[email protected] nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 222 January Oxford’s Music Magazine 2014

OxfordOxford HipHip HopHop On the rise

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Recommended by Matchbox Recordings Ltd, Poplar Jake, Undersmile, Desert Storm, Turan Audio Ltd, Nick Cope, Prospeckt, Paul Jeffries, Alvin Roy, Pete The Temp, Evolution, Coozes, Blue Moon and many more... NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net

THE JERICHO TAVERN is among 18 independent venues taking part in the inaugural UK Independent Venue Week from 28th January to 2nd February. Like the annual National Music Store Week, the event hopes to raise awareness of the THE OXFORD RECORD small provincial live music venues that provide the launch pad for so many of the DVD & CD FAIR biggest bands. Other legendary venues St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE participating include Clwb Ifor Bach in 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP Cardiff; Fibbers in York; the Joiners in th nd Southampton; Tunbridge Wells Forum and Sat 4 January / Sat 22 February King Tut’s in Glasgow. Each venue will 10am-4pm host at least one show that week as part of the festival, which is being backed by PRS Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres For Music and BBC Introducing. Check Accessories/memoriabillia/books. THE OXFORD PUNT returns for out the shows lined up for the Tavern and Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl another musical trip round town in elsewhere at independentvenueweek.com. www.usrfairs.co.uk May. The annual showcase of unsigned Oxford talent takes place on Wednesday DAVE GRIFFITH releases his first book 14th May, featuring 20 or so acts at this month alongside an accompanying Flash Harry Sound Systems The Purple Turtle, The Cellar, The soundtrack CD. The former-Eeebleee and Compact & potent PA systems, Wheatsheaf, Turl Street Kitchen and Witches frontman is putting out `Sinister ranging from 1.5k to 5.5k The White Rabbit. A’ on Fourier Transform, the record label Bose Speakers, Chevin amplifiers, Bands or solo acts wanting to play at run by Nightshift scribe and Audioscope Midas Gold mixing desk. The Punt can submit demos, either by organiser Simon Minter. As well as the emailing links to online music (no sound book and CD, `Sinister A’ comes with three All the graphics, gates & compressors files, please) to nightshift@oxfordmusic. pieces of artwork by one-time Meanwhile, necessary to make your band net, or sending CDs to Nightshift, PO Back In Communist Russia frontwoman or event sound delicious. Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. In both Emily Gray. You can order your copy Please contact James Serjeant cases, please clearly mark your demo direct from www.fouriertransform.com on 079 1914 7350 PUNT and include both phone and email or [email protected] contact details and a brief biog of the NOVEMBER’S AUDIOSCOPE raised band. Only acts from Oxfordshire may £1,500 for Shelter, taking the total the apply; you can’t apply if you played The annual mini-festival has raised for the Punt previously and, due to the licensing homeless charity to £27,000 since 2001. conditions of all the venues, only bands This year’s event, at the Jericho Tavern, Want to play aged over 18 will be eligible. Deadline for featured sets from Califone, Eat Lights demos is the 10th March, with the line-up Become Lights, The Grumbling Fur and The Punt? announced on the 15th. Esben & the Witch among others. As ever, a limited number of all-venue Punt passes will be on sale from February. USR HOST THEIR NEXT TWO Running since 1996, The Punt has OXFORD RECORD AND CD FAIRS previously given early exposure to bands on Saturday 4th January and Saturday 22nd such as Young Knives, Stornoway, Fixers February, both at St Aldates Parish Centre and Little Fish as well as Yannis and Jack on Pembroke Street. Visit www.usrfairs. from Foals’ first band Elizabeth, and Hugo co.uk for future dates. Manuel’s pre-Chad Valley and Jonquil band, The Modern, while last year’s AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into BBC event saw sets from Candy Says, Phil Oxford Introducing every Saturday night McMinn, Death of Hi-Fi and Agness Pike between 8-9pm on 95.2fm. The dedicated (pictured). local music show plays the best Oxford releases and demos as well as featuring SPRING OFFENSIVE preview songs interviews and sessions with local acts. The from their forthcoming debut album with show is available to stream or download as a one-off Oxford gig this month. The local a podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford. favourites play at East Oxford Community Regularly updated local music news is Centre on Sunday 19th January, building available online at www.musicinoxford. up to the release of `Young Animal co.uk. The site also features interactive Hearts’, which the band have been reviews, a photo gallery and gig guide. financing through a Pledgemusic Nightshift’s online form is open to campaign. Visit www.pledgemusic.com/ all local music fans and musicians at Then you’d better be this cute. projects/springoffensive for more details. nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Wednesday 14th May Words and photo:Leo Bowder hop scene? Zahra, having been a part of both Zahra: “I’m trying to encourage Oxford’s band scene and a pivotal young people to get involved; I’m figure in the hip hop scene, does she sick of the generation that would think there is anything about Oxford Dig the new breed rather watch shit on YouTube than that lends itself to a particular Six local hip hop acts to watch out for... go and see a live gig. I’m sick of it strain of hip hop, and does she Oxford Hip Hop when you bring three wicked artists think Oxford could have its own SONOROUS down and its five quid to get in distinct sound or style of hip hop, One of the most lyrically astute young Think of “Oxford music” Zara: “For me it’s spilt up into and it’s 14 plus… why are you not in the way that it tends to produce rappers in town, Sonorous’ laidback and what springs to mind? Maybe different bits: you got commercial there? So I try and put it on where somewhat academically-minded but steely delivery carries a conscious clever tunes made by intense young stuff that used to come out, like it would never be seen, and get kids rock bands? political edge, notably on his excellent gents with checked shirts, acoustic Tinchy Stryder, that I wouldn’t to go to somewhere they would Zahra: “I think Oxford hip hop `My Take On Things Chapter 2’, guitars or white Telecasters. really class as hip hop, but then never go, such as the Ashmolean. sits in a few different spaces. My th Perhaps worthy sorts with folky you’ve got people like Roots produced by 4 Dimension and So you get them to think outside observation of the scene over the airs. Hip-hop probably doesn’t. Manuva. There’s a really innovative mixing Native American samples and the box, to write about a painting, past few years is that there is a In fact the term Oxford hip-hop scene where people were mixing motifs into a spooked, wobbly electro and they came up with some pretty pocket for the backpackers, which almost seems like an oxymoron, an it up with dubstep and bands. I swoon that crests on stoned beats as amazing stuff. I’ve been in band tends to be a white middle class anachronism, but why should that love it where it really crosses over, Sonorous raps about… well, pretty since I was 14; we’d have wicked audience from the north of the city; be so? Hip hop is the most popular like Ghostpoet and Sound of Rum. much everything. gigs at the Zodiac where you’d a group of artists that make music genre in the world but urban music There’s hip-hop mixed with jazz know everyone. They all support solely for themselves and aren’t too in general only makes a small dent and weird experimental shit; I’d like JACK STACKS each other, you’d get excited about fussed with sharing but manage to in the local scene, with hip hop in to see more of that.” There’s a defiant but Nightshift and who’s on it next get a reasonable online audience; particular having its work cut out Astro: “Well, the US is really the fatalistic feel about Jack time. That’s where I’m coming the artists who are from the estates to make an impression. Perhaps it’s catalyst of it all, but it comes from Stacks’ narratives, which from, but I feel like there’s a lack of who have tremendous talent, lyrical because in the minds of many it’s Jamaica; lets be real, with Kool feel at home alongside unity [now] in the Oxford hip hop ability, flow and deliverance but intimately entwined with sunnier Herc, but the spirit of hip hop is the likes of Plan B or scene. I believe if we acted more tend to aspire to be a part of what I climes over the Atlantic; NYC in here right now. No one’s really Mike Skinner on `Born like the band scene, if we went to like to call the sbtv generation that the 80s, the lethal US East Coast/ making severe money out of it, but To Die’, and given a each other’s gigs and bought each don’t want to pay to go to shows West Coast beef of the 90s, blazing we’re carrying on making it and lush lysergic power other’s records, started more of a but would rather sit and watch their chronic, low-riders, 40s, Glocks, experimenting with it too; that helps by Re-C’s woozily movement, we’d put it more on the favourite artists on YouTube, rating blunts, pimps and ho’s, or at least it grow. The sound of it… it’s like orchestral production. map than it is.” ability by views and comments the sprawling estates of London. a struggle isn’t it? The weather has Astro “There’s loads of writers, but are quick to judge, diss each How can music born in such a very big impact. Jehst has a track MCs and producers on the scene; I other and represent postcodes, and RE-C & TONEZ environments possibly translate called ‘People Under the Weather’; need to see more break-dancers. As finally the group that are trying to Re-C and Tonez have brought local rappers’ songs to life with their here; maybe Oxford Dons squaring for me that’s the title for the UK! for Oxford itself, the council won’t push boundaries, cultivate a new often warm, soulful production and jazzy grooves, most notably up to their Cambridge counterparts I’ve been under the weather for the support it, won’t allow it. Bands refreshing sound, sell records, do Sonorous on tracks like `Marge’. in late night ‘lecture-offs’ in last 15 years now; I left America a can afford a scene; let’s not forget shows, create a community and boisterous and crowded seminar long time ago. It’s like, ‘we need a we’re in Oxford. Hip-hop comes mash up genres. rooms? But hip-hop is so much cup o’ tea with this here, next to the CHUKIE from people who can’t really afford “Oxford has the ability to create more than that. Here, in da ‘Ford, fire. Run that beat!’” Angsty and energetic on the mic, too much. Loadsa artists’ been here: its own distinct hip hop sound; it has been tenaciously holding on; Rhymeskeemz: “I tend to listen Chukie’s staccato flow sits equally KRS One, Public Enemy, GZA. But the level of talent is high and weathering the storms of passing to more US hip-hop from the 90s well with acoustic guitars or the reason bands get hyped up, is there are lots of artists out there. fashion, gradually growing in than anything. Now the BPM has electronic production. His best cut that this is their town. Radiohead, If more people worked as hard to strength. changed, they’re classing 140 as is the dark, industrial drum&bass- Supergrass, Foals: these’ll make big push themselves out there like the hip-hop. People like Tinie Tempah. inflected `Extreme Pain’, vocally money cos they come from money. local bands I think there would be Major hip hop inspiration But for me the best era of UK produced by Zahra Tehrani, That’s the difference. But I have more room to show what the hip Malcolm X made a speech at the really