[email protected] @NightshiftMag nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 235 February Oxford’s Music Magazine 2015 GAZ COOMBESES “I love the idea of making a freaked out, psychedelic, f***-you record at some point”

OXFORD DUPLICATION CENTRE [email protected] Office: 01865 457000 Mobile: 07917 775477 Supporting Oxfordshire Bands with The Gaz Man on doing it all Affordable Professional CD Duplication himself, the Ride reunion and FANTASTIC BAND RATES finding his own voice. ON ALL SERVICES Professional Thermal Printed CDs Full Colour/Black & White Also in this issue: Silver or White Discs Introducing Design Work Support Liu Bei Digital Printing plus Packaging Options Fulfilment

All your local music news, reviews, previews Recommended by Matchbox Recordings Ltd, Poplar Jake, Undersmile, Desert Storm, Turan Audio Ltd, Nick Cope, Prospeckt, Paul Jeffries, Alvin and listings. Roy, Pete The Temp, Evolution, Coozes, Blue Moon and many more... NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 GUITAR / SONGWRITING TUITION

Most styles, acoustic and electric, and bass NEWS Beginners welcome - full-time teacher Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU author of How to Write Songs on Guitar Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] and many other guitar books Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net www.rikkyrooksby.com Clearly mark your mail Punt. Acts must be [email protected] from Oxfordshire and have some gigging experience. A contact phone number is Tel. 01865 765847 essential. A limited number (100) of all-venue Punt passes will be on sale from Truck Store on Cowley and Wegottickets.com from the beginning of February. Visit Oxford Punt 2015 on Facebook for regularly updated news on the event.

TRUCK STORE celebrates its fourth THE PEGASUS hosts it annual showcase anniversary this month with an afternoon of young rock and pop acts on Sunday 1st Three brand new state of the art of live music. The independent music February. `Reigns’ is run in conjunction with rehearsal rooms. store on Cowley Road hosts a selection Oxfordshire Music Education Partnership th Now taking bookings. of local bands on Sunday 8 February and will feature young acts selected by Call Jamie on 07917685935 from 4pm, including The August List Oxfordshire Music Service, Readipop, The and last month’s Nightshift cover star Oxford Academy, BG Records, the Young Oxfords newest rehearsal space. Kick arse PA and back line Duotone. More acts are set to be added Women’s Music Project and Oxfordshire soon. Visit truckmusicstore.co.uk for Youth Arts Partnership. Tickets for the event news on the event. are £3 in advance/£4 door. More details at Alongside Rapture in Witney, Truck is www.pegasustheatre.org.uk. a rare beacon of musical goodness in the area, selling local releases and gig tickets SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL returns for alongside its extensive selection of CDs its sixth outing this summer. The three-day and vinyl. As ever, support small local celebration of leftfield and underground businesses like this whenever you can music and art takes place at Braziers Park, rather than tax-dodging corporations like near Wallingford, over the weekend of the Amazon. 7th-9th August. Despite last year’s sold-out event, rumours had circulated that it was GLASS ANIMALS’ hometown headline to be the last Supernormal, but the artist- show at the O2 Academy in March has curators have quelled such doubts and sold out. The Jericho-based band play have invited acts to apply to play this year, their biggest Oxford headline show on stressing they’re keen for an entire line-up of Tuesday 3rd March. This latest success new acts to perform. Visit follows their award of Band of 2014 www.supernormalfestival.co.uk for details by BBC Oxford Introducing; `Gooey’ and updated festival news. THE OXFORD RECORD topping Nightshift’s end of year Top 25 for 2014, and the inclusion of their VIENNA DITTO release a new single this DVD & CD FAIR song `Toes’ on the soundtrack of Taken month. `Hammer & Nail’ will be the first St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE 3, starring Liam Neeson. It’s probably single from the duo’s forthcoming debut 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP blowing our own trumpet a little too albu, due in the summer. Have a listen at loudly to remind everyone that the band’s soundcloud.com/viennaditto. Saturday 7th March first ever exposure was a Demo of the 10am-4pm Month review in Nightshift back in March OXFORD GIGBOT provides a regular local 2010, but we’re going to do it anyway. gig listing update on Twitter (@oxgigbot), Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres We’re extremely proud of their success bringing you new gigs as soon as they go Accessories/memoriabillia/books. so far and even greater things look likely live. They also provide a free weekly listings Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl in 2015. email. Follow them. Do it now. www.usrfairs.co.uk

THE OXFORD PUNT is still open AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into BBC for applications from local bands and Oxford Introducing every Saturday night musicians wanting to play the event. The between 8-9pm on 95.2fm. The dedicated Punt takes place on Wednesday 13th May local music show plays the best Oxford featuring some 20 acts across five venues releases and demos as well as featuring in the city centre. interviews and sessions with local acts. The Running since 1997, The Punt is the show is available to stream or download as a annual showcase of new Oxford music podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford. talent, providing early exposure for Regularly updated local music news is many of Oxford’s most successful bands. available online at www.musicinoxford. Venues this year are The Purple Turtle, co.uk. The site also features interactive The Cellar, The Wheatsheaf, The Turl reviews, a photo gallery and gig guide. Street Kitchen and The White Rabbit. Nightshift’s online form is open to all local To enter, simply send us a link to your music fans and musicians at nightshift. music to [email protected]. oxfordmusic.net A quiet word with overall `Matador’ feels much more seemed insignificant and mundane, be creating mad beats, or working unmentioned. There are such reflective and introverted than but when you look back there’s with loops or just trying different strong links between Oxford’s first `Bombs’, particularly tracks like a poignancy and gravitas to that starting points for songs.” big breakout band and the one that `20/20’ and `The Girl Who Fell To moment... a moment that set off Do you feel you’re still finding so closely followed them – from Earth’; is that something Gaz was a chain of events that bring us to your feet as a solo artist? musical inspiration to the fact that conscious of when he was writing where we are now. I thought that “I felt a bit more comfortable Gaz now employs Ride’s sticksman GAZ COOMBES and recording – a deliberate path to was kinda beautiful to write about.” in my own skin this time round. Loz Colbert in his own touring take, or simply a reflection of his Talking of Jericho, you’ve Just feeling that it wasn’t just a band. How important were they to mood while writing the new songs? always used geographical Oxford `rebound’ record after being in Gaz when he was starting to get “I don’t see it as introverted at reference points in your lyrics; is a band, it’s a new momentum- into music in Oxford and first all. In fact I feel like I was able the city and the surrounding area a gathering thing. I’m trying to tap starting out with The Jennifers, to let go a lot more on this record big influence on you? into how I write naturally. Writing and does he think his musical story and everything felt a lot clearer in “Yeah, I think you just feed in a band you write together but would have been very different terms of a direction. It was very off your environment, what’s maybe I can sort of uncover how I without Ride’s influence and the much a case of getting ideas down happening around you, though not naturally write on my own.” focus their success brought on in the most instinctive way, and just geographically. But Oxford Are there any songs left over from Oxford at the time? I wasn’t afraid of being honest, does have a special place in my the Matador recording sessions “Ride at the Coop Hall in 1991 direct and revealing lyrically... I heart. Which is why we decided that might see the light of day, or was pretty much the first gig I ever guess just saying it as it is. It was to come back here after so much do you tend to ditch anything and went to. It was an amazing show very liberating to write in such a time living in other cities through move on? Do you have a vision and without doubt had a big impact direct way.” my 20s.” yet of what the next album might on me, as it did for many people. After all the touring and promo sound like? As school kids they inspired us work around `Bombs’ did being to grow our fringes, jump on a a solo artist going solo give you stage and believe we could have more time and room to yourself “Ride at the Coop Hall in 1991 was pretty an impact, even if we came from when it came to making `Matador? a place where there wasn’t a big “I pretty much came straight off much the first gig I ever went to. It was an scene or movement, like there was the back of touring the first album amazing show and without doubt had a big in Manchester at the time. They and into the studio to start writing. totally put Oxford on the map It’s been an amazing couple of impact on me. As school kids they inspired musically. I can’t wait to see them years since going solo and the us to grow our fringes, jump on a stage and perform this year.” songs have been coming thick and Does this mean you’ll need to find fast, so I really wanted to keep believe we could have an impact, even if we a new drummer? the momentum going. No time to “Ha! I hope not. Loz is definitely relax, man!” came from a place where there wasn’t a big going to have a full-on year, scene or movement. They totally put Oxford though! But we’ve talked lots Tracks like `Detroit’ and I think managed to intertwine and `The English Ruse’, on the map musically.” both projects beautifully.... famous meanwile, continue that trip last words? Nah it’s going to be a into Krautrock, electronica While `Bombs’ was “Yeah there’s quite a few outtakes brilliant year for both of us, I’m and Moroder-ish electronics that produced by and part-written with floating around... I’m sure a few of sure.” `Bombs’ first took us into; is that Sam Williams, who produced them may surface at some point. In light of that particular reunion, something that’s an increasing Supergrass’s classic debut `I But whether they’ll fit with what do you anticipate questions about a influence on you? Should Coco’, `Matador’ is entirely happens on album number three Supergrass reformation around the “I guess all kinds of stuff creeps in self-written and produced. In fact, remains to be seen. But there’s a release of `Matador’? subconsciously. Again, they’re all beyond a couple of drum tracks real feeling of momentum now so “Yes. But there’s a quick and easy instinctive and spontaneous ideas from Loz Colbert and keys from album three is definitely on the answer: no.” that I try to record as quickly as I brother Charly, Gaz played every horizon, faintly calling me.” can, so I never work from direct instrument on the album. Is that While `Matador’ won’t alienate With `Matador’ released influences as such. simply down to time constraints or die-hard Supergrass fans – Gaz’s on the 26th January, inevitably life “It has been amazing. the album has received either. loved band in 2010, during Following such success “There are loads of new bands wanting to be completely in control voice is nothing if not instantly is becoming increasingly hectic for I think during the making of the The honesty that runs through writing for what would have would never be easy and music that I’ve been listening to and old of everything after being in the recognisable – the shift in musical Gaz Coombes. There’s the usual record I was just consumed with `Matador’, the follow-up to Gaz’s been their seventh studio album, history is lined with failed post- bands doing new things as well. democracy of a band for so long? and lyrical focus means his solo round of press and radio interviews the ideas. I knew what was exciting inventive, sometimes experimental bored and disillusioned with the band solo careers; for every Alex I really got into that Grizzly Bear “It was never a plan to play most career isn’t anchored to his past, before he and his band head off on me musically, but I didn’t know if solo debut `Here Comes The band format and the creative rut Chilton there’s ten Nick Heywards, record and there’s a mad band stuff. It was more a case of what and, given his love for discovering a UK. His hometown show at the everyone else would see