Band of Horses

[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 287 June Oxford’s Music Magazine 2019

“When we were writing our new music, we found it exhilarating when people just started throwing their best shapes”

LITTLELITTLE BBROTHEROTHERR

Oxford’s discofied dance rockers ELIELI bring the party to Glofest Also in this issue: THE PORT MAHON returns! RIDE are back in town! Introducing CIPHERS! Win CORNBURY tickets! plus All your Oxford music news, previews and reviews, plus five pages of local gigs for June NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk

Knights of Mentis; Black Hats; Les Clochards; The Deadbeat Apostles; The Other Dramas; Brickwork Lizards; Molly Davies, and The Wonderbeers, among others. They join festival headliners The Beach Boys, Keane and The Specials over the weekend of the 5th – 7th July at Great Tew Country Park. Echo & RIDE play a homecoming show the Bunnymen; Gaz Coombes; KT at Oxford Town Hall on Tuesday Tunstall; Beverly Knight and The rd 3 December. The gig, at the Trevor Horn Band are among the venue where they played one of other star names on the line-up. Visit their earliest hometown headline cornburyfestival.com for full line-up concerts back in May 1990, is part news and ticket details. of an extensive European, American and UK tour starting in the summer MAKE MUSIC DAY comes to th and finishing on the 12 December Abingdon on Friday 21st June. in Manchester, to promote the The international celebration of live band’s sixth studio album ‘This Is music takes place across over 1,000 Not a Safe Place’. The new album, towns and cities in 120 countries on produced by Erol Alkan, who the longest day of the year. Events also helmed their 2017 comeback in Abingdon kick off at midday with THE PORT MAHON reopens as a live music venue this month after ‘Weather Diaries’, is released on drumming, ukulele, songwriting, th undergoing a refurbishment, with its owners looking to put the pub back at the 16 August on Wichita Records. community singing, fiddle playing the heart of the Oxford music scene. Tickets for all UK dates are due on and body music workshops in the The Port, on St. Clement’s, was a regular gig venue until five years ago sale soon – go to Library and the Guildhall rooms, when its upstairs room was turned into a dance studio, but under the www.thebandride.com for details. before heading outdoors from ownership of Johnnie Fisher and Cassie Jane, who also run The Half 4-9pm with live performances in Moon on St. Clement’s, and the management of Nell Wimpenny, it will TWO TONE ALL-SKAS AND the market square from the likes of return to its former glory, officially reopening on the st31 May. The news is HOPE & GLORY are among Megan Henwood; Adam Barnes; The all the more welcome in the wake of the closure of The Cellar in March. the local acts confirmed forThe People Vs; Opera Anywhere and Hex “The Oxford music scene has suffered some hard losses over the last few Riverside Stage at this year’s Collective. Thereafter local pubs and years and yet, here on St. Clement’s, we have an absolute gem of a venue Cornbury Festival. cafés will host a range of live music that was going to waste,” explained Johnny, talking to Nightshift ahead of The two ska tribute bands have events, with Dan Rawle; Saving its relaunch; “with our incredible team I am so excited to open its doors been among the star turns of recent Cathren; Tony Batey; Waterfahl; Max again and give it back to local artists to showcase just how much talent Cornburys and with The Specials Blansjaar and Simon Gregory among Oxford has to offer. headlining the Friday night main the acts confirmed to perform. Arts stage this year, are a perfect fit for the Council England is just one of the “After re-establishing The Half Moon to be a welcoming and vibrant festival. 60 organisations involved in Making pub for live music it was only natural for us to turn our efforts to The Port The Riverside stage traditionally Music Day. More details at Mahon – once a vital hub for Oxford’s music scene. We wanted to create a features a heavy contingent of www.makemusicday.co.uk. warm and much needed space space to showcase local and national artists. Oxfordshire acts and this year’s We’re really excited to get the doors open and start giving Oxford an line-up also features: The Shapes; QUICKFIX RECORDINGS have essential part of its musical heritage back.” Pandapopalypse; Easter Island compiled a decades-spanning Spotify Band and promoters wanting to book gigs, can contact Nell at Statues; Kanadia; Premium Leisure; cont’d over... oxfordportmahon@gmail or on 07711 836382.

TELEMAN, THE COMET IS COMING AND IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE are among the acts announced for this year’s Ritual Union. The one-day, multi-venue festival returns to east Oxford on Saturday 19th October, with music running from 11am through to 3am at the O2 Academy, The Bullingdon, The Library and Truck Store. Other acts confirmed includePigs x7; Self Esteen; Young Knives; Flamingods; Twin Peaks; The Soft Cavalry; Heavy Lungs; The Murder Capital; Chastity Belt; Trudy & the Romance; Porridge Radio; Bess Atwell; Scalping; Premium Leisure; Working Men’s Club; Egyptian Blue; The Cooling Pearls and Pet Sematary. Last year’s event, featuring Nadine Shah; Ghostpoet; Fontaines DC; The Lovely Eggs; Jane Weaver and Gaz Coombes among others, was hailed as one of the highlights of 2018’s live music calendar and this year’s event is likely to sell out. Super earlybird tickets are on sale now, priced £25, with the price rising to £30 for earlybird tickets and then £35 for standard tickets. Get them at ritualunion.co.uk or at Truck Store. the name Samuel Zasada, earning a Nightshift Demo of the Month back NEWS in 2009 before releasing a series of playlist of Oxford music. The playlist EPs, is back with a new project Mosa features over 100 songs, ranging from and releases a new single, ‘Losts & 80s indie stars Talulah Gosh, through Founds’ on local label Fourtwenny. cult local heroes such as The Rock The new project promises a more of Travolta; Meanwhile, Back in electronic sound for the singer, with a Communist Russia and Beaker, to the full EP set for release in June. current crop of young stars. Fans are encouraged to suggest additions to the LUNCHTIME FOR THE WILD playlist. Search This Is Oxford Music YOUTH fanzine are starting or Quickfix on Spotify. promoting all-ages matinee shows on weekends at the Deaf and Hard GLASSHOUSE STUDIOS host of Hearing Centre in Oxford and their annual family open day this are looking for bands to play. month. The rehearsal and recording Contact russellsmusicreviews@ studio in Cumnor opens its doors for gmail.com or @RussellBarker12 on the day on Saturday 15th June, from Twitter with a link to some music if midday through to 7pm, with studio you want to play. tours, live music from Max Blansjaar; Emma Hunter; Juniper Nights; The AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into REPUBLICA headline this year’s Witney Music Festival. The electro- Dollymops and special guests, plus a BBC Oxford Introducing every rock band best known for 90s hit ‘Ready To Go’ top the bill on Saturday bbq, and Oxfordshire’s largest crisp Saturday night between 8-9pm on 15th June when the festival climaxes with a two-day live music event on buffet. Visitglasshousestudios.org . 