been what might resemble to switch it up and make it more hip-hop was when Jehst, Rodney which carries the same menace as a feeling that a big urban name’s hop side of the scene has to offer. Oxford Union in 1964; members of a cohesive hip hop scene in town, experimental.” P, Skinnyman were fronting the American underground hip hop gonna come out of these streets.” I believe some producers and MCs Public Enemy and KRS One have while hip hop acts are a rare Astro: “Hip-hop is a culture that scene and you had big bookings psychos Salem. Its accompanying Zahra: “There’s so much ability, are already experimenting working played here, as has Wu Tan Clan’s spectacle on the local gig circuit. crosses loads of borders. Race, every week. There’s still good stuff video was shot in a graveyard. but it’s so divided. When you go with bands, different styles and GZA, while Afrika Bambaataa creeds and sex; none o’ that matters. coming through, like Hi Focus over Magdalen bridge it all changes. ways of writing. Once the sense was down at the Cellar earlier To find out, Nightshift It’s just a culture that people follow. records, and I saw Rag and Bone It’s like Narnia!” of community is right between JOE VERDI this year. The once ubiquitous Mr rounded up three of the main We sell the music, but that’s just Man at Boomtown festival.” Astro: “The best thing about it is everyone I think it’ll open doors to Beatmaker and ShaoDow made Oxford his home movers and shakers of the scene: one commodity; you got break Zahra: “There is a lot of neglect of the graffiti on the Cowley Road; further collaboration.” producer with an after learning Kung Fu in China, local producer Laurence Payme dancers and DJs and graffiti writers. the producer: the MC gets all the when I go there it’s like ‘Yes! ear for a woozy, his ‘Look Out There’s a Black Barnes (AKA Astro Snare); BG It’s a movement; it affects everyone focus. People think it’s so easy to What’s up?’ They used to have a stoner vibe as he Man Coming’ was number 4 in Records founder, former Baby in today’s culture. You switch on get a beat, they don’t know the craft map for students and you know It seems, then, that hip- ranges from jazz Nightshift’s top twenty in 2007, Gravy drummer and most recently the TV and check out commercials; that goes behind it. There’s the art where it stops? At the Regal! hop in Oxford is bubbling under and soul to r’n’b snapping at the heels of Radiohead. the woman behind Desicable you’ll hear a break beat, you’ll see and dance culture that goes with it. [now the Christian Life Centre on and has been for some time. All of and minimalist Back then we noted “UK hip hop Zee, Zahra Tehrani, and up and some graffiti in the background; There’s Dizzy Rascal but there’s so Magdelen Rd] That’s their image of the artists involved in the interview electronica on his [was] still trying to escape from coming MC Rhymeskeemz, in the it’s everywhere, without you even many other artists out there. When Oxford and it reflects on everything have product ready to go. Zahra showcase beat its American cousin’s shadow”. recording suite of Blackbird Ley’s knowin’ ” Tinie Tempa made that track ‘Pass that’s happening here, especially has the self-produced Despicable track compilations. But is this still true, five years Soundworks Studio and try to find Rhymeskeemz: “Hip hop is my life Out’ he sucked, but everyone loved when it comes to urban music.” Zee, her roster of young lyricists later? Over the years there have out, and ask them first, what hip and, touching on what Astro was it because it had that drum‘n’bass Rhymeskeemz: “Oxford hip on BG Records to promote, and is KNOWLEDGE been plenty of excellent local hip hop is and what it means to each of saying, it’s more than just a genre thing at the end. That’s a good hop scene is buzzin’ but it’s a bit working with Death of Hi-Fi on Ambient r’n’b hop acts, from the likes of Asher them. of music. Even though these days combo, but where is that happening unhealthy. There’s not one regular another. Astro Snare is working flavours, 80s ambient Dust, Big Speakers and Flooded Zahra: “It’s like a pathway, a way it’s changed from what it was; it’s now?” hip-hop night in Oxford, period. with Jonny Steele from the Scribes funk and electric Hallways, through rappers Zuby, of expression that brings young still a way of life. KRS One said Wordplay used to do their thing, and Rhymskeemz (“I got phat piano soundtracks Chima Anya and ShaoDow to the people together with beats and ‘rap’s something you do, hip-hop is While UK hip hop has Beats and Rhymes, and Free Range beats comin’ for him”) has a large from instrumentalist more recent talents such as Death lyrics. It’s trying to bring people something you live’. My favourite come on so far since its early obviously; big up to them. As I say, back catalogue still to be released Knowledge whose of Hi-Fi, Rawz and Half Decent, out of their comfort zone to express types of music are reggae, soul and days, and brought its own sounds it’s buzzin’, but a bit more unity is and “a lot of big singles ready to easy grooves touch all championed by Nightshift, and themselves; we’ve brought it to hip-hop, but I think the latter links and styles to bear on the original needed.” come out”. In the optimistic words base with Stevie local producers and rappers have pretty weird places, like museums. them together and engages in all blueprints, where does a city like of Astro Snare, “the best is yet to Wonder and Flying regularly collaborated on each Coming from a punk background types of music.” Oxford come in? Can a place like A final question for come”. Lotus. other’s releases, but there’s never the beats mean a lot to me, but I like So what is UK hip hop? this really have a strong, healthy hip Sponsored by FREE CHOW BICYCLES WITH NO `Asleep With Your Hand RIDERS In My Mouth’ `Hold You Up To the Light’ RELEASED (Self released) (Blindsight) Sometimes, you just know the title came first. Umair Chaudhry, formerly of Xmas Lights, SMILEX HOT HOOVES Take Robert’s Web, the atrocious 21st Century has been very busy of late; this marks his third `La Petite Mort’ `Nutritious Cascades’ Carrott’s Commercial Breakdown in which release in as many months and while his music comedian Robert Webb introduced ‘net clips continues to draw from the same morose well (Quickfix) (Self released) with a dead-eyed resignation. Or, consider that inspires his other bands, Abandon and Growing up can be a difficult thing for a Hot Hooves’ third album in as many years `Jesus In Furs’, Free Chow’s Christmas song: Monday Morning Sun, Bicycles With No Riders band, particular if their appeal lies with being is appropriately titled given the nourishment surely the name came first, and the concept of represents a marked shift away from his usual immature. The Beastie Boys managed it provided to the Oxford music scene by throwing nativity lyrics at The Velvets’ finest multi-layered approach in favour of a largely brilliantly, while The Ramones somehow got the band’s singer Mac and guitarist Peter bondage anthem later. Either way, it’s great fun, acoustic set of songs. In this more intimate away with never growing up. Montchiloff that has sustained us for the best a Benylin-wooze of varispeed tape vocals and context, Umair’s cyclical guitar patterns feel Having been together for some 13 years, part of three decades now. A reminder of the cheap guitars which, considering the LP also on open and expansive where they can occasionally Smilex are verging on ancient in band years, latter guitarist’s legacy has come with the offer, is not too sacrilegious. `PB Party’ manages to make jokes about both sound weighty and claustrophobic in his but teenagerdom is a state in which the band recent release of an overarching Talulah Gosh For `Asleep With Your Hand In My Mouth’ is Hamlet and putting peanut butter up your arse. Abandon guise. were seemingly born – obsessed with sex and retrospective, while the former’s promotional a brutal stream of cheap noise and schoolboy When our tabloid media increasingly indulges There is still a grey cloud hanging over these drugs in often all their gory details and musically activities at the Jericho Tavern allowed many of taboo bashing, somewhere between The Butthole in ethical paradoxes, denouncing pornography songs, but `Hold You Up To the Light’ is a simple, messy fun with an undercurrent of chaos, the bands we love to flourish. Without Mac, it Surfers and V/Vm, sliming its way from the whilst celebrating unceasing titillation, much more accessible listen that allows Umair’s particularly in its live incarnation. But what to might be reasonable to believe that we’d have ersatz sex waltz of `This Is My Scrotum’ to the demonising supposed deviants whilst shoving simple arrangements to ring out in all their do next? Keep up such levels of good, unclean splenetic hardcore bile-frenzy but never really a Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride in at best Stylophone country of `Freight Train’, presets airbrushed teenage midriffs where the actual downtrodden majesty, airy synths and piano fun and risk coming across as the creepy drunk lets rip before they rein it all in again, and `Las unrecognisable form. goosestepping over common decency with every news used to go, perhaps the only option is to occasionally lending proceedings a cinematic uncle at the disco, or metaphorically don a tweed Valse Macabre’ might have been intended as a This new, eleven-track effort commences with bar. Childish nonsense, in many ways, but high blow a big raspberry, stick two fingers in the air splendour. Lyrically, Umair is still struggling jacket and start dropping a few ballads in the horror waltz but is little more than an ungainly, the wondrously titled `Trudgery, Skullduggery, quality childish nonsense: we love the Chicory and make an ugly pop song about pederasty. We with inner demons and themes of regret, but set? `Le Petites Mort’ suggest even Smilex aren’t directionless mess that reminds us too much of Thievery & Thuggery’, an immediate anthem Tip bass keys on `Don’t Touch Kids’, the Rocky like this record. We may not always enjoy it, but stripped down to just voice and guitar, he is really sure of the best route. 