowkes Photo: RPHimages CORNBURY FESTIVAL Lightning Seeds Cornbury Park

SATURDAY It’s the little things that make a festival. The first act we encounter at Cornbury are The SPLOTT BROTHERS, two old geezers in fez hats and tuxedos, armed with an old-fashioned organ playing silent film music while cajoling passers- by to sit at a table, be served with cocktails and generally become part of the act. It’s like something from an old penny dreadful sideshow, on many levels catastrophically awful, but utterly compulsive. It’s a very English kind of act, and Cornbury is a very English kind of festival. With a very English type of festival weather. It’s glorious sunshine now but half the crowd have already donned wellies in anticipation of the forthcoming deluge. As if willing the rain to keep at bay, BOY LEAST LIKELY TO are unrelentingly cheery, a Magic Numbers little cheesy – even more so than the BBC Radio Oxford duo who introduce them – and of course they’ve got a banjo. Theirs is a skiffle-inflected pop hoedown intended to buoy the slowly swelling audience and set a scene of good cheer for the weekend. They mostly succeed, even given a cover version of George Michael’s ‘Faith’ and the impression that they’re the musical equivalent of that irritatingly enthusiastic relative who insists on making everyone play charades at Christmas.

DODGY too seem laboratory-built to squeeze the last ounce of sunshine out of a summer’s afternoon, their good-natured laddishness seemingly reflected in the worryingly large number of blokes we spot sporting rubber biker helmets with spikes on. Obviously this year’s jesters’ hats, god help us. There’s a telling moment when a swear word slips out and half the crowd start boo-ing. Not much chance of Motorhead playing next year, then. Still, all seems to be forgiven when Dodgy play ‘Staying from MAGIC NUMBERS who can, on previous soul credentials. She belts out ‘Black Eyed Boy’ Out For The Summer’ and everyone suddenly experience, be either a shower of pure summer and several others that sound just like it before has an extra spring in their step. sunshine, or an indulgent retro racket. They’re hitting ‘River Deep, Mountain High’. Someone Not least KINGSIZE 5, a simple, fun blend of more of the former today, occasionally sounding close by suddenly experiences an epiphany, old-fashioned swing and jive who sound like more like the 80s incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, exclaiming, “Oh, she’s from the band Texas, not they probably headlined Cornbury Festival in but then tripping out in more psychedelic acid- Texas in America!” It only took him an hour to 1940, if it existed back then. folk style, hitting us with pure pop classic, work that one out. Given Cornbury’s overriding MOR musical `Love Me Like You’, before ending on a stadium- stance, the including of THE SHORTWAVE sized campfire singalong. But what we really need right now is some SET is unusual – the critics’ choice rather than stupid, fun, mad-eyed punk rock action to take crowd-pleasing party-makers – but theirs is Then it starts to rain. Just a light drizzle for us out of this drizzly depression. And THE possibly the set of the weekend, bringing a little starters but one that gets heavier by increments DAMNED just about do the trick. The hits downbeat artiness ahead of the rain. There’s a until you realise you’re soaked through your coat sound bloody great, from a rampaging ‘New bit of anthemic pop sweetness about their and boots and the entire mood of the festival has Rose’ to the orchestral sweep of ‘Eloise’, as songs but also an underlying motorik groove taken a downward turn. People start drinking Mssrs Sensible and Vanian ham it up like panto that leans toward Stereolab, and their sleek more earnestly as if to keep the encroaching chill dames, only spoiling it a bit with too many guitar cover of ‘Slave To The Rhythm is an at bay and memories of last year’s soaking come solos and paying tribute to Peter Green, without unexpected but delightful peach of a moment. flooding back. whom etc. etc. when really punk was all about We wander over to see if TEDDY THOMSON kicking dinosaurs like that into the back of A wander further up the festival field to the is as excruciating as his renowned father, who we beyond. Riverside stage to watch WITCHES provides once stood and watched for two hours in a And now, dear friends, it’s positively lashing it us with a the prefect excuse to avoid PETER torrential downpour at Cropredy because people down. And what could be more soul-enhancing GREEN who has attracted approximately one assured us he was a legend. He isn’t. Quite. than watching SCOUTING FOR GIRLS in the hundred times as many onlookers and is Meanwhile, SMILEX are chucking strawberries pouring rain? Stabbing your own eyes out with a precisely one hundred times less fun. He plays into the crowd