email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 143 June Oxford’s Music Magazine 2007

TheThe JoffJoff WinksWinks BandBand

Easy does it with Oxford’s new jazz-rock stars - interview inside

Plus Punt review - inside Fell City Girl split! Last night at the Zodiac! JWB photo: Viknesh Sivanathan JWB photo: Viknesh NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 OXFORD NEWNEWSS PUNT Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected]

HELLO EVERYONE, Well, we bid a very fond farewell to the Zodiac in May at an incredibly exciting and emotional gig which saw some of Oxford’s best-loved bands reuniting to celebrate the venue that helped put this city on the musical map. While it’s a shame to see a part of Oxford music history go, the planned refurbishment by the Academy Group is equally exciting. Come the end of September, Oxford will FELL CITY GIRL have split up. Singer Phil have its biggest and best regular live music venue ever, one that will help attract even bigger touring McMinn announced the news on the band’s bands to town. MySpace site at the end of May. Over the last two Watching The Candyskins, Dustball, The Nubiles and Unbelievable Truth perform on the Zodiac’s years Fell City Girl have become one of Oxford’s stage again reminded us just what a fantastic legacy Oxford music has. But in the same month we also most popular and successful bands, regularly selling had the Oxford Punt, a showcase of the best up and coming acts in the area. It was a night that out the Zodiac as well as venues around the UK, showed just how varied the local music landscape can be and the extremely high standard that has and releasing a series of excellent EPs on Lavolta, been set for all new bands to aspire to, which has to be a good thing. a label part-owned by Sony. The band have topped With the Zodiac shut for four months, this summer is a perfect time for everyone to go out and Nightshift’s end of year Top 20 for the past two discover for themselves some new musical thrills. Oxford is blessed with plenty of great small venues years, with ‘Weaker Light’ in 2005 and last year - the Wheatsheaf, the X, the Port Mahon, the Cellar, the Bullingdon and the Jericho Tavern with ‘Send In the Angels’ from their ‘Swim’ EP. amongst them. And this is where the stars of tomorrow are already working to make their presence Speaking to Nightshift Phil explained what had felt. So that’s your summer homework - go and see a band you’ve never heard before. Give them a happened and outlined his plans for the future. chance. Who knows, a year from now perhaps they’ll be headlining the new Oxford Academy’s main “Breaking up Fell City Girl is not something we stage. really wanted to do, but we knew it had to happen Happy gigging - Ronan Munro (editor) for many different and personal reasons. For me, we were facing a huge amount of difficulty in the industry which, as anyone who has any experience STILL NO NEWS ON THIS YEAR’S TRUCK of how to get involved in the Carnival, visit working with labels and agents knows, is pretty FESTIVAL line-up, with the promoters saying www.cowleyroadcarnival.org common, but I got hit with a couple of pretty they are unlikely to announce anything until the major things in my personal life that basically left end of June. The two-day festival, which takes THE MARKET TAVERN closed its doors for the me with no energy to fight anymore after three place over the weekend of the 21st / 22nd July at last time on Saturday 26th March, bringing to an long years of fighting. We wanted to go out on a Hill farm in Steventon, sold out in less than two end years of live music at the pub. The Tavern high stop while we still had the choice. days back in April, with 1,000 less tickets has been sold to a Japanese restaurant chain. “Over the last three months I have been writing available than last year. The Truck Foundation Under the management of Charis Sharpe the pub and writing and pretty soon we’ll have news about has been set up to make the Truck experience a had become a great starting point for new local what we do next. So far it involves James – our more year-round event, with events planned to acts, including the weekly Delicious Music drummer – and myself, as well as a couple of other raise money for various creative learning projects showcase nights. Delicious Music promoter, people. We even have a name. At a guess I’ve as well as the festival’s main Mali Development Mars Rynearson, is looking for new venues to written an album of material, and already there’s Group fundraising. Last year’s Truck Festival host his gig nights. the usual music industry bullshit coming into play. raised £57,000 for charity. Meanwhile, THE WHEATSHEAF’s promised We recorded a track called ‘Histories’ towards the Borderville, Raggasaurus and Joe Allen and refurbishment has been on hold indefinitely after end which will form part of what we do next. I Angharad Jenkins are the first three acts to be the pub’s new owners, Allied Breweries, failed to think after a few months of total turmoil we feel confirmed as playing at this year’s COWLEY commit to the plans. Subsequently Wheatsheaf ready to do it again, albeit with our eyes a little less ROAD CARNIVAL on Sunday 1st July. For more manager Al has left the pub. Live music is set to closed this time. I hope fans will follow; I’m pretty acts as and when they’re announced, plus details continue, however. sure they will.” WIN CORNBURY FESTIVAL TICKETS! With the arrival of Cornbury Festival two Seth Lakeman and recent Download Chart years ago, Oxfordshire now has another great Number 1, Katie Walsh. summer music event to call its own. While Cornbury Festival is set in the picturesque Truck showcases the eclectic underbelly of pop, Cornbury County Park, a million miles from the Cornbury pulls in the big names: this year there stinking landfill site that is the modern day are headline sets from David Gray and Reading Festival experience, and, as well as its Blondie, while the supporting cast boasts The star-filled main stage, also includes the Oxford Waterboys, The Proclaimers, The Feeling, Folk Festival stage and the Charlbury Riverside Suzanne Vega, Scott Matthews, Hothouse stage, which offers a chance to plenty of local Flowers, Echo & The Bunnymen, Midlake, acts to perform to a big festival crowd. So, a perfect way to spend a sunny summer weekend. Tickets are on sale now, priced £80 for the weekend, or £45 for each day, from the credit card hotline on 0871 472 0420. There are discounted children’s tickets as well as special Multiple entries will be turned into origami VIP passes available. giraffes. The editor’s decision is to sing loudly And thanks to the festival organisers, we have along to every Proclaimers song, whether he two pairs of weekend tickets, with camping knows the words or not. passes, to give away. Free. To you. Oh yes. All you need to do is answer the following Q: What was Blondie’s first UK Number 1 question on a postcard (sorry, no email entries), hit single? and post it to Cornbury Festival Competition, Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 Visit www.cornburyfestival.com for full festival 1ZU. Deadline for entries is the 20th June. information 24/7 STUDIOS on Cowley Road have confirmed A FILM DOCUMENTING THE OXFORD they are to close at the end of July, to make room MUSIC SCENE is currently in pre-production for redevelopment of the building they currently and the makers are looking for local musicians occupy. Robin Leggett, who started up 24/7 nine and gig-goers to help them out. The documentary years ago, is hoping to move into a more will cover the period from 1987 up to the present production-based studio project in the near future. day and any archive material is needed to fill out In the meantime, through Nightshift, he wants to the story. So, if you have any photos, videos, thank all the bands who have rehearsed and flyers, posters or merchandise from Oxford bands, recorded at 24/7 over the years. or even interesting anecdotes, contact the film’s director, Jon Spira, at [email protected], THE X IN COWLEY looks set to continue to or the producer, Gary Shenton, at host live music after it paid off a substantial sum [email protected]. of its £3,500 PRS bill last month. A series of benefit gigs by local and out of town bands means THE SUNDAY STEAMER sessions return for the RIDE are set to reform for a Canadian concert the pub has been given an extension to meet its summer from this month. The bands-on-a-boat later this year. The Oxford indie legends will payments. Benefit gigs will continue through the trips have become an established and novel part perform at North By Northeast Music and Film summer and hopefully enough will be raised to of the Oxford music calendar. The first Sunday Festival in Toronto, which takes place from the th safeguard one of the area’s most important live Steamer takes place on Sunday 17 June, 7th-10th June. The last time the band performed music venues. Call Al on 01865 776431 if you featuring Bethany Weimers and Amberstate. The together was an improvised session that was fancy playing at the X. boat leaves Salter’s Steamers, by Folly Bridge at filmed as part of a Sonic Youth documentary a 3pm; tickets are on sale now, priced £10, from few years ago. Since Ride split in 1996 Andy ANDY YORKE wegottickets.com. An evening sailing, Bell has played with Hurricane #1 and latterly th prepares for the The Friday Frigate, follows on Friday 29 June as bass player for Oasis, while Mark Gardener release of his and features Foxes!, Baby Gravy and Tristan & has played solo gigs with Goldrush as his debut solo The Troubadours. The boat leaves at 8pm. backing band. Drummer Loz Colbert has most album later this recently toured as part of the reformed Jesus & year with a TURAN AUDIO have been recognised at the Mary Chain. No UK dates are as yet planned, headline show annual Music Week Awards. The Catalogue although a live DVD release is due for release at the Jericho Marketing Campaign Of The Year Award was later this year. Tavern on given to Chas Chandler for Slade Remastered, all Wednesday 6th of which was done at Tim Turan’s Cowley studio. June. Andy was Tim also offers excellent mastering services for DON’T FORGET TO TUNE INTO THE reunited with local bands – call 01865 716466 for details. DOWNLOAD every Saturday at 6pm on BBC the rest of Radio Oxford 95.2fm. The local music show Unbelievable BLUR BASSIST ALEX JAMES will be singing features the best in new Oxford releases plus Truth for the copies of his new book, A Bit Of Blur, at interviews, features, a gig guide and a local demo last night of the Waterstones bookshop on Broad Street between vote. The show is available to listen to online all Zodiac in May. 12.30-1.30pm on Tuesday 19th June. week at bbc.co.uk/oxford A Quiet Word With The Joff Winks Band THERE MUST BE SOMETHING Frank Zappa collection. In our in Oxford’s water supply as well as in opinion Oxford has a scene that is its famous skyline that makes it stronger and more vibrant than home and inspiration to lysergic pop many cities twice its size and not to dreamers. Back in 1967 The Small mention its musical heritage: Faces decamped here and wrote obviously of late Radiohead and ‘Itchicoo Park’ after taking a trip – Supergrass but also the more obscure of the chemical variety – in South goings on in the 70s at Richard Park. More recently Supergrass have Branson’s Manor Studios. For reflected the hallucinogenic-friendly example Magma and some of the spaces and outlines of the city. Canterbury bands such as Hatfield Perhaps, then, The Joff Winks And The North, who have been Band might be considered the hugely influential for us. Certainly ultimate Oxford band, capturing as gigging in Oxford is a much more they do the gently trippy feel of a congenial experience than in many summer stroll up Shotover Hill as other towns, especially London.” well as the academic insularity of the You’ve played live with the likes of college cloisters. The band’s debut Joseph Arthur, Ray LaMontagne and album, ‘Songs For Days’, released The Longview. this month, weaves its way from “What we gained from playing with Oxford’s numerous subterranean bars these guys was an opportunity to to the top of its most ornate spires. perform for large and really It’s an album to lie back, close your receptive audiences, especially eyes and escape to. Joseph’s crowd. It is so much easier to gain support from this type of OF COURSE THAT MIGHT ALL audience than playing a completely be a load of typically poncy music cold gig. When you’re second on the journo metaphorical bollocks, but it bill at an unknown venue in the does capture the sweetly languid middle of Nowhereville the audience trippiness and occasionally epic tend to spend 90 percent of your pomp of The Joff Winks Band, a half-hour slot scratching there heads group who, inspired by everything trying to work out what’s going on. from Steely Dan to Pink Floyd and accomplished, the band manage the my permission to play a track. As for our ideal touring partners, early-70s experimental jazz-rockers difficult task of cramming an awful Funnily enough Matt and I were they must be clean, preferably non Hatfield And The North, might be lot of instrumentation into each playing our first acoustic gig at the alcoholic and able to name at least considered what is now known as a song without ever overburdening the Bully that same evening. The offer ten Frank Zappa albums.” Guilty Pleasure. captivating melodies; what appear to to play at In The City came of the But a pleasure they are. The be almost acoustic, often piano-led back of this first Xfm session. THERE’S AN EASY, ALMOST gorgeously bucolic ‘Juniper’, b-side songs, are founded on dense layers of “In The City and our first Xfm jazz lounge ambience about some of to last year’s ‘Share My Blues’ electronics, sturdy bass and clever session led to a couple of major the new album, with echoes of single, inched effortlessly into drum patterns. The band draw on