90s one-hit, post-grunge also-rans Stiltskin. Such that welds punk and post-punk stylings and the Horror meets Jigsaw weirdness of the opener, we like it. able to balance the moments of dark and light Album opener `9hz’ is a false start, the sleazy middling hard rock is something Smilex have odd Cardiacs-style squiggle, setting the agenda and the fact that jukebox, pukebox rock‘n roller David Murphy with a deft touch, his guitar playing alternately headrush of yore replaced with what sounds like increasingly had a yearning for but it’s never for an LP that rarely relinquishes the pace, sparse (`Good and Evil’) and dense (`Shatter’) churning 80s soft-metal, even typical Smilex suited them. recalling Hüsker Dü’s more melodious moments as he finds some common ground between Red lines like “I’ve got no cash but I’m still buying The search for more mature pastures continues as it hurtles along. on this evidence one that could do with a bit House Painters and Jesu. This is still music to crack / I’m on a highway to hell and I’m not through til the end of the album, the epic, almost The stand-out track is `Down There for TIGER MENDOZA of discipline and direction to turn them into a soundtrack the cold months, but `Hold You Up coming back,” sounding more like a disgruntled Pink Floyd-like `Please Do Not Feed The Drug Dancing’, reminiscent of Talulah Gosh’s tighter, more focused unit. “Monsters & Miracles’ To the Light’ is more crisp December morning commuter having an ironic grumble on Twitter, Child’ and the pensive, disjointed `One Woman contemporaries The Wolfhounds, both in Art Lagun but they’re back into old school territory with Man’, which at least show Smilex are aiming for musical and vocal delivery, as well as an earlier (Self released) than bleak midwinter. `Deadman’s Dirge’, a blink-and-miss-it staccato a breadth of sound rather than rely on too many Hot Hooves number, `Serious Business’, This six-track EP, Tiger Mendoza’s fourth, Tom McKibbin punk flurry, while `Wasted Youth’ proves the tried and trusted formulae. As to whether this while lyrically, the album is always inventive: is tagged as industrial trip-pop, as good a band can do pretty melodies with some style, grown up Smilex are what the world, or at least concluding cut `Well Played on the Dumb Front’ description as any of their mix of buzzing LR/GW while retaining that old griminess. their fans, desire it seems like a case of damned provides respite from the upbeat thrash in its guitars, beats and lo-fi electronics, still featuring `Deeper Steps Into the OVERLORD Smilex are at their best when they chuck if they do; damned if they don’t, but maybe, like opening bars before ascending into a gorgeous a variety of guest vocalists. everything they seemingly love in the mixer and all kids, they have to be left to forge their own swirl of guitars and wobbly keyboard riffs, Opener ‘Punch Bag’ is not their finest moment. New Path’ Shuddering Tackhead-style beats make way `Authors’ hope it somehow fits, like on the Prince-fronting- paths and friendships, learn from their mistakes Esperanto and Pegasus receiving name checks (Self released) (Self-released) Pere-Ubu fight frenzy of `Revive the Revival’, and come out the other end having decided long the way. Presumably it is the winged horse for Half Decent to contribute a rap of suitable Sound artist Lee Riley, perhaps best known As befits a young band who have already been but maybe need to avoid being too cautious: where their true identities lie. that is being referred to rather than the famous urgency, but it all descends into a bit of a mess, for his past work as Euhedral, has been cited as one of the best new tech-metal acts in `What Is It You Actually Do Again?’ could be a Dale Kattack amateur football team of the Fifties made up those beats starting to intrude like a hangover. increasingly active in recent years creating vast town, Overlord’s debut EP tiptoes in on what of players from both Cambridge and Oxford ‘Dawn That Never Comes’ has more of a heavy swathes of sound armed with all manner of sounds like a sweet jazz drum shuffle. Fear Universities, though in Mac’s lyrical world you metal flavour, the female vocal buried under unorthodox (and often self-made) instruments. not, no sooner has it peeked its head round the never know for sure. a layer of Black Sabbath-style guitars, never their devotion to a style of indie rock that would For an artist whose recent experiments have door than the riffs have barged past and started Elsewhere, `Move Over’ deploys an Elastica quite decided where it’s heading. ‘Prometheus sound as at home 30 years ago as it does today. involved dragging a guitar through the streets upsetting furniture and neighbours alike. judder and the reputation the band enjoys for Unbound’ sees Michael Weatherburn from The The pirate-obsessed quartet have been at it for of Oxford and “a piece for bowed metal Still in their teens Overlord effortlessly incendiary live shows is fully on display. If the Half Rabbits stepping up to the mike, this time five years or so now, each new demo or release container and 16 pints of water,” the idea of show they can hold their own with an almost Oxford scene can be a polite one at times, this producing a curious goth-tinged piece with a hint steadfastly refusing to evolve much more than a stationary set of guitar noise might seem nonchalant approach to grooves and epic album is an altogether more confrontational of paranoia that wanders towards a dense multi- incrementally from the last, Cliff Adams still slightly pedestrian but `Deeper Steps Into the choruses, bringing a sizeable dose of melody proposition, albeit one leavened with the wit that layered ending. casting flamboyantly poetic lyrics to the seven New Path’ is anything but. Recorded live at into what can be an indulgent sub-genre at times. characterises the city’s most notable groups. Tiger Mendoza’s debt to 65daysofstatic is a seas in his sonorous, Morrissey-esque voice the Pegasus Theatre in June, `Deeper Steps…’ They can do widdly too - `Take You Down’ for Robert Langham badge worn a little too prominently, the Sheffield as sing-song guitar lines cavort with the spirit band having a much clearer idea of how to create is – as its name suggests – an aural journey, example is dominated by an extended journey of Johnny Marr. From `Those Heady Days of music filled with the noise, spaces and duelling and, for an improvised work, an impressively into guitarist Rhys Williams’ axe hero fantasies Decadence’ through to `One Over The Eight’, guitars in the right proportions. ‘Corporate well-crafted one at that. Foreboding screeching as he goes to war with drummer Jake Coles in the aim seems to be to party like the grog will Responsibility’ at last sees them achieving notes that chime like exotic bird calls give an intriguing duel, while `Ascent’ gallops for never run dry to a rockabilly soundtrack that’s something similar, a six-minute journey through way to waves of overlapping white noise and the hills to play with every cliché in the metal as old and solid as the timbers that make up the a sci-fi landscape held together with a pleasing deep, cavernous sub-bass feedback, whilst songbook. ship’s masts. guitar motif, and should prove to be a live reverberating echo and delay helps to create But it’s an old-fashioned sense of melody Thing is, for all the band’s adherence to a favourite. a disorientating sense of pulsating rhythm coupled with a modern dedication to technical tried and trusted formula, they’re undeniably To close ‘Just Let Go’ proves to be the EP’s throughout. exploration that’s the quartet’s strength, great fun, with a sense of the ridiculous that hidden gem. Helena Markou may not be the A running commentary for such an particularly on the EP’s title track and the epic PEERLESS PIRATES indie rock, or whatever passes for it nowadays, world’s greatest singer but her voice perfectly impressionistic piece of music would be sprawl of `Switch Off’, singer Tal Fineman seemed to forget when people failed to recognise suits the poignant, downtempo tale of loss, with fairly pointless; suffice it to say that Lee has eschewing growls or screams in favour of a `Nelson’s Folly’ the humour in The Smiths and The Wedding the guitars given a well-deserved rest. managed to create a soundscape that is inviting, more straight-down-the-line rock vocal that, if (Pirate Music) Present. There’s no shortage of ambition here but mysterious, and terrifying in equal measure, confined to its own comfort zone, brings with it There’s something endearingly heroic about This ship’s course is sure and it’s not for turning. generally too much is thrown into the pot and the and one that makes for a completely immersive an accessibility that could see the band winning Peerless Pirate’s unstinting dedication to their God speed. various elements end up fighting each other. The experience. fans beyond the local metal loyalists. buccaneering image and song titles, as well as Ian Chesterton band describe themselves as an accident but Tom McKibbin Ian Chesterton INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial, bassist Graham Barlow, the local swamp-blues ebm and darkwave club night. veterans continue to bring the party vibes. OPEN MIC SESSION: The White Rabbit OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern SATURDAY 18th WINNEBAGO DEAL + DESERT STORM WEDNESDAY 15th + FLACK BLAG: The Cellar – Oxford’s GIG GUIDE SPARKY’S JAM NIGHT: James Street very own musical blitzkrieg returns, armed and Tavern – Open jam night. dangerous – see main preview HOT HOOVES + MARY BENDYTOY + WEDNESDAY 1st th AGNESS PIKE + CLAIRE LeMASTER: The th THURSDAY 16 REGRET: Your Head WEDNESDAY 8 CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Jericho Tavern – One Gig Closer To Wittstock Wednesday 29th NAUSEA: Your Stomach JANUARY Community Centre fundraiser for the annual free festival. Tonight’s NASTY FATTY BITS: Your Liver th OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon excellent local bill features Husker Du and WELL INTENTIONED BUT DOOMED poets, storytellers and performance artists every THURSDAY 9 Guided By Voices-influences indie punkers Hot MAX RAPTOR: CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston RESOLVE: The Very Depths of Your Soul Thursday. Hooves, launching their new album, `Nutritious O2 Academy OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Community Centre Cascades’, plus gothic steam-punk crew Mary OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon FRIDAY 17th Subtlety and understatement probably aren’t nd BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston Bendytoy, theatrical thrash merchants Agness high up in Max Raptor’s vocabulary, but then THURSDAY 2 BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston DON’T GO PLASTIC + BARMY ARMY Pike and, providing a semblance of calm to when you’re railing against the system and the CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford + THE DEPUTEES + DIE IN VAIN: The rd proceedings, folk singer Claire LeMaster. world in general, you generally need to shout Community Centre – First Catweazle of the FRIDAY 3 th Jericho Tavern – Garage punk from Don’t Go KLUB KAKOFANNEY with THE FRIDAY 10 PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + JACK FM DJs: bloody loudly to be heard. Shouting loudly new year, showcasing local singers, musicians, Plastic. ELEMENTS + MOON RABBIT + BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Latin dancefloor, 02 Academy is something Burton-on-Trent’s Max Raptor MOSHKA: The Wheatsheaf – Local bands FRACTURE + DES BARKUS: The Balkan beats, world grooves and nu-jazz club EXTRA CURRICULAR: The Cellar do excel at. Their brand of rock and roll is showcase. th Wheatsheaf – The Klub Kakofanney carnival night, tonight with a live set from Jardaves por THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Rock of brutal and unreconstructed and forged in the Saturday 18 THE MIGHTY REDOX: James Street Tavern carousels into the New Year with reggae and dub Fuera, mixing up a lively blend of flamenco, Gibraltar, Enslow fires of punk’s political arm. Their songs are – Starting a new year without longstanding WINNEBAGO DEAL crew The Elements; Jeremy Hughes’ folk-country rumba, reggae and swing. all chest-beating anthems, calls to arms that THE HEAVY DEXTERS: The Jericho Tavern th project Moon Leopard, rockers Fracture and Klub th SUNDAY 19 recall The Clash, Therapy? Queens of the / DESERT STORM / Kak favourite Des Barkus. – Jazz-funk covers, from Herbie Hancock to the Saturday 25 SPRING OFFENSIVE: East Oxford Stone Age and in particular New Model Army, SHEDONISM!: The Cellar – Count Skylarkin’s James Taylor Quartet, and more. Community Centre – Return to Oxford for the with whom they’ve shared a stage in recent FLACK BLAG: legendary travelling Disco Shed pops up in the THE OTHER DRAMAS + CLAIRE WARPAINT: now London-based alt.rockers, building up to times. Forming in 2006 they supported Billy Cellar, bringing its festival vibes with it, having LeMASTER BAND + MOMENTO + TIM the release of their crowd-funded debut album Talent early on before touring with another The Cellar become an institution at the likes of Latitude, The MAYO + TOM IVEY: The Wheatsheaf – O2 Academy of their disputed influences, The Stranglers. Lock up your valuables, take to your fallout Weird to think that Warpaint have been `Young Animal Hearts’, mixing up math-pop, Big Chill, Truck and even Cornbury. Wistful folk-pop from The Other Dramas at Subsequently they’ve played Download and shelters and ready yourself for some serious together for a full decade as of this