HUCK & the Xander Band

[email protected] nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 224 March Oxford’s Music Magazine 2014

DesertGet in the Stormback of the van! Oxford’s mightiest rock warriors talk tour vans and toilet etiquette

Also in this issue OXFORD DUPLICATION CENTRE [email protected] Festival line-ups announced: Office: 01865 457000 Mobile: 07917 775477 SIMPLE MINDS and GEORGIE FAME for Supporting Oxfordshire Bands with CORNBURY Affordable Professional CD Duplication CRIBS and WHITE LIES for TRUCK FANTASTIC BAND RATES BURT BACHARACH and METRONOMY for ON ALL SERVICES Professional Thermal Printed CDs WILDERNESS Full Colour/Black & White plus Silver or White Discs Design Work Support Introducing BETA BLOCKER & THE BODY Digital Printing Packaging Options CLOCK Fulfilment and all your local music news, reviews, Recommended by Matchbox Recordings Ltd, Poplar Jake, Undersmile, Desert Storm, Turan Audio Ltd, Nick Cope, Prospeckt, Paul Jeffries, Alvin previews and gig guide. Roy, Pete The Temp, Evolution, Coozes, Blue Moon and many more... NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 photo:Giulia Biasibetti was to provide Oxford with a fantastic storyteller Richard Digance plays annual jazz festival, and throughout Tiddy Hall on April 26th. For more our five years, we managed to bring details on the club, visit some fabulous names to Oxford to www.wychwoodfolkclub.com perform in some of the city’s finest NEWS spaces. Our stated aim – to provide LOCAL MUSIC BLOG ONE Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU inspiring jazz performances within NOTE FOREVER has signed Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] the less-seen spaces of Oxford – was Birmingham-based shoegazers accomplished, with performances Mutes to its fledgling record label, Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net from as varied a cast from Soweto following on from the label’s debut Kinch to Norma Winstone, within release by ToLiesel last year. Visit the Bodleian Library, the Ashmolean onenoteforever.com for more news. Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Museum and the Randolph Hotel. OX5 1ZU. In both cases, please “However, after many years of hard AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into clearly mark your demo PUNT and work, some excellent results and BBC Oxford Introducing every include both phone and email contact constant effort in the face of repeated Saturday night between 8-9pm on details and a brief biog of the band. cuts in budgets and grants for the arts, 95.2fm. The dedicated local music Only acts from Oxfordshire may we have decided to temporarily put show plays the best Oxford releases Foals played a last-minute hometown show as a warm-up for their apply; you can’t apply if you played the Oxford Jazz Festival to bed. We’d and demos as well as featuring national tour last month. The gig, in the smaller upstairs room at the O2 The Punt previously and, due to certainly consider bringing the festival interviews and sessions with local Academy, was kept a secret until the day before, with tickets going on sale the licensing conditions of all the back to Oxford, but not this year.” acts. The show is available to stream venues, only bands aged over 18 will from the venue box office and online at 10am on the day of the show. Fans or download as a podcast at BURT BACHARACH is one of the headliners of this year’s WILDERNESS be eligible. The line-up announced queued from 6.30am and the gig was sold out in a matter of minutes. A SIMPLE MINDS are one of the ASCOTT-UNDER-WYCHWOOD bbc.co.uk/oxford. FESTIVAL. The legendary Grammy-winning singer and composer tops a on the 15th on the Nightshift forum – riotous and emotional show saw Yannis Philipakkis crowd-sufing from the headliners of this year’s Cornbury gets its own regular folk club from Regularly updated local music line-up that also features headline sets from electro-pop stars Metronomy and nightshift.oxfordmusic.net, and the stage to bar, where he downed a shot, before surfing back again. Festival. With the full line-up due this month with the launch of the news is available online at www. ethereal pop moodists London Grammar. Oxford Punt 2014 Facebook page As well as their ongoing national tour, Foals have been announced as to be announced on Thursday 6th appropriately named Wychwood musicinoxford.co.uk. The site also This year’s Wilderness Festival, which aims to bridge the gaps between A limited number of all-venue Punt main stage headliners at this year’s Bestival, alongside Beck and Outkast. March, Nightshift can exclusively Folk Club. The club will take place features interactive reviews, a photo music, art, food and nature, takes place at Cornbury Country Park over the passes are on sale from Truck Store The band play the festival on the Isle of Wight on Saturday 6th September. reveal that the Scottish stadium-rock on the first and third Saturdays of gallery and gig guide. weekend of the 7th-10th August, and also features sets from Jessie Ware, with and online at oxfordmusic.net from Read the review of the Oxford show in this issue giants will top the bill one night over each month at the Swan in Ascott, Nightshift’s online form is open to the Wilderness Orchestra; BBC Sound of 2014 winner Sam Smith; Gregory this month, priced just £8. the weekend of the 4th-6th July at with monthly bigger-name acts all local music fans and musicians at Porter; Mount Kimble; Connan Mockasin; Submotion Orchestra and Soak. through til 10pm. Entry is free with SPRING OFFENSIVE launch their Great Tew Country Park. They will playing at Tiddy Hall in the village. nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Away from the main stage, there will be a Friends of the Earth busking stage; WITTSTOCK FESTIVAL hosts donations welcome. All money raised album `Young Animal Hearts’ with a be joined by jazz and r’n’b legend The first night of the club is the Bitter Suite, a sensory concert, and a Travelling Folk Barn. a special weekend mini-festival this will go towards financing the main special instore show at Truck Store st Georgie Fame; pre-punk pioneer 1 March at the Swan with sets OXFORD BANDS looking for Beyond the live music is the usual host of activities, from banquets, late night month as part of its One Gig Closer festival which this year is raising this month. The local indie heroes, Graham Parker, and Scottish- from Bluebird and Rachel Chai. members or musicians looking parties, fire shows and theatre, to art, promenade performances, talks, debates calendar, building up to the main money for My Life My Choice, and now relocated to London but still Swedish folk singer Nina Nesbitt. The Ponderosa and Nick Hooper for bands can advertise for free in and outdoor pursuits. festival at the Plough Inn in Long the Young Women’s Music Project. Oxford at heart, will play the free th The rest of the line-up is expected play on the 15 , with Pete Knight’s Nightshift. Simply email your needs Tickets for the festival are on sale now, with adult weekend camping tickets at Wittenham over the weekend of the to include Cornbury’s characteristic show at the Cowley Road record Gigspanner appearing at Tiddy in up to 30 words, to nightshift@ th th th £143.50. Kids under 10 years old get in for just £5. 19 -20 July. CHARLBURY RIVERSIDE store on Monday 10 March. With nd mix of big-name stars; cult legends; Hall on the 22 . Folk veteran and oxfordmusic.net. Visit www.wildernessfestival.com. The weekender takes place at The rising folk, rock and blues stars and FESTIVAL will take place over demand for tickets expected to be Art Bar on the 22nd-23rd March, th th TV pop acts. the weekend of the 26 -27 July extremely high, tickets will be limited featuring a host of local acts playing With all early-bird tickets now sold this year, it has been announced. to anyone pre-ordering the album in the pub’s Backroom venue and out, tickets for the weekend are on The annual free festival is by far the beforehand, so pop along. It’s bloody front bar. The Saturday features sets sale through the festival website at biggest of its kind in Oxfordshire, great and you will love it. from Les Clochards; Agness Pike; www.cornburyfestival.com, where attracting some 7,000 music fans Also performing instore at Truck this Space Heroes of the People; The the full line-up will also be revealed. over two days last year. No acts month is local country singer Ags Relationships; Balloon Ascents; confirmed as yet but visit www. Connolly, who launches his debut Sinking Witches; Superloose, and APPLICATIONS FOR THIS riversidefestival.charlbury.com to album, `How About Now’, on Sunday Von Braun on the main stage, with nd YEAR’S OXFORD PUNT are find out how to play and for news on 2 March, while regular visitors to acoustic sets from Our Biscuit Selves; open until the 10th March. The annual the event as it’s ready. town, folk couple Trevor Moss and Beard of Destiny; Trevor Williams, th showcase of unsigned Oxford talent Hannah Lou, play on Saturday 15 . and Mark Allen Barnes. takes place on Wednesday 14th May, WOOD FESTIVAL returns in For set times and more Truck Store Moving on to Sunday and One featuring 20 or so acts at The Purple May. The environmentally-friendly news, visit truckmusicstore.co.uk. Wing Left; Mary’s Garden; Don’t Turtle, The Cellar, The Wheatsheaf, festival organised by Truck founders Go Plastic; Lost Dogs; STEM; Man Turl Street Kitchen and The White Robin and Joe Bennett takes place at THE OXFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL Make Fire; Charms Against the Evil Rabbit. Braziers Park over the weekend of will not be taking place again this Eye and After the Thought play in th th Bands or solo acts wanting to play the 16 -18 May. No line-up details year and looks unlikely to return the Backroom, with True Rumour; at The Punt can submit demos, either have been announced as yet but in the foreseeable future. In an Firegazers and Purple May among the by emailing links to online music (no tickets are on sale now, priced £65, announcement on the festival website, acoustic acts in the front room. sound files, please) to nightshift@ from Truck Store, or via the festival the organisers said, “Our aim, when Both days kick off at 2pm and run oxfordmusic.net, or sending CDs to website at www.woodfestival.com. we started the Oxford Jazz Festival,

WHITE LIES AND THE CRIBS are the main headline acts at this year’s Truck Festival. It is ten years since The Cribs last played the festival. This year’s Truck takes place at its traditional Hill Farm setting in Steventon on the 18th-19th July, featuring live music across six stages, including its successful Veterans and Virgins stage. Other acts so far confirmed include Peace; Stornoway; Andrew WK; Los Campesinos!; Kids in Glass Houses; Swim Deep; Cerebral Ballzy; Itch; Eliza & the Bear; Lonely the Brave; Darlia; Flyte; Nothing But Thieves; Nordic Giant, and Black Moth. Festival organiser James Goodall said, “I think this could be the best Truck on record. We have just unleashed this brilliant line-up but we still have many more things ready to be announced, so watch out.” After two sold-out years in a row, early-bird tickets for this year’s event sold out in record time. Weekend camping tickets are on sale now, priced £74, from truckfestival.com as well as Truck Store and Rapture in Witney. A quiet word with more tripped out. Lyrically it’s be familiar to our fans who come out Anyone with a passion for rock and The Club That Cannot Be Named very similar with exploration and to shows but there will be a handful metal is generally going to be a wild stopped doing shows, and a lot of experimentation.” which we’ve never played live one. In Europe a band will receive local bands seemed to call it a day. Elliot: “We felt that ‘Horizontal featuring on it.” some guaranteed combination of But as we had just started Desert Life’ was a big step up on all levels. Chris W: “I think that we have a fee, food, accommodation and Storm, it seemed like a good way to I think we benefited from the first sound of our own that we try to bring drinks whereas in the UK it can get us exposure and make contacts Karma To Burn tour, as it was a out on every record. We like to bring sometimes more difficult to secure around the country. John at Skeletor chance for us to get tighter with the a wide variety of influences to our the necessities.” saw how well it was going and set tracks we were recording.” material. I don’t think that we really Given how much time you’ve spent his company up half a year later, and What does Jimmy bring to your have anything to move on to, as we out on tour, are you all hardened tour with Buried In Smoke and Skeletor, Desert Storm records? simply want to create music that we monsters? Does anyone in the band this put Oxford on the map again.” Matt: “Sinister laughing for one! like rather than forcing our sound need to bring a teddy or comfort Who’s been your favourite band You can hear him at the end of into certain directions. Essentially blanket with them? you’ve put on? `Astral Planes’, cackling away, and the aim is always to take what you Matt: “We’re still in training to be Elliot: “We’ve put on a lot of on `No Slave To Master’, giggling are doing, and improve it.” veterans but have certainly picked phenomenal bands, but I guess our at some bong hits. He’s a total dude up a trick or two. We normally carry favourites would have to be Orange and a maestro behind the sound The album release also bedding in the bus but that’s because Goblin, American Head Charge, desk, doing us proud with such allows Desert Storm to indulge in we don’t usually have the luxury of a Karma To Burn, Honky, Taint, and professional recording, mixing and their favourite activity, heading bed. Nothing a few hearty beverages Saviours. We also had the privilege mastering quality.” out on the road, reacquainting doesn’t solve. No stuffed animals, of supporting all these fine bands.” Elliot: “Jimmy is a brilliant themselves with old chums and but a piss jug suffices for a home Do you get the feeling the Oxford engineer, very easy to work with, gigging compadres Karma To Burn comfort.” scene has fragmented in recent and he’s been part of the local for an 18-date tour. Will they return Chris W: “Chris needs a daily years? So metal and rock shows scene for a while now, so he’s got changed men, like Viking warriors haircut, but apart from that everyone exist in isolation from the rest of the a lot of experience when it comes from a voyage across the great grey is low maintenance, probably far too various sub-scenes? to recording bands. He’s got some ocean, and how big will the beards low maintenance in fact... anyone Matt: “The metal and rock really interesting techniques which community has always been I’ve never seen before. He’s also estranged from the mainstream enthusiastic, and patient which is “Our manager Freek found an elegant but it’s always nice to see a more what you need from any engineer.” solution to the problem of needing the loo diverse line-up on the occasion with a coalition of those sub-scenes. Not ones to rest on their when we’re on the move... he simply opened Eclectic line-ups can be a risk but are laurels, another full album is already rewarding if you enjoy a variety.” set for release in the summer, but the sliding door on the motorway Ryan: “You can’t deny that the in the meantime Desert Storm have and urinated out of the van.” scene is quite segregated, and bands just released a split 10” EP, `Nomen stick to gigging with others of a Est Omen’, with Dutch rockers be by the time they finish? who has stepped inside our van will similar genre. But that’s a trend Komatsu. They contribute long-time Matt: “Think Gandalf the White.” know what we mean.” we’ve seen around the rest of the favourites `Shadow of an Eagle’ and Chris W: “Elliot’s will be massive; Who is most likely to get chucked UK and Europe, but I guess it comes `Word to the Wiseman’; was the plan Matt and Ryan’s will be ginger, and off the tour bus and left at the bus down to promoters not wanting to to get a couple of their best existing mine and Chris’ will have started stop, a la Lemmy in Hawkwind? take risks. There are other local songs over to a new audience, rather growing.” Matt: “It’ll likely be all of us at a bands that aren’t metal that we’d than record new tracks? You’ve been out on tour with a lot border somewhere across the pond, like to gig with though, bands like Matt: “We released the record to of other bands. What sort of stuff can or we might leave certain individuals Yellow Fever, Dear Chicago, Spring reach a wider audience certainly, a band like Desert Storm learn from behind for their disgusting antics in Offensive, Beta Blocker and the “We all have full time international press acclaim and sweat and more blood of great metal. Prospekt and