95.2fm. The local music show plays The Leys. the best Oxford releases and demos Republica are joined on the Saturday by 90s ravers N-Trance; electro- OXFORD CITY FESTIVAL as well as featuring interviews and swing stars The Dutty Moonshine Big Band; veteran ska tribute act The returns from the 15th November – 1st sessions with local acts. The show is Inflatables and a cast of local acts including Trauma; Twisted State of December. The multi-venue festival, available to stream or download as a Mind; Fused; Iota and Dead Section, plus the winners of the Witney Battle hosted by It’s All About the Music, podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford. of the bands and a showcase of acts from the town’s MuzoAkademy. is open to all local acts. To apply just The Friday night (14th) features a headline set from Prodigy tribute act message the Oxford City Festival OXFORD GIGBOT provides a Jilted Generation, as well as tributes to T-Rex and Talking Heads, plus Facebook page. regular local gig listing update on local acts. Friday’s action runs from 6-1ppm with Saturday starting at Twitter (@oxgigbot), bringing you midday. Both shows are free. DAVID ASHBOURNE returns to new gigs as soon as they go live. They The festival on The Leys is the culmination of two weeks of live music musical action this month with a new also provide a free weekly listings around Witney, with gigs and open mic sessions in pubs and venues across single. The singer-songwriter, who email. Just contact oxgigbot@ the town, from the 24th May through to the 10th June. More details at previously gigged and recorded under datasalon.com to join. www.witneymusicfestival.co.uk. WIN CORNBURY FESTIVAL TICKETS! At sixteen years of age Cornbury should be a the comedy tent welcomes BGT winner LOST horrible, stroppy sod of a festival, sat sulking VOICE GUY alongside JOSIE LONG and ROSE in a filthy midden, probably with the light off. MATAFEO. Instead, it remains a serenely welcoming affair in one of rural Oxfordshire’s most picturesque Plenty more besides, plus of course the corners. Riverside stage, featuring a host of local and up and coming acts, tribute bands and school Surviving all those things life chucks at live bands. music festivals, from the weather to financial Tickets for Cornbury Festival are on sale now difficulties, Cornbury continues to be one of at cornburyfestival.com, with adult weekend the cornerstones of our local festival calendar, tickets priced from £180 (£215 with camping), hosting its trademark mix of legends, heritage with day tickets available and discounts for acts, cult heroes and rising stars. over-70s, teens and kids. And thanks, as ever, to our chums at Cornbury, This year’s Cornbury Festival runs opver the we have two pairs of weekend adult camping weekend of the 5TH-7TH JULY at GREAT TEW 2 Tone Legends The Specials headline Friday. tickets to give away, for free, in a competition. COUNTRY PARK. This year’s headline acts are Oh yes. THE SPECIALS, THE BEACH BOYS and KEANE. star ELKIE BROOKS; groundbreaking British star To be in with a chance of winning, just answer The former will give anyone with an ounce of country duo THE SHIRES; veteran singer PAUL the following question: complacency a kick in the pants, the band, once CARRACK; folk legends STEELEYE SPAN and of again led by Terry Hall, still as potent as they course local icon GAZ COOMBES, while there’s a Which of the following acts has never played were in the 80s with the relase of this year’s very welcome return to the shire for one of last at Cornbury? Number 1 album ‘Encore’, while any Beach Boys year’s star turns – THE KOLARS. set is bound to be a greatest hits singalong. Other names on the bill include HOTHOUSE A. Blondie B. Amy Winehouse C. XXtentacion. FLOWERS; TOM SPEIGHT; KATY HURT; So too will be THE TREVOR HORN BAND, back WILDWOOD KIN; ALFIE BO and this month’s Email answers, clearly marked Cornbury for more after their 2015 appearance which is Nightshift cover stars LITTLE BROTHER ELI, Competition, [email protected], regarded as one of the Cornbury greats. while Squeeze mainman CHRIS DIFFORD takes a or on a postcard to Cornbury Competition, Elsewhere on one of the event’s strongest step down from the main stage to head up the Nightshift Magazine, PO Box 312, Kidlington, line-ups for a while are Liverpudlian post- festival’s Caffe Nero tent. OX5 1ZU. Please include full name, address punk legends and Cornbury regulars ECHO & and daytime telephone number. Deadline for THE BUNNYMEN; timeless soul and r’n’b diva Also back for more, after an impressive, sold-out inclusion is the 20th June. The editor’s decision BEVERLY KNIGHT; award-winning Scottish debut last year, are THE HAIRY BIKERS, who’ll be is to spend all weekend wishing he was half as hitmaker KT TUNSTALL; 70s pop siren and stage hosting banquets throughout the weekend, and cool as Terry Hall. A Quiet Word With down the rabbit hole with our latest the full Moroder? think you’re right and constant definitely be links between the live songs. “Ha ha! I’m not so sure that I hear fundraising would be exhausting for album and our performance, so “Our fanbase has remained those elements in the track, but I all parties. I’d like to explore some people can get a sneak preview.” amazingly loyal, which is perhaps suppose in its essence that might pre-orders, which fund the next You’re also playing Cornbury in LITTLE BROTHER ELI surprising as our newer stuff is a real be what we’re trying to achieve. releases. We’ve got some exciting July and Big Feastival in August. departure from ‘Cold Tales’, which Interestingly, we’ve referred to ideas, Watch this space.” “Yes. This is fantastic and we’re we toured extensively and was Daft Punk regularly in our newer being supported by the incredible probably where most people became songs and so by extension, we’ve Another side of platform, which is BBC Introducing. aware of us. As a music fan myself, hopefully assimilated some financing a band in the modern era We’re prioritising writing at the I think you owe it to your followers Moroder. The Moog is a recent is the issue of touring – the lifeblood moment, but we are doing a select to try and do something different at addition and – I think – it came after of bands at a certain level in an age few performances and may add a every point in your musical career; our latest studio releases. It’s been of free streaming. Around the time few more.” there are plenty of artists that release another method to break out of ruts. of ‘Cold Tales’ Little Brother Eli Are Little Brother Eli a particularly an album and I say ‘That’s it, please A few years ago we sniggered at were playing 100 gigs a year; is natural fit for festivals? just release the same thing over and a stage manager who asked ‘how that something they’ve been able “I’d like to think so! We always do over again for the rest of time’… many synths in the band?’