[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 260 March Oxford’s Music Magazine 2017 “I can’t imagine there are many better cities to be in a band. Our fans have remained unbelievably loyal. We are extremely proud to be an Oxford band.”

farewell STORNOWAY Their final show Their final interview Also in this issue: Introducing THE GREAT WESTERN TEARS TRUCK, COMMON PEOPLE, CORNBURY line-ups announced plus All your Oxford music news and reviews, and six pages of local gigs for March NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk

PMT launches its new superstore this month with special guests and live sets from local acts. Gaz Coombes and Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood will cut the SEAN PAUL AND PETE TONG’S HERITAGE ORCHESTRA ribbon on the new store, at the new will headline this year’s Common People. site further along Cowley Road, on Jamaican dancehall star Paul tops the Saturday night bill at the Saturday 4th March. The shop will 30,000-capacity event in South Park on the 27th May, while Radio 1 DJ THE JACKSONS will play a show be three times the size of its existing Tong joins forces with The Heritage Orchestra (pictured) and conductor at Blenheim Palace this summer. store, which has been a staple of the Jules Buckley for an orchestral set of Ibiza dance classics on Sunday 28th. In celebration of their 50th east Oxford music scene for 20 years, After last year’s successful inaugural event, headlined by Duran Duran and anniversary, the legendary Motown featuring expanded guitar, drum, Primal Scream, Common People makes a return to the heart of Oxford. supergroup will embark on a world keyboard and production space, as Other acts so far confirmed to join the headliners are, on the Saturday, tour that comes to Blenheim Palace on well as a dedicated piano showroom. Groove Armada DJs; Wild Beasts; a Foals DJ set; St Etienne; The Sunday June 18th for a show as part Local acts, including Duotone, will Selecter vs The Beat, and Amy McDonald, while Sunday features Rag of this year’s Nocturne concert series. be performing acoustic sets on the N Bone Man; Becky Hill; The Cuban Brothers and Elvis impersonator- Brothers Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and opening day, and the shop will be fronted Nirvana tribute Elvana. Additionally two Oxford acts have been Marlon’s show promises to feature all hosting special discounts, freebies, selected to perform on the main stage, with Lucy Leave playing on of the brothers’ hits, including `I Want and giveaways to customers who visit Saturday and Coldredlight on Sunday You Back’; `ABC’ and `Can You over the weekend. Visit The Uncommon stage will once again feature local acts selected by Feel It . The concert is The Jackson’s pmtonline.co.uk for more details. Nightshift. Saturday’s line-up is topped by Zaia, who are joined by The only confirmed headline show of the Balkan Wanderers; Vienna Ditto; Leader; Jess Hall & Duotone; The Shapes; summer. OXFORD WILL BE AT THE The Epstein; Little Red and The Pink Diamond Revue. Sunday’s bill Support comes from r’n’b kings Kool HEART OF THE WORLD’S features a hometown return for rapper ShaoDow, alongside Kanadia; Death & The Gang, who toured with The FIRST NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC of Hi-Fi; Rhymeskeemz; Desert Storm; Low Island; The Young Women’s Jackson 5 in the 1970s, the band’s CENSUS in March. Dubbed a Music Project; Catgod and Slate Hearts. funk- pop hits, including ‘Get Down Springwatch for Live Music, the The Uncontained stage will again be a dance hub, with sets from My Nu On It’, ‘Celebration’, ‘Ladies Night’ census, coordinated by researchers at Leng & M8s; Goldie; Novelist; Joy Orbison; Midland; Kornel Kovacs and and ‘Jungle Boogie’, making them the universities in Newcastle, Edinburgh Feliux Dickinson, among others, while The Pig’s Big Record Club stage is most sampled band in history. and Glasgow, hopes to measure live hosted by The Shellac Collective and features DJ sets from Shepdog; Count The Nocturne concert series, which music’s cultural and economic value, Skylarkin; Del Gazeebo; Housewurk; Peepshow Paddy and Kerry & Casio last year featured performances from discover what challenges the industry vs Harvey K-Tel. Elton John, Jack Savoretti and The is facing, and inform policy to help As per last year, further musical attractions around the site include Horns of Corrs, runs from June 15th to 18th and it flourish. The census will run for Plenty and The Disco Shed. The Jacksons and Kool & The Gang 24 hours from noon on Thursday Tickets for Common People are on sale at oxford.commonpeople.net. join composer Gregory Porter, Jamie 9th March, taking in Southampton, Sign up to their newsletter for news as it happens. Cullum and Corinne Bailey Rae at Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Leeds, this year’s series of shows. Birmingham and Brighton. Volunteers Tickets start at £45 and are on sale will be asked to record aspects of demographic, from street buskers promoters and audiences will also go from Ticketmaster and all other major gigs including the musical genre, to major concerts. A nationwide live on the 9th March and will be ticket sites. the venue, door charge and audience online survey for musicians, venues, Continued over...

THE LIBERTINES, FRANZ FERDINAND AND THE VACCINES headline this year’s Truck Festival. This year’s will the 20th Truck Festival, after starting life as a birthday party with local bands playing on a flatbed truck in 1998, and like last year, runs for three days over the weekend of the 21st-23rd July, at Hill Farm in Steventon. Among a host of other acts also announced are The Wombats; Slaves; Maximo Park; Nothing But Thieves; Hot 8 Brass Band; Loyle Carner; Jagwa Ma; Twin Atlantic; British Sea Power; Vant; Cabbage; Palace; The Magic Gang; Tom Grenan; All Them Witches; Jaws; Roam; Will Joseph Cook; Lawrence Taylor; Inheaven; Goat Girl; The Shimmer Band; Tigercub; Crows; Yonaka; Banfi; Willie J Healey; Slotface; Francobollo; Life; Abattoir Blues; Dead Pretties; Weirds; Husky Loops; Peaness; Leader and Pedder. Truck organiser Matt Harrap announced the first wave of names for this year’s event saying, “2017 is our 20th, so we were determined to pull out all the stops and deliver something incredible and I’m proud to say I think it’s our best line-up yet. The bill is literally packed with some of the best talent from around the globe and our headliners are bona fide legends. “With plenty more to announce in the coming weeks I think it’s safe to say Truck Festival’s 20th birthday party is going to be truly spectacular.” Tickets are £105, including booking fee, and you can get them and loads more info at www.truckfestival.com THE PRETENDERS AND KAISER CHIEFS will headline the Cornbury Festival in July. Both bands will join Bryan Adams, who was announced in December, at the final ever Cornbury, which is bowing out after 14 years. The festival’s last hurrah takes place over the weekend of the 7th-9th July at Great Tew Country Park. Kaiser Chiefs will top the bill on Friday, alongside Jack Savoretti; Canadian rock star Adams heads Saturday’s line-up, with Keane singer Tom Chaplain also on the bill, while Chrissie Hynde’s legendary band will close the third and final day of the event, withJools Holland’s Rhythm& Blues Orchestra also playing that day. Other acts confirmed for the festival include the unofficial queen of Cornbury Imelda May; Ward Thomas; Sophie Ellis Bextor; Scouting For Girls; Right Said Fred; Midge Ure; Nine Below Zero; Black Dylan; St. Paul & the Broken Bones; Tex Pistols and Police Dog Hogan. The number of acts making a return visit to Cornbury reflects organiser Hugh Phillimore’s wish to bow out in the company of some of his favourite performers from his 14 years running what had become an integral part of the Oxfordshire festival calendar, nicknamed Poshstock for its regular cast of visiting politicians, film stars and celebs. Talking about the farewell event Hugh said, “When you’re having a farewell party you want to be surrounded by people you really love, so we’ve invited artists we’ve known and enjoyed over the years and luckily they’ve all been keen to join us. “We’ve had a fantastic run over the last fourteen years and are very proud of the lovely event we’ve created. This year we will end on a high. I know that every artist on the line-up will deliver an exceptional live show. Live performance is my great love and for me it’s the essence of Cornbury.” Tickets for Cornbury are on sale now at www.cornburyfestival.com the wombats • slaves • maximo park open until the 8th May. It will gather years ago the project team ran a pilot WOMANITY returns on Wednesday DJ sets from Natty Mark and Tom information about why people attend live music census in Edinburgh. Its 8th March as part of the celebrations Dred, while on Thursday 9th Catgod gigs, which venues are considered findings were used to inform the for International Women’s Day. The play an acoustic instore set, and on important, how much people spend city council’s decision to change event, which runs from 5-10pm at the 16th James Cunning from Maiians nothing but thieves • twin atlantic and how far they will travel. its policies about noise levels to the the Pitt Rivers Museum, is being and We Aeronauts plays a DJ set. The project is being run in benefit of performers. organised by The Young Women’s Finally, author Rhian Jones will partnership with the Musicians’ People can sign up to take part, help Music Project and will feature host a book reading, Q&A session loyle carner • jagwar ma • sundara karma Union, Music Venue Trust and UK collect data and to be kept informed at live performances, debates and and signing for his book Triptych, Music, and is funded by the Arts and the official website: workshops revolving around gender exploring The Manic Street Humanities Research Council. Two www.uklivemusiccensus.org. and arts, including a session on Preachers’ `Holy Bible’ album. Visit hot 8 brass band • british sea power

songwriting and the music industry truckmusicstore.co.uk for more with Candy Says’ Julia Walker, plus details. performances from Candy Says, WILD WILLY BARRETT’S Team Drum and Orchid. The event is THE OXFORD GUITAR vant • cabbage • palace • yak • the magic gang free and open to all ages and genders. ORCHESTRA’s live performance Advance booking is advised for all of Rhys Chatham’s no-wave classic activities. Visit www.ywmp.org.uk `Guitar Trio Pt2’ has been released tom grennan • all them witches •jaws • superfood FRENCH CONNECTION for full details. as a download album by Audioscope. The 20-minute piece was performed SATURDAY APRIL 22. OLD FIRE STATION. OXFORD. DOORS 7pm roam • will joseph cook •lawrence taylor OXFORD CONTEMPORARY at last year’s Audioscope Festival, MUSIC build up for their spring featuring seven guitars, bass and season with a relaunched website. drums and featuring members of Visit www.ocmevents.org to find Ride, Young Knives, Kancho!, inheaven • goat girl • tigercub • the shimmer band •crows • yonaka out what they’ve got coming to town Listing Ships, Suitable Case For over the next few months, including Treatment, Kid Kin and Eeebleee. banfi • willie j healey •sløtface • francobollo • life • abattoir blues this month’s Audiograft festival, co- The album costs £3 and includes a curated with Brookes University’s remix by Karhide. All profits go to dead pretties • weirds • husky loops • peaness • leader • pedder Sonic Art Research Unit, hosting homeless charity Shelter. Get it at experimental music concerts at audioscope.bandcamp.com. various venues across the city. The mr. motivator festival launches with a concert AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into at OVADA on Tuesday 7th March. BBC Oxford Introducing every Check out more at Saturday night between 8-9pm on www.sonicartresearch.co.uk. 95.2fm. The dedicated local music and many more to be announced! show plays the best Oxford releases TRUCK STORE build up to and demos as well as featuring Record Store Day with a product interviews and sessions with local list launch event on Tuesday 21st acts. The show is available to stream www.truckfestival.com #truck2017 March. The local indie record store or download as a podcast at on Cowley Road will announce all bbc.co.uk/oxford. the limited edition releases available for RSD on Saturday 15th April. OXFORD GIGBOT provides a There’ll also be live music instore regular local gig listing update on and special offers on beer, from Twitter (@oxgigbot), bringing 6pm. you new gigs as soon as they go Imagine stumbling across a smoky back street bar, late night jam. Django Reinhardt & the Also this month Truck hosts an live. They also provide a free Pouges. Robert Johnson accompanies Edith Pif. Bob Marley’s jammin with Stephanie Grappeli. Tom waits to join in. This is French Connection. evening of reggae and dub on weekly listings email. Just contact Thursday 2nd with live bands, plus [email protected] to join. TICKETS | 01865263990 | WWW.OLDFIRESTATION.ORG A Final Word With Jon: “Seeing Steve Lamacq leaving is all pretty straightforward stuff, but venues; Stornoway have played quite gradually and naturally, and our fans a gig at the Dublin Castle in apparent often frowned upon by musicians. a few. However some of the even have remained unbelievably loyal disgust; I thought it was the end of If your band can do these things and stranger DIY-venue experiences and supportive to us. We are also the world; or David Bowie selfishly write great material, then you can be we’ve arranged have been the tours extremely proud to be an Oxford deciding to eclipse the entire music confident of a full-time career. of RSPB nature reserves. It was quite band and we can’t wait to see all the industry with his comeback `The “In some ways our move away something to have birdsong mixed in familiar faces that have aged ten years STORNOWAY Next Day’ on the week we released from life as a full-time touring and with our own voices, and be joined with us!” our second album; maybe Brian recording band has been precipitated in the pub by fans after for a round of Oli: “Clearly we couldn’t actually saying “Hello Wychwood!” onstage at not by money, but simply by a love trad folk tunes... that’s what booking book the rest of the tour til the Oxford Womad Festival to a mute audience; for what we each now do; for instance your own venue can accomplish: date was sorted. It was tough deciding or being bottled at a festival in my gig booking, and Brian’s nature you can end up engaging with more on the venue, because we really had Stornoway; or falling off a stage conservation work are things we’d people on a deeper level than if played everywhere, but The New somewhere in Euroland because I’m have been doing anyway and were you’re just playing a standard tour Theatre has stepped into the role a bit blind. I love negative questions. always going to come back and grab circuit making do with the same black perfectly. After 12th March, there will Why don’t more interviewers ask our interest again. We still each pursue boomy box night after night.” only really be one place left for us to negative questions?” something that totally possesses and Brian: “The fact that we are able try: the Kassam Stadium. That’ll be Brian: “Supporting Rolf Harris and enriches our lives; it just happens not to play with minimal or even zero one reason for a reunion.” watching him sign the bell of Adam’s to be the band anymore. At points amplification has made it easier trumpet… or was that a highlight? Or every band will find they’re just for us to have fun with gig venues: Songs like `Fuel Up’; `The trying to hold it together through the waiting around, making the wrong greenhouses, campervans, churches, Road You Didn’t Take’ and `Farewell whole of ‘Fuel Up’ after an audience kind of sacrifices, de-prioritising museums, boats... you name it!” Appalachia’ evoke images of member shouted ‘GET YOUR some of the most important things Jon: “One of my personal favourites journeys, reflections and farewells; COCK OUT!’ as I sang the opening in life like friends and family. We’ve from a couple of years ago was has your entire songwriting arc been line… no actually, that’s another now each done a re-balancing act and playing on, and staying the night on, leading up to this final goodbye? highlight.” we’re really happy with that.” Artangel’s boat installation, which is Brian: “Eh? God no! That sounds way too much like forward Increasingly in recent planning...” times the members of Stornoway Will there be tears at the end? have concentrated more and more “Will there be tears at the end? Rob: “Definitely.” on their careers beyond the band. Brian: “I’m crying already!” Brian, armed with a PhD in ecology I’m crying already!” Jon: “I’ll be laughing all the way to and a well-known love for wildlife, the bank.” particularly birds, works as a nature Brian: “You need to be business perched on top of the Queen Elizabeth reserve warden for the Wildfowl minded. There was this time when Hall on London’s South Bank. It was Stornoway achieved and Wetlands Trust in the Gower in Ellie Goulding carved ‘I heart positioned so you could see from more than most bands can ever hope south-west Wales, where he originally Stornoway’ into a marrow and gave St. Paul’s to Big Ben and all the to; looking forward to their chosen Nightshift has a Up’. They could be musically quirky own sake were such a pleasure: we’d little bit more each time we got to moved to write the band’s third and it to Oli, before asking me whether landmarks in between. The architects paths from here, what would they longstanding rule that no band gets to (the deceptively strange `Zorbing’), huddle in an icy shed to tinker with play at The Cellar. For me personally, final album, `Bonxie’, and decided Stornoway would like to collaborate designed it as a space for people to most like to achieve? grace the front cover more than three and downright daft (early songs like new musical ideas, taking breaks for always having dreamed of living in to stay. Oli promotes gigs locally and with her; I turned her down. Say no withdraw from London’s bustle, and Rob: “Making music that is as special times. Stornoway long ago used up `The Good Fish Guide’, which while TV and chips – it was one of these New York, as I do now, touring across internationally under his Tigmus guise more...” we were preceded by all these literary to the number and variety of people their quota. But then what are rules well intentioned in its environmental occasions that led to the sighting the US was very special.” and will continue his musical journey greats who had used their time in this that Stornoway’s music has been for other than to be broken, especially message reduced one Nightshift of Stornoway on the weather map, Brian: “Festivals have given us with his other band, Count Drachma, Stornoway became displaced maritime oddity to compose would be an honour.” on special occasions. reviewer to a paroxysm of rage), but giving the band its name – and pile some truly magical highs and the as well as writing theatre scores; Rob, synonymous with playing unusual short stories. It was so cramped that Brian: “As a nature warden? It would This month is a special occasion. This mostly they were warm, romantic, six of us into a two-seat van to reach biggest crowds we’ve ever played who now lives fulltime in New York, venues both in Oxford and beyond, we were practically sitting on each have to be a Nightshift front cover month Stornoway play their farewell cosy, expansive, ambitious and gigs offered on MySpace. Actually to. Our first Truck Festival in 2007 does graphic design work as well as from greenhouses to wildlife other.” featuring me holding a chainsaw in tour, culminating in a final ever sometimes just the right kind of epic. that doesn’t sound very fun but it was so exciting; the festival was playing in two bands, The Textiles sanctuaries to a natural history one hand and a beaver in the other.” hometown show at The New Theatre. They were a band who were easy to remains one of the happiest periods I postponed last minute after flooding and KT Mulholland, while Jon, who museum in The States; what first For all their venue And, having been there, done that It marks the end of a decade of world love, both for their music and for their can recall. As it became a professional and we found ourselves backstage continues to live locally, makes prompted them to branch out in that adventures and global travels, and collected the Silver disc to class music and global success for a decidedly unrockstar personalities, endeavour, we had to work hard at a replacement gig in Oxford soundtrack material for radio dramas, respect and which have been the Stornoway always made a point of prove it, what piece of advice would band who came together at university as well as their unstinting loyalty to to keep that original inspiration in Brookes being confronted by an TV and theatre, and “songs for some most inspired, weird or funny venues playing new songs to an Oxford Stornoway give to a new young in Oxford, earned their reputation Oxford and their hometown audience. mind, and remind each other that umbrella wielding psychopath called imaginary band in the future...working