it the same Bombs’, has captivated reviewers he felt Supergrass had lapsed so Gaz did exactly the right thing called Tobacco that I really liked. the track required. Quite often new music and looking forward O2 Academy is on the 7th February; way. So there’s always that slightly across the board while the into after close to two decades – he didn’t try to simply carry that There’s plenty of classic influences I’d go into the studio to demo an rather than back, can Gaz envisage does it feel different playing in strange battle between self doubt wonderfully woozy `20/20’, the together. Years in which they Supergrass flame onwards. Instead as well. I’ve been listening to a lot idea, a drum beat, a bass line or a time in the future when he’s gone Oxford to other places; do you feel and inner confidence and there’s second single to be taken from the earned three platinum albums he simply followed his instincts of Iggy Pop.” even try my hand at a bit of violin down the Scott Walker route of your Oxford fans in particular have never really a winner. In the end new album, rarely seems to be off and won innumerable awards, and made the music he wanted to, `Seven Walls’, with its line and I’d capture something really making completely crazed albums grown up with you? you’ve just got to put it out there, the radio. “The Supergrass scamp including an Ivor Novello for in his own time, more often than “So let’s walk down to Jericho / cool. And I felt there was no point with no care for commercial “Yes it’s always really special. see what happens. But the response is shedding his youthful skin to `Alright’. A host of ‘Grass songs not entirely on his own, with the Share a little smoke / Watch the trying to get someone else to play appeal? As it’s a hometown show there’s has been amazing from the fans.” emerge as a serious and fascinating are now so embedded in the emphasis on spontaneity; it’s the paper burn,” feels like a grown-up it again just like I played it, so “Well that’s the beauty of music. usually a bit of added tension and artist,” raved veteran reviewer national consciousness they can polar opposite to the sometimes rejoinder to `Caught By The Fuzz’ I kept a lot of those first takes. I don’t think there should be any nerves mixed with a real buzz. But With characteristic Pat Gilbert, while last month’s never be removed and time will restrictive democratic environment in a way – a more sombre take on That approach for me is really boundaries or pressures to fit in they’re perfect ingredients for a ebullience, Gaz Coombes is Nightshift review declared it “an doubtless see the trio regarded of a band. Such an approach, which sharing a spliff and hanging out exciting and a huge part of this to a particular perception. So yes, killer show. Bring it on!” considering the response so far to album that is as open, honest and in the same esteem as The has carried through from `Here with friends or a partner. record, to capture an idea on tape I love the idea of a freaked out, his second solo album, `Matador’. elegant, and still as fresh, as his Buzzcocks, Madness and Squeeze Come The Bombs’ into `Matador’, “I guess it was based around a at its very conception... don’t over psychedelic, fuck-you record at `Matador’ is released on the 26th In particular a fantastic `Instant teenage self would have wanted.” – quintessentially English bands is something Gaz returns to when similar time in my life, but that think it... don’t nail the life out of some point... who knows.” January on Hotfruit. Gaz plays Classic’ 5-Star review in MOJO, with that rare knack of talking about his new album. song is more about a moment it by playing it too much. I think the O2 Academy on Saturday 7th the UK’s biggest-selling monthly It’s redemptive reward knocking out classic pop songs Despite its moments of euphoria, that two people share: sitting in a inevitably not having a band, not Talking to Gaz when we February. Visit www.gazcoombes. music magazine. for the enduringly likeable singer as if it’s the easiest thing on earth and the motorik likes of album concrete car park sharing a joint having a drummer, you look to do – in the wake of Ride’s longed- com for more news, music and gig It isn’t the only 5-star review who called time on his much- to do. highlight `The English Ruse’, and a can of beer, that at the time other ways of creating. It might for reunion – that band can’t go dates. Sponsored by for hopeful lovers; with lyrical hooks destined LIU BEI for sun-kissed sing-alongs by ever-growing `Goodness’ festival crowds. It’s simple, accessible music, in the best way. (Museumgoer) The appearance of Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell Oxford’s had a decent line in singer-songwriter on ‘Fields’ suggests a somewhat unresolved RELEASED types, seemingly forever, and for a city shoegaze interest or aim; in fact, her vocals are that’s never been shy to dole out fine quality STORNOWAY BALLOON ASCENTS almost abstract in their ghostliness, and augment musicianship by the well-formed arpeggioload, the semi-ambient shifting sands of the track in it maintains a surprisingly high level of quality `The Road You Didn’t `Balloon AscentsEP’ a way that, once again, encircles Walters’ vocal and variety. (Self-released) line as the core of this cinematic think-piece. Take’ Richard Walters has been bubbling around in Once upon a time, the height of ambition Finally, a remix of ‘Knotweed’ adds a moodier that musical soup for well over a decade now – (Self released) for teenage bands was generally to neck as twist to things, moving Liu Bei in an almost `In and, indeed, done a bang-up job of developing Last year Brian Briggs moved to The Gower much white cider as physically possible while Rainbows’-esque direction. Soft drum patterns sounding like Green Day. Either times have a successful career, with soundtrack credits, in Wales to write Stornoway’s new album. Of bounce around building basslines and blurred changed, or Balloon Ascents are scarily (and multiple releases and Alison Moyet tour support course he did. It’s one of the UK’s few remaining sounds, with the whole once again connected up wildernesses, a place of romantic desolation exhilaratingly) precocious. slots – but with Liu Bei, he’s finally gone by vocals. The track suggests, one might hope, of the kind that has informed and infected The quintet have already stolen the show back to full-band mode for the first time since an urgency and experimental interest within Liu Stornoway’s songs from the very beginning. at last year’s Punt, graced the cover of Theremin back in 2001, and this new outfit sees – crystal-clear, delicate yet strong, soft and Bei that will lead to ever-more satisfying work. What Stornoway might sound like if Brian shifted Nightshift, played a short European tour, won Walters backed up with four jaunty ruffians rich – is intelligently mixed to the fore. An In the transition from solo artist to bandleader, his family to a flat in Tower Hamlets is anyone’s the patronage of Wheatsheaf soundman Joal with, one presumes, the aim of both filling out urgent bassline drives the song along, while Walters has pulled off what many artists of guess. There’d probably be fewer cormorants and Shearing and Stornoway’s Oli Steadman, and, and deepening songs which have thus far relied subtle guitar and audio effects create a shifting several years’ standing wish to do. Without kittiwakes and more social deprivation and stuff most recently, been profiled in the Oxford Mail mostly on simple vocal and guitar. series of soundswells. A trite description would denying the quality of achievements of past about Millwall hooligans. And that just wouldn’t `Farewell Appalachia’ or even `Fuel Up’. as the city’s next bunch of most-likely-tos. The title track of the `Goodness’ EP is built be ‘mid-tempo epic indie’, but this deserves work, suddenly things seem new and interesting be Stornoway, would it. Brian’s voice, a pure, easy burr and a soothing And now they’ve released their first EP proper, around the charming and subtly earworm- more than that. In a similar fashion to how the again. A fresh band unit is breathing new life No, it’s poetic longing and simple evocation balm “shivers under skies” atop the mountain with Steadman at the controls – and bratty, creating lyric “All that matters is your goodness, sorely-missed Fell City Girl created endlessly- into something that we all already knew was steeped in the natural world where humanity as the song sweeps elegantly through you in a childish pop punk it most certainly ain’t. for goodness’ sake”. In sonic comparison to unresolved tension and ever-heightening drama, worth paying more attention to. rarely trespasses all the way on this first single barely-there breeze. Clichéd though it may be, the Radiohead Walters’ solo work, this music is evolution, not Liu Bei don’t immediately sound as if they’re Simon Minter to be taken from the forthcoming album, a song Of course `The Road You Didn’t Take’ had comparisons are inevitable – and not only revolution; Walters’ exceptional voice doing much, but are creating meaningful tracks that takes its title from a 1916 poem by Robert to be written out in the wilds. It carries the because they’re well-mannered boys who met Frost and uses climbing a mountain and looking simplicity of nature and is as casually vast as at a local school and who have already been distant past imagined the music of the future down on the world as a metaphor for looking the landscape it seeks to reflect. Long may playing together for a number of years. Listen would sound like once we’d all got jetpacks WE AERONAUTS back at the paths you could have taken in life, Stornoway exist in the wilderness. closely to the lyrics of opening track ‘Cutout’ and hoverboards and personal robot servants. evoking a similarly warm, sepia feel as Dale Kattack and it’s like hearing a mash-up of Radiohead’s `Boxing Day’ It’s laced with the sleek, silicon synth sounds greatest hits; at one point Thomas Roberts of classic late-70s/early-80s electro-pop. (Self released) echoes Yorke’s declaration “It wears me out” primary influences remain The Band, Big Star, The chief influence on `Loudspeaker’ is No, not a belated festive single, just a song (‘Fake Plastic Trees’) before later borrowing Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds, but there OMD’s 1983 masterpiece `Dazzle Ships’, an called `Boxing Day’ because that’s when it the warning “Slow down” from ‘The Tourist’. are hints and traces of so many old greats here, album that was something of a commercial was recorded, apparently. See, people, while Musically, though, the careful construction, from the Beatlesy psychedelic backwards guitar disaster at the time but is increasingly you were sat on your arses stuffing Twiglets gorgeous yearning harmonies and exquisite wheeling on the album’s title track, to what might recognised as a pioneering piece of music and Stilton down your neck, some people grasp of nuance, subtlety and understatement be The Who’s Pete Townsend guitaring on `All with its experimentalism and samples sat were at work. Hope you feel guilty. exhibited by ‘Cutout’ and ‘Aberration’ mean Kinds of People’, but with a gun to his head to alongside some of the most pure electronic Guilt being a not untypical emotion on that a more appropriate touchstone would be stop him flying off on one. `Easy Rider’ is a full- pop committed to record. `Silver Paths’ in Boxing Day as you contemplate your calorific Grizzly Bear. on timeless country lament with its slide guitar particular here carries echoes of that album, but intake. That and regret, and a general feeling The third and fourth tracks here don’t quite and porch ambience, while the organ-driven its stately playfulness can be felt throughout. of come down, all of which seem to seep into match up to that standard (‘Out On The `When The Magic Comes’ could almost be a Similarly Moroder’s pioneering disco pulses this song, We Aeronauts’ often tumbledown Ocean’ in particular allowed to drift too far tribute to Ian McLagan, the Small Faces legend – album highlight `Moroderhead’ pays due live sound here condensed into a slim but off course into noodly boogie), but then in who headlined the brothers’ Truck Festival almost respect on all levels. cohesive slice of indie-folk melancholy, just fairness the bar has been set very high indeed decade ago and passed away last year. SPACE HEROES OF Between Tim’s sci-fi synthetics and Jo’s acoustic guitar, harmonica, cheap keyboard and, with time very much on their side, the more organic bass and floor tom rhythms, and sad-eyed vocals sat amid the crumpled But `Searching For the Supertruth’ is more report card reads not “Must do better” but THE PEOPLE Space Heroes of the People cry out to be a re- piles of wrapping paper and dented hopes and than a portmanteau of rock and country greats. “Will do better”. It’s a tantalising prospect that imagined soundtrack to ancient movie classics dreams. Because it has soul, a tender but