year. prog, indie grooves and more into a heady brew tonight’s It’s All About The Music showcase gig. supported Oceansize and The Futureheads, noise and whisky consumption. Winnebago And to celebrate they’re releasing their that’s made them one of the locally-born bands th THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Baytree, self-releasing a mini album and a succession Deal are back. Doubtless with a vengeance. SATURDAY 4 second album. Given all that time you’d most likely to move onto bigger things. Grove – First gig of the year for the local blues- of singles along the way. Things are set to step Because vengeance, along with drinking YELLOW FEVER + BRIGHTWORKS + have hoped they’d have come up with a JAMES ARTHUR: The New Theatre – When rock stalwart, still going strong after fifty years on up a gear with the release of their debut album and extreme violence, are staples of Ben DUCHESS: The Wheatsheaf – Something of a more adventurous title than `Warpaint’. he’s not calling rapper Micky Worthless “a the road. proper, `Mother’s Ruin’, and a doubtless Perrier and Ben Thomas’s no-frills, no- perfect storm of afro-pop flavoured local starlets Never mind, it’s the music that matters, and fucking queer” (albeit in response to some rabble-rousing headline tour around the UK. holds-barred, no-softies-allowed form of with Yellow Fever’s Foals/Bloc Party-inspired the music is great (though it’s a bit sad to equally homophobic insult) and attempting to th Barricades will be manned, statues kicked punk-metal-hardcore. Long-term Nightshift indie jinking going up against Brightwork’s SATURDAY 11 remember that when the LA quartet arrived wage a battle of wits with Frankie Boyle (never SONS OF ICARUS + FIGHTING WOLVES down and big, bold choruses sung lustily favourites, the duo have been absent for the Mathrobeat township dance-pop and Duchess’ on these shores with their 2010 debut `The go into a battle of wits unarmed, old chap), + PISTON: 02 Academy – Hard rocking from along to. last couple of years, though Ben has cropped ebullient rhythm-heavy Latin and Caribbean- Fool’, too many features on them seemed to apparently James Arthur is a singer and won a Guildford’s velocity rockers Sons of Icarus, recent up occasionally with his band Blasted. tinged pop. You might try to resist but believe us, view that music as secondary to their gender, talent show or something. Well done everyone. support to Clutch as well as The Answer and Black rd Previously the two Bens have formed Mondo you will dance. and the relationships some of the band were PURPLE MAY + CHRIS ALLSOP THURSDAY 23 Stone Cherry. Support from London heavyweights Generator with QOTSA’s Nick Oliveri, PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + JACK FM DJs: in – John Frusciante and James Blake are + RAGDOLL + MOIETY + THE INVISIBLE VEGAS + SMALL PACKAGE + Fighting Wolves. but they’re at their very best when they are 02 Academy – Three-clubs-in-one session every among their past and present paramours). FIREGAZERS + KARL HARRISON: The LIES OF ELIZABETH: The Jericho Tavern SCORDATURA + BLACK SKIES BURN + simply Winnebago Deal: an uncompromising Saturday, with indie hits at Propaganda; kitsch `The Fool’ revealed the band to be lush, Wheatsheaf (2.30-7pm) – Klub Kakofanney host – Roadhouse rocking and blues from Invisible BLUDGEON + SODOMISED CADAVER: The headlong charge through the badlands of pop, glam and 80s at Trashy, and dancefloor faves ethereal successors to the likes of Siouxsie & their regular monthly afternoon of unplugged Vegas, plus jazz and blues-tinged pop from Wheatsheaf – Death metal in the vein of Dying Black Flag, Motӧrhead, AC/DC and Minor from Jack FM’s DJs. the Banshees and Cocteau Twins at times, the music in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar. newcomers Lies of Elizabeth. Fetus and Cryptopsy from Scotland’s Scordatura Threat, one that’s seen them handpicked to EXTRA CURRICULAR: The Cellar – Weekly exquisite three-way vocal harmonies of Jenny DEEP COVER: The Cellar – Hip hop, r’n’b and at tonight’s Slave To The Grind show. They’re techno, house and bass club night. Lee Lindberg, Emily Kokal and Theresa th reggae club night with DJs Joel and Annex and support Fugazi as well as being produced joined by south Wales black-metallers Sodomised MONDAY 20 SHEPHERD’S PIE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Wayman layered over heavily reverbed guitars KING B: The Jericho Tavern – Smooth, good- live guests. by Jack Endino. They’ve not released Cadaver and club hosts Black Skies Burn. Classic heavy rock covers, from AC/DC and and propulsive basslines that occasionally CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford anything since 2010’s `Career Suicide’, but NOT TOO SHABBY + 14TEN + MONDAY time blues rocking from the local regulars at Guns’n’Roses to Iron Maiden. provoked mention of the G word, though they Community Centre it’s live where they not so much shine as COMA +BALLOON ASCENTS: The Jericho tonight’s Famous Monday Blues. HONOLULU COYBOYS: St Giles Church spread their wings further than that, from the OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon scorch the very earth before them. Excellent Tavern – Blues-rocking from Not Too Shabby, THE BULLY WEE BAND & PHIL BEER: (6pm) – Tea-dance. ghostly country-tinged ambience of Mazzy BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston heavyweight psychedelic blues-metal from heavy rock from 14Ten, indie-pop from Monday Nettlebed Folk Club – Traditional acoustic folk Desert Storm in support, as well as an opening Coma and indie-folk from Balloon Ascents at Star, through to the mellower, more melodic from the reformed Scottish veterans. th set of Black Flag covers from Ben and Ben in SUNDAY 5th tonight’s It’s All About The Music showcase gig. side of Nirvana by way of 60s Motown and FRIDAY 24 their Flack Blag guise. PHIL FREIZINGER & CHRIS HILLS + PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + JACK FM DJs: The Shangri-La’s. For their eponymous TUESDAY 21st THE LOST DOGS + NOISESCAPE follow-up the band are promising a more JULES PENZO + BEARD OF DESTINY + 02 Academy JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Groove-led live DISTURBANCE + RAGGED CLAWS + minimalist approach with elements of r’n’b, MOON LEOPARD: Donnington Community EXTRA CURRICULAR: The Cellar jazz with The New jazz Collective. JACK LITTLE: The Jericho Tavern which might rein in some of their indulgent Centre (6pm) – Free acoustic session, with veteran THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Cricketers, OPEN MIC SESSION: The White Rabbit ROCKSOC: The Wheatsheaf – University Rock jam tendencies live. A suitably chilly highlight flautist Phil Freizinger teaming up with Chris Temple Cowley OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern Society bands night. Hills, plus blues troubadour Beard of Destiny of the coldest month of the year. AFTER THE THOUGHT + MAN OF and Jeremy Hughes’ psychedelic folk act Moon SUNDAY 12th WEDNESDAY 22nd SCIENCE: The Port Mahon – EP launch for Leopard. Matt Chapman’s alternately ambient and uplifting KAIROS 4TET: The North Wall – electro project After The Thought. th Freewheeling, melodic jazz improv from the th MONDAY 13 LUCKY CLUB + SPINNER FALL + EAGLE MONDAY 6 acclaimed quartet, led by tenor and soprano MISSING PERSIANS: The Jericho Tavern – & WEEKS: Castle House, Banbury – Post-punk saxophonist Adam Waldmann, managing to Laidback acoustic blues-rock and Americana from and 80s hardcore from Spinner Fall at tonight’s th bridge the gap between crossover success and TUESDAY 7 Missing Persians at the Famous Monday Blues. Strummer Room Project show. SPANISH MUSIC NIGHT: The Art Bar – serious jazz credentials, incorporating heavy grooves and elements of world music into their Spanish-flavoured music session in the front bar. TUESDAY 14th th OPEN MIC SESSION: The White Rabbit complex but accessible sound. SATURDAY 25 JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Live jazz with SUBVERSE: The Cellar WILD SWIM + BETA BLOCKER & THE OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern Alvin Roy and Reeds Unlimited. cabaret hardcore/punk/noise weirdoes Barry & The Cellar – Like, maaan, it’s, like, yeah, like The Beachcombers. Respite comes in the form wowwwwwwwwwwww – see main preview of sultry gothic songstress Gemma Moss. SKELEFEST: O2 Academy – Monthly metal SIMPLE: Art Bar – House and techno club night Skeletor hosts an expansive evening of night with Maxxi Soundsystem, plus residents. heavy goings on, including sets from towering PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + JACK FM death metal tyrants Empire Divided; thrash crew DJs: 02 Academy K-Lacura; tech-metallers Prospekt, plus Bricks EXTRA CURRICULAR: The Cellar & Mortar; Retribution; Jabroni Sandwich; Dead mesa; Crow’s Reign; Lest We Forget and Ignite th Thursday 30 SUNDAY 26th the Sky. ONE NIGHT OF ELVIS: The New Theatre DAN LE SAC vs th – Career-spanning tribute with Lee `Memphis’ MONDAY 27 King. SCROOBIUS PIP: BROTHERS GROOVE: Art Bar – Blues, GOD SPEED: The Wheatsheaf rock and funk from the Brummie band at HOUSE FOUNDATION: Art Bar – House O2 Academy tonight’s Haven Club show. club night with Kismet and Mark Radford. Back when Nightshift first encountered this THE MICHAEL KATON BAND: The THE KITES + FRACTURE + WEBS & duo, playing to 20 hardy souls in what was Jericho Tavern – Raw roadhouse blues-rock, MARIONETTES + WAGHORN + ADAM then the Zodiac, we’d never have guessed r’n’b and boogie from the Michigan singer and McMILLAN: The Jericho Tavern that a laptop twiddler with a penchant for guitarist at tonight’s Famous Monday Blues, STONE WIRE + FOUR WHEEL DRIVE: 8-bit squiggles and 90s breakbeat wrangling, Katon renowned for his epic, sometimes five- Fat Lil’s, Witney – Hard rocking blues and and a beardy spoken-word artist in love hour sets. southern rock in the vein of Black Stone Cherry with 80s hip hop and hardcore would go and The Answer from Stone Wire. on to achieve festival headline status. But th rewind to summer 2013 and there they were TUESDAY 28 RUNDFUNK presents BJÖRN STORIG: The atop the bill at Truck, having established Cellar – Berlin-style funk and house club night, st themselves as one of the most politically Friday 31 tonight with a two-hour set from Björn Störig engaged and humorous acts around. It was from Oliver Koletzki’s legendary Stil vor Talent the brilliant, militant `Thou Shalt Always Kill’ THE OSCILLATION / label, plus Knightrider and Varkitekt. that dragged them into the public domain, JAZZ CLUB: The Art Bar – Live jazz with LISTING SHIPS: while more radio- and dancefloor-friendly The Hugh Turner Band. tracks like `Get Better’ widened their appeal OPEN MIC SESSION: The White Rabbit The Cellar further. The infectious optimism of the latter OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern Here at Nightshift we’re suckers for some contrasts starkly with the lyrical themes of serious swirly psychedelia mixed up with self-harm and suicide that recur in their less th a hefty dose of motorik Krautrock, so it’s hit-ready material, but the intricacy of the WEDNESDAY 29 always a pleasure to welcome London’s The music – informed by hip hop, acid house and MAX RAPTOR + FORT HOPE + ONLY Oscillation back to town. Previously they’ve minimalist electronica – and the deft rhyming RIVALS: O2 Academy – Chest-thumping stolen the show at Audioscope and later turned of the words, never simply resorting to punk rock of the old school from the Burton riot the Wheatsheaf into a mindwarp pavilion rabble-rousing simplifications, make the pair squad – see main preview with the help of their resident oil wheel always compelling, something their playfully FREERANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip projectionist. It’s the perfect complement to interactive live shows only serve to confirm. hop and dubstep club night. a band for whom sound and visuals