they’ve played? audience. How important was it for Oxford band, just starting out and playing the city’s bars and clubs, New sets of songs were regularly it had started out as just a bit of an Anton Newcombe, singer of Brian in a shed in Oxford, but not getting Oli: “This was a bit of an ongoing them to play their final show here? hoping to emulate their success? became synonymous with performing debuted to local crowds, and it’s experiment.” Jonestown Massacre, who threatened the hint after all my bandmates have obsession for us from the very earliest Jon: “It couldn’t have been anywhere Oli: “Do take your music seriously, at unusual, innovative venues, and entirely fitting that, having played What have been the chief highlights to break our bones if we snooped in left town.” gigs, playing unusual spots like the else; I suppose it’s a way of showing but don’t take yourself too seriously. who bow out at the very top of their pretty much every venue in Oxford, of your time together? his stuff… or was that a lowlight?” The fact a band like Stornoway got Jacqueline du Pre; the Players Theatre our appreciation. None of us were Do your music proud by involving game. from pub backrooms to historical Oli: “Many of our songs deal with Jon: “I think I have to put playing to the level they did and yet still had in Thame; the first ever pop gig in the born in Oxford, but the band was born the right people, practising hard, and theatres, they take their final bow travel and adventure and sure enough Later with… Jools Holland as a to do day jobs suggests it has become Sheldonian; a show in the Botanic here, and okay it might sound corny making long term plans, but don’t In purely commercial with a long-since sold-out show at the this is a big part of the story of the highlight, even if just thinking about harder than it ever was to make a Gardens, and even turning the A1 or whatever, but it’s only in the last work with anyone who treats your terms Stornoway are one of the biggest venue we have to offer: The band. Being fortunate enough to see the red camera light still makes me living from music. Pool Hall into a venue for the day to few years I see just how lucky we songs and bandmates like anything most successful bands to come New Theatre, on Sunday 12th March. the world from the windows of tour feel a bit nervous to this day. Later… Oli: “I think every artist needs to start celebrate our signing to 4AD. We’d were to have started the whole thing other than the most precious thing in out of Oxford. They released three buses and jumbo jets; travelling far was something I always watched as out with the full and sober expectation probably just run out of traditional in this city, as opposed to... anywhere the world.” chart albums, including 2010 debut As Stornoway prepare to and wide to make friends in faraway a kid whenever it was on, so it meant that it can only last so long: each spaces to play, having gigged for six else really! As well as the whole Rob: “Couldn’t have said it better.” `Beachcomber’s Windowsill’, which say goodbye, Nightshift sat down with places; being introduced to a crazy a great deal to me to do it in a muso band is just a start-up company and years across every venue the city had community of bands and musicians Jon: “Try and write as many good earned them a Silver disc; headlined all four band members: Brian Briggs, planet of people in the most fun way kind of way. It was a blessing, and if the business isn’t looked after with to offer, so I didn’t think this was and the gig-goers, there are so many songs as you can, and always ignore festivals and toured the world. Jonathan Ouin, and brothers Oli and imaginable. On the US tours we’d a slight curse in terms of nerves, to the utmost care – committing and any more than one band’s quirky promoters, sound engineers, music older bands’ advice without fail.” Musically and lyrically the band Rob Steadman, who came together in drive for hours through open country, be encircled by assorted musical sticking to a budget; knowing how interest, but then in early 2012 I found journalists, BBC Oxford types and And of course, the question everyone explored love’s great adventure 2005 as just another student band but listening to Brasstronaut or Real megastars in that millions more much time you want to put into it myself in London, in somebody’s venue managers, a lot of whom we’ve wants answering: when can we expect through the filter of the natural leave us as bona fide Oxford music Estate or Comus, pressing on in the people watched it than otherwise as the years pass; how much money living room playing guest bass for worked with from the beginning and the reunion? world, seabirds, mountains, saltwater legends, and asked them first and knowledge that at the end of the road would, and it would be dishonest to you’re expecting to make back from Spring Offensive. The show had owe so much to, and who do so much Brian: “When Ellie Goulding asks us marshes and grand vistas the backdrop foremost whether, when they started a few folk with shared tastes would be say it didn’t end up opening doors for what you put into it, then that’s not been explained to me as a top secret to keep Oxford’s amazing musical if we’d like to collaborate with her…” to songs of the heart, at their very out they ever imagined they’d get as gathering, to enjoy sounds together in us. I remember seeing from the corner necessarily a terrible thing – it leaves location with no other details, no idea wheel rolling...” Jon: “A couple of weeks after the best when soaring above the world far as they did. a box for a few hours.” of my eye Dave Grohl tapping his foot more time for fun – but it means the who else would be on the bill. This Brian: “Oxford has nurtured, tour, we’ll be renaming ourselves on an oncoming storm of metaphors Oli: “Certainly not! For the first six Rob: “Looking back, the early for at least a bar of one of our songs. I project will be short-lived. Those turned out to be my first Sofar Sounds inspired, and encouraged us. The ‘Storn Away’ and just get on with as on `The Cold Harbour Road’ (a years of fun and hard slog it was days feel like some of the biggest also enjoyed watching Jay-Z’s power rare bands that survive more than gig and is still one of the most moving music scene is top quality; we are making our next album. The name Nightshift end of year Number 1), or just a joyful experience with no highlights: setting up for gigs at The handshake with Brian.” ten years are invariably taking sync gig experiences I’ve had. Sofar is now spoilt for venues... I can’t imagine change will make it easier for reflecting on life with intimate, sepia- expectations, each new gig a total Port Mahon, or slowly getting to There must have been the odd deals; hiring the right people; looking a worldwide concert movement and there are many better cities to be in a everyone who preferred it spelt like tinted nostalgia on the gorgeous `Fuel surprise. Even rehearsals for their know Jimmy [Hetherington] just a lowlight along the way too. after finances very carefully… This takes in some of the most unusual band. Our support here built up very that.” Sponsored LIVE by

GOOD SHOES / LA SHARK Wade Harry photo: The Jericho Tavern A SILENTLa Shark, FILM as teasing or scary as it may sound, provide just that in terms of music and theatre. The band, from New Cross in London, are incredible The Cellaractors, not only when it comes to multiple musical personalities, but also in A Silent Film mustonstage come presence. under the Their marvellous disarranged new zeitgeistperformance banner and of look,a knitted tightly to big, fat guilty pleasure.hook-laden Some danceable nights you pop just is totallywant to brilliant. go out andIt’s seelike A licking the leftover Show, in the safesweetness hands of of a banda melted whose Calippo. frontman They is embodyan out and a French out version of Munch trooper. And anybodyMunch who with hasa Joy witnessed Division Rob attitude Stevenson’s and a sophisticated grandstanding and fresh punk of at Your Songs overspoken the slogans…years, especially as if Robert the stellar Smith set from of EltonThe Cure John had turned rockabilly. covers that saw Theirin this quirkiness, New Year loveat the for Zodiac, dressing will up, know gayness, that theand famerococo interpretation of photo: Richard Hounslow train has long beenEdith overdue. Piaf’s pains of the heart is fun, grabbing and still more fun. I so want to Most bands findswim themselves and dance in thewith gutter, La Shark and again.some indeed are looking up at the stars, but But after what a anfirst abyss stab I atencounter it as Shouting when Good Myke, Shoes ASF comeweren’t on stage. Seriously, it just going to liemust there. be They really pawned embarrassing everything to turn they up had onstage, and have after built such a supporting themselves a giantperformance, booster rocket and tearout ofeveryone’s the history expectations of pop and apart. rock andI refuse to believe those they are as sure fansas hell at thegoing Jericho up there. Tavern They are may genuinely well be enjoying a music this hack’s show. Good Shoes are spot-the-influencesmediocre wet dream, in skills, but simpleto their in credit effort they and areskint like in energy.some No matter how fantasmagorical ‘interesting’recycling machine, their lyrics one canwhere be everything(more qualified comes for out Twitter shiny than for new and original.songwriting, So ‘Lover’s really), Ride’, theira curious music simile is same-ish on relationships and controlled, via a so much so that scratching their guitar strings like they flick their hair. If all I am getting is rusting car, fairlywhen gushes they like manage the Manics’ to release ‘Design some For sort Life’; of ferocity, ‘Rascal the Of flame is already spiky guitars, Art Brut-esque nervous hiccups of vocals and washed-out Love’ is pure A-Haincandescent by way ofblue. John There Barry, is nothingreplete withthat Jonnydistinguishes them from any other nouveau punk, then, please, Good Shoes, Think Before You Play. Greenwood-styleband, guitar, playing and ‘Aurora’ mildly catchy is as muchindie andScott swaying Walker their lower limbs while Liane Escorza balladeering as Keane, where only Rob could sing “I am your patient / you are my shrink” and make it sound like heartbreaking songsmithery. But if maturity has finally fluttered down on the shoulders of Oxford’s boyish answer toLOS Robbie RossCAMPESINOS! and Chris Martin, you can rest/ COPY assured HAHO STORNOWAY that his heart, like Mika, still belongs to Freddie and his production values, fully displayedO2 Academywhen the band all take to drums for the piano The Sheldonian Theatre stomping finale,Copy ‘Chromatic Haho takeEyes’, to withthe stage its echoes safe in of ‘It’swants A Kind to hear Of but they’re increasingly Even by Stornoway’s ambitious a campfire intimacy to a setting more Magic’ and ‘Wethe Will knowledge Rock You’. that Tonight they already they deserve have everyreluctant stadium to play. Nevertheless, party standards, this is an event. Having used to hosting full orchestras. STORNOWAYthey want to layfans their in handsOxford, on.DAYS local This label isn’t Big just Scary music, it’spoopers Baroque they and are most certainly not performed at the Jacqueline du Pre At every fresh turn Stornoway reveal Nightshift’s love for Stornoway goes right to the very start ofRoll! the band’sMonsters story. havingHere released we look their debutback at(even some despite of being the officially Building and Oxford Botanical greater songwriting riches, from highlights of our coverage, while Brian, Oli, Jon and Rob pickPaul the Carrera StornowayEP, ‘Bred Forsongs Skills that& Magic’. mean Hook- thediagnosed most to with them. swine flu, new Gardens, tonight they become the first Brian’s mesmerising rustic and heavy guitar pop with an abrasive vocalist/keyboard player Kim rock band ever to perform at the 340- romantic solo turn, ‘November Song’, underbelly is their modus operandi – equipped with a bucket in case of mid- year-old, Christopher Wren-designed to the anthemic, banjo-led ‘We Are website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net email: [email protected] KEMP / UNDERGROUND JONQUILcomparing / THIS them to TOWN The Rakes NEEDSset Technicolor yawn), so play it University theatre. As such we get a the Battery Human’. Only ‘Long Free every RAILROAD / REBECCA MOSLEYmonth. GUNS / STwouldn’tORNOW be much of anA endorsement,Y / they do and it’s met with the brief lecture about the building’s Distance Lullaby’ trips along the way, NIGHTSHIFT Issue 158 so let’s go for the neatly-turned-out anticipated delirium. history and what not to do (no food, cluttered and clumsy, perhaps as much September LITTLEoffspring COSMONAUT of The Wedding Present Los Campesinos! are no one-hit no drinks, no chewing gum, you filthy due to the unusual acoustics of the Oxford’sThe Cellar Music Magazine 2008 and Arctic Monkeys instead. Time wonders, though – far from it. Debut pop-loving peasants), as well as a venue as the fact one of the brass Rebecca Mosley captures an brilliantly as a visual spectacle – the The Cellarwill tell if the quartet have quite the album ‘Hold On Now, Youngster’ is support set from the Oxford players only joined the previous day. extraordinary amount of punk rock three band members are unerringly skills and magic to become as famous Millennium Orchestra, which features And at the end Stornoway are joined spirit with her taut, at times cool and detached, with each taking New Year is always a good time to doesn’t help that halfwell their represented songs in the set and tracks aggressive, take on the acoustic on vocal duties during, and even discover new bands.as their And home to show town Stonehaven’scollapse amid nervouslike giggles.‘Ways To Make It Through The both Stornoway bassist Ollie Steadman by the massed strings of the singer-songwriter style. Not that her between songs. The obvious off Christmas presents.other significant We know export, This the Towndeep- NeedsWall’ Guns drawn are from its darker, spikier and violinist Rahul Satija. Millennium Orchestra for an My favourite songs are crude, messy or influences at work here could have what Stornowayfried got forMars Christmas, Bar, but there’stonight’s no doubt most traditionalsuccessor, act, ‘We Are Beautiful, We Are It feels strange watching a gig in such “experimental” (Brian’s description) particularly loud; far from it, she has easily replaced any sense of since they keep whichmentioning of them it: theis the mostinstrument-wise, nutritious. oneDoomed’, sax-led aretrack really beginning to a rarefied environment, but amid such run through `On The Rocks’, and a beautifully clear and untainted originality or magic about the band, book, Does Anything I’ll be Eat honest Wasps? – I’ve knownthe only Los break fromcome their into twin their guitar own. At the expense splendour Stornoway sound more `Unfaithful’, with violins conjuring the Stornoway song… voice and delivers lyrics with but they’re better than that – Oh, and a Stylophone,Campesinos! just one since of theyattack. were Madeknee- of sternerof some stuff older than gems (‘The magical than we’ve ever heard them sound of raindrops on the former, and breathy confidence. There’s real they’re carving the past into their many unusual instrumentshigh to a genuflecting used theirgrasshopper, recent EP, so liveInternational TTNG manage Tweecore Underground’ before. Lit only by sparse footlights, a heroic sweep of sound on the latter, by Stornoway power to what she’s doing, though. own sound and they’re very, very across tonight’s gig.tonight is almost as surrealto convey an enough ispower, a particularly emotion lamented omission), set opener ‘Cold Harbour Road’ soars while `Zorbing’ is bold, hearty and Brian: “They’re all a bit like children to me; it might be ‘(A Belated) It may be the arrangement of the good. So anyway, apparentlyexperience spiders for me eat as itand is foran occasionalthem: there’selaborate also grasp space of to showcase into the Sheldonian’s high ceiling like faintly weird. music, going beyond the realms of Following that high, it’s difficult for wasps, as does Stornoway’ssome way from singer’s their birthplacemelody to ofsuggest materialthey could from go onforthcoming LP a cormorant above a bleak Hebridean An audience that has sat in rapt Invite to Eternity’. Written in Bernie, my old campervan, the song standard strum/fingerpick into more me to fully appreciate Rose Kemp’s goldfish, he informsCardiff, us. Suchbeing pawed atto by better hordes things, of but‘Romance you do Is Boring’, due out in the beach: rich, powerful and tender, Brian silence throughout rises as one at the grew out of a huge amount of emotional energy and used everyone’s esoteric areas. It may be the quirky set of comparatively middle-of-the- whimsy is in keepinglust-eyed with teenagers, the playingsometimes the first wish theynew had year, a bit which more hints at a more Briggs’ delicate but majestic voice finale and Brian, a wholly reluctant creative and musical talents to the utmost. I am excited and daunted by style of her cello player, who hacks road heavy indie-rock numbers. I’ve band’s occasionalbirthday wackiness, party as for on a promotersimplicity named and punchcontemplative, about them. considered, grown-up filling every inch of space in the star, returns to demand a massed performing it on the farewell tour.” and paws at the strings to add previously seen her performing as ‘The Good Fish afterGuide’, their but signature they’re song. Conversely, Jonquilfuture. work But better – for on the present, and expansive hall. New song ‘Fuel Up’ is Halloween scream from the 800- undercurrents of dissonance and an intense, passionate solo artist far better when theyThe beeffact thatthings said up, song,CD; ‘You! too muchMe! of theirespecially subtlety given and the circumstances – a wide-eyed car journey through sepia- strong throng; a cathartic end to a atonality to the sound. Whatever it (tonight she appears with band in as on a song about catching the sun, wonky atmospherics get lost amid Oli: “`Hedonism’ was the very first song I jammed with Brian and Dancing!’, is sarcastically introduced it’s the scatty, bratty, livewire Los tinted memories and longing and unique evening. Gigs at the Sheldonian Jon back in 2005, and evolved into something really special… but is, Mosley seems absolutely free of tow) and in her wonderful improv/ like a heavier, rootsieras ‘Creep’ Belle suggests & it’s thebecome clutter a of a liveCampesinos! band. Their faceswe want, and that, tinged with a gorgeous sadness, Jon are rare occurrences. Bands like was ultimately ditched. A live version exists somewhere on YouTube, pretence and posturing whilst drone side project, Jeremy Smoking Sebastian, while millstonetheir opening hanging track heavypainted around like their cats andlargely, armed is withwhat we’re delighted to get. Ouin swapping his keyboard for an Stornoway are even more precious. finds them switching between piano accordion, trumpet and delivering rich, captivating songs Jacket, and so it’s a slight collective necks, something everyone Ben Woolhead Indian harmonium as Stornoway bring Dale Kattack filmed on a shaky camcorder by the sole audience member who could that have the crowd in the palm of disappointment how ordinary her urgent funk-rock and scrawny ska upright bass, they’re hardly your be bothered to listen to us that day, at Grinning Spider’s summer party her hand. music sounds. Don’t get me wrong, skanking like a bug-eyed speed- common-or-garden indie rock band, at the Talbot Inn. This is the only recording I know of.” Underground Railroad ratchet up it’s perfectly listenable guitar-based freak. The restlessness that sticks and the ideas they have are obvious A suitably entranced review of their historic show at The Sheldonian