Undersmile. When it with us plugging the split in the being out on tour with Karma to the back of the van.” Body Clock, and Message To Bears jobs, so touring is like living the regularly venturing out on the road Now the quintet are considered the comes to young, local bands starting UK, Komatsu doing so in Holland Burn or Orange Goblin? Chris W: “Anyone taking a piss for example.” dream in a way. However, the across the UK and parts of Europe, pivotal rock band in town, touring out I think you’re always going to and our distributors doing the same. Matt: “Most bands are like us. We into a bottle when on the move On the local front you see and hear a glamorous perception of touring playing alongside the likes of regularly, releasing three albums, look up to other bands that are doing It opens up the possibility of us want to party but there comes a time for obvious reasons. Our manager lot of new acts; who are your tips for doesn’t always meet the reality. Orange Goblin, Peter Pan Speedrock with a fourth on its way, and with well in your home town, like we did reaching fans and doing more shows between the long drives and late Freek found an elegant solution to punters to check out? After our first tour our outlook and of course regular gig-mates brothers Elliot and Ryan running with Sextodecimo and Winnebago in Europe with the same benefits nights that we can pass out pretty the problem... he simply opened the Chris W: “There are probably fifty- certainly changed as we had never Karma To Burn. the regular Buried in Smoke nights, Deal, so I hope younger bands will applying to Komatsu over here.” much anywhere. Nine of us in a sliding door on the motorway and plus metal bands in Oxford, and done anything like that before. The providing a hub for local metal and look up to us in the same way, and Elliot: “It came about from our nine-seater van was particularly urinated out of the van.” you should check them all out and experience of travelling around the Back when we rock bands to play and support out of by doing so help to cultivate the Dutch booking agent, Justin. When educational. The most fun tours have support your local scene, instead country every night, gigging, only interviewed Desert Storm last, in town acts. next crop of bands emerging on the he suggested the idea of a split, we been those when none of us have It’s impossible to talk of staying at home and listening to increased our appetite to do more. 2010 as part of Nightshift’s metal “It’s nice to hear such appraisal for scene.” thought it made sense to do it. It was had to work the following morning, to Desert Storm and their place in the big four again, which you have We certainly aren’t at the stage special issue, they were the bright our efforts,” says Matt, “but there are a chance for us to get our music out enabling us to enjoy it and still get Oxford’s metal firmament without all heard sooo many times! Buried where we can consider ourselves young stars on the local heavy rock many other bands in the scene who Evidence of Desert in Holland, and was also beneficial the sleep in! Touring Holland and mentioning Buried In Smoke, the in Smoke and Skeletor are doing a experienced, but we certainly know scene. Led by the ferocious, ogre- are putting in the work and going Storm’s growing status came with for Komatsu over here. Initially Switzerland taught us a thing or regular gig promotions that brothers good job, and need people to keep what to expect now from the tour.” ish growl of singer Matt Ryan, the places. We might possibly have the release of their `Horizontal Life’ Justin did want us to record new two.” Ryan and Elliot have been running attending if they want great bands band carved out a singularly brutish spurred or influenced other artists, album last year, the most cohesive tracks, but we just couldn’t afford Which band you’ve toured with is for half a decade now, not only to continue to come to Oxford. At Chris White, lead furrow, fusing classic metal, blues- as we are ourselves influenced, but document yet of their particular it at the time, so went with the two the most riotous or decadent? providing regular gig opportunities other shows we’ve played in the guitarist with local stoner-blues- rock, stoner-rock, psychedelia and we formed at a time when there was brand of sludgy, blackened blues. tracks from ‘Horizontal Life’.” Matt: “Difficult to say... Honky are for Oxford metal and rock bands, UK, people have gone online and metal titans Desert Storm, is looking even elements of southern gospel a little lull in the rock and metal It was the follow-up to their 2010 New songs will soon be available animals on the road... Karma To but bringing myriad big names and complained that they didn’t like the forward to his band’s forthcoming into an unholy whole. Backed by scene and now there are many bands release `Forked Tongues’, both with the new album in the summer; Burn bring the noise... Peter Pan rising stars to town. The Buried in look of a gig as they hadn’t heard of tour around the UK with American brothers Ryan and Elliot Cole, on who we consider it a privilege to recorded with renowned local what is that going to sound like? Is Speedrock have suspicious bottles Smoke nights, alongside Skeletor’s any of the bands, yet if they haven’t stoner pioneers Karma To Burn and guitar and drums respectively, bassist play with. I don’t know how we’re producer Jimmy Hetherington from there a Desert Storm sound or do of cola... and Komatsu know how to monthly shows, have provided a heard them, how can they assume pondering just how far they’ve come Chris Benoist and lead fretmangler viewed by other bands, but hopefully Suitable Case For Treatment and you get restless to move on, or is it party!” definite focal point for the Oxford they won’t put on a great show?” since they formed back in 2007. Chris White, Matt’s violent and we encourage bands to take the Komrad. just doing the same thing but better? How different is it touring the UK metal scene. Was that ever the It’s been an unstoppable rise and drug-related imagery combined stage.” Matt: “The production is tighter on Matt: “As with `Forked Tongues’ compared to Europe, the audiences aim, or was it just a desire to bring `Nomen Est Omen’ is out now on rise for the band who have led the with a wall of sound that could Chris W: “I think we have come a `Horizontal Life’, which makes it and `Horizontal Life’ there will you play to and the way bands are favourite bands to town and gig with Blindsight Records. Desert Storm charge for Oxford metal in recent be bludgeoning and monolithic, long way in the last four years, and feel more complete. Musically and be surprises on there but we’ll be treated? them? play at Skeletor’s metal night at times, elevating the ambitions of but equally light-fingered, as they we certainly consider ourselves a lyrically I think we’ve pushed things continuing the diverse arrangement Matt: “Bands are provided for in Ryan: “Me and Elliot set up Buried the O2 Academy on Saturday 29th local heavyweights above and explored rock’s rugged terrain, solid part of the local metal scene, to heighten and exploit our strengths. of tracks with something to appeal, Europe with greater consideration in Smoke initially to help strengthen March. Visit www.facebook.com/ beyond gigs in the city’s smaller refusing to be bogged down in one but there are a lot of other bands The metal is more crushing, blues retaining that thick Desert Storm but the fans are just as wild in the local metal scene once again. desertstormuk for news and gig venues, garnering national and genre, while steeped in the blood, doing well, such as Mother Corona, more groovy and ethereal interludes vibe throughout. Many tracks will Europe as they are in England. There was nothing happening once dates. Sponsored by longing rarely leaves `Phase’, but it provides a THE RELATIONSHIPS level of comfort that’s not so much inviting as `Phase’ addictive. While it’s hard to pick a single highlight from (Big Red Sky) an album of songs so refined you imagine they “I think I’ll retire / To the 1950s / Deep in the were handcrafted in a garden potting shed by RELEASED Shires / Of the 1950s.” If any band in Oxfordshire a hermitic artisan, album opener `Self Esteem could claim to be lost in time and space, it is The Flying Machine’ is an absolute treat, a gorgeous, SPRING OFFENSIVE AGS CONNOLLY Relationships. Together for almost two decades swooning shimmer through a form of psychedelic `Young Animal Hearts’ `How About Now’ and with personal histories on the local music pop so sweetly restrained they must surely have scene dating back to the early 1980s, they’re a downed their acid tabs with bone china cups of tea (Self-released) (Drumfire) band steeped in warm nostalgia. Those lines from rather than anything so crude as beer or whisky. Oxford’s never been known for heavy-handed Anyone who has caught Ags Connolly in the `Mullioned Sunshine Windows’, the chiming The Relationships don’t just have skills and talent, music. Even Ride’s earliest soundstorms last few years will attest that he has a voice of second song on this their fourth album, are they have class. were awash with grace and poise, and the extraordinary power, capable of transporting followed by stories of Agatha Christie dancing Album closer `Installation Day’ addresses “the predilection for deftness and dexterity – both you from a dank open mic pub in Witney to the with Dennis Wheatley, an idyllic imagined past modern explorer, in a classical scene, trying to musical and lyrical – has carried down through Grand Ole Opry. His songs are deeply rooted in when things were better, more civilised. Because discover what all the statues all mean,” urging him the decades, whether with Radiohead, Foals, country, full of hardened wisdom and homespun The Relationships rock, but, as the old Val suggests in reality they’re trapped in the Home to “Put away your maps and spades / Put away Youthmovies and Stornoway, or the latest turns of phrase; Ags’ previous release, `The Dim Doonican album title had it, gently. Counties suburbs. Heartstrings aren’t so much Arcadian summer days,” over a crepuscular guitar generation of local stars like Wild Swim and and Distant Past’ EP, was a solid demonstration of In their hearts and imaginations The tugged as softly twitched, like the net curtains of spangle and it all feels like the last gentleman Glass Animals. his songwriting skills – indeed all four songs are Relationships are living in the sunshine of 1960s the cul-de-sac where Infinity Mansions stands, adventurer finally going quietly into that dark None of them, though, have done delicacy so present again here, largely unchanged. But with a California, hanging out with Roger McGuinn and sad and stately. night. But with such dignity and grace does he fully as Spring Offensive. To call them light group of sympathetic country session musicians Arthur Lee, or consorting with fellow gentlemen Such a building exists in a song of the same go, his deeds and discoveries will live long in the on their pins is like saying Luis Suarez can behind him, Ags has taken a bit of a star turn. in some grand country house sometime after the name, and again it feels like a building that holds memory, much as this album should. The flying kick a ball a bit. And so `Young Animal Heart’ as they attempt to balance bright, optimistic While you could worry that session musicians war ended. The weary, wistful regret that a lifetime of experiences, some good, some bad, machine leaves shortly, get your ticket now. – self-released after an inventive Pledgemusic melodies with inventive textures and lyrics could suck the soul out of Ags’ simple songs, permeates so many of their songs though all slightly sepia tinted. That feeling of restless Dale Kattack campaign – tip-toes in on hushed, almost that occasionally sound like they’ve swallowed or embellish them to the nth degree, the whispered harmonies and the merest wisp of a compendium of metaphysical poetry. Once musicianship throughout `How About Now’ a guitar spangle. “There is a storm blowing in a while – `Something Unkind’ for example is truly fantastic, lending it a classic, authentic LITTLE BLOOD FLIGHTS OF HELIOS in,” breathes lead singer Lucas Whitworth, but – they can sound generically Oxfordian, all country sound. Lap steels coo, a stand-up bass musically it’s a storm that forever hangs just trebly indie-funk, but from the lush, summery gently plods, and an electric guitar accents the `Little Blood’ `Factory’ over the horizon, teasing you with flashes of `Hengeld’ to the tentative shimmer of `No chords in a manner that would make Luther Perkins proud. Perhaps the best compliment (Self-released) (Pindrop) lightning and ominous rumbles of thunder, the Assets’, far more often they’re as fresh as the Handy hint: don’t open your album with a song Anyone who’s seen Alejandro Iñárritu’s 2010 that can be paid to Connolly is to say that many deluge never arriving. thought of summer. called `Everything Is Shit’. It gives snarky gits film Biutiful will have been struck by its of the songs on `How About Now’ sound like Parts of `Young Animal Hearts’ will already be The album closes with its title track, an like us ammunition. Calling it `Humanity Is claustrophobic bleakness. The ever-excellent country standards – ‘Good Memory for Pain’, familiar to Spring Offensive fans; the brilliantly encapsulation of Spring Offensive’s ability to Shit’ instead would get us onside instantly, while Javier Bardem sees his already pretty grim life pensive `The River’ dates back to their first fuse grand gestures with intricacy and intimacy ‘Get Out My Mind’, ‘The Dim and Distant Past’ and ‘Trusty Companion’ are all great songs by `Owen Paterson Is a Rancid Little Shit’ would falling apart when he’s diagnosed with cancer mini-album and remains a signature tune, all and a sense of gentle tension that never fully have us leaping off furniture and toasting the band and is consumed by guilt when he inadvertently rising, rousing harmonies and murderously resolves, while oddly retaining a sense of anyone’s standards, regardless of genre, strongly composed and sharply executed. There are also with finest malt whisky. kills the group of illegal immigrants who work dramatic lyrical imagery, but, characteristically melodic optimism. The band might have moved some deeply personal songs here, dotted with But what’s done is done and Little Blood must live for him. It probably won’ spoil it too much if we for a band with a restless approach to to London to further their cause, but they references to particular lovers and old haunts (I with the consequences. Ironically that song, which mention it doesn’t have a fairytale happy ending. songwriting, most of it is new. Spring remain heart and soul an Oxford band. They’re never thought I’d hear a shout-out to The Angel in introduces a band of local and not so local veterans Flights of Helios’ new single, the follow-up to Offensive are a very serious band, earnest simply too good to relinquish. a song); all of this helps to flesh out Ags’ deeply whose musical histories go back to the 1980s, is their excellent `Star’ from last year, is lyrically and focussed, but that never bogs them down Dale Kattack likeable and genuine persona, a man who loves by far their best number, a softly swooning slice of based on the film and the song comes close and hurts, with country – and perhaps some Old 60s-flavoured breeze-pop that would probably cast to capturing that sense of claustrophobia and off all corporeal ties if it weren’t for the repeated hopelessness, Chris Beard’s frantic, distorted SALVATION BILL his father despises continues on this second EP. Hooky – pumping through his veins. If country music once had a bad rep for “Everything is shit” lament. voice possessed of the intensity of a man trying Things were getting a bit tense when we last From here we’re into the softest of soft rock to dig his way out of a blacked-out prison `Dead Dog’ left the pair at the end of the first EP, but part perceived flag-waving, finger-pointing, and general backwardness, Ags’ music is full of heart, territory, tinkling lounge jazz piano and easy cell with his fingernails. Musically it builds (Bear on a Bicycle) two starts in relatively upbeat mood with Faced with a neighbour’s incessantly barking dog, more ‘Man in Black’ than ‘I Kiss My Baby With grooves laying a smooth base for singer Mike from electronic middle-eastern meditation to `Xander’, the boys hustling tourists for beer what would you do? Go mad? Complain? Throw My Fist’. These are songs of love and loss from Allen’s desultory croon. Sometimes, as on the an increasingly maniacal march, before being money, unafraid of damnation. Things quickly sedative-spiked steaks over the fence? Salvation a good ol’ boy, a perfect soundtrack for crying relatively lively