fuse into Heartening to know that all these years after a lysergic whole and onstage personalities that under-populated Oxford debut, tonight’s THURSDAY 30th are subsumed wholly to the noise. The band show should be full to capacity. DAN LE SAC Vs SCROOBIUS PIP: 02 mix krautrock rhythmic intensity, shoegaze Academy – Never mind the Vs, geeky laptop dreaminess and electro-ambience into a BODY CLOCK + THEO BASS + WHALE & guy and ranty rhyming guy get on famously – simultaneously hypnotic, icy and enervating MORE WHALE + THE AUREATE ACT: 02 see main preview whole that recalls elements of Silver Apples, Academy – Gearing up for the release of their AOIFE O’DONOVAN + BETHANY Spacemen 3, Neu! and The BBC Radiophonic debut album later this year, Wild Swim headline WEIMERS: Art Bar – Empty Room Workshop, designed to provoke a mass tonight’s Upstairs show, already causing ripples Promotions returns for the new year with outbreak of zonked-out head-nodding amongst further afield as they start to crop up in various Massachusetts singer-songwriter Aoife the gathered throng. That last Wheatsheaf Ones To Watch for 2014 lists, and deservedly so O’Donovan, best known for her work as singer show featured the live debut from Listing for their spectral mix of electronica, drama-laden with Crooked Still and trad-folk act Sometymes Ships, and they provide support again tonight, pop and complex atmospherics. Great supporting Why. Her solo songs – one of which has been this time playing their last show for a while cast including recent Nightshift Demo of the covered by Alison Krauss – draw on traditional as they bid farewell to yet another drummer Monthers Beta Blocker and the Body Clock with American folk music and folk rock with a sweet, (unlike Spinal Tap they don’t explode, just go their lo-fi fuzz-rocking; glitchy experimental soulful voice. Gothic folk-pop from local singer gently into that dark night), and it’s a good electronica chap Theo Bass; Newbury’s highly- Bethany Weimers in support. opportunity to reacquaint yourself with their strung emotive pop types Whale & More Whale, RUSHIL + ECHOIC + CLAIRE LeMASTER nautically-themed, electro-heavy brand of and new young prog-rock explorers The Aureate BAND + ROB LANYON +THE LOST ART + instrumental post-rock. Act. FRANCESCA SHAW: The Jericho Tavern – WARPAINT: 02 Academy – Atmospheric It’s All About The Music local bands showcase rocking from LA’s post-goth starlets – see main night. preview CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with Community Centre MOLOTOV SEXBOMB + BARRY & THE OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon BEACHCOMBERS + GEMMA MOSS: BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston The Wheatsheaf – Sleazily melodic punk and rock’n’roll from Molotov Sexbomb at the first FRIDAY 31st GTI of 2014, alongside veteran animal-costumed THE OSCILLATION + LISTING SHIPS:

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. Pet Moon photo:Giulia Biasibetti Evangelist ispackedtocapacity anddespite arrivingearly, Istillfind Tonight I’m clearlynotaloneinmyadoration of Karine,StJohn The adding toherexploration ofwhatitmeanstocallsomewhere home. nature then‘Sticks andStones’ takesthecrown, theatmosphericmusic Still, ifthere’s one track whichtrulycapturestheheartofKarine’s poetic ‘Tinsel Show’ takesusbacktoherchildhoodand theviewofherlandscape. places. The heartbreaking ‘Salter’s Road’ payshomagetoaneighbour, whilst Ontopofthebiblicaltone,we’re also treatedtosongsaboutpeopleand Wife’, thebiblicalreferences areabundant. lamenting thesinnerwhometherdemise asapillarofsaltin‘Tears ForLot’s to Christopher Wren (architectofStPaul’s Cathedral)in‘KingofBirds’ or Whether she’s singingaboutlayinggriefatanalterin ‘Sorry’,payingtribute There isperhapsnovenuemorefittingforKarinePolwartthanachurch. St JohntheEvangelist KARINE POL its 50 Today isthedayDrWhocelebrates Jericho TavernThe AUDIOSCOPE ensconced intheJerichofor isn’t availableoniPlayer, sowe’re an unmissableevent, Audioscope While and triumphant. results havebeenequallydifficult the farthestreachesofsound. The fanfare, butittooisanexplorer:of years oldandenjoysratherless Audioscope maybeamere13 triumphant consequences. sometimes difficult,moreoften reaches oftimeandspace,with his lifeexploringthemostouter Here isacharacterwhohasspent LIVE th anniversarytogreatfanfare. The DayOfDoctoris WART Lewis orDanielJohnston.It’s like amuchmorelaid-backJeffrey today hesleepy-eyedandreserved, poetic background,butmostly STARK IMAGERY asbefitshis SERIOUS andcomesinfectedby as ifeverythingisEXTREMELY best hesounds VERY INTENSE, understated acousticset. At his solo onstageplayingadecidedly in thepast,buttodayhe’s sat and recordedwith Youthmovies stranger toOxford,havingtoured SanDiego’s ADAMGNADEisno twelve hoursofmusic. and surpriseheroesmightbeacross duration, wonderingwhothevillains Lisa Ward of herearlieryears. I’d havewelcomed somevariation,andanouting of thelessplayedtracks ‘Better Things’. Formehowever, it’s likepreaching to theconverted,and Donald Trump in‘Cover Your Eyes’ andtheexploration of Trident in Hopefully theyalsoengagewithher morepoliticalnature;thedigsat musicianship ofKarinewithbrother StevenandsidekickInge Thompson. Those freshertoher set nodoubtenjoytheintricateharmonies,and previous shows. the setasalltoofamiliar;even jokesandintroductionsarere-runsof who’s seenPolwartsincethereleaseoflatestalbum ‘Traces’ willrecognise For alltheimpressivebackcatalogueondisplayatmerchstand, anyone myself withabackrowseat. Yet tonightmylovewaneseversoslightly. imperceptibly toawarmplateauthat electronica buildsalmost exactly visualbuttheirtrippy aren’t PYE CORNERAudio The Cure’s `10.15SaturdayNight’. keep thinkingisabouttoturninto times andfinishingonasongwe Nick CaveandOtisReddingat coming onsomewherebetween soulfulness andgentlehumour, murder balladswithanuneasy performing soloasheblendsdark more arresting,benefittingfrom Young chapOllie Thomas –is of former-Ute andOldGrinding SAL more likeablethanmemorableand VATION BILL–thework Dale Kattack very muchwhatthedoctorordered. Baker’s cameoonBBC1,butitis quite arevelationtomatch Tom Early Years andHoly Fuck.It’s not to 1970sDusseldorfbywayof The a paththroughtimeandspaceback and anastyoldMoogsynthburning is prettyspoton,twinpercussionists programme as“Krautrockheaven” description inthe Audioscope BECOME LIGHTS,whose whole event,areEAT LIGHTS All About Eve,buthighlightofthe getting tooclosetosoundinglike excess andtribalbeatsavoid best whentheylayonthewitchy today’s bill,soundingattheir a sizeablechunkofdramainto & THE WITCHadd ESBEN early-80s hit-makingheyday. us alottodayofScrittiPolitti’s band’s reminds synth-infusedr’n’b Gartside, whichisappropriateasthe new haircutmakesusthinkofGreen Andrew Mearsaloneupfront.His vocals ofKarinaScuteri,leaving to; gonearetheluxuriant,soulful MOON takeabitofgettingused vocals. A new-look,new-soundPET annoying wannabe-MarkESmith rockabilly that’s foreverspoiledby with apleasinglywonkyelectro Festival, continuetoconfoundus once apermanentfixtureat Truck BycontrastFONDA 500,whowere `Galacticon’. and theydidn’t playtheirfantastic half aslongitcouldhavebeen, complaint wehaveistheirset with theironstagesound,theonly Band, andforalltheduo’s problems like aBladerunner-obsessedBeta while `TheBalladofRoyBatty’ is and motorikinthestyleofNeu!, single act.`Protogenesis’ iseuphoric at oncefamiliarbutunlikeanyother and electronicaintoawholethat’s acts, meldkrautrock,psychedelia many ofourfavourite Audioscope featuring Alexander Tucker, likeso significant quantities today. The duo, sound, likethey’veconsumedin that GRUMBLINGFURlook,and sell overthebarat Tavern. Stuff ingestion ofstuff theysadlydon’t requires armchairsandpossiblythe an hourwith thewholeof ‘Permission toLand’, theband’s most successfuland would beenough to pleasemostfans,butthentheykick backinafteraround memorably different coverofRadiohead’s `StreetSpirit(Fade Out)’. This alone earned suchareputation, kickingintoasetofnewer material, includinga Darkness’s isnoeasy task,andthebandquicklydemonstratejustwhythey’ve Ofcourse,openingupforaliveact withareputationlikethatof The performer, andperhapswecan puttonight’s performancedowntoanoff night. bass, andthesedon’t exactly helpthings,butfrontmanSteveBattelleisagood the bandareplaguedwithsoundproblems, inaudibleguitarschokedoutwith the resultingsetisanunmemorable, genericmushofpowerchords.Granted, although theonstageenergy isthere,andthemusicisn’t entirelymeritless, most popularbandsofthelast20years,fromGreenDaytoFooFighters, and The threepieceplayakindofrockmusicthatseemsto takecuesfromallthe of rock’n’rolltonight,butthey’renotmeetingwiththegreatestsuccess. LostAlone reallyaretryingtheirhardesttogetthecrowdinmoodfor abit O2 Academy THE DARKNESS/LOSTAL ONE the-hell?” crowdfavouritebut“There’s thecarrot, only thefirstcoupleofsongs.`Moth’ isthe“what- why not,abitofoperaallinthemix,andthat’s glitziness, someKrautrockinsistencyand,hell, for therulesofmelody;aheftysplashdisco There’s militantfunk,apost-punk-likedisregard on tosomethingequallyotherworldlyorbizarre. time you’vecomeanywhereclose,they’vemoved However hardyoutryandpinthemdown,bythe around anythinglikethem?Quitesimply, no. Ah yes, The Goggenheim;isthereanyotherband impression. tonight, theyneedtocutloosemoremakean between The MightyRedoxand The Goggenheim Town’ andmoreairybluegrass,butsandwiched in meeting pointbetween The Pogues’ `DirtyOld a a bitofdirtupandintotheirsongsfinding oddly static. They dorousethemselves,scraping half oftonight’s setisalmostgenteel,theband be abacchanalianspectacle;insteadthefirst their arrayofinstrumentation,youfeeltheyshould mandolin, banjo,uprightbassandfiddleamong by comparison.Eight-strongandboasting The KnightsofMentisareunexpectedlyreserved about beingcool”.Longmayitservethem. motto seemstobe“Too busyhavingfunto care highlight, summingupabandwhoseunwritten the plaindaft`Bullaburra’ remainsanenduringset like histrionics,ason`KickDowntheDoors’,but when theydipintowackycod-skaandStatusQuo- but obstinatebassline. They’re lessappealing and soon-to-bedepartedGrahamBarlow’s simple vocals atop Phil Freizinger’s heavily-flanged guitar `Eternity’ apsychedelicbluesromp,Sue’s witchy They’re easilybestwhenthey’redoingthelatter, search offlyingteapots,apartybandforpotheads. possibly Glastonburycirca1975,astheygoin pub boogie,theotherinaslightlystrangerplace, Musicallythebandhaveonefootingood-time wails andcavortsaboutthestage. particular miningherinnerchildasshewhoops, good atimeastheyeverdid,singerSueSmithin would havewaned,buttheyseemtobehavingas you’d think The MightyRedox’s enthusiasm places you’veneverheardof,mindvisited, After fourhundredgigstogether, mostofthemin O2 Academy THE MIGHTY REDOX MENTIS / THE KNIGHTSOF THE GOGGENHEIM/ clattering jazz-timedrummingandRichard the joyousspectacleitis–fromStewartShape’s fitting elementoftheband’s soundthatmakesit attention throughoutbutit’s eachandeveryill- GraceExleyisthedivacheerleaderfocusof personal favouritelyricoftheentireyear. you’re themonkey/Eatfuckingthing”isour Tal Fineman things willonlygo upfromhere. squabbling, andthey’ve comebackfromhibernation a‘proper’ rockband,and succumbed tothe clichésofsubstanceabuse,megalomania andinter-band during theirbrieftimeinthemainstream limelightadecadeago,beforethey The Darknessseemto haveshedtheresolutelackofcredibilitytheyamassed singing, submittingtothegloriousrock’n’roll atmosphereoftheevening. this point,anyguiltypleasureemotion hasmeltedawayinfavourofraucous shapes onstage,poweringrelentlessly throughatightsetofoldfavourites.By during ‘LoveontheRockswithNo Ice’.Meanwhile,therestofbandthrow riding throughthecrowdonaman’s shoulderswhilst heripsoutaguitarsolo front andcentrethroughout,swingingfromthelightingrigatonepoint, and in aridiculoustrademarklatexcatsuit,deliveringhisformidablefalsettos FrontmanJustinHawkinsconductsthecrowdwithgrandiosepomp,dressed undoubtedly bestalbum,back-to-back,inorder–adreamformostfans.