… If to keep up and is touring a way of our best to put on an exhilarating but the truth is, I end up bored of the only we knew we were speaking to financially sustaining the band? and energetic live show and that’s acts that do that. No pleasing some a prophet... little synth-gag there. “No. Touring to that degree taught what festivals are all about! We people!” Recently, we’ve written remotely, us enormously important lessons, love recording music, but it’s most Little Brother Eli singer Alex Grew which by its nature has added and I’d extol the virtues to any exciting when you can bring it to the has an instantly recognisable voice, more computer elements, virtual young band. However, when all of people and a festival is the dream so it’s been evolution rather than platform – we don’t take things too complete revolution as far as the seriously and just want to get people band and fans are concerned. Does “I don’t think an indie band can moving.” Eric Duvet Photography - www.ericduvetphotography.com Adam think that anchors the band’s support themselves just by touring. sound to a degree? With the live album “To some extent, I guess it does, We’ve done our fair share of five hours also out this summer, the perfect but without wanting to appear too driving to the Dog and Duck to play to introduction to the band for those lofty, I think that’s important as a who’ve yet to hear them ahead band. It’s a signature and that allows one man and his dachshund.” of those festival appearances, we us congruency whilst stylistically wonder if there will there be another modulating. We’re all very proud to instruments etc, so it looks like we your energy and time is devoted studio album from the band or if the have Alex as a vocalist and I don’t have gone Moroder!” to gigging, it’s nearly impossible scenery has changed too much for think it limits the direction of the to find the headspace to write new unsigned bands and continuing to band.” As seems to be par for music and we’re loving doing that release a series of singles is the way How do you feel when you listen the course for unsigned acts these at the moment! We’ve picked up forward. back to ‘Cold Tales’ now? Which days, Little Brother Eli launched fans at every stop along the way and “Lots of people are mourning the “As clichéd as it sounds, sound we first loved them for – that played one of our best shows to date “Needless to say, we pulled our songs from that period have a crowdfunder to pay for the new they’ve remained very supportive, death of the album, but as an artist I think the most important thing for funkiness remains, as does singer and Josh pulled away the veil at a socks up and went on the search survived into the new set? album and it raised double its target so we try and play at new places and it’s quite liberating. You’re not bound us is connecting with the people that Alex Grew’s instantly recognisable rehearsal and... here we are!” for another member, which in turn “I’m really proud of the album; it within days. Does Adam think the keep our old fans informed. by your sound and everything’s a are watching us live,” says Adam voice – the introduction of snappier steered us away from one person’s was a snapshot of what we were band have a particularly loyal bunch “Financially, I don’t think an indie bit more transient; people don’t go Stowe, Little Brother Eli’s guitarist, beats, electronics (in particular the Little Brother Eli have artistic pleasures and displeasures back then and there’s nothing on of fans? band can support themselves just by ‘ah, that’s them catalogued – they’re talking to Nightshift about his use of Moog synths) and choppier undergone a couple of line-up and immersed us in another’s. there that I’m ashamed about, “It was astonishing! Our fans are touring. We’ve done our fair share the band that do xyz,’ you can have band’s change of musical direction guitar lines, has tightened up the changes since we last featured them Finally, with the newest, and I although I do listen to it in secret. incredible; we’ve got many who of five hours driving to the Dog and a pop at something and if it doesn’t over the course of their most recent band’s sound and moved things on, on the cover, notably the departure suppose the oldest, arrangement Maybe in the car. Beware Narcissus. rarely miss any gigs and travel far Duck to play to one man and his work – whatever ‘work’ means – you releases. while retaining its core aim: to make of original guitarist Tom Williams, of the ensemble, we’ve found the Or Carsicknus – the lesser known and wide to support us. The level of dachshund and, understandably, a just go back to the drawing board “Initially, our blues-y phase people dance. whose slide style gave the band freedom to throw all caution to the Greek Deity. support really did move us, though. venue can’t remunerate yourselves and try something new. I think the tickled our collective pickles with much of their old trademark blues- wind. I think we’re more open and “‘Beautiful People’ has remained Josh put so much work into the and make a profit. It’s the Catch 22 plan is, for the time being, to release us watching our audience rocking And dance they still do. rock sound. The current line-up experimental, musically, than we’ve a pumper; people still like that at crowdfund and I think we expected of promoters wanting bands to bring new singles on a regular basis. Then, out,” he continues. “When the door Little Brother Eli’s headline set at features singer Alex; bass player ever been and it’s the first time that gigs. ‘Shake Me’ shakes them… an uphill skate, but the amount fans and bands wanting promoters maybe when we have the right to that sound was pulled-to and the O2 Academy at the end of last Josh and drummer Benji Page nothing has felt off limits.” and we’ve recently started having was raised so quickly. We’re over to do it. I suppose local people have tracks, it’d be fun for us to release it we were writing and showcasing year was a packed-out party that alongside Adam, who is chatting to another pop at ‘Oceans’ because the moon and the additional in the to support their nearest music venue, on an old-school platform, like vinyl, our new music, we found it newly showed the band doing what they do Nightshift today. While the new line- Such a conscious shift lyrically it meant a lot to us. Other coffers will give us a head start in to allow promoters to put on great or something. That said, I think that exhilarating and rewarding when best. So much so that a recording of up features all original members, in sound for a band whose than that, we pretty much just play recording and releasing our new music and then for bands to make if we stumble upon a sound that we people just started throwing their the gig is now set to be released as those changes were key to their new reputation and fanbase was built our newest material.” tracks, which we’re really fired-up money. We’ve all invested a lot to can’t navigate in a few tracks, we’d best shapes. We became a little a live album this month. After the sound. on a particular style – inspired by Most bands want to see their music about! Thank you, you massive make the band work.” do an album again.” obsessed with the term ‘dark disco’ steady stream of singles over the “We went from a five-piece, to a the likes of Jack White, Alabama evolving with each new release; legends.” And we can’t let Adam go without and I think that set the writing past 12 months a live album feels different five-piece and now we’re a Shakes and Black Keys – was where, then, does Adam think Little Crowdfunding seems to be the way If their non-stop asking, given the band’s musical and parameters for the continuity of our like the natural thing to do for a four-piece,” says Adam; “I suppose obviously a risk, but it’s one that’s Brother Eli’s sound will go next? forward for a lot of unsigned acts gigging days are behind them, live sartorial changes over the past couple newer tracks.” band whose reputation has been so not dissimilar to reassembling your paid off, with singles like ‘Our Kind “One of the liberating things about now; with the near extinction of the is still where Little Brother Eli most of years: where are the waistcoats, firmly established on stage, even if it Ikea furniture when you move. If of Love’ and ‘Tooth’ the same band getting older is that you care less mainstream music industry as far as excel. They’re an infectious, all- once synonymous with their live The last time Little wasn’t planned as such. you want to continue the metaphor, but different – still Little Brother and less what people think; as a actual bands goes, do you think it’s energy spectacle on stage, and with shows and photoshoots living now? Brother Eli appeared on the cover “All of us, minus Josh [Rigal, the all current members were contained Eli, still funky, but sharper and result, we’ve become less concerned a sustainable model or is there a risk summer upon us, they’re the perfect And, given their move towards a of Nightshift was back in June 2016 band’s bass player], were under in the original packaging. leaner. Their famously loyal fanbase about what is ‘us’ or trying to make of fatigue among fans? fit for festivals, so it’s no surprise to disco sound can we expect to see when they released their debut the impression that we were “It’s been totally vital to the new certainly seem to have taken to it. something to impress upon the “We all try to remain quite positive see them featuring at so many of the them sporting silver flares any time album, ‘Cold Tales’. Then the band going to record and film a few sound. When Tom left, we’d just Adam: “In terms of approaching the music industry; if something feels about the collapse of the industry local outdoor events over the next soon? were a blues and funk-soaked rock tracks, mostly for material to send slipped into our comfiest slippers: electronics, this was just another good, then we persist, if it doesn’t, and view it rather as changing. I couple of months, starting with a “Waistcoats? I don’t know what machine with a reputation as one of to promoters,” explains Adam. we knew what the sound was, element, which was easy to flick the we throw it away: you can’t feed think whatever period you’re writing headline set at Glofest in Florence you’re talking about. We’ve buried the slickest live acts in town. “Josh, obviously wringing his we knew what the act was and switch on. With our previous work, a fed horse, to use a vegetarian- music in, you’re going to encounter Park this month. them and destroyed any evidence of A series of singles released since hands in a Machiavellian manner, everything was ready for the release we wanted to compose our music as friendly malapropism.” difficulties in one way or another “Oh my, yes! We’re looking their existence. It’s glittery lizard suits the beginning of 2018 has seen them masterminded the whole scheme of ‘Cold Tales’. His announcement purists: everything must come from Nightshift described ‘Our Kind of and us blaming another element forward to this. We’re actually and moustaches from here on in.” leave that rootsy edge behind and and had his plans from the outset. came out of the blue and at least one things that exist! Therefore, initially, Love’ as the place where Aerosmith doesn’t help our cause. working our little socks off to put a move into more electronic, almost He knew that if he told us all, we’d of us – me, actually – thought it was it was great to start playing around meets The Trammps; is that fair, and “With the positive response load of new pumpers in the set, so if Little Brother Eli play Glofest on disco, territory. While it hasn’t get our undies in a twist and it might curtains for the band, as he was an with drum sounds from an SPD and with increased use of Moog in the we’ve received, I’d imagine we’ll you haven’t seen us in a while, make Saturday 8th June. Follow them at been a wholesale scrapping of the compromise the performance, so we integral part of ‘the sound’. – as we speak – we’re really going sound, can you see yourselves going do it again at some point, but I sure you check us out! There’ll facebook.com/LittleBrotherEli Sponsored by The band’s debut EP even comes with a concept: the story behind singer Mark Elphinstone’s DAISY recovery from meningitis, which left with him ‘Access / Agency’ with no memory and needing to relearn pretty much everything. Not that he appears to be (Snuggle Dice) Sweetness and a light and sharp edges from RELEASED lacking in any of necessary skills here, providing Daisy on this new single, the deceptively soft a variously harsh, rasping, desperate or wailing EARINADE TREV WILLIAMS centred opening twinkle and lullaby vocals vocal centrepiece to the often elongated musical rapidly rising to more giddy heights, a still ‘Hard Shapes’ journeys that retain a caustic, imperious disdain ‘Greedy Pigs’ tender-hearted blossom of anthemic pop-punk for simplicity or lo-fi values. (Self released) (Self released) anchored by Angus Mackay’s dinky guitar ‘Child of Dirt’ in particular traverses mood ‘How Evil was Evel Knievel?’ made the Having taken almost a decade to follow-up his spangle. Even when Luke Allmond sings “I am swings and stylistic detours to emerge like some Nightshift Top 25 at the end of 2017 and debut album, Trev Williams produces the sequel freaking the fuck out” he sounds more like he powerhouse approximation of Tool cranking out signalled not only the presence of a fine band to ‘The Start Line’ just two years on. needs a good cuddle rather than he’s about to but also some arch experts when it comes to the angriest passages from Pink Floyd’s ‘The As with that record he’s joined by a robust cast trash the room as Daisy find that neat balance choosing song and album titles: ‘Musical and Wall’. Elsewhere soaring keys hint at Keith of guest musicians who add colour and depth to between losing control and keeping their feelings Personal Differences’ was the title of Earinade’s Emerson, spiced-up guitar solos veer into Robert his songs, but this feels more like a solo album, close to their chest. first long player and succeeded in being in all Fripp’s airspace and Elphinstone’s epic, questing without Hannah Rhodes and Bethany Weimers Dale Kattack vocals bring a bit of The Who’s ‘Tommy’ to the probability factually accurate and ironic at the to add extra vocals. Instead Trev takes the lead SHAVEN PRIMATES same time. party. EP closer ‘Outside’ initially feels like an throughout, revealing both his strengths and ‘Hard Shapes’ carries on the momentum. ‘Evolution’ aberration compared to the rest of the songs here, weaknesses. CIPHERS Made up of various ex-members of Oxford’s like a wild pier-end blues revue where Muddy His chief strengths are emotional honesty and (Self released) musical past – Hot Hooves, the Candyskins Even while rock music lingers on the sidelines Waters and Tom Waits are shouting and fighting an ability to sound both plaintive and cynical ‘Future Tribes’ and Les Chochards along them – it’s a musical obligatory corker to start the LP – ‘Naturally hoping to make a comeback, prog remains its in almost comical fashion over the last riff in simultaneously. The latter is most apparent on (Self released) pot pourri spanning many of the more pleasing Realistic’, evolving into a fair old wig out. uncool cousin whose very existence is denied the jar, but it has a mania about it and an almost the album’s title track, a piano ballad backed by You can’t accuse Ciphers of lacking of vision. styles of the past forty years – Cardiacs, The middle section edges more into, if not even by those who privately retain an affection Doors-like vibe in its dark-side-of-the-drunken- inventive strings that complement its solemn The three tracks that comprise ‘Future Tribes’ ‘Trompe Le Monde’ era Pixies, Moonlandingz Britpop, but early 90s territory – Cardiacs for it. So a warm – and doubtless suitably blues and overall, for all their technique and nature. His piano playing too can be powerful add up to over sixteen minutes’ worth of music, and a touch of Rentaghost all thrown into again but also Mansun without the annoying ostentatious – welcome to Shaven Primates, technology, Shaven Primates come armed with in an understated manner, as on ‘Crying in so we’re clearly not in the realms of the three- the mix amid a lot of other things and all bits. ‘Sweet Loveless’ starts with a sub-Phil a band for whom elaborate song structures, more than enough substance and power to earn Silence’, where his sparse arrangements recall minute pop song. These are exceptionally well- punctuated by the vital addition of tunes – and Daniels/Jason Williamson bit of spoken virtuoso flights of fancy and technical prowess your love as well as your respect. the great Annie Hogan. produced, carefully-crafted miniature epics, very good ones at that. word and then goes all Kinks. All of this is are worn proudly – and loudly. Ian Chesterton Among many highlights, it’s ‘Sleepy accompanied by some super cover artwork – an Not that this is a completely downbeat album. extending traditional songwriting templates and Serpentine’ that is the most arresting, providing image that would appear to depict the interior Opener ‘Come Home’ is positively jovial, with structures into new and interesting directions. a real sense of music hall drama, a piano-led of an especially dystopian fancy dress shop, its jaunty piano and fluttering flute, eventually KNOBBLEHEAD MASTER OF NONE It may be my lack of focus, or simple-minded ditty that evokes pearly kings and queens and a nightmarishly distressed Humpty Dumpty dissipating via an unexpected trombone coda. will for straightforwardness, that makes me find dark alleyways cobwebbing the East End of bawling at the prospect of having to wear an Where Trev falters is on more overwrought ‘Aeroplane Membrane’ ‘You Will Get What You these songs rather, well, dull. What these lengthy London, gorgeous backing vocals adding a real Easter bonnet. numbers like ‘Do You Miss Me, which is track times add is luxurious space, creating heartfelt but clumsy, Trev sounding adenoidal (All Will Be Well) expanses for ponderous meditations on life. This, ghostliness. Third up, this follows on from the Rob Langham Alongside Jeramesa, Gravid and Daydreamer? Deserve’ as he pushes his voice. Similarly, ‘Dragon’ (All Will Be Well) though, is countered by a feeling of aimlessness, sounds like he’s trying too hard, though here Knobblehead are carving out a new psychedelic of wandering around a song’s core, edging away comes from the fact they were individually After a patchy but promising full-length debut the strings rescue the song. Album closer ‘The sub-scene in Oxford; they’re among the local from punchiness and quick-hit effectiveness. fed up of composing and performing alone album in his Master of None guise, Ian Mitchell Power’ feels like it should be a bullish send-off acts playing the inaugural Oddball Festival this The EP sounds expansive; ‘Feeder’ circles and craved musical company, as well as the hit his stride with his ‘Great White Shark’ EP at but feels uncertain rather than determined, for month and cosmic vibes are very much their around light, repeating melodies; ‘Twiggy’ has at fact they mix and match their talents, so each the end of 2018 and continues to gain strength all its well intentioned lyrics ‘The Only One’ bag, man. its core a pleasingly strident bass riff, while ‘Fox’ can still play solo, or as a duo, as well as the with this new three-song release. serves as a reminder that Trev is at his best We caught the band live last month and is