r’n’b of `Winter Stars’, with its consumed by a gothic grunge quagmire into start getting grim though, Alex receiving a letter into your beer at the end of the night. `How About driving Hammond, it works, echoes of The Kinks which it sinks and dies. Bill chose the most far-reaching retribution he from his sister, later discovering Johnny dead Now’ is the most assured debut to come out of and even The Animals creep in, even as you feel So, no happy endings here either, but while could think of… to slay the dreaded beast in song. with a needle hanging out of his arm and his Oxford in some time, a very strong collection of Paul Weller’s admiring gaze looming over the Bardem’s character’s life gets worse as the film Salvation Bill is the current (usually) solo project father arriving in town. Musically there’s a great songs from an artist with a clear handle on his whole thing, while towards the end, on `Rip’, progresses, Flights of Helios’ music just get of Ollie Thomas, former frontman of Oxford up- raw blues feel about it all, particularly the EP identity. Little Blood again cast themselves free of their better and better. and-comings ute and The Old Grinding Young. If opener, with its mood swings, from earthy to Tom McKibbin earthly wanderings for an almost psychedelic Dale Kattack the ‘solo project’ moniker worries you some, don’t strident to near hysterical, echoing Patti Smith’s flight of fancy. let it. In `Dead Dog’ Thomas carves his own niche `Horses’, while `Letter From Louise’ is woozy Too often, sadly, we’re left with a desire to kick in the alt-folk camp, with a sound far rounder and timorous, a studiedly stumbling moment of their backsides into action as `Oxygen’ becomes a and richer than traditional singer-songwriter fare. contemplation. By the time Alex has realised the background drone only three songs in, the vocals Jangly, toe-tapping piano chords and a jaunty beat friend he’s chatting to is dead and he’s in police little more than a hum from which discernible open the track, which unfolds its wickedly morbid HUCK & THE custody, the darker blues tones of Nick Cave words are hard to pick out. `Other People’s narrative with tongue firmly in-cheek. have begun to invade the songs and story, though Lives’ is Van Morrison via Michael Bublé, while It’s Thomas’ voice which steals the show though, XANDER BAND by the end of the EP, Alex is contemplating `Amsterdam’ threatens to teeter fully from slick meandering through harmony and murmur with possible redemption and salvation and musically r’n’b lope into soulless sterility, and `Freeland’ an almost plaintive edge, at once recognisable and `Alexander The Great: A it’s taken an almost carefree turn. The often descends into mawkish sentimentality. captivating. Ute received their fare share of praise, Folk Operatta (Pt.2)’ disjointed nature of the songs neatly reflects the It isn’t, despite what that opener suggested, yet with Salvation Bill, you feel that Thomas has unravelling lives of the story they tell, and with shit. As an album `Little Blood’ is both solidy found a better fit. His gift with narrative, the touch (Self-released) a third and final part to come, we guess there are orchestrated, and produced to a tee, but looking of humour, the irresistible energy, all sounds like Huck’s three-part rock opera, telling the story of more twists to come and darker places to visit. for life beyond easy cocktail lounge or late-night a room full of people having fun. Impressive, Alex, the boy who runs away from an abusive, Huck’s poetic lyricism and musical imagination fireside contemplation and wistful reflection is as considering that it’s just one man, being kept ultra-religious childhood and hooks up with half- will keep us hanging on to the close. hard going as the music is easy. awake by a dog. Caddo Indian kid Johnny to indulge in every vice Dale Kattack Dale Kattack Sean O’Reilly SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar – County Down’s wild’n’hairy retro rockers, keeping it Reggae, dancehall and bashment club night hosted by 1970s with their mix of AC/DC and Thunder, having Count Skylarkin and tonight featuring a live set from supported the former on their world tour a few years Dub Mafia, reggae siren Eva Lazarus’ well-travelled back. They’re touring to promote last year’s `New breakbeat seven-piece, making their Skylarkin debut Horizon’ album, their fourth. after playing at Outlook and Boomtown. On the CHARLEE DREW: O2 Academy – Tortuous decks, the Count is joined by Roots Manuva producer autotuned r’n’b guff from the Leicester lad. GIG GUIDE Wrongtom. NICK MULVEY: The Art Bar – Intimate, sprightly KLUB KAKOFANNEY with FLIGHTS acoustic folk music from former Portico Quartet man OF HELIOS + BEAVER FUEL + STRING Nick Mulvey, touring his `Fever To The Form’ EP st th SATURDAY 1 TUESDAY 4 PROJECT: The Wheatsheaf – Spaced-out electro after supporting Laura Marling on tour last year. ROOM 94: O2 Academy – A band so lacking in BONOBO: O2 Academy – Trippy downtempo psychedelia crew Flights of Helios launch their new LISTING SHIPS + MAIIANS + BIG TROPICS: th character or musical virtue Room 94 are, like The sounds from Simon Green and chums – see main single, `Factory’, at tonight’s Klub Kak, joined by The Cellar – Nautically-obsessed, electro-heavy post- Tuesday 4 Silence in Dr Who, instantly forgotten the moment MARCH preview potty-mouthed indie-punk lunacists Beaver Fuel. rock in the vein of Mogwai, Neu! and Tortoise from their music stops or you stop reading their name. WHAT YOU CALL IT GARAGE?: The Cellar JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Free live jazz every WHITE MAGIC: The Art Bar – Reggae club night. Listing Ships, back in action with a new drummer, BONOBO: But not as handsome. They’ve recently supported – The monthly garage club night returns to action, Tuesday in the Backroom, tonight with groove-led BLURD + NOASIS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Double the previous three having exploded. They’re joined Lawson and Union J. Not sure anything Nightshift tonight with B-Ill and Naughty Nath, Sharky & ensemble The New Jazz Collective. O2 Academy dose of Britpop tributes. by James Cunnings’ new electro band Maiians, and That tonight’s show is long since sold out is says can really add to the thrill such information has George, Dan Fitzgerald and DJ Face, hosted by HELVED RÜM: The Old Fire Station – OSPREY & THE OX4 ALLSTARS + ADY Duchess/We Aeronauts spin-off Big Tropics. hardly a surprise – Bonobo, aka Simon Green bestowed on you. They’re now off on a headline Macular and Sandman. Improvised electro-acoustic from drummer Julian DAVEY: The Wheatsheaf, Didcot SIMPLE: The Art Bar – House and techno with and band, recently sold out two nights at the to… oh, sorry, what were we talking about? Oh SELECTA: The Art Bar – Drum&bass and jungle Chamla and “electroacoustician” Simon Henocq. DISCO MUTANTES: The Library – Disco, funk, Ben UFO. Sydney Opera House – but it’s a puzzle as to look, a picture of a goat climbing a tree. Cool. club night. DANNY & THE CHAMPIONS OF THE boogie and house club night. THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Marsh Harrier how they’ll even fit in the Academy tonight. ORANGE VISION: The Wheatsheaf – Bouncy W.A.M: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Ska-punk classics WORLD: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Uplifting Americana THE NUGGETS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – 60s sounds, Gigs to promote new album `The North pub-rock from the local band. covered. and country-rocking in the vein of Tom Petty, Neil th from The Beatles and Stones to The Kinks and Small SATURDAY 8 Borders’ have involved not just guitarist, PROPAGANDA / TRASHY: O2 Academy – THE ERIN BARDWELL COLLECTIVE: The Young and The Band from Danny George Wilson and Faces. THE ANSWER: O2 Academy – The return of keyboard player, saxophonist and drummer Classic and new indie hits at Propaganda every Swan, Wantage – Reggae and rocksteady from the gang. STEAMROLLER: The Rock of Gibraltar, Enslow but a full string section, not to mention week, plus kitsch pop, glam and 80s at Trashy every local outfit. OPEN MIC NIGHT: The White Rabbit – Heavy-duty blues-rock in the vein of Hendrix and new singer Szjerdene Fox, whose lavishly week. THE MISSING PERSIANS: James Street OPEN MIC NIGHT: James Street Tavern All month Cream from the local veterans. EXTRA-CURRICULAR: The Cellar – Weekly Tavern soulful voice rides across the lolloping jazz-inflected soundscapes of the album techno, house and bass night. BLUEBIRD + RACHEL CHAI: The Swan, WEDNESDAY 5th AUDIOGRAFT th PEERLESS PIRATES + JACK RHYS DAVIES: Ascott-under-Wychwood – Opening night of the SUNDAY 9 alongside a contribution from the great ENOS + MOTHER CORONA + ABRAHAMA + THE SELECTER: O2 Academy – Coventry’s The Jericho Tavern – Swashbuckling indie new Wychwood Folk Club Erykah Badu. Musically the new album is a KOMRAD: The Wheatsheaf – Psychedelic stoner/ Various venues Two-Tone legends return to town, on tour to celebrate continuation of his last outing, the acclaimed rockabilly with a distinct whiff of the Smiths and SANCTUM: The Varsity Club – Monthly metal Back after last year’s successful month-long doom rocking from Brighton’s space-chimp-obsessed 35 years together, still featuring original members `Black Sands’, which saw him refine his finest grog from Peerless Pirates. club night playing classics and new tunes from festival, Audiograft’s series of concerts, heavyweights Enos at tonight’s Buried In Smoke Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, downtempo wanderings to a tee after 15 across the metal spectrum. show, the band coming on like a giant rough-hewn installations and exhibitions in conjunction rd playing their classic `Too Much Pressure’ album in its years providing trippy afterhours music for Monday 3 with Oxford Contemporary Music sets out to collision between Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, entirety, featuring the hits `Three Minute Hero’, `Too clubbers worldwide, and suitably atmospheric nd build links between sound and location, with SUNDAY 2 Clutch and Kyuss. Oh yes. Great support from Much Pressure’ and `Missing Words’. background sounds for a multitude of films TEMPLES: the emphasis on experimental music and art. AGS CONNOLLY: Truck Store – Witney’s Didcot’s groove-rock monsters Mother Corona, and THE MARTIN HARLEY BAND: The Art Bar and TV shows. Having moved to New York to A free launch night at OVADA in Osney on country bard launches his excellent debut album, prog-core heroes Komrad. – Folk and blues from the Welsh singer and slide live and record, Bonobo’s sonic storytelling O2 Academy `How About Now’ with an afternoon instore show. SUBVERSE: The Cellar – House, garage, techno the 12th features food-themed sets from The Psychedelia is back! No, wait, it’s never guitarist, out on tour to promote his forthcoming new is a serious global business now and it’ll be PAPER AEROPLANES: The Art Bar– Breezily and bass club night, with a DJ set from house Sonic Catering Band, preparing their music been away. It’s just that sometimes the album, the follow-up to 2012’s`Mojo Fix’, having interesting to see how it fits with a relatively melancholic folk-pop from the west Wales duo, legend Levon Vincent, whose releases on his Novel as they would a meal, via processing, cutting, bands making it get a bit more attention than previously supported the likes of Newton Faulkner intimate, and packed, setting as this. variously compared to Fleetwood Mac, The Sundays Sound label and Deconstruct imprint became instant layering and mixing, machine-made sounds at others. Right now, the likes of Toy and and G Love & Special Sauce. and The Cranberries, and on tour to promote third dancefloor hits. He’s joined on the decks by Harry from Marianthi Papalexandri, and Gordon Hookworms are making swirly lysergic noise AUDIOGRAFT LAUNCH NIGHT: OVADA, album `Little Letters’. Scholes, James Shirley and Midnight Mary. Monohanwho uses the acid energy of fruit well cool again. Temples, from the decidedly th Osney – Launch night for this year’s Audiograft ENTRAILS + BASEMENT TORTURE and vegetables to create music. On the 12th at MONDAY 10 unexotic town of Kettering, tend to get SPRING OFFENSIVE: Truck Store – A special, festival – see main preview KILLINGS: The Wheatsheaf – Slave To The th the Holywell Music Room Patrick McGinley lumped in with those bands but they’re far less THURSDAY 6 intimate instore album launch gig for `Young Animal NORTH EAST CORRIDOR + CASSEL + Grind host reformed Swedish death-metallers and Felicity Ford explore field recordings, heavy on the reverb and a more pop-friendly WE ARE SCIENTISTS: O2 Academy – The irony- Hearts’ for the local heroes. It’s free but you’ll need to STATIC IN MOTION: The Art Bar – Debut gig Entrails, whose founding guitarist Jimmy Lundgvist found objects and spaces, while Liminal brings heavy Californian indie-punks return to action after an pre-order the album to nab one. It’s gonna be mental. from local newcomers Northeast Corridor at tonight’s proposition. Singer James Edward Bagshaw, is the sole survivor of the original line-up, ploughing a new slant on bell ringing and JD Zazie enforced lay-off due to line-up, label and management DERRIN NAUENDORF BAND: The Jericho It’s All About the Music show. with his corkscrew curls and bejewelled face, a singularly nasty furrow since the early 90s, mixes myriad found sounds. Moving onto issues. Now they’re set to release a new album, `TV Tavern – Australian guitarist who migrated to FREERANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip hop is a deadringer for Marc Bolan for starters inspired by Dismember, Entombed and Grave. the Old Fire Station for the 14th and 15th, Jos en Français, the long-awaited follow-up to 2010’s England to make his career, ending up living and and dubstep club night. and musically Temples reach right back to MOON LEOPARD + TWIZZ TWANGLE + Zwaanenburg fuses flute and live electronics, `Barbara’, and while their infectious, chorus-heavy touring round Europe in an old post office van, the classic psychedelic pop of The Beatles BEARD OF DESTINY + MATT SEWELL + while John Grieve provides saxophone-based and Syd Barrett, bringing it all up to speed fuzz-pop, inspired by everyone from Bowie and producing and selling albums without the aid of a th MAX: Donnington Community Centre (6pm) – Weezer to Hall & Oates, is never less than fun, it’s experimentation. Jerome Noetringer and Lionel THURSDAY 13 with the modern age by way of The La’s, record label. Inspired as much by the 60s British folk THE ENGLISH BEAT: O2 Academy – In a good Free live acoustic music session hosted by Moon often the witty onstage banter between Keith Murray Machetti improvise with assorted manipulated The Coral and The Last Shadow Puppets, to revival as the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and month for veteran ska and punk bands coming to Leopard fellow Jeremy Hughes. and Chris Cain that provides the best entertainment. objects, from piano frame and mixing desk a point where they sit more comfortably next Steve Earle. town, Dave Wakeling brings his incarnation of the CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community to microphones and cassettes, while Guy to Django Django or Tame Impala. And if MARTIN SIMPSON: Nettlebed Folk Club – Birmingham hitmakers back to Oxford, revisiting rd Centre – Oxford’s longest running and best open Sherwood and Lynn Loo mix sound and image all that reads like a list of “bands they owe MONDAY 3 Masterful traditional folk songsmithery from the classic hits like Smokey Robinson’s `Tears Of A TEMPLES: O2 Academy – These children are fair mic club night continues to showcase local singers, using projections and loops. Closing the veteran acoustic and slide guitarist. a debt to,” it’s meant as a recommendation th Clown’, `Hands Off… She’s Mine’, `Mirror In The musicians, poets, storytellers and performance artists festival on the 29 , back at OVADA, Nathanial rather than anything disparaging. Cos they’re and wear flowers in their hair – see main preview Bathroom’ and `Too Nice To Talk To’. every week as it builds towards it 20th anniversary Mann’s Rough Music takes in everything from great. As was proved at last year’s Gathering MITCH LADDIE: The Art Bar – Bottletop th PATRICK McGINLEY & FELICITY FORD + blues, blues-rocking and funk-blues from Geordie later this year. meat cleavers to Chinese pigeon whistles for TUESDAY 11 Festival, and in the likes of `Shelter Song’ and JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Live jazz from Heavy LIMINAL + JD ZAZIE + SYBELLA PERM: guitar maestro Laddie, at only 22 already a veteran THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Wheatsheaf – Free some sonic exploration taking folk music as its `Mesmerise’ they’ve