Dale Kattack perfect popband. The Goggenheim,whileremainingatheartsucha few ifanyotherstakesuchawaywardrouteas we’re spoiltformusicalinventioninOxford,but Allison’s restlesslyinventivebasslines.Seriously, Brotherton’s MagicBandsaxparpstoRowan Goggenheim photo by Johnny Moto Johnny by photo Goggenheim BABY GODZILLA / WOUNDS BLACK STAR RIDERS / THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT The Wheatsheaf DEAD DAISIES SPASM BAND Blood on the walls, footprints Dublin’s Wounds, too, are on the ceiling. There should be heaven sent and hell bent, and O2 Academy Art Bar a campaign medal struck for waste no time in re-rousing the The day before this show, Channel go under the name of Thin Lizzy Everyone has a friend or two they Man’, like a rakish Louis Armstrong, photo: Paul Carrera surviving tonight’s co-headlined rabble. Soon singer Aiden Cooper 4 showed a documentary called 50 (out of respect to Phil Lynott) but know they shouldn’t mix with, the three-strong brass and reed line gig, or at least a small, logo-ed bag is being carried shoulder high Years of Excess. It was basically they’re more than happy to play friends who lead them astray, even pumping out an ever more heartening from the merch table, to take your among them, leading the gang a retread of every rock and roll sizable portions of the Lizzy back with the most benign intentions. noise as the set moves between easy, teeth home in. chorus of `Dead, Dead, Fucking Babylon story you’ve ever heard. catalogue. Of course with original Count Skylarkin and The Original ebullient swing, like the fleet-footed The only time Nottingham’s Baby Dead’, with his mic lead lassoing These tales of depravity (bowls full Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham in Rabbit Foot Spasm Band are those `Birdman of Barley Mow’, to sweeter Godzilla appear together on the the Edwardian, brass chandelier, of coke; groupies full of red snapper, their ranks, it would be strange if friends; mix the two together and r’n’b numbers that display both stage is – backs to the audience – threatening to bring the roof in you know the drill) used to seem Lizzy didn’t get a look in, but the you’ve got a party you’re going to the band’s versatility and Stuart’s moments before they crash into the on us. Brother James Cooper’s bold, rebellious and exciting. Maybe balance between reliving former feel, if not remember, for a while increasingly strong voice. first chords of their triple-speed formidable riffing is at the core it’s in the telling but all of a sudden glories and breaking new ground after. Before he’s even welcomed the It’s timeless stuff of course and metalcore. From thereon in it’s a of the band’s recent change in the relentless rock myths seem so is uncomfortable. Frontman Ricky band onstage, Skylarkin is doing his rooted in New Orleans’ jazz hilariously dangerous maelstrom of fortunes that has seen them rise very tired and in need of a good lie Warwick does a good job at being characteristic party piece of pouring traditions, but the lyricism is flying arms, legs, broken mic stands from the death of their father, and down. his own man and filling Lynott’s rum down the throats of the throng entirely British, and in particular and guitar heads, as they all tear then James’s three months on life Dead Daisies may or may not be shoes, and the guitar work for the gathered in front of the stage, just in Oxfordshire-orientated – where into the audience, cutting a swathe support after falling four storeys living the high life, but the kind of duelling solos is nothing short case the festive spirit wasn’t flowing else would you get references to to the door. Between each two- from a balcony, to being signed to rock they peddle is fairly middle of of breathtaking. Yet the constant freely enough already. Eynsham witches or Kenny Vans in minute track it’s gaffer tape repairs two of the biggest European and US the road. Like Bad Company being switching between the new and old The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm a party swing band? and the sound of a hundred unfit booking agencies, with the prospect actual bad company. It’s all a bit is a problem; this is a band conflicted Band are, of course, the perfect act This being their traditional pre- neutered and uninspired. “This is by its own history. New songs allude to play his regular swing, jump and Christmas show, we see Tiger metal fans trying to get their breath of massive acclaim to come. To a new song” they declare, and the to Lizzy via motifs and signifiers, r’n’b parties, even if the current Mendoza’s Ian de Quatros take to before they’re back to the slam- these ears they sound like AC/DC resulting meander sounds as if it and old songs are Lizzy. There’s seven-strong incarnation of the the stage for a rendition of `Blue dancing and climbing on top of if they’d taken up punk instead of had been written in 1989 by Alice no denying that `Cowboy Song’ or band can now be seen sipping Christmas’, before they leave us with the bar, culminating with an empty rock, a bona fide return to the spirit Cooper. They close with a very `The Boys Are Back In Town’ aren’t water onstage rather than whisky joyous odes to the booze that remain Jagermeister bottle, that had earlier, of a time when The Stooges weren’t straight cover of `Helter Skelter’ great fun live, but Black Star Riders and beer. While such sobriety and the heart and soul of their music. half full, been handed out, arcing going to live beyond the age of (as Mötley Crüe used to do) and need to perform a jailbreak of sorts professionalism can make you “Drink up thy red wine,” hollers over the moshing heads towards the twenty five. If only all gigs had this segue into `Whole Lotta Love’. This and decide whether they want to hanker for the riotous chaos of old, Stuart. We’re there with him. “Drink stage and snuffing out one of the much life; only next time, order is the sound of a band discarding embrace the future fully or continue as Stuart Murdoch said in his recent up thy Pernod,” he adds. Oh dear. band’s halogen lamps dotted around more paramedics. their cowboy boots and easing into reliving the past. Sure the stories, Nightshift interview, if they’d carried We’d rather not. But then again, look to light the action. Paul Carrera slippers. Rocking chair rather than songs and old glories are important, on as they started, they’d all be whose company we’re in again. We rock and roll. and deserve retelling but sometimes dead by now. Not that such things know it’s bad for us, and we know As a kind of Thin Lizzy reboot, the sheen is lost with over familiarity matter as Stuart creeps about the it’ll hurt in the morning, but we’re HAPPY MONDAYS PEACE / DRENGE Black Star Riders is a peculiar and it is time to move on. stage, hunched over his mic, rasping going to do it anyway. band in that they’ve chosen not to Sam Shepherd the words to the sleazy `Taxidermy Dale Kattack O2 Academy O2 Academy A few days prior to tonight’s show sunglasses for most of the set, Openers Drenge, from Derbyshire in a constant boisterous ripple. I hear a radio interview with Bez coming forth only to introduce the and last seen in Oxford at For a band so fresh on the scene, where he states that he is taking it band and take the piss out of his Gathering Festival back in October, having released their debut easy these days. We’re confused brother Paul on bass who swiftly are a duo that create such a depth album `In Love’ earlier this year, then when he bounds on to the tells him where he can go. His of noise that you might keep their live show is already full of stage jester/MC-like thrusting swagger is still there though, as he craning your neck during their set warmly-received sing-along hits. a tribal witch doctor’s stick bobs from side to side confidently. expecting to find a third or even `Lovesick’’s killer verse has echoes skywards and ranting about it being Sensibly the band resists playing fourth band member hiding behind of The Cure’s `Friday I’m in Love’ “25 years!” (since Madchester the album in track order – always a an amp. Singer Eoin Loveless with a youthful abandon and a classic `Bummed’ was released) device which is ill-advised for the inhabits the stage with a youthful yearning to be free of grown-up as a means of introducing the live setting. However, like the band enthusiasm and confidence. obligations: “I don’t wanna make band’s arrival. We’re made up themselves we lose count of what’s He seems at home up there as he no sense / I don’t wanna pay the though by his evident energy and covered and what’s not, and can only delivers lyrics ranging from the rent / I wanna get lovesick with enthusiasm; many have questioned assume they get to every song. Prior dark in songs like `Fuckabout’ to you,” which explodes into an Bez’s contribution to the band, to `Lazyitis’ Shaun laments that, the humorous in `People in Love upbeat, harmony-fuelled chorus but conversely (at least live) the “Karl Denver’s dead, but it would Make Me Feel Yuck’. Younger from Harry’s brother Samuel on Mondays would not be the same be good if he could come and do brother Rory is a relentless bass. band without him; the highlight this with us”. The groove is great force behind a mop of hair, his Quiet ballad `Float Forever’ stirs tonight is when he crosses his throughout, though they really hit drumming driving the songs along the audience, who join in on every maracas above his head, gurning top gear with `Wrote for Luck’. under Eoin’s fuzzy guitar. While single word. Harry does lapse into and silhouetted from behind by a An encore of three top 20 hits, the pair only takes up half the rock cliché as he asks how the spotlight. `Hallelujah’, `Kinky Afro and, stage, they fill the auditorium. audience are: “What is it? I can’t Rowetta Satchell is also a welcome obviously, `Step On’, shows the For a band that started partly as a hear you!” but there is no doubt inclusion tonight (although she Mondays know exactly what the joke, they are certainly to be taken that Peace are keeping the audience never appeared on the original crowd wants and deliver it on a seriously now. Eoin introduces happy. Hannett-produced album) with her plate. We were, we have to admit, `Face like a Skull’ with, “If you A powerful encore of the soaring backing vocals providing a worried the whole thing could wanna go mental it’s your last anthemic `California Daze’ and much more expansive sound – the have been a car crash event; the chance”. A challenge this crowd the highly-danceable `Bloodshake’ complementary duality between that Mondays, like The Pogues and Pete gladly accepts. showcases the rolling drums of and Shaun Ryder’s slouchy street Doherty, are never a safe bet against Peace begin their set with the Dominic Boyce and the bright, mumble is perfect and this signature a disaster, but in the end we had no resonant, catchy guitar of `Waste of jangling guitar of Douglas Castle. sound is another authentic stamp. need for such worries, a reliable unit Paint’, singer Harry Koisser oozing Peace’s songs are drenched with Also worthy of a mention is Mark turns up and delivers a competent sex appeal in a striped turtle-neck nostalgic summer vibes; it’s Day’s assured guitar work which helping of classics that has the crowd and plaid trousers. “You’re such an no wonder they are so warmly carries a lot of the set. dancing like it’s 1988 all over again. animal” he croons. received on such a cold December Ryder himself hides in the shadows Mission accomplished. The bright riffing guitars and night as this. at the rear of the stage and his Mark Taylor bouncy basslines keep the crowd Celina Macdonald Julia Diamantis Every Tuesday INTRODUCING.... THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under 7th SPANISH-FLAVOURED MUSIC in the front bar 14th ALVIN ROY & REEDS UNLIMITED 21st THE NEW JAZZ COLLECTIVE Despicable Zee th 27 THE HUGH TURNER BAND Who is she? Despicable Zee is the work of Zahra Tehrani, 25, drummer, producer, music project facilitator and director of both the Oxford Young Women’s Thursdays Music Project and BG Records. In her teens she was known locally as th 30 Empty Room Promotions presents drummer of electro-punk band and Nightshift favourites BabyGravy. “Sick AOIFE O’DONNOVAN / BETHANY WEIMERS of recording rappers over beats that were ripped off Youtube when I