the noise frenzy quotient with an noise, bringing to mind a relaxed with them throughout their set for all to hear: a mess of sea in October 2009 absolutely outstanding set. This is a Courtney Love fronting The stands them in good stead. shanties, nursery rhymes and acid Rob: “`Gondwanaland’ has always been very close to my heart. It band that sounds like the entire Breeders, but tonight it lacks a Tonight’s openers Little folk drones. But tonight they sound was possibly the first demo I heard through the wall between mine discography of Sonic Youth being spark that I’m sure Kemp is Cosmonaut are twee beyond belief, like snapshots rather than songs, and Oli’s bedrooms at home. That was in the first few months before NIGHTSHIFT:minced into PO pieces: Box 312, feedback- Kidlington, OX5 1ZU.capable Phone: of. 01865 There 372255 are, however, a Korg synth resting precariously rarely given time to breathe before Tracks of our Year I finally got to audition and Oli was bringing rough recordings home. infused barrages of unidentifiable occasional glimpses of something on a lap their only concession to being put to sleep. A more ambient Although the song has made intermittent appearances in our sets over guitar noise showering over special at work, with forays into ‘proper’ instruments amid a setting would suit them, but for Ah yes, the end of another great year for Oxford music, and so it falls upon us once again to 7. ALPHABET the years, I’ve always made sure it’s been on my phone or laptop so I relentless basslines and some of the repetitive riffing and distorted tone. Themelodica, band’s xylophone second ever and livevarious review. nowNightshift Jonquil’s cover ‘Sunny star Casinos’ this issue compile the essential Top 20 of locally-made tunes. 2009 was a year that saw the emergence or The first of Stornoway’s four Nightshift front covers, back in (February 2007) was Richard Walters, who would go on to support development of some fantastic local talent. In some respects it’s been an odd year for Oxford music BACKWARDS: can listen to it when I get down.” tightest and most inventive Maybe tonight was just not the toys. At their best they evoke the album is the best place to fully with most of the local big guns holed up in the studio or touring far afield, which explains the ‘80s Pop Video’ September drumming2008, to coincideI’ve seen forwith some the time. relase ofnight `On for the it Rocks’,to really withhappen. Stornowayspirit of Stereolab on tour playing in 2016 the appreciate their genuine charms. absence of Radiohead, Supergrass, Foals, Young Knives, A Silent Film and Little Fish from the list. Oxford’s singalong stars of the What it does highlight, though, is the incredible strength in depth we have in Oxford’s music scene. year, no contest. Between this and a neat conceptIt’s an cover incredible collage. show, and works Simon Minter incidental music for Bagpuss but it Dale Kattack Whichever way you look at it, it’s been Stornoway’s year: from playing Glastonbury and Radio 1’s ‘Polar Bears’, James Hitchman Jon: “‘I Never Thought of Home’ was one of the first of Brian’s showed an unerring ability to get Big Weekend, to appearing on Later with… Jools Holland and that astonishing show at the the most out of a cheesy, cheery Sheldonian, they have beguiled and bewitched us at every turn and seem to be everyone’s pop tune, all frothing, wobbly songs – if not the first – that I heard, back when we were both students favourite band in town. Anyway, here’s the Top 20. It’s a corker. Toytown keyboard and sunshiny NIGHTSHIFT presents the boy-girl harmonies, a sense of in north Oxford. It was very simply recorded on a four-track machine, 4. RICHARD unbridled fun and an irresistible sponsored by “Nah nah nah nah” chorus that and when he played it to me it blew my head off. Whenever I hear it, WALTERS: had every packed venue they ‘The Animal’ played in joining in en masse. All I am transported back to the very beginning of the whole Stornoway OXFORD this and a lyric about awkward Many years we’ve waited for Richard to release his debut album first-date shagging. What’s not to thing. Later on I think we put it out as a b-side to something – can’t RELEASED photo: JJ Bullock and Oxford’s finest vocal talent love? delivered in typically emotive remember what – and the released version is that demo just as it was. style, his tender, powerful voice 8. TRISTAN & THE PUNT adrift among the sparse acoustic TROUBADOURS: I’m pleased people got to hear it like that.” STORNOWAY arrangements, delivering unexpected lyrical hammer blows ‘This Is, To Be’ ‘Beachcomber’s Windowsill’ th like this stark, brutal tale of Incredible to think that we’ve been Wednesday 9 May domestic violence that is the raving about this lot for a couple album’s title track. The shocking of years now and half the band (4AD) subject matter is so much more still aren’t old enough to be I can’t remember being as excited at getting an from such a rarefied environment, is the acme of One night, six venues, twenty acts MAX ROMEO potent for its delicate grace allowed to play most of the THE SWAMIS / LOS DIABLOS / album through the letterbox as this in ages. That songwriting, performance and musicianship. venues in Oxford. Tristan & The The best showcase of new Oxford music of the year Troubadours’ musical ambition-to- Stornoway’s debut – the most highly-anticipated Instrumentally there’s no point searching for 5. MEPHISTO GRANDE: The Zodiac age ratio is off the scale, regularly STORNOWAY album by an Oxford band since Foals’ ostentatious displays of virtuosity: 1. STORNOWAY: ‘Cold Harbour Road’ ‘Sea Life Part 2’ cramming more fun pop ideas into ‘Antidotes, if not longer – is released on 4AD is arrangements are sparse and subtly orchestrated Borders The Purple Turtle What a year it was for Stornoway. They triumphed at every turn, Any band featuring a man dressed a three-minute song than many the icing on the cake really: a legendary label with to allow the songs to breathe. It’s Brian Briggs’ 6.15pm JESSICA GOYDER 8pm FOXES! creatingThe challenges British for themselves reggae and cruising scene to victory, has with certainly no agenda in goldhad lamé itsplaying ups a saxophone and downs.bands manage Its in an loyal entire career. 7pm MR SHAODOW 8.45pm COLINS OF PARADISE a legacy of unstinting quality for over three voice that retains star billing – pure, powerful or attitude, just the quiet, confident knowledge that they, not the Devil, and clarinet simultaneously while Breathless, scurrying synth-led The Exeter Hall 9.30pm MEPHISTO GRANDE hadfollowing all the best tunes. Theiracross two official all releases communities this year, ‘Zorbing’ andtookall aaround bit him of freewheels a knock inpop 1988, that finds when space for guitarsa large decades now. It feels like confirmation of the love and magnificently restrained, from plaintive, QI Club ‘Unfaithful’, were reworkings of older songs, but even barring those, we chaotically to Hell’s own blues bar and violins and still doesn’t sound we’ve had for the band these last few years. almost hymnal solemnity to a rich, rounded 8.30pm JOE ALLEN & The City Tavern werepart spoilt forof choice: its itfanbase could have been suddenly ‘We Are The Battery started Human’, jumpinggets our vote. Mephistoabout Grande with are overburdenedbandanas as it masterfullyround If “unassuming” to you means “tedious and forgettable”, skip a paragraph That virtually all of ‘Beachcomber’s burr – he carries every song, every line with ANGHARAD JENKINS 7.30pm THIRTY TWO or ‘Fuel Up’, but this beautiful, bleak ballad is the killer. Brian Briggs’ that band and made this year’s keeps its teasing tension on a tight Windowsill’ is already familiar does little to masterful craftsmanship, and when he’s joined 9.30pm APE HAS KILLED APE! 8.30pm MARY BENDY TOY stunningtheir voice head soars like shouting the seabird of the ‘ACEEEEID!’ lyrics, bringing to life the at mostall wayward and rock’n’rollsundry. gospel- Despiteleash until the the very eventual last minute, all now. Go on, there’s plenty for you later. The rest of us can discuss ocean and wilderness that surround the town from which they take their punk jazz-core noise, coming on the while sounding like OMD high lessen the thrill of finally hearing it all laid out by the rest of the band, as on album opener 10.30pm LES CLOCHARDS 9.30pm BRICKWORK LIZARDS 10.30pm BORDERVILLE name. ‘Cold Harbour Road’ is the sound of longing and loneliness and like a particularly belligerent Tom on tartrazine and teenage Stornoway, who are quiet, likable and unabloodyssuming enough to make as a full story, a complete picture. This is an ‘Zorbing’ or the sweetly oddball ode to rock out a bit, on ‘Watching Birds’, it’s done lovere-orientation and a thousand other flowering of theemotions dance all condensed scene into four into and Waitsmultiple fronting The successfulMagic Band in ebullience. strands, reggae in The Wheatsheaf album without a single weak link, not an ounce technological enslavement, ‘We Are The Battery with a wide-eyed simplicity that recalls Belle & half minutes of musical magic. The Birthday Party’s subterranean Belle & Sebastian look like Count Grishnackh, proffering AOR melodicism 8.15 MONDO CADA The Cellar its pure form never really regained its former pride of place. Yet recently of filler. All killer would be going too far where Human’, it’s with an inventiveness and ear for Sebastian’s early outings. hideout. ‘Sea Life Part 2’ was the 9. MR SHAODOW: 9pm THE GULLIVERS 9pm THE DELTA FREQUENCY clamouring, cathartic highlight of Stornoway are concerned; they’re too gentle for something slightly strange. Stornoway’s rise to this point in time has been ‘R U Stoopid?’ and Snow Patrol-style vocals that just skirt nasally whining to arrive at 9.45pm STORNOWAY 10pm BABY GRAVY 2. thingsBORDERVILLE: have evolved3. KATE again GARRETT: and classic theirreggae, startling ‘Seahorse like classicVs The rock, has found a such a description. Here instead is love and It’s difficult to pick out one song from another steady and natural, allowing the band to develop 10.30pm MILE HIGH YOUNG 11pm SPACE HEROES OF THE PEOPLE Shrew’ album. Mr ShaOdow is a man on a disarmingly lovely. Unsurprisingly they’re sometimes overly polite, longing, a widescreen romanticism that for particular praise but the sepia-tinted ‘Fuel into something genuinely special. Just how far TEAM 12am SMILEX ‘Flights’new audience, more‘King interested Of The Birds’ in timeless songs and productionmission. Whether than it’s puncturing digital transcends genre or geography. Up’ and the magnificent, soaring ‘Coldharbour that rise can take them is anyone’s guess, but if A band who forever stand firm The death of Kate Garrett from 6. WINCHELL RIOTS: the ridiculousness of casual racism, especially in nods towards castrated reggae rhythms, but high points E against the drudgery of grey indie cancer in the summer, at the age of or the idiocy of say-nothing grime Stornoway’s show at the Sheldonian Theatre Road’ are obvious highlights. But then there’s critical favour and commercial success does evade very act plays for 30 minutes. wizardry. Admission to each venue is a bargain £4, except the Purple Turtle (£3.50) and Borders, which is free! rock, Borderville’s long-awaited 37, was a tragedy. As the founder of ‘Glasgow Space Flight’ wannabes, he’s in the face of delight, such as a tune allegedly written in a boulangerie that sounds like a last year, in itself an ambitious statement of the snaking country twang of ‘Here Comes The them, then I give up, because if music this good debut Max album wasRomeo, everything we’d lookingthe Oxford great Young Women’s for 60,Band has“Oceanic”; hit “glacial”:the road Winchell partlystupidity to makeeverywhere, a and few never intent, revealed a band who, having promised so Blackout’ and the limpid, desolate ‘On The is to be wasted on the world, then the world isn’t WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING? hoped for and more – a full-on Project she was an inspiration to Riots seem to attract epic more so than on his most recent fascinating cross between 10cc and The Proclaimers. They could do with much, delivered it all, and more, and reduced the Rocks’, both songs that most bands would give worth bothering with. conceptbob album for that his explored upcomingscores of wedding. girls, but it’s for her He leadsadjectives, his and bandwe often find throughsingle, a whereingritty he asks but both friend humanity’s relationship with work, stunning vocal talent that we’ll ourselves watching them, imagining and foe, “R U Stoopid?”. Now audience to rapt awe. This album, even removed their souls to have written. When Stornoway do Dale Kattack Get an all-venue Punt Pass. letting go a bit, and dropping the worst jazz break ever, but Stornoway are obsessionsoulful and control, selection played out ofremember his her,considerable and her final release songbook,their intricately epic thankfullymusic established avoiding as Oxford’s the finest ever Only 100 available. £7 each (plus booking fee) from Videosyncratic on Cowley Road, QI like an elaborate rock musical by was her greatest: ‘King Of The soundtracking Life On Earth or rapper, and surrounded by a regular Bookshop on Turl Street or online from oxfordmusic.net virtuoso musicians whose Birds’ is an otherworldly folk-pop somesuch, as they tap into both onstage crew, plus producer exploring some interesting corners of the overstuffed acoustic rock foyer. imaginationsreggae simply custom won’t sit still of overdoingflight of fancy that could the melt audience the Sigur Ros participation and Muse, taking the thing.Offkey, he’s‘War more confidentIna and and fancy themselves as Bowie’s heart of anyone who heard it. best of both worlds without losing fun than ever and he’s been taking With Mark “Evenings” Wilden on drums and brother James on guitar, Los THEAn F AMILeffusiveY reviewMACHINE of debutVIXENS album `Beachcomber’s Windowsill’THE GULLIVERS in AladdinBabylon’ Sane reborn. ‘Flights’still ishas the Accordionthe power and violin setto the make chill, theirthe own spine identity alongtingle the way, andhis remains words and music his around career the singular high point of an album of rustic scene but Kate’s voice, as this gloriously spacious pop streets of cities across the UK. Diablos’The band’s sound first is straightforward, ever review, from but theMay material’s 2006, by certainlyDavid Murphy ‘SeeMay You’ 2010 (Foals were that‘Mirrors’ month’s cover stars) ‘All That Fall’ / ‘In Orbit’ highs,apex, all amphetamine its associated piano runs hovering album and swooping being around one the spangleof Lee so ably Perry’s demonstrates, finesta Hopefully productions. it won’t be long before a and a span that connects Queen on pretty, seductive melody lifted it up studied reverie that blossoms and wider audience is following his unpredictable. Mixing irreverent covers with originals and a hefty dash of (Beard Museum) On the Punt line-up in May 2007 Top of the pile in Nightshift’s end of year Top 25, December 2009 (Own label) (Own label download) one‘Chase shore to West TheSide Story Devil’, on the somewhere best magical. known A fitting as legacy thetakes basis flight before for dissipating The intoProdigy’srabble-rousing ‘Out call-and-response of th other. to a life well lived. the ether. anthems. 6 form revue silliness means they’ll be anathema to many, but if you like a The Family Machine set their own bar A billowing, barnstorming chunk of gothic Having spent my formative years living the Space’, also shines out. The only expected tune missing is ‘Wet Dream’, extremely high with their debut album two power-pop from Vixens here, leading their cliché of listening to the John Peel show under bit of harmless cabaret, this duo deliver the goods. Highlights bookend the years ago and have been pretty quiet since, so debut EP with the song ‘These Hearts They the duvet on an old clock radio, entranced by his only UK Top Ten hit, but no-one’s complaining. expectations are high for this new single. You Cannot Love’. It’s a great mix of artiness and strange, otherworldly bands, The Gullivers set, with a helium thrash through `Wuthering Heights’ and Jacques Brel’s can’t help think it’s a bit of a slender affair pure yobbish noise, a chest-beating anthem-in- always feel like a trip back to childhood for me. Romeo’s themes have moved over time between the political and the after the joyously morbid ‘Flowers By The waiting, pitched somewhere between New Their sweetly spaced-out dream-pop sounds like `The Girls & The Dogs’. The ambience may be more Roy Walker than Roadside’ and the ambitiously cinematic ‘Got Model Army, Sister of Mercy and Editors and it might blow away in the slightest breeze; in the spiritual: it’s difficult to conceive how risky it was to get involved in Scott Walker, but the playing is neat, showing sides to Mark’s vocals It Made’, a simple, semi-acoustic canter sounds like it was recorded in a room full of case of ‘All That Fall’, it feels less like a song, Jamaican politics in the 70s, but he not only stuck his neck out to help through summery Radio 2-friendly pop, like a spiders and skeletons. The rest of the band’s EP more the musical incarnation of a particularly sad hidden in The Evenings’ maelstrom. Perhaps they’re selling their songs lightweight Beautiful South in a brief moment struggles to match that sterling introduction, ghost of a young girl. It barely holds together as a Michael Manley’s PNP gain power in ’72 but then released ‘No Joshua of glass half-full jollity. It’s sweet enough but tracks like ‘K1’ and ‘Pandora’ touching on tune but it’s so delicately put together, you can’t short with this jocular presentation, but considering one is a Barenaked unmemorable and throwaway. elegance but relying too much on efficiency and help but be entranced, and Sophie McGrath’s No’, an open letter to the new PM urging him, “You must forward and Unlike the decidedly more autumnal b-side, lurking in the shadows of Interpol, and even barely-there chirrup makes her sound like The Ladies romp about a Chevy Chase lookalike, they probably don’t care. ‘Sleep’, the sort of lachrymose bed-headed The Wedding Present in the case of the latter, Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler pumped full of start anew”. Clever billing for rock trio The Swamis, who sound absolutely enormous lament the band do so well, Jamie Hyatt’s but still managing to inject a sizeable chunk of Mogadon and singing from the far end of a Though he leans more towards the devotional side of his heritage tonight, misty-eyed lyrical reflection hangs in the air as drama into their songs even here. ‘Action/ dream. ‘In Orbit’ takes an even more downbeat, after these acoustic prologues. And fair play too, because they’re as tight a steel guitar twangs dreamily behind him. The Speak’ finds the EP tailing off disappointingly, ethereal path, all wispy organ hum and restrained it all works together perfectly. Roots reggae has often suffered in a live whole “I will never be in love again” schtick but a quick skip back to ‘These Hearts…’ is tremolo with guitarist Mark Byrne joining and powerful as you could wish, powering down a mid-80s rock furrow has been worn to a cliché over the decades but enough to get your pulse racing once more, like Sophie on vocals for a duet that’s less a duel, format, the sheer power of modern PA systems taking away some of the with much dexterity. If you liked it you could “buy a CD from the man in in these hands it sounds like an honest a snakebite-fuelled vampire on the Batcave more kisses blown from a distance. All in all, a admission. dancefloor. gently quixotic pleasure. subtly of the genre, in fact few reggae artists have conquered the stage as the Led Zep T-shirt”, which pretty much sums up The Swamis. They Dale Kattack Ian Chesterton Dale Kattack completely as, say, Aswad in their mid-80s heyday. But Max Romeo’s clearly inhabit a cosy world where nothing changes much, where mates uplifting trip through his 40 years in the business, topped off with a sweet dance like drunken uncles at a wedding, heads are nodded at provincial bars arrangement of ‘Redemption Song’, lifts everyone here to a higher place. and “rock” is spelt with an A and a W. Good world for Scrabble. Art Lagun David Murphy thethe portport mmahonahon Live Music in May Monday 1st John Otway (6am) Wednesday 3rd Kaned Citizens Thursday 4th Port Mayhem Psychedelic Special with Redox + Strange Aurora + Barnabas Friday 5th Oxford Folk Club Tuesday 9th Simon Davies + Jane Griffiths & Colin Fletcher + Maeve Bayton Thursday 11th Drew Atkins + support Friday 12th Oxford Folk Club Saturday 13th Caroline Martin Sunday 14th Melodic Oxford” - Baby Gravy + Sleeps in Oysters + The Silkroom + Amberstate Monday 15th Barzin + Witches + Wait for Conistan + Deptford Mice Wednesday 17th Tom Hingley Thursday 18th The Law of Us Friday 19th Oxford Folk Club Tuesday 22nd Hangman Joe Wednesday 23rd Johnny’s Sexual Kitchen Thursday 24th Angela Harris + others Friday 26th Oxford Folk Club Saturday 27th Oxford Arts Festival Book your band into play at Oxford’s best small music venue! 