as if to hammer home the point biro, perhaps? We seriously contemplate it for a ‘Albatross, which might have kept any casual they’re the fruitiest band on the bill, at least in moment before heading for the campsite bar, to fans happy but such a tediously reverential run- the profanity stakes. drink even more heavily and laugh at possibly through old blues-rock guff threatens to eclipse SHARLEEN SPITERI doesn’t need to swear to the most heroically rubbish rapper in even Scouting For Girls in the blinding tedium be noticed; her nose does the work for her. She’s Christendom before attempting to get some sleep stakes. far better than we expected to be honest, armed with rain drumming ever more heavily on the tent A rather more fun return trip to the 60s comes with a bit of showbiz pizzazz and some serious roof. Imelda May Pretenders

Sugababes

Sharleen Spiteri

mention a cracking 1950s hair-do. Mixing up the weekend. Chrissie Hynde is, what, 58? 59? SUNDAY primitive rockabilly with 40s swing, she’s like a but she’s cooler by far than most women half her Of course, if there’s one thing worse than trying classier, punkier Amy Winehouse and she seems age. She struts, she shimmies, she… well, she to get to sleep in a tent to the sound of rain, it’s to wake the entire festival site up finally. just rocks, okay? It’s a crowd-pleasing hits set, waking up with glorious sunshine boring through Just in time for EDDI READER to almost send as you’d hope for, from ‘Brass In Pocket’ to the canvas and slowly baking you alive in your the whole place catatonic again with a display of ‘Talk Of The Town’ and, yeah, The Pretenders sleeping bag. Yeah, cheers Mother Nature. library-friendly folk-pop that’s refined and have still got it. There’s a stall in the campsite doing Portobello seamless instead of raw and rootsy; if Reader mushroom and halloumi burgers with rocket and really is the keeper of Scottish music’s flame, as It’s always been Cornbury’s strategic strength garlic olive oil. Which isn’t something you have she seems to believe, she’s in desperate need of that they try and end Sunday night on a high, and for breakfast every day, and as clothes dry in the some extra paraffin to keep it alight. In fact, a so, after the hellish inconsequentiality of sun, we watch some flash git doing aerobatics bloody great big bonfire is what we could do Scouting For Shite last night, we get a full-on folk above the festival site, knowing he’s got a captive with right now to get a proper party started. hoedown with PEATBOG FAERIES on the audience. Then it rains again, just long enough to second stage, complete with bagpipes, which get our clothes wet again. Instead we get LIGHTNING SEEDS, who always sound bloody fantastic coming from a normally we’d love but who seem to approach festival stage, followed by tonight’s headliners, The sun is back out again in time for live performance like some strange alien entity to SUGABABES, a band you might not expect to NATUREBOY’s opening set of the day, and if be treated with utmost caution, which is a take to these surroundings as well as the rockier most people still aren’t awake enough yet to cardinal sin when you’re playing on a festival and folkier acts, but whose well-drilled Greatest show much enthusiasm, his bucolic jazzy pop stage. And so, despite being armed with possibly Hits set goes beyond ticking boxes marked does serve as a gentle introduction to the day. the best arsenal of great pop songs of any band familiarity and inclusiveness and features more In fact, it’s pretty much gentle musical strolling on the main stage this weekend – from ‘Life Of songs we know all the words to than we care to for most of Sunday, from STORNOWAY’s Riley’ to ‘Lucky You’, they sound like a dirge. admit. enthralling set on the Folk stage that deserves a Ian Brody may be touched by genius in the And of course it helps that we haven’t had a far larger audience, through LAURA AND THE studio, but perhaps that’s where he should stay drop of rain since breakfast. It may be those little TEARS’ decidedly underwhelming display of in future. things that make each festival different, but a bit soft-centred r’n’b on the main stage that’s so Luckily THE PRETENDERS are proper of sunshine is the one thing guaranteed to makes smooth and soulless, they make IMELDA MAY rock’n’roll warhorses of the old school – each one that much more enjoyable. sound like Napalm Death by comparison. veterans of festival stages across the globe and That’s maybe unfair on Imelda actually, who able to put on a show that comes close to Words: Ian Chesterton does have a right whopper of a voice, not to topping even The Damned for performance of Photos: Danny Cox shirts and battered nametags, is amusing, but doesn’t detract from some high quality rock taken at a stately pace. Glance at their website, and you’ll find it boasts more