delicate, heartfelt and honest sounding. There full trio, which keeps the chemistry fresh, While mental health issues are never a cause when he doesn’t try too hard, dropping things counted nine members on (or near) the stage are no issues with the sounds being created Reynolds’ plangent piano mostly taking for celebration, so much great music has been down a notch or two tonally and all the more but this debut single boasts just five, of whom here, although the highly-strung vocal style centre stage, the strings augmenting the mood fuelled by them and Ian has regularly used his powerful for it. multi-instrumentalist Row Janjuah seems to isn’t entirely for me. It all just feels as if a little when required. ‘By the Tower at Nightfall’ experiences to bring emotional depth to his Such a heart-on-sleeve style always leaves a be the mainstay. ‘Aeroplane Membrane’ has brevity or editing would be hugely positive: at finds the trio most in harmony, the sound at songs, including with Little Red, his other band, singer and songwriter vulnerable to occasional its heart in the mid-60s and its head in a fluffy present, we’re awkwardly caught between its lushest and most harmonious. That edge currently on hiatus. clumsiness, but perhaps Trev’s missteps are also lysergic cloud of swirling psych tropes, Eastern strong, up-front alternative rock, and exploratory, of something more discomforting creeps in With Master of None Ian continues to dig deeper his hidden strength: rather than smoothness and vibes and the exotically monikered Trinity indulgent post-rock. Upping the pace, shortening on ‘For Matthew’, a bluntness to the piano musically, the dark-folk of Little Red replaced bland consistency, he’s prepared to stumble, all De Simone’s limpid vocals. Here’s where the length, increasing the contrast, or a jarring the listener from any reverie, while with a harder, harsher form of goth. ‘Hunt You the better to find his feet. And while ‘Greedy psychedelia emerged from the wyrder reaches combination of all three, could turn these into album centrepiece and highlight ‘Ripeness is Down’ here, the high point of an impressive Pigs’ lacks some of ‘The Start Lines’’ variety of folk music as well as pop’s fascination with three fierce, in-your-face songs. I realise that All’ is an about turn into the shadows, abrasive EP, harks back to the machine goth pulse of and impact, it’s an album that should allow Trev acid and Indian spiritualism and ragas, and we this may not be what Ciphers aim for. They have electronics and sharp violin stabs shifting above bands like James Ray & the Performance and to stand proud. even get a sample of Maharishi Maheshi Yogi’s vision, but for me it feels a little blurred. and around a disembodied voice reading from Cassandra Complex, all churning, snarled-up SOLO COLLECTIVE Dale Kattack introduction to transcendental meditation on Simon Minter Catch 22 for some highly effective horror flick tripped-out b-side ‘Don’t Get Lost’. Tambourines guitars and sequencer pulses to back up his ‘Part Two’ soundtracking, not a million miles from some are shaken lustily, guitars spangle and head casually menacing “I’m going to hunt you (Nonostar) of Cosey Fanni Tutti’s glowering compositions. off on heavily treated solos, electronics swirl, down” refrain. ‘Get What You Deserve’ is To dyed-in-the-wool pub venue noise fans, the The oblique ‘Mildenhall’ feels like a suitable there’s something that sounds like a sitar in more sprawling, less confined by the walls that strange, shifting hinterland between classical follow-up to this, but closer ‘Holy Island’ there, and Trinity maintains a wide-eyed but you feel are closing in on Ian, with an almost and ambient/experimental music can be a a collective take on an earlier Reynolds coolly imperious presence at the heart of it all, shoegaze vibe about it, albeit if those shoes were daunting place. We could name you several composition returns us to calmer waters, closer reminding us a little of Espers’ Meg Baird. If steel-bladed ice skates. Vocally he has an almost dozen metal sub-genres but would struggle to in feel to Sigur Ros’ most classical-inclined there’s a feeling that here’s a new band trying to languorous croon on him that sits in the middle of tell Bach from Beethoven, so reviewing this pieces. squeeze everything they know about psychedelia the often turbulent music, contemplating his own second collaborative album between local piano It’s a well crafted journey from light through into five minutes, it’s overridden by the simple, personal darkness, where “blood runs black”. and electronics maestro Seb Reynolds, German darkness and back to light, though we’ll always spaced out charm of the record. Still pretty much a solo project as far as the cellist Anne Muller and violinist/producer Alex prefer the atmospheric dread and disorientation For a city that inspired Alice in Wonderland studio goes, there’s still a rough, simplistic edge Stolze, fills us with trepidation. of the darker pieces, and while we remain none and ‘Itchycoo Park’, Oxford has been sadly to the songs, and Ian’s full band adds extra bite A soothing sense of serenity and comfort the wiser about the ins and outs of classical lacking on the psych front in recent years live, but this is impressive stuff from a man seems to be the actual purpose of the music music, Solo Collective provide us with more and we welcome these new wave of merry channelling personal demons and black dogs into here, initially at least, tinged with a hefty hint than enough bite to match their Bach. pranksters in town. creativity, and on that score it’s a triumph. of discord as things progress. The trio’s name Dale Kattack Dale Kattack Sue Foreman main preview The Candyskins, Medal and The Anyways, ALL TAMARA’S PARTIES FESTIVAL: The together making a playfully caustic noise that Jericho Tavern (1-11pm) – ATP host a full day joins dots between Pixies, Cardiacs and Fat White of live music, and true to the club’s ethos with Family among others. the emphasis on female performers. London’s TRASHYNESS: The Port Mahon – With Nelly Dream Nails headline, the quartet’s mix of punk, B Page. riot grrl and power pop inspired by Bikini Kill, JERICHO STREET FAIR: Various venues, GIG GUIDE X-Ray Spex and Sleater Kinney. They’re joined Jericho – Live music across the day at the annual by Tamara’s own band Death of the Maiden, community celebration, including sets from The SATURDAY 1st THURSDAY 6th whose gorgeous, emotionally racked debut, Mighty Redox and The Pete Fryer Band. DANTEVILLES + 31HOURS + CAVEGIRL: IDEAL MARRIAGE + TREV WILLIAMS: ‘The Girl With the Secret Fire’, is destined to be RICHARD DURRANT: St Nicholas’ Church, The Wheatsheaf – Manchester’s rising indie Truck Store (6pm) – A double dose of local talent one