developments for us. Firstly we were Donald Fagen’s `The Nightfly’ at Nightshift’s end of year Top Twenty, jazz, prog, folk and alternative pop able to self- release a download single times; at other times the music is while the lead track was a fixture on to create their sound. One moment that qualified the band for playlist on more bombastic and rock-orientated, Xfm. In fact, thus far, most of The you’re sharing an intimate glass of Xfm and we received great support with a hefty dash of Pink Floyd in Joff Winks Band’s achievements whisky with Donald Fagen in some from Claire Sturgess. Secondly we there. have been beyond their hometown. late night jazz bar, the next you’re were able to sign a publishing deal, “Fagen and Becker form a large part Their debut gig was at the UK music cruising the dusty Midwest freeways which enabled us to release a few of our daily listening and when we industry’s annual conference, In The with Mercury Rev. Joff’s richly more singles and pick up more air were kids and everyone else was City, in Manchester, and they were pleading vocal style adds an urgency time on Xfm and the BBC.” listening to Nirvana we were dusting earning airplay on Radio 1, 6Music and even portent to lyrics that deal So far you’ve enjoyed your best off old Pink Floyd LPs like `Meddle’ and Xfm before local gig audiences with such offbeat matters as kite breaks beyond Oxford, how and `Atom Heart Mother’, so that had even become aware of their flying and train theft, much like important is the local scene to you? music is in our blood. As for the existence. Since then they have ‘The Wall’-era Pink Floyd. “Well, we recorded a large part of bombastic sounds on the record, The toured with Joseph Arthur and the record at Dungeon Studios with Mahavishnu Orchestra are probably supported Regina Spektor and Ray NIGHTSHIFT SPOKE TO JOFF Richard Haines and we master all of more responsible. We’ve all been LaMontagne. as the band prepared to launch the our recordings with Tim Turan in reading Walter Kolosky’s biography new album, and asked him how they Cowley. Over the years we have used on John McLaughlin and the band THE JOFF WINKS BAND ARE: got such a head start in the gigging engineers from Los Angles and and their gigs in the early 70s, which Joff Winks (vocals and guitar), and radio play stakes. London and yet the best people to seemed to be somewhat religious Matt Baber (keyboards), Brad “Unknown to me a friend of mine work with are right here in Oxford. experiences for all that saw them. In Waissman (bass) and Paul Mallyon managed to pass a copy of some of Where else in the world are we going fact our song `Milo’ is about a kid (drums). Joff and Matt first met at my earlier songs to a person at Xfm, to find a mastering engineer who who is so sick of his iPod and crappy the age of three. In a sandpit as far where they were subsequently aired instinctively understands our music, MP3 copies of music with no names, as they can remember. on an unsigned showcase. The first I has an insane knowledge of NASA’s on unlabelled CDRs, that he finds ‘Songs For Days’ is simultaneously new about it was when I received an space exploration and a complete – himself in a second-hand record ambitious and unassuming: musically out of the blue phone call to ask for and we really mean complete – shop, whereupon he stumbles across the first Mahavishnu Orchestra same for both as well. We sometimes album and has a revelation of sorts. have to ask ourselves what the “For me personally Neil Young is a difference between the two bands is... central influence in terms of direct certainly a lot of the Nuns has now song writing. Who brings what to the been absorbed into JWB as that is band? Well I tend to bring a nice the main working band (for example packed lunch and Matt often brings a `Morning Sun’ by JWB is based on bag a of Haribo, but on a more the middle of `Son of Cheese’ by the serious level, I tend to bring a song Nuns. It’s something we do quite a in a loosely sketched-out form and bit of, building a whole song from a then we flesh it out in the rehearsal smaller section of another.) Song room and at my home studio. writing is more central to JWB, Describing the band’s sound is the whereas the Nuns zone in more most difficult thing for us to do. I heavily to Zappa and prog.” guess it all depends on what people June have heard before. Most people tend ONE OF THE MANY to make a connection with what highlights of ‘Songs For Days’ is the Every Monday they already know: a review in a nostalgic ‘Cast Adrift’, which magazine is a good example, you features lines such as “Kids TV has THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES often find out as much about the changed / Whatever happened to The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 reviewer as you do about the music Camberwick Green?” – How can such 4th JONATHAN KALB (US) being reviewed. That said if you’re a young pups long for such things th fan of Steely Dan, Neil Young and before their time? And, having 11 THE KYLA BROX BAND (UK) th Hatfield And The North and you written songs about kite flying, train 18 PRIMO BLUES BAND (UK) have penchant for Tortoise and a theft and gardening, what’s the 25th GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOULDIGGERS touch of the Flaming Lips then we weirdest thing they’ve ever written a (Australia) hope you’d enjoy this record.” song about? Is there anything you Without perhaps wanting to throw can’t imagine being inspired by to your hand in with any of them, do write? If you could have written one Every Tuesday you think that the rise of bands like song, for its lyrics or subject matter, THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB The Feeling, Midlake and Ghosts, what would it be? with their unabashed feelings for 70s “Camberwick Green is late 60s, but with HOWARD PEACOCK rock, are helping create the type of was always repeated throughout the (* except 26th - THE HUGH TURNER BAND) atmosphere in which JWB could 70s and 80s. We do mention Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul flourish? Mysterious Cities of Gold and “To be honest, we haven’t really Ulysses 31 – classic mid-80s until 2am heard of any of those bands so I hardcore cartooning! Most of the guess that answers that part of the really strange lyrics are by the Nuns; Every Wednesday question. We’re a bit too `heads for example, `Ointment For Flies’ down’ concentrating on our own tells the tragic tale of a fly who is BARCODE with DJs Dan Offer and Dave T stuff to pay much attention to most tired of being the fly in other Oxfords Finest World Jazz of what goes on these days. The people’s ointment and desperately 8.30pm -2am £6 www.fabpromotions.co.uk Flaming Lips have certainly changed wants some lube to call his own... it’s things in this country as they are so a regular kind of a song. Then there openly ambitious with what they do, is the Nuns concept album/film Thursdays but in a really unpretentious and script called `Buttered Cat’ (a 7th / 21st SMASH DISCO – Moving to the Bully for inviting way. Another guy who has conspiracy), which we’ve been slipped under the radar for most chipping away at for five years. the summer. Post-punk, indie, electro. 10-2am. £3 / £4 reviewers is Steven Wilson of “The only subject you won’t find us 14th / 28th GET FUNKED – Electro, house, hip Porcupine Tree. He is seriously writing about is love. There are hop, grimey beats. 9.30-2am. £3 / £4 prolific in so many areas, including enough wretched examples of that in the Bass Communion project that the world without us adding even inspired some of the ambient more to the pile. As for a subject we Every Friday moments on `Songs for Days’, and wish we’d tackled by someone else, BACKROOM BOOGIE has just got Porcupine Tree into the Hatfield And The North wrote a Funk, soul and R&B. 9-2am Free B4 10pm; £4 after. top 40 album chart for the first time song about how they’re trying their with their ninth album. So if anyone hardest to make everything sound (last Friday of the month with guest DJ Aidan Larkin) is creating an atmosphere for okay and that they really hope the independent and uncompromised listener likes their album, which we Friday 29th – early show with THE DRUG SQUAD. 8pm, £4 music it’s him.” sympathize with. Then of course there is the Michael Jackson song AS A KIND OF PARALLEL about all the animals and helping the Saturdays project all the members of The Joff planet and stuff. That has us in tears 9th SIMPLE Funky House. End of term party in Winks Band play in a band called every time.” association with Slide. Live show from Dogshow, plus Antique Seeking Nuns, whose debut EP was soundly panned in Nightshift ‘Songs For Days’ is released on Will Forbes & Rich Smith. 9.30pm-4am earlier this year. Infused with a iTunes on 3rd June and in the 16th TRASHY – Trashy moves from the Zodiac for lopsided wackiness, Antique Seeking shops early July. The Joff the summer. 9-3am. £5 Nuns stand at odds with The Joff Winks Band play at the rd Winks band; the influences behind Wheatsheaf on Wednesday 6th 23 OX4 Drum’n’bass club night. 9pm-3am both are similar but while one June, on the Beard Museum 30th WALK ON THE WILD SIDE 3 captivates and entrances, the other Stage at Charlbury Festival on merely irritates. Sunday 17th June and at the £7adv / £8.50 door “The line up for both is identical, Cellar on Thursday 12th July. although ASN started with just me Visit www.myspace.com/ Sunday 3rd LIVE STAND-UP COMEDY 8-11pm £6/7 and Matt in the studio. Working joffwinksband for tracks and practice is also pretty much the news. Sponsored RELEASED by KEYBOARD CHOIR THIS TOWN NEEDS ‘Mizen Head To GUNS Gascanane Sound’ ‘And I’ll Tell You For (Own Label) Why’ Like the old ‘Does what it says on the tin’ adverts, Keyboard Choir’s name should tell you (Big Scary Monsters) what you need to know. There are lots of Hey, when did indie kids get all lustful? keyboards involved and they all sing in First you’ve got CSS chanting ‘Let’s Make something approaching union. Not in complete Love And Listen To Death From Above’, union, as that’d be boring, like one of Eno or now here come local epic guitar-wielders Vangelis’ more forgettable ambient offerings. This Town Needs Guns whose b-side to Neither of which reference points is that wide their new single is called ‘Wanna Come Back of the mark, but instead Keyboard Choir gnaw To My Room And Listen To Belle & away at the more unsettling and lopsided pieces Sebastian?’ And what kohl-eyed, hair-slide- the two electronic titans have created over the ‘Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet’. Truly sporting young lass could refuse an offer years. Indeed the whole of ‘Mizen Head To inspirational stuff of the sort that should really like that? Gascanane Sound’ feels like a hit and run be soundtracking the build-up to some Not that the track in question is a pumping history of synthesized music, from the cataclysmic sci-fi movie confrontation. At the rompathon; far from it. This is music for Tornadoes, through Kraftwerk, The Orb, Aphex opposite end of the ambient scale is ‘Skylab’ sensitive young things to gaze wistfully into Twin, Add N To (X) and Jean Michel Jarre. with its fluffy, trippy vibe and Eliza Gregory each other’s eyes, perhaps after a spot of The spirit of Vangelis wanders wraith-like from Ivy’s Itch’s disembodied voice harking metaphysical poetry reading. Sofly ironing a through album opener, ‘The Drone Of The back to The Orb, and the somnambulantly tender, melancholic melody onto some Hearse’, sounding like a lost moment of menace glitchy ‘Macondo’. distracted guitar tickling that wouldn’t sound from the soundtrack to Bladerunner. And the There are moments when ‘Mizen Head…’ out of place on a more ponderous Sonic Youth mood remains pretty dark throughout, never threatens to head down an ambient dead end, as track, before heading skywards in the band’s more so than on stand-out track ‘In This on ‘The Shiver’, odd tracks that are trademark fashion. We guess this is the sound Situation, Thinking Won’t Help’, a cavernous disappointing because you know they’re of the girl saying “no thanks” and all the soul- avalanche of bass-heavy electronics punctuated capable of much more interesting stuff, but for searching heartache that follows. by Liam Ings-Reeves from Mephisto Grande the most part this is a pleasingly unusual thing: This Town Needs Guns sound more defiant bellowing southern Baptist hellfire gibberish in purely electronic music with a heart and a soul. and confident on the lead song, having a manner that oddly recalls Gavin Bryars’ Dale Kattack seemingly discovered that less can be more, removing much of their old bombast and hitting on some dinky jazz-inflected guitar BASTION OF DECENCY runs and cantering piano over which Stuart Smith yearns for spiritual salvation. ‘Hell On Earth’ Pretty and neatly understated stuff from a band who seem to get better with each new (Own label) release, but have yet to fully define their Now this has got to be good, right? Just look at glossy packaging and press pack should have own identity. the name; look at the EP title. It’s gonna ROCK! rung a couple of alarm bells, because full-throttle Sue Foreman Rock like A BASTARD! Yeah! Perhaps the apocalyptic hardcore metal titans don’t spend more time making glossy CD sleeves with fancy fonts on them and posting everything out in cute red plastic folders with professional photos neatly enclosed. Of course not, because they’re too busy DRINKING! And FIGHTING! And making their guitars go GRUUUNKKKKK!!!!!! And in fact Bastion Of Decency, from Banbury, aren’t an apocalyptic hardcore metal band at all. Instead they sound a lot like Gillan, and they tend to chug along with a slightly prissie phobia of getting dirty or losing control. Like their packaging they’re musically tidy and professional, but the time when this could pass for heavy rock is long since gone. As has the CD and its fancy accruements. Into the recycling bin. Ian Chesterton

Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day Corner Cowley / Marsh Road thethe portport mmahonahon 01865 776431 Live Music in June June 1st Oxford Folk Club 15th Oxford Folk Club nd th 2 Quickfix Jam Session 16 Blooms Day Every Tuesday – Shush Open Mic – Come rd 3 My Analogue presents 17th Chris Foster Sing / Play / Listen. 8pm FREE; All Welcome Thanksgiving + Francois & 18th Joe Allen + The Pistachios The Atlas Mountains + Noah 19th Permanent Vacation Fri 1st Tiny Little Creatures Sat 16th The Sam Kelly Blues and the Whale Night presents Fuck Buttons Recording Co. presents The Pirate Band 8.30pm £4 4th Electrica + You’re Smiling But We’ll All Ship Quintet / Red Paper Dragon / Sun 17th Electric Jam - come jam 5th Jessica Goyder Turn Into Demons + Divine Blueneck / Thirty Two. 8pm £4 with The X Men. 8pm FREE 6th Rock Soc presents Coils + Zelega Sat 2nd Grinning Spider presents Wed 20th Sharron Kraus - CD Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element 22nd Oxford Folk Club Beelzebozo / New Moon / Ally Launch 8.30pm £4 + Theo + Tatsumoko’s Bear 23rd James Craig / Sam Pope. 8.30pm £4 Thu 21st Dead Spies / Port Erin / rd 7th Port Mayhem 24th Pindrop Performance Sun 3 Electric Jam - come jam support 8.30pm £4 nd 8th Oxford Folk Club presents Shady Bard + House with The X Men. 8pm FREE Fri 22 Mary Flower. 8.30pm £5 th rd 9th The Mon£shots + The of Brothers + Mijuanita Wed 6 Jazz At the X presents Sat 23 Wittstock Fund Raiser - The Martin Pickett Band (Kevin Sunrays + Cranefly 25th Vacuous Pop presents Acts TBC. 8.30pm £4 Armstrong –guitar; Paul Jefferies Sun 24th Electric Jam - come jam 10th Swiss Concrete presents Dartz! + Data.Select.Party + - double bass; Ben Twyford – with The X Men. 8pm FREE The Rosie Taylor Project + HPR drums). 8.30pm £5. Dinner Wed 27th Jazz At The X presents Spokane + 4 or 5 Magicians 26th Linda’s Nephew + All The booking advised. - A Jazz Jam. Come and jam with 11th Vacuous Pop presents Arms + special guests Thu 7th Grinning Spider presents the house band, lead by Paul th Eugene McGuinness + Lonely 28 Dubwiser – Bands TBC. 8.30pm £4 Jefferies. 8pm FREE Dinner th Ghosts + Tumbledown Estate 29 Oxford Folk Club Fri 8th Gammy Leg presents booking advised th th 12 Mark B 30 Swisstival presents an All- Stornoway / Earnest Cox / The Thur 28th SelectaSound Presents th 13 Oxford Improvisers Day Music Event featuring 6 New Moon. 8pm £4 - Acts TBC. 8.30pm £4 presents Bent Spleen bands during the day and 7 Thu 14th Teddy Dan with Wayne Fri 29th Spit Like This / Kaned 14th The Shaker Heights + in the evening. (Contact The McArthur & The Universal Players. Citizen / Kellik. 8.30pm £4 Untitled 1961 + Straight Jacket Port for details) 8.30pm £4 Sat 30th Vallenato Quintet. th Book your band into play at Oxford’s best small music venue! Fri 15 Xposure presents TBC 8.30pm £5 8.30pm £4 82 St Clements, Oxford. Tel: 01865 202067

THE ANY DAYS

CD single `MONDAY MORNING’ at Polar Bear Records, Cowley Road

www.theanydays.com www.myspace.com/theanydays (check websites for local gig dates) gig guide Sponsored by