ideas than most bands get through in a lifetime: their music is harmless levity, but they take it very seriously, which is why we love them. Three chunky lads playing sweary punk should be tedious, so the fact that Headcount are not only listenable, but also one of this county’s best acts, Smilex photo: Johnny Moto is frankly astounding. We call it The Tommy Cooper Ratio. So, of course we get lumpy clogged-artery punk frolics, but we get subtlety too, in Stef Hale’s surprisingly delicate drum embellishments (shades of Therapy?, perhaps) and Rob Moss’ increasingly melodic vocals. As befits a band that has been working hard for a decade, it’s admirably mature stuff, and even better, as Moss gives his arse an airing onstage, it’s played by admirably immature people. The temptation before this gig was to cut up all our old Smilex reviews and stick the words back together in a random order. A problem with being vastly professional and reliable entertainers (and SMILEX / HEADCOUNT / BEELZEBOZO / you should see Tom Sharp flying into the set, even though he’s sick as a dog), is that people DEATH VALLEY RIDERS can get immured to your charms. Intriguingly, this turns out to be a set of new and less familiar The Wheatsheaf material, which allows us to focus once again on Repetition, like excessive volume, is a musical sleek adamantine, but warm guacamole. Ultra- what a storming rock band Smilex are. trick that’s childishly easy to achieve, yet minimal music can be hypnotic, but it can also We discover afresh how intense the rhythm incredibly difficult to pull off convincingly. Death just be, you know, sort of…long. section is, and how good Lee Christian can be at Valley Riders play huge, near-static rock Beelzebozo are the residue after a clinical hard performing a song (even whilst he’s flailing instrumentals, with a distant basis in metal, and rock titration – there’s nothing to their music but about with his top off, like the grotesque child the merest hint of goth in the bass effects, and thumping drums, ceaseless riffs and silly outfits, of Iggy Pop and Neil Hannon). A wonderful set come off like Einstellung divided by Nephilim. leaving us wondering why so many other rockers by a band we shouldn’t take for granted. But The ever-chugging longform tracks are doubtless try to dilute their sound with clumsy extraneous don’t spit on us like that, Lee; Rob’s already supposed to be monumental, and in a way they ornaments (rap breaks, hasty electronics, brought one arse to the stage, no need to be are, but that isn’t always impressive: imagine the embarrassing politics). The band’s Satan-raped another. monolith in 2001 made of, not mysteriously conference delegate look, all blood-splattered David Murphy

DIVE DIVE / THE ELRICS / NIGHT PORTRAITS SILVERSUN PICKUPS The Bullingdon O2 Academy Outside it’s murderously muggy and the Cowley Waiting to happen might one day be etched on Animal Kingdom are a UK four-piece band playing Road tarmac is beginning to melt. Inside an air- Dive Dive’s gravestone. Not because the band indie, alternative post-rock music. There is con-cooled Bully, Night Portraits are boiling up have sat around in expectation – they’ve worked nothing special, edgy or surprising about them. their own summer storm. They’re all fizz, froth their collective arse off over the past decade – There’s nothing ‘animal’ either. In fact, you can’t and thunder: cascading drums, high-wired guitars but because a higher level of success has always help but feel suspicious when you check out their and shouting. Songs sound like they’re fighting eluded them, bad luck rearing its ugly head at Myspace page, filled with absolute statements of tooth and nail while being sucked down a giant inopportune moments. But perhaps salvation is grandeur (like in film reviews) of the quality of plug hole. ‘Otter Of Beirut’ is a gothic Electric at hand. Having worked as Frank Turner’s their music by The Guardian and NME. They have Six that finds the singer barking non-sequiturs as backing band for a couple of years, a new a rockier approach to Coldplay and a more emo the bassist accidentally wrecks his guitar. But generation of fans could be theirs. They’ve not attachment to Sigur Ros in Richard Sauberlich’s unlike the last time we saw them, when pretty been idle in the songwriting stakes either, having vocals, possessed of a natural but irritating falsetto, much the same thing happened, tonight they just apparently penned and discarded three albums- and songs blur in an unrecognizable mash of sloppy get on with it, powering through the flange-heavy worth of material in lead up to recording their soapiness and monotonous drumming. ‘Fellows’ and the strident post-punk noise of third CD. Tonight is the band’s first local If you fancy a doped-up version of Smashing ‘Southern Electric’. Superb, simple stuff and headline gig