82 St Clements, Oxford. Tel: 01865 202067 Sponsored by CHARLIE SAL PARA CUNNINGHAM `Her’ `Lines’ (Tremor) RELEASED Sal Para started as a solo project by Ted Mair, (Dumont Dumont) but has now apparently expanded to a four-piece THE GREAT AGS CONNOLLY The UK’s strong folk music tradition has live band, which is a little surprising given the remained obvious in mainstream acoustic music claustrophobic nature of `Her’, the lead song WESTERN TEARS `Nothin’ Unexpected’ for many years, from balladeers of previous of their debut single, on new local label Tremor (Helm) centuries, through to Fairport Convention and Recordings. This six-minute-long track presents `Tales From Tallows’ Any opinions you may have that old-school their kin in the 1960s and 70s and on to modern itself neatly in three parts; in the first, a sparse, (Self released) outlaw music is an agglomeration of worn indie/pop. North America also developed its stuttery beat is overlaid by soft synth chords If we’ve learned anything from Margo Price’s tyre clichés, or that any honky tonk a man own acoustic traditions, pulling from work songs before the quiet, hesitant vocals float in and out; recent show in Oxford and our interview with from road-less-travelled Finstock could ever and the cultural melting pot that was the new the second part fades in around a third of the Ags Connolly in last month’s Nightshift it’s manage would be at best pastiche, all go up world. This evolved into blues, Dylan and the way through as the tempo is doubled by a fuller that country music is at its best when life is at in so much hickory smoke the minute Ags whole expanse of country and Americana which set of drums; these depart two thirds in, leaving its worst. Heartache, sorrow, loss and regret? Connolly snaps into the opening lines of `I have crossed the pond in such a major way over mostly swamped in reverb and dark synth. By a single beat with a rather beautiful Jean Michel Check, check, check and check again. Which Hope You’re Unhappy’, that charts the wry but the last decade. Americana twang and doleful the time I’ve made it all the way through `Lines’ Jarre-esque arpeggiated sparkly synth melody for should make The Great Western Tears’ debut hopeful moment a man is left alone with his lamentation have become ubiquitous in both the guitar, which initially caught my attention, a while, before the pulsating chords return. album a masterpiece. bruised ego, as his magnanimity trails off down the charts and grassroots scenes of late, which seems more of a production choice than the The vocals seem incongruously and We’re barely moments into opening track the road alongside his cheating partner. is why Charlie Cunningham’s debut album is a foundation of what separates Cunningham from disingenuously off-kilter and detached to begin `Hang My Hat’ when singer Dava Waterhouse Sure, the familiar meows of Stuart Nisbet’s lap delightful reprieve. the rest of his contemporaries. with, but insinuate themselves subtly via Arcade croons the line “It’s hard not to let the pain ride, you couldn’t be more wrong. `Binky steel, the Tex-Mex huff of Michael Guerra’s Cunningham’s playing style is built on Iberian Which isn’t meant to be disparaging necessarily, Fire-like octave double-tracking and repetition; show,” in a solemn, husky voice that sounds of the Bay’ is an easy barroom canter, while accordion, and the Hibernian seagull swoop nylon string guitar: not something you hear in more a reflection of the journey this album takes the apparently strophic single-line lyrics are like it’s long since been worn down by love album closer `Blue Checks, White Cotton’ is of Eamon McLoughlin’s violin all weave pop music very often. However, instead of the you on. It’s not straightforward, quiet pop for given a slightly different character each time by and whisky. Moments later, on `Mistakes’, he a lively, gospel-tinged honky tonk ride that their spell throughout this stunning, five star intricate solo noodlings you might imagine in a dinner parties and chillout streaming playlists, what’s going on underneath, and the more you realises “I can’t go back to that place”. If he transport you fully into some country collection of memorable songs, but what keeps dimly-lit flamenco bar, this influence is used to and the few times the flamenco influences are hear the refrain “I only think of you,” the more means a love affair that went wrong in every barroom where you can lose yourself and you dragging the needle back to the start is underpin slow-burning acoustic pop. It’s not too allowed to shine through, they are all the more earnest, yet still mysterious, it comes across. conceivable way, it could equally be a town all your troubles in a bottle or the arms of a Ags’ voice: the unique wide-palette baritone, distant from Ben Howard on the surface, but at successful and exciting for being used sparingly. Oddly, when heard as a complement to the main where he’s burned all his bridges or a darker stranger. comforting, assured and topped out with enough every moment the guitar tries to stand apart from Perhaps Cunningham’s next album will be event rather than an alternative, the Rancid Jazz place inside his own head. Whichever it is, any The album’s high point though is an glottal tics and emotional cadence to carve the the minimal accompaniments as something to stripped back with no backing and we will get to remix of `Her’ seems to work better; at least to good times that were had there are over for emotional low: `Bid Her Well’ is a gorgeous word “yearn” in fifty-foot-high letters on Mount take notice of, a unique selling point, but in fact hear every individual strum and flourish, but for begin with, it presents the vocals – and sentiment good. The music, though, still plays and it’s farewell, a starlit, pedal steel-led lament with Rushmore. It’s as if Mel Street, Willie Nelson feels like an opportunity missed. now we’ve got an album most certainly worth – at the distance from the listener they feel they a fine tune. `Hang My Hat’ starts as a sparse a melodic hook that could sweep a rodeo steer and Don Williams had each donated Ags their Cunningham’s voice is strong and could be left taking the time to get to know, to find your way are intended to be, more hidden and lost than in acoustic guitar paean before swelling into an clean off its feet. Dava’s voice is a limpid pool best vocal chord. to stand alone with the most minimal or studio into its core. the original. elegant waltz, full of pedal steel, fiddle and of sorrow from which you’ll want to drink There is a batch of different viewpoint songs magic, but instead Charlie and his lone guitar are Matt Chapman-Jones Kirsten Etheridge sweet backing vocals, while `Mistakes’ carries ever deeper while possibly the band’s secret on the staple of pubs and bars, in the toe a warm campfire sense of solitude. weapon is backing singer Fern Thornton, tappers of `Neon Jail’ and `Haunts Like This’, But we’re hardly even touching to surface of whose understated, almost ghostly sweetness along with poignant lines in `When The Loner the sorrow with these opening gambits. Recent sprinkles a little fairydust over every tune she Gets Lonely’(“He won’t always be there when single `Misty’ is a rich porch song whose touches. you turn around”), all of which are “pour me” pang of loneliness reflects the troubled young Maybe a little bit of magic could vanish all rather than “poor me,” and each sufficiently couple of its lyrics, separated by a thousand the heartache here, but you have ask, when it masterful on their own to highlight any album. miles and a literal and metaphorical fog. sounds this good, why would you want to. It’s when he turns his bear glare onto the subject If you’re wondering if it’s an endless misery Dale Kattack of love that Ags fully floors you in the manner of a one-ton pillow fight. If listened to while in a reflective mood his cowboy take on the oh so elegant lyrics of Loudon Wainwright III BLACK SKIES BURN / UK HATE GRIND cover `I Suppose’, followed by `Fifteen Years’, `Brian Blessed Are The Sick’ with its low, swooning slide, and the equally ceding `Slow Burner’, they will turn you into a (Grindscene) flat-out puddle. I must admit that, having spent the majority of albeit in a wildly different genre. Don’t be To paraphrase the droll old Bakersfield joke: my life so far listening to indie-pop, various wrong-footed by the fact that this release there are two kinds of music: country and strands of psychedelia, and frustratingly contains 20 tracks – it’s over in the blink western Oxfordshire. obtuse experimental music, I’m slightly out of of an eye, a relentless mix of finely-honed Paul Carrera my depth here. However Oxfordshire’s Black tunes (yes, tunes, even though they may be Skies Burn – and their album-mates for this swamped in blood and grime), screaming split release, Bristol’s UK Hate Grind – might lyrics, and tongue-in-cheek audio samples. describe what they do, it’s not something I’d The album’s name, and its song titles – BSB’s normally be exposed to. Is it Death Grind? ‘The Heineken Manoeuvre’ and ‘Censorshit’, Grindcore? Thrash? and UHG’s ‘Nun, So Vile’ and ‘Postmortem Both bands remind me of Napalm Death, Pat’ for example – suggest there’s as much Slayer and Babymetal, jammed in a rusty knowing comedy mixed in here as violent, blender and poured into a bloody mess; noisy, nihilistic rejection of modern society. they’re all throatbleed vocals, densely-packed It’s all good. How it fits into what I presume ultraspeed guitar riffing, pummelling drums, to be a vast pantheon of similar music from and focussed rage. It’s pretty compelling: one the 1980s to the present day, I don’t know. In of the attractions to me of both the best indie itself, and of this moment in time, it’s does and experimental music is a dogged rejection everything that bands should do, but so few of current trends or sounds, and an adherence actually are – it’s focussed, direct, true to itself to very particular styles or approaches. And and (to these ears) blisteringly satisfying. that’s delivered with crushing efficiency here, Simon Minter head for the chance to win a slot at this year’s Dogs D’Amour’s power-pop, recent tour support Bloodstock Festival. Tonight’s combatants are to Tigertailz as well as The Runaways’ Cherie K-Lacura; Trauma UK; 1000 Chains; Force of Currie. Mortality and The Hope Burden. SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James VANT: O2 Academy – London’s garage-rockers Street Tavern return to town after supporting You Me At Six SE-10: The Cellar – Grime, garage and jungle here in October, the band kicking it out in the club night. GIG GUIDE vein of The Strokes, Pixies and Vines as they plug OSPREY & FRIENDS: St. Aldates Tavern debut album `Dumb Blood’, out on Parlophone. – Free fortnightly jam session with bluesman WEDNESDAY 1st Larry Band, funky blues from Tom Ivey, and MIKE & THE MECHANICS: The New Osprey and chums. MAN MAKE FIRE + ORDER #227 + Jesters. Theatre – The press release comes with the th LITTLE SPARTA: The Wheatsheaf – Moshka LUNA SEA + THE MATT CHANARIN headline “Mike & the Mechanics present a night th Wednesday 8 BAND: The Taproom Social, Hinksey – WEDNESDAY 8 club night with Chipping Norton’s Led Zep- MARCH full of hits”. Think they got the letters in that last DUTCH UNCLES: O2 Academy – Inventive inspired blues-rock heavyweights, plus hardcore THURSDAY 2nd Tribute to prog-rockers Camel. word muddled up slightly. DUTCH UNCLES: WHOLE LOTTA DC: Fat Lil’s, Witney – pop sounds from Manchester’s enduring punk fighters Order#227. TALL SHIPS: The Bullingdon – Brighton’s FRANKLIN’S TOWER + FIREGAZER Tribute to AC/DC. outsiders – see main preview YOU WIN AGAIN: The New Theatre – Big Tall Ships set sail again, this time to promote + THE JESTERS + JULES PENZO: O2 Academy SOFAR SOUNDS: Venue TBC – Sofar Sounds’ Dutch Uncles have never sat comfortably stage tribute to The Bee Gees. second album `Impression’, their supercharged Donnington Community Centre (6pm) – Free regular series of gigs in secret, unusual venues th in the UK music scene. Right from the DISCO MA NON TROPPO: The Cellar – sonic tide of krautrock, post-rock, indie-funk SATURDAY 4 evening of live acoustic folk, blues and more, continues, tonight celebrating International beginning the band, from Marple in Greater Disco, dub and techno club night, hosted by and mathsy fidgeting drawing comparisons with EVAROSE + VERIDIAN + A WAY WITH including Grateful Dead tribute act Franklin’s Women’s Day, featuring a selection of Oxford’s Manchester, found it easier to release records Ruskin College. Foals, Friendly Fires and Battles. WORDS: O2 Academy – Banbury’s alt.rock Tower. best female artists in a venue that will be in Germany than here, and it’s only with the THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE: The New / pop-punk outfit head off on their Invisible BEARD OF DESTINY + PURPLE MAY revealed to ticket holders the day before. release of their fifth album, `Big Balloon’, th Theatre – Career-spanning, costume-changing Monsters tour alongside Reading’s Incubus/ + JACOB MARCH + SAMMY POPE & Monday 6 BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar that they’ve started picking up airplay big stage tribute to the late and very great Mr Young Guns-inspired rockers Veridian and SARAH GRAY + PHIL GARVEY: The – 80s pop, new wave, disco, glam and synth-pop beyond the confines of late night 6Music. JOSEFIN ÖHRN + Bowie. grungy rockers A Way With Words. Wheatsheaf (3.30-8.30pm) – Free afternoon club night. THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Wheatsheaf SOLARDO SESSIONS: O2 Academy – of live music in the downstairs bar, hosted by They’re a band to whom tags like `complex’ and `oddball’ are regularly, and lazily, THE LIBERATION: – First gig of the month for the prolific local Cutting edge house and techno from Manchester Giddyup Music. th swamp-rock, blues, funk and ska-pop veterans. duo Mark Richards and James Eliot. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Harcourt Arms – THURSDAY 9 applied, just because their take on 80s pop ASHANTI: O2 Academy – An Oxford debut, we The Bullingdon GREAT APE + DAISY + THE SHANTICS + SIMPLE with PALMS TRAX: The Weekly open session. music doesn’t fit neatly into expectations. think, for the r’n’b superstar whose eponymous Nightshift’s favourite album of 2016 was FREEMANTLE: The Jericho Tavern – It’s All Bullingdon – Smooth, melodic, synth-heavy MUDSLIDE MORRIS & THE Their glossy, sometimes awkward funk and 2002 debut became the fastest selling debut Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation’s `Mirage’, a About the Music new bands showcase. house in the vein of Legowelts, John Heckle REVELATORS: The Bell, Wantage – electro-pop takes its influences from Steely album by a female r’n’b singer ever. While her shimmering, hypnotic slab of silicon synth- NATTY MARK & TOM DRED: Truck Store and Trevor Howard from Berlin-based DJ and Footstomping boogie from the local crew. Dan, Fleetwood Mac and Scritti Politti as star shone brightly for a few years, and included pop, krautrock, psychedelia and scuzzy – An evening of reggae and dub instore at Truck, producer Palms Trax at tonight’s Simple club much as it does Prince, Sparks and XTC, collaborations with everyone from Notorious BIG art-pop that immersed itself in all the best with DJs and bands. night. th with previous tourmates Wild Beasts and MONDAY 6 and Ja Rule to Buster Rhymes and R Kelly, her bits of Stereolab, The Velvet Underground, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford EZIO: The Cellar – Bluesy acoustic folk from Sunderland’s Field Music among their few JOSEFIN ÖHRN & THE LIBERATION: The music career has taken second place to acting in Suicide, Neu!, Portishead and Ladytron. Community Centre – Oxford’s longest-running Cambridge’s enduring duo, best known for their contemporaries. 2015’s `O Shudder’ saw Bullingdon – Seductive psych-pop wonder from recent years, though she teamed up with Michelle Seriously, if you’re going to print a list of open club night, with local singers, musicians, song `Cancel Today’ being one of Tony Blair’s the band shift from their early skittish, Nightshift’s current fave rave – see main preview Obama a couple of years back for the release of a influences, why not make it the best list poets, storytellers ad performance artists every Desert Island Discs picks, out again on tour after angular indie to a more solidly funky and OYSTERS 3: Nettlebed Folk Club – John single promoting drinking water. Her sixth studio of influences ever? But the Stockholm- week. the release of their ninth studio album, `Daylight atmospheric sound, which continues onto the Jones, Alan Prosser and Ian Telfer from album is due out, a follow-up to the disappointing based singer and her band go well beyond SPARKY’S FLYING CIRCUS: The Half Moon’. new record, singer Duncan Wallis’ nervous, pioneering British folk-rock veterans Oyster `Braveheart’, and expect all the hits, including such influences on `Mirage’, her second Moon – Weekly open mic night. FREERANGE: The Cellar – UK garage, grime androgynous falsetto guiding the listener Band perform an intimate, stripped down set `Happy’. album for the very excellent Rocket label ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure – and bass club night, playing new, underground through his personal neuroses, whether from across the band’s extensive career. WHITE KITE: The Cellar – Debut Oxford (home too to Hills and Goat, with whom Weekly open mic night. sounds. they be health scares or sexual dysfunction. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim show from east London newcomers White Kite, Öhrn has toured). Across the album she BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, SAM BAILEY + NIKKI LOY: The New So, yeah, out of the ordinary, eccentric and touring their debut single `Swan’, mixing ambient creates a dreamlike atmosphere with guitars Sandford – Open blues jam. Theatre – The former X Factor winner th maybe a bit off-kilter, Dutch Uncles are also TUESDAY 7 synth-pop with rich, woozy indie-funk. continues to exist and continues to smash it, intricate, intelligent and, most importantly, and electronics and a voice that’s on the SEAFRET + FREDDIE DICKSON: The DOT’S FUNKY ODYSSEY: The Bullingdon seductive side of sultry, while propelling FRIDAY 3rd with dire consequences for decent pop music thoughtfully melodic. In a country where everywhere. She’s got a new album out called Bullingdon – Breezily emotive acoustic folk- – Soulful tunes, Latin vibes and funky grooves everything along on motorik grooves. While BOSSAPHONIK with YAABA FUNK: The Catfish & the Bottlemen and Circa Waves get `Sing My Heart Out’, which should prove messy, pop from Bridlington duo Seafret, back in town from the local funk and soul band, playing Aretha she’s been nominated for a Grammy in her Cellar – Latin dancefloor, Balkan beats, global star billing, maybe such attributes mean their and very likely fatal. Still, anything to keep for the first time since their showing here on Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson native Sweden and played major festivals grooves and nu-jazz club night, tonight with a future fame and fortune still lie further afield. the wheels of fame rolling, eh. Local singer- the New Faces Acoustic tour. Tonight’s show is among other classics and originals. like Roskilde, she’s only just getting a live set from Brixton’s eight-piece Afrobeat, songwriter Nikki Loy provides tour support, already sold out, a triumph for a band who’ve MASIRO + THE HOPE BURDEN + GHOSTS name for herself in the UK and this is her funk and psychedelic hi-life ensemble Yaaba th promoting her new album. made a mission of staying below the hype radar IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS + LEE RILEY: The FRIDAY 10 first major headline tour and her Oxford Funk, touring second album `My Vote Dey DIRT A GOGO + 1968 + CRIMSON TUSK: even as debut album `Tell Me It’s Real’ picked Jericho Tavern – Heavy-duty musical adventures USA NAILS + SNOB + GIRL POWER + debut – courtesy of Future Perfect, who are Count’, inspired by Fela Kuti, Funkadelic, James The Wheatsheaf – Raw, raucous metal riffage, up a slew of rave reviews, capturing the airy at tonight’s It’s All About the Music show, with BASIC DICKS: The Wheatsheaf – Quality making a habit of bringing the best rising Brown and Ebo Taylor. stoner grooves and rockabilly rhythms from romanticism of the North Sea mists the band is visceral mathcore noise from Masiro; instrumental noise courtesy of Idiot King tonight with acts to town. New or not, `Mirage’ has KLUB KAKOFANNEY with SMILEY & Dutch heavyweights Dirt a GoGo at tonight’s named after. post-rock and metal from The Hope Burden; noise-rock supergroup USA Nails – featuring practically been glued to Nightshift’s record THE UNDERCLASS + STOLBY + ASH Buried in Smoke show, joined by Cheshire’s CHRIS WOOD + OWEN COLLINS: Old atmospheric post-rock soundscaping from GITP members of Future of the Left; Oceansize, Kong deck since it came out last year and we’re LEWIS + RESTRUCTURE: The Wheatsheaf Sabbath, Blue Cheer and Mountain-inspired Fire Station – Traditional folk with a decidedly and oppressive drones from Lee Riley. and Silent Front – mixing incendiary walls of so far beyond excited about this we actually – Rootsy hip hop, reggae, rock and punk mash- riffbeasts 1968 and local stoner-blues stars contemporary lyrical edge from singer Chris FLATLANDS + SLATE HEARTS + SELF abrasive noise with motorik Krautrock and sheer, started queuing up a month ago as soon as up from London’s Smiley & the Underclass Crimson Tusk. Wood at tonight’s Glovebox show, mixing HELP + HIGH TIDE ROYALS: The Library blinding volume. Get in. Great hardcore punk it was announced. Sometimes the very best at this month’s Klub Kak party, plus sweet, THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Black Swan English folk with traditional Appalachian sounds – EP launch show for former- Aureate Act crew support from London’s Snot, plus a return to live music is worth such efforts. seductive acoustic folk-pop newcomers Stolby. BON GIOVI: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute band. and singing about modern political issues as Flatlands, leaving the expansive, convoluted action with a new drummer for local hardcore AMY WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE: O2 Take a guess. well as more personal songs about fatherhood prog explorations behind in favour of upbeat and D-beat wreckers of civilisation Girl Power, Academy – Tribute to the late singer. JAMES HITCHMAN + NARDA NARDA and alienation. Performance poet Owen Collins indie rocking in the vein of Ash and The View. and vegan-core punk from Basic Dicks. NIGHT DANCE FANTASY: The Ashmoleon + ALEX MATTHEWS + BIRDS OF A supports. Ferocious grunge noise from Slate Hearts in TRAGEDY + TWISTED STATE OF MIND + – Guitarist Nick Fowler, part of Gaz Coombes’ FEATHER + THE RACE: The Swan, BANG TANGO + LAST GREAT support. CHEROKII: The Bullingdon – return to town touring band, performs an interpretation of Wantage – Charity gig in aid of The Children’s DREAMERS + THE BLACK BULLETS: CATGOD: Truck Store – Acoustic instore set for the heavy metal tribute to The Bee Gees, with composer Robert Saxton’s 1987 piece `Nice Trust, with Alphabet Backwards singer James Fat Lil’s, Witney – LA’s veteran hard rock / from the local electro-jazz/pop crew. energetic, melodic thrash and heavy rock from Dance’. Hitchman, plus reformed indie rockers The Race. glam metal outfit come to the Shire, still fronted CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Twisted State of Mind, and riffs’n’beats action TRACKSUIT & TRANCE: The Bullingdon – by original singer Joe Lesté and now joined by Community Centre from thunderous duo Cherokii. 