st FRIDAY 1 Atlas Mountains bridge the musical gap between THE PIRATE SHIP QUINTET + RED PEPPER Bristol and France in decidedly ramshackle but DRAGON + BLUENECK + THIRTY TWO: The occasionally inspired style. X, Cowley – A night of very different types of JUNE CORSAIRS: Black Horse, Kidlington – 60s- guitar noise at the X with Bristol’s Pirate Ship styled rock’n’roll and rockabilly. Quintet mixing up Refused and Isis with Mogwai JEREMY: The Wheatsheaf – Mixed bag of ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley – Free jam for their orchestral brand of epic post-rock. Red musical fun from the KK crew, including funk- session with in-house band The X Men. Pepper Dragon aim for a more ambient-flavoured rocking renaissance architect Inigo Jones. ALL FROM THE MOUTH: The Cellar – Part of instrumental rock, partway between Sigur Ros and OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon the Vauxhall UK beatbox championships. Boards of Canada, while Blueneck are fresh from THE LONG INSIDERS + LITTLE THINGS + MONDAY 4th supporting Cult Of Luna on tour. Local raging THE BLACK HATS: The Jericho Tavern – JONATHAN KALB: The Bullingdon – hardcore rioters Thirty Two complete an Shimmering, atmospheric cabaret pop in the vein Renowned US blues guitarist and singer, steeped in impressive bill. of Ennio Morricone and John Barry from The the tradition of Muddy Waters, Albert Collins and KLUB KAKOFANNEY with MOOCHER + Long Insiders, who see the return of former-Four BB King, but drawing on a wide range of blues INIGO JONES BAND + RISING DRAGON + Storeys chaps Nick and Simon Kenny, now fronted styles as well as soul, funk and country along the by chanteuse Sarah Dodd, cooing sweetly in the way, now enjoying his 35th year on the road, style of Nancy Sinatra. 60s-influenced indie rock nd touring the US and Europe as well as backing the Sunday 2 support from Black Hats. likes of Bo Diddley, Otish Rush and Lightning BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Hopkins. THE EARLY YEARS / DUGOUT: The Cellar nd ECLECTRICA: The Port Mahon – New SENNEN / DOT SATURDAY 2 electronic music club night. THE EARLY YEARS + SENNEN + DOT TUESDAY 5th ALLISON: The Cellar – Sublime psychedelic ALLISON: The Cellar JAZZ CLUB with HOWARD PEACOCK: The drone-pop from London’s Early Years – see main Bullingdon – Free weekly jazz club with resident As a fallen angel voice for hire (notably on preview live act Howard Peacock and guests, plus r’n’b DJs. Death In Vegas’ awesome ‘Dirge’ and her BEAR IN THE AIR + NOVA KICKS + KING OF JESSICA GOYDER: The Port Mahon – duets with Pete Doherty) Dot Allison is a SPAIN: The Wheatsheaf Catalan-tinged acoustic jazz-pop from the local more familiar figure than most folks BEELZEBOZO + THE NEW MOON + ALLY songstress and recent Oxford Punt star. probably realise, but since her days in CRAIG + SAME POPE: The X, Cowley – SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, Cowley Grinning Spider night with doomy metallers Scottish pop act One Dove, through an th eclectic solo and collaborative career, she’s Beelzebozo doing their blood-spattered grind with WEDNESDAY 6 remained on the fringes of both commercial support from acoustic pop duo The New Moon, THE JOFF WINKS BAND + MONKEY plus Jeff Buckley-goes-Sonic Youth brilliance from PUZZLE: The Wheatsheaf – This month’s and critical acclaim. Her new album, Ally Craig. Nightshift cover stars unfurl their psychedelic jazz- ‘Exaltation Of Larks’ is produced by QUICKFIX RECORDINGS & SMOKERS rock – see main interview feature American underground legend Kramer. PROHIBITION CLUB JAM NIGHT: The Port ANDY YORKE: The Jericho Tavern – One-time Norwich’s shoegazing revivalists Sennen Mahon – Jam along with the local indie collective. Unbelievable Truth frontman Andy gears up for bridge the musical gap between Mogwai and MELTING POT with THE SIRENS CALL + the release of his debut solo album, ‘Simple, Simon and Garfunkel, but it’s London’s The TRANSISTOR STATE + THE KLATTER + recorded with former UT bandmates Nigel Powell Early Years who every living soul should LITTLE FISH: The Jericho Tavern – A rocking and Jason Moulster. come and see. Last year’s eponymous debut good night at tonight’s Melting Pot, with SUNNYVALE NOISE SUB-ELEMENT + THEO Banbury’s Oasis-influenced chuggers The Sirens + TATSUMOKO’S BEAR: The Port Mahon – album was a glorious melting pot of Call, plus melodic indie types Transistor State, Sonically confrontational electro-rock from psychedelia, krautrock and drone-rock, urgent heavy rock out of Birmingham from The Sunnyvale, plus promising post-rock from taking inspiration from Neu! Spacemen 3 Klatter and best of the lot, local duo Little Fish, newcomers Theo. and Teardrop Explodes’ glorious ‘Wilder’. making a sizeable garage-punk racket. GARY MOORE: The New Theatre – The Here is a band with a perfect balance of ACOUSTIC EVENING: Isis Tavern, Iffley – veteran blues and rock guitar hero and former Thin pristine melody, hypnotic groove and Warm-up night for this season’s Sunday Steamer. Lizzy axeman heads out on tour in support of his virulent noise. Certainly one of the UK’s LIDDINGTON: Temple Bar latest solo album, ‘Close As You Get’. most undervalued bands at the moment, REDOX + THE PETE FRYER BAND: The THE MARTIN PICKETT BAND: The X, Cowley Crawley Inn, Witney – The X’s regular jazz club presents Martin we’ve waited a long time for the privilege of SKITTLE ALLEY ACOUSTIC NIGHT: King’s Pickett, accompanied by guitarist Kevin seeing them in Oxford and the dark, Head & Bell, Abingdon – With sets from Jon Armstrong, double bassist Paul Jeffries and subterranean confines of the Cellar seem and Colin Fletcher, plus Adam Matthews. drummer Ben Twyford. perfectly suited for them. SUNDAY 3rd BARCODE: The Bullingdon – DJs Dan Offer and Dave T spinning world jazz tunes. NOAH & THE WHALE + THANKSGIVING + PHONIK SESSIONS: The Cellar – Jazz and FRANCOIS & THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS: The funk jam session. Port Mahon – A Night of lopsided folk sounds OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn with London’s biblically incorrect oddballs Noah & OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar The Whale singing about death in suitably th melancholic fashion. Portland, Oregon’s THURSDAY 7 Thanksgiving provide lo-fi indie-folk in the vein PORT MAYHEM SUMMER CLOSEDOWN of Will Oldham and Smog, while François and the PARTY: The Port Mahon – The monthly unplugged club night bids farewell until the autumn THE COLOURS + DEFEAT: Temple Bar – with dark-folk posse Telling The Bees, harmonic Radiohead-inspired indie rock from Reading’s psychedelic pop duo Anton Barbeau & Su Jordan, Colours. hippy-goth folksters Spiderwoods, vintage jazz SKITTLE ALLEY BANDS NIGHT: British and blues duo Maeve Bayton and Ian Nixon, plus Legion, Abingdon – Dark country rockers guitarist Eddy Thompson. Vigilance Black Special headline tonight’s new POPULAR WORKSHOP + HARRY ANGEL + Skittle Alley club, with support from Lewis Cutler SAVAGE HENRY: The Cellar – Return of & Adam Fitzgerald, Dirty Red and bluesman Steve London’s angular, jagged and highly-strung post- Morris. punk outfit Popular Workshop to town, with REDOX + THE PETE FRYER BAND: The support from the equally frenetic Harry Angel, Flowing Well, Sunningwell creating a musical riot of guitar fuzz and virulent SUNDAY 10th gothic rhythms. THE ROSIE TAYLOR PROJECT + SPOKANE SMASH DISCO: The Bullingdon – Smash + 4 OR 5 MAGICIANS: The Port Mahon – Disco moves to the Bully for the summer while Dependably quality fare from Swiss Concrete, st the Zodiac undergoes refurbishment, playing their Thursday 21 featuring Leeds’ hushed, lysergic alt.country types eclectic blend of electro, indie and post-punk. The Rosie Taylor Project, mixing a rootsy CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC with LAST VERSES DAMIEN RICE acoustic sound with a Scottish indie shimmer. Local + ULYSEES + ONES AND ZEROES: The th dark folksters Spokane support, alongside Monday 25 Jericho Tavern – Folky pop from headliners Last Brighton’s Pavement-inspired rockers 4 Or 5 Verses. Magicians. RUFUS KING FURNACE + FOURTH CHAMBER: The SCOOBY DON’T: Black Horse, Kidlington Hobgoblin, Bicester – Heavy rock night at the MEAN POPPA LEAN: The Purple Turtle – Live WAINWRIGHT Hobgoblin, with Chili Peppers-styled King Furnace funk. headlining. The New Theatre MONDAY 11th CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Two chances in under a week to catch two Community Centre THE KYLA BROX BAND: The Bullingdon – OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Daughter of British blues legend Victor Brox, Kyla of the fastest-rising singer-songwriters FRIDAY 8th has shared the stage with her father many times, around. matching his powerful voice easily and on course First up is Damien Rice, recently split GAMMY LEG PRODUCTIONS with to become the UK’s premier female blues singer, from his long-time vocal partner Lisa STORNOWAY + EARNEST COX + THE NEW mixing up classic r’n’b, blues, funk and soul. MOON: The X, Cowley – The Stornoway pop Hannigan, the fragile foil to his bitter LONELY GHOSTS + TUMBLEDOWN ESTATE bandwagon continues to gather pace following intensity. After the chart-topping debut, + EUGENE McGUINNESS: The Port Mahon – their excellent showing at last month’s Oxford ‘O’, and last year’s follow-up, ‘9’, Rice’s Brighton comes to Oxford at tonight’s Vacuous Punt: simple but eclectic celtic-tinged pop from place near pole position in the sensitive Pop show, featuring sometime Help, She Can’t the top drawer. Support at tonight’s GLP show Swim fella Tom Denney doing ramshackle, young men stakes is undoubted but on stage comes from Gloucester’s new wavers Earnest Cox melodramatic electro-acoustic pop, with support his more experimental side comes more to and local acoustic duo The New Moon. from Jim Morrison (no, not that one) in the guise the fore, mixing sparse, soul-searching QUICKFIX PRESENTS with THE DELTA of Tumbledown Estate, proffering a similarly lo-fi acoustic numbers with more fiery funk, FREQUENCY + STRANGERS IN POLAROIDS slice of frantic punky pop. Liverpudlian singer- + HREDA: The Wheatsheaf – Gothic-tinged rock and even prog. Rufus, meanwhile, songwriter Eugene McGuinness adds a punky electro rock action from Delta Frequency. Muse celebrates the release of his fifth album this attitude to his acoustic pop. and Jeff Buckley-influenced pop from Strangers in month, ‘Release The Stars’, which features SLOUNGE with COLLEEN: The Jam Factory Paradise. collaborations with the likes of Neil – Minimalist chamber music and tranquil, eerie OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon Renaissance sounds, mixing up classical and Tennant, Richard Thompson and, of course, THE HEARTWEAR PROCESS + NATHAN contemporary ambient music from French Leaf his sister Martha, an album intended to be ROSWELL + MONOVIBE + THE PLAUDITS: label signing Colleen, as part of Oxford his most commercial yet after years as a The Jericho Tavern – Resolutely downbeat Contemporary Music’s Slounge multi-media cult concern. Like an old-world Thom gothic pop from Reading’s Heartwear Process, season. She combines instruments as diverse as Yorke, Rufus switches between lavish, brooding in the shadows of Nick Cave and cello, classical guitar, clarinet, music boxes and richly-textured and more stripped-down Tindersticks. Support comes from Hampshire wind chimes with delay pedals and loops, all rockers Monovibe and local 80s-inspired pop songs, lyrically taking in emotional hurt, played entirely live. Joining Colleen are political ire and restless romance, both types The Plaudits. humorously subversive slam-poet Byron Vincent BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Live jazz dance and sound artist Nicholas Brown, turning Vivaldi’s mournful and uplifting, graceful and from Brazilian samba and bossa nova act Sirius B. ‘Four Seasons’ into birdsong. emotionally unsettled. Whether the wider REDOX + THE PETER FRYER BAND + FILM TUESDAY 12th public will finally warm to him remains to NOIR: The Magdalen – Monthly residence for be seen, but his talent is undoubted. the local festival funk and swamp rockers, plus JAZZ CLUB with HOWARD PEACOCK: The indefatigable rock eccentric Pete Fryer and indie Bullingdon rockers Film Noir. MARK B: The Port Mahon BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, th Cowley SATURDAY 9 INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth and industrial MATHS CLASS + GEORGE PRINGLE: The club night. Cellar – Urgent, bug-eyed techno-rock from the OPEN MIC SESSION: Mangos Brighton band who are soon to be the name on th every hipster’s lips, sitting (albeit in a fidgety WEDNESDAY 13 kind of way) alongside the likes of Shitdisco and BENT SPOON TRIO: The Port Mahon – Foals, plundering the angular new wave of Talking Oxford Improvisers present Canadian jazz Heads and Gang of Four as well as the punked-up experimenters Bent Spoon, featuring David Laing synth-pop of The Faint and kicking it out in a (sax), Scott Munro (bass) and Chris Dadge (drums) decidedly hysterical fashion. Support from local BARCODE: The Bullingdon electro-pop diarist George Pringle, offering a HIT&RUN: The Cellar – Drum&bass and hip lopsided, low-rent journey into her existential hop club night. existence. OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house as the OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar th Simple DJs team up with Slide for an end of term THURSDAY 14 party. MIMAS + WITCHES + VON BRAUN: The THE MON£YSHOTS + CRANEFLY + Cellar – Oceanic guitar noise in the vein of SUNRAYS: The Port Mahon – Dark-minded Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky from post-punk and acoustic pop from the Mon£yshots. Denmark’s Mimas, making their Oxford debut. GRIFFITHS & COLIN FLETCHER: Pegasus murder ballads and heartache done in a darkly Theatre – Local acoustic and world pop singer traditional folk fashion. Matt Sage is joined by a collection of local BARCODE: The Bullingdon luminaries tonight, who also make up the PHONIK SESSIONS: The Cellar supporting cast, including songstress Kate Karrett, THURSDAY 21st cellist Barnabus and folky duo Jane and Colin. DAMIEN RICE: The New Theatre – Bitter- OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon sweet soul-bearing from the Irish songsmith – see JOE PARKER & THE MEGA HAIRY MEN + main preview JOSH KNIGHT + LAMPLIGHT + MR FOGG: A SILENT FILM + FEE FI FO FUM: The Cellar The Jericho Tavern – Alternately fuzzy college – Top notch stadium-sized rock action from local rock and sensitive acoustic pop from local stars-in-waiting A Silent Film, gearing up for their newcomers Joe Parker and co. debut single release next month. Support from BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Hella-inspired math-rockers Fee Fi Fo Fum. FRESH OUT OF THE BOX: The Cellar – DEAD SPIES + PORT ERIN: The X, Cowley – House beats and breaks. Spiky indie rocking from London’s Dead Spies, th SATURDAY 16 plus bouncy guitar pop from Bath’s Port Erin. Saturday 23rd THE SAM KELLY BLUES BAND: The X, SMASH DISCO: The Bullingdon Cowley – The five-times British Blues CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC with BEN OMD: The New Theatre Connection Drummer of the Year returns to his MARWOOD + NOT MY DAY: The Jericho Reunited after an acrimonious split in the favourite local stamping ground with his lively Tavern – Local singer-songwriter Ben Marwood blues band. headlines tonight’s Crosstown Traffic showcase gig late-80s, the original line-up of synth-pop THE GOG + THE GREEN: The Wheatsheaf with his Elliot Smith and Ben Folds-flavoured pop. titans Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark TRASHY: The Bullingdon – Trashy moves to CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford celebrates with a Greatest Hits tour, and the Bully for the summer, playing a crowd-friendly Community Centre what hits: ‘Electricity’, ‘Enola Gay’, mix of 80s, glam-rock and punk. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon ‘Souvenir’, ‘Joan of Arc’, ‘Genetic MELTING POT with KING FURNACE + TIM FRIDAY 22nd MATTHEWS + THE COUNCIL + ARCHIVE OF Engineering’ – the latter from one of the 80s MARY FLOWER: The X, Cowley – American EVERYTHING: The Jericho Tavern – most misunderstood and under-rated classic acoustic singer-songwriter renowned for her finger- albums, ‘Dazzle Ships’, wherein the multi- Heavyweight funk-rockers King Furnace headline tonight’s Melting Pot show, with support from million-selling hit machine that was Andy th Tim Matthews’ indie-funk trio, retro blues, rock Monday 25 McLusky and Paul Humphreys went all and soul band The Council and electro manglers experimental in the aftermath of the Archive of Everything. DARTZ! / monumentally successful ‘Architecture and ABORT, RETRY, FAIL?: The Cellar – Electro Morality’, discovering sampling and cut-ups club night with live bands and DJs. DATA.SELECT.PARTY: to startling effect. OMD were probably JOE ALLEN + THE PISTACHIOS: Temple Bar always a little misunderstood: despite their – Elegantly nervy acoustic pop from recent Punt The Port Mahon shimmering pop brilliance they were star Joe Allen. Not, perhaps fortunately, a chance to relive th incredibly political (check out the anti-war SUNDAY 17 late-70s rockabilly hits like ‘Daddy Cool’, ‘Bunker Soldiers’ from their debut album, or SUNDAY STEAMER with BETHANY but another opportunity to revel in Vacuous even ‘88 Seconds In Greensboro’ from WEIMERS + AMBERSTATE: Salter’s Steamers Pop’s esoteric tastes in modern pop. 1985’s ‘Crush’, which documented the (3pm) – First Sunday Steamer of the summer (for Teesside’s Dartz! (we’re quite fond of bands the uninitiated – lots of great local bands on a boat with exclamation marks at the end of their massacre of American civil rights activists). up and down the Thames, while everyone gets a bit names at the moment) have been quietly Born out of the same post-punk Liverpool giddy and acts like marauding vikings). Saying that, scene that spawned Teardrop Explodes and it’s a relatively reserved start to the season with picking up a serious reputation for Echo & The Bunnymen, OMD initially local acoustic songstress Bethany Weimers themselves with a typically angular and captured the decaying industrial soul of the headlining while ambient jazz-pop types frenetic brand of post-punk that draws on city with home-made synths and drum Amberstate provide funky back-up. The boat Gang Of Four and Talking Heads and machines before launching into a string of departs from Salter’s Steamers under Folly Bridge. regularly sees them mentioned alongside some 30 Top 40 hits across a decade and a ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley Dismemberment Plan and Q And No U, not CHRIS FOSTER: The Port Mahon to mention our own Foals. Seemingly half. Along with Human League and Gary BURN: Black Horse, Kidlington Numan they make up the holy trinity of th endless touring has found them in tow to synth-pop and, as we all know, great pop MONDAY 18 Futureheads and Rumble Strips amongst music remains timeless. PRIMO BLUES BAND: The Bullingdon – others and the band’s literary and politically Return of Sam Kelly’s ensemble side project, the agitated stylings seem to fit neatly into the five-times British Blues Connection drummer of Support comes from local electro-country- current musical climes while sounding like the year and band playing a mixture of goodtime mariachi rockers Witches. funky blues, reggae, Hendrix-inspired rock and 70s they’re from another time altogether. THE SHAKER HEIGHTS + UNTITLED 1961 + soul. Data.Select.Party in support could probably STRAIGHTJACKET: The Port Mahon – JOE ALLEN + THE PISTACHIOS: The Port fill the Port’s intimate gig room on their own; Melodic indie rock from Thame’s Shaker Heights Mahon – Another chance to catch rising local they share with Dartz! a feel for speed- TEDDY DAN + WAYNE McARTHUR & THE acoustic star Joe, alongside electric violinist UNIVERSAL PLAYERS: The X, Cowley – Live addled disco-rock and shouty call-and- Angharad Jenkins. response vocals and, as with the headliners roots reggae. th GET FUNKED: The Bullingdon TUESDAY 19 your feet will want to dance even as your CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC with RUBBER JAZZ CLUB with HOWARD PEACOCK: The head tries to work out exactly how they’re DUCK + THE SIRENS CALL + SMASHED Bullingdon meant to. ALPHA: The Jericho Tavern FUCK BUTTONS + YOU’RE SMILING NOW CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford BUT WE ALL TURN INTO DEMONS + DIVINE Community Centre COILS: The Port Mahon – Ear-mangling electro OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon noise and brutal rhythms from Fuck Buttons, FRIDAY 15th returning to town after their last visit, supporting Youthmovies. Dissonant ambience, drones and XPOSURE with JONES RADIO + TOY #1: unsettling atmospherics from local experimental The X, Cowley – Raging, paranoid psych-rock outfit Divine Coils. from Jones Radio in the vein of Joy Division, SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, Cowley Primal Scream and Pink Floyd, plus goth-edged th grunge from Toy #1. WEDNESDAY 20 THE MATT SAGE ALLSTARS + THE KATE SHARRON KRAUS: The X, Cowley – Gothic GARRETT BAND + BARNABUS + JANE folkstress Sharron launches her latest album, picking and slide guitar style as well as her rich jazz DARTZ + DAT.SELECT.PARTY: The Port and blues voice. She’s back in town promoting her Mahon – Twitchy punk-funk action from the acclaimed new album, ‘Bywater Dance’. Teesside rockers – see main preview OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOULDIGGERS: THE NOYZE + PHILL MORRISSEY + WAVE The Bullingdon – Melbourne-based blues-rock MACHINES + BANDINIS: The Jericho Tavern guitarist, and previous winner of the prestigious – Beefy indie rocking inspired by The Stone Roses Albert King Award for most promising young blues and Oasis from Reading’s The Noyze. guitarist, Achison excels at both electric and BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon acoustic blues, adding jazz and funk improvisations OXFORD UNDERGROUND: The Cellar – Hip into his traditional repertoire. hop club night. TUESDAY 26th rd SATURDAY 23 JAZZ CLUB with THE HUGH TURNER OMD: The New Theatre – Synth-pop legends do BAND: The Bullingdon their greatest hits – see main preview LINDA’S NEPHEW + ALL THE ARMS: The HELLSETT ORCHESTRA + FOXES! + TITUS + Port Mahon BENKREN + RICHARD WALTERS + JOE SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, Cowley SWARBRICK: The Cellar – Big Hair presents OPEN MIC SESSION: Mangos an alternative to Glastonbury, with joyously jangly WEDNESDAY 27th indie heroes Foxes! plus experimental post-rockers JAZZ JAM: The X, Cowley – Jam along with Titus, angel-voiced songsmith Rich Walters and Paul Jeffries’ in-house jazz band. Borderville frontman Joe Swarbrick, plus plenty th st BARCODE: The Bullingdon Sat 30 June – Sun 1 July more besides. OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn OX4: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass club night. OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar SWISSFEST: WITTSTOCK FUNDRAISER: The X, Cowley th SUNDAY 24th THURSDAY 28 The Port Mahon THE WALK OFF + THE EVENINGS + CLANKY SHADY BARD + HOUSE OF BROTHERS + Like similarly-minded club nights Gappy ROBO GOB JOBS: The Cellar – Electro MIJUANITO: The Port Mahon (5pm) – night at Big Hair’s weekly club. Digital hardcore Tooth Industries and Klub Kakofanney, Elegantly lo-fi orchestral pop from Birmingham’s tearaways The Walk Off recreate the sound of Swiss Concrete are adept at putting on DIY mini-orchestra Shady Bard at tonight’s bombs falling on munitions factories, while The mixed bills that display plenty of musical Pindrop performance, using French horns, strings Evenings, bring the linear krautrock grooves. variety while retaining a creditable and piano alongside the decidedly more indie DUBWISER: The Port Mahon – Back into the glockenspiels and Casios to create a sound that coherence. To celebrate their first groove with local roots reggae veterans Dubwiser. marries the kitchen sink pop operas of Divine anniversary, SC host a two-day mini-festival GET FUNKED: The Bullingdon Comedy with the more atmospheric sounds of featuring their favourite acts from the past CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC with THE ANYDAYS Mogwai and Sigur Ros. Should be fun cramming twelve months. Each evening at the Port + THE PLUGS: The Jericho Tavern – Sunshiney them all onto the Port’s stage. Support comes 60s pop from headliners The Anydays. Mahon sees six acts, while each afternoon from former-Murder Of Rosa Luxembourg man SELECTASOUND PRESENTS: The X, Cowley features acoustic and poetry sessions. Andrew Jackson, plying serene piano and strings- th Highlights of the Saturday are terse, arty led pop, plus San Francisco’s Mijuanito’s FRIDAY 29 electro dabblers Ape Has Killed Ape!, confessional acoustic Americana and folk. FRIDAY FRIGATE with FOXES! + TRISTAN & ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley THE TROUBADOURS + BABY GRAVY: Abrasive, melodic hardcore monsters Our BICESTER BLUES CLUB with THE Salter’s Steamers (8pm) – An evening sailing for Own Devices, synth’n’guitar instrumentalist JUMPSTERS: The Country Club, The Old the Sunday Steamer crew, tonight’s indie triple bill Flies Are Spies From Hell, accomplished Chapel, Bicester – Live blues from The Jumpsters. headed by the ever-improving Foxes!, recent stars Nas-styled rapper Zuby (pictured) and ELVIS REBORN: Black Horse, Kidlington – of the Oxford Punt, with support from fellow Sheffield’s spazz-rocker Balor Knights, Tribute to the King. Punters Baby Gravy and indie-ska hopefuls Tristan while in the garden the genius that is Ally MONDAY 25th and the Troubadours. Craig is joined by Glenda Huish and Richard SPIT LIKE THIS + KANED CITIZEN + KELLIK: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: The New Theatre – Catalogue amongst others. Sunday’s evening The X, Cowley – Cyndi Rott’s glam-punkers Martha’s bruv bares his aching soul – see main warm up for their appearance at Guildfest, with session is headlined by sweet jangle-pop preview support from local pop act Kaned Citizen and favourites Foxes! who are joined by Brummie metallers Kellik. Switzerland’s electro heavyweights La OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon Frange, Brighton’s Radiohead-inspired Last BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon – Days Of Lorca, twee minimalists Little Classic funk, soul and disco with special guest DJ Eiffel and bright local rap star Mr Shaodow, Aidan Larkin, plus an early gig from local ska- while down in the garden there’s James Bell, punkers The Drug Squad. Jody Prewett, Naomi Hates Humans and HQ: The Cellar th Beaver Fuel amongst others. A great way to SATURDAY 30 discover some unheard pop gems. Entry is SWISSFEST: The Port Mahon (12pm-11.30pm) £5 a day or £8 for the weekend. All profits – Small but perfectly-formed mini-festival go to the Red Cross. featuring the cream of Swiss Concrete’s first year – see main preview GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with IVY’S Glastonbury Festival the LA salsa and rumba band ITCH + BRENDA + SEFTON: The Wheatsheaf bring their traditional Colombian dance and – Demonic gothic grunge and ghostly pop storytelling to the X. spookiness from the mighty Ivy’s Itch at tonight’s WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: The Bullingdon GTI, here to ensure children everywhere will enjoy – Oxfam fundraiser with Natureboy playing a set a disturbed night’s sleep across Oxfordshire. of new funk and groove-led tracks, plus DJ sets Inventively melodic indie rock noise, where Fell from Van Mule, Jason King and Sam. City Girl meet Mogwai, from Brenda, plus soothing OFF THE RADAR + YOUNG THINGS PLAY + acoustic pop from Sefton, providing the calm THE WISH: The Jericho Tavern – Anthemic before Ivy’s Itch’s storm. power-pop from Reading’s Off The Radar, plus VALLENATO QUINTET: The X, Cowley – downbeat 80s-styled indie jangle from The Wish. Following on from a two-day residency at WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT: Temple Bar

Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission LIVE Ape Has Killed Ape! Mondo Cada

THE OXFORD PUNT The Oxford Punt has kicked off at new strength, coming on like some Borders for most of its lifetime but kind of electro-skiffle, 60s pop this is the first time the music has harmonies mixing it up with jaunty actually taken place in the store’s rockabilly. Foxes! have obviously music section. And yet, despite the come to party and from their very fact that behind opening act Jessica first number they’ve got the crowd Goyder we can spy books sporting eating out of the palm of their hands. pictures of Sid Vicious and Tom Putting even Thirty Two in the Waits, it’s a strangely understated shade as far as sheer brutality goes, start to the evening. Of course, Mondo Cada up at the Wheatsheaf you’re not going to get rip-snorting are an incandescent torrent of flanged Brickwork Lizards thrash-metal from Jessica, an acoustic guitars, churning bass and semi-buried singer-songwriter who learned her guttural exhortations from the trade in Brazil and Barcelona and is budding Henry Rollins up front. And possessed of a wonderfully pure jazz they rock. Like bastards. Like singing voice that switches between bastards who are programmed to kill, Nina Simone and Minny Ripperton, kill and kill again. On tonight’s the whole thing blanketed in a gentle showing they could give kindred Spanish mist, including set highlights spirits Sextodecimo a run for their ‘Blossom’ sung in both English and money. Spanish, and the closing a cappella Back to the Market Tavern for ‘Demons To Tea’. We do wonder, Mary Bendy Toy, who get the vote though, about the tome The 500 for causing the most love-them-or- Greatest Singles Since Punk And loathe-them debate (which is always a Disco that gleams out from the good sign), because, what’s this – a shelves. Just how arbitrary is that, nasty industrial gothic punk band especially since both genres are still fronted by a shrieking Hazel very much alive. O’Connor, but who have a sense of Mr Shaodow initially doesn’t seem humour that borders on Sid James and too sure about performing in a use an air-raid siren as an instrument. bookshop; ironic given his opening It’s a timely reminder for anyone track, ‘Look Out, There’s A Black who ever marvelled at the much- the tempest these two stars create in decent drizzle. But batten down the Man Coming’, a brilliantly witty anti- underrated Breaking Glass of an era songs like ‘At Gunpoint’ and ‘Do You hatches for the newest rock and roll racism tirade that dwells on the when punk went all robotic and Think That’s Enough’, while storm to hit town, Hurricane Delta uncomfortable feeling of being dressed in black plastic, and we love Anghrad’s bubbly banter with the (or The Delta Frequency as we followed around shops by security it, whatever the curmudgeons say. audience towels us down after the probably should call them), down at guards due to the colour of his skin. Colins Of Paradise, too, are rain, as Joe re-tunes his pummelled the Cellar. In their case the The welcome he receives, though, causing much heated debate and guitar between songs, and causes us to supergroup element is actually an quells any doubts and his lively, good- possibly marital rows and we glance at take them both to our hearts. advantage rather than a hindrance natured mixture of rap, kung fu and our notepad to see the words Ape Has Killed Ape! find (Audioslave, anyone?). Tom from near stand-up comedy, plus his Shakatak scrawled worryingly in themselves most hampered by the QI Smilex has by far and away the best disarming manner of prompting capital letters. It’s probably the set-up, notably their un-mic-ed guitar sound in town; every lick audience participation in anthems electric piano and the typically-80s mandolin player who is inaudible even sounds like he’s sparking up the such as ‘The British Are Coming’ funky bass, akin to Pino Paladino’s to those who’ve made it inside the Batmobile. Never mind their recent shows him up as the consummate trademark fretless sound, but a performance room. The band’s terrible review in these very pages, performer he is sure to become. passing expert on many things jazz electronic backing tracks spend the this band rocks harder than the Kobe suggest their big sax and keyboard first couple of numbers apparently earthquake. On to the venues proper and Thirty sound, married to heavy drums and a smoking a sly fag outside on Ship And talking of terrifying things, here Two at the Market Tavern, who distinct groove that rises up to carry Street before sloping back in, mid-set. are Mephisto Grande down at the immediately make us wonder how we it all along, is more reminiscent of But despite this, AHKA! battle Purple Turtle. Frontman Liam Ings- got from lilting Catalonian folk to jazz-rock pioneers Colosseum valiantly on to snatch victory from Reeves looks like he literally wants to ferocious face-shredding thrash-core the jaws of defeat. This is lovely devour several audience members in such a short space of time. Many Strangest pit-stop on this year’s Punt stuff: measured, thoughtful and (something we’re in no doubt he is in the crowd visibly flinch in the face circuit is the QI Club, not because it’s spacious, playing the Malcolm capable of). Formed from the remains of such an unrelenting battering so a venue more used to hosting the Middleton card to Arab Strap as it of Suitable Case For Treatment, they early on, but those that make the well-heeled socialites of Oxford city, were. Their template hasn’t moved lack that band’s barnstorming effort to face the storm out can hear but because the gig room, such as it is, on far from the heady days of heaviness but musically still carry the texture and tension underlying would fit snugly inside your broom Meanwhile, Back In Communist plenty of weight and dynamics. the blood-spattered, shirts-off row, cupboard, meaning a lucky dozen Russia, consisting of shuffling, There’s an unexpected French even as it hurtles headlong to a punters find themselves pressed face- minimal beats, some neat keyboard number before they raise the stakes cataclysmic conclusion. to-face with singer Joe Allen and and glockenspiel work and Emily with an awesome guitar track that Seemingly half the population of electric violinist Angharad Gray’s familiar laconic arthouse pulls together all the Fall and Oxford has headed to the Purple Jenkins, while the remainder of a musings. The only drawback is that it Beefheart references of their SC4T Turtle for Foxes! and it’s nigh-on large crowd listen through the wall. makes us miss MBICR all the more. days. Fantastic. impossible to see anything bar Together the duo continue to take frontman Adam’s hat. Bolstered by the concept of voice, fiddle and Things are getting hectic now as the Tonight’s most talked-about set the club’s cavernous architecture and, acoustic guitar to unbelievable reaches gigs come thick and fast and folks are seems to come from Brickwork lent confidence by the large, of rage, tension and release. It’s tearing around in between venues, as Lizards who, even on tonight’s enthusiastic crowd, their sound gains difficult not to get swept out to sea in the promised downpour keeps to a varied bill, manage to draw in more photos: Mondo Cada, Brickwork Lizards, Mary Bendy Toy,Baby Gravy by RPH Images. Thirty Two, Ape has Killed Ape! by Matt Bayliss. Delta Frequency, Smilex by Katy Ross. Stornoway by Jill Faure Smilex Stornoway were chosen to close the night. But then two tracks with vocals provided by an extraneous fourth member spoil it all. The song name-checking various dinosaurs is ruined by the vocals: imagine an embarrassing aunt bellowing cretinous aphorisms over your favourite krautrock track and you’re close. normal service resumed for Then it’s great instrumental closer, ‘Groovy Dancer’. One can only hope the vocalist is dispensed with forthwith. There is a very good reason why Smilex Punt. That reason being they are impossible to ignore. Even though frontman Lee is knee-high to Iggy’s a whirlwind of leather thong, he’s drunken, lunatic abandon, smashing glasses against his head, invading the front few rows, who seem scared to fight back, and yelping about SEX while his band keep a respectfully solid barrage of powerchords going behind him. Smilex may deal in classic rock and roll cliché, but that’s also their strength: say what you like antics, no other fucker in about Lee’s town is that committed to creating such a spectacle, oblivious to their Smilex rock. own personal safety. And like the Punt itself, Simple as. Oxford should be proud to have them. Victoria Dale Kattack, Words: Lagun, Art Matt Bayliss, Waterfield, Paul Carrera, Richard Catherall, Stuart Fowkes, Colin May. Mary Bendy Toy Bendy Mary Mark Byrne is aren’t old enough to get yet. Anyone old enough to get yet. aren’t expecting shambolic chaos is in for a shock. What we get these days is extremely focussed and with definite star potential, not just from buoyantly charismatic singer Iona Roisin but equally from fantastic saxophonist Cecilia White who fixes the crowd with a steely gaze throughout. Bizarrely they manage to make a Yes cogent noise that falls between and X-Ray Spex, or maybe Huggy Bear turning their hand to Beefheart. And of course, they sound No, really. like nothing else in Oxford. The bruised and awkward vocals of The Gullivers’ sometimes what turns folks of the band but they actually work remarkably well against the suburban Tonight’s punk thud of the music. performance is uneven but loveable, like a gangly Dickensian urchin who’s grown out of his clothes. After the mad, mid-evening flurry which finds three bands playing against each other at a time, the Punt begins to wind down – or rather, climax – at the Cellar. Space Heroes of the People inspire two distinct reactions in us. Their instrumental stuff is excellent – at its best, it drives along like prime Kraftwerk, all unfussy rhythms, treated vocal samples and assorted blips and pops – and makes us think we might be watching our band of the Punt look and the the Baby Gravy Tommy but then episode, a Rick . If you tried to teach The Delta Frequency The Delta Buffy drink whiskey from huge jugs with three Xs on the side. For some reason they remind us of a living, breathing novel. Not sure about Twain Mark seems to head that the giant horse’s be their motif; perhaps they save it for putting in the beds of unbelievers. The way things are going, there can’t be many of them left in Oxford. And the other contender for top local band title comes from Borderville Martians about rock music with nothing but videos of musical album and a scratchy 7” of Wakeman ‘Ballroom Blitz’ they’d probably turn out performances just like Borderville. Fun though Sexy great to see Breakfast were it’s frontman Joe Swarbrick finding songs that really suit his voice, and a band who can be theatrical without being maybe a tiny bit smug (well, okay, smug). ‘Glambulance’ calls for fists in the air, and for one night The Music Market is a Broadway theatre. Team Young The Mile High like they stepped out of a David They sound pretty good film. Lynch too, despite the lack of their cellist, and certainly better than their rather not overly polished recordings. It’s much of response, and should leave you confused, dizzy, possibly slightly drunk. Drunk being something Les are, according to many, too, back at QI, where Baby Gravy Thirty Two country and western hoe-down and thing in the whole world is to have a occupy a place where the coolest away from the experience. Still, they present, it’s hard to take too much present, it’s Wheatsheaf, and not all the band are from the back of a packed listening to their delicate folk pop Stornoway and we love them. But when you’re Johnny Cash drawl. best band at the moment, Oxford’s Ian Nixon’s Left Bank poet-does- Ian Nixon’s accordion lending an exotic swirl to Parisian bar, Karen Cleave’s Parisian bar, stumble across in a back street they seem like the sort of band you’d band. Visually as well as musically band. Visually There’s a distinctly Gallic feel to There’s allow most present to at least see the Monopolies Commission. the crowd has thinned just enough to maybe need reporting to the talented singers, you wonder if they Clochards and with four very different, equally jazz carries an authentic period feel otherworldly charms. Their pre-war even as they sink into its warm, keeping the listener on their toes blues, they are forever shifting, fire and brimstone American roots fire and brimstone Hungarian Balkan folk and even some through French café music to devotional sufi, complete with oud, meeting. From North African meeting. From North global influences than a UN council Candyskins photo: RPH Images LAST NIGHT PARTY The Zodiac Contrary to the old joke, nostalgia really is what it used to be. Tonight is a goodbye to something very, very special at the heart of Oxford’s music scene, but it’s also a welcome back to life for a handful of those bands who helped make this venue, and the local scene in general, what it is. Tonight’s bill is extraordinary. The Candyskins, Dustball, The Nubiles and Unbelievable Truth have all come back from the grave, while opening the night are The Relationships, a band whose lifespan outstrips that of the venue itself. Add to that Winnebago Deal, The Epstein and consummate party trashers Smilex and you’ve got a celebration that goes well beyond being merely a gig. Yes, a celebration, even when Unbelievable Truth are cruising through an acoustic set of greatest hits – ‘Settle Down’, ‘Higher Than Reason’, ‘Stone’ and more – in front of a packed crowd, many of whom seem to have travelled halfway across the country to be here for this occasion and haven’t set foot in the Zodiac since these bands were in their heyday. That’s how much the Zodiac means to people. It’s a part of their own personal histories. Hell, there are couples here who first met and fell in love on this dancefloor. Relationships drummer Tim Turan jokes that his band will probably outlive even the rebuilt venue, but maybe there’s a grain of truth in that. Frontman Richard Ramage has graced this stage since the 80s when his previous band The Anyways were the brightest pop fun in town and his gentle, romantic songwriting is timeless. The wistfully beautiful ‘English Blues’ is infused with melancholic reflection and drizzle, reflecting the rain which occasionally leaks through the Zodiac’s ageing roof. The music becomes more urgent with the arrival of The Nubiles, or at least the remaining half of them – singer/bassist Tara Milton and guitarist Giorgio Curcetti, with new drummer Ben Calvert replacing Dan Goddard. Back at the start of the 90s, The Nubiles were in a league of one, keeping alive that post- punk funk noise that was all muscles and odd angles; a style that’s now de rigeur for aspiring indie types. Sadly there’s no ‘Kunte Kinte’ tonight but we do get ‘Tatjana’ amid a frenetic set that sounds like The Stranglers on a discofied speed broken kick-drum pedal later, they launch into ‘Señor Nachos’ there’s not a trip. The music doesn’t sound still body in the house. Other than a brief trip downstairs to catch fifteen like it’s aged at all. minutes of Winnebago Deal’s trademark tidal wave of blitzkrieg garage And Dustball don’t seem to metal – the most noise you can make with just two people, full of righteous have aged either, particularly fury and always up for the fight – we’re staying upstairs tonight, fully aware drummer James Stuart who still it’ll be nigh on impossible to get back upstairs for The Candyskins looks like the fresh-faced otherwise. It’s hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t around at the time what teenager who bashed the hell an important band The Candyskins were to Oxford in their heyday, but even out of his kit back in 1996 newcomers tonight are in thrall to them; you’d never guess they’d split up when Dustball first made their nine years ago and have barely rehearsed for tonight. Perfect pop songs come presence felt with the easy to them. We get all the old favourites, from the beatific ‘Wembley’, triumphant ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’, through the stark pathos of ‘Car Crash’ to the closing, triumphant, ‘Mrs a song that, appropriately, Hoover’. And everyone – everyone – seems to be singing the chorus to climaxes tonight’s frantic dash ‘Monday Morning’, perhaps conscious that tomorrow’s alarm clock is going of a set, taking in songs we’ve to ring way too early after this party. not heard in almost a decade And now, of course, it’s time to look to the future. Four months from tonight but still seem to know all the Oxford will welcome the best live music venue it’s ever had. Thanks for the words to, and when, thirty memories. The Zodiac is dead. Long live the Zodiac!