already got enough great Dexters, playing jazz-funk covers and originals. The Holywell Music Room – Found sounds, field of Walter Trout’s band, riding high on the critical unplugged gig from the local blues-rockers in the launch base. For full Audiograft line-up, visit catchy pop tunes to break out of cult demi- INTRUSION: The Cellar – Monthly goth, recording and more as part of Audiograft – see main acclaim afforded his second album, `Burning downstairs bar. www.ocmevents.org. fame into the big, wide world of pop success. industrial, ebm and darkwave club night. preview Bridges’ and mixing original tunes with covers of OPEN MIC NIGHT: The Half Moon And if they don’t, well, it’ll still be a lovely OPEN MIC NIGHT: The White Rabbit DEEP COVER: The Cellar – Hip hop, reggae James Brown and Marvin Gaye. BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston trip. OPEN MIC NIGHT: James Street Tavern and r’n’b night with residents Annex, ROMO and THE CADILLAC KINGS: The Jericho Tavern – VLVT joined by the in-house hip hop and soul band Swinging Louisiana blues, boogie woogie and r’n’b th FRIDAY 7 th Reprobate. at tonight’s Famous Monday Blues. SONS OF BILL + THE DREAMING SPIRES: WEDNESDAY 12 THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Wheatsheaf – LISSIE: O2 Academy – Low-key Americana and McGOLDRICK, McCUSKER & DOYLE: The Art Bar – Country rocking from blokes whose Free unplugged gig in the downstairs bar from the folk run through with slick 70s rock and radio- Nettlebed Folk Club – Intimate show from three of dad is called Bill. True story – see main preview local blues-rock veteran. friendly pop from the Illinois singer-songwriter, back the UK’s finest folk musicians, with McGoldrick on SWITCH with JOSH BUTLER: O2 Academy – ACTION STATIONS CARNIVAL presents in Oxford for the first time since 2010 to tour her flute, whistle and uillean pipes; McCusker a star on Rising Leeds DJ Josh Butler mans the decks at the RAMPAGE SOUNDSYSTEM: The Art Bar – second album, `Back To Forever’, her passionate the fiddle and Doyle leading the line on vocals and O2’s weekly techno and house club night, bringing Reggae soundsystem. vocal style, all rust and regret, drawing comparisons guitar, the trio having worked with the likes of Mark his own bass-driven style of deep house, best heard CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community Centre with Neko Case, Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow. Knopfler, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, among others. on last year’s `Got A Feeling’ single for MTA. OPEN MIC NIGHT: The Half Moon The Cooling Pearls. MONDAY 17th TUESDAY 18th Henwood and boozy, bluesy Americana from Francis BRINSLEY KAZAK: The Art Bar – Chicago THE STRANGLERS + NINE BELOW ZERO: MAXIMO PARK + TELEMAN: O2 Academy Pugh & the Whisky Singers, there’s poetry from and Detroit house with a deeper house tip from the O2 Academy – Classic punk anthems, from `No – Ver Park tour their fifth album, `Too Much Luke Kennard and the ever-brilliant poetic skills of Louche man. More Heroes’, `Peaches’ and `Something Better Information’ – see main preview compere George Chopping. OX4 ALLSTARS + GRUDLE BAY + BEARD OF Change’, to more tender masterpieces such as GNARWOLVES + WOAHNOWS + SHEDONISM: The Cellar – Count Skylarkin’s DESTINY: Crown & Thistle, Abingdon – Osprey `Always The Sun’ and `Golden Brown’ from the HATEMAIL: The Wheatsheaf – Brighton’s spindly, Disco Shed continues its indoor activities as we await and chums head up tonight’s Skittle Alley night, enduring Men In Black, out on tour to celebrate frenetic punkers Gnarwolves make a welcome return the sunshine and festival season to kick in. Tonight DJ alongside chilled-out electro-funksters Grudle Bay their 40th anniversary. Great support from British to town, alongside Plymouth’s Big Scary Monsters- Format spins rare funk, crazy jazz, old and nu-skool and one-man blues army Beard of Destiny. r’n’b pioneers Nine Below Zero. signed angular indie punks The Woahnows. Bear Trap hip hop and more. THE MIGHTY FREDOX + MARK ATHERTON LOVEABLE ROGUES: O2 Academy – offshoot Hatemail open the show. CALLIGRAPHY: The Art Bar – House club night. & FRIENDS: The James Street Tavern Loveable Rogues, eh? They’re, like, rogues, but, JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – With The New Jazz th ZZ TOPS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute band. y’know, loveable. Cuddly even. Bunch of geezers, Collective. SATURDAY 22nd Tuesday 25th Friday 7 THE PONDEROSA + NICK HOOPER: The ennit? Britain’s Got Talent? Supporting Olly Murs? OPEN MIC NIGHT: The White Rabbit ONE GIG CLOSER WEEKENDER Pt.1: The Swan, Ascott-under-Wychwood SONS OF BILL / THE A little bit whoo, a little bit whay. Use swear words OPEN MIC NIGHT: James Street Tavern Art Bar (2pm) – Opening a full weekend of live BEEHOOVER / in their songs. Danny Dyer, isn’t it? Jumpers for music in the back room and front bar of the Art Bar, DREAMING SPIRES: SATURDAY 15th goalposts. Not as good as Rizzle Kicks. Fuck off. WEDNESDAY 19th building up to this summer’s Wittstock Festival. UNDERSMILE MARIKA HACKMAN: The Cellar – Delicate, TREVOR MOSS & HANNAH LOU + STORY BOOKS: The Art Bar – Rousing indie Today’s action features a quality line-up of local acts, spectral acoustic pop from Brighton singer- The Art Bar BEJNAMIN FOLKE-THOMAS: Truck Store – balladry and melancholic intensity in the vein of including Francophile café-pop crew Les Clochards; / CARAVAN OF Why are Sons of Bill called Sons Of Bill? songwriter and former Burberry model Marika, Instore show from the lovey-dovey indie-folk duo. Coldplay and Keane from Kent’s Mumford-signed theatrical thrash merchants Agness Pike; synth-pop Given the Virginian quintet’s propensity for out on tour to promote new mini-album `That Iron WHORES: JOHN BRAMWELL: The Art Bar – Morning- Story Books, who supported The Rolling Stones in and acid house duo Space Heroes of the People; Taste’ after supporting Ethan Johns, Johnny Flynn warmly romantic country-folk and Americana after regret and gallows humour abound Hyde Park last summer and last seen round these tweedy psychedelia stalwarts The Relationships, and we hoped it had some secret meaning. Turns in John Bramwell’s songs, the I Am Kloot having recommended her to Trangressive. rising young indie crew Balloon Ascents, as well as The Wheatsheaf parts opening for Fossil Collective. You want sludge? We got sludge! Buckets of out the three founding members of the band, frontman revelling poetically in life’s continual RUF RECORDS BLUES CARAVAN TOUR: Beard of Destiny; Trev Williams; Mark Allen Barnes; ELEMENTS: The Cellar – House, garage and the stuff. Another quality booking from Buried Sam, Abe and James Wilson, are all the sons disappointments, Mercury nominations aside. Solo The Jericho Tavern – The Famous Monday Blues Sinking Witches, Superloose and Von Braun. UK hip hop night, aiming to showcase new local In Smoke brings German duo Beehoover of a bloke called Bill. Thankfully their music his blend of blues, soul and folk-rock continues to hosts the Ruf Records tour, featuring sets from PEERLESS PIRATES + HEADCOUNT + and national talent, with live sets from The Reejai to town as they tour their `Satan & His isn’t so prosaic. Tonight being yet another reflect the slate-grey melancholia of his Manchester Albert Castiglia, Christina Skjolberg and Laurence GEMMA MOSS: The Wheatsheaf – Dancing Collective and Ill Informed, plus tunes from Effi and Footsoldiers’ release. Having decided they quality show from Empty Room Promotions, home – “songs about drink and disaster,” as he Jones. Man’s birthday party, the ubiquitous Leon Stiles Simply Bob among the DJs. didn’t like any of the guitarists they auditioned, who specialise in bringing the best cult describes them. Fans can take the chance to buy his CRAOBH RUA: Nettlebed Folk Club – inviting swashbuckling indie rockers Peerless Pirates, NOE & THE PASTEL FRONTIER: The bassist/singer Ingmar Peterson and drummer/ American roots acts to town, Sons of Bill’s new `Live At the Trades’ album, available only at Nettlebed’s long-running folk club celebrates St super-heavyweight post-punkers Headcount and Wheatsheaf – Grunge and rock from Noe & the singer Claus-Peter Hamisch did what a fair few sound is a heroically dusty form of country- gigs on this current tour. Patrick’s Night with some traditional Irish music. artful electro songstress Gemma Moss along for the Pastel Frontier at tonight’s Moshka club night. acts have done and stuck with four strings and rock and rustic barroom folk-blues. Pitched THE DUALERS: O2 Academy – Ska and celebrations. Come, join him on the dancefloor. SPARKY’S SPOTLIGHT JAM: James Street plenty of effects pedals. The result is a form somewhere between the classic American reggae from Croydon’s enduring outfit, formed DAMN VANDALS + THE OTHER DRAMAS + Tavern – Open jam session. of sludgy groove-rock that’s as multi-layered rock of Tom Petty, the 80s alternative rock back in 1999 by brothers Tyber and Si Cranstoun, th LAST RITES + MEGAN JOSEPHY: The Cellar and highly textured as any four-piece out of REM, Meat Puppets et al, and the more themselves sons of renowned 60s ska DJ Bill Tuesday 18 – Dourly angry dark-hewn alt.rocking from Damn th there, super-fuzzed stoner riffs and anthemic, down-home sounds of Ryan Adams and Steve Cranstoun. After Top 40 hits in 2004 with `Truly THURSDAY 20 Vandals, channelling the likes of Blue Aeroplanes and Earle, they’re almost purpose-made to get bars Madly Deeply and `Kiss On the Lips’, they continue MAXIMO PARK / CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community Centre The Godfathers as they turn their ire into a squalling almost stentorian vocals making it all sound rocking and grown men weeping into their beer to tour, despite the departure of Si back in 2010. TELEMAN: OPEN MIC NIGHT: The Half Moon rock storm. twice, thrice, its size. Big enough not to mess glasses. Something they’ll be doing tonight as K-LACURA + GODSPEED + SALVAGE + BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston BRIGHT WORKS + JAZZ HANDS + with. Avoiding too many of the clichés of the they visit the UK to tour new album `Sirens’. FLEISCH: The Wheatsheaf – Single launch for DUCHESS: The Jericho Tavern – Afro-pop- genre, there’s even an element of punk in some O2 Academy st of the band’s sound and there’s no arguing Local alt.country godfather The Dreaming local thrash-core crew K-Lacura and a supporting Bloody heck, Maximo Park are on their fifth FRIDAY 21 favoured indie rocking from Brightworks, alongside with their directness of purpose. Superb local Spires open the show, the brothers Bennett’s cast of local heavyweights. album already? Seems so, with the release JOHN COFFEY + BLASTED + HATEMAIL: township jive, Calypso and pop fun from Duchess. support tonight comes from the witch queens wistful, romantic update of The Band’s classic JEROME NOETINGER & LIONEL of `Too Much Information’ this month the The Wheatsheaf – Punk and post-hardcore noise PROPAGANDA / TRASHY: O2 Academy of tectonic doom-drone, Undersmile, taking the sound still as true as it was when they formed MACHETTI + GUY SHERWIN & LYNN LOO Newcastle quintet are now officially rock from Utrecht’s John Coffey, inspired by Refused and EXTRA-CURRICULAR: The Cellar likes of Earth, Melvins and Swans into darker, Goldrush. + RIE NAKAJIMA + DAWN SCARFE: The survivors. Although `survivors’ doesn’t really Every Time I Die and over in the UK to promote JAMES HOLLINGSWORTH: The Rose & more disturbing territories, and monstrous Old Fire Station – Improvised music from musical do justice to the band whose fervent cult their `Bright Companions’ album. Great support at Crown, Charlbury – Acoustic guitar inspired by BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston psychedelic riff merchants Caravan of Whores. objects at Audiograft – see main preview following is well earned. And it’s not exactly tonight’s Buried In Smoke show from Blasted, the Andalusian folk music, blues, trance and psychedelia. It will be loud, it will be heavy, and you will THE KITES + FRACTURE + LIES OF a small cult neither, the band having enjoyed frenetic hardcore punk side project of Winnebago PETE KNIGHT’S GIGSPANNER: Tiddy Hall, th love it. FRIDAY 14 ELIZABETH + ADAM PETER McMILLAN Gold status for their first two albums, 2005’s Deal’s Ben Perrier. Ascott-under-Wychwood BETA BLOCKER & THE BODY CLOCK + + SEVEN O’CLOCK JUNKIES: The Cellar – SLAM CARTEL + BUFFALO SUMMER + STEAMROLLER: The Shepherd’s Hut, Ewelme Mercury-nominated debut `A Certain Trigger’ Shouting. Go! – see main preview BLACK CASINO & THE GHOST + POLEDO: Electro-tinged indie-folk from The Kites, rocking AARON KEYLOCK: O2 Academy – Growly, and 2007’s `Our Earthly Pleasures’, which sold JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Free live jazz with The Jericho Tavern – Daisy Rodgers Music night blues from Fracture and soulful pop from Lies of two million copies worldwide. It’s live though blues-tinged hard rocking from London’s Slam Cartel, SUNDAY 23rd Elizabeth among the acts playing tonight’s It’s All Alvin Roy & Reeds Unlimited. with noise-pop heaven from both Beta Blocker (see where they work best, frontman Paul Smith in drawing a line between Guns’n’Roses, Nirvana and ONE GIG CLOSER WEEKENDER Pt.2: The Art About the Music show. OPEN MIC NIGHT: The White Rabbit this month’s Introducing feature) and Poledo, each particular possessed of quirky rock star quality, Soundgarden on their album `Handful of Dreams’. Bar (2pm) – Second full day of live music building XAIA + THE DUBLINGS: The Jericho Tavern OPEN MIC NIGHT: James Street Tavern unearthing rare melodic gems from beneath a rich an action-packed, literate anti-hero in the vein Support comes from Swansea’s Buffalo Summer, up to Wittstock Festival in July. One Wing Left; – Live reggae with former-Raggasaurus types Zaia, blanket of lo-fi guitar mangling. In between are of Morrissey or Jarvis Cocker whose onstage playing southern-fried blues-rock somewhere Mary’s Garden; Don’t Go Plastic; Lost Dogs; STEM; and pop-friendly dubsters The Dublings. th Candy Says singer/keyboard player Elisa Zoot’s other mania perfectly reflects the bug-eyed spikiness between Led Zep and Lynyrd Skynyrd, having Man Make Fire; Charms Against the Evil Eye and WEDNESDAY 26 PROPAGANDA / TRASHY: O2 Academy band Black Casino and the Ghost. A triple measure of of the band’s best songs, songs like long-time previously supported Ugly Kid Joe and Skid Row. After the Thought are in the back room, while True BLACK FEATHERS + MATTHEW CARTER + FRESH OUT THE BOX: The Cellar – Disco, your finest musical talents please, landlord. favourite `Apply Some Pressure’, a bona fide Rising local bluesman Aaron Keylock opens. Rumour; Fire Gazers and Purple May are among the JOHNNY PUGH: The Wheatsheaf breaks, beats and house club night. CATEGORY: OTHER: The Port Mahon – Guitar MEGAN HENWOOD + BALLOON ASCENTS indie disco anthem, all post-punk angles and SWITCH with MAK & PASTEMAN: O2 acoustic acts in the front bar. AFRO-CARIBBEAN NIGHT: The Art Bar and bass drones and ambient laptop electronica + RUSHIL + ROB LANYON: The Wheatsheaf – restless pop energy. Early streams of the new Academy – The Academy’s weekly electronic dance Folk-pop from Megan Henwood at tonight’s It’s All DIRTY EARTH BAND: Fat Lil’s, Witney night hosts Leeds’ hottest duo, conjuring a dark but from Lee Riley, Samuel Roberts and Mr Glick, album suggest they’re not just surviving, th RECKLESS SLEEPERS: The Cherry Tree, MONDAY 24 each playing a solo set before coming together for a About the Music, alongside rising local indie-folksters they’re thriving. Great support tonight from danceable fusion of jungle, house and techno. Steventon – Folksy 60s psychedelic pop. SAINT RAYMOND: O2 Academy – Airy, collaborative set. Balloon Ascents and earnest rocker Rushil. Teleman, formed from the ashes of Pete & The THE LONG INSIDERS + THE SHAPES + JOS ZWAANENBURG & JOHN GRIEVE: LUCKY CLUB: The Art Bar – Classic rockabilly trebly indie pop in the vein of Friendly Fires from FREERANGE: The Cellar Pirates and now headed into more electro-pop The Old Fire Station – Flute and electronics from th and rock’n’roll from The Long Insiders, looking to Nottingham’s Callum Brown, touring his new single, SUNDAY 16 territory, something we shall always applaud `Young Blood’. Zwaanenburg and band as part of Audiograft – see THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD: The New The Cramps and Suicide as much as early Elvis and th heartily. BELLA HARDY, LUCY WARD, JAMES THURSDAY 27 main preview Theatre – Spectacular Floyd tribute. Johnny Cash for their sound. 