in an age, and if the crowd doesn’t Pumpkins, Pixies or Breeders, Silversun Pickups they’re still young enough to be getting a lift do the band’s reputation justice, their will be right up your street. The Californian outfit home with their mum afterwards. performance does easily. They’re taut and have cultivated a large fan base for to their fussy, By contrast, Erics singer Marc doesn’t look like bullish, kicking out melodic but high-wired post- grunting and droning guitar roar and Brian Aubert’s the sort of person you’d trust in a car with your hardcore pop with the well-drilled rusty, husky vocals. The overpowering bass lines mum. Like a young Robbie Williams dressed as a professionalism you’d expect a band to are an attack to the senses too but the band’s best Levi’s 501 model, he’s got Morrissey’s quiff, command after so long on the road, but coupled psychedelic convulsions come from the drummer eyebrows and mannerisms and certainly seems with a freshness that comes from playing their Christopher Guanlao. All this sounds powerful in born to the stage. When he sings, though, he’s own songs for a change. New songs like the writing but even though they are on the right track more Brian Molko than Mozzer and there’s a sparse, eager ‘Mr Ten Percent’ mingle with old to set the mood and momentum of controlled distinct mix of the muscular and camp about the favourites like ‘Name And Number’, a fluid violence, they’ve not yet mastered the skill to band, as if John Barrowman had left West End avalanche of guitar pop that’s equal to the best break it. There’s nothing more alluring and engaging musicals for Indieville. Stone-y r’n’b rubs up of Idlewild. They still can’t do ballads, as the than using the importance of anticipation, and so against a more ethereal Mew-style of pop, and cloying ‘Let’s Swap Places’ amply demonstrates, teasing the crowd’s senses to challenge it. Silversun casting aside the cheesy ‘She Doesn’t Exist’, but when they get their skates on Dive Dive, are Pickups, unfortunately, are still a bit far from somewhere in here there’s a pop hit and a pin-up still leaders of punk’s brat pack. becoming grown-ups in that area. waiting to happen. Dale Kattack Liane Escorza THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE / BOSSAPHONIK PRESENTS RAGGEDY ANGRY EDENHEIGHT O2 Academy The Cellar Spotting people queuing for this gig at Japanese heartthrobs Dir En Grey In the midst of everyday life, where have I ventured to The Cellar when 2pm, and seeing town was awash with they’re much more a treat for the something normally vibrant within the vibes have been this spectacularly purple and black, it’s rather a surprise eyes than the ears. The songs are the psyche can be starched flat, intense. to find an Academy less than half full mainly lumpen metal-by-numbers, given a drubbing, or distorted beyond Edenheight are at their best when the tonight. The modest but loyal lurching from chord to chord like a recognition, there are heaven-sent instruments are left to ornament and following are out for two sides of the drunk staggering home, and only bands like Edenheight to readdress careen wildly - the saxophone acceptable face of goth in the form Chibi’s clear, engaging voice keeps the balance. Basking in the glow of sections in particular - and distilled to of two bands from Ontario, Canada the set alive. As an experiment I an illustrious influences list, browsing the most vital levels of conditioning. on this first date of a European tour. close my eyes and, as expected, I hear their MySpace page for the first A cauldron of good eggs as a nine- Raggedy Angry claim to be voted the uninspiring, predictable metal-pop. occasion offers up a titbit of what’s piece congregation, the interval is a most controversial band in Ontario, The cover of ‘I Think We’re Alone to come at this month’s afrobeat, nice touch, giving minutes to but tonight they’re actually a lot of Now’ is more telling than maybe they latin jazz and funk extravaganza compose oneself before giving in to fun, their name telling you pretty realise, in that they owe more to Bossaphonik. Having seen Mankala another hour of rockin’ jazz-funk. much all you need to know. Hardcore Tiffany than say, Coil, the genuinely tear it up two months prior with a Shortly after, the arrival of Madlox metal with an electro twist, even a unsettling industrial pioneers. By now meld of Santana-like rhythms and applies an underlying pulse to the taste of happy hardcore, they pretty the crowd has thinned out enough to lyrical interplay, fellow Bristolians evening. The partying audience lap much give up on trying to frighten us gob back at Rainbow, but no-one Edenheight present a repertoire of this up, dancing with red shoes on. as soon as they start. Despite a bothers. dub-inflected meanderings and a Working in unison, the sax men vary diverting cover of ‘Gangster’s It’s an interesting example of how healthy smattering of jazz-funk their inhalation technique to great Paradise’, an extensive merchandise the internet has changed music; once attitude. effect, the group alternating numbers range suggests they realise the music people would turn out for a gig With the DJs ushering in funky but throughout but always making more alone isn’t likely to make them stars, because it was the only way to find reserved tunes to please those seated than just a pretty sound. Madlox rides controversial or otherwise. out what they were like. Now you can and standing, starting as a four piece, with the lyric “You know I wanna do The Birthday Massacre continue the watch hours of live footage and learn jamming out an arousing take on anything you wanna do”, attracting black, white and lots of make-up every last detail about a band before British funk, two saxophonists enter bodies closer by a word to “Get theme. Singer Chibi, in vampire you leave your bed. The result seems by the third number, while watching down”, whereby the crowd show an schoolgirl chic, does her best to whip to be an increasingly fractured scene the drummer and keyboard player is a affinity and respect by doing as he up the crowd while Marilyn Manson- of niches and sub-genres, with the visual treat, and like a portable says. Ultimately, what’s at stake with lookalike guitarist Rainbow spends innocent excitement of discovery the microwave, they know how to bring gigs like this? Edenheight have a most of the gig gobbing on the floor. victim. the heat. Abundant in atmosphere but simple answer: pleasure. More visual kei than goth, like Art Lagun never sickly like cake icing, seldom Mick Buckingham Introducing….

Nightshift’s new monthly guide to the best local bands bubbling under HREÐA Who are they? HREÐA are a spellcheck-bothering three-piece instrumental band formed in 2006 by Russ Wainwright (drums) and Jamie Cooper (guitar). After a couple of months practising they decided they needed another guitar and recruited Alex, even though he fell asleep during the first rehearsal session together. The trio played their first show in March 2007 at an Abort, Retry, Fail? club night at the Cellar. Since then they’ve garnered rave reviews in Nightshift and on DrownedinSound. In November that year they released a DIY promo ‘EP One’, and this September they will be out touring across the UK to promote double A-side single ‘Minnows’/‘Dead Horses’ on Bristol’s Ingue And the lowlight: Records. “After the tour we did in April 08, it took us an age to get back to normal What do they sound like? service. We just weren’t productive in that time and it got to us a bit.” HREÐA are all distorted peaks, complex battling guitars and subtle changes Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: of pace. One of Nightshift’s earliest live reviews of the band pointed to their “SeaBuckThorn. ‘Twilight Synopsis’ is a beautiful piece of work, similar to rare ability in their world of post-rock to be both pensive and cathartic: Grails’ ‘Black Tar Prophecies…’” “Their guitars have obviously had a good massage from Steve Albini and If they could only keep one album in the world, what would it be? they know how to work the hypnotic angle to a tee. The slower sections of “Phya - `The Haunted House’, simply because it’s the only album that I their set give the odd feeling of being underwater, while the more textured can remember we’ve all agreed we like.” blasts are akin to being brought upwards to glide low over the ocean. No, When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? scratch that, Hreda ARE the ocean; a large, exquisite, glistening expanse that The next Oxford gig is for Audioscope on 19th August at the Wheatsheaf, is all too easy to get carried away with.” with DrumEyes. For three people we make a big sound. We should also be What inspires them? playing new tracks too.” “HREÐA is a group effort and we all contribute equally. It’s the overall Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: honesty: I think we all get a buzz out of that. Practise for us now is always “Favourite: some of the best buskers. Least favourite: some of the worst just trying to put ideas together. It’s never a constant production line but we buskers.” are finding bits we like, are all happy playing and ultimately the continuous You might love them if you love: practise makes us better at what we do.” Godspeed You! Black Emperor; Explosions In The Sky; Mogwai; Don Career highlight so far: Caballero. “Playing the last Trailerpark Tent at Truck Festival was a highlight; we had Hear them here: never played on a stage as big as that before.” www.myspace.com/hreda DEMOSDEMOS Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day’s recording at Keynote. Call 01189 599944 to claim your prize and get special deals for local bands!