Dustball photo: RPH Images stunning minutes and one Dale Kattack

JOBY BURGESS, POWERPLANT & THE electronic club music has borrowed from Reich over the past twenty years (we’re looking at you, ELYSIAN QUARTET The Orb!). Possibly the best performance we’ve seen this year. The Jacqueline du Pre Building After the interval Powerplant are joined by The Your word for the week is synaesthesia, the from a single pair of maracas. The piece Elysian quartet for Ben Foster’s arrangements of unusual ability to experience one sense through intelligently finds similarities between the two Kraftwerk compositions. The electronics are another. We’ve always wondered how very different sound sources, and is played with decent enough (even if they will keep breaking synaesthetes find multimedia son et lumiere shows jaw-dropping precision. down) and the Elysians play with fine dynamic like tonight’s: “The yellow is out of tune with the ‘Carbon Copy’ loops sounds from improvisations sense, but somehow the two elements don’t mix. bassoon”? Still, they might find a little more to on a Brazilian berimbau, and overlays them with The fascinating paradox of Kraftwerk is that entice than we do in Kathy Hinde’s projections, stabbing percussion, ending up sounding uncannily their music is simultaneously robotically arid and which are lush but ultimately as memorable or like a drum&bass remix of Aphex Twin’s classic joyously human, that they create true warmth by meaningful as the majority of pop videos. Her ‘Digeridoo’. Even better is Burgess’ performance eradicating all traces of the flesh from their colleagues in Powerplant (Joby Burgess, of Steve Reich’s ‘Electric Counterpoint’ on the austerely controlled soundworld. By fudging the percussion, and Matthew Fairclough, machines) xylosynth, an instrument that allows arrangements between two camps Foster has make up for this shortfall beautifully. They open metallophone keys to act as midi triggers, reduced Kraftwerk’s masterpieces to a series of with Javier Alvarez’ `Temazcal’, mixing chitinous producing a vast array of sounds. By performing pretty tunes. And we have Coldplay to do that for electronics that sound like Lovecraftian tentacles the piece using vintage synthesiser tones instead us. clawing at shale beaches, with live rhythms of guitar, Powerplant remind us just how much David Murphy FIELDS / A SILVER MOUNT ACOUSTIC LADYLAND / HUSH THE MANY ZION / JONQUIL ALLY CRAIG The Zodiac The Zodiac The Zodiac The middle ground is no place to be. Jonquil have to be Oxford’s greatest band at Last month Ally Craig had the good fortune of being exalted Politically, artistically it’s a no-man’s land present. Tonight they prepare for the to the hilt in these very pages I have to agree: he’s a bloody where a desire to please all of the people all summer with their new and more overtly marvel and a great chap with great chops indeed. A of the time will inevitably crash ignobly. It’s folky material. ‘Rings’ is a fantastic and consummate musician in all respects, songs replete with a lesson that Hush The Many would do well somewhat moving piece with its florid guitar unusual embellishments – he’s partial to a few delicious to learn. Their name suggests something lines and nursery rhyme chanting. Hugo is dissonances as well. As for the voice: it’s a soft, supple and ethereal and on a few occasions that’s what on top form tonight, with a voice that’s thoroughly distinctive one indeed. we get: when the solemn cello is allowed to dynamic and sonorous. The serenely jolly London jazz rockers Acoustic Ladyland put a twist on typical dominate and singers Nima and Alexandra ‘Whistle Low’ sounds a tad edgy with the sedentary jazz viewing. As the drummer throws out the brushes weave their boy/girl harmonies most subtly, clackity drumming pervading the mix. for the early punk um-ta-um-ta’s, a sweaty saxophonist blasts they possess some of Galaxie 500’s quiet Epic post-rock orchestra Godspeed You! naughty little motif; twinkles are heard from a lushly ring- grandeur, if a little awkwardly. Similarly Black Emperor just about got away with the modulated keyboard. The drummer is a species of effortless when they really go for it their propulsive slightly pretentious song names and 22- Damon Che, camping more around the field of, to use a squall is impressive, but half of the set mixes minute songs. Its shameless remnants who hopeless oxymoron, jazz conventions. A breakneck speed these opposing desires uncomfortably and play here tonight, however, are a frustrating bastard child ‘Take Five’ of Dave Brubeck fame is wielded, you get the worst of both worlds – a listen at times. A Silver Mount Zion were ‘Road of Bones’ is a twisted, relentlessly noisy and discordant middling mush that sounds like it’s picking born out of the indefinite hiatus of Godspeed affair. The major seventh splits the ears. The frontman / scraps from The Magic Numbers’ table. with band leader and hirsute botherer Efrim saxophonist discharges sundry solos: emitting seconds of an For the first half of their set you could level singing in an incongruous punk drawl, slowed extraordinary bubbling noise midway through tastefully the same criticism at Fields, a band we know down and lisping. The same motif swelling preposterous solos. His pink shirt turns slowly more purple to be capable of so much more. Here is and falling for 15 minutes apiece is fairly with patches of perspiration. It’s when Acoustic Ladyland where the new wave of acid-tipped 60s folk entertaining live, and it certainly has its leave the structural post-punk fetters and instead incorporate meets the vivid dreamscapes of My Bloody gripping moments. Things get rather true improvisational jazz that they hit that ‘J spot’ of which Valentine and Ride (drummer Henry Spenner dramatic: parts fall so quiet that you dare to no other music on earth can reach. The shirt is now fully in particular has the same effortless blink, then rise to epic four-to-the-floor invaded with purple jazz sweats. Job done. intensity as Loz Colbert). But it’s all too poundings from an understandably bored Pascal Ansell well mannered: even when they’re hitting drummer. An eerie wailing is found in the you with a devotional acoustic folk hymn, violinist singing into her instrument’s they seem like they’re concentrating so pickup; a big muff double bass throbs these hard on losing themselves they can’t icky walls. Even their tuning up sounds actually get lost. But finally, just as we’re magnificent! ‘Take These Hands And Throw about to give up, frustrated, they hit the Them In the River’ is the culmination of space-rock pedals on ‘If You Fail, We All sounds: after an introduction of ascending Fail’, singers Nick Peill and Thorunn freeform drones, in slips a slick beat and Antonia wrap their voices around each other we’re flying. Yet after 90 minutes of leg- and we’re soaring. ‘Songs For The Fields’ is aching drama, Efrim spoils it all by the sound of the dam bursting and a flood of complaining about having to finish at 10.30. stargazing noise engulfing the room. Doubts The unreasonable prick even has the gall to are finally swept away. If Fields could hits criticize the promoter who put him on in those highs earlier on and stay there for a the first place. An unnecessarily pissed off whole set, they’d be a religious experience end to the evening. Sue Foreman Pascal Ansell

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO Slide @ The Zodiac Ten years ago dance music was so popular and DJs frankly so greedy that even moderately famous names would have laughed at the idea of playing somewhere like The Zodiac. Now the whole scene is a lot calmer and clubs like Slide can attract the likes of James Lavelle, Marshall Jefferson and Andrew Weatherall, loyally carrying a torch for House music and firmly established as the club night in Oxford to plan your holidays around. The problem with live acts at clubs is that you never know when to expect some action, and it’s four long hours after the doors open before we get to see the band, a fair few of the crowd having already called it a night. Simian Mobile Disco grew out of Simian, whose Justice remix of ‘We Are Your Friends’ soundtracked the summer before last. It’s omission tonight could have been for contractual reasons, but the truth is that nothing we heard tonight came close to matching it for inventiveness. The beats are plodding and pedestrian, the overuse of squelchy acid noises leading you to suspect that they’re short of proper musical ideas. The overall impression is the dance equivalent of a forty-five minute guitar solo, though fortunately most of the audience are so, er, tuned in that they’d be as happy dancing away to the shipping forecast. The music is sophisticated in a Basement Jaxx way, it just doesn’t lend itself as well to a live format. Sad to say that this is rather a depressing night, for dance music’s great strength has always been its constant forward motion into new territories. I don’t even know if the band consider themselves part of the new rave scene, but whose idea was it to attempt to revive something that never really died in the first place? Whatever you thought of acid house and the early rave scene no-one could deny that, like punk, it broke genuinely new ground and created a fresh musical lexicon. I’d hate to see dance music follow other genres into pointless revivalism and tired recreations of past glory. Art Lagun THE PAPER CHASE / CUTTING PINK WITH KNIVES The Wheatsheaf It’s a night of extremes at The Wheatsheaf tonight. The venue is packed and unbearably hot, and both Cutting Pink With Knives and The Paper photo: Sam Shepherd Chase approach musical extremism from completely different angles. Cutting Pink With Knives are a 3 piece from London that deal in a kind of off-kilter Berzerker-style hardcore driven by keyboards. Trying to get a handle on their songs on first listen is difficult because they rarely last more than a minute and a half, and each one constantly changes shape and direction. As a live band, however, it’s almost as if the songs don’t really matter. The band members are rarely playing their instruments, preferring to be led in a camp crazed party dance by a sequencer/keyboard that spits out hardcore that sounds like it’s been written by Napalm Death and played by Nintendo. Impossible not to love as a spectacle alone, Cutting Pink With Knives are stunning despite being fairly impenetrable musically. The party stops as soon as a couple of deep solitary notes are played on the keyboard and The Paper Chase introduce themselves to us by way of a sample of some poor fellow totally losing it in a phone box. The track’s called ‘It’s Out There and It’s Going To Get You’, and as it segues into ‘We Know Where You Sleep’ everything you need to know about The Paper Chase is laid bare. Twitchy, panicky and claustrophobic, each song is an exploration of vocalist/guitarist John Congleton’s world of paranoia and panic attacks. It’s a world made all the more real by his taut, wound- up demeanour. Far more animated than the last time they graced The Wheatsheaf, they have become a far more interesting band to watch live. The heat in the venue adds to the discomfort that lies at the heart of each song and audience members are heading outside for a breather before returning to the drama unfolding onstage. Tonight The Paper Chase are phenomenal; it’ll be a great pity if John Congleton ever sorts his head out. Sam Shepherd

LOW VS. DIAMOND The Zodiac I hereby swear as you are all my fuelled by punchy and sometime witnesses that I will never again go syncopated drum beats, glittering and see another ‘up’n’coming’ indie guitar and atmospheric keyboards. rock band who think they are on Sometimes clever and most of the the verge of making it to the very time very big. In fact, that’s where tip top of a very large mountain of it would seem they are destined to fame. Never, ever. Well until next be. Very big stadiums, which is time. And of course unless I know maybe why tonight just doesn’t them. Or they’re from Oxford. seem to be working. Or… oh bloody hell. It’s destined The band bring elements of The to happen again I know so let’s just Killers, The Strokes and Editors, get this over with. with flashes of Interpol but at Low vs. Diamond – they really times with a more hungry and raw aren’t that bad, so why am I being Foo Fighters-type of delivery. My such a grumpy guts? Picked up by favourite song of the night, ‘Stay The Killers’ management after Awake’, starts with some chilling playing just a single gig, this Los synths and energetic lead singer Angeles quintet are destined for Lucas Fields sounding a bit like Ian very big things, right? Actually, I McCullough, whereas ‘Heart should steer most of my aggression Attack’, their latest single, would at the sound engineer whom be right at home on the main stage they’ve brought along. I suppose at Glastonbury as the crowds sway she’s already got her sights on back and forth pointing back at the Wembley with the way she’s set stage through gritted teeth, “Kiss the volume tonight. It’s such a the way we were goodbye. shame. So I try my best to get past Goodbye. Goodbye.” Perhaps it’s the white noise and wall of sound. at those bigger arenas that LVD will Because I suspect there is more to really shine, but until then I’ve LVD than this racket. Past the temporarily kissed my hearing overdriven guitars are some goodbye. impressively melodic anthems, Katy Jerome CRADLE OF FILTH photo: RPH Images THE GOLDEN WOK Brookes Union With all their cannily-sloganned T-shirts Finest Chinese Cuisine Take-Away and aspirations as heirs to the Hammer 170 Cowley Road Horror schlock throne, it’s all too easy to (Opposite Tesco) imagine Cradle Of Filth holding earnest pre-tour meetings to decide how to make themselves appear even more EVIL. The 01865 248158 drumkit is coiled – no, come to think of it, Home Delivery Available enshrouded – in barbed wire, the stage lit with a shade of green which doubtless carries the Pantone number 666, and Open 7 days a week naturally there are projections of PENTAGRAMS and other such wickedness. The icing on the cake? A Valkyrie backing singer clad in stockings and suspenders. Utterly hilarious, but sad two hours. Despite playing that’s to report that the music suffers from technically superb throughout, there are no similar crass overstatement. twists or turns, just flat-out histrionics Every moment is 100 per cent screeching that, ultimately, aren’t even very goff madness. There are twin vocal interesting: once you’ve heard the first screams, twin tapping solos, twin kick corpsepaint-clad paean to comic-book evil, drum pedals: pretty much everything you’ve heard ‘em all. possible to cram double the evil into every And this might be nitpicking, but track, like a black metal version of double proceedings are more suburban Hot Fuzz chocolate muffins. It’s wall-to-wall noise village-green subversion (‘Stop these evil for fear of dropping below the level of true monsters corrupting our children!’, metal: with every song trying to cram in as screams the Daily Mail) than the kind of much portent, omen and other gloomy Norwegian church-burning, rival-stabbing Latinate abstract nouns as possible, there’s fanaticism that might at least help us take just dynamic range. What’s left has a it all a bit more seriously. Cradle of Filth, similar effect to being clubbed round the then: about as scary as William Shatner. head with a volume of Edgar Allan Poe for Stuart Fowkes