ran the Kate Garrett Studio at the Ark T Centre,” she decided it was time to “put my live drumming skills into an electronic format mixed up with all my musical Fridays influences,” and began writing instrumentals for artists on BG Records, which 31st HOUSE FOUNDATION with Kismet / Mark Radford £8 lead her to involve some of those artists in collaborating with her on a solo Her favourite other Oxfordshire act is: EP. The self-titled `Despicable Zee’ EP was released on BG in November. “I love Undersmile.” What does she sound like? If she could only keep one album in the world, it would be: Saturdays Zahra’s inventive drumming skills underpin her dark-hued fusion of hip “`Supa Dupa Fly’by Missy Elliott. Production by Missy and Timbaland 18th tbc hop, dubstep and almost gothic electro-pop, a mood accentuated by the vocal sounded fresh back then and could still hold its ground if it came out now. 25th SIMPLE – House and techno with MAXXI contributions of Stray Dog – the new singing alias of former-BabyGravy The visuals were groundbreaking, Missy is a true visionary.” bandmate Iona Rosin – and Casus on the EP’s stand-out tracks, while a host When is her next local gig and what can newcomers expect? SOUNDSYSTEM / residents of local singing and rapping luminaries, from Asher Dust, N-Zyme and “I am expecting a baby in January so performing will be put on hold until Chukie, combine on the staccato industrial hip hop of `Take It Easy’. my new project with Iona debuts in Autumn 2014; we will be going under the What inspires her? name Sow, you can expect vocal looping, drumming and lots of energy.” Sundays “Listening to music that encourages me to push boundaries, not limiting Her favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: th 12 HUMOUR TUMOUR – Live stand-up comedy myself to what equipment I have but more about how far I can push my “My favourite thing has to be the fact that there is a tight network of people ideas with what I’ve got around me. The young people and adults I facilitate that provide promotion, support and exposure to hard working artists and help JANUARY projects for are a massive inspiration to the music I produce.” sustain the high standard of music. My least favourite is the lack of venues February Career highlight so far: for under 18s; when we were growing up there were a lot more opportunities st Mondays 1 TERRAFORMERS – drum’n’bass “When BabyGravy sold out the O2 Academy for our single launch party; to support our favourite local bands, now the new generation can’t really nd 2 HUMOUR TUMOUR – comedy we were so young and managed to bring together lots of different upcoming progress unless they lie about their age or wait till they are 18.” th THE HAVEN CLUB 7 GEORGE EZRA artists, including young bands and rappers, which really created a buzz and You might love her if you love: th 27 BROTHERS GROOVE 8th POLICE DOG HOGAN platform for what seemed at the time a voiceless part of the music scene.” Creep; Bjӧrk; Santigold; Ms Dynamite; Zola Jesus. 16th FAT WHITE FAMILY And the lowlight: Hear it here: “Being booked to play the most terrifying bikers pub in Leicester.” bgrecords.bandcamp.com/album/despicable-zee DR SHOTOVER - The Desolation of Smeg THIS MONTH IN OXFORD T H E W H E A T S H E A F Ah, there you are. But… bloody hell – how many of you are there? Is this one of Fri 3rd January ‘KLUB KAKOFANNEY’ my famed opium flashbacks? Or merely a still from Roger Moore’s finest hour, The ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY Man Who Haunted Himself? Oh no, I see what’s happened – I’m still wearing those infernal 3D glasses. Just been to the cinema with Digby and Risinghurst, to view 20 YEARS AGO and expression of the joy of being.” No-one Grill, Sunfly, Red Star Cycle and Last Under THE ELEMENTS the latest Tolkien-based epic. I’ve had jollier prostate examinations in my time, “We just got stoned, turned on the blob light and mentioned the word “hippies”. the Sun. to be honest. First up, the auditorium was full of snot-faced pre-teenagers eating 8pm/£5 played whatever came into our heads,” admitted popcorn with slack jaws and punching idly at their mobile phones with stubby th Sat 4 January dwarfish digits. Secondly, the film presentation was about fifteen hours long, and The Egg, who graced the front cover of January 10 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO bore no resemblance AT ALL to the original manuscript (as shown me by Prof JRRT 1994’s Curfew magazine. It saw the hatching News from January 2004’s Nightshift was “Get happy!” demanded the front cover of YELLOW FEVER himself in the back bar at the Turd and Tabby in 1932, I’ll have you know). It was of a band who were among the most successful dominated by the death of Mackating singer January 2009’s Nightshift, introducing ebullient also stuffed with tiresome, ahem, ‘special FX’… what’s that, Custance? CGI? Never Oxford acts of the 90s, releasing a succession Leeroy `Slimma’ Golding, who has passed local electro-pop crew Alphabet Backwards. 8pm/£5 or £3 Adv heard of it. I’ll tell you what, though – I was gasping for a C.I.G. by the end of the of 12” singles and two albums before not-quite away in his sleep of natural causes, aged just 43. The band, who had yet to release anything Fri 10th January ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC’ experience. When did they ban smoking in the cinema? Last time I went, the health splitting (they exist to this day in a very different The son of Sonny `Downbeat’ Golding, who ran beyond a couple of demos, were already being nuts and milksops could sit on one side and us fun-loving types on the other, the form), “starring” alongside Ray Winstone and one of the first reggae soundsystems in Oxford played by Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq. dense fog from our Capstan non-filters and Meerschaum pipes drifting poetically Kathy Burke in Nil By Mouth and soundtracking The positivity of their music was reflected in across… It was like the happy smog-filled East End of my pre-war childhood. ‘Lend in the 1960s, Leeroy was born in Jamaica CLAIRE LEMASTER that Citroen advert with the dancing robot with their genial interview which found them simply us a sovereign, guvnor, so I can redeem me little cousin from the pawn shop… before moving here aged 8 and grew up to helm 8pm/£6 a mash-up of their `Walking Away’ with David Guvnor, GUVNOR, I’m over ‘ere!’ Heady days! Where was I? Ah yes – at ‘the flick- the band who have become one of the most declaring “We genuinely really enjoy playing, th Guetta’s `Love Don’t Let Me Go’ in 2006. Sat 11 January ‘SLAVE TO THE GRIND’ ers’, in the three-and-ninepenny seats. Rumour has it that Lord Spira is planning a enduring roots acts in Oxford. whether on stage or jamming together. We’re all The band, made up of twins Ned and Maff Scott, sequel to his masterful cinematic overview of the Oxford music scene. It’s called Also in the news this month, Nought guitarist such good mates it helps make a nice atmosphere from Cornflower Concept, alongside guitarist Anyone Can Play Golf, and features clubhouse tales from members of Stockport, James Sedwards came second in the national and if we’re having a giggle, then chances are, SCORDATURA Mark Revell and bassist Dave Gaydon, originally The Einstein and Shoals. Well, they need a hobby, these kids, don’t they?? It’s tough Riffathon competition, organised by Led Zep other people will too.” formed to play a jam set at a friend’s party at the Among highlights of a typically quiet January at the toppermost legend Jimmy Page to raise money for African of the poppermost. Jericho Tavern before a rave – and pun-packed gig calendar was a young lad called Frank children’s charities. James was presented with a 8pm/£5 Musical predictions – review of the gig by Curfew encouraged them Turner, just starting to make a bit of an name th Fender telecaster by Page himself, and remains Fri 17 January for the coming year? to keep going, The Egg eventually eclipsing the for himself after leaving Million Dead, and one of the most innovative guitarists Oxford has Don’t ask me – I’m members’ other bands. That review also inspired already proclaimed an honorary Oxfordian for staying here in the produced. His album `The Devil was released 8pm/£5 the title of the quartet’s debut album, `Albumen’. his regular appearances in town and at Truck MOSHKA East Indies Club bar last month, as well as a collaborative record Fri 24th January Declaring that they wanted to simply place an Festival, as well as employing Dive Dive chaps for the foreseeable… egg onstage as statement about so-called faceless with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. Tarrant, Ben and Nigel in his backing band. Next possibly for the whole dance music, they explained that the creature that Eeebleee were the main featured band in stop the Olympic opening ceremony. Elsewhere 8pm/£5 of 2014. Make mine a ROCKSOC lurked within that egg would be “Cold-blooded Nightshift this month, releasing their new single Duke Special, Bring Me The Horizon and Sat 25th January ‘GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES’ pint of Old Mirkwood, but hard boiled, a bastard of a creature. Nobody `Apologise’ on Scruffy Bird Records, while Buzzcocks were at the Academy, while Little with a side-order of former-Talulah Gosh singer Amelia Fletcher’s Orc scratchings. Happy knows who its parents are.” Curfew suggested Fish and Black Hats headed up Truck Festival’s Tender Trap released their `Cómo te Llamas?’ MOLOTOV SEXBOMB New Sneer! a three-way parentage of Pink Floyd, the Orb Equitruck event at the Jericho Tavern. Over in and Acid Jazz favourites The Sandals. “It’s life- album. The Zutons, Longview, Carina Round the demo pages, Cyberwhores were told in no 8pm/£4.50 Next month: Govern- ‘Oh my GUARD! It’s someone with a CIGARETTE… affirming music,” the band concluded, “funk and Gene were all in town, while local band uncertain terms to “fuck off.” Who said the art of The Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford ment Elf Warning on the wrong side of the auditorium!’ music is positive music, fluidity is a sexual thing, names now lost in time included Face Meets music criticism was dead? the loveless wilderness. `Haunted Man’ time, was intended to upset every grown- doesn’t steer too far from a well-worn up within a fifty-mile radius, and played confessional troubadour path but Chris’s at such a volume they would all hear it. pure, unforced voice makes for easy balm, And so they chug and skip along with DEMOS while `These City Lights’ feels like little something approaching gay abandon, like Sponsored by more than a spectral exhalation of air McFly wondering if anyone will get cross Demo of the Month wins a free half against its minimalist guitar plucking, but if they nick a few old Clash and Ruts riffs day at Silver Street Studios in Read- it’s delicately done and sounds much better and polish them nicely til they shine and ing, courtesy of Umair Chaudhry. than we’ve probably made it sound. So don’t clash with the new Ikea furniture their far, so Jeff Buckley maybe, but Chris even dad just spent all afternoon assembling. Visit umairchaudhry.co.uk/nightshift manages to put his own spin on Dylan’s Dad, meanwhile, smiles benignly at Small `Girl From The North Country, and if we’ll Town Hero’s merry little pop racket and the four and a half minute mark, around always prefer Johnny Cash’s version he tries to remember what he did with his old 01865 240250 DEMO OF the time most songs are brushing their adds a slightly desolate edge to its tale of Discharge records. teeth before going to bed, it reaches its first romantic longing. Lovely stuff and a short, atmospheric breakdown before returning simple lesson in how to not get it totally THE MONTH for another dose of even more epic fretplay and utterly hopelessly fucking wrong for and further self-contemplation. It’s a bit far too many local strummers and moaners THE DEMO of a jumble but it’s all rather engrossing out there. JEFF WODE and there’s little by way of pointers at to DUMPER Named, in case you didn’t already know, where it’s all going next. They probably after an incidental character briefly listened to Yes and ELP, but it’s got as BRANCHES mentioned in Withnail & I, and already much in common with The Legendary Branches