of Nightshift’s albums of the year; raucous Baulking – An exploration of eleven centuries of Thursday 20th – Sunday 23rd rockers Dantevilles make their Oxford debut launching new releases, with former-Lowws and pop-punkers Self Help, joining the dots between British music from the virtuoso acoustic guitarist, alongside local atmospheric indie-synth-pop crew The Sea The Sea indie crew Ideal Marriage, plus Slaves and Supergrass; exuberant and cynical mixing classical, baroque and folk traditions. NOCTURNE LIVE: 31Hours. JUNE emotive singer/songwriter Trev Williams. sunshine posters Rainbow Reservoir; Bristol’s SPARKY’S SPONTANEOUS SHOWCASE Production taking inspiration from Chromatics, SISTERS OF FUNK: The Bullingdon – Classic folk-punk protest trio Drunken Butterfly; soulful SUNDAY 9th Blenheim Palace AND SPOTLIGHT JAM: The Port Mahon OMD and Cabaret Voltaire among others. funk and soul from Oxford’s expansive all-female acoustic singer Jen Bercova and more. OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms After last year’s sold-out season, Nocturne – And it’s a very welcome back to live music MUSICAL MEDICINE with FOUK: The funk ensemble. HONEYBLOOD: O2 Academy – Glasgow’s ABOUT LIFE: The Bullingdon Cocktail Bar – Live returns with more open air shows in the action for the Port Mahon, open again after a Bullingdon – The final Musical Medicine til SUMMER CULTURE Pt.2: The Bullingdon supercharged indie fuzzsters return – see main Free funk, Latin, techno and Afrobeat night. grandiose surroundings of Blenheim Palace. refurb and once again hosting gigs and open after the summer brings Dutch duo Fouk – Cocktail Bar – Free night of drum&bass and dub preview THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Tree, Iffley (4- Bit different to our usual gigging environs but mics in its upstairs venue, tonight with Sparky’s Daniel Lesman and Junction – to the funk, disco from Subculture in the Bully’s front bar. REGGAETON: The Bullingdon – Club night 6.30pm) – Rock and blues covers from the veteran we all need a bit of the high life sometimes. monthly bands and open jam session. and disco-house party, the pair having released CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community playing the Puerto Rican melange of hip hop and local singer and guitarist and band. Undoubted highlight of this year’s programme MEANS OF PRODUCTION + OCTAVIA EPs on Detroit Swindle, Room With a View and Centre – Oxford’s longest running open session Latin American and Caribbean dance. comes on the Sunday with an already sold-out EARINADE + FAT ORANGE WOLF + Oxford live debut for KYLIE MINOGUE, FREUD: Cirkus – Double dose of electro-pop Razor’n’Tape as well as their own Outplay continues to showcase local singers, musicians, MONDAY 10th at tonight’s It’s All About the Music show with label. poets, storytellers, performance artists and more SCIENCE FICTION TWINS: The Wheatsheaf whose got more pop hits under her belt than gloomy, brutalist post-punk/electro duo Means of every week. – Album launch show for the local post-punk FRENCH FOLK SESSION: The Port Mahon – Nightshift has drunk bottles of Prosecco, and SPARKY’S NEW MOON: The Half Moon – supergroup – featuring former members of ATL?, Gallic folk sounds at the monthly session. that’s a lot of hits. From ‘Can’t Get You Out of SUNDAY 2nd THE CHURCHFITTERS: Nettlebed Folk Saturday 8th Sparky hosts his open mic night on the first and My Head’ and ‘Better the Devil You Know’ to BEARD OF DESTINY + FRANKLIN’S third Thursday of the month. Club – Energetic folk fusion from the Anglo- ‘Spinning Around’ and ‘Slow’, it’ll be a one- TOWER + FIREGAZER + THE MARK th Irish-French band, mixing up original songs with night hit factory as well as a pop spectacular. HONEYBLOOD: BOSLEY BAND: Donnington Community Saturday 8 updated takes on traditional British folk tunes. th On the Thursday it’s Empress of Soul Centre (6pm) – Free night of unplugged live FRIDAY 7 OPEN MIC: The Castle GLADYS KNIGHT’s job to open the season, O2 Academy CANDY SAYS: The Bullingdon – Soulfully ODDBALL: music, with bluesman Beard of Destiny; Grateful singing hits from across her extensive solo and Losing half your line-up might be considered atmospheric electro-pop from the swoonsome Dead tribute Franklin’s Tower; atmospheric Isis Farmhouse th Pips career, including classic soul covers like unfortunate. To lose half your line-up Candy Says, following the release of latest single TUESDAY 11 folkies Firegazer and dark-hearted pop man Mark An unusual and very welcome new addition ‘Heard It Through the Grapevine. She’ll be twice seems careless at best, a sign of ‘Gravity’, the trio having gone Youtube ballistic JEREMY JOHNSON: The Bullingdon Bosley. to the local boutique festival scene, with the teaming up with SISTER SLEDGE, so we’ll something strange going on at worst. Then earlier this year with their cover of Kate Bush’s Cocktail Bar – Free show in the Bully’s front bar MARK ATHERTON & FRIENDS + Oxford Psychedelic Society setting up a day get ‘He’s the Greatest Dancer’ and ‘We Are again, in Honeyblood’s case half the line- ‘Running Up That Hill’, from the film Close, for the Kent-born singer-songwriter. SCREAMIN’ IRENE + TRACY ISLAND + of spaced-out sounds and art on the banks of Family’ along the way too. up only amounts to a single person, and as well as their own song ‘Beautiful Feeling’, a THE JESTERS: The Wheatsheaf (3.30-7pm) the Thames. Not only that, they’ve somehow Friday sees former Fugees hip hop megastar Stina Tweeddale doesn’t strike us as some contender for song of the year. th – Klub Kakofanney host an afternoon of free live managed to bring the legendary SUN RA WEDNESDAY 12 LAUREN HILL top the bill, her 1998 multi- kind of Mark E Smith-like megalomaniac. KLUB KAKOFANNEY with RADICAL COMFORT + FATAMORGANA + ACACIA music in the Sheaf’s downstairs bar. ARKESTRA to town for what we’re pretty platinum selling solo debut ‘The Miseducation Tweeddale is now the sole full-time member DANCE FACTION + THE MIGHTY REDOX SPINES: The Library – Great night of electronic THE DEADBEAT APOSTLES + MARCUS sure is the first time. Bandleader, composer of...’ ensuring her enduring popularity even of Honeyblood after the departure of drummer + PUPPET MECHANIC: The Wheatsheaf music at tonight’s Smash Disco show, with CORBETT + NITIN GAIKWAD: Port Mahon and keyboard player Sun Ra himself might as her recording and touring become sporadic Cat Myers sometime around the time the band – Monthly live music club night Klub Kak Glaswegian brother/sister duo Comfort mixing – Country soul and roots rocking from the have flown home to Saturn back in 1993 but and not always successful. She’s joined by recorded their third album, ‘In Plain Sight’, welcomes free festival veterans RDF back to live drums, industrial