90s rave club night. former Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson as the SPARKY’S FLYING CIRCUS: The Half th LEWIS & LEIGH: St. John the Evangelist SPARKY’S SPONTANEOUS SHOWCASE SUNDAY 5 band celebrate their 25th anniversary. Support Moon – Raw, elegant, emotive Americana in the vein BLOODSTOCK – MUSIC TO THE & SPOTLIGHT JAM: James Street Tavern – at tonight’s OxRox show comes from reformed ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure of Wilco, Gillian Welch and Whiskeytown from MASSES: The Bullingdon – Five more local Monthly bands and jam night hosted by Sparky, 90s glam-rockers Last Great Dreamers with BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford Welshman Al Lewis and Mississippi’s Alva tonight featuring classic r’n’b from The Mad heavy rock, metal and punk bands go head to their suitably sleazy take on Hanoi Rocks and and MC Eksman, plus A.M.C and Phantom MC, ass rocking from Malmo’s Bonafide, out on a LUCY SPRAGGAN: O2 Academy – Stone-Age kind of way, and ethereal electro- Humaz and a jungle set from Voltage. UK tour having made their name supporting the Whimsical hip hop-infused acoustic pop from indie starlets Pale Waves. FREERANGE ROOTS with IRATION likes of Status Quo and Deep Purple, their old the former X-Factor contestant, best known for DAISY RODGERS MUSIC with CATGOD STEPPAS & CHANNEL ONE: The school blues-rock and r’n’b in the lineage of her song `Tea & Toast’, back in town as part of + FLIGHTS OF HELIOS + CLUB SODA: Bullingdon – The monthly roots and dub club ZZ Top, Van Halen and Skid Row, while their a tour to promote her fourth album `I Hope You The Cellar – Indie promoters DRM host rising hosts Leeds’ club leaders Iration Steppers for song `Fill Your Head With Rock’ is something Don’t Mind Me Writing’. local electro-jazz outfit Catgod, mixing ambient some heavy duty dub. everyone can agree with, right? electro-pop, cocktail jazz, afro-pop, indie funk VIOLENCE IS GOLDEN + SILK ROAD: INTRUSION: The Cellar – Monthly goth, THURSDAY 16th and glitchy electronica into a sweet, atmospheric The Wheatsheaf – Metal and southern rock from industrial, ebm and darkwave club night, with SAIICHI SUGIYAMA + MATT EDWARDS whole. They’re joined by ambient space-pop Violence is Golden, plus swaggering hard rock residents Doktor Joy and Bookhouse keeping it BAND: The Bullingdon – Classic British crew Flight of Helios and 80s pop-influenced and blues riffage from Silk Road. dark on the decks. blues Japanese style from Tokyo-born guitarist people Club Soda. GREEK MUSIC PATHWAYS: The Cellar – SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James and singer Saiichi Sugiyama, a long-time SOUL SESSIONS: The Cellar – Classic soul, Traditional Greek music with MuSaicon. Street Tavern collaborator with Cream’s Pete Brown, and disco and funk club night. th PANGAEA: The Cellar – Late club night. regularly dubbed The Japanese Clapton for his CRYSTALLITE + CALLOW SAINTS + Monday 20 HAZEY JANE + ROSIE CALDERCOTT: WEDNESDAY 15th 60s-inspired British blues style. He’s drawn NEON TEEPEE + REAL KOOL KILLER: The Jericho Tavern – Indie-folk from Hackney’s THE AMAZONS: The Bullingdon – Reading’s admiring comparisons to Peter Green along the The Wheatsheaf – It’s Al About the Music GOLDFRAPP: Monday 13th Hazey Jane, out on tour to promote their debut EP. anthemic power-pop crew The Amazons return way too while over the years he’s worked with show with grungy stadium rockers Crystallite, THE OXFORD BEATLES: The Harcourt to town following their Best Breakthrough Act Zoot Money and members of Bad Company and Aylesbury rockers Callow Saints and more. O2 Academy Although she never really got the credit Arms – Tribute to the Fab Four. nomination from Q magazine and a Hottest Hot Chocolate as well as playing guitar in Shana SOPRANO SUMMIT LEGACY BAND: The LAURA MARLING: for it, Goldfrapp were one of the most SALLY BARKER + KADIA: Tiddy Hall, Record in the World endorsement from Annie Morrison’s band. Local blues rock support from Cornerstone, Didcot – Soprano saxophonists influential artists of the last decade, O2 Academy Ascott-under-Wychwood – Founding member Mac for new record `Little Something’. guitarist and singer Matt Edwards and his band. Alvin Roy and Mike Wills pay tribute to 70s influencing everyone from Madonna and Laura Marling is an absolute gem of a of The Poozies, occasional collaborator with THE BLACK DELTA MOVEMENT + band Soprano Summit backed by piano, guitar, th Bat For lashes to Florence & the Machine, singer and musician and anyone who Show of Hands, and more recently a finalist on Monday 20 PSYENCE + THE NEON VIOLETS: The bass and percussion. disagrees can bugger off back to their The Voice, Sally Barker gets back to her natural Cellar – Heavy-duty psychedelic garage rocking W.A.M: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Ska-punk covers. with singer Alison Goldfrapp becoming an bedroom to listen to the honking foghorn home of the folk clubs of the UK with a solo tour, IDLES: from Hull’s Black Delta Movement, out on a iconic pop figure along the way. At their that is Adele until we decide they’ve been tonight at the Wychwood Folk Club. headline tour after supports to The Jesus & Mary SATURDAY 18th best their trick was to take the best ideas punished enough. Marling’s voice has way BREEZE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock’n’roll party The Bullingdon Chain, Temples and Drenge, the band’s bluesy HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT: O2 Academy from the musical underground and turn more variety and depth than other more covers. The greatest opening couplet of any song rocking inspired by Black Rebel Motorcycle - Nigel Blackwell is surely due some kind of them into pop gold, like the techno-glam commercially successful singers, light and JOHNNY’S SEXUAL KITCHEN: The Old ever is “I am angry, I am ill and I’m as ugly Club, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Humble recognition as one of the country’s greatest poets. boogie of `Strict Machine’ or the sultry airy one minute, playful and seductive the Anchor, Abingdon – Classic rock and blues as sin / My irritability keeps me alive and Pie and Spacemen 3. Great local psych-groove The lad from the Wirral, and arguably Tranmere disco pulse of `Ride a White Horse’. The next, dark and conversational the next. covers. kicking,” from Magazine’s `Song From rocking from The Neon Violets and 60s-inspired Rovers’ most famous fan, has been writing career-defining `Black Cherry’ was close to It’s kept her fresh across six albums, the Under the Floorboards’. It’s a sentiment that psychedelic rockers Psyence. caustic, surreal observations of the mundane and modern day electro-pop perfection, while most recent of which, `Semper Femina’, SUNDAY 12th applies to an ever growing number of bands THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Wheatsheaf ridiculous since his band’s wonderous 80s debut, 2008’s `Seventh Tree’ took a complete recorded in LA and produced by Blake STORNOWAY: The New Theatre – So, it’s faced with turbulent social and political – Lively, eccentric blues rocking from the `Trumpton Riots’. Back in town for the first time stylistic about-turn and brought a dreamy Mills, is out this month and explores themes thank you and good night from the local folk-pop times: Fat White Family; Sleaford Mods; veteran singer and guitarist, well into his sixth in five years, his timeless, brilliantly observed electro-pop sheen to spooky pagan folk of womanhood and feminine relationships heroes, bowing out in style with a long-since Cabbage, and none more so than Bristol’s decade of gigging. songs about obscure footballers and celebs and music, inspired by The Wicker Man. That with poetic, philosophical insightfulness, sold-out show at Oxford’s biggest live music Idles. Rage, disgust and bleak humour THE CORSAIRS + GHOUL + THIN WIRE the idiocy of humanity, particularly musicians, untarnished sheen took a bit of a dive with inspired by the work of psychoanalyst theatre, after over a decade of performing shows are their driving forces and they make an FENCE: The Jericho Tavern – Psychobilly and remain a treasure. 2010’s `Head First’, with Goldfrapp and pop Lou Andreas-Salome. It follows on from at some of the more unusual venues around the ugly, caustic, mirthful music to reflect that rock’n’roll from The Corsairs at tonight’s It’s All HOLY MOMENTS + THE PHAT partner Will Gregory coming on all kitsch her podcast series, Reversal of the Muse, world, including a history-making show at The fucked-off-with-the-world attitude. Born in About the Music show, plus horror-punk from CARDINALS + FREDDY LE CRAGG: The and 80s pastiche, sounding like followers which explored femininity and creativity Sheldonian. A genuine star-quality band who Bristol’s underground music scene the band local newcomers Ghoul. Wheatsheaf – First leg of Leon `Dancing man’ rather than innovators, stealing the euphoric with A-List guests like Dolly Parton and will go down as one of the greatest Oxford ever have been a round a fair while but after a CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Stiles’ annual birthday celebrations, Oxford’s pomp of ELO, Giorgio Morodor and Emmylou Harris. The lead track from the produced. We’ll miss them – see main interview lengthy hiatus they came back last year with Community Centre most enthusiastic regular gig goers partying in Fleetwood Mac. 2014’s `Tales of Us’ was new album, `Soothing’, a slinky, serpentine feature a set of new songs that have finally started SPARKY’S FLYING CIRCUS: The Half the company of pop-punkers Holy Moments, a return to form, launched with a brace of song, finds Marling moving into almost jazz THE SHERLOCKS: The Bullingdon – to attract the right sort of attention, notably Moon who come in somewhere between Green Day grandiose shows backed by a full orchestra, territory, although she’ll always be seen as Anthemic, Arctic Monkeys-style rocking from from Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq, ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure and Rancid, and surf-rockers The Phat Cardinals. and this month the pair release their seventh the queen bee of the nu-folk movement, Sheffield’s Sherlocks, back out on tour following who have championed recent singles `Well BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, RICK ASTLEY: The New Theatre – The album, `Silver Eye’. Given the peerless having made her name aged just 18 with dates supporting The Libertines on last year’s Done’ and `Stendhal Syndrome’. The first Sandford improbably rejuvenated 80s popster is never music on her best albums we have high her debut album `Alas, I Cannot Swim’. arena tour’, and having previously supported sounds like a pumped-up pitbull take on gonna give it up, so get rickrolling along to hopes. Whatever, with the band’s love of Scouting For Girls, Reverend & the Makers and th `Together Forever’, `When I Fall In Love’ and She’s got a catalogue of classic songs under something Art Brut might have made, with FRIDAY 17 Weimer cabaret and theatre, every show is The Enemy. songs from his recent number 1 album `50’. Oh, her belt now - `Rambling Man’; `Sophia’; lines like “Why haven’t you got a medal? NINE BELOW ZERO: The Bullingdon – an event and Alison has rare star quality in MAEVE BAYTON + BEAR BOZEMAN + and `Never Gonna Give You Up’, obviously. Hope in the Air’ and the gorgeous `Goodbye / Even Mary Berry has a medal”, while the The near-legendary r’n’b pioneers return to modern mainstream pop music. ROSE DEGAL + MONKEY FISTS + PUPPET BASS ESCAPE: The Bullingdon – Upbeat England (All Covered In Snow)’ among latter is a celebration of art and individuality Oxfordshire, founding singer and guitarist MECHANIC: The Wheatsheaf (2.30pm) – Free house and commercial drum&bass at the new and funk-popsters Papa Nui. them, and three Mercury Prize nominations disguised as a hectoring rant about modern Dennis Greaves still leading the band’s high- afternoon of live music in the Sheaf’s downstairs monthly club night. FLUID: The Cellar – Bass, grime and is testament to her enduring star quality – a art. And then there’s tracks like `Divide energy blues charge alongside fellow 9BZ bar, hosted by Klub Kakofanney. RAN KAN KAN + LAKUTA: Old Fire drum&bass club night. star quality that should see her playing & Conquer’, a beast-like dirge that takes veterans Mark Feltham and Brian Bethall. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Harcourt Arms Station – Local Cubanista collective Ran Kan MUDSLIDE MORRIS & THE Wembley, but tonight’s show, as part of aim at the dismantling of the NHS and Having hit a creative and commercial peak in the Kan bring their classic son montuno and mambo REVELATORS: The Dolphin, Wallingford a major UK tour, will be sold out well in sounds like Killing Joke in one of their early-80s with albums `Live At The Marquee’ th party tunes to the OFS, alongside Brighton THE BRITPOP BOYS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – advance, as it should be. MONDAY 13 more tribal moments. If Idles’ scuzzy noise- and `Don’t Point Your Finger’, it’s always been LAURA MARLING: O2 Academy – The pop and barnstorming garage rock is too live that the band have made their reputation. afrobeat, funk, soul and Latin dance eight- What, no Elastica, Echobelly or Sleeper? piece Lakuta, bringing their collective roots in DRIVIN’ SIDEWAYS: The Brewery Tap, Leigh, at tonight’s Empty Room promotion, the Queen of stately pop understatement returns – see confrontational for mainstream audiences, at BOSSAPHONIK with NUBIAN TWIST main preview least they’re fighting back in musical form. The Bullingdon – Latin dance, global grooves, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Malaysia and mainland Abingdon – Harmonica-led blues. pair out on a headline tour to promote debut Europe to play in their mix of traditional and album `Ghost’ after touring with local boys The OXFORD CLASSIC JAZZ: The Harcourt You’d do well to join their army. Balkan beats and nu-jazz dance club night with Arms a live set from Leeds/London twelve-piece contemporary dance tunes. SUNDAY 19th Dreaming Spires and being nominated for two DEADBEAT APOSTLES + THE AUTUMN CRAOBH RUA: Nettlebed Folk Club – Nubian Twist, fusing dub, hip hop and afrobeat BLOODSTOCK – METAL TO THE gongs at the inaugural UK Americana Awards last SAINTS + COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN + Nettlebed’s long-running folk club celebrates St with jazz improvisation, inspired by King Tubby, MASSES: The Bullingdon – Latest heat of the year. PAPA NUI: The Cellar – Rich, expansive, Patrick’s Night early with some traditional Irish Fela Kuti and Herbie Hancock. battle of the bands competition to win a place GUNS’N’ROSES EXPERIENCE UK: Fat country-tinged classic soul from Deadbeat songs and tunes. SUPERFOOD + KING NUN + PALE at this summer’s Bloodstock, with My Diablo, Lil’s, Witney Apostles, taking Wilson Pickett and Percy CUTS with SHOGUN ASSASSIN: The Cellar WAVES: O2 Academy – Dirty Hit label tour Rebel Station, Beaver Fuel, Echo 4 Four and Sledge for a few whiskies down at Willie OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim with Birmingham’s Britpop-inspired rockers Raised by Hypocrites. th Nelson’s favourite drinking hole. They’re joined SATURDAY 11 Superfood repackaging the sounds of Blur, Oasis HOLDING ABSENCE: The Cellar – Intense, GENRES feat. DJ GUV & EKSMAN: O2 at tonight’s It’s All About the Music show by th and Supergrass into pop-friendly new shapes. atmospheric melodic hardcore and metalcore Academy – Drum&bass club night from TUESDAY 14 atmospheric Americana trio The Autumn Saints, BONAFIDA: O2 Academy – Denim-clad bad- They’re joined by abrasive teen-grungers King from Cardiff’s fast-rising noise bringers, Brighton’s Genres, tonight with sets from DJ Guv Nun, getting loud and bolshy in a Queens of the bluesy country rockers Country For Old Men, Socially astute guitar pop from the 2015 ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure damn sight more fun sounding than trying to be TUESDAY 28th Glastonbury Emerging Talent winner and recent BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, The 1975. Trashy garage-pop from Self Help, WARPAINT: O2 Academy – Moody groove- BBC Sound Of nominee, best known for his Sandford opening the show. pop from the returning LA quartet – see main debut single `Brazil’, tackling corruption in VOLUME #3 with TAXMAN & FELON: The preview FIFA and written when he was just 16. FRIDAY 24th Bullingdon BLAENAVON: The Bullingdon – Brighton’s THE WAILERS: O2 Academy – Rescheduled SONIC BOOM SIX: O2 Academy – THE GREAT WESTERN TEARS: The bluesy garage rockers return to town again, out from November, another return to town for Manchester’s hard-gigging punk, hip hop and Harcourt Arms – Emotive, rootsy country music on a headline tour after recent tour supports to the legendary Jamaican band, or what’s left of ska veterans return to town having previously from the local stars launching their debut album, Bloc Party, The Sherlocks and Sundara Karma. the original line-up (only Aston `Family Man’ supported Hadouken and Reel Big Fish in the `Tales From Tallows’ – see Introducing feature SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James Barrett remains from Marley’s classic band), past. This time out they’re headlining, on the STORYTELLER: The Black Swan – rock, Street Tavern once again performing `Legend’ in its entirety. funk, reggae and soul fusion from the local Tuesday 28th Friday 24th road to promote latest album, `The F Bomb’. Barrett’s joined by former-Upsetter and AMERICAN AQUARIUM: The Bullingdon – outfit. th renowned reggae session man Keith Sterling as MAETLOAF: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute to WEDNESDAY 29 WARPAINT: AMERICAN Hurt, heartache and hangovers from the phoenix- THE KRISSY MATTHEWS BAND: The well as his son Aston Barrett Jr. Dwayne Anglin the big lad. like country-rock stars – see main preview Bullingdon – Bicester’s young blues guitar continues to take on vocal duties, providing a THE HOWLIN’ TAILDRAGGERS: The O2 Academy AQUARIUM: DEVON SPROULE: The Cellar – Canadian- talent returns to the Haven Club, his electric pretty authentic Marley vocal style to the old Brewery Tap, Abingdon – Chicago blues and After over a decade together Warpaint were, American songstress Devon Sproule returns style inspired by Hendrix, Freddy King, Albert classics. boogie. by their own accounts, considering calling The Bullingdon with her eighth album, `The Gold String’, Collins and Joe Bonamassa. There’s some neat irony at work when a THE RHEINGANS SISTERS + OWL it a day. Their two albums – 2010’s `Fool’ fusing elements of jazz and blues into her MARY BENDYTOY + SPINNER FALL + band release what is intended as their final LIGHT TRIO: Holywell Music Room – th and 2013’s eponymous follow-up – were hazy Americana, her airy, conversational style SUNDAY 26 ANDY WRIGHT: The Wheatsheaf – Industrial album, filled with reflections on not making Sisters Rowan and Anna Rheingans team up well regarded but didn’t match the band’s telling tales of rural bliss, reflecting her idyllic SCOTT GORDON BAND + BEAVER gothic pop from Mary Bendytoy at tonight’s it, and such is the critical and commercial for a concert in the historic Holywell Music far more propulsive live shows, and even upbringing on a Virginian commune as well as a FUEL + PURPLE MAY + WATERFAHL It’s All About the Music show, plus 80s-styled reaction that it becomes the album that Room; Rowan has previously been best known they didn’t seem to know where they could globetrotting existence that’s seen her living in + FREDDY LE CRAGG: The Wheatsheaf hardcore, post-punk and shoegaze from Spinner go next. Luckily they worked it out and makes them. So it was with Raleigh, North for her work as part of Lady Maisery and with Berlin and most recently Texas. (3.30-8.30pm) – Free afternoon of live music in Fall. new album `Heads Up’, preceded by the Carolina outfit American Aquarium and Eliza Carthy and Karine Polwart in Songs DEEP COVER: The Cellar – Bass club night. the downstairs bar, hosted by Giddyup Music. almost disco-fied lead single `New Song’, their 2012 album, `Burn. Flicker. Die’, of Separation. The sisters have