resilient beating should help see us through these dark winter `Loudspeaker’ like Metropolis. The only occasional misfire There’s a New Year ahead. Doubtless THE DREAMING heart that gives it life. From the euphoric but months and look forward to the year ahead – a (Self released) is Tim’s vocals. Stuck through a Vocoder, that will only bring further sad-eyed opening flourish of album opener year that could well have Balloon Ascents’ When even BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years SPIRES or aping OMD’s Andy McClusky he fits the disappointment. Hopefully enough for a full `Still Believe In You’, with lyrics like “These name written all over it. & Years are described as `synth pop’, you mould of the band fine, but lurching into near album. people aren’t your friends / Just roaches at the Ben Woolhead know the term has lost its value. `Searching For The hysteria a couple of times (particularly on the Dale Kattack bitter end” signalling a false sense of positivity, Thankfully there are acts who adhere to the Eurythmics-like `Telescopes’) jars with the Supertruth’ to its decidedly downbeat denouement `So sounds and ideals of the original pioneers – emotionally-detached nature of the music. Pretty’, The Dreaming Spires sound less like from Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder to OMD (Clubhouse) A minor quibble though, about a long-awaited cynical cherry pickers as eager kids gathering up and The Human League. In fact over the years, December’s `Darkest Before the Dawn’ EP, a album that, despite finding no room for old flowers in a meadow to make lively, haphazard as they’ve ploughed their solitary furrow on triptych of tales about an old friend fallen on hard favourites like `Motorway To Moscow’ or bouquets. And at the heart of it all is Robin’s the local scene, Space Heroes of The People times, was a triumphant statement of intent for `Groovy Dancer’, delivers on the often joyous endearingly keening voice, still sounding have occasioned to sound like a two-person The Dreaming Spires, a band formed by brothers promise they’ve shown for so long. This is like a man who woke up one morning to find musical incarnation of the Beeb’s classic Joe and Robin Bennett who together have flown synth-pop – accept no substitutes. everything he ever knew and loved packed up Synth Britannia documentary, borrowing and the flag for Americana in various incarnations Dale Kattack for far longer than it’s ever been cool. Following and gone but wide-eyed and innocent enough to mutating from those classic acts, mixing an swiftly on, it’s interesting to see that none of believe they’ll be back any minute. experimental edge with full-on disco fun. that EP’s songs makes it onto their new album; a “Some day / Some day…” repeats Robin over After a series of excellent demos stretching Next month: brave move or not, it’s a reminder of when more and again at the close of `So Pretty’, as if hoping back over five years, and sporadic local gigs, Undersmile deep in his heart that it’ll all work out fine Tim Day and Jo Edge finally deliver their bands worked like that. Old school to the core, Vienna Ditto these boys. in the end. With any luck `Searching For the debut album. It sounds, simultaneously, like Musically too their hearts and souls are in a place Supertruth’ will make it so. the future and the increasingly distant past, or Bug Prentice and more... far older than the Oxford music scene. Their Dale Kattack perhaps more what people in the increasingly club night. The Bully’s long-running house and techno club DISCO MUTANTES: The Library – Classic night hosts London producer Ashique Subhan, disco, boogie and acid house club night. going under the name Subb-an, best known for MISSING PERSIANS: The James Street his collaboration with Starving Yet Full, `Say No Tavern – Mellow blues-rocking. More’, blending sparse but punchy atmospheric STEAMROLLER: O’Neill’s – First of three house with more soulful moments and elements of local shows from the veteran blues-rockers, garage and bass. GIG GUIDE kicking it out in the style of Cream and Hendrix. SKY:LARK + KIND EYES + MASIRO + ROUGH MUSIC: The Cellar – A night of noise th courtesy of Idiot King Records, with Kent’s SUNDAY 1st ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – SATURDAY 7 Open acoustic session. GAZ COOMBES: O2 Academy – The local screaming math-core crew Sky:lark; noise duo BEARD OF DESTINY + MARK BOSLEY & Kind Eyes, and local math-rock monsters Masiro. PETE LOCK + MOON LEOPARD + SOUTH FEBRUARY rock hero launches his second solo album, REIGN OF FURY + THE CRUSHING + th th th OXFORD BRASS: Donnington Community th `Matador’, with a hometown show – see main Sat 7 / Sat 14 / Wed 18 Hokie Joint, team up for an electric/acoustic THURSDAY 5 RETRIBUTION: The Wheatsheaf – Classic Centre (6pm) – Free acoustic music session SLOW CLUB: The Bullingdon – Slow by name, interview feature blues get-together at tonight’s Haven Club show. thrash metal from the Midlands rockers, out on with bluesman Beard of Destiny, Moiety duo slow by nature. But like the tortoise, they’ll win in THE DREW HOLCOMB DUO: The EMPTY ROOM The former spent the 90s touring with high- a headline tour ahead of a second album. Local Pete Lock and Mark Bosley, and folk singer/host the end – see main preview Bullingdon – Well-travelled Americana from the energy, volume-heavy blues outfit The Hoax support from thrash crazies The Crushing. Jeremy Hughes in his Moon Leopard guise. SUPERMARKET: The Cellar – Pop, disco, UK Tennessee songsmith – see main preview AMERICANA who reformed a couple of years ago, previously AURAL CANDY + WEBS & MARIONETTES REIGNS: The Pegasus Theatre (6pm) - Annual garage and 90s house club night. SIMPLE with SUBB-AN: The Bullingdon – compared to The Rolling Stones and Yardbirds. KATY JACKSON: The Jericho Tavern – MONTH: showcase gig for young pop and rock acts from THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Wheatsheaf – The latter grew up inspired by Eric Clapton, JJ Strummer Room Project show with self-described around Oxfordshire. Free show in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar from Cale and BB King, being nominated for Best th “plinky plonk nonsense” act Aural Candy mixing The Bullingdon the local swamp-blues and psychedelic funk Wednesday 4 Guitarist in the annual Blues Awards twice. up an eclectic blend of sounds, plus local rockers Over the past few years Empty Room nd stalwarts. MONDAY 2 RED DIRT SKINNERS: The Jericho Tavern Webs and Marionettes. Promotions – helmed by the genial Mike CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford FREERANGE JON AMOR + JOEL FISK: The Bullingdon – Rootsy Americana and blues from the Red Dirt RECKLESS SLEEPERS + A RELUCTANT Trotman – has carved its very individual Community Centre – Oxford’s longest running, – The Hoax’s Jon Amor and guitarist Joel Fisk, Skinners duo, who have toured with Paulo Nutini, UNITED NATIONS ARROW + PURPLE MAY: The Hollybush, niche in the local scene, bringing a host and best, open club night continues to provide who’s served time in LeVenore Rouge and at tonight’s Famous Monday Blues. Osney – Psychedelic folk-rock from Reckless of American cult stars to town, meaning space for singers, musicians, poets, storytellers SALLY BARKER: Nettlebed Folk Club – OF DUB LAUNCH: Sleepers, with influences as diverse as Midlake you don’t have to travel to London, or and more every week. Founding member of The Poozies, occasional and Jefferson Airplane. even Nashville, to see them live. February th OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon Thursday 5 collaborator with Show of Hands, and more The Cellar THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Marsh Harrier finds three such acts over in Oxford, in BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst th recently a finalist on The Voice, Sally Barker gets Friday 6 THE WILL POUND BAND: Tiddy Hall, the suitably intimate setting of the Bully’s th SLOW CLUB: back to her natural home of the folk clubs of the Ascott-under-Wychwood – The renowned backroom. On the 7 , it’s Tennessee th UK with this new solo tour FRIDAY 6 INTENSIFIED: harmonica player – who’s worked with Guy songsmith Drew Holcomb, previously The Bullingdon SKYLARKIN’ SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar Chambers, Martin Simpson and Concerto support to Police Dog Hogan here, and a Slow by name, slow by nature. Sheffield’s – Count Skylarkin’ monthly celebration of all The Cellar Caledonia, brings his band to the Wychwood Folk man with some 2000 gigs under his belt, Slow Club’s music, career progress and rd TUESDAY 3 things reggae, ska and dancehall, tonight featuring Proof, if it were ever needed, that The Cellar Club. touring the highways and byways of the musical evolution have all been done with LIU BEI: The Cellar – Richard Walters’ new a return visit for ten-piece ska titans Intensified – is the natural home of reggae in Oxford, its HONOLULU COWBOYS: St Giles Church southern states with his lonesome, emotive a level of patience you probably thought band make their Oxford debut tonight, launching see main preview dark, subterranean walls ideal for containing Hall (6pm) – Hawaiian tea party with live music folk, inspired as much by Radiohead as it was obsolete in this fast-moving world. their second EP, `Goodness’, Richard’s angelic CHARLIE SIMPSON + EMMA BLACKERY those monster basslines. Two club shows in a from The Honolulu Cowboys. is by The Jayhawks or Wilco. Great local For starters the pair – joint singers and voice finding its new home amid the spangle and + BLACKWELL + WILLOW ROBINSON: week bring some quality roots, dub, dancehall SHEPHERD’S PIE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Classic support here too from Bethany Weimers. multi-instrumentalists Rebecca Taylor and shimmer of Liu Bei’s Slowdive and This Mortal th O2 Academy – The former-Busted boy band and more to town. On the Wednesday the heavy rock covers. On Saturday 14 one of the highlights of Charles Watson – started out together in Coil-inspired shoegaze pop. See Introducing pin-up, turned Fightstar-fronting rocker, turned venue hosts a launch gig for the United STEAMROLLER + THE DIRTY EARTH last year, Virginia’s Sons of Bill, are back, 2006 and nine years and three albums later feature acoustic balladeer, takes to the road to plug his Nations of Dub Weekender in north Wales, BAND + WOLFBAIT: Eynsham Social Club brothers Sam, Abe and James Wilson mixing still gradually winning new fans and more JAZZ CLUB with THE HUGH TURNER new solo album, `Long Road Home’. courtesy of the longstanding Freerange club – Blues rocking from Steamroller, rock covers hushed, epic melancholy with bold blue- enthusiastic reviews for music that never BAND: The Bullingdon – Funky jazz from The SAXON + HELL + BEYOND THE BLACK: night. Topping the bill will be Channel One, from the Dirty Earth Band and costumed covers collar rock anthems, recalling Springsteen seems in any great hurry to get anywhere, Hugh Turner Band at the Bully’s free weekly jazz O2 Academy – Postponed from December after widely considered one of, if not the top theatrics from Wolfbait. at times, Tom Petty at others. Rounding off preferring to dwell, just out of the shadows in club. drummer Nigel Glocker was hospitalised, the soundsystem in the UK, previous champions a triptych of great Americana shows are a haze of raw yet gentle heartache. It’s music SHATTERED SKIES + PERCEPTION + Barnsley metal titans finally make it back to town, of the Red Bull Culture Clash and kings of SUNDAY 8th Detroit’s bluegrass stars Frontier Ruckus that has progressed over time, though, from BEING EUGENE: The Wheatsheaf – Black Notting Hill Carnival. They’re joined tonight (pictured) on Wednesday 18th, singer stars of the NWOBHM in the 70s and 80s, going DUOTONE + THE AUGUST LIST: Truck the sweetly sinister folk-pop of 2009’s debut Bullet Live show with Southend’s progressive by Mikey Dread and Ras Kayleb on a bill that Matthew Milia’s poetic songs bringing to on to sell some 15 million albums worldwide, Store (4pm) – The venerable Truck Store album `Yeah So’, through to the more soulful metallers Shattered Skies out on tour to promote also includes Roots Guidance, Red-I, Shere mind Palace Brothers and Sufjan Stevens at including the genre classic `Wheels of Steel’. celebrates its fourth birthday, providing a vital `Complete Surrender’, which found the duo their debut album, `The World How We Used To Khan and Leo Bowder. times. Three great gigs from one of Oxford’s Original singer Biff Byford and guitarist Paul sea of independence on the Cowley Road. A host casting off some of their early raggedness Know’, following appearances at Bloodstock, Friday features another quality reggae party best small promoters; it’s what makes this Quinn still helm the rock and roll battleship, so of local acts will be on hand to help the party without polishing the edges of their songs Techfest and Germany’s Euroblast. Local tech in the company of Skylarkin’ Soundsystem. city’s music scene such a treat. expect all the big hits as well as tracks from their along, including two recent Nightshift cover stars too much. Songs like the lovely, sad-eyed support from Perception, inspired by Underoath This month’s celebration of reggae, ska 2013 album, `Sacrifice’, the group’s twentieth. – cellist and loopmeister Duotone, and backwoods `Everything Is New’, which finds both voices and Architects, and groove/metalcore crew Being and dancehall sees a return to town for KLUB KAKOFANNEY with FRACTURE + porch-folk couple The August List. More to be neatly intertwined. Along the way Slow Club Eugene. ten-piece ska titans Intensified (pictured), THE TWAT DADDIES + CHARLY WOOD: added. have managed to reach the heady heights of OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern playing authentic 60s-style ska, rocksteady The Wheatsheaf – Klub Kak’s monthly mixed RAE MORRIS: O2 Academy – Blackpool’s playing Glastonbury and Latitude as well as and reggae. The band have acquired near- bill of music, with grungey rockers Fracture and sultry blues and jazz songstress returns to town supporting Mumford and Sons and Florence th legendary status across Europe over the past WEDNESDAY 4 more. to promote new album `Unguarded’, her smooth, and the Machine but never quite taking the 25 years, providing backing to some of the FREE RANGE UNITED NATIONS OF DUB ALEX LANYON + WILLIE J HEALEY + emotive piano-based balladry recalling Joss world by storm. Doubtless they prefer to be most revered names in reggae, including the WEEKENDER LAUNCH: The Cellar – The CAMERON A.G: The Jericho Tavern – Soulful Stone, Nerina Pallot and Edie Brickell at times. the soft, cool breeze that takes over the room late, great Alton Ellis at the Zodiac back in Cellar’s regular roots and dub club hosts a launch acoustic rocking from Birmingham’s Alex Lanyon PERKELT + LEWIS NEWCOMBE-JONES + without upending the furniture. Hopefully 2007. On the decks, Count Skylarkin and Bam gig for this weekend’s United Nations of Dub at Daisy Rodgers Music’s first show of 2015. He’s BEARD OF DESTINY + PURPLE MAY: The such a patient approach will get its reward Bam Sound play vintage island treats into the with Red Bull Culture Clash champions and joined by local singer-songwriters Willie J Healey, Wheatsheaf (3.30-7pm) – Giddyup Music’s free sooner rather than later. wee small hours. Notting Hill Carnival kings Channel One – see with his laidback `rock’n’stroll’ acoustic pop, acoustic session in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar. main preview and last month’s Nightshift Demo of the Month SALVAGE + PROLONG THE AGONY + winner Cameron A G with his solitary, introverted th EVAVOID: The Wheatsheaf – Metalcore in the electro-acoustic lullabies. MONDAY 9 vein of Killswitch, Lamb of God and In Flames SWITCH: O2 Academy – Solid basement house JOHN SMITH: Holywell Music Room – from local crew Salvage, alongside Portsmouth’s from self-mythologizing London duo Waze & Devon’s doleful folk troubadour returns to the metalcore outfit Prolong the Agony and local Odyssey, who started their musical life together Shire after his showing at Towersey Festival last teens Evavoid. convincing assorted reviewers they were orphans year. He’s a much-travelled singer and musician, KING CHARLES: O2 Academy – Wry, rootsy raised by a kindly New York record shop owner, regularly touring round the globe, opening for acoustic psychedelia and electro-pop from the and continuing to cut a groove for themselves John Martyn, Iron and Wine, Richard Hawley hirsute west London dandy, inspired by Donovan, with their intricate and slick house. and Martin Carthy amongst a host of big names. Syd Barrett and Marc Bolan and back in town SANCTUM: The Varsity Club – Rock and metal He’s out on a headline tour to promote most ahead of the release of his second album. covers and originals. been upsetting civilised sensibilities with death- had written the likes of `Ain’t No Pleasing You’, GHOSTS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH + GORGON CITY: O2 Academy – North London metal ditties like `Raping The Corpse’ and it’d be considered a pop masterpiece. Whatever, CAPTIVES + KID KIN + TIGER MENDOZA: production duo Gorgon City return to the O2 generally avoiding being picked as the nation’s you can bet pretty much anyone you meet over The Wheatsheaf – Ambient instrumental post- after their sold out show here back in October favourite cheeky pop scamps. the age of about 20 can sing most of one of their rock from Ghosts in the Photograph, alongside last year, the pair’s smooth, soulful deep house BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Dancefloor hits, from `Gertcha’ to `Margate’ to `Rabbit’, Reading’s Captives; local electro-math-shoegaze anthem `Ready For Your Love’ having gone Top Latin, Afrobeat, Balkan beats, global grooves their mix of cheery, beery pub singalong, boogie soundscapist Kid Kin, and industrial-electro-hip 5, followed by a top ten placing for debut album and nu-jazz club night, tonight with Renegade woogie and music hall – dubbed rockney – has hop from Tiger Mendoza. `Sirens’. Brass Band, Sheffield’s jazz/hip hop collective, proved remarkably timeless and if they pledged NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK: The Cellar – GYPSY FIRE: St John the Evangelist – Gypsy featuring eight horns, two percussionists, scratch back in 2011 that they were off on their farewell Motown, indie, new wave, ska and disco club jazz from guitarists Stuart Carter and Will Barnes DJ and MC, veterans of the European festival tour, that seems to have no end date either. night. and chums. circuit. KENT DUCHAINE: The Jericho Tavern – BG ON THE CORNER: Modern Art Oxford – Friday 20th Friday 13th INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial CUT GRASS: The Bullingdon – Valentine’s Day Return to the Famous Monday Blues for the BG Records showcases local rhymers, wordsmiths and ebm club night with regulars Doktor Joy and disco party. veteran Louisiana bluesman and his trusty and beatmakers at tonight’s all-ages show. JUNGLE: O2 Academy THE STAVES: Bookhouse. Leadbessie guitar. FELL OUT BOY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute to Oddly, for a band whose self marketing from OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern SATURDAY 14th CARA DILLON: Nettlebed Folk Club – punk-pop heroes Fall Out Boy. the very start – choosing a Google-unfriendly O2 Academy SONS OF BILL: The Bullingdon – Blue collar Traditional folk music from the multiple award- STEAMROLLER: The Dolphin, Middleton- band name; hiding their identities behind Three sisters called Emily, Camilla and WEDNESDAY 11th country-folk as part of Empty Room Promotions’ winning Irish singer. Cheney simple initials (J and T); using breakdancers Jessica singing winsome, pristine close- BLACK MIRRORS + KHAMSINA + JENN Americana month – see main preview or rollerskaters in their videos; conducting harmony folk songs that occasionally THE GIANT PANDA: The Wheatsheaf – It’s DEF CON ONE + THE 8th BRIDGE + A TUESDAY 17th SATURDAY 21st all interviews by phone, and performing tread close to Laura Marling might sound All About the Music gig with local rock duo HIGHER DEMISE: The Cellar – Malevolent THE USED: O2 Academy – Blimey, are they JOHNNY GREENWOOD & THE LONDON live shrouded in smoke – was very modern, like something concocted in a major label Black Mirrors alongside Reading singer/keyboard metalcore fury at tonight’s OxRox show with still going? Utah’s one-time screamo heroes CONTEMPORARY ORCHESTRA PLAYERS: Jungle’s music is decidedly old-school. We marketing department in these post-Mumford player Khamsina, mixing up electronica, jazz and Newcastle’s Def Con One, piling in somewhere return with a new album, `Imaginary Enemy’, St John the Evangelist – Jonny and chums enjoy a mean, properly old-school. For a couple of days, but the fact is, the Staveley-Taylor folk and drawing comparisons with Joan Baez and between Pantera, Machine Head and Slayer. their sixth, a full decade and a half after their campfire-style singalong – see main preview west London private school-educated lads siblings, all in their twenties, have been Kate McGarrigle. They’re joined by Cardiff’s The 8th Bridge, debut. Little’s changed musically – they’re still SPACE HEROES OF THE PEOPLE + THE Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarlane singing together since their teens, making BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar describing themselves as “vegetarian progressive bombastic post-hardcore noisemakers with a LONG INSIDERS + HUGH McMANNERS: (their secret had to come out eventually) their name in their native Watford by playing – 80s, new wave, disco, synth-pop and glam club grindcore,” but coming in on a more old school vaguely poppish edge and just the occasional hint The Bullingdon – Electro-pop duo SHOTP launch sound like they just slid smoothly in from open-mic nights. The fact they look and sound night. punk-metal tip. that if you nudged them too hard they’d keel over their long-awaited debut album at tonight’s One New York or San Francisco around 40 years like an A&R scout’s perfect daydream is by THE OXFORD GAMELAN SOCIETY into Nickleback’s lap. Gig Closer to Wittstock fundraiser, mixing the ago. Their easy, loping funk grooves, disco, the by. Occasionally polite their music may th + LILA BHAWA DANCE COMPANY JAZZ CLUB with THE STUART playful experimentation of `Dazzle Ships’-era tropical pop and psychedelia fusion joins be, but at their best they’re mesmerising, THURSDAY 12 the dots between Studio 54, Chic, Can and HIDDEN CHARMS + GEORGE TAYLOR + CLIODNA SHANAHAN: St John the HENDERSON QUARTET: The Bullingdon – OMD with Moroder-style disco. Serious rockabilly crystalline, graceful and often hypnotic, Daft Punk, without a hint of jungle in the + ISLAND: The Bullingdon – Old-fashioned Evangelist – Traditional Javanese gamelan at Free live jazz from trumpeter Stuart Henderson’s action from The Long Insiders, punking Elvis and drawing a line between the English folk songs mix. While their eponymous debut album rocking blues and boogie from London’s Hidden tonight’s Pindrop show, plus interpretations of quartet at the Bully’s weekly jazz club. Eddie Cochran’s classic rock’n’roll by way of The of Sandy Denny and its American Laurel was Mercury shortlisted and choice cut Charms. Ravel, Debussy and more. OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern Cramps. Canyon cousin, while live the sisters are more `Busy Earnin’ became a radio hit, a stream of DEEP COVER: The Cellar – Hip hop club night TOM HINGLEY + MARK COPE: The REEJAI + MERRICK’S TUSK + MYSHERA playful and potty-mouthed than their double- musical sunshine straight outta another age, with live acts. Wheatsheaf – Bluesy rocking from former- th + LEWIS SCOTT: The Wheatsheaf – It’s All barrelled surname might suggest. They’ve WEDNESDAY 18 the pair reinvented themselves as a seven- BEWARE THIS BOY + SAFETY IN Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley tonight, FRONTIER RUCKUS + LES CLOCHARDS: About the Music showcase with Witney’s spiritual already toured the States several times, as strong collective; their indie-pop past (as Born NUMBERS: The Bell Inn, Bicester – Strummer with support from erstwhile Candyskins guitarist The Bullingdon – Continuing Empty Rooms rap newcomer Reejai and more. well as supporting Bon Iver in the UK and Blonde) was forgotten and they’ve earned an Room Project show with local trad English folk- Mark Cope. Americana month, tonight with Michigan’s GET INUIT: The Cellar – Idiot King gig night Canada, and sang backing vocals for Fionn enviable reputation as a great live act. Little rockers Beware This Boy. BEDROCK: The Bullingdon – Skeletor’s bluegrass stars – see main preview with Huw Stephens favourites and recent Alcopop! Regan, and the trio’s debut album, `Dead & wonder tonight’s show is already sold out. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford monthly rock and metal club night. SPARKY’S JAM NIGHT: The James Street signings Get Inuit, taking influences like Vampire Born & Gone’, was helmed by legendary Time to dance like the last few decades were Community Centre SYNTRONIX: Fat Lil’s, Witney – 80s synth- Tavern – Open mic and open jam night. Weekend and Art Brut to make for a cheerfully producers Glyn and Ethan Johns, two blokes just a dream. OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon pop hits. dirty surf-flavoured indie pop. who know a thing or two about genuine talent. THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Dolphin, JEFF WARNER: The Swan, Ascott-under- BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst th With a new album, `If I Was’, out this month, Wallingford THURSDAY 19 Wychwood – Wychwood Folk Club with singer the sisters are back on a UK tour and showing 36 CRAZYFISTS: O2 Academy– Alaska’s and banjo player Jeff Warner, playing his historic BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Open th no sign of losing their winning sheen any time FRIDAY 13 uncompromising metalcore veterans head back to th blues session. SUNDAY 15th sea shanties, 18 Century hymns and traditional soon. THE STAVES: O2 Academy – Sweet soul sisters Europe, ahead of the release of new album `Time English and American folk songs. – see main preview HUDSON TAYLOR: O2 Academy – Dublin’s & Trauma’, the follow-up to 2010’s `Collisions & rd musical brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor EXTRA CURRICULAR: The Cellar – The MONDAY 23 recent album `The Great Lakes’, his fourth, and SWITCH with HOSPITALITY: O2 Academy Castaways’. head off on a headline tour to promote their house and techno club hosts Fresh Out The Box’s GILES ROBSON & THE DIRTY ACES: performing in the suitably intimate old world – Sets from London Elekricity, Fred V & Grafix, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford debut album, due out this month, the folk-pop Luv Jam. The Bullingdon – Haven Club show for the UK setting of the Holywell. Etherwood, Metrik and Krakota at this week’s Community Centre duo following up a tour support with Jake Bugg, FUSED: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Alt.rock covers. bluesman, discovered playing back-up to Muddy MIRANDA SYKES & REX PRESTON: electro club night. NIKKI LOY: Joe’s Bar & Grill, Summertown having made their name busking on the streets THE PETE FRYER BAND: Cricketers Arms, Waters’ son Mud Morganfield and rated as the best Nettlebed Folk Club – Show Of Hands mainstay FLIGHTS OF HELIOS + THE NEON – Soulful acoustic pop from the local singer/ of their hometown and reaching Number 1 in the Cowley harmonica player on the European circuit, bringing Sykes comes to the Nettlebed Folk Club, VIOLETS + KANCHO! + LEE RILEY: The songwriter. Irish iTunes chart for their debut EP `Battles’. a soulful blend of blues and r’n’b to town. alongside Preston for some double bass and Bullingdon – Pindrop’s annual Grief-Fest brings OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon nd SAM BAILEY: The New Theatre – The former SUNDAY 22 BREABACH: Nettlebed Folk Club – Scottish- mandolin action. a barrel-load of noise, topped by ambient prog- SUPERMARKET: The Cellar X Factor winner continues to smash it, with dire PEJA + GANDOZIOR + SLIWA: The Cellar flavoured folk dance from the 2013 Scottish space-rock crew Flights of Helios, with their BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst Traditional Music Awards Best Live Act winners, atmospheric starscapes. They’re ably supported consequences for decent pop music everywhere. – A night of Polish hip hop with award-winning th Did we learn nothing from the trauma of Celine veteran rapper PEJA, from Polish hip hop heroes playing songs, tunes and steps on bagpipes, fiddle, TUESDAY 10 tonight by psych/groove merchants The Neon th HEAVY DEXTERS: The Bullingdon – Free FRIDAY 20 flute and guitar. Violets, taking their noisy cue from Loop, Black fucking Dion, people? Slum Attack, making his Oxford debut. live jazz from Heavy Dexters, playing jazz-funk SONG & SUPPER CLUBS + SUPERLOOSE THE DREAMING SPIRES + THE SHAPES: THE JESTERS + DES BARKUS + MAEVE Angels, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club The Bullingdon – Local Americana pioneers th and Spacemen 3. Lee Riley provides + MEGAN JOSEPHY + PURPLE MAY: The BAYTON + PETE LOCK & MARK BOSLEY TUESDAY 24 Wheatsheaf (3.30-7pm) – Giddyup Music’s free Dreaming Spires launch their second album, + MARK ATHERTON & FRIENDS: The JAZZ CLUB with ALVIN ROY & REEDS between-set drones. `Searching For The Supertruth’, the follow up to DESECRATION + NECROSIS acoustic session in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar. Wheatsheaf (2.30pm) – Klub Kakofanney host an UNLIMITED: The Bullingdon – Trad jazz, bop `Brothers in Brooklyn’, the brothers Bennett having afternoon of free unplugged music in the Sheaf’s and swing with veteran clarinettist Alvin Roy and + SODOMIZED CADAVER + channelled the spirit of The Band, The Byrds, MUTAGENOCIDE: The Wheatsheaf MONDAY 16th downstairs bar, with trad-folkies The Jesters; blues his Reeds Unlimited band at tonight’s weekly jazz Buffalo Springfield and Big Star into a romantic, and folk singer Maeve Bayton, and Moiety duo club. – Slave To The Grind present another BEAR’S DEN: O2 Academy – Plaintive folk- questing form of pop that marries traditional night of musical ultraviolence, pop in the vein of Snow Patrol and Mumford Mark Bosley and Pete Lock. RACHEL SERMANNI: St Barnabus Church, country with 60s folk-rock and psychedelia. SUNDAY SESSION: Florence Park Community Jericho – Honey-voiced Scottish folk singer tonight featuring a return to town for and Sons from Communion signings Bear’s Den, They’re joined by good-time rockers The Shapes, Newport’s Desecration, a band with who’ve been out on tour with the Mumfords and Session (2-5pm) – Family-friendly afternoon gig in the vein of Laura Marling, hailing from the with hints of Pink Floyd and Tom Petty alongside session, today with Turkobilly crew Brickwork Highlands but blooded on the Glaswegian trad two decades’ worth of death-metal now head out as headliners to promote debut Van Morrison and Elvis Costello. scandal-making under their belts. album `Islands’. Lizards mixing traditional middle eastern music folk scene, Rachel Sermanni earned a break after JUNGLE + CLARENCE CLARITY: O2 with classic rock’n’roll. jamming with Mumford & Sons, going on to play Back in 1993 their debut album `Gore CHAS & DAVE: The New Theatre – The Academy – Groove is very much in the heart for & Perversion’ was seized by police critical reappraisal of norf Laarndan duo Charles RECKLESS SLEEPERS + ALAN JAGGS with Elvis Costello and Rumer amongst others, the west London collective – see main preview + JOSH JAMIES: The Angel & Greyhound now out on tour to promote her second album, and singer Ollie Jones arrested under Hodges and David Peacock continues apace with CASH: O2 Academy – Johnny Cash tribute. obscenity laws. Since then they’ve suggestions in respectable quarters that if Blur (2.30pm) – Acoustic afternoon of live music. `Tied To The Moon’. OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern The Band and, in particular, Bruce Springsteen. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford WEDNESDAY 25th Community Centre MIRIAM JONES: The Wheatsheaf – Soulful OPEN MIC CLUB: The Half Moon folk and Americana from Canadian singer BLUES JAM: Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst Miriam Jones, launching her new album, `Between Green and Gone’ as part of a UK tour. FRIDAY 27th BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: The Cellar NME AWARDS TOUR with PALMA – 80s, new wave, disco, synth-pop, glam club VIOLETS + THE FAT WHITE FAMILY + night. AMAZING SNAKEHEADS + SLAVES: O2 DENNY ILETT Snr: The Library – Intimate Academy – Top-drawer showcase tour from the show from the veteran local jazz guitarist. NME – see main preview Friday 27th THURSDAY 26th VIENNA DITTO + DECOVO + THE SEA THE SEA + THE AUREATE ACT + KID KIN TOLIESEL: O2 Academy – Warmly euphoric st NME AWARDS Americana from ToLiesel, playing their biggest + ALAN JAGGS: O2 Academy – 21 Century headline show to date. electro-blues, rockabilly, soul and synth mayhem TOUR: O2 Academy RAINBOW RESERVOIR: The Library – from ace local duo Vienna Ditto at tonight’s It’s NME tours can be a mixed bag at the best Kooky, jaunty piano-pop from the American All About the Music showcase. The pair are of times as the sole surviving music weekly ex-pat at tonight’s Smash Disco free show. joined by Foals-y indie crew The Sea The Sea; struggles to keep picking winners, but this HUNTER & THE BEAR: Fat Lil’s, Witney – elaborate prog crew The Aureate Act and one- latest Awards package tour looks like being Sweet, rustic folk-rock and Americana from the man electro-shoegaze army Kid Kin. one of its strongest ever. Not a duff name in Cornbury regulars, touring the UK ahead of a RAM JAM: O2 Academy – The O2’s weekly sight as the reliably ebullient Palma Violets second EP release, inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Switch club goes dub and roots crazy with make another return trip to town – the band legendary reggae DJ David Rodigan on the more than capable of selling out shows in decks, alongside Dub Phizix and Strategy. their own right with a ramshackle rampage Saturday 21st LET’S TALK DAGGERS + GRINDHOUSE: of decidedly old school indie punk that The Wheatsheaf – Rampant math-rock, grunge had A&R types salivating about The New JONNY GREENWOOD and hardcore noise from Eastbourne’s Let’s Talk Libertines, when really they sounded closer Daggers at tonight’s Black Bullet Live show. to The Strokes and even the likes of Teardrop & THE LCO TERRAFORMS PRESENTS: The Cellar Explodes and Bauhaus at times. Fat White – Terraforms host their seventh birthday with Family (pictured)’s PA-wrecking show at SOLOISTS: a drum&bass party featuring BCUK’s Bad the Bully last year will go down in local Company, alongside Greencode, Bolo, Raw, legend for those who witnessed the lunacy St John the Evangelist Garvin Dan and MCs KB and Sandman. and carnage, singer Lias Saoudi performing Given the elongated periods between KEEP HUSH: The Bullingdon naked throughout the set, oiled up and covered albums, it’s easy to imagine the members of HEADINGTON HILLBILLIES + COMFORT in flour. Not that they need such gimmicks, Radiohead spend most of their time sitting ZONE: The James Street Tavern – Americana given their splendidly grimy mutant post- around counting their money, but in reality and bluegrass from the local country-folk troupe. punk funk and rockabilly, taking a scalpel they’re constantly busy bunnies, particularly WOLF BAIT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Costumed to The Fall’s DNA and making music that’s Thom, with his myriad projects, and Jonny, cover versions, from Dolly Parton to Queen. genuinely dank and dirty. It’s a dirt matched who’s earned himself a nice reputation as by Amazing Snakeheads, a band embroiled one of the best film soundtrack composers th in violence and death and darkness, inspired around, notably the wonderfully atmospheric SATURDAY 28 GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with by The Birthday Party and intent on evoking score to There Will Be Blood, as well as a sense of dread in the listener, something The Master and Norwegian Wood. He’s MONKFISH + RUTH THEODORE + SUPERLOOSE: The Wheatsheaf – With they succeed admirably in. Finally Kent duo just finished recording the soundtrack to a Slaves – not to be confused with the sappy film adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel barely a fanfare, Gappy Tooth Industries th American band of the same name – kick out a Inherent Vice where his original compositions reach their 150 gig, heroically holding the fort for consciously eclectic mixed bills and a right old racket, quintessentially English in its sit alongside music from Can, Neil Young humorous ire and lyrical detail. Quality from and Minnie Riperton. Tonight is a very rare no-returns policy, making every show a mini adventure into sound. Tonight’s quality bill start to finish, thrills, sweat and nakedness opportunity – curated by Beard Museum – to guaranteed. see Jonny perform parts of those soundtracks features gothic blues and dark country-rocking alongside works by Steve Reich, Xenakus, crew Monkfish, leaning towards the Thin White and Union J cemented their reputation as Purcell, Messiaen and Edmund Finnis, Rope and Lee Hazlewood side of grizzled dangerous rock buccaneers at the cutting edge with the centrepiece being Reich’s `Electric growliness. They’re joined by breathlessly of musical mayhem. And here they are. Again. Counterpoint’. Joined by members of LCO, angular and eccentric songstress Ruth Theodore, Back to drain a little more of our will to live as Jonny will be playing guitar as well as who’s drawn comparisons to Ani DiFranco and they launch, not a new album, but a new clothing tanpura and a rare ondes Martenot keyboard, Martha Wainwright, and Abingdon’s ramshackle line. Three of them have the surname Lemon, continuing the man’s obsession with mastering folk-blues, Americana and bluegrass people and a bunch of lemons they most certainly are. new and unusual instruments. With Radiohead Superloose. BLOODSTOCK MUSIC 2 THE MASSES starting to write and record a new album, LAST GREAT DREAMERS + GET LOOSE: HEAT 3: The Bullingdon – Third heart of the the follow-up to 2011’s `King of Limbs’, The Cellar – OxRox host reformed 90s heavyweight battle of the bands for a place at it’s likely Mr Greenwood will be out of live glam-rockers Last Great Dreamers with their this year’s Bloodstock festival. action for some time, so make the most of this suitably sleazy take on Hanoi Rocks and Dogs THE MIGHTY REDOX: The James Street occasion. D’Amour’s power-pop. ROOM 94: O2 Academy – Like Ebola, Room Tavern – Party-starting blues and funk rocking 94 just won’t go away. Tour supports to Lawson from the local veterans.

Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion is the 20th of each mont - no exceptions. Email listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright Nightshift Magazine and may not be reproduced without permission. ALEXANDER O’NEAL ROYAL BLOOD / TURBOWOLF MYCELIUM /JOHN JABAGGY & PAUL LIVE O2 Academy O2 Academy MEDLEY / THE DEEP WHOLE TRIO / It’s great to see local DJ Darrell recognisable, frequently wiping his “I’m not sure where you learnt to A propelling feeling emerges from THOMAS, LASH & CASSERLY ‘Funk Box’ Steaman, probably the brow with a linen handkerchief. dance” Turbowolf’s Chris Georgiadis references to train journeys as the most soulful man in Abingdon, Backed by three singers, a drummer sulks at the rabble’s less than bass chugs towards squeals and The White House & The Old Fire Station warming up the crowd for tonight’s and three keyboard players (one enthusiastic attempt at following contrasts Mike Kerr’s vocals. On If we need any confirmation that his bagpipes with him. Being super post-Christmas party. He makes alternating with some fine bass his orders. Despite his failure to ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ drummer Ben Oxford Improvisers are up there critical, as the set goes on, it might way for the support act, a gentle duo and guitar licks), things start well incite partner-dancing, the lead Thatcher’s hurried and primitive as one of the most innovative and benefit from more development, from Glasgow whose name eludes enough, though we try not to notice singer and crew are setting a good beats underscore another near- boundary pushing promoters in the but the playing individually and us, using just a female vocal and that some of the band look a bit mood for the night. Strewn with impossible-sounding bassline, typical city, then these two events provide it. collectively from all three is an acoustic guitar to mesmerise the bored and his voice is a little raspy good old-fashioned rock key-words of their delicate balance that has a First up at The White House are magnificent. crowd with original material and a and thin. It’s the hits we’re here for, like “devil” and “voodoo” their set less than delicate effect on eardrums. Thomas, Lash and Casserly. With the Back at the Old Fire Station, the version of ‘Is This Love’ that is pure and it’s not long before they start is persuasively energetic, and even Beyond a few niceties the pair say award winning Pat Thomas forsaking latest unusual ad hoc combination soul. coming. The duet ‘Saturday Love’ the most lethargic members of the little between songs and it’s clear the keyboards for theramini and Casserly the Improvisers conjure is a drum Alexander O’Neal was of course a takes the crowd, many of whom are audience soon get involved in the audience don’t need encouragement on electronics, both chilled out, and sax/clarinet duo. John Jobaggy huge star in mid to late 80s, with a clearly not Academy regulars, back four-piece’s psychedelia-tinged to get lost in the music. Before long and Dominic Lash on double bass is good to watch as well as hear; it’s number of hit singles and the huge to younger days of fashion choices musical world. Urgent, high-pitched it seems the night draws towards a largely not disrupting this mood, unlikely that you’ll see a drummer selling (particularly in the UK) best forgotten, a backing singer vocal samples and a frantic, Muse- close with ‘Out of the Black,’ the it’s like listening to a very mellow attack the skins with such energy ‘Hearsay’ album. Though firmly making great work of Cherrelle’s esque bassline make ‘Solid Gold’ opening force of their debut album. Radiophonic Workshop. We can when producing a beautiful soft in the R&B / funk tradition, the part. A pedestrian ‘Fake’ lacks a stand-out; even if its lyrics might Moody vocals and suspenseful drums forgive that it goes on a bit long, since sound. It’s a bit weird and maybe an LP could often be found alongside the punch of the record, though lend themselves to under-analysis lead to a final riotous chorus and at its best it’s beguiling and a sound instance of cognitive dissonance. He On-U Sound and Factory releases ‘Criticize’ is still a towering funk (“This snake is wrapped around my they revel in riffing off of each other you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else also hits the skins pretty hard as well in the collections of white fans, statement and a reminder that in the neck: solid gold!”). to this particular eager crowd once in Oxford. and benefits from Paul Medley on successfully crossing over where end it’s great song writing that makes Royal Blood’s trademark heavy more. The Deep Whole Trio, on their 30th saxophone and clarinet’s refined and many others failed. This was partly a singer a star, and these two at least riffing and tightly-orchestrated co- Having headed fast and furiously anniversary tour, are just the latest sympathetic playing, which is never down to the flawless production of stand up as timeless classics, unlike operation merge in a sound that’s into the world’s attention, Royal big players on the free music scene over-embellished. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, former so much produced in the era. had everyone from Dave Grohl to Blood have not had time to write – including Ken Vandermark and the Headliners Mycelium are less a compatriots in Prince protégés The As the crowd disperse and the Jimmy Page singing their praises. more than one album of material, but truly magnificent Wadada Leo Smith group, more an event as some 14 Time. The duo will always have merchandise man waves his ‘Meet They burst into tonight’s show even a short set such as this packs a – who the Improvisers have brought string players, some from Bristol and unsurpassable cred for turning down Alexander O’Neal - £20’ sign none with the compelling intro of ‘Come punch and by the time the two leave to Oxford. In complete contrast to London, in response to an invitation a request from Michael Jackson of us knew the man would pop up on Over,’ the first lone drumbeat the stage even the ceiling is sweating. what goes before Mark Saunders, on sent out by the Improvisers, turn up because they were desperate to a few days later on Celebrity Big creating a collective spine-tingle. Celina Macdonald drums, and Paul Rogers, on custom- to play. This is the sort of high risk produce The Human League’s Brother. Despite the rough edges made seven-string double bass, go thing that they put on sometimes and ‘Crash’. tonight is a far better tribute to at it at a hundred miles an hour. It the massed ranks of cellos, violins, Tonight O’Neal emerges in a sharp someone with a well-deserved place SWINDLESTOCK / ALICE leaves you expecting them to be violas, and double basses could have suit and several pounds lighter than in musical history. overwhelmed by their own frenetic served up a disaster, but it works we remember him but instantly Art Lagun RUSSELL with NATUREBOY virtuosity and spin out of control, but because the players are experienced at it never happens. Chief highlight is listening to each other. It’s noticeable Florence Park Community Centre Saunders creating music very like the that whenever violinist Philip PEERLESS PIRATES / OUI REVELLER / INDICA BLUES / It’s not often you get one of the best perhaps a reference to the police Zimbabwean mirba sound of water Wachsmann gets involved the level British soul singers playing a modest shootings of young black men in falling on rocks as the rain pours goes up a notch, as when he and three LEGIONNAIRES REPERCUSSIONS OF YESTERDAY community centre in a double header Ferguson and New York. down outside. Into this maelstrom others coalesce into a sting quartet with a good local band. No surprise Alice infuses every song with a Paul Dunmall’s short interjections on with the remaining players being a The Wheatsheaf The Wheatsheaf then that December’s edition of the warm, appealing, often danceable saxophones are a calming presence sting orchestra in the background. It’s hard to know what to say about wankery; it’s as if the rhythm An Oxford drumming drought is a feint whiff of experimentalism Sunday Sessions (a monthly afternoon groove, and if it makes any sense to as he infuses a Coltrane-like lyricism The Improvisers not only create Cheltenham’s Oui Legionnaires. section ruled The Smiths, and they foreshadows this mid-January that might just recall Hookworms show aimed at allowing families to say a venue purrs with pleasure, this into every note he plays. I’m not sure never to be repeated music, they On one hand their twitchy post- were always the best ones (smack showcasing of talent at the heavier or Wooden Shjips from more recent hear live music that isn’t just `The one is a cat having its belly stroked. whether I’m disappointed or relieved curate never to be repeated events. rock flavoured emoting feels notwithstanding). And the true stroke end of the spectrum, with Leper times and following on from the Wheels On The Bus’) is sold out. We’re worried for Swindlestock – possibly both – that he doesn’t have Colin May unexceptional and a good few years of genius? They’ve filled the void King forced to pull out due to a airing of some excellent tracks on These gigs are usually permeated by having to follow that, but we needn’t out of date, yet on the other they with pirates. Pirates are synonymous lack of a man with cymbals. Hence, Dave Gilyeat’s BBC Introducing children’s persistent chatter and clatter have been as with a host of strong play with ability and passion that with fun, where childhood abandon the muscular presence of Carl M. show in 2014, the band are certainly but not so today. numbers in their locker, they’re well MUSICIANS WANTED demands attention. On one hand their meets hard liquor and entry level Bangay, aka Repercussions of a more than welcome addition to the Perhaps the little ones are as up to the task. They’re in Americana angsty US yelps sound like Doogie cosplay, and pretty much make Yesterday, takes the stage and songs Oxford music scape. captivated as the adults by Alice country mode this afternoon, and Bass player wanted for Oxfordshire based rock and blues band, aged 18-30. Howser getting snarky with his ISP, most things in life more enjoyable. with titles such as `Epitaph’ and We are satisfied by what has gone Russell’s beguiling voice. She while we like them best when they Must have transport and own equipment. Playing originals and covers. Call yet on the other the insistent cubist Over the years Peerless Pirates have `Hollow’ provide a hint of what’s before and the antics of headliner doesn’t go in for vocal pyrotechnics, play the blues, it isn’t too much of a Vincent on 07896878276. guitar parts give them a Cap’n Jazz become as tight as well-kept rigging to come. Reveller’s diminutive front man yet effortlessly infuses the songs hardship because Dava Waterhouse intensity that keeps them interesting. and as solid as a hundred year old Abbreviated to R.O.Y., Bangay’s Kial Churcher lends real electricity with emotion and sincerity. Just as has got one of those voices we’d Bass player wanted for Oxford based Neil Young / Creedence / Cash / On one hand their final off-mic capstan, and slowly, unobtrusively demonic growl is more Keane than to the room, screeching like a good impressive is her skill at phrasing, be happy listening too, particularly Townes Van Zandt influenced band. Looking for someone can play with feel refrain chanting undershoots its mark their indie-shanty schtick has become Hattersley, although unexpected ‘un and espousing good humouredly which she perhaps first learned in those dirty bass notes, even if he and simplicity - call Garry on 07730 982347 and falls awkwardly flat, yet on the one of the best nights out in Oxford. synths temper the guitar onslaught, between the songs from a position in college days when she and Natureboy was singing the phone directory. It’s other their toes inwards, balls of the Barring the odd dashes of Tex- if not the subject matter, which front of the stage at the level of the (Oxford’s own Dave Noble) were a perhaps inevitable on ‘Man In Black’ Drummer wanted for Oxfordshire band into Mogwai, Stereolab, Gang of feet, nervous tic meek-core energy Mex hot sauce, their sound has not includes the tale of a man who punters. The legend ‘Slipknot’ on jazz duo. With Natureboy providing and ‘Long Black Veil’, that his vocals Four, Hookworms, The Twilight Sad. Must have own gear and transport. is infectious. It’s fifty-fifty; we’ll let noticeably developed, but their focus cheated on his wife and contracted the back of an audience member’s subtle jazz guitar, and regular band carry a touch of the Johnny Cash, Contact Niall on [email protected] them play the advantage and see if has, and we defy anyone to leave a AIDS. Across just four songs, it’s hoodie hints where this is going but member Mike Simmond’s sensitive