LITTLE FISH The Wheatsheaf You can tell a lot about a band, just by They open with ‘Devil’s Eyes’, an watching them set up their instruments. anthemic, all-bets-off romping rock hit, There is a hurried, wired, economy of that is akin to Sinead O’Connor having movement about local duo Little Fish that met up with Suzi Quatro rather than says everything about their efficiency of Prince, followed by the feistier purpose and direction. Drummer Nez ‘Sweat’n’’Shiver’, where she stomps out almost flicks together his kit, while singer the line, “Like you I can live on a grain of ONLINEFLYERS.CO.UK Jools unfurls leads in a blur, jacks up her sugar” with all the spittle and frustration guitar and stabs, satisfied, at the pedal of Annie Lennox. From then on it’s a rout. Flyers, Leaflets & Posters buttons with her basketball sneakers. A Renowned local producer Richard Narco, touching piece of spiritual humanity as she brings out all of Jools’ best feral Patti High quality litho printing puts a small pigeon feather that she’s Smith / Roisin Murphy qualities on their delivered in the mainland UK picked up during the day onto the mike brilliant debut EP, and thankfully this all stand, bish... bash... bosh, a quick hello transports to the stage and is kicked within 4 working days. and they’re all over us like a marching triumphantly forward by Nez’s army. unimpeachable backbeat, gained in no Find us at: www.onlineflyers.co.uk small part as ex-sticksman for high-octane rockers Vade Mecum. ‘Cafe Solo’ boils Or call us: 01844 218 531 with gritted anger over the ‘Street Spirit’- like acoustic picking, while ‘Jackie D’ is a root blues-rock lament to days lost to the Tennessee whiskey. They blaze out with ‘Am I Crazy?’, a hurtling back-draft of mania that makes you want to die air-drumming and leaves you with your lungs on fire. Like Jack White, they’ve found the keys to the garage of rock simplicity, and have the seemingly effortless talent to make it look ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- cool in the 21st Century. Little Fish will SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s-

Paul Carrera undoubtedly end up in a bigger pond, or (ahem) a giant rock pool. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 Paul Carrera each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each photo: DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS Please read the conditions below before submitting a demo,or we won’t review it, you stupid, stupid apes.

and eventually gets itself into a right jumble DEMO OF as it tries it on with a bit of yelping, shouting and generally angular post-punk. THE MONTH By the third track, ‘You’ve Been Hit By A ?’ (and we all know how painful question marks can be, what with their sharp little SIKORSKI elbows and quizzical looks), they sound A Banbury-based electronic duo with a like nothing so much as a duck drowning in highly impressive line in magnificently a puddle of quicksand. They start to fight nasty and bulbous synth buzzes and back with final song, ‘Bonjour! Je squelches, Sikorski did themselves out of a M’apelle’, but it’s all a bit of an untidy possibly Punt place by putting a scramble, fists flying and much shouting Northamptonshire address on their letter. but no discernible winner, except, maybe, Hopefully this Demo of the Month will the Great God of Utter Bleedin’ Chaos. make amends. If not they can always come and knock the Nightshift offices down with a single blast of their bass synth. Kicking in THE PLAUDITS like a heavyweight acid house splurge, More 80s-bothering guitar pop here, backed up with some militant metal- though of a decidedly darker nature as The bashing beats, they rev the distortion up to Plaudits sneak into Robert Smith’s the max and make some brilliantly ‘orrible bedroom in the dead of night (silly boys – bowel-threatening noise, still managing to that’s when he’s wide awake!) and steal an inject a malevolent melody into old Cure guitar riff. This they then take proceedings and show the potential for home and allow to chime delicately along electronic music to reach frequencies that with some moody synth and a sullenly traditional instruments simply can’t reach. intense singer who opines romantically When they introduce some rasping vocals about stuff like girls leaving him. And for the industrial third track they turn into shadows. It ain’t goth but it ain’t far off late-80s Belgian new beat monsters Front neither and we really rather like it. The 242. The whole demo has a retro feel to it mood lightens and everything changes tack but it also packs a pretty vicious punch, so thereafter as they next steal the piano intro we ain’t standing in its way. to ‘It Must Be Love’ before jigging into Crowded House territory. All perfectly acceptable, what with the 80s being the future and all, but a slight shame they spoil THE COLOURS things with the overwrought ‘Having This month’s Band Most Likely To Sell Yourself On’, which desperately wants to Five Trillion CDs And End Up achieve anthem status but is tied to the Soundtracking A Car Advert. The Colours ground by its own bodyweight. might struggle to be noticed amid an overcrowded post-Radiohead / Muse / Coldplay marketplace but if they can make SATELLITE STATE themselves heard, there’s no reason why And so yet more sweetly chiming indie they can’t make a substantial splash. guitars, this time rather more fleet of foot Emotive, anthemic indie rock with an than The Plaudits, although with a almost military sense of purpose, aided by similarly melancholy disposition and closer the singer’s strident falsetto on tracks like in style and mood to Snow Patrol or ‘In And Out’ and ‘January’, a high-pitched Idlewild’s more ethereal and contemplative howl that holds its own against the moments. ‘Letting Go’ is languid and stadium-sized guitars. ‘Fallen Soldiers’ windswept, buffing up Ride’s oceanic comes with echoes of Talk Talk, which is guitar noise and flooding the stereo. Great always a promising sign, while even the stuff but, again like The Plaudits, slightly more traditional Americanised rock bluster spoiled at the end with the inclusion of an of ‘Bad Light’ becomes irresistible with its unnecessarily schmaltzy soft rock ballad of angelic, synthesized backing vocals. little or no discernible character that plumbs almost Boyzone-like levels of bilge. How they got to this point from such TANDEM promising beginnings we ruddy bleedin’ Decidedly half-hearted 80s-styled jangle- well don’t know. pop that doubtless wears an oversized cardigan hanging off one shoulder as it shuffles around its bedroom to the sound THE WISH of The Razorcuts and Farmers Boys (ask Blimmin Nora, yet more 80s-burgling your dad). Lighthearted by its very nature, spangly jangle, this time from two brothers it still tends to mumble when it should be called Dave and Nelly Green (unless Nelly singing merrily from the highest rooftop is actually a sister who has been LYING to her devoted but gullible brother all these stuff, truth be told and never seems to years. You’d think the name was a bit of a really let rip as it judders and lurches along give-away. We’ll not dwell on such its protracted way. In fact it don’t half go fripperies though, since the music is really on a bit, a bit like a Tolkien novel, rather lovely, chiming and gleaming away something the singer is doubtless very fond with much understated elegance in a of since he seems to have borrowed his politely sombre fashion, while singer Dave voice from an Orc. Still, it’s metal, innit – opines romantically and poetically not can’t argue with that. unlike the great Robert Forster (him out of The Go-Betweens in case you were wondering and if that still makes no sense DEAD CLASS to you, you are missing out on something Lightweight punk-metal as it should be very great in life). On ‘Now Is Time’ the played – with a bit of vim and vigour, guitar circles prettily like a sparrow hawk unlike the torpor-inducing Organised but never goes in for the kill, oddly Confusion demo that immediately follows deciding instead to try its hand at the intro it. First track, ‘That All You Got’, sounds to ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’ for the closing like The Adverts’ ‘Gary Gilmour’s Eyes’ THE COURTYARD STUDIO few bars of the song. But such blemishes being played in the style of The Sweet’s PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ hardly detract from a mildly captivating ‘Blockbuster’, bustling old ladies out of the demo that should appeal to sensitive, way as it fights to get to the boozer for 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE melancholic indie daydreamers everywhere. opening time, which is really rather cool MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB when you think about it, the singer’s CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION slightly hysterical delivery exacerbating its OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI BACK POCKET needy aggression. Further in they mix up FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI PROPHET The Dead Kennedys and The Undertones S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) to similarly impressive effect, at least until Residential facilities included. Anyone who was there and not blinded by they decide to sign off with a gooey the flashing lights of the Club Tropicana, whisper – something to do with baby girls www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com will tell you that the 80s were as much or something – when it really should finish PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS about the rebirth of metal as they were with the sound of someone having their ON 01235 845800 fancy new synthesisers, and so here are teeth punched through a pub window. Bicester’s Back Pocket Prophet, bringing a smile of recognition to Nightshift’s resident old school metal expert as she reminisces about Armoured Saint. Leaning initially THE DEMO towards the more languid, gothic fringes of the rock beast BPP do come across as a bit DUMPER poncy and overly-serious but as they pile on the pressure and up turn up the volume and effects pedals they come into their ORANISED own a bit more. They sound like they might dream of wearing bear skins, living in CONFUSION pagan cave communities and worshipping With a churning grunge guitar intro, earth goddesses, but they can kick out a Organised Confusion set the scene for some decent riff and roar and bellow with serious ear-damage and doubtless some conviction. Wouldn’t mind seeing how bearded blokes going “Grrrr” a lot. It’s they’d fare in a scrap with this next lot… more than a little disappointing then to hear what sounds like a slightly boring conversation at a bus stop between two REIGN UPON US blokes comparing brands of margarine or With a name like that, a skull on the CD somesuch as the sludgy mess behind them sleeve and songs called ‘Bottle Of Jack’ and burrows itself ever so slowly into the mud, ‘Scent Of Hatred’, Reign Upon Us are there to die peacefully. To call this demo never gonna be a jazz-funk band, and nor pedestrian is an insult to pedestrians, even would we want them to be. Because there’s the really old ones who walk really slowly a small part of our souls that always leaps and get in your way when you’re trying to with joy when some proper ‘eavy metal get somewhere in a hurry whilst carrying a hits the stereo, perhaps because it reminds heavy box of Nightshifts. Occasionally it us, in these airbrushed times, that pauses to contemplate a dead bee on the somewhere out there there are folk who verge, all the while continuing its painfully just want to make music that’s fast, loud tedious commentary on the general and unpleasant (unpleasant as in it’ll annoy unfairness of life. A singular blessing about rightwing Christians and the like, not the demo is that it only contains two tracks unpleasant as in jazz-funk). Anyway, instead of the four listed on the sleeve, pitching themselves neatly between Sikth although they earn a token bonus point for and Lamb Of God, this Bicester quintet fire having a bass player called Dunstan up the overdriven guitars while the evil Langrish, although Dunstan Languish might toad ogre man with the mic belches up a be more appropriate in this case. Or maybe hatful of bile. It’s pretty standard, generic simply Dunstan Loadofbollocks.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number (no email or mobile- only). No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Nightshift accepts no responsibility for deflated egos.