recorded two GET LOOSE + SLAM CARTEL + GARDEN CENTRE + PORRIDGE RADIO th is a far more coherent and upbeat record. the result of years of touring, partying and albums together, fusing the folk sounds of their REDWIRE: The Wheatsheaf – Stomping blues + CHEAP DATE + FANCY DRESS PARTY: THURSDAY 30 THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE: O2 Academy – Not that we didn’t love those earlier outings, eating up the road miles while never really native Peak District with traditional influences rock from Get Loose, with support from London The Library – More free lo-fi fun from Smash Tribute to the heavy rock legends. with their lush, ethereal gothic textures and getting anywhere, and something of a from Scandinavia and France (where Anna lives rockers Slam Cartel and Redwire. Disco in Oxford’s most intimate venue. Tonight’s LEWIS WATSON: St. John the Evangelist nods to The Cure and Cocteau Twins and clarion call for artistic integrity in the face and is an in-demand fiddle play); expect multi- FIREGAZER + TONY BATEY + DUNCAN headliners are Garden Centre from Brighton, – Soft-centred, heart-on-sleeve arena pop from the three-way vocal harmonies of Jenny of failure. Produced by Drive-By Truckers’ instrumental virtuosity and close harmonies. HARTLEY: James Street Tavern – Rootsy, whose wonky funtime pop comes from a strange Bicester singer-songwriter Lewis, back playing Jason Isbell, it revealed them to be one of Support from local instrumental group Owl campfire folk from singer and accordion player place where Devo share a playschool with Ween. Lee Lindberg, Emily Kokal and Theresa live to promote second album `Midnight’. the best underground country-rock bands Light Trio. Alan Foulkes’s Firegazer. They’re joined by lo-fi junk pop people Porridge Wayman layered over heavily reverbed DAWSON REIGNS + THE RISING + GARY in the States and singer BJ Barnum as a OSPREY & FRIUENDS: St. Aldates Tavern CRYSTALLITE + ANDY BENNETT + THE Radio; bedroom synth-pop crew Cheap Date and guitars and low-end basslines, but often the QUINN: The Cellar poetic lyricist in the mould of Springsteen SPARK’S SIDE OF THE MOON: James RAMPS + JOE HOLIC: Ex Services Club, gloomy indie-punks Fancy Dress Party, featuring band seemed more concerned with creating JUNIPER NIGHTS + MOON DRIVE 71 + and Richmond Fontaine’s Willy Vlautin, Street Tavern Bicester – Benefit gig for the Oxford Radcliffe members of Slate Hearts and Too Many Poets. moods and groove-led dirges than the great BEDFORD & BALHAM + MOMENTO: The his lived-in voice perfect to convey tales Hospitals Charitable Fund with local grunge rock MARTIN HARLEY & DANIEL KIMBRO: songs, like `Undertow’, they were obviously Wheatsheaf of hurt, heartache and hangovers. Acclaim WEDNESDAY 22nd outfit Crystallite joined by Ocean Colour Scene’s The Cornerstone, Didcot – Top-notch blues, capable of. `New Song’ – with its sweet CHEROKII: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Fat, finally accorded, the band – named after a SCOTT BRADLEY’S POSTMODERN Andy Bennett and more. folk and Americana at the Cornerstone tonight lyrics comparing new love to a song you fast’n’heavy garage-groove rocking from the line in a Wilco song – followed that album JUKEBOX: O2 Academy – Iconic hits given FAUX FIGHTERS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – with Woking singer and lap-slide player Martin can’t get out of your head – and the woozy, rifftastic duo. with 2015’s `Wolves’, their eighth in ten an ironic makeover by pianist and arranger Someone’s been making fake Dave Grohls. He’s Harley teaming up with upright bass player wandering lullaby `Whiteout’, are more CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Scott Bradlee and his big band, remodelling a nice guy, he’ll forgive them. Daniel Kimbro, who’s worked with Larkin focussed and closer to what they can do live, years and possibly an even better set of Community Centre songs by everyone from Radiohead and The Poe and Jerry Douglas, the pair out on tour to a result maybe of each member going off songs, demons faced down, decades of SPARKY’S FLYING CIRCUS: The Half Cure to Lorde, Meghan Trainor and Miley th promote their `Live At Southern Ground’ album, and doing other musical things, including, disappointment and desperation shrugged SATURDAY 25 Moon Cyrus into vintage 20s jazz standards, Irish folk mixing Ry Cooder grooves with the earthy blues variously, work with Saul Williams, Kim off, the twang of pedal steel mixing with CIRCA WAVES: O2 Academy – Buoyant, ACOUSTIC THURSDAY: Jude the Obscure ballads, classic cabaret numbers and 50s doo- of Lead Belly and Tom Waits. Gordon, Hot Chip and folk musicians Paul the drunken swagger of early-70s Rolling lightweight indie-grunge from Liverpool’s Circa BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford wop. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Harcourt Arms Bergmann. Tonight’s gig is their third visit Stones. And who else to bring such heroes Waves, back in town after their showing at OXFORD JAZZ KITCHEN JAM SESSION: COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN + THE to town, and their first since 2014, and live of the American underground to Oxford than Truck Festival last summer, touring new album The White Hart, Wolvercote – Monthly jazz AUTUMN SAINTS + LAIMA BITE: The th is still where you really should start with Empty Room Promotions. Empty rooms `Different Creatures’, the follow-up to 2015’s MONDAY 27 jam. being something American Aquarium are Wheatsheaf – Second leg of Dancing Man’s debut album `Young Chasers’, the band having BLACKBERRY SMOKE: O2 Academy Warpaint. birthday bash, with Americana crews Country long since done facing. Accord them the made their name supporting The Libertines and – Heavy’n’hairy blues-rocking, country and st heroes welcome they deserve – it’s been For Old Men and The Autumn Saints, plus 1975 on tour. Can we go home now? southern rock in the vein of JJ Cale, The Band FRIDAY 31 SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM with a hybrid style he’s dubbed `Dieselbilly’, Kirchen well earned. songstress Laima. 1000 CHAINS + MY DIABLO and The Allman Brothers from the Atlanta, DADDY G + COUNT SKYLARKIN + MC has played alongside Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello + BAD BLOOD RECOVERY + Georgia outfit, over in the UK to tour sixth KWASI: The Cellar – Skylarkin’ continues to and Emmylou Harris among others. THURSDAY 23rd AUDIOCHEMISTRY: O2 Academy – Church album `Like An Arrow’. out on tour to promote towering new single be one of Oxford’s essential club nights, tonight TROPICLE POPSICLE: The Bullingdon – BEAR’S DEN: O2 Academy – Plaintive folk- of the Heavy takes to the O2’s big stage for PULLED APART BY HORSES: O2 `Permanent’. featuring a return visit for Massive Attack founder Tropical house club night. pop in the vein of Snow Patrol and Mumford a heavy-duty bill featuring eclectic melodic Academy – Art-metal, tightly-wound hardcore OPEN MIC SESSION: The Harcourt Arms Daddy G, last seen on the local decks helping TEMPER CARTEL + THE TOM IVEY and Sons from Communion signings Bear’s Den, metallers 1000 Chains, mixing up classic and belligerent, angular punk fury from Leeds’ Count Skylarkin celebrate his club’s third birthday BAND + THE OUTSIDE: O2 Academy – 60s who’ve been out on tour with the Mumfords and hard rock with thrash, NWOBHM and tech- ever-gigging PABH, back in the shire after their th back in 2015 alongside the legendary DJ Derek. beat pop and grungy Britpop from Temper Cartel, MONDAY 20 now head out as headliners to promote last year’s metal, plus stoner/groove metal in a Sabbath/ showing at Truck last year, the band having Expect a floor-filling set of melodic dubby reggae, coming in somewhere between Pulp, Oasis and GOLDFRAPP: O2 Academy – Return of the album `Red Earth & Pouring Rain’. QOTSA from former Mother Corona crew worked their way up the tour circuit by way of hip hop, soul, garage and block party gems that Space, plus funky blues from Tom Ivey and more. synth-pop queen – see main preview WILL JOHNS & FRIENDS + JASMINE My Diablo, and sludgy blues noise from Bad hard graft and unfettered, sweat-drenched rock hark back to his 80s soundsystem days with The ALL TAMARA’S PARTIES with DEATH IDLES: The Bullingdon – Caustic rage and RODGERS: The Bullingdon – Rootsy blues Blood Recovery, formed by former members showmanship, evoking the spirits of Nation of Wild Bunch. OF THE MAIDEN + CATGOD: The Cellar wit from Bristol’s post-punk agitators – see rocking from Brighton’s British Blues Award of Suitable Case For Treatment and Domes of Ulysses and The Jesus Lizard on tracks like `I BILL KIRCHEN & AUSTIN DE LONE: – Gothy burlesque folk from Tamara Parsons- main preview nominee Will Johns, touring his recent `Hooks & Silence. Punched a Lion in the Throat’. The Bullingdon – The “Titan of the Telecaster” Baker’s DOTM band at her own ATP show SAM KELLY & JAMIE FRANCIS: Lines’ album. GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with A SOFAR SOUNDS: Venue TBC – Artists and shows no sign of giving up any time soon as he tonight, plus ambient, atmospheric electro-jazz- Nettlebed Folk Club – BBC Folk Award THE SHADES + CHALK + THE ROSE RELUCTANT ARROW + DEATHSEX location to be revealed at Sofar’s intimate show. continues to tour, some 45 years after the success pop from Catgod in support. winner Sam Kelly comes to Nettlebed’s weekly SEGAL BAND: The Jericho Tavern – Mod- BLOODBATH + SELF HELP: The JOHN KIRKPATRICK & MARTIN of `Lincoln Hotrod’, the hit he led as guitarist with WHITE MAGIC SOUND: O2 Academy – folk club, joined by banjo player Jamie Francis influenced rocking from The Shades and Wheatsheaf – Quality mixed bag at the monthly CARTHY: Nettlebed Folk Club – Another Commander Cody’s Lost Planet Airmen. Versatile Reggae, dancehall r’n’b and hip hop club night, for an evening of traditional folk tales and lightweight guitar pop from Chalk at tonight’s GTI, with local blues-rock crew A Reluctant chance to catch a collaborative concert from enough to cover everything from rockabilly and tonight celebrating their birthday with a guest set songs. It’s All About the Music showcase. Arrow keeping it dark and lupine, while two of the leading interpreters of English folk blues-rock to country, swing and boogie woogie, from 1Xtra’s Seani B. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Coventry’s pop degenerates Deathsex Bloodbath traditions, though the pair have a long history TUESDAY 21st Community Centre promise “music inspired by meaningless sexual of working together, with Pentangle and Brass Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion is the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Email DECLAN McKENNA: O2 Academy – SPARKY’S FLYING CIRCUS: The Half encounters, self-loathing, murderous intentions Monkey. Moon and asphyxiwanking,” which is certainly a OPEN MIC SESSION: The Royal Blenheim listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright Nightshift Magazine. PEYMAN SARAH JAROSZ LIVE HEYDARIAN St Barnabas The last couple of times Sarah Jarosz has

photo: Jo Cox Holywell Music Room played in Oxford it was at St John the The sheer variety of music that flows through Evangelist, most recently on the I’m With Oxford remains a constant surprise. Peyman Her trio tour with Sara Watkins and Aoife Heydarian plays the santur, the Iranian O’Donovan. This time she’s branched out in member of the hammer dulcimer family, and terms of Oxford churches to the “elaborate seeing and hearing it is a first for me. living room” which is St Barnabas in The hand-eye co-ordination and Jericho. The venue isn’t the only change; concentration required as the small, she’s no longer touring with Alex Hargreaves delicate curved hammers strike a tune from (violin) and Nate Smith (cello), as she did in the hundred strings stretched across the the early days. Instead she’s accompanied by instrument’s body is amazing, and its intensity songwriter and guitarist Anthony da Costa draws you into the music itself. and double bassist Jeff Picker. The opener is a rather beautiful tune It might have been easier for her to stay composed or improvised by Heydrian but with the familiar, but it’s not her style. She THE OXFORD thereafter much of what follows is folk music chose to study music rather than going from the region, as well as Crete. The themes, straight out into the world as a performer, RECORD & CD FAIR though, are universal as Heydrian’s santur and she’s pushed herself on each of the St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE expressively conveys yearning, love and loss four albums she’s released in just six years. 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP as well as well as a lively folk dance or two. It shows. Listening again to the likes of th It is difficult to describe the sound the ‘Annabelle Lee’, from her second album Saturday 25 March santur makes, perhaps a xylophone merged `Follow Me Down’, there’s something new 10am-4pm with a strummed violin, or the homemade to be found each and every time: a slight instruments used by Konono No.1 from the variation on the arrangement, new feeling Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres Congo merged with a mandolin or an oud. in the lyric. She brings the same attention to Accessories/memoriabillia/books. Whatever, Heydarian uses its full range detail in her covers, whether it’s the well- Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl to create quiet moments and soft pulses, worn ‘Ring Them Bells’, Linda Ronstadt’s www.usrfairs.co.uk shimmering mysterious sounds, and virtuosic ‘High Sierra’ or the Tim O’Brien medley storms of notes flying from the instrument at she weaves into the set. what seem to be quite impossible speeds. Sarah Jarosz doesn’t rest on her laurels, Early on he and Ali Torshizi on the Kurdish and who wouldn’t admire that. No-one `Anxiety’ as a reflection on a mindset HARCOURT LADYHAWKE drum work up a formidable groove for two apparently: from tonight’s attentive which is suggestive of the reason people playing acoustic instruments but audience to the Grammy board which just ARMS for it’s absence tonight, but she has O2 Academy the highlight is four pieces which they play awarded her Best Folk Album and Best It seems hard to reconcile that Whilst songs such as ‘Paris is Ladyhawke’s ability to subtly shift also been vocal about her struggles without a break, inadvertently perhaps making American Roots Performance, her acclaim Ladyhawke’s debut album was Burning’ are effortlessly able to and change her sounds without with depression and alcohol prior Saturday March 11th them into a single piece in which the ground is widespread. Empty Room Promotions released nearly 10 years ago, create a sense of time and place, departing away from her signature to recording `Wild Things’, and constantly shifts with the changes in the have a knack for bringing some of the OXFORD B EATLES especially when it’s clear from the ‘Money to Burn’ displays the layers style. This is perhaps due to the tonight feels like a reawakening. It’s rhythm, tune and timbre. They just might have best quality country and bluegrass acts to reactions of the crowd that it’s the and textures she’s able to create significant absence of songs from her intricate and creative, but above all + Support Acts created a rather fine contemporary classic for Oxford, and they don’t come much better older number such as `My Delirium’ around the vocals. At times this second album `Anxiety’ making the a celebration of an ability to carve the santur, and that is something to treasure. than this at the moment. and `Magic’ which are the favourites verges more towards the rock sound, cut. Only ‘Blue Eyes’ makes the set, meaningful songs in a playful style. Colin May of the night. However, to credit her and at others effortlessly channels and whilst it gives a dose of needed Overall, tonight feels reflective of Jo Cox Saturday March 25th only on the success of her debut more electro-pop vibes. Elsewhere variety to the night, the contrast to the both the highs and the lows that GREAT WESTERN TEARS denies her strength as a songwriter. ‘Wild Things’ and ‘A Love Song’ other tracks feels stark by comparison. Ladyhawke has experienced in GROAK / DRORE / SCUMBAG Tonight she makes it clear that her favour a melodic backing leaving It’s clear then than Ladyhawke has the last decade, but the show is + Support Acts power lies in her ability to merge Ladyhawke’s vocals to take centre rightfully returned to her roots with most definitely more of a high, The Library the influences of her childhood stage, and it’s here her delicate `Wild Things’ and tonight feels like a reconfirming her sound and style as Scumbag sound exactly as you’d expect make a suitably oppressive soundtrack to with fresh sounds, creating both a intonation really shines through. continuation of her journey. both meaningful and relevant. Monday March 13th with a name like that: loud, dishevelled, legendary monster movie Godzilla vs The vibrancy and sense of nostalgia. What’s most apparent however is Ladyhawke herself described Lisa Ward uncouth and possibly slightly rabid. They Smog Monster, in that it’s very slightly silly oxford classic jazz appear to have a flagrant disregard for song despite all the sound of what might well be ME AND MY FRIENDS and some clarinet madness, they have plenty to which appears effortless and the upcoming album structure, their set mostly a hysterical vocal collapsing skyscrapers, overturned express keep the most demanding of Bossaphonik global will be a must. Throwing their drum sticks out into rasp over a slovenly mangled sludge-core trains and general sonic destruction. Mostly Open Mic Every Sunday dance beat regulars happy too. the audience at the end and then asking for them that’s due to a dual vocal attack that tends The Cellar avalanche. Obviously all of this is A Good Enjoy free live music We’ve got used to bands with powerful horn While still work in progress, as they bring back just makes us like them even more. Thing. Only an idiot would think otherwise. to evoke an image of an emotional pet dog sections belting out Afrobeat or Balkan beats at sunshine with them Me and My Friends are likely Trauma UK are up next and the waving around of It’s the warm up for a solid evening of left too long tied to a lamppost, when a at the heart of jericho Bossaphonik nights, so a band fronted by a single to be favourites wherever they play. a bottle of Jack Daniels might seem promising but sludge, hosted by Smash Disco, topped by nastier, dirtier delivery would complement clarinet and a cello along with semi acoustic guitar Colin May turns out to be more Father Jack than Lemmy. For Leeds three-piece Groak, whose set would the band’s scuzzy dirge better. Cranham Terrace Jericho Oxford ox2 6dg is something different for sure. a band that have been going on and off since 1995, It’s still decent stuff, but honours in 01865 556669 Me and My Friends have a gentle and sunny the songs such as `Hail Hail’ and `Renegade’ are tonight’s three-way slugefest go to local vibe at their heart , including rather sweet vocals 1000 CHAINS / forgettable and the swagger strangely at odds with noise titans Drore. Initially their sound is and harmonies which stop short of becoming the content. so muddy they sound like the build-up of saccharine, except for one number when they TRAUMA UK / MY Headliners 1000 Chains are tipped as a tension before a dam bursts or a nuclear succumb to an excess of ‘oh woo woos…’. supergroup, made up of former members of other power plant goes into meltdown, all There’s some fine 1950s and 60s Congolese and DIABLO heavyweight local bands. They are clearly all oppressive rumble and crunk, but as the West African-influenced guitar picking in the mix, experienced players, flaunting it on tracks such miasma clears and Taz Corona-Brown’s but if there is a star it is the cello as it floats above The Cellar as `There Can Only Be Pain’ and `8 Solid Years spleen-threatening screams mix with Tom and coalesces with a West African pulse, creating Church of the Heavy promise a riff fest tonight of Lead’ but unfortunately they seem a little Greenway’s throat-ripping roar over an a truly eerie sound, then gets us believing there’s and My Diablo, formed from the ashes of Mother pigeonholed in by the self-inflicted “melodic iron foundry clang and supersized shredded a wailing banshee in the house and later joins the Corona, don’t disappoint. Proof that sometimes two metal” tag. The vocalist brings an interesting riffage, they stake their claim to be the clarinet in some rather fine twisted solos. members are all you need, they have all the power potential twang of Faith No More/Tool, but they biggest, baddest, building-stomping noise With an excellent drummer and a substitute bass of a full band in the vein of Black Sabbath meets just don’t have the songs at the moment to back it beasts for several blocks around. Who player coming off the bench to play a blinder, they early Queens of the Stone Age. Crazy dexterity up. Time will tell if their collective experience can wouldn’t enjoy such musical malevolence? also possess a driving rhythm section, and with a on tracks like `Addiction’ and `Fallen Man’ are an bear fruit. Only a fool.