but if you’re going to have traces of they can score in future. set like this without a big silly-arse an unapologetically uncommercial Reveller, formerly I, the Deceiver, violin playing, the three make for an someone, who better than Cash. Dark indie rock band from Oxford seek bassist and drummer. Current line Like Post-It notes and selfie sticks, grin. exercise in doom. are far less cartoonish and take accomplished and laidback trio, with If ‘Sitting On The Stoop’ creates the up is two vocals, two guitars, keyboards. Influences- Interpol, Blur, Editors, Peerless Pirates’ main idea is so Plus, because Peerless Pirates were Enter, Indica Blues with frontman themselves far less seriously than Alice’s charming natural personality impression they’re a homely bunch The Clash, Deftones. [email protected]. beautifully simple you’re annoyed on our radar first, we’re able to Tom Pilsworth joined by a band of those particular comedians. Like the adding to the relaxed mood. that’s quickly dispersed by those dark you didn’t think of it yourself: The dismiss a certain syndicalism and no mean talent, the band’s style like Duracell Bunny, Ready Brek Man Only once, for a Donny Hathaway Johnny Cash numbers. In what’s an Drummer / Percussionist wanted. Folk trio Little Red are seeking a drummer Smiths without the egos. They’ve winkie obsessed comedian as a mere a roughneck version of Smashing and lead character from the film, number, does Alice use the full power impressive set, they offer a superb to promote their debut album in 2015 and feature in video/recording. taken some of Britain’s greatest sartorial copyist of lead singer Cliff Pumpkins fed through a stoner The Selfish Giant rolled into one, of her voice; her beautiful version of version of Canned Heat’s ‘Going Up Contact Ian via [email protected] pop music, and stripped away not Adams. Revolution? Maybe later; cheese grater. Storms of feedback Churcher’s energy is infectious, ‘Don’t Explain’ is created using her The Country’ which they make their only Morrissey’s passive-aggressive for now there’s a rum keg to be bejewel the set and we are reminded even if the hardcore genre has its exquisite phrasing. She also appears own and which features the glorious Musicians wanted ads are free. Maximum 30 words. Send ads to poetics, but also Marr’s penchant tapped. of the guitar heroes of the 1970s. limitations. to be very aware with the inclusion sound of a resonator guitar . [email protected] for guitar hero classic rock chop- David Murphy Although traditional in feel, there Robert Langham of Roberta Flack’s ‘Tryin’ Times’, Colin May -- Their favourite other T H E W H E A T S H E A F INTRODUCING.... Oxfordshire act is: Tuesday 3rd February – BLACK BULLET LIVE Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under “Maiians; everything about that band excites me, and who can argue SHATTERED SKIES RED SEAS FIRE + PERCEPTION + BEING EUGENE 7:30pm Wednesday 4th February – MD PROMOTIONS with two drummers on stage? I expect great SALVAGE PROLONG THE AGONY + EVAVOID 8pm/£5 Liu Bei things.” Friday 6th February – KLUB KAKOFANNEY Who are they? If they could only Liu Bei are the new band formed by longstanding favourite Oxford son keep one album in the FRACTURE TWAT DADDIES + CHARLYWOOD + THE CALLOW SAINTS 8pm/£5 Richard Walters, a singer who has been a star of the local scene going back world, it would be: Saturday 7th February to the late1990s, both as a solo performer and as part of Theremin. He’s “Probably something joined by Dan Joyce, Matthew Reynolds, Aaron Graham and PJP. Richard I’ve never heard before. REIGN OF FURY THE CRUSHING + RETRIBUTION 8pm/£5 formed Liu Bei, named after an eight-foot-tall Chinese warlord with I like surprises.” th Wednesday 11 February – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC enormous ears, “after I got drunk and told some friends I couldn’t stomach When is their next the music industry anymore. They bought me another whiskey and asked local gig and what can BLACK MIRRORS me to reconsider. I wrote some new songs, bought an electric and we got newcomers expect? KHAMSINA + JENN & THE GIANT PANDA + DONAL 8pm/£6 Friday 13th February – SLAVE TO THE GRIND together in the studio.” Since then the band have released an acclaimed “We’re playing our debut single, `Infatuation’, via Transgressive Records and toured the UK. debut Oxford gig on rd DESECRATION NECROSIS + SODOMIZED CADAVER + MUTAGENOCIDE 8pm/£6 Their second EP, `Goodness’ is released on February 2nd. February 3 at The Saturday 14th February – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC What do they sound like? Cellar. If you’re aware Led by Richard’s gorgeous, heartbroken voice, they hark back to the of my solo output, TOM HINGLEY MARK COPE 8pm/£6 shimmer and sparkle of early shoegaze and the rarefied spangle of 80s it’ll be louder than th Friday 20 February – MD PROMOTIONS 4AD bands, the emotional desolation of songs like `Infatuation’ effortlessly you’re expecting... but graceful and sounding like they were stitched together from winter starlight. in general terms, we GHOSTS IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS What inspires them? hope to move you and CAPTIVVES + KID KIN + TIGER MENDOZA 8pm/£5 Saturday 21st February – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC “Collaboration. I spent so many years recording and touring as a solo artist make you very happy in equal measures.” that I forgot how good working with other people, especially on stage, can Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: REEJAI MERRICKS TUSK + KYSHERA + LEWIS SCOTT 8pm/£6 be. When I left Oxford to move to London I really wanted to rethink how “Having grown up in a real golden age of Oxford music – around the time Wednesday 25th February – ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY I made music, and just making connections with other musicians. I found of Sound City – I love seeing so many dedicated and constant faces still myself getting really excited about writing and performing again.” working within the Oxford music scene, but I hate the fact that so many MIRIAM JONES 8pm/£7 Career highlight so far: venues and promoters have gone. It’s an ever-evolving scene; having lived Friday 27th February – BLACK BULLET LIVE “Supporting our friends Dry the River on their UK tour this autumn and in a few other cities over the years, I can confirm nowhere has the same finishing the run at a sold out Forum.Also, persuading Rachel Goswell from quality of music scene. Oxford is blessed.” LET’S TALK DAGGERS GRINDHOUSE 8pm/£5 Slowdive to sing on our new EP.” You might love them if you love: Saturday 28th February – GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES And the lowlight: Slowdive; Mazzy Star; Ride; Wild Beasts; This Mortal Coil; MONEY. “It’s all good so far... the only thing we can really complain about is sharing Hear them here: MONKFISH RUTH THEODORE + SUPERLOOSE 8pm/£4.50 The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford hotel rooms. Five men in one Travelodge Family Room is not right.” soundcloud.com/liubeiwins

DR SHOTOVER: Invasion of the Bodley THIS MONTH IN OXFORD Snatchers ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY Good evening book-lovers. Pull up a pew and buy me some of the finest were Sexy Breakfast, whose youthful faces beamed cover of February 2010’s Nightshift – this time wines which the East Indies Club bar has to offer. Ah, Chateau Gaviscon, my 20 YEARS AGO The early part of 1995 really was the Oxford music cherub-like from the front cover of February 2005’s Dead Jerichos, a trio of teenage miscreants from favourite… [slurp-o, slurp-o]… Now, if it is not too much of a frightful ‘bind’, scene’s Dark Ages. Following the closures of the copy of Nightshift.”There are two things you need Drayton who were singing about blood-spattered let us ‘cover’ a few book-related topics. HA HA HARGHHH. Did I ever tell you Jericho Tavern, The Oxford Venue and The to know about Sexy Breakfast,” ran the editorial, punch-ups at parties and the boredom of hanging about my first job, working as ink well boy in the old Bodleian Library? A Hollybush, and the folding of Curfew magazine, “they have the worst band name in Oxford and around on street corners while still too young to thoroughly Dickensian experience. When I’d finished filling all the ink wells the local gig calendar downsized severely, with they are one of the most entertaining bands in the play most of Oxford’s venues (they’d even found and sharpening all the dip pens, I’d be wrapped in gaffa tape and lowered The Elm Tree (now The Big Society), The Dolly country.” While most of the band would go on themselves slung out of a couple for attracting small into a flooded basement to save old manuscripts from water-damage. My (now The Cellar) and The Bullingdon (still The to greater glories under the name Borderville, armies of underage fans to the gigs they could get). supervisor, Mr Skellington, had a constant dew drop on the end of his nose Bullingdon but before it was converted into a proper back then the quintet were releasing their single “These songs are delivered with a tightly-wound and knees that went off like pistol shots as he strode along the squeaky lino venue) heroically holding the fort. Local goth-pop `Launch The Missile, Conrad’, while attracting all mix of hooligan swagger and spangling, spidery of the corridors. Luckily this stopped him from catching us when we were heroes Wonderland were among those playing The manner of adoration for their dubbed-up mangling art-pop subtlety. They fizz with steely intent and tell writing revolutionary slogans on aeroplanes made of old sheets of blotting of Aled Jones’ `Walking In The Air’. “The name it like it is, but they’re danceable and fantastically paper and launching them from the upper windows of the library. Then there Elm Tree, while Apes, Pigs and Spacemen came to town for a gig at The Dolly. Bubblemen played looks great printed on pants,” claimed bassist Phil catchy. Dead Jerichos rock with the bruising elan of were the golden years of Andy ‘Ride’ Oakey, “buy our pants.” Perennial Nightshift faves The Jam and Arctic Monkeys but skip and skitter Bell’s dad being in charge… though a show at Oxford Polytechnic (now Brookes) while Klub Kakofanney were keeping the flame Dive Dive released `555 For Film Stars’ as well with the wiry, uptight funk of Foals,” we gushed. this era did give rise to a document this month, a song that has become a local classic. “At 14 years old Drayton became the place to be one had to sign promising not to play alive at East Oxford Community Centre. There was also the small matter of a Radiohead show at Some great gigs going on this month with Death with all the local youngsters with their bottles of guitar solos on top of the Radcliffe From Above 1979 playing The Zodiac (a gig we Strongbow, or if you didn’t have the money for that, Camera. Not that Brian May took any The Apollo (now The New Theatre), ahead of the release of their seminal `The Bends’ album. The fondly remember for a member of support band a 3-litre bottle of Frosty Jacks. Nasty stuff. That’s notice when he came a-looking for Controller Controller quitting the band mid-set, where I got most of my songs from – the mayhem books on badgers… he was up on that local heroes were supported by Supergrass and and being man-handled from the venue by bouncers we did and saw,” said singer Craig Evans, now a neo-Palladian dome like a rat up a The Candyskins in what was a joyous celebration as he tore the dressing room door off its hinges), as top hairdresser in London. drain, strapping on the old axe, giving of Oxford music during its darkest hour. Having were enduring indie heroes The House of Love and One of Oxford’s greatest success stories beyond it widdly-this and diddly-that… Now, become a global success story on the back of The Wedding Present, and even actress Minnie its famous bands was of course The Club That where was I? Ah yes, smoking drugs `Creep’, few could have anticipated that the band Driver, who escaped the suffocating glamour of Cannot Be Named, started by friends Alan Day in the book-stack… HA HARGGHHH… would become one of the most important and Hollywood to tread the sticky Zodiac boards. Cult and Dave Hale to promote their favourite hardcore Then the New Dark Ages arrived, and influential acts in the world, but for one magical heroes Hood and stoner titans Mastodon were also and metal bands. In February 2010 they celebrated the place was overrun by 1980s-style night, the woes of the local scene were forgotten, in town, while Aerogramme also stopped off at the their tenth anniversary with a show at The Thatcherite managers. The Stepford while some of the antics at the aftershow party at Zodiac before they would go away to think about Wheatsheaf featuring the best of those local noise Bods, I call them - you can spot them the