strung-out and strangulated yelping on ‘It’s DEMO OF My Frustration’. Heaven only knows where they’ll go from here, but it’s comforting to THE MONTH know that they can do different styles with just as much haphazard incompetence as they did their old punk stuff. IRON WOLF As we type this, southern England is still NIGHT PORTRAITS basking in the sort of heatwave that makes Perhaps they could learn a thing or two from you think maybe global warming ain’t such a Night Portraits, a band we were mighty bad thing and perhaps we can grow olives in impressed with when we saw them playing at our back garden and drink Pimms every the Bullingdon earlier in the month and are afternoon. Which means it’ll piss it down still young enough to be picked up by their tomorrow and we’ve lost our last chance to mum afterwards. They cross the divide get a tan by sitting in a stuffy office listening between early-80s positive punk (we’re to a large batch of demos. Let no-one tell studiously trying to avoid using the phrase you this is a glamorous job. What’s more, the goth here) and Fugazi-style post-hardcore. first CD in the pile seems to make a virtue of Theirs is a tender tumult, battering otherwise its utter, unrelenting misery. Iron Wolf sweet-natured melodies about with a ragged describe themselves as “The vanguard of a nonchalance, cocksure and full of suppressed hallowed army torn to shreds at the teeth of rage. There are two songs here, each pounded a dreaded behemoth.” They are, “The out in simple, aggressive fashion and kept on crushing peril of brave knights facing their a tight leash. Bish bash bosh. Job done. doom”. Or perhaps a bunch of goths stuck in a blacked-out bedroom with an old Sevenchurch album on the stereo and a well- VOLUNTEER thumbed copy of Lord Of The Rings on the Volunteer is the work of Martin Andrews, bookshelf. Which isn’t to say this isn’t a bit who also plays guitar in synth-rockers Camp bloody good. With the emphasis on the word Actor, now based in Oxford and here bloody. Iron Wolf’s is a well-orchestrated ploughing his singular electro-pop furrow, mix of ambient industrial doom, sludgy, riff- initially sounding like Joy Division filtered 876084 heavy doom and guttural bellowing. With a through a tinny machine-pop filter to side order of boiled doom. They switch from unexpectedly enjoyable effect, before clattering black metal ferocity to passages of clunking into a sparse Suicide side alley, all dense industrial fog and heavy electro harsh metallic beats, heavily-reverbed vocals blooping with admirable gravity and not a and shards of silicon flying about. He’s less hint of irony and as the Met Office predicts effective trying to be human, with all the torrential downpours and flash floods in the frailties that implies, on ‘Yellow Paper West Country, we know just who to blame. Walls’, which is too vague and tries too hard Ragnarok? Bring it on! to emulate Bowie’s late-70s electro period, but hats off to the fella for his cover of Spacemen 3’s ‘Revolution’, a difficult track THE BLITZ CARTEL to tackle given the original’s sheer enormous power. In a neat twist of history, he turns the Having previously furnished us with a song into a Suicide-like grind, that band succession of pissed-up punk demos that influencing Spacemen 3 so heavily in the erred on the chaotic side of ramshackle, it’s first place. Interesting stuff all-round; an odd experience hearing Blitz Cartel hopefully Martin will be about town for a switching into something altogether more while longer. poppy, albeit from the drawer marked ‘warped pop’. ‘Oh Girl’ sounds like they’ve swapped the glue and speed for mescaline and WE ARE UGLY BUT discovered Liars, although the end result sounds more like a misfired attempt at WE HAVE THE sounding like Brian Eno’s mid-70s pop excursions. Not sure it entirely suits them, MUSIC but respect for trying something different. A one-man bedroom project formed by Thin Elsewhere they go back to their roots with Green Candles’ Fred who got fed up with all the tinny, trashy ‘Seven Car Pile Up’, all his friends and family finding TGC’s music clattering pots’n’pans drums, Stooges guitars too difficult. So he turned his laptop and and shouting, before tipping back into quirky memory back in the direction of early-90s new wave for the delightfully-titled, if rave and bleep, bloop, squiggle, here’s a low- seemingly half-formed ‘I Love Alex So I rent but occasionally fun mix and match of Wrote This Song About Him And His Ex The Grid, Underworld and KLF, all swirling (That Bitch)’ and ending with some typically synths and solid electro beats. Best cuts here are the heavier, nagging ‘Snich & Snach’ and female crooner to breath some life into it. ‘Iddyoc’, which could be a previously Until then, never mind Belle & Sebastian and unimagined hybrid of Yazoo and A Guy Called Boltthrower, a simple bolt gun is all that’s Gerald. But really, if your family think your required to put us all out of Ulysse’s misery. music is too difficult to understand, get a new family. KNIGHTS OF STYLE COLUMBUS Naming yourself after a rather secretive SYNCRETISTS Catholic lads club might be seen as a mistake, Another demo from the strange