strong funk number, another with a Bangra beat intense display of their longstanding synchronicity, Karlyn King photo: Helen Messenger Dale Kattack LIVE photo: Guy Henstock

KANADIA / TEMPER CARTEL / THE PINK DIAMOND REVUE The Bullingdon With his slicked hair, unnerving gaze too early. It’s simple, highly effective like the climax of a U2 gig. The band, gorgeously airy compared to the and tight-fitting suit, Pink Diamond and brilliantly hypnotic. from Abingdon, have seemingly denser noise of much of the set, Revue frontman Tim Lane looks Temper Cartel’s frontman, taken that mid-80s idea of The Big although a slow-building, as yet like the sort of bloke who ends meanwhile, looks like he’s dropped Music and run with it, so everything untitled new song with a touch of Six uncomfortable conversations with in from an early incarnation of The is built to be performed in stadiums. By Seven about it, runs it close. Only a switchblade. Tonight, though, he Kinks, bypassing the last 50 years Singer James Bettis is a picture of an overwrought number towards the channels any simmering discontent of pop music besides a stop-off at nervous intensity as he hunches over end of the set falls flat, a dull shrug of by continually harassing the legless Britpop’s first flowering. The band his microphone throughout the set, a stadium ballad, but they close with mannequin on stage with him with can be a bit shouty at times when a channelling his inner Thom Yorke, `Meet the End’ with a jammed-out his guitar, all the while crunching out subtler approach would help their while carving delicate guitar spangles coda that’s close to majestic. relentless surfabilly dirges over the songs better, but at their best they’re and chimes that strive to escape the They might wear their influences drummer’s metronomic beats, washes anthemic, even elegant: a little bit venue’s confines. on their hearts and sleeves, but those of industrial synths and disembodied Oasis, a little bit Pulp and quite a bit At their funkiest, on `Ocean Blue’, influences are bands who count their vocal samples. It sounds like Dick Space. there’s a hint of INXS about the, sales in the tens of millions, and Dale, Kraftwerk and Ministry dropped Anthemic is a musical state Kanadia while the piledriving `Ugly Truth’, Kanadia’s musical scope and ambition a bunch of mushrooms together and very rarely drop below. Twenty runs close to Muse’s epic intent. Set suggests they might do too one day. invented Death In Vegas twenty years seconds into tonight’s set they sound highlight remains `Into the Flames’, Dale Kattack

cowbell, expansive guitars and a vocalist with a VOODOO VEGAS / KIKAMORA / HAXAN surfeit of pep, but despite swinging wildly, they never really hit the target. When they bring a The Wheatsheaf saxophonist on for their last tune, it all goes a Back in 1991 when grunge appeared it seemed it is no surprise that AC/DC’s `Whole Lotta Rosie’ bit peculiar, rather than augmenting the song’s as if a cleansing tidal wave had swept across the weighs in at one point. At times the three-piece are a structure, it’s practically a sax solo which might planet and put an end to almost every single metal little ramshackle, but they’ve got strong vocals and work for Morphine, but here sounds like a good band that had even an inkling of classic rock pose hooks, and even manage to graft Queen Adreena’s idea applied a little too liberally. or a faint whiff of hairspray about them. Most unhinged melodic sensibility to Heart’s rock sheen. Voodoo Vegas are perhaps the band Kikamora of the bands featured in The Decline Of Western They might fall apart every now and then, but would like to be. They’ve got huge songs, two Civilisation Pt II had disappeared overnight; the there’s something worth keeping an eye on. guitarists that clearly worship at the altars of concept of having Nothin’ But A Good Time was Kikamora promise much; after all, they’ve got Sambora and Slash, and in vocalist Lawrence Case, replaced with mostly having a depressing time. a guitarist who must be 6’4”, is pipecleaner thin, someone that sounds uncannily like a young Axl That the flame was never extinguished however, and dressed in a pair of pinstripe bellbottom Rose. Ultimately, they’ve got a set of huge rock and whilst the regular OxRox nights are not at trousers and pointy white leather shoes. He looks songs that they can tie the rock and roll attitude Sunset Strip circa 1986 levels, there’s definitely a like a three-day-week pimp. Musically, they’re and technique to and it works. The likes of `King hint that bandanas and drinking Jack Daniels from a an archaeological curiosity. It’s tempting to say Without A Crown’ might not be clever or possess cowboy boot are making a comeback, and all three that they don’t make them like this anymore, but knowing nuance, but then sometimes all you need is bands tonight possess a swagger that has largely evidently in Bristol, they do. Theirs is a head-down a screamed chorus, a riff hammered out and a frilly been absent from rock for some time. rock attack that flounders around, howling, but shirt worn without irony. The revival is on. Haxan make no bones about their influences and forgetting any actual tunes. There’s plenty of Sam Shepherd Oxford-connected band brought the aesthetics of disgust to their music LOYLE CARNER LIVE like Cassels. Another skins and O2 Academy strings duo, albeit one with more With Chance the Rapper nabbing seven where he wishes he could love someone like intricate fluidity to their pummelling, Grammy nominations; Kendrick Lamar’s he knows he could, leads to `Damselfly’, Cassels ricochet between splenetic `To Pimp A Butterfly’ vinyl being archived which he dedicates to collaborator Tom photo: Jonny Moto ire, mordant humour and defeated as a canon in the Harvard library, and Misch. Here, he rhymes about romance resignation, wrestling global Drake spending £500 in Nando’s, it’s an drying up: “I know everyone thinks I’m and personal politics into punk encouraging time to be an emerging hip-hop miserable,” he says, “but I’m really not. straitjackets. At their best, such artist. Especially if you like chicken. I’m here, doing this, with my best mate.” as recent single “Flock Analogy”, Tuesday night, Oxford’s O2 Academy, He gestures to Rebel Kleff, nodding over a a twitchy tattoo bolsters howled and Ben Coyle-Larner’s acting like hip- laptop. “I’m a happy boy.” poetry and impassioned broadsides hop really does make the world go round. `Florence’ shows Carner’s lyricism at its that reveal a burgeoning poetic Carner’s a ripe 22-year-old touring off sharpest; voice as strong as on the record, sensibility. There are lyrical the back of his debut album, `Yesterday’s he’s already proving his endurance. He missteps – describing the world as a Gone’, and if he’s not a global name quite beams a smile as he raps, almost as excited “Huxleyan nightmare” doesn’t sound yet, he’s already selling out shows with as the crowd to hear the next poetic line. “I any less sophomoric just because ease. promised I wouldn’t cry in the first week it’s now true – but Cassels are still He takes his time to appear onstage tonight of the tour,” he says to huge cheers. He something special. but when he does emerge the crowd performs in front of a projection of his Catch a few lyrics and you’ll realise swoons; they hang on his every syllable, friends and family (`Yesterday’s Gone’ that Exeter’s Muncie Girls are as even his humble silence. “I’m lost for album cover), so there’s no denying he’s a politically charged as Cassels, but words,” he says, wrapping his dad’s old sentimental person. He values the family choose a less abrasive method of football shirt round his neck, “and that never unit, and when taking us back to his 2012 delivery. Their perky punk pop has happens.” EP `A Little Late’, is unafraid to tell us “Of its roots in C86 fizz, and borrows its Popularity is something this guy should course I’m fucking sad / I miss my fucking fat amped attitude from that early get used to, though. His heartfelt rhymes dad.” 90s lacuna between grunge’s early are already in favour with Joey Bada$$ and With a Black Keys-worthy riff, `No CD’ influence and Britpop’s colourful The Guardian reckons he’s taking hip-hop’s gets the entire room skanking like they were trade fair. Their melodic vocals glide sentimentality to “a startling new place”. born to it, and then, though it’s felt like no whilst the music canters in a way Accompanied by producer Rebel Kleff, time at all, he comes to the end of his set. MUNCIE GIRLS / CASSELS / KANCHO! that resembles a less self-conscious he kicks off with latest single, `The Isle of He closes out with a genuine thank you as Wedding Present, or even a souped Arran’. The track’s a perfect start: it rises his mum comes to life in the projection. The Cellar up version of The Sundays (The with a choral ceremony; Loyle’s first word She recites a poem about him – earnest and A few years ago any hipster worth Kancho!’s two man tirade is built they’re preciously twiddly, any self- Sundays Before Bank Holiday to the beat is “Look”. From here, he rolls proud – to a sea of whoops. Loyle Carner their rosemary-infused artisanal salt from crisp, incisive drums and rough conscious mathy opening riff is just Monday, probably). It’s all good deftly through his set, waving his dad’s shirt collaborates with his mum one day, and who was in a bass and drums duo. That blocks of bass granite, but they know a disguise for old fashioned amp bouncy fun, and we can’t say a word like it’s a flag, then stashing it over his neck knows? Maybe Jay Z the next. time has passed, perhaps because that simply throwing everything blasting, quickly discarded (“It is against their opinions or general like a weapon. `Mean It In The Morning’, Eva Hibbs of fashion’s restless vicissitudes, or in at once wouldn’t cut the triple I, Leclerc; let’s rock!”). This is an charm, but if Muncie Girls play a perhaps because people realised that strength septum-melting mustard for excellent set, possibly the best we’ve better set than Cassels, it’s the latter economy of musical means demands a full half hour, and have addressed witnessed by them... just in time for that have hooked our attention, and MENACE BEACH / VAN ZELLER / WOLFS increased precision, or at the very their attentions to hooks, dynamics them to split up. will drag us back for another visit. least a little effort put into arranging. and slightly silly jokes. Not that Not since The Cellar Family has any David Murphy The Bullingdon Brooding; creepy; expansive: all are vein of The Lumineers (`Hold Me Back’). A adjectives I’m sure Menace Beach are high-octane joyride from start to finish, the satisfying, it’s also entirely predictable. They track announced with “onetwothreefour!” barked THOUGHT FORMS / used to having thrown their way. Their guys give everything and finish with more whip through a flurry of excellent reference out, Ramones style, and occasional instructions as most recent record, `Lemon Memory’, than one of us forging mental reminders FLIGHTS OF HELIOS points throwing out some bearish riffs, but there’s to the key it should be played in, and they’re off neither an element of surprise to keep us guessing like hares. is, after all, named after a “lemon curse” to keep an extra eye out for them moving The Cellar where they might head next, nor is there enough Stalwart Martin `Watermelon’, their silver haired their front pairing Liza Violet and Ryan forward. intensity to make us gasp for air. I’d love to be trumpet virtuoso, steps in to sing now and again, Needham believed was placed on their Taking to the stage like a person more Over the last few years, Flights of Helios have house, shedding some insight into the sense entranced than possessed, Liza Violet’s been one of the most satisfying-evolving bands in able to say that a song sounds definitely like them including en Francais (with tonight’s French of superstition and occult that pervades both guise and demeanour bless her with a Oxford, moving from spacey but faintly formless and no-one else, but three albums in, they’re still theme, saxophonist `Red’ Wilkins has a string of their recorded work and live show. presence not unlike a character from a Tim nascent explorations to a band with an original finding their own (albeit very loud) voice. When onions round his neck, and the stage is festooned Unfortunately, this sort of demonic Burton film. Beguiling and, at times, rather voice. Their latest iteration, which sees the they do, it’ll be thrilling. with tricolours); drummer John `Skippy’ Gannon dynamism is somewhat lost on openers intimidating, there’s little allusion to the sort addition of a violinist as well as a new keyboard Stuart Fowkes also gives it a go for his song `Highway Man’. Wolfs. An awkwardly endearing stage of post-gig niceties to be experienced later at player, though not quite as tightly integrated as Ian Nixon from support act Les Clochards pops presence does no harm to their scuzzy their merch stand. It’s not that they are off- they’d perhaps like yet, turns them into a distinct on for Georges Brassens’ `Les Copains D’abord’ pop-punk, though a couple of ill-judged putting; on the contrary, Needham partway proposition. Even as an expanded six piece, they and all is well and gloriously ramshackle in THE ORIGINAL RABBIT inclusions do, most notably their signature through has to stop himself gushing, almost have a graceful ability to leave space in their songs: Spasmland. They play their breakneck party joke song, `We Came Here To Rock’. An apologising in the process, by explaining at their most potent when they leave things unsaid, style classics `Shanghai Fanny’, `Pirates’ and FOOT SPASM BAND undoubted highlight is closer `Mirror’, a how seven days of touring is making him they use silence and sparsity the way a good `King of Wine’ (under duress, admittedly, but jagged, more rounded number not unlike an sentimental. No, rather, just like their music, photographer exploits negative space. If they can The Jericho Tavern always a crowd pleaser), plus new tracks `Russian early Speedy Ortiz demo that bodes well for they consume and envelop in a manner just find a few more rousing choruses like that of The Rabbits are back in town! After packing out Dolls’, `Flatpack Land’ and `Frankie Fraser’ brighter things. that is utterly invigorating. Tracks such as long-time standout `Star’, they could yet find their a marquee at Common People last year, whilst (about the late British gangster), plus standards If a cultic theme is to undercut most of `Can’t Get A Haircut’ and the exhilarating place in the firmament. Duran Duran were on, and threatening to steal `Cry Me a River’ (where they are joined by the Where Flights of Helios are sometimes gaseous their crowd, this is their first Oxford foray out of extraordinarily talented Claire LeMaster), `Old the evening then it’s somewhat fitting that `Suck It Out’ sit them somewhere between and hard to pin down, Thought Forms shows their burrow since. This is largely because Chief Lang Syne’ and `Loch Lomond’. The packed Van Zeller’s lead singer bears a striking the alt-rock orientation of Kagoule and could come with Influence Bingo cards, as their Bunny Stuart MacBeth moved to the south west, crowd lap it up. Turbo-charged, jump-up rhythm resemblance at times to both Nick Drake the surfer-psych of Wavves. Orchestrated songs flick through a deck of the most credible for reasons we cannot legally discuss. He will, he and blues, swing, big band… they dislike being and Jim Morrison. As intense as the latter, perfectly by Needham and Violet, it’s an guitar bands from the last 20 years, zipping says, be taking a back seat for this, their sold out, called a jazz band, but they have done to jazz though professionally excellent throughout, exhibition in how to immerse an audience so from Mudhoney’s sludge right through to Bardo French Revolution-themed return. But he doesn’t; what The Pogues did to traditional Irish music in the four-piece take us through a set that at completely, while proving without question Pond’s lysergic droning. At their strongest, with a he takes very much a front seat at the keyboards, the 1980s; pick it up by the scruff of the neck and times harks back to the traditional rock/punk that beyond all of the various descriptions repetitive, two-note bludgeon of a riff, they invoke when he is not on his feet, throwing flowers into shake it until its fillings fall out, then knock it off aesthetic early Kings of Leon fed off (`All available, Menace Beach are ultimately that the bloody violence of Unsane all too briefly. the crowd, mishandling the mic, alternatively its feet with a rock steady beat. They have been Or Nothing’); the everyman’s indie/garage most important thing: a tight, dedicated and And if there’s a problem with Thought Forms, it crooning then stridently bellowing into it, as only missed. La règle des lapins! Legendary. rock of The View (`The Coward’), as well important contemporary band. lies therein: while their live experience is entirely a passionate and inspired MacBeth can. Each Leo Bowder as more contemporary sing-alongs in the Ben Lynch INTRODUCING.... Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under The Great Western Tears Who are they? The Great Western Tears are a folk-roots band from Oxford built around the songwriting partnership of Garry Richardson (guitars) and Dava Waterhouse (vocals and harmonica), initially as a side project to their band Swindlestock, but soon became their primary and then only project. The pair are joined in the band by Kurt Hamilton (pedal steel) Fern Thornton (vocals) and a rhythm section of Rich Jones and Ian Clark. They started gigging in summer 2015 with the release of an eponymous EP followed up with a double A-side single and this month they release their debut full album, `Tales From Tallows’. The band regularly co host The Roots Ramble pub crawl and produce the Ridgeway Ramble video series. What do they sound like? sing backing vocals on a track and they returned the favour on `Blue Checks, Dava’s rich, gravelly voice and lonesome harmonica evokes a darker, White Cotton’; those guys are definitely stretching their songwriting craft.” bluesier kind of country-folk, his songs often find him staring at the bottom of If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: a whisky bottle, contemplating a life or a love that got away, with gambling “David Crosby: `If I Could Only Remember My Name’; it captures the as a metaphor for love, the Californian coastal fog a metaphorical barrier to collaborative spirit of the West Coast end of the 60s/ early 70s scene.” lost lovers. Brilliant, sad stuff. In their own words they are, “rural roots with When is their next local gig and what can newcomers expect? backbone, a genuine blend of country, folk and blues.” After an extended winter break in Tasmania we’ll be at The Harcourt Arms in What inspires them? Jericho on March 25th. Expect to hear songs from the album and hopefully the “Travel; life, death and love on the road; friendship and camaraderie; the live debut of Ben Heaney on fiddle! We’re very excited by this as he brought mountains; hard labour and the knowledge that through writing songs we can so much to the songs he played on the record.” emotionally chart our lives and tap back in to that whenever we need to.” Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: Career highlight so far: “The best thing is the opportunity offered to new bands to get out, gig and get “Country 2 Country at the 02 Arena last March. We were certainly out on a experience; the worst is there’s a limited audience for the music we play; you limb but it was an amazing insight in to the Nashville machine and how we have to be very proactive in keeping things interesting.” have no interest in being part of it.” You might love them if you love: And the lowlight: Bruce Springsteen; Neil Young; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Willie “Any 7pm support slot. No one’s left their house by that time, have they?” Nelson; The Willard Grant Conspiracy. Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: Hear them here: “Right now we’re looking forward to the next August List album. We got to www.thegreatwesterntears.com. Buy the album on iTunes and Spotify