60s rock and soul in the FINDLAY & BRIAN PETERS: Nettlebed Folk KATY B: O2 Academy – Already sold out show BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Dancefloor Latin, LES CLOCHARDS + RICH STICKS + vein of Van Morrison from The Shapes in support. Club – Mixture of vocal harmonies, solo and band from the Peckham songstress, the voice of a thousand Afrobeat, Balkan beats, global grooves and nu-jazz PETE MOORE + THE BEDLAM STARES + PAT THOMAS & KÉSIA DÉCOTE: St Michael performance from assorted folk luminaries of songs dubstep, funky and r’n’b hits a few years back, club night with live bands and residents. MOON LEOPARD + BEARD OF DESTINY: @ the Northgate – Oxford Improvisers host an from the New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. working with Magnetic Man, Wiley, Jessie Ware OLD COLOURS + LITTLE ARROWS + THE The Wheatsheaf (2.30pm) – Free afternoon of evening with local keyboard maestro Pat Thomas and and Diplo, before going on to achieve Top 5 success COOLING PEARLS: The Port Mahon – A night live music in the downstairs bar hosted by Klub Brazilian pianist Késia Décote with her debut album, `On A Mission’ and the single th of uneasy folk sounds at the Port, with Old Colours Kakofanney. ALL TAMARA’S PARTIES: The Old Fire Station TUESDAY 25 `Lights Out’ with Ms Dynamite. This month she playing their penultimate gig, mixing the airy folk- AMBER RUN: The Cellar – Simpering emotive – Tamara Parsons-Baker hosts another intimate METRONOMY: O2 Academy – Synth-pop ina releases its follow-up, `Little Red’. pop of Laura Marling and The Sundays through a epic soft rock of the sort that makes Mumford and night of music and poetry, tonight in the Old Fire Devon stylee – see main preview TRAPS + INVISIBLE VEGAS + WEBS & shoegaze mangle. They’re joined by ghostly alt. Sons sound like Behemoth from Nottingham’s Station’s tiny loft venue. As well as wayward folk BEEHOOVER + UNDERSMILE + CARAVAN MARIONETTES + THE DEPUTEES: The folkies Little Arrows, and Orcadian-flavoured locals musical pantywaists. from Dutch band Galleons, acoustic folk from Megan OF WHORES: The Wheatsheaf – Bass. Drums. Art Bar – Ballsy blues-tinged rocking from Traps, alongside roadhouse-style rockers Invisible Vegas at investing in. Did you see what we did there? Did you? tonight’s It’s All About the Music show. Did you see? – see main preview CHURCH OF THE HEAVY: The Cellar – Metal, THE WEBB SISTERS + SAM SEMPLE: St punk and hard rock night with tech-core monsters John the Evangelist – Another gem of a gig from Komrad, plus 13 Burning, Feral Sun, Man Make Fire Empty Room Promotions, this time enticing Kent’s and Black Tish II. divine Webb Sisters (Charley and Hattie) to the CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community Centre suitably ornate environs of St John the Evangelist, the pair’s close harmonies, augmented by harp, piano FRIDAY 28th and mandolin conjuring an alternately earthy and rarefied blend of traditional British and American folk SUEDE: O2 Academy – A gig that crept into the music. They’ve headed out under the own steam after gig guide just as Nightshift was going to press, playing as part of Leonard Cohen’s backing band, and a pretty damn special one at that, the reformed recording with Sting as well as Dixie Chicks’ Natalie 90s indie champs no doubt set to cram the O2 to Maines, and supporting Richard Thompson and Rufus its rafters, having returned to action in 2010, after Wainwright. quitting in 2003. An initial one-off show at the Royal SWITCH featuring FRICTION & Albert hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust become LINGUISTICS: O2 Academy – Big-name an ongoing world tour and last year’s `Bloodsports’ drum&bass action at tonight’s Switch as Brighton’s album found the band returning to the early form of revered DJ/producer Friction mans the decks. their first two albums, with their trademark mixture th Having worked with Hospital and Metalheadz before Friday 28 of bravura outsider anthems and tainted-love balladry, founding his own Shogun Audio, he’s left a stream of a cleaned-up Brett Anderson still one of the 90s most bass club hits in his wake, the latest of which, `Led iconic frontmen. There’s a new album in the pipeline BANKS: O2 Academy Astray’, follows remixes for Wretch 32, Maverick It’s admirable if possibly foolish behaviour in apparently but for now expect a good mix of new Sabre and Example. this day and age to give your phone number out stuff and classic hits like `The Drowners’, `Trash’, MACKA B & THE ROOTS RAGGA BAND: on the internet, but that’s what LA singer Jillian `The Beautiful Ones’ and `Animal Nitrate’, plus a The Cellar – Rasta consciousness from lyrical chief Banks did, claiming she wasn’t interested in whole sweaty heap of fanaticism. Macka B, making, we think, his Oxford debut after making contact with fans via the usual Twitter BANKS: O2 Academy – Here’s one bank worth some 30 years making his reputation as one of the channel. We don’t know how many people th UK’s finest ever dancehall toasters. Inspired by bothered to give her a call, but hopefully the Tuesday 25 U-Roy, I-Roy and Prince Far I, he’s toured the world nutters stayed their dialling fingers. Not that with The Wailers, Burning Spear and Lee Perry anyone could really dislike Banks. Her sultry METRONOMY: among others and tonight graces the intimate confines electro-soul is quite lovely, managing to steer of the Cellar backed by the Roots Ragga Band. On just the right side of line marked “smooth”, O2 Academy with a rich, husky voice that more than holds Nightshift likes synth-pop. A lot. Metronomy the decks Garvin Dan, Nico D and Hugo Makepeace play party-friendly reggae tunes. its own against the atmospheric wows and play synth-pop of a kind. QED Nightshift likes PHYAL + NOE & THE PASTEL FRONTIER: flutters of electronics and chatter of electronic Metronomy. A lot. Of course Jospeh Mount’s The Wheatsheaf – Punk-metal from Phyal, alongside beats. So far she’s worked with producer Devon pop devils have moved on some since grungy local newcomers Noe & the Pastel Frontier. Jessy Lanza and collaborated with Lil Silva we first encountered them, opening for Foals at DROPOUT + PERFECT LIFE + IONEYE + and Oxford’s own Totally Enormous Extinct this same venue back in 2007. Back then they JAKABO + BABYMOMMA: The Jericho Tavern Dinosaurs, who produced her `Warm Water’ were all jerky post-punk synthabilly craziness – Industrial gothic doominess from Dropout. single and described it as “baby-making with glowing t-shirts and a penchant for Devo music,” while she supported The Weeknd on and Hot Chip. Three albums on, including Top tour in the States last year. Vocally she credits 30, Mercury-nominated outing `The English th Fiona Apple and Ellie Goulding as influences, Riviera’, their sound has continued to find its SATURDAY 29 while sounding closer to the likes of Jessie own identity, with new single `I’m Aquarius’ DESERT STORM + PROSPERINO + EVAVOID Ware and Erykah Badu, and with the weight of bubbling with 70s vibes and sweet cocktail pop + OVERLORD + MASIRO: O2 Academy – the blogosphere’s hype machine already behind backing vocals. Elsewhere there’s a restrained, Effortlessly brutal blues-metal and stoner rocking her, it looks increasingly likely she’ll be up very English form of funk, old skool rave, from this month’s Nightshift cover stars at Skeletor’s among that company soon enough. dreampop and the odd ballad to prove they have monthly metal extravaganza. They’re joined by plenty of strings to their bow Not that anyone Swansea’s stoner crew Prosperino, metal/hard rockers would doubt that given Mount’s pedigree as a Overlord and mathcore monsters Masiro – see main Damon Albarn and Bill Withers, having supported producer and remixer of everyone from Gorillaz interview feature Phoenix, Bastille and Haim on tour. and Goldfrapp to Lady Gaga and Ladytron. ROUGH MUSIC with NATHANIEL MANN: PROPAGANDA / TRASHY: O2 Academy Quite simply they’re one of the best pop bands OVADA, Osney – Closing concert of the Audiograft EXTRA-CURRICULAR: The Cellar we’ve got and if tonight’s show isn’t a packed, season – see main preview HOUSE FOUNDATIONS: The Art Bar sweaty barrel of synth-fuelled barrel of fun, GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with DEMASK we’ll take a long walk off the end of Painton THEYSELF + SEBASTIAN MELMOTH th + HALBE MENSCH: The Wheatsheaf – A SUNDAY 30 pier. GLENDA HUISH + PURPLE MAY + TWIZZ characteristically eclectic and inventive mix of music TWANGLE + PUPPET MECHANIC + MARK at this month’s GTI, with vicious death-core from De- ATHERTON: The Wheatsheaf (2.30pm) – Klub Mask Thyself, fast becoming one of the best extreme Kakofanney host an afternoon of free live music. metal acts in town. They’re joined by the difficult- to-describe Sebastian Melmoth, with a mix of post- st rock, psychedelia, dirge-rock and acoustic folk-pop. MONDAY 31 Sometimes in the same song. This month’s Nightshift DARLIA: The Cellar – The early-90s alt.rock Demo of the Monther Halbe Mensch brings his loop revival starts here with Blackpool’s anthemic Darlia, pedal and violin-based gothic art-nastiness along for somehow drawing a line between Nirvana and the ride. You should hop on, or is the risk of hearing Sterophonics with their grunge-meets-Britrock sound. something new and unusual just too bloody scary? BEN POOLE: The Art Bar – The Haven Club BIPOLAR SUNSHINE: The Art Bar – Sweetly hosts the rising UK blues-rock guitarist, drawing woozy but cynical soul, pop and hip hop fusion from comparisons to Joe Satriani and Joe Bonamassa, former Kid British frontman Adis Marchant, back winning fans in Bernie Torme and the late Gary with his solo project, coming in somewhere between Moore along the way.

Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is 6pm on the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm), or email listings to [email protected]. Gig list- ings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission. BARNEY MORSE BROWN / OVERLORD / XII BOAR / LIVE ALICE REAM 13 BURNING The Port Mahon The Port Mahon When the majority of the audience miserable approach. In reality, Metal is a music of extremes. Nearly that only great heavy rock bands can is sat on the floor (with their legs he’s a very funny storyteller and all the best bands are too fast, or too pull off. The guitarist also has an photo:Giulia Biasibetti crossed and hands in their laps) it’s more importantly, a phenomenal slow, or too loud, or too Nordic, or LED knuckleduster and the ability to fairly clear what kind of gig you’re folk songwriter. Most of his songs too dressed as decomposing priests, shout “fuck yeah!” with the theatrical in for. It all makes for a nice relaxed are built from live-looping guitar, whereas 13 Burning are just too timing of a master comedian. This atmosphere, but severe buttock cello and voice to build dense but pallidly anonymous to make much shit is much harder than it looks. deadening is a distinct risk. beautiful structures. This approach impression. There are definitely Overlord are a young band – we’re To say that Alice Ream is a does mean that his songs take a little positives to note, especially the informed that their guitarist and dainty and eccentric proposition is while to fully evolve, but there’s vocalist who has a powerful keening vocalist, Nightshift writer Tal something of an understatement. no denying that seeing and hearing high tenor, like a crooner version of Fineman, was legally allowed in Onstage she has an awkward and a song being built layer by layer is Bruce Dickinson, but then again he the venue scant days ago – and nervous presence, and her lurching fascinating. also mimes along to the plodding they have an awful lot of talent to parlour songs, by way of jazz, only Then there’s his voice, which guitar solos whilst looking like admire. As yet the overall effect amplify that impression. Lyrically when fully layered is exquisite and George Michael circa 1988, which is a little muddled. Entertaining she’s sometimes a little odd too, bordering on the finesse of The Beach reduces our good will noticeably. chugs suddenly turn awkwardly `We’, for example, clumsily Boys in their prime (this is clear on As this is their second gig, we’ll introspective, and infectious party- questions life across social strata – new song `Little White Caravan’). not write them off, but they need on cowbell parts are abandoned at from the person with the pen to those There’s a lot of emotion in these to become more...something. More frustratingly odd junctures. The set that labour with scythes (the grim songs, and it’s most evident when anything. More metal. is like a Rubik’s cube that might reaper is possibly the only entity he’s not tap dancing around his loops Now, Aldershot’s XII Boar are not be rearranged into a number of using such tools). That said, she’s and allowing himself time to get lost sonically extreme, playing a whisky- quality tracks, but at the moment is in possession of a fine vocal talent in the song rather than concentrating marinated mixture of Sabbath riffs a tantalising jumble, not quite Zep- that at times sounds like a slightly on the construction phase. In fact, and Motorhead growls set against the rock, not quite classic metal, and with clipped Kate Bush and at others not the straightforward no-loop, anti- slack depths of early Mudhoney, but uncertain nods towards prog. Their entirely dissimilar to Victoria Wood. supermarket `Our Town’ is the most they are extreme in their dedication cover of Sabbath’s `Electric Funeral’ A little more confidence might lose a effective song in the set tonight, to head-kicking numbnuts rocking. shows how good they can be when little of her whimsical charm, but it and results in a warming outbreak Which makes them fantastic, they stick to one track. It’s okay for a would serve her well. of crowd participation. It’s either obviously. Whether they’re playing song to do one thing well, but lots of Barney Morse Brown appears the way it’s played, or everybody in stoner thumps, Southern boogie or Overlord’s song try to do 12 things, to suffer from the same nervous this room hates supermarkets. It’s sloppy half-inched solos, they do it and wind up unsure what they want approach and actually apologises probably both. with that winning mixture of total to be. for his lack of banter and general Sam Shepherd sincerity and cheek-tonguing cabaret David Murphy

FOALS kind of song that feels like it’s been part of your life for years the second O2 Academy you hear it. From swirling Moog It feels like a very long time ago to festival headliner, but such is ease with which they command the backdrops and crystalline guitars to that I promoted a Foals show at the the size of the Foals machine now room is remarkable, with almost the the marked improvements in Yannis’ Wheatsheaf, and even longer since I that a 24-hours’-notice warm-up entire audience sitting on the floor vocals, the Foals sound is one that first saw Yannis and Jack’s first band show in a 400-capacity venue is practically unbidden during ‘Spanish doesn’t get the chance to completely Elizabeth perform at The Cellar, one of the hottest Oxford tickets Sahara’, and happily crowdsurfing envelop small venues like this barely eighteen years old (them, since Radiohead in South Park. The Yannis from the back of the room to anymore. not me). It was impossible not to be queues apparently started forming at the front. The only crack that shows in the struck, not so much by their power 6.30am for tickets: make no mistake, From their early days as the Battles- super-slick, outstanding Foals live and technical accomplishment as by this feels like an occasion. aping pop face of Steve Reich performance is an emotional one. an aura of determination and success A lot to live up to in front of an rhythms, Foals have expanded their When Yannis, visibly affected by the carried from that band through the expectant home crowd? Hardly. palette to an almost improbable experience of playing a hometown bewildering complexity of The Foals take shows like this in extent. ‘Inhaler’ carries a huge, show, reminds us that “every one Edmund Fitzgerald into today’s pop their stride, and they’re seriously Mastodon-style riff along with it, of these songs... we wrote them in behemoth. impressive, especially if your bringing much-needed darkness and Oxford”, the affection is flowing If it feels like a very long time recent experience of their live show intensity, while ‘Providence’ has the both ways. Foals left Oxford a for me, it must feel like a lifetime has been limited to TV festival insistent, panicky urgency of Thee fantastic band, but they have come ago for them. You don’t need me highlights. More used to having Oh Sees. And on ‘Holy Fire’ these back as one of the greatest in the to give you a potted history of crowds a hundred times bigger than moments sit alongside the post-punk country. Foals’ trajectory from local band this one eating out of their hands, the pop perfection of ‘My Number’, the Stuart Fowkes GEORGE EZRA photo: Marc West The Art