Randolph Hotel really are better forgotten. heroes, including Sextodecimo, Faith In Hate, by their smart suits, smart phones and forming the mighty Chvrches. Shouting Myke and of course JOR. Noses were smart smiles. They’re here already! ‘Hell-oooo, we’re the management broken, fun was had. Alan is now one of the UK’s You’re next!! YOU’RE NEXT!!! 10 YEARS AGO consultants. We’ve come to save you [whirr We were all so much younger back then of course, 5 YEARS AGO leading promoters, in charge of booking Metallica Next month: Bods and Rotters click]… save you [whirr click]… save you…’ and some other people looking so much younger More youngsters promising great things on the and Sonisphere. seen an improvement in the general standard mainly involving each member of the band of music involved, we’re still haunted by enthusiastically fellating Satan in return for the memory of hapless trustafarian jazz- having their wretched boy band funk-pop funk bands called Tuna Chunks in Brine or thrust into the charts like a fart in a hospital DEMOS “comedy” punk acts with hilarious names operating theatre). Sorry, got carried away Sponsored by like The Riotous Cauliflowers. So just again. Decovo. They’ve got all the letters of Demo of the Month wins a free half day at seeing the name The Infamous Flapjack Devo in their name with a couple to spare but Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy Affair fills us with dread. Two minutes in since they have absolutely nothing in common of Umair Chaudhry. and we’ve cast such fears aside with the with Devo beyond just about being of the Visit www.silverstreetstudios.co.uk/ casual contempt we’d usually reserve for same species, we can’t use that in their favour, nightshift-demo-of-the-month/ a UKIP election leaflet. This is pretty good so we’re really scrabbling in the dirt for stuff: slightly rickety old-fashioned folk and positives, much as they’re scrabbling in it for a enough to keep us onside for its duration. We bluegrass with just the slightest of pop and decent tune. The singer sounds like someone’s can’t say the same about `Sweet Dreams’, 01865 240250 DEMO OF even classical edges and a shrill female lead just nicked his lunch money and is now bending which mark David down as a bollocks old vocal that makes the whole thing sound like his fingers back more than should be natural, blues-rock shouter from the venerable school Steeleye Span sitting down round a campfire which at least conjures up an interesting image THE MONTH of Sunday Lunchtime Market Town Boozer. in the Catskill Mountains for an all-night or two, and they can do that trilling guitar thing Plodding, pedestrian and overwrought, jam. Sometimes you get a big string flourish in time. By their second song they seem to have without a grain of grit or growl in its voice CITIZENS RADIO and you’re transported to Saturday night turned into a Poundshop Biffy Clyro by way and with a tediously predictable sub-Clapton/ at Cropredy Festival with Julianne Regan of The Vamps. In a strange sort of way we’re Knopfler guitar solo shoehorned into the BAND or whoever standing in for Sandy Denny, almost impressed. middle of it just in case we haven’t fucked off It’s mid-January, it’s grim, grey, wet and cold while the male-led songs are softer, more to make a cup of tea or self-immolated by this out there, and the day before we sit down to contemplative, but warm-hearted. The mix point. Thankfully `Eleven Thousand Martyred wade through the month’s demos a bunch of cello, fiddle, banjo and acoustic guitar Virgins’, after threatening more of the same, THE DEMO of fucknutted stone-age-dwelling cowardly gives everything a rich, rustic feel, while the ups the ante significantly, a more tightly- savages have taken it upon themselves to interaction between the two singers ensures wound pre-punk r’n’b in the vein of Larry butcher a bunch of people doing nothing more everything stays fresh. A bit of research DUMPER Wallis’ cult gem `I’m a Police Car’ and with than drawing a few satirical cartoons or doing reveals they’re a University-based quartet a bit of spunk about it that has us reaching for their grocery shopping. So, yeah, we’re in a but have members drawn from Oklahoma, MIKEEY the Watney’s Red Barrel. Shame it all goes fine old mood, dear reader. Pull up a chair and Pennsylvania and Colorado, which would Okay, right, that’s it. We’re off. Giving up. to shit straight after, mind, with `Your Love share what remains of this bottle of Advocaat explain those authentic-sounding bluegrass Retiring. What critical faculties we possess are Is Killing Me’ going so far as to remind us of with us, why not? We need grim, ugly music to bits. There’s the odd clumsy moment but rendered redundant in the face of something so match this grim, ugly world. And right on cue, Phil Collins at one point. Nothing should ever far off the shit scale that an elongated stream mostly it’s impressive stuff and a more than .co.uk here are Citizens Radio Band, a duo consisting remind of us of Phil Collins. of expletives followed by smearing a handful TURAN AUDIO pleasant surprise after our initial trepidation. Professional, independent CD mastering of a guy called Gary from Abingdon who Just ditch the name, please; no fucker’s going of excrement across the page by way of review previously won Demo of the Month under the couldn’t even start to convey just how bad this to take you seriously otherwise, and you Artists mastered in the studio recently include; name The Gwladys End, alongside a guy called THE SHAPES is. And it’s not even one of those “let’s make a deserve to be taken seriously. SWERVEDRIVER, NICK COPE, HAWKWIND, JEFFERSON Miquel, who records droney nastiness under The Shapes are such a genial-sounding band shit demo for a laugh and see if those suckers you imagine this demo was recorded with AIRPLANE, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, the name Be My Friend In Exile. Together fall for it and put us in the Dumper” efforts that CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, LOWLY HOUNDS, YOOFS, MR BIG, they sound like Joy Division if Joy Division the band wearing slippers in the studio while we can see right through. This guy is deadly discussing matters of local interest over a THE RODEO TORN EDGES, UK SUBS, BECKY HOLLOWAY, SANGUINE had formed on a damp Tuesday evening in A one-song demo with very little info serious. Seriously being something we take the HUM, CROWS, COFFIN NAILS, THE LUKA STATE, FAMILY mug of Horlicks, rather than beating each Scunthorpe, rather than under the bright lights included, so we’re not even sure this is from subject of domestic violence, which appears to MACHINE, LITTLE BLOOD, SWEET, WHITE PLAINS, other up in a JD-fuelled rage after a row over and glorious sunshine of 1970s Manchester. Oxfordshire. We should, according to our be what `She Left With A Bruise’ is about. It’s JONA OVERGROUND, SHAKER HEIGHTS, HELMHOLTZ the middle eight. They are a band, though, Yeah, that glum. In fact CBR sound like they notoriously strict rulebook, chuck it in the sometimes hard, beyond Mikeey’s squeaky, RESONATORS, WE AERONAUTS, CHRIS MOORHOUSE. dedicated to having a good – but not too might have been first on the bill to Joy Division virtual bin and be done with it, but a teensy breathless Michael Jackson piss-take voice wild – time, singer Ant Kelly a songwriter and Crispy Ambulance back in the day, or at weensy bit of it draws us in. If you squint and the horrible tinny home recording studio 01865 716466 [email protected] with a tender heart and an apparent love for least contributed to some Factory Records your ears and think happy thoughts about r’n’b and non-sequiturs and genuinely hilarious 70s r’n’b on songs like `Tom Petty (1980)’. sampler compilation, tinny, lo-fi gothic drones, kittens and baby penguins, `Please Don’t shouty pleading bits, to work out where Mikeey Songs lope or shimmer onto the dancefloor hymnal vocals and thumping drum machines Knock At My Door’ could be an old Tanya stands on the subject, but from where we’re with a confident casualness that comes with THE COURTYARD capturing that post-punk sense of ennui that Donelly song, with its country-tinged indie standing he’s not coming out of it well. In fact, maturity (Ant’s been in local bands since the made just about everything outside of the bounce and sense of earthy worldliness. after four tracks of this sonic effluence Mikeey 1980s and the late, great scene veteran Tony RECORDING STUDIO charts between 1977 and 1980 sound bloody Mostly it’s actually just a well-produced, emerges with as much dignity and credibility Jezzard, to whom this CD is dedicated, was great, if equally bloody miserable. So anyway, pleasant-enough, if unremarkable slice of as a pissed-up farmhand wading out of the previously the band’s keyboard player), and if PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/24, OTARI we’re off to get our long overcoat out of the country-tinged indie bounce, but, hey, you go silage pit he’s just collapsed into after trying they sometimes feel a little too undemanding, MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE MACHINE, 2 TRACKING wardrobe and go for a walk in the rain and making us think about Tanya Donelly even a to copulate with the livestock during a visit ROOMS, SUPERB CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELEC- wind and biting cold. You’ll probably find us Alix Cornhill’s sparsely-used backing vocals from a local school party. `Noir’, meanwhile, tiny bit and we’ll always find something nice TION OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR + MIDI FACILITIES (Inc face-down in a puddle a couple of hours from add a little soul and sweetness to proceedings. is meant to be a solemn condemnation of the to say about you when folks come asking. LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND etc.) now. It’s what we’d have wanted. It’s what There’s some country-tinged surf shimmer evil exploitative nature of Hollywood, with its Citizens Radio Band would have wanted. Tell on `I’m Not The Hurting Kind’, while `Mr warning that “Hollywood is over / Hollywood Residential facilities included. them we did it for them. Sandman’ sounds like Elvis Costello having DECOVO is dead / You won’t get your starring role / a pop at Pink Floyd’s `Comfortably Numb’, Decovo? Isn’t that a brand of eco-friendly Unless you’ve sold your body and soul,” but www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk with its over-egged organ sweep. About as washing up liquid? What’s that? Oh yeah, sounds like a delirious vagrant armed with Phone RICHARD WALSH on 01235 845800 likely to be the next big thing out of Oxford we’re thinking of Ecover. Though to be an old Casio keyboard shouting conspiracy DAVID MARX as Nigel Farage is to join Run The Jewels, honest we might be better pouring some of theories at passing traffic while inhaling helium. Talking of religious fundamentalist bell- The Shapes are, nonetheless, unimposingly that in the CD player rather than this. It’d We’re not ones to mock the afflicted here at ends as we were, here at Nightshift we feel likeable company for the time they hang make less of a mess and the sound of frothy Nightshift, preferring bigger, more pompous lucky that while we enjoy a bit of piss-taking around. And hey, they didn’t nick all the bubbles quietly popping would be a soothing targets, but Mikeey, dear boy, we don’t believe occasionally the worst repercussions we have booze on the way out, neither. balm after the trauma of yet another band who you know what the word `music’ actually to deal with are sweary insults on Twitter so desperately want to be Foals but sound like means. No, don’t go looking it up Mikeey; rather than armed massacres. David Marx what we imagine Bastille’s first ever rehearsal you’ll only end up accidentally setting yourself here has a song called `Sicilian Satire’, which THE INFAMOUS sounded like. (Bastille’s second rehearsal on fire or something. we like to think is about taking the piss out of violent Mafia mobsters (and probably ending FLAPJACK AFFAIR During our many, many years hanging around Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links up propping up a nearby new-build shopping the local music scene like a creepy uncle to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without complex for your troubles), and is probably at Christmas, we’ve been blessed enough a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you his best song – a T-Rex boogie mixed up with to be asked to judge a few student band an old rockabilly shuffle that’s retro but raw can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. And don’t fucking whine about your competitions, and while recent years have review on Twitter either, else we’ll print a screenshot and make you look like a prize tit. thevenuecollective PRESENTS

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