Dr SHOTOVER: The Synths of the Fathers THIS MONTH IN OXFORD T H E W H E A T S H E A F Uh, ciao, Lord Yuppington, CIAO! Welcome to the East Indies Club bar – you AND ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY Wednesday 1st March – MOSHKA your ridiculously hair-sprayed mullet. Yuh, yuh, put your Filofax away, take out your Burberry money-clip and buy us all a large Frascati, why don’t you? We were just more than Oasis Reserves, devoid of charisma 7:45pm 20 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO MAN MAKE FIRE ORDER#227 + LITTLE SPARTA discussing the 80s synthpop duo I used to manage, IRONIC TORIES. Remember and no songs beyond watered-down versions of Friday 3rd March – KLUB KAKOFANNEY “Supergrass get their dick out!” proclaimed the Can it really be five years since Nightshift them? Yuh, yuh, we had a couple of singles and an album out on Milton Friedman someone else’s,” while the much-lauded Mansun th Records – all in Thatcher-Blue vinyl. The 12” remix of Trouser the Cash was played front page of March 1997’s Nightshift, a rather celebrated its 200 issue? It certainly is, and looking SMILEY & THE UNDERCLASS infantile headline to announce the release of new were “polished, soulless mid-table indie rock back at that landmark moment we find Spring once by John Peel – until he got bored and whisked it off halfway through the mediocrity. They’re so ordinary, so very, very dull; STOLBY + ASH LEWIS + RESTRUCTURE 7:45pm mixed percussion breakdown section. Yuh, rilly. Then Bettina the singer became Supergrass single `Richard III’, the precursor to Offensive gracing the front cover, suitably holding th they mean fuck all.” Good to be on the right side Saturday 4 March – BURIED IN SMOKE the Face of Maison Worth-It, and she left the band, taking her super-wide shoulder new album `In It For the Money’, recorded at a birthday cake and sporting balloons, bunting and of history again. pads with her. Another drink? Yuh, yuh, don’t mind if I do. Make this one a Huang Sawmills in Cornwall and the follow-up to their glum expressions. They needn’t have been so sad; DIRT-A-GOGO 1968 + CRIMSON TUSK 7:45pm Chung on the Beach with extra sushi on the side. Uh, cheers! [Slurp-o, slurp-o]… platinum-selling debut `I Should Coco’. The band they were about to release a new single, `Worry Fill th Wednesday 8 March – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC After the demise of IRONIC TORIES, Jolyon the synth-player formed another band were also confirmed to be playing Glastonbury in 10 YEARS AGO My Heart’, the band fully ensconced as the most called IRONIX NOUVEAUX. They aligned themselves with the Kensington cadre of the summer. “It’s more emotionally ambitious and A hell of a month for local gigs in March 2007. exciting new band in town on the back of some EMPYRE + QUARTER MELON 7:45pm JUNIPER NIGHTS the SWP and moved into a very select squat (later used for the ‘bohemian des- Friday 10th March – IDIOT KING musically rounded than `Coco,” Gaz Coombes While local heroes Young Knives played their seriously livewire gigs and their hugely ambitious res’ scenes in unscreened prequel Notting Hill 2 : The Wine Bar Years). Career told Nightshift; “It’s been three years since we biggest home town show to date at Brookes fourteen-minute concept single `The First Of highlights? A Rock Against Racism jazz‘n’cocktails night at the LSE. A miners’ benefit SNOB + GIRL POWER + BASIC DICKS 7:45pm wrote our first lot of songs and we spent a lot of Union, that venue also played host to sold out Many Dreams About Monsters’, based on Swiss USA NAILS in Richmond Park , mistakenly billed as Gold Not Dole. Getting thrown off a tour Saturday 11th March – TWO FACE PROMOTIONS time growing up, touring and being away from shows for Bright Eyes and Idlewild, while down psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s grief cycle. with Billy Bragg for being [Dr S uses ‘air quotes’] ‘bogus Socialists with one foot in home, so it would be worrying if we hadn’t grown at The Zodiac – which was due to close soon “Nobody wants to make forgettable music; one day the Blitz Club and the other in the Monday Club’. Jolyon’s arrest for dealing coke VIOLENCE IS GOLDEN SILK ROAD 7:45pm up as musicians.” Thankfully Supergrass never after for a refurbishment ahead of reopening as the we think `fuck it, we play straight-up indie pop’, the th to debs at a Knightsbridge party, before being bailed out by his father, the Admiral. Friday 17 March – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC fully grew up, which is why we loved them so. next we worry that we’re working on something too (Uh, no, NO, he really WAS an Admiral)… And of course last month’s IRONIX Oxford Academy – Foals were playing their own This month also saw the release of `Sunday homecoming show, with support from The Rock dirgy and self-involved. Maybe it’s that confusion 7:45pm NOUVEAUX reunion, CRYSTALLITE CALLOW SAINTS + NEON TEEPEE Morning Fever’, The Candyskins’ third album. that people like,” they mused. Saturday 18th March with a fabulous guestie of Travolta and The Delta Frequency. Velvet “At their best The Candyskins get under your There was a host of other local releases this by lovely mother-of-four Underground legend John Cale was playing a solo skin to such an extent they leave bruises. `Sunday month with Gunning For Tamar, Jonquil, The HOLY MOMENTS THE PHAT CARDINALS 7:45pm Bettina, singing a surprise show and there were also appearances from tap- Wednesday 22nd March encore of Trouser the Cash Morning Fever’ is the most eagerly anticipated dance-fuelled popstrels Tilly & the Wall; Poison Brickwork Lizards, The Family Machine and – at a Help For Heroes local release since `I Should Coco’ and it doesn’t the Well; James Yorkston; Kate Nash; Charlotte Robots With Souls among those putting out new COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN AUTUMN SAINTS 7:45pm Falklands Fundraiser. disappoint,” concluded Nightshift’s excited review. Hatherly; The Twang, and a two-night stint for music, while soul and r’n’b singer Jada Pearl was th Friday 24 March – OXROX What’s that, Yuppington? Another local release we were very excited about The Fall. Eliza Carthy and Spiers & Boden our Introducing artist. ‘Nother drink? Uh, yuh, was Nøught’s debut single, `Cough Cap Kitty were all set to headline this year’s Oxford Folk In local news it was announced there would be no SLAM CARTEL + REDWIRE 7:45pm GET LOOSE yuh, why not? A crate of Cat’, on the Shifty Disco singles club. “This Festival. Cowley Road Carnival this year, due to a lack of Saturday 25th March – GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES Sapporo Black Label with record simply has to be listened to at a volume that In local music news, The Sad Song Co. released funding and a summer filled with celebrations for A RELUCTANT ARROW a side-order of poisonous will have your neighbours calling the police and their second album; `Poignant Device’ was the the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and The Olympics. pufferfish? Uh, lovely! your pets packing their bags and leaving home.” second release for the band, the solo project of The Oxford Folk Weekend, though, was set to DEATHSEX BLOODBATH + SELF HELP 7:45pm We were less enamoured by the month’s big-name step into the void left by the cancelled Oxford Folk Wednesday 29th March - IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC Down the Thatch! Bettina: ‘I say, Jollers, who’s that funny man in leg- Unbelievable Truth and Dive Dive drummer Next month: The warmers who keeps following us around?’ gig, a double header of current NME darlings Nigel Powell, now a part of Frank Turner’s Festival, with a bill of mostly local folk acts due to Eurythmics – A Warning Mansun and Travis. Travis were described perform at The Old Fire Station, The Ashmoleon MARY BENDYTOY SPINNER FALL + ANDY WRIGHT 7:45pm Jolyon: ‘Don’t make eye-contact, Bettina dear – that’s Sleeping Souls. There were also release for The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford From History our [air quotes] “manager”, Dr Shotover!’ as “sludgy, half-speed sub-Beatles stodge, no Richard Walters, Loopy and Smilex. and The Wesley Memorial Church in April. psychedelic space-rock ramble that somehow hopeful at a gothic open mic session in veers from Dick Dale surf-rock rumble, downtown Cairo. Maybe not, but this here through mid-period Pink Floyd, onto Go- stick is – the one that’s aimed directly at Betweens sugar-coated indie pop and onwards your kidneys if you don’t tone it down a DEMOS into indie-noise flapping within six carefully bit. He’s not one to be put off though, is Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day orchestrated minutes. From there, `Games’ Mr Blintzios, and `Elders’ sounds like a at Soundworks studio in Oxford, is heroic, almost orchestral rock that takes severely constipated Jose Gonzalez sat courtesy of Umair Chaudhry. Visit a flamenco detour before ending up rocking on the loo after a dozen boiled eggs and a out at the Viper Lounge, while `Simulator’ is family-sized treacle tart, composing a dirge www.umairchaudhry.co.uk/nightshift rather more quirky, an odd mix and match of for his own funeral. There’s a point where Manic Street Preachers and Randy Newman. we’re unsure if he’s singing or if NHS cuts The band’s musical ambition and vision is in have hit so hard that someone’s undergoing JERAMESA no doubt and for the most part they execute impromptu surgery without anaesthetic in DEMO OF Ooh, a cassette. We know cassette culture is 01865 240250 their eclectic journeys well, though for the street outside Nightshift’s office. And a thing and all cool and stuff but anyone old every well-placed passage of close harmony don’t get us started on the attempt at rapping. enough to remember when cassettes were the THE MONTH singing, there’ll be an elongated guitar solo, Still, laughter is good therapy and by the mainstream format will tell you they were and occasionally they let songs wander on a end we’ve given up on decorum and are always a bit crap for so many reasons, not bit too long. There’s also a suspicion that what snorting like hippos on a nitrous oxide binge. MOTH DROP least the getting unwound in your tape player. they possess in technique they lack slightly in Laugh enough and it’ll loosen you up a bit If you want a headfuck far greater than Nightshift’s only surviving tape player is in heart and soul. A band that easy to admire but too, which might resolve that constipation pretty much any drug can offer, go and read our clapped out old car, and last time we had a little harder to love. problem. Worth a go, old chap. a dozen or so Philip K Dick novels and then to sit out in the driveway with the engine try and readjust to reality. One of his most running to be able to listen to a cassette mind-bending was Valis, a quasi-religious demo a concerned neighbour thought we meditation on God and existence. It’s also the were trying to gas ourselves, which given the HAM NAPKIN Ham Napkin? Seriously? Why don’t you basis of Moth Drop’s debut recording, with quality of some of the demos we get wouldn’t THE DEMO just call yourselves Value Pack Bumwipe, each track titled according to the acronym: be beyond the realms of possibility. Luckily, or Supermarket Own Brand Pot Noodle Vast Active Living Intelligence System. It’s a little searching reveals this one is also Substitute and really kill your career before DUMPER the work of Brendan Morgan, who also plays available online, which is fortunate since if it’s started? Okay, okay, whatever, your in noisy bastard garage rockers Grub, and we played this loudly enough in the car said choice; what have you got for us? Ooh, hmm, PIQUED JACKS if you’re looking for a suitable soundtrack neighbour might think we were indulging in ah. Not bad. Not bad at all – some muscular There’s an old Chinese curse that goes, to shifting planes of reality (and maybe a some strange pagan ritual, plus the clouds of but melodic grungy pop that could be a less “May you live in interesting times.” And it dose of Can-D), look no further. Mixing up bong smoke we’d feel compelled to create ostentatious or ferocious Smashing Pumpkins looks like that curse is working a treat on trippy ambient electronics, beats and samples to fully complement the experience, might TURAN AUDIO.co.uk or Placebo, maybe a bit of skewed Dinosaur us right now, what with Trump’s ongoing (Bill Hicks; Baron Munchausen; children attract less welcome attention and we don’t Professional, independent CD mastering Jr guitar bending – definitely a big late-80s/ lunacy; Brexit chaos; the rise of the far right; singing; seagulls), it’s variously atmospheric, want anything distracting us from this trip, early-90s influence going on – or, closer to religious terrorism; the continuing existence glitchy and playful, reminiscent of Higher an eastern-inspired drone-rock workout Artists mastered in the studio last month include; the 21st Century, Yuck. They’ve got the guitar of Piers Morgan, and a shortage of iceberg Intelligence Agency, the KLF’s more chilled that’s part Indian temple raga, part pagan MC LARENZ, RECOVER, THE WOOD DEMONS, noise bits sorted that’s for sure, especially lettuces. So praise be to Piqued Jacks for moments, Lemon Jelly and even Bentley folk mantra, part psychedelic meditation. All WILLIE J HEALEY, SEAN POWER, RIP RIG AND PANIC, on the big, bolshy `Domesticated’, but the delivering what the world needs right now: MARINA GALLARDO, CHLOE ROSE LAING, JEREMY Rhythm Ace at times. It’s got a retro charm the tracks here – with titles like `Sunward’, singer struggles a bit to carry a melody at something so boring it could be used to lull BEECHER, THE DRUNKEN RAMBLINGS, CHARLIE about it while not sounding dated, and the `Voyager’ and `Plateau’ – merge into each times and lacks the character of Billy Corgan rampaging hoards of jihadis into a childlike HARPER AND FRIENDS, THE AUGUST LIST, BIBBZ, quote from The Tales of Baron Munchausen other and while there’s some clumsy moments or Brian Molko. Get some sweet-natured slumber. Piqued Jacks describe themselves THE LUKA STATE, FLATLANDS, BABE PUNCH, SOL about sitting back and pressing a button to kill when the intended spell is broken and it tails backing vocals in behind him and they could as “a polychromatic alt/funk-rock band”; FLARE, LL COOL J, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, ALICE people thousands of miles away so you don’t off into mournful hippy folk rumination really be onto something. Not with the name polychromatic meaning made up of two or COOPER, PHIL GARVEY, NATUREBOY. have to see any of them die was remarkably towards the end, at its best it’s seriously Ham Napkin, mind. Unlike the music, that is more colours, in this case grey, beige and, prescient given nuclear and drone warfare. indulgent fun. But yeah, drugs are the key. proper shit. erm, a slightly lighter shade of grey. They 01865 716466 [email protected] Fits in well with Dick’s paranoid vision of Seems to be a theme this month when reality say that theirs is “a sound that’s missing from future worlds, as does this inventive and is such a terrifying alternative. the mainstream.” Which we guess it is, at engrossing set. Now, where did we leave our EPHEBE least since the mid-1980s which is when we Perky Pat dolls… The ability to laugh in the face of abject think Journey, Foreigner and Kansas last got COURTYARD KRUSOE horror is, according to scientific research, a anywhere near the charts. Here is earnest, Oxford-via-Berlin electro-pop chap Krusoe RECORDING STUDIO mark of superior intellect, so, given we’re plodding, mid-paced, cliché-ridden soft rock 2 Tracking Rooms. Superb Control Room with: at least tries to keep all that early narcotic- bloody geniuses here at Nightshift, it’s hardly (no funk to speak of, which may or may not be NEVE 5106 32 Channel Console. ProTools HD3 fuelled fun going with this one-song offering, GIANNI BARBRA surprising we spend much of this set of songs a blessing), pebbledashed with fake American MTR 90 2” 24 Track Tape Machine. Vintage EMT Plate Reverb More electronica, though of a rather more a fluffily lysergic but ultimately slender Loads of Brilliant Outboard Gear failing dismally to stifle a fit of giggles. accents and rather more wailing than even the beefed-up variety here from a guy called electro-pop which vaguely hovers around the Loads of Great Mics, Vintage and Modern On the one hand there’s something almost Japanese fishing fleet would consider decent. Gianni Barbra, mixing up smooth deep fringes of Glass Animals and Tame Impala’s Old School Akai/Roland Synth Modules great about Ephebe – the work of singer Occasionally they veer into Foo Fighters Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Amps and great vibes. house with heavier, dirtier electronic sounds party, throwing big washes of synths over Constantine Blintzios, who recorded this territory, but if anyone here seriously imagines Residential recording studio in Sutton Courtenay. and beats, particularly the demo’s title track tika-taka beats and getting all soulful and demo with local production legend Jimmy Foo Fighters are on the alt. side of rock, please www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk `Audiodrome’, a slab of thumping electronic swoony over the top. It’s hardly come-down Hetherington. There’s a delicate industrial pop round so we can insert a Fucked Up In-house producer: Ian Davenport www.ian-davenport.co.uk body music closer to Frontline Assembly music, and it could feasibly keep the vibe throb about the beats and electronic washes, album into an orifice of our choosing. Which Email: [email protected] or Front 242 than its other neighbour, alive for a little while longer, but it’s not the and his use of sparse acoustic guitar on brings us to our absolute favourite thing about Phone: Kate on 01235 845800 Italian house, great, grungy synth bites and spaceward head trip it possibly imagines tracks like `Behind My Skull’ conjures an Piqued Jacks. Their biog states that the band John Carpenter-style icicle drips creating itself to be. This month’s song most likely atmosphere not far off Radiohead’s `Street formed “when the clumsy bassist crashed his a doomy but uplifting atmosphere and the to be heard soundtracking online ads for Spirit’. But then he starts singing and we’re bass on the ground, bending the jack in the perfect club scene soundtrack for some unnecessary electronic gadgets soon. casting slightly terrified glances at each other input. Once pulled out, it looked like a boner.” lost 90s cyberpunk film. He goes big on across the room while biting down hard Ladies, we’ll give you a few moments to the Kraftwerk-inspired beats, keeping the on our own knuckles to stop the screams digest that delicious image before you resume trip going on `Depletion’, with its hypnotic SEAMONSTER and howls of laughter from upsetting the throwing your underwear at the stage. We’re `Trans-Europe Express’ rhythm, although neighbours. “Fear isn’t pointless” wails off to start a war. Or maybe just do a bit of closer `Mountain With No Head’, even with EYES Constantine, like a desperate, overwrought sick in our mouths. Three state of the art rehearsal rooms. its bubbly 70s synth-pop pops and squiggles With a name like that we were perhaps For bookings. and industrial bass synths is too disjointed to expecting something a bit heavier from Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to Seamonster Eyes, although they don’t skimp Call Jamie on 07917685935 keep the vintage rave vibe alive. Still, several [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without a pills of indeterminate origin later and we’re too much on the rock riffage at various points contact phone number. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. We make Glasshouse studios, Cumnor, Oxford still merrily nodding along and drooling along this demo. Mostly though they prefer to no pretence to being fair, objective or open-minded and reserve the right to use juvenile insults glasshousestudios.org slightly with the CD on constant repeat. Beats flit between styles to an almost ADHD degree. while almost completely ignoring your music should we feel like it. Your Facebook friends are doing any actual work. Opener `Boat I Row’ is nominally a woozy welcome to get all huffy on your behalf, but we’ll laugh at them too. facebook.com/o2academyoxford twitter.com/o2academyoxford instagram.com/o2academyoxford youtube.com/o2academytv

Sat 25th Feb • £20 adv • 6.30pm Tue 21st Mar • £8.50 adv • 7pm Tue 11th Apr • £14 adv • 7pm Sat 20th May • £10 adv • 6.30pm White Lies Declan McKenna (hed)p.e. The Verve Experience: Sat 25th Feb • £15 adv • 11pm Fri 21st Apr • £8 adv • 6.30pm Tue 21st Mar • £21 adv • 7pm Celebrating Dusky Live The Wailers Coast To Coast & The Twentieth Better Than Never Fri 3rd Mar • £12 adv • 6.30pm Anniversary of Urban The Amy Winehouse Wed 22nd Mar • £27.50 adv • 6pm + One State Drive Hymns Experience a.k.a Scott Bradlee’s Sat 22nd Apr • £15 adv • 7pm Postmodern Fri 9th Jun • £25 adv • 7pm Lioness Electric Six The Skids - + Alice Victoria Jukebox + Nightmares from the Discotheque 40th Anniversary Sat 4th Mar • £8 adv • 6.30pm Thu 23rd Mar • £16.50 adv • 7pm Show Bear’s Den Thu 27th Apr • £15 adv • 7pm Evarose Sat 24th Jun • £18.50 adv • 7pm + Veridian Fri 24th Mar • £8.50 adv • 6.30pm While She Sleeps + Matchboy + In Hearts Wake The Infl atables + Roddy Radiation & The + The Kaos Sonic Boom Six + Fizzy Blood + Ghouls Skabilly Rebels Sat 4th Mar • £13 adv • 11pm Fri 28th Apr • £23.50 adv • 7pm + King Hammond & The Rude Solardo Sessions Sat 25th Mar • £15 adv • 6.30pm Tinariwen Boy Mafi a Circa Waves + Art Theefe + Madan Scorcher Tour + Darren Bennet Mon 27th Mar • £20 adv • 7pm Sat 29th Apr • £8 adv • 6.30pm Tue 7th Mar • £5 adv • 7pm Blackberry Smoke Fri 29th Sep • £13 adv • 6.30pm The Pogues Irish Chasing Daylight The Velvets: Whiskey Present: + Earinade Mon 27th Mar • £12 adv • 7pm + Ben Champion Celebrating 50 A Shot at Discovery - Pulled Apart By + Cora Pearl Years of The Velvet The Heats Horses Underground + Tigercub Sat 29th Apr • £13 adv • 6.30pm Sun 5th Mar • £11 adv • 7pm + Thee MVPs Rat Boy Sat 7th Oct • £13 adv • 6.30pm VANT The Smyths: Thu 4th May • £28 adv • 7pm Wed 8th Mar • £10 adv • 6.30pm Tue 28th Mar • £19.50 adv • 7pm Strangeways Here Dutch Uncles Warpaint Morgan Heritage We Come Tour + Her’s + Shame & Etana Fri 27th Oct • £12 adv • 6.30pm + 31hours Thu 30th Mar • £13 adv • 7pm Sat 6th May • £16 adv • 6.30pm Guns 2 Roses Thu 9th Mar • 7pm The AC/DC Ward Thomas Experience Fri 3rd Nov • £23 adv • 6.30pm Ashanti Sat 6th May • £12 adv • 6pm From The Jam Sat 11th Mar • £15 adv • 11pm Fri 31st Mar • £10 adv • 11pm Bigfoot “The Gift” Genres feat. DJGuv White Magic Sound + Regulus 35th Anniversary & Eksman Birthday Bash + New Generation Superstars MC A.M.C, featuring: Seani B + Hell’s Gazelles Phantom MC, Tue 9th May • £10 adv • 7pm Voltage Sun 2nd Apr • £27.50 adv • 7pm The Japanese House Mon 13th Mar • £20 adv • 7pm The Jesus and Mary Chain Wed 10th May • £10 adv • 6pm Laura Marling The Magic Gang Tue 14th Mar • £12 adv • 7pm Mon 3rd Apr • £22.50 adv • 7pm Bonafi de Feeder Sat 13th May • £17 adv • 11pm + Tequila Mockingbyrd The Oxford Soul Train + Killer Bee Tue 4th Apr • £16 adv • 7pm Mallory Knox Tue 16th May • £13.50 adv • 7pm Wed 15th Mar • SOLD OUT • 7pm + Lonely The Brave The Comet Lucy Spraggan + Fatherson Is Coming + Flamingods Sat 18th Mar • £20 adv • 6.30pm Fri 7th Apr • £15 adv • 7pm Half Man Half Biscuit Thu 18th May • £27.50 adv • 7pm Tigertailz ss Mon 20th Mar • £24.50 adv • 7pm + Terminus The Mission + Nasty High + The Skeletal Family Goldfrapp + Pauline Murray

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