Bar LIVE George Ezra was voted Number 5 years that gives him an authentic folk- in the BBC Sound Sound of 2014 blues feel and allows him to play the poll, which doubtless explains entire set without backing band, just photo: Johnny Moto tonight’s sold-out crowd, but don’t his voice and his guitar. His best song hold that against him. For starters, is `Cassy O’, a jolly rockabilly romp being Number 5 means he isn’t Sam that’s probably the origin of those Smith, who nabbed top spot, and Bugg comparisons but carries plenty thus tonight’s gig isn’t an hour of of life of its own, while recent single unrestrained musical torpor from `Budapest’ is husky and soulful in a the Grand High Chief of Blandismo. rootsy fashion, and `Did You Hear Secondly, it’s hardly his fault that the Rain?’, if lyrically self-absorbed, some major record label vulture mines an even deeper blues to the rest decided he might be The New Jake of the set. But while each of those Bugg; instead it’s a sign that pop songs reveals a vocal and songwriting hasn’t so much eaten itself but started talent perfect for mid-afternoon radio to chow down on the ever-increasing play, stripped bare in a live setting heap of dung it leaves in its wake, Ezra struggles to fully engage the like a musical version of The Human room, his between-song patter too Centipede. falling short of engaging. No, tonight isn’t an hour of polished, Thrust too soon into the public buffed and finely sanded mediocrity. arena, with the weight of that Sound It’s thirty two minutes of not-bad, half of 2014 hype hung around him like decent, nothing special. Not even an an albatross, George Ezra can, for encore for the fervent throng down now, make the teenage girls down the front. And George isn’t The New the front sing along and squeal with Jake Bugg. He’s just another to add excitement, and no bugger ever lost to the list of singers-who-sound-like- money being able to do that, but the they’ve-listened-to-a-lot-of-Elliott- truth is, you could hear as good, if Smith-and-Ben-Howard-albums. not better, down the Catweazle Club The lad, only 20 years old, from any Thursday and such a short set FAT WHITE FAMILY / PHOBOPHOBES anthemic by Theatre of Hate. Before Bristol and signed to Sony without suggests he’s far from the finished you’ve a chance to catch your once stepping inside the bloody BRIT article yet. We wish him luck. He’s The Art Bar breath you’re nightclubbing with School, certainly has a set of pipes going to need it. Iggy or heading somewhere filthy on him, a fulsome holler beyond his Dale Kattack Unpredictability is a rare and funk undercurrent and a deceptive in the room in a mixture of oil, flour and subterranean with Sex Gang precious thing in rock music these intensity, all fronted by a stentorian and water. It’s decidedly unsexual Children. days, which might explain the crooner who fancies himself as a and non-threatening, yet no-one Fat White Family’s debt to The Fall excitement around Fat White Family. young Jim Morrison. They sound like dares make eye contact. The man is freely admitted with the sleazy POLICE DOG HOGAN / DREW THE GRACEFUL SLICKS / The Brixton six-piece have struck a a cross between Wooden Shjips and is a shameless exhibitionist and a sprawl of set highlight `Cream of rich seam of the stuff and are mining lost 80s rockers Wall of Voodoo and complete fruitcake for sure, but none the Young’ brazenly burgled from HOLCOMB MOIETY it with almost obscene zeal. When on any other occasion they would be of that would matter if the band’s `Winter’, coming to a close ten tonight’s gig is over the only thing the highlight of the night. music wasn’t so bloody fantastic. It’s minutes too soon. `Hot Wet Beef’ The Art Bar The Wheatsheaf tempering our unfettered glee is Fat White Family are even more not original as such, but their mutant burns with hypnotic malevolence and The Art Bar is heaving tonight, with from his Guardian photo, Dowling Moiety’s music is so captivating his life depends on it. He switches knowing that some poor sod is going of a mismatched mess, and their mix of sinewy rockabilly, hysterical everything seems undercut with a a crowd boasting an average age displays the most rock‘n’roll that hardly anyone has time to instruments like hot potatoes, at to have to clear this mess up in the guitarist looks like Frank Spencer gothic pop, atonal post-punk, stoned bilious sense of disgust at the world. well north of fifty, so at least the moves of the bunch, and the notice their bassist’s socks-and- one point trying furiously to get a morning. impersonating Che Guevara. All country and something nasty from They bring chaos and leave a sticky bouncers are happy. Whether they’re sharpest clothes to boot. Singer sandals combination. Moiety are stylophone to work before eventually Openers Phobophobes are a right eyes, though, are on singer Lias underneath Brixton’s fetid streets mess in their wake, but a reminder just here to catch a glimpse of and Rhys Ifans lookalike James all experienced musicians in their losing hope, throwing it to the motley crew, two of whom look Saudi, topless and oiled up before the makes for fantastic pop theatre. Their too that in some darkened, dingy Guardian columnist Time Dowling Studholme has an uncommonly own right, with personal histories back of the stage and picking up like they fell out of the back of The band have even struck the first chord, opening number is like Patti Smith’s netherworld, rock music still has the on his banjo is debatable, as the deep voice which seems a little going back almost to the dawn of whatever’s nearest to him to play Magic Band’s tourbus back in 1974. butt-naked by the time the second `Ghostdance’ re-imagined by a gang power to shock and surprise. Love London band have steadily built up high in the mix, but this is matched Oxford’s music scene and their instead. His technically unnecessary Theirs is an understatedly hypnotic number has kicked in, cavorting of sewer rats. The next, a lurching, this family, just don’t invite them a following in their five years on on new album ‘From The Land confidence reflects this. The set’s yet captivating energy explains mess of psychedelia, drone, gothic around the nervous front row, seedy bray-along, could be PiL’s into your home. the road. Of Miracles’. On it producer Eliot momentum does falter occasionally the blood spattered on his guitar’s garage rock and surf, with a hazy dousing himself and everything else `Albatross’ rendered darkly Dale Kattack In contrast to the opening turn, James (Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs) with between-songs weather banter fretboard, matching that on his Drew Holcomb, a real Nashville does a fine job of bringing out the or anecdotes from the guitarist’s plectrum-less right hand. country singer, who, despite his subtlety that can get lost with a teaching days, but overall their The Graceful Slicks share lead EXIST IMMORTAL / A TRUST UNCLEAN / continues to develop their distinctively hard, strong voice and air of professional large band in a small environment. enthusiasm rubs off on the audience, vocals democratically, a style vicious, sound. song-crafting, carries a downbeat air The catchy ‘World Enough’ and `Fractions’ – essentially a jam to that keeps things interesting and EMPIRE DIVIDED All that makes for a tough act to follow, and we’re about his songs that puts something has potential for a single, with the tune of Dean Martin’s popularly showcases their melting pot of about ready to call it a night when Exist Immortal of a damper on proceedings, Police guitarist Pete Robinson’s lead reappropriated mambo song `Sway’ psychedelic, indie and surf influences The Wheatsheaf takes to the stage. However, they manage to hold Dog Hogan radiate a relaxed, vocal providing a welcome break – takes advantage of everyone being (their eclectic image is starting to We arrive at the Wheatsheaf with tonight’s openers posturing from the stage. However, there are a few our attention with their energetic, djenty technical feelgood vibe, mixing bluegrass, from Studholme’s low tones, while on their feet. make sense). Obvious highlights Ignite the Sky already in full flow, but their brief moments when the set feels a little unrefined, metal, provoking some rare movement in the country, folk and a decidedly ‘Shitty White Wine’ shows off their On first impressions only one are driving force `Bulbul Tarang’ performance seems to lack the tightness that might especially when they resort to more complicated crowd. After a night of bands using exclusively metropolitan pop sensibility. The playful side; “A kangaroo on the member of The Graceful Slicks got and the slow-building and powerful lend their brand of deathcore the impact of a band lead guitar parts. harsh vocals, its great to see vocalist Meyrick de la seven members blend together bottle is never a good sign’. the “psychedelic band” memo and `Rattlesnake’, both showing off the like Empire Divided, whose imposing vocalist Having said this, most bands would seem Fuente bringing some superb cleans into the mix, perfectly, with the four-part Fun though all this is, they’re no dutifully grew his hair until it was band’s vocal and guitar harmonies. Josh Day hits the stage with the kind of energy positively sloppy playing alongside the unrelenting making for a welcome change. Exist Immortal take harmonies a particular treat, no-one Pogues, a band who successfully sufficiently poodle-like. Meanwhile On the other side of the spectrum that most would normally reserve for larger shows. groove machine that is A Trust Unclean. The from the best parts of the divisive ‘djent’ scene making any attempt to grab the twisted their influences into natural frontman Alex Abbott looks is cheeky French number `Lucky The band’s newer material seems to showcase band’s technical, precise machine-gun riffing whilst avoiding many of its major pitfalls, with limelight. Songwriting is handled by something absolutely fresh and as indie as anything and the other Pierre’, a heart-warming tale of a more diverse range of influences, mixing the makes for thirty minutes of furious headbanging, an interesting, original and progressive sound that various combinations of members, recognisable. Police Dog Hogan three look like they’ve been plucked youthful, misguided love, I think. straight-up brutal deathcore breakdowns of their hitting the crowd like a train and decimating the celebrates technicality without ever becoming too with some clever wordplay in seem to take a more pick and mix from the bar downstairs to play at The less bilingual among us have no earlier stuff with some tasteful nods to other scions Sheaf. With a new line-up that’s been imported clinical. The result is undoubtedly heavy, but also evidence, such as “I spent the night approach, but the happy faces the last minute, casual in tees and a idea what’s being sung, but everyone of the extreme metal world, most notably black from local death-metal favourites Zaos, the band very melodic and (despite negative connotations in with a girl from Trebarwith”. tonight seem to set their seal of plaid shirts. Abbott is the heart and is enjoying the groove, which metal, which they highlight with fast, tremolo are sounding better than ever on both familiar old the extreme metal world) accessible. In a contrast to the hangdog approval. soul of the band; as the set begins thankfully can’t be lost in translation. picked riffery and some aggressive Scandinavian material and some exciting new stuff that Tal Fineman expression staring sullenly out Art Lagun he is playing a tambourine as if Celina Macdonald GLASS ANIMALS / WE Glass Animals photo:Paul Carrera KAIROS 4TET AERONAUTS / SALVATION BILL / The North Wall Oxford saxophonist and composer Adam emphasis on melody and his expressive CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM Waldmann’s brilliantly named band, Kairos sax playing, Waldmann has moved into (it means opportune or supreme moment songwriting using often enigmatic lyrics The Jericho Tavern according to Nightshift’s ancient Greek from his friend, the actor Rupert Friend, Tonight’s gig is part of the inaugural out to be about his neighbour’s noisy dictionary) have, over their three-album and several numbers feature Swedish singer Independent Venue Week, and mutt, a sentiment we can heartily career built a reputation for rhythmically Emilia Martensson. Her cool, low-key curated by Colin Greenwood and empathise with, but anyone who complex but melodically accessible jazz, but intimate style sits easily with the band BBC Oxford Introducing, but any ends their set in a wolf mask playing which has them earned followers outside even when Waldman’s tunes dip into other of the sold-out crowd expecting a an alto sax is a keeper. the jazz world. genres, as on the folksy ‘Song for the Open hand-stamp from the Radiohead After all the verve and leftfield This is their first gig together since October Road’ and ‘Ell’s Bells’, a lullaby-cum- bassist, or catch to a glimpse of the vibrancy We Aeronauts feel a tad but there’s no noticeable ring rust. Their ballad which just stays the right side of Greater Bearded Gilyeat, are to sleepy, not helped by the absence trademark style is very much in evidence sentimentality. be disappointed. Still, the acts they’ve of sparky singer Anna Wheatley. with much of the responsibility for the The big instrumental feature is all four collectively chosen are inspired. Drily witty keyboard player James shifting time signatures taken by Ivo parts of Waldman’s suite, ‘The 99’, with THE OXFORD RECORD Charlie Cunningham offers us four Cunning steps up to the plate though, Neame’s piano and Jasper Hølby’s double his sax sometimes lyrical, sometimes acoustic songs: elegant Paolo Nutini taking a hefty swing at songs like bass, two thirds of Phronesis, a band also slippery, and a typically inventive bass solo DVD & CD FAIR mush-mouth layered over flamenco `Distance Learning’, with its cute very much on the rise in the jazz scene, and from Hølby. Curiously though, Waldmann guitar riffs. It’s precise and freely line, “I’m taking a holiday from St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE who, as well also having a Greek name, doesn’t even mention it’s a tribute to the 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP executed, and a few more dabs of taking a holiday”. inhabit not dissimilar territory to Waldman’s Occupy movement, perhaps nervous of how production and he’ll be reeling us in. And so to Glass Animals, part band. this might play in north Oxford. Saturday 26th April Having spent some moments earlier of the latest generation of local The telepathy when Neame and Hølby The night’s highlight though, is the funky 10am-4pm in the evening checking out a music next-big-things, with a caravan of play off one another is not only impressive instrumental ‘Russell’s Resurgence’, with video of Salvation Bill (the latest underground press buzz, a posse of but also fun; they almost seem to tease one Waldman’s sinuous sax and Neame’s piano Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres musical incarnation of Ollie Thomas, hipster roadies primping the stage, another. Their interplay though is part of the passing a catchy hook back and forth and a Accessories/memoriabillia/books. ex of Ute) appearing to murder a and the equally lauded Wild Swim ensemble and never unbalances the music. terrific drum solo from Scott, reminiscent Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl spaniel in a cornfield, we’re half in the house checking out a rare The subtle and flexible Jon Scott on drums of the best of prog. www.usrfairs.co.uk expecting some shock and awe Alice hometown performance before Glass completes a stellar rhythm section which With Kairos 4Tet you don’t get much by Cooper-esque theatrics on stage. Animals head off round the world knits well with Waldmann’s confident, yet way of tonal exploration or uninhibited free Although, visually, this amounts on tour. The band, made up of understated mellow warm tenor and flute- jazz, but there’s plenty in what they do, and to a stuffed crow perched on his Americans David Bayley and Drew Wolf Tone label, seem poised to take and a hazy r’n’b Four Tet. For Flash Harry Sound Systems like tone on soprano sax. they do everything with a touch of class. mic stand we still love his daring McFarlane and Oxford boys Edmund flight from the off. Bayley’s Mozza- once all the hype is well founded; Compact & potent PA systems, In what is an organic extension of his Colin May and no-holds-barred lyrics, like in Irwin-Singer and Joe Seaward, met at ish arm swinging and Gilmour-style Glass Animals have the cool and ranging from 1.5k to 5.5k `London (The Big Smirk)’: “Lift the University and, now free from the guitar licks hypnotise the crowd the confidence, and on this full- Bose Speakers, Chevin amplifiers, as