are a band who describe LITTLE HAITI hailed as successors to The Cellar Family’s Pink Dots or even 60s psych weirdoes HP themselves as alternative, though to what, In this digital age handwriting and spelling local oddball throne, Jeff Wode have Lovecraft as anything. Further in, `Empyre’ we’re far from sure and, as we write can be seen as arcane irrelevancies, managed to have a proper falling out and teases us by dissipating to nothing after a this, too full of festive goodwill to make something for old fuddy duddies like lost a guitarist since this demo first arrived, succinct three and a bit minutes, only to facetious suggestions. In fact, the band Nightshift to fret over. Yeah well, if your but we’re sincerely hoping they survive the re-emerge via some muted clarinet before touch base with so many different musical penmanship is so fucked we can’t tell fracture since we’d happily sit and listen mining Chrome’s crazed off-metal flailing genres across a mere two songs they might whether you’re called Little Haiti or Little to these three tracks on rotation from now and guitar destruction. `Avos’ takes be the single least alternative band in town. Hattie, it’s you who’s going to get it in til the end of winter than anything else in the meandering path a little too far into Their demo opener, `Distance’, starts off the neck. We like the idea of a band called the pile that parades itself as “alternative” murkiness but overall, for all its lack of somewhere between fidgety Foals-inspired Little Hattie to be honest, and imagine an rock. Mainly cos it’s a right royal bloody cohesion – or maybe because of it – they indie, all wiry, trebly guitars, and boy band angel-faced urchin singing sweet nursery TURAN AUDIO.co.uk Professional, independent CD mastering mess and all the more enjoyable for that. mark themselves out as a very young band hysteria and has us thinking dark, dark rhymes to her dear old nan at Christmas `Lazy Brown Dog’ sounds like a severely time, possibly while suffering from with the imagination and will to go and do thoughts about Bastille, before it goes sort- Artists mastered in the studio last month include; stoned one-man protest march against consumption from working up chimneys something pretty special in future. of metalcore with a shouty intermission, ONE WING LEFT, RANDALL LINDSELL, SEASONS, HOT canine companions with its barely coherent since the age of five. We guess it’s meant edging it closer to Dive Dive, quickly tiring HOOVES, CO-PILGRIM, BOSTON, JAMES HUMPHREY, megaphone vocals and a lump of slacker of this tack and sails off on some ambient to be Little Haiti though, given the clod- NAZARETH, THE LAST RESORT, THE BUSINESS, THE 4 SKINS, punk that doesn’t so much propel itself THE REAPER dub trip. Bonus points for trying to be hopping attempt at Latin-flavoured dance- HAWKWIND, DOUG SAHM, JOHN HIATT, MIKE DORNAN, THE from A to B as stumble through the in door Another very young band who need no eclectic at least. Second song `Stuck At pop slathered across this CD like some and collapse across the floor to the exit patronising on account of their tender Sea’ starts with what might be the biggest noxious form of blueberry and marmite- OCTAVES, LOU REED, THE EXPLOITED, BRUFORD, UK SUBS, without so much as a by-your-leave. `Dear age, The Reaper already have a couple of intake of breath in recorded history before flavoured jam. Such a taste clash is relevant KAMPFAR, FAILURE, THE MOTHS, THE ADICTS, CHAOS UK, David Rose’ is similarly ungainly but it’s albums and some seriously high-profile bouncing off to play at being an emo band, since Hattie here – we’ve taken the liberty STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN. `Ian Brown Is Not Your Dad’ that’s the shows under their belts and make plenty of all elbows and social awkwardness, the of deciding the singer is called Hattie even mud-and-bile-coated jewel in this crown, rock bands twice or thrice their age sound incongruous genre-blending diversion though Hattie is quite patently a sixteen- 01865 716466 [email protected] a semi-musical post-pub punch-up on the like puny amateurs. This is a one-off new here being a reggaefied middle-eight that stone bloke wearing an undersized Fedora night bus, all malevolent overdriven sheet song, called `Liquid Gold’, whose title worryingly gets us to thinking about Sting. – seems to think Latin/Caribbean dance metal guitar and slurred vocal brawling alone positively screams 1970s, a point in Bizarrely, despite reading all that back and music goes really well with boyband-style THE COURTYARD packed with an unmistakably aggressive history when even their dads were probably seeing we’ve mentioned both Sting and soft rock and something UB40 left in the sense of purpose, one that reminds us of too young to be listening to nasty long- Bastille, we’re not inclined to hunt them toilet when they last visited the studio. RECORDING STUDIO Mudhoney’s early wigouts. If Jeff Wode haired rock beasties, and doesn’t disappoint down and butcher them with fondue forks. Unlike, say, The Aureate Act, Little Haiti/ survive their falling out and return to as it rumbles in on some serious riffola Please tell us we’re not mellowing in our Hattie obviously know exactly what they’re PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/24, OTARI metaphorically tossing their orb about, in the style of Hendrix or Deep Purple dotage. doing when it comes to telling one end of a MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE MACHINE, 2 TRACKING you should learn to love them too. If you before vomiting everything up a couple of fretboard from t’other, but such dead-eyed ROOMS, SUPERB CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELEC- don’t, they’ll come and pull your head off. notches into full-on metal, pitched at that professionalism simply makes the whole TION OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR + MIDI FACILITIES (Inc lumpen exercise even more excruciatingly Because they don’t like your head. point where NWOBHM gave way to the SMALL TOWN LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND etc.) first wave of thrash. From here it rises and cloying than it would have been if it had rises into righteous tech-cum-power-cum- HERO been an unholy midden made by untutored Residential facilities included. Claiming to sound a bit like “Green Day Victorian urchins with a limb missing. thrash metal by way of a wailing solo and www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk with more solos and an English edge”, If they attempted to play this festering THE AUREATE ACT all-round powerhouse rocking, but the real Phone RICHARD WALSH on 01235 845800 The Aureate Act don’t describe themselves scene-stealer in it all is singer Joey Kenny Banbury-Didcot (now that’s proper county- crock at a proper Haitian carnival they’d as alternative in any way, shape or form, whose pre-pubescent (and thus female- spanning) outfit Small Town Hero do quickly find themselves the subjects of but they’re still far further from anything sounding) voice is seriously quite soulful pretty much what they promise, for better a particularly unpleasant voodoo ritual, resembling the mainstream than pretty amid the metal thunder. or worse, depending on your views on probably involving human pin cushions. much anything else in the pile. And that anything “inspired” by Green Day. Like That’s if they could even find Haiti on a they’re all just 16 only goes to amplify their Branches before them they manage to be map. Map reading being another skill the otherness. They’re a sort of psychedelic CHRIS RYDER entirely inoffensive while playing a type technological age seems to have shunted prog band, but not in the stereotypical way Let’s try a little tenderness after all that of music that once, back in the mists of into the land of Mcfuckery. we’ve come to expect. Their first number, nasty old noise, shall we? And here’s `Snow Scenes and Revolving Trains’, Chris Ryder to provide soothing succour starts off as a solemnly hymnal lament that to broken hearts and sensitive souls might be a Dick & Dom skit on Gregorian everywhere. One man and an electric monks and proceeds to become increasingly guitar he may be, but in his case we’ll Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links preposterous from there, all portentously stay execution by sarcasm since he has an to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without swirling synths and marching snares, almost angelically pleading voice to lead a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you moving onto epic guitar bluster. Around his decidedly lachrymose songs through can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT Thurs 13th Feb 2014 • £10 adv Tues 25th Mar 2014 • £15.50 adv £5 adv / NUS / members, £4 NHS Cash Metronomy 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only Payin’ Tribute to the Man In Black Thurs 27th Mar 2014 • £14 adv Sat 15th Feb 2014 • £6 adv 7pm - 11.30pm Katy B

Upstairs ft. Black Hats Fri 28th Mar 2014 • £11 adv In association with BBC Introducing 6.30pm - 10pm + Invisible Vegas + Late Night Lights Banks + The Shapes + Band Of Hope Tues 8th Apr 2014 • £20 adv Sun 16th Feb 2014 • £12.50 adv Sophie Ellis-Bextor Mike Peters Declaration Tour 2014 Fri 11th Apr 2014 • £8 adv 6.30pm - 10pm Tues 18th Feb 2014 • £10 adv Black Bullet Live Presents Tues 31st Dec • £10 adv Twenty One Pilots Martyr de Mona 10pm - 3.30am • over 18s only + Lest We Forget + Dead Mesa + Icon Propaganda vs Trashy Sat 22nd Feb 2014 • £8 adv - Prehistoric New Years Eve 7pm - 10pm Sun 13th Apr 2014 • £20 adv Lauren Aquilina Matt Cardle Tues 31st Dec • £12 adv 10pm - 4am • over 18s only Fri 28th Feb 2014 Sun 13th Apr 2014 • £15 adv Switch ft. Shy FX 6.30pm - 10pm 5 Seconds of Summer Deaf Havana New Years Eve Tues 15th Apr 2014 • £20 adv + Stamina MC, Rossi B + Luca, Fri 28th Feb 2014 • £8 adv Lazcru + B-ILL, Masp hosted by Snipes 6.30pm - 10pm Alkaline Trio Foxes + Bayside Sat 11th Jan 2014 • £8 adv 7pm - 10pm Tues 22nd Apr 2014 • £20 adv Black Bullet Live Presents Sat 1st Mar 2014 • £8 adv 6pm - 10pm Magnum Rock Lives Room 94 ft. Sons of Icarus Thurs 1st May 2014 • £11 adv + Fighting Wolves + Piston Mon 3rd Mar 2014 • £11 adv The Temperance Sat 25th Jan 2014 • £15 adv Temples Movement 6.30pm - 10pm Tues 4th Mar 2014 • £17.50 adv Warpaint Fri 2nd May 2014 • £15 adv Bonobo Rescheduled show • original tickets valid Sat 25th Jan 2014 • £6 adv Wretch 32 7pm - 11.30pm Thurs 6th Mar 2014 • £15 adv Upstairs ft. Wild Swim We Are Scientists Thurs 15th May 2014 • £16.50 adv In association with BBC Introducing Pentatonix + BetaBlocker and the Body Clock + Theo Bass Sat 8th Mar 2014 • £14 adv + Whale and More Whale + The Aureate Act 6.30pm - 10pm Sat 31st May 2014 • £22.50 adv The Answer 7pm - 10.30pm Tues 28th Jan 2014 • £7 adv Chas & Dave Max Raptor & Fort Hope Sun 9th Mar 2014 • £16.50 adv Back By Popular Demand + Only Rivals + Making Monsters The Selecter “35 Years of The Selecter” Thurs 16th Oct 2014 • £15 adv Thurs 30th Jan 2014 • £13.50 adv The Orb Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip Weds 12th Mar 2014 • £15 adv Lissie Fri 31st Jan 2014 • £10 adv 6pm - 2am Thurs 13th Mar 2014 • £16 adv Skeletor presents Skelefest The English Beat ft. Bricks&Mortar + Empire Divided featuring original vocalist Dave Wakeling + K-Lacura + Retribution + Jabroni Sandwich + Dead Mesa + Crows’ Reign Sat 15th Mar 2014 • £10 adv + Lest We Forget + Ignite The Sky 7pm - 10pm The Dualers Weds 5th Feb 2014 • £13.50 adv 6.30pm - 11pm Mayday Parade Mon 17th Mar 2014 • £23 adv + Man Overboard + Divided By Friday The Stranglers 40th Anniversary Tour

Sat 8th Feb 2014 • £10 adv Mon 17th Mar 2014 • £10 adv 7pm - 10.30pm Loveable Rogues Nick Harper & Mule Tues 18th Mar 2014 • £18.50 adv Tues 11th Feb 2014 • £18.50 adv Maximo Park Less Than Jake & Reel Big Fish Mon 24th Mar 2014 • £7 adv + Zebrahead Saint Raymond

Tickets for Saturday night shows INCLUDE FREE ENTRY to Propaganda (or £6, £5 NUS / members, £4 NHS on the door)

facebook.com/o2academyoxford 190 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1UE • Doors 7pm unless stated twitter.com/o2academyoxford Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-5.30pm youtube.com/o2academytv ticketweb.co.uk • wegottickets.com • seetickets.com • gigantic.com