and leading your demo with a live recording of a sometimes inspired world of AJ /Asher Dust, song where the audience’s handclaps are here finding him collaborating with French louder (and, it must be said, more in time) producer Monsieur Greg, although the pair than the song, is asking for trouble. A couple have never met, just communicated through of listens through and we’re still trying to email. AJ admits from the off that the work out what, if any, point there is to THE COURTYARD STUDIO collaboration is a bit conservative for his Knights Of Columbus. ‘Sonifex’ is a widdly, palette and probably not Nightshift’s kind of fiddly math-rock instrumental with none of PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ thing, but hints that if we compare his voice the inventiveness of the best of that genre 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE to Jay Kay out of Jamiroquai there will be but all the pointless frippery of its worst MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB gangster-related reprisals. It never crossed protagonists and with an apparent single aim CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION our mind. Much. Actually, with its in life to see just how trebly they can get the OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI lightweight electric-piano-led funk and guitar to sound before buggering off without FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI slightly nasal vocal delivery, demo opener even attempting to construct a tune. They S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) ‘Special Thing’ sounds more like a cross do slightly better with ‘So You Want To?’, between 80s hitmakers Shakatak and UB40. although its ragged indie jangle and thrash is Residential facilities included. Which we guess is pretty insulting to a man entirely bereft of character, and it’s ironic it www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com who values his funk and reggae. Rather better finds them singing, “So you want to be PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS is ‘Set Your Spirit Free’, with its jammed-out different”, when they quite patently don’t. ON 01235 845800 70s Blaxploitation soundtrack feel and echoes of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground’, while ‘Kissing My Dub’ properly hits a lazy, loping reggae groove before wandering off a THE DEMO bit too much towards the end. The man is right then – a far more conservative offering DUMPER than his best stuff where he tends to veer well off the beaten path, hit on some weird PARACHUTES old blues, soul or reggae thing and let his imagination go to town, but enough of his This is so all over the place we wonder talent shines through to keep your attention. whether it even qualifies as music and thus any kind of music criticism. Parachutes are apparently a five-piece band, though they ULYSSE sound more like some sausage-fingered bedroom hermit collapsing on the random DuPASQUIER play buttons of every instrument in his room In the big tough manly music stakes, Ulysse and deluding himself that it’s something akin here makes Belle & Sebastian sound like to avant garde genius. There’s a bit of Boltthrower, but don’t let that make you trancey electro minimalism with some posh- think for one second he sounds even trying-to-sound-geezerish shouting utter remotely like Belle & Sebastian. Rather he fucking bollocks over the top that is sings like a 90-year-old man on the point of doubtless meant to pass as rapping, and shuffling off his mortal coil, each barely- further in a whole jumble of electronic beats, decipherable line fading into an ever- aimlessly strummed acoustic guitar and some weakening groan on songs like ‘You Are bloke with clipped accent going on about Within Me (Oh Vile Consumptive Disorder)’. loving Mozart or something before it all Sorry, we made up that bit in brackets. But, morphs untidily and inappropriately into a by god, this from a (presumably) healthy 19- rambling post-punk noise. It’s like there’s no year-old? We blame the industrialisation of pre-planning gone into this at all, but not in the food industry and the abandonment of a crazed Japanese hardcore improv band sort National Service. Still, this is meaty stuff of way, just a bloody great big mess created compared to ‘Paperwall’ wherein Ulysse by people without the necessary skill to carry simply whinges and whines like a sickly child it off. Listening through its appalling twenty over a solemn, slender acoustic guitar dirge. minutes is like watching a hastily cobbled “Nyer nyer, I want a DS for Christmas / together Sunday league team trying to Nyer nyer, why can’t I go on Club Penguin? / emulate Holland’s sublime total football, only Nyer nyer, not fair, want sweets”. Seriously, to witness the keeper score an untidy own the lad cannot sing. Not at all. It’s goal off his arse while the rest of the team embarrassing. It’s horrible. Make it stop. collapse like overweight Labradors on wet Funny thing is, once in a while the music is lino. Out of the window it goes. Without a quite sweet and maybe cries out for a flowery parachute.

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