the dark, dreamy post-dubstep on showing, the legs. up her dirty skirts and dive into the millstone of dissertations and signed Midas Gold mixing desk. hairy mess”. The `Dead Dog’ turns to super-producer Paul Epworth’s electronica slewed between Tricky Paul Carrera AOIFE O’DONOVAN All the graphics, gates & compressors The Art Bar necessary to make your band You’d be forgiven for assuming that Aoife of the album version, and in its place the or event sound delicious. WARPAINT song is allowed space to breathe, filling O’Donovan has roots further south than Please contact James Serjeant Boston, her vocal style reminiscent more of the room with its subtlety. It would be easy O2 Academy then to build a set reliant on vocals alone, on 079 1914 7350 Tuesday 25 March Given it’s the day before Warpaint troughs. Musically, the band is in fine the southern states, lyrics tumbling easily Coming Up but she navigates this trap with ease, adding or [email protected] METRONOMY entered the top ten of the UK album form too, having spent the last few from her mouth. That’s not to say it’s a lazy ‘Lovesick Redstick Blues’ (her nod to O ACADEMY1 charts with their eponymous second years touring heavily on the back styling though, in fact the precision of her Sunday 02 March 2 bluegrass festivals) into the mix. Despite album, it’s little surprise that the of `The Fool’. While it’s not always vocals is the thing which carries her set PAPER AEROPLANES the missing band members she’s still able to sizeable downstairs part of the O2 is evident on record, Warpaint are a from start to finish. Monday 31 March give the song a bluegrass vibe. THE ART BAR packed to capacity by the time the LA jam-band at heart, or at least they Set opener ‘Lay My Burden Down’ DARLIA She also pays homage to her roots, the band grace the stage. Inevitably the enjoy locking into bass-led grooves features sections which are limited to American with the traditional ‘Pretty Polly’, Tuesday 04 March THE CELLAR majority of tonight’s set is indebted while reverb-heavy guitars intertwine, an infrequent strum of her guitar for BONOBO to the newer material which has as is evidenced by some extended accompaniment, in turn showcasing her a gruesome murder ballad, and the Irish Sunday 06 April seen the band shift further towards a instrumental sections tonight. ability to convey emotion in vocals alone. in ‘Lakes of Ponchartrain’. Elsewhere O2 ACADEMY1 RHODES moody atmospheric trip hop sound, For most of the set the audience Gone is some of the heavier instrumentation her New York City home creates the THE CELLAR allowing keyboards and synthesisers seem strangely subdued – respectful backdrop for ‘Fire Engine’. It’s in this Sunday 09 March to take some of the focus away from and clearly enjoying themselves number her potential to cross over into THE MARTIN HARLEY the guitars. Some of the criticism that but perhaps allowing themselves more commercial waters becomes apparent. BAND Wednesday 16 April FACEBOOK.COM/ALTTICKETS.CO.UK  ALTTICKETS.CO.UK More pop in its melody, it contrasts with the PAUL THOMAS has been lumped at the newer songs to become too awash in Warpaint’s THE ART BAR suggests that the songwriting has emotional waters at the sake of an mournful ‘Tuesday’s Child’, in which Aoife SAUNDERS suffered at the hands of uber desk- atmosphere. It’s only when the band explores the influence of her day of birth. crank out `Undertow’ that they With a cover of Blaze Foley’s ‘Clay Sunday 16 March THE ART BAR jockey Flood’s sleek production style, but in this live setting the band are fully snap out of this haze and raise Pigeon’ thrown into the mix and a nod AMBER RUN to Anne Sexton in ‘Briar Rose’ it’s clear Monday 12 May really quite bombastic, giving us a set the roof. It’s the song that probably THE CELLAR her influences range far and wide, which WE WERE EVERGREEN that leans heavily on the livelier of the best encapsulates the band’s sound: new songs, as well as encompassing a bass-led, vocally immaculate, in turn leads to a diverse set. Coupled IT’S NOT Wednesday 19 March THE CELLAR some gems from previous releases. emotionally ambiguous pop song with an opening set from local singer STORY BOOKS As ever, it’s the vocal interaction with an almighty wig-out at the end Bethany Weimers, who delivers more FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT ghostly numbers from her debut album TOO LATE! THE ART BAR between the four band members that of it to boot. Elsewhere new track to submit your entry for this year’s Oxford Punt - the GIGSINOXFORD.CO.UK `Harpsichord Row’ as well as newer songs really sets Warpaint apart; whether `Biggy’ is a particular highlight, with a best showcase of new Oxford music talent of the it’s the haunting `Billie Holiday’, the dynamic keyboard lead part allowing from her forthcoming release, it’s a near th Monday 24 March year. Entries must be recieved by the 10 March. fiendish gang-vocals of `Composure’ the vocals to float delicately atop a perfect evening. With the Bullingdon now Send online links to [email protected]. SAINT RAYMOND or `Love is to Die’, Emily Kokal gently shuffling rhythm. Encoring with rebirthed as The Art Bar, what it’s lost in Remember to include contact details. O ACADEMY2 and co have mastered a style of sing- `Elephants’, the band ultimately leaves name it’s made up for in a revamped venue 2 Line-up announced on the 15th March. speak, alternatingly conversational, the stage victorious, warpaint smeared space, which makes seated shows now feel airy and strident, that leads their but intact. more intimate. The Oxford Punt: Wednesday 14th May. ALTTICKETS.CO.UK  FACEBOOK.COM/ALTTICKETS.CO.UK Lisa Ward 18 acts, five venues, one night. songs through emotional peaks and Tom McKibbin photo: Jo Cox

Nightshift_March_QRTR.indd 1 17/02/2014 17:12 Mondays Friday club nights 3rd MITCH LADDIE / 7th WHITE MAGIC – reggae INTRODUCING.... POPLAR JAKE 14the NangTSNS011 presents Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under 31st BEN POOLE BRINSLEY KAZAK 21st CALLIGRAPHY Beta Blocker & the Body Clock Every Tuesday 28th HOUSE NIGHT THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB Who are they? 4th / 18th THE NEW JAZZ Saturday early gigs Local three-piece noise band Beta Blocker & the Body Clock are Vincent COLLECTIVE 8th NICK MULVEY Hollywell, Matt Girling and Josh Kenyon. They met at school and Matt and 11th HEAVY DEXTERS 15th JOHN BRAMWELL Vincent were previously in punk band The Scarletts, who split in 2010. Josh 25th ALVIN ROY & REEDS (from I AM KLOOT) joined the band 18 months ago, and since then the trio have self released nd a single, put out an EP, `Inside the Pickle Jar’, on Reeks of Effort, and a UNLIMITED 22 ONE GIG CLOSER Pt.1 th zine with Crumb Cabin, earning a Nightshift Demo of the Month along the 29 BIPOLAR SUNSHINE way. Regular gigs around Oxford have included Blessing Force’s Oxjam Wednesdays takeover show and the O2’s Upstairs night as well as a supports to Pains of Weekly in front bar Saturday club nights Being Pure at Heart and Mazes. FRANZ FRENETIC 1st SELECTA What do they sound like? Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: world fusion music (free entry) 8th SIMPLE – House & techno Fair to say high-end production values are low down Beta Blocker and “Theo Bass: a fiercely talented musician and incredibly kind and modest man.” 5th CIRCUIT – Brookes Music Society night the Body Clock’s list of priorities, preferring to spend their time, effort If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: th with BEN UFO and imagination making a furious, but oddly languorous old racket with 12 NORTHEAST CORRIDOR / th “`Slanted Enchanted’ by Pavement; we bonded over this album when CASSEL / STATIC IN MOTION 15 AFRO-CARIBBEAN bejewelled pop nuggets hidden amid the fuzz and feedback. The first time we started out and it is reminiscent of fun times. Our band would sound 19th STORY BOOKS NIGHT we encountered them, Nightshift described the band as “sounding like a different if we hadn’t listened to in a billion times.” 22nd tbc lorryload of cutlery hurling itself off the top of Mount Everest while getting When is their next local gig and what can newcomers expect? 29th HOUSE FOUNDATIONS stoned and listening to My Bloody Valentine”. “The Jericho Tavern on the 14th of March. We will be playing mainly new Thursdays What inspires them? songs and there will be minimal stage banter.” Weekly in front bar “Adventures, long distances, big open spaces, nature, humans, being Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: MARTINI RUSSO MARCH Sundays around really big stuff like mountains and trees and big buildings. Changing “We really like playing at the Cellar; Jimmy, the sound guy, really gets Jazz standards & originals – free entry 2nd PAPER AEROPLANES seasons, changing friends, changing relationships.” it and we sound better in that room than almost anywhere else we have 13th ACTION STATIONS Friday early gigs 9th THE MARTIN HARLEY Career highlight so far: played. It’s nice to have that in your hometown, but there aren’t enough CARNIVAL presents RAMPAGE 7th SONS OF BILL / DREAMING BAND “We recently played a gig under a geodesic bamboo dome in middle touring bands that come and play. We don’t know if it’s the fault of bands or of a school playground in Deptford with one of our favorite bands, Dog promoters, maybe there just isn’t enough people coming to shows to cover SOUNDSYSTEM 10-30-3am £7adv SPIRES 16th HUMOUR TUMOUR – live 27th TRAPS / INVISIBLE VEGAS / Chocolate. Our payment was a beautiful big slab of clay, encrusted with costs. Maybe we are just too close to London.” 21st THE LONG INSIDERS / THE stand-up comedy WEBS & MARIONETTES / THE about £20 worth of change.” You might love you if you love: 23rd ONE GIG CLOSER Pt.2 DEPUTEES SHAPES / THE LUCKY CLUB And the lowlight: Yo la Tengo; Built to Spill; Real Estate; My Bloody Valentine; Sebadoh. “Our beloved Fiat Multipla got broken into and the aforementioned big Hear them here: slab of clay got nicked.” betablockerandthebodyclock.bandcamp.com DR SHOTOVER – Grand Tour T H E W H E A T S H E A F Welcome to Shotover Towers… hurry up, get in out of the rain - you may be an THIS MONTH IN OXFORD st Sat 1 March absolute shower, but don’t stand out there all night. I wouldn’t usually admit ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY hangdog types like you over this hallowed threshold, to be honest. But, given that ORANGE VISION 8pm/£5 the East Indies Club bar is under refurbishment and you have a Ouija board, some senior civil servants or bankers now. But back then, Snow Patrol were still waiting to achieve stadium nd 20 YEARS AGO Sun 2 March – SLAVE TO THE GRIND Temple Ball and a White Noise LP with you, I suppose I am prepared to make an “First one to deck Chesney Hawkes gets a fiver!” they had DREAMS! level world domination. exception this once. Lose anyone in the moat? No? Oh well. Leave your disgusting exclaimed Bubbleman, cover stars of March ENTRAILS BASEMENT TORTURE KILLINGS + ZOMBIEFIED + ATONEMENT 8pm/£7 trainers over there and put on these patchouli-scented sandals. Follow me… this th 1994’s Curfew magazine. The band were being Wed 5 March – BURIED IN SMOKE way, past the collection of biker jackets and medieval weaponry… no, Timberlake, 10 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO don’t touch! Those particular sharpened farm implements from the Peasants’ interviewed at the Marquee in London where they “One hell of a strange, fucked-up slab of music What’s this, what’s this? A certain Liam Ings- were supporting ex-Tremolos chap Chip Hawkes, ENOS MOTHER CORONA + ABRAHMA + KOMRAD 8pm/£5 Revolt would make a very nasty mess in the wrong hands. As they did recently from a strange, fucked-up band,” ran the opening Reeves was again glowering from the cover of Fri 7th March – KLUB KAKOFANNEY when used by some management consultants who hired the North Wing for a dad of Chesney, and the lad – at the time enjoying gambit of Nightshift’s interview with Suitable Case Nightshift in March 2009. Who says music fashion ‘corporate bonding weekend’… I told the Global Sacking Solutions nonces that his fifteen minutes – was hanging around backstage. For Treatment back in March 2004. Frontman isn’t cyclical? This time round he was shorn of his FLIGHTS OF HELIOS the scythes were made of plastic – with predictably hilarious results. Bonding? The band, who emerged from the ashes of previous Liam Ings-Reeves glowered and gurned from flowing locks, armed with an accordion and fronting BEAVER FUEL + THE BEN MOET STRING PROJECT 8pm/£5 Let me tell you, they needed some after THAT! Ha ha HARGHHH [p’tingg – Dr local favourites Wendy Falls, were a jazz-inflected th the cover of the mag, like a satanic rock goblin, Mephisto Grande, one half of the fall-out from the Fri 14 March – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC S’s volley of phlegm causes a brass spittoon to reverberate like a 13th Floor big rock outfit, not a million miles from Smashing while the band’s sprawling, crawling fusion of still much-missed Suitable Case. His ogreish blues Elevators track]… Now, up the stairs, past the original 1960s Roundhouse posters Pumpkins at times, and were being courted by the metal, blues, jazz and something unspeakable was holler was still a focal point of the band (“the voice MEGAN HENWOOD BALLOON ASCENTS + RUSHIL + ROB LANYON 8pm/£6 and ancestral portraits. Look out for the cobwebs as we pass through the Carole likes of Warners publishing, while George Schilling, Sat 15th March – MD PROMOTIONS terrifying and thrilling local audiences in roughly of the Devil himself, fronting Hell’s own house King Tapestry Room… yes, it is true, the Shotover family motto has always been who produced The Soup Dragons and engineered equal measures. “Do not fear the dark…. But you band,” ran the accompanying eulogy). In person Nature Abhors A Vacuum Cleaner, but leave any sneering and lip-curling to me, Tears For Fears, was sniffing around. “We will not GOD SPEED + SALVAGE + FLEISCH 8pm/£5 will… YOU WILL!” bellowed Liam. An icy shiver Liam was of course quiet and unassuming, putting K-LACURA Osgood. Or I shall be forced to take you Tue 18th March – 100% MOSH be ignored,” pronounced singer Paul Madison. ran up the Oxford music scene’s collective spine. his demonic onstage presence down to “glossalalic to the haunted attic and abandon you Elsewhere Ride guitarist Andy Bell’s then-wife to the tender mercies of the carnivorous “We’re a step up from the Cheeky Girls,” added twitches, jerks and outbursts that are the voice of WOAHNOWS + HATEMAIL 8pm/£6 Idha released her debut album, `Melody In’, while GNARWOLVES doll collection… Now, through this green- bassist Pete Bastard. the Devil or possibly God coming through me. I’m Fri 21st March – BURIED IN SMOKE enduring favourites The Candyskins picked their baize door for the world-famous Oxford While those malevolent imps were busy releasing having an ECG this weekend to find out which. I’ve favourite Top 10 songs, from X-Ray Spex to The Young Hopefuls Museum. Here you will their `A Sinister Case For The Laevus Levus’ always known I was special.” BLASTED 8pm/£5 JOHN COFFEY find memorabilia, and in some cases Flaming Lips album, Young Knives’ House of Lords was In local music news influential local post-rockers Sat 22nd March (quite literally) the mummified remains Scanning March 1994’s gig guide, one particular sneaking out his solo album, `Very Very Songs Go’. Youthmovies were going on indefinite hiatus, while of various Oxford bands who were going show stands out – a Warp Records showcase Actually we reckon it was brother Henry who sent denying they were splitting up: “touring and shows HEADCOUNT + GEMMA MOSS 8pm/£5 PEERLESS PIRATES to be the Next Big Thing. Fizzi Kisses next featuring The Aphex Twin, Autechre and Seefeel. Tue 25th March – BURIED IN SMOKE us said CD for review since it was bloody awful (“A are on hold, but although we may be spread across to Fuzzgun, Alphabet Backwards next to How cool did we feel waltzing into that sold-out half-cocked, post-pub piss-about, random bedroom the country these days, nothing has changed; we all Black Candy… yes, they’re all here. Now, hipster heaven in the days before anyone even dabbling and kiddies toy electro”). We suggested still get on and enjoy making music together.” BEEHOOVER UNDERSMILE + CARAVAN OF WHORES 8pm/£5 th let’s light a candle, get some sounds on, knew what a hipster was. Other local gig highlights Friday 28 March he stopped arsing about and give us another Young A plethora of local releases included a debut CD fire up a bong and have a séance. Is there included folk-reggae party-starters Edward II, Knives album pronto. Luckily for all of us, he did. from young local newcomers called Desert Storm, anybody therrrre? Woo-oo-oo, spooky! punk-folk trainspotters Blyth Power and ambient PHYAL NOE & THE PASTEL FRONTIER 8pm/£5 Out in gig land former-Dubstar singer Sarah who would quickly become regarded as the leading th What are the letters spelling out? A-S-H- Sat 29 March – GTI dub-trance chap Loop Guru, while local names Blackwood was bringing her new electro-pop act lights of the Oxford metal scene. “A remarkably B-Y-D-E-L-A… WHAT?? Is that the… Young now lost in the mists of time included Fever Cry, Client to the Zodiac, which also hosted brutal fresh take on music that’s as old and heavy as the Knives??? DE’MASK THYSELF SEBASTIAN MELMOTH + HALBER MENSCH 8pm/£4.50 Speechless, Gorgon Sucker, Legs Around My metal titans Raging Speedhorn, as well as a sold- hills. “ Wonder what became of them. Oh, there Next Month: The Young Knives Aren’t ‘Coo-ee, Dr Sho-to-ver! Just on my way Head and Ghandi Sisters. They’re probably all The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford Dead round…’ out show from Ash, while up the hill at Brookes, they are on this month’s front cover. Duh! think he’s a poet and fall in love with him. C’mon Luke, we’re all essentially alone in AIDEN WRIGLEY Ooh, bit of a mint theme going on here. From this nasty old world, maybe pop down to Joe Humbug to Wrigley. We don’t just chuck this Truby’s disco for a couple of hours. Here’s shit together while watching viral videos of a pill, there’s the dancefloor. Maybe you’ll DEMOS cats playing patter-cake, you know. Okay, Sponsored by meet a nice girl out there. we do, and so does Mr Wrigley here by the Demo of the Month wins a free half day at sounds of it. It is, as we bet you’ve already Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy guessed because it’s the law to have at least of Umair Chaudhry. BALLOON ASCENTS This lot come highly recommended – by one in every demo pile, a one-man-and- Visit www.silverstreetstudios.co.uk/ his-trusty-guitar jobbie. With the emphasis nightshift-demo-of-the-month/ Wheatsheaf promoter Joal Shearing no less, a man who knows more than most about on the word jobbie in its puerile schoolboy slang sense. Like Hey, Sleeper a couple of disjointed beats and future factory chitter what’s good and new and fun in local music, 01865 240250 but while there are enough signs of life on demos back, Aiden has an obvious affection DEMO OF chatter on `Pianohop’, which feels like the for Elliot Smith, but lacks the poetic streak musical interpretation of trying to manoeuvre show the band’s inexperience is such they’ve yet to fully find their own identity. Singer to bring anything new, fun, tragic or vaguely a moving walkway with one eye shut and likeable to the table, just a lot of strumming THE MONTH a strobe light going on, merging almost but Thomas Roberts has a got a decent voice, pure and plaintive at its best, while the music (which, predictably, gets louder and harder not completely seamlessly into the likes of the more angry he gets, about nasty bosses, `Kalimboo’, with its bamboo vibes, like is simple and lo-fi and nervously mournful HALBER MENSCH with a tendency to meander hazily without ex-girlfriends or possibly a disobedient pet March. It’s hardly the depths of winter, yet Japan or The Creatures being chopped about gerbil) and relentless moaning. Oh Christ, by Future Sound of London, the playfully achieving any satisfying focus. Which is a signs of spring aren’t fully apparent. It’s a bit of a roundabout way of saying they sound the moaning. The endless fucking moaning. sort of dull, middling mulch of a month. wowzy `Unexpectable Minute’, and the There were dismembered pirates under the rustling, jarring `Plaices’, all of which might quite a lot like assorted bits of Radiohead’s Which is fitting since this a pretty dull, recent wanderings. Shuffling beats keep to ship’s surgeon’s saw without anaesthetic middling mulch of a demo pile. So much so have placed this on top of the pile, but again, who made less of a fuss, and probably with like Halber Mensch, you feel the best ideas the shadows beneath starry guitar twinkles that this one is only top of the pile because on `Aberration’, but it’s a slender tune. a greater sense of melody than this tortuous there’s evidence a bit of time in the studio aren’t explored fully, or expanded on, each old trawl through the bin juice of angst that track doing its neat little trick and moving on Similarly the almost jazzy `Cutout’ with the with a decent producer might bring out some refrain “It wears me out” recalling `Fake makes up Wrigley’s songbook. There you go, of the nascent ideas we catch glimpses of in before it’s had a chance to mess with your old chap. Consider yourself chewed up and sense of balance or comprehension properly. Plastic Trees’ a little too readily. Still, they what is an otherwise under-formed offering. operate well enough within a tight comfort spat out, like your minty namesake. The basic principle is sound enough: one Maybe expand each track and merge them all more fully into a single piece. Do that, give us zone and it’s only towards the end of `11’ bloke with a loop pedal, a violin, bass, drums that Balloon Ascents sound like a mess, and something approaching a death-metal a ring and we’ll be round with the bucket of vocals stretched beyond breaking point, THE DEMO .co.uk vocal rasp crossed with a ranting tramp. So drugs in the blink of an eye. No doubt one of TURAN AUDIO those third eyes. guitars flailing in undignified rockist fashion, Professional, independent CD mastering the violin gets fed through the loop pedal and the whole thing coming a little too close to everything rumbles nastily along while the the “shredded” Radiohead video currently DUMPER Artists mastered in the studio last month include; man known as Robby Halbermensch barks doing the online rounds. incoherently amid the ongoing darkness. JOE TRUBY BAKA BEYOND, MUSICIANS OF ALL SAINTS, MIKE Electronic music of a less esoteric bent here, KING KONG MAN So far, so good. Problem is, once he’s a one-track demo from Mr Truby, `System Talking of those shredded videos as we were HYDER, VALERYAN, TAIL FEATHER, RAINBOW got beyond the minute mark nothing new Failure’ squelching and cavorting along a HUMBUG earlier, we’re pretty sure they’re meant to happens and even the longest of the three familiar but not unwelcome path to early- More middling musical mulch. Everywhere be a piss-take, not an instruction manual. RESERVOIR, BLOOD RED STARS, MICHAEL LEE, tracks here, `New Cysts’, fails to progress. 90s trance-house, via Faithless, with just the you look on Humbug’s Facebook page the You’d hope any band called King Kong Which is a shame, as there’s surely plenty PETER McDONOUGH, MICHAEL PALMER, YOUNG merest hint of some Lipps Inc-style disco phrase Indie Rock screams out at you, but Man would be a raging death-core force of of scope to take such pessimistic, repetitive lurking beneath the surface for a few fleeting thing is, once upon a time that phrase could nature, not an insipid approximation of the KNIVES. sounds further into the musical abyss. There moments. There’s the big breakdown in the mean anything from the shimmering serenity world’s most unfunky honky tonk boyband is, though, beneath the rumble of bass and 01865 716466 [email protected] middle but mostly it’s linear and euphoric of The House of Love to the tempestuous with a line in piano ballads so devoid of flurry of plucked strings on `Trier’, a small mega club/festival field fare that would go noise storm of My Bloody Valentine and melodies, character or cohesion they don’t so female voice, the only discernible line from down a treat on any given Saturday night plenty of odd shapes and sounds in between much resemble actual songs as the musical which is “I understand that everything that between 1989 and last week. Actually, our and beyond. Now it tends to mean stuff equivalent of limescale residue, a low-level THE COURTYARD used to be beautiful dies,” which is exactly mood has just improved tenfold in the past like this: a neatly distilled, slightly leaden reminder that things need cleaning up but the sort of positive message the government six minutes. Time for some pills and a repeat approximation of something a major record you can never completely erase the bad stuff. should be broadcasting every day as the RECORDING STUDIO play. label snapped up in a desperate attempt to `Mellow’ for example does exactly what its country fills up with water. Anyway, some have their own version of Oasis back in title suggests, waddling along in a mellow, PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/24, OTARI neat ideas but as yet no finished product. the 90s. Humbug aren’t bad as such, just bordering on maudlin, fashion, sounding like MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE MACHINE, 2 TRACKING But in awarding Mr Halbermensch here HEY, SLEEPER rather featureless. The singer’s pleasant but an unfunny pisstake of Taylor Swift’s `Never ROOMS, SUPERB CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELEC- Demo of the Month we give him the chance pedestrian, there’s lots of harmonies and Ever’ performed by a drunk-to-the-point-of- Such joviality cannot last as we’re quickly TION OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR + MIDI FACILITIES (Inc to spend a few hours in the studio with every song sounds like it’s trying to be an comatose Michael Bublé and a few mates plunged back down into an autumnal fog LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND etc.) Umair Chaudhry, the local master of sinister of gloom by Hey, Sleeper, the work of anthem, but however much they aim to be whose commitment to singing in key makes soundscaping. It’s a little like sending Luke graceful, like on `The Drop’, they always West Ham’s defence look like a wall of steel. Luke Roberts, a man who quotes such pop Residential facilities included. off to find Yoda. Let’s hope the result is as jesters as Elliot Smith and Bright Eyes as sound like they’re dragging themselves to “Flowers and fresh cut grass” moans the much fun. the end of the song, by way of an obligatory singer at one point in `I Won’t Go’, to which www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk influences. Now, before you start, a fog of Phone RICHARD WALSH on 01235 845800 autumnal gloom isn’t such a bad place to be, guitar solo, as if they’ve been rendered lame we can’t resist adding “This song is a heap and some of this is rather good, positively by coming into contact with something Alan of arse,” by way of rhyming reply. “Here’s pretty, like a sad-eyed kitten even. Best of McGee hailed as the future of music over the some songs we recorded in August,” announce ONLY RAYS the lot is the tender, wistful `Thomas & the past decade. `Nights Out’ suggests Humbug King Kong Man, adding “we recorded There’s a similar feeling about this demo, Good Book’, a reflective folky lament for might have had a passing acquaintance them all in two days!” as if that’s somehow another experimental effort, this time from a something precious now lost – childhood, with an old Echo & The Bunnymen album admirable. Two whole days and you still came chap called Tim Crombie, who used to be the innocence, girl, kitten, or whatever. It’s at some point, but ultimately it’s not-quite- up with something indistinct from what our drummer in a band called Lord Magpie and really rather lovely. Luke has an instantly funky soft rock bluster. Ah well, never mind neighbour’s spaniel deposits on the pavement the Prince of Cats, apparently. It’s homemade likeable voice, slightly lispy, not unlike us and our high standards, no doubt Beady in a matter of seconds. You really must work electronica of the decidedly glitchy variety, Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, and Eye or Shed Seven will be back on tour harder next time. Preferably down a uranium and pretty enjoyable stuff, disorientating evokes a cool porch/campfire feel at times. again soon and will need a support band. mine. and hypnotic in equal measures and possibly Occasionally though, as on `Playing Cards’, worthy of listening to in a blacked-out room or the shambling `Could You Just’ he forgets after some serious bong action. Six tracks Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to include a tune and it all turns into stale, over ten minutes finds Tim moving from to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without standard strumming and shuffling, sad boy wobbly electronic randomness, all cut-ups, a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you wants nice girl to feel sorry for him and can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. facebook.com/o2academyoxford twitter.com/o2academyoxford instagram.com/o2academyoxford youtube.com/o2academytv

Fri 14th Mar • £12 adv / £8 NUS Tues 8th Apr • £20 adv Thurs 1st May • £11 adv EVERY SATURDAY 11pm - 3am • over 18s only £5 adv / NUS / members, £4 NHS Sophie Ellis-Bextor The Temperance 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only Switch ft. MK Movement Fri 11th Apr • £8 adv Sat 15th Mar • £10 adv 6.30pm - 10pm 7pm - 10pm Black Bullet Live Presents Fri 9th May • £12.50 adv 6pm - 10pm The Dualers Martyr de Mona Albert + Lest We Forget Mon 17th Mar • £23 adv + Dead Mesa + Icon Hammond Jr The Stranglers 40th Anniversary Tour Sat 12th Apr • £6 adv Sat 10th May • £6 adv 7pm - 11.30pm 7pm - 10pm Mon 17th Mar • £10 adv Upstairs ft. Rabbit Alex Lanyon Foot Spasm Band Loveable Rogues Mon 12th May • £10 adv In association with BBC Introducing Tues 18th Mar • £18.50 adv + Duchess Augustines Sat 22nd Feb • £8 adv 7pm - 10pm Maximo Park + Brickwork Lizards Lauren Aquilina + Temple Funk Collective Tues 13th May • £8 adv Fri 21st Mar • £8 adv / £6 NUS Wolf Alice 11pm - 3am • over 18s only Sun 13th Apr • £20 adv Fri 28th Feb 6.30pm - 10pm Switch Matt Cardle Thurs 15th May • £16.50 adv 5 Seconds of Summer ft. Mak & Pasteman Pentatonix Sun 13th Apr • £15 adv Fri 28th Feb Fri 21st Mar • £8 adv Deaf Havana Weds 21st May • £9 adv 6.30pm - 10pm 6.30pm - 10pm + The Maine Jungle Foxes Black Bullet Live Presents + The People The Poet Rock Lives Weds 28th May • £10 adv Fri 28th Feb • £12 adv / £8 NUS ft. Slam Cartel Tues 15th Apr • £20 adv 11pm - 3am • over 18s only + Buffalo Summer Bury Tomorrow Alkaline Trio + Napoleon + Aaron Keylock Switch ft. Annie Mac + Bayside + Demoraliser

Sat 1st Mar • £8 adv Sat 22nd Mar • £6 adv Tues 15th Apr • £7.50 adv 6pm - 10pm 7pm - 11.30pm Fri 30th May • £12 adv / £8 NUS Jar Music Live Presents… 11pm - 3am • over 18s only Room 94 Upstairs Ones to Watch Switch ft. Racing Glaciers ft. Fortunes + Tom Dibb + Guests Mon 3rd Mar • £11 adv In association with BBC Introducing and Simple Temples + Limbo Kids Weds 16th Apr • £8.50 adv ft. Eats Everything + Charlie Cunningham Lanterns On The Lake Tues 4th Mar + Reichenbach Falls Sat 31st May • £22.50 adv + ArtClassSink 7pm - 10.30pm Bonobo Fri 18th Apr • £7 adv 6pm - 10pm Chas & Dave Thurs 6th Mar • £15 adv Mon 24th Mar • £7 adv It’s All About Back By Popular Demand We Are Scientists Saint Raymond The Music Presents… Fri 18th July • £9 adv / £25 VIP Fracture + One Wing Left Tues 25th Mar • £15.50 adv 6pm - 10pm Fri 7th Mar • £8 adv / £6 NUS + The Kites + Balloon Ascents 11pm - 3am • over 18s only Metronomy Mike Dignam Switch ft. Josh Butler Tues 22nd Apr • £20 adv Thurs 27th Mar • £14 adv Fri 15th Aug • £10 adv Magnum 6pm - 11pm Sat 8th Mar • £14 adv Katy B 6.30pm - 10pm Skeletor presents Tues 22nd Apr • £8 adv The Answer Fri 28th Mar • £11 adv Karma To Burn 6.30pm - 10pm Young Kato + Desert Storm + Pixel Fix Sat 8th Mar • £6 adv Banks 6.30pm - 10pm Sat 13th Sept • £10 adv Weds 23rd Apr • £20 adv 6.30pm - 10pm Charlee Drew + Jack Little Fri 28th Mar • £8 adv / £6 NUS 7.30pm - 11pm 11pm - 3am • over 18s only New Model Army The Doors Alive Sun 9th Mar • £16.50 adv Switch ft. Friction The Selecter Sat 4th Oct • £13 adv & Linguistics MC Fri 25th Apr • £10/£15 adv 6.30pm - 10pm • Show starts 7pm “35 Years of The Selecter” 7.30pm - 11pm • show starts 8pm Sat 29th Mar • £7 adv La Chiva Gantiva Ultimate Genesis Weds 12th Mar • £15 adv Skeletor Lissie + Norma Jean Martine Sat 26th Apr • £7 adv Thurs 16th Oct • £15 adv ft. Desert Storm 6pm - 11pm + Prosperina + Evavoid The Orb Thurs 13th Mar • £16 adv + Overlord + Masiro Skeletor – Fri 17th Oct • £11 adv The English Beat The New Breed 3 6.30pm - 10pm featuring original vocalist Fri 4th Apr • £7 adv ft. A Killer Amongst Us Dave Wakeling plus very special 6.30pm - 10pm + Fallen From Grace + Sanity Loss Guns2Roses & guest Roddy Radiation LostAlone + Contek + Godsbane Metallica Reloaded

Tickets for Saturday night o2academyoxford.co.uk shows include free entry 190 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1UE • Doors 7pm unless stated to Propaganda Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-5.30pm (or £6, £5 NUS / members, ticketweb.co.uk • wegottickets.com • seetickets.com • gigantic.com £4 NHS on the door)