synths and militant punk Deadbeats at the newly reopened Port as part of his cosmic spirit lives on in the Arkestra, Birmingham’s own soul queen LAURA released this month. Original drummer Shona town, the political punk/dub/ska outfit still helmed vocals into the future-primitive sound. Support tonight’s Pindrop show. currently led by saxophonist Marshall Allen, MVULA. McVicar left to pursue a career as a dentist, by founder and frontman Chris Bowsher over from Catalonian synth-popsters Fatamorgana, OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms – bringing their free-ranging psychedelic jazz TEARS FOR FEARS complete the weekend which is undoubtedly more lucrative than 30 years after they formed (having split and mixing up early Depeche Mode synth bubbles Weekly open session. to the people of the earth. They’re a band line-up, the 80s popmeisters superb 1983 debut playing in a rock and roll band, even one as reformed in the interim). KK hosts The Mighty with sleek, emotionally detached Ladytron/Client- who really deserve the tag ‘legendary’. ‘The Hurting’ spawning some of the finest hits much fun as Honeyblood, whose infectiously Redox join them onstage for what will be a style vocals, and choral drone and minimal-wave rd They’ll be joined across the day by a cast of of the time – ‘Pale Shelter’, ‘Mad World’ and ebullient, spiky and slightly spiteful, mix MONDAY 3 proper old hoedown. Atmospheric indie crew pop from Acacia Spines. live acts, including Brighton’s inventive hip ‘Change’ before they got even bigger with the of garage rock, 60s pop, glam and grunge CHRIS & KELLIE WHILE: Nettlebed Folk Puppet Mechanic bring a more stately Radiohead/ Club – St Agnes Fountain singer Chris While hop DJ JFB and a DJ set from electro-swing likes of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’. variously makes them sound like The Jesus Tindersticks vibe to the party. th teams up with daughter Kellie for a night of star DUTTY MOONSHINE. A strong local THURSDAY 13 An impressive Saturday bill sees them joined & Mary Chain demolishing the Taylor Swift THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT SPASM traditional folk tunes. live contingent features industrial hip hop, ESYA: Truck Store (6pm) – Brooding industrial by more contemporary synth-led indie stars songbook in the style of The Ronettes, or The BAND + MOOGIEMAN: The Jericho Tavern Weekly open session. electro, sci-fi soundscaping star and recent pop from Savages bassist Ayse Hassan performing WHITE LIES as well as fellow 80s pop gems Beach Boys – The Grunge Years. Tweeddale OPEN MIC: The Castle – – Return of the hot jazz and jump blues party- Nightshift cover star TIGER MENDOZA; under her new Esya guise. SCRITTI POLITTI. Classy stuff from start to regularly takes pot shots at her exes, not least starters as they being recording their new album, rd atmospheric psychedelic griefcore crew BE GOOD + PREMIUM LEISURE: The finish. No wonder they need such a posh venue on most recent single ‘3 Degree’, a ready- th the band evoking the spirit of 1920s and 30s TUESDAY 4 FLIGHTS OF HELIOS; Witney-based griot Bullingdon – Airy, atmospheric indie-soul from to host it. made summer festival anthem to match her FAIRPORT CONVENTION: Chipping Norton speakeasies, while singing about Oxfordshire and kora maestro JALI FILY CISSOKHO; local stars Be Good, plus funky psychedelic signature tune, ‘Babes Never Die’. She’s Theatre – The Godfathers of English folk-rock folklore and more. Electro-pop and post-punk dark-hearted heavy-duty psych-rockers slacker pop in the vein of Mac Demarco and Tame a pin-sharp pop performer and songwriter, build up to this year’s Cropredy Festival with maverick spirit Moogieman supports. JERAMESA; midnight-hued surf-noir Impala from Premium Leisure in support. at the longstanding club night with Ed Rush. an heir to the thrones of Julian Hatfield or another show in the Shire. FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT: The rockers ART THEEFE and expansive folk- SHERYL BAILEY: The Wheatsheaf – Spin WHO KILLED NANCY JOHNSON? + Throwing Muses, and with or without any Bullingdon – Indie rock club night. tinged psych outfitKNOBBLEHEAD . A Jazz Club with American guitarist Sheryl Bailey. JULIET & THE RAGING ROMEOS + permanent bandmates, she’s a star still very th KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS: WEDNESDAY 5 whole host more besides, plus, beyond the REVEREND BLACK’S ACOUSTIC ORDER#227 + LAIMA BITE: The Wheatsheaf much on the rise. The Cornerstone, Didcot – The veteran kings of FIREFLY BURNING + IYATRA QUARTET: music, a day of theatre, circus skills, art CABARET: The Half Moon – Acoustic blues, – Punk and hardcore night with Reading’s Who swing return to the Shire. Tap Social, Botley – Atmospheric folk music, installations, poetry slams, discussion panels country, folk and classic rock with Mark Atherton Killed Nancy Johnson mixing the old school A FOREIGNER’S JOURNEY: Fat Lil’s, gamelan and acoustic pop inspired by Sufjan and healing, all hopefully adding up to some & Friends, The Factory Lights and Richard righteousness of Dead Kennedys with epic rock. Witney – A two hour tribute to Foreigner and Stevens, Joni Mitchell and Steve Reich from kind of cosmic experience. Man. Brotherton. Reading neighbours Juliet & The Raging Romeos north London’s string-led quartet at tonight’s Journey. Two hours. Of Foreigner and Journey. CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community bring a spiky and playful approach to punk in the Tandem launch show, hosted by Tandem, OCM Foreigner. And Journey. For two hours. Anyone Centre mould of The Modettes, The Slits or Kleenex, and Upcycled Sounds. They’re joined by world- got Amnesty International’s number? while local hardcore monsters Order#227 keep spanning folk collective Iyatra Quartet, mixing FRIDAY 14th it brutal and Laima opens proceedings in a more up influences from Indian raga and Arabic folk to th gothic pop style. SATURDAY 8 PINOY ROCK LEGENDS: The Bullingdon – SOLO COLLECTIVE: St Michael at the Bolivian charango and Medieval plainsong. ODDBALL FESTIVAL: Isis Farmhouse An evening of Filipino rock with Gary Perez and Northgate – Experimental classical and electronic TOOLOLOGY + CENTRE LINE UK: The (midday-2am) – The Sun Ra Arkestra make their Sons of Abrakadabra. Tool tribute band. music from keyboard player Seb Reynolds Wheatsheaf – Oxford debut at the inaugural psych festival – see TERRAFORMS: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass hitmakers Republica top the bill at the free all- TUESDAY 18th eye of the music storm that all others must aspire with a light and laser show to accompany DJ day culmination of the town’s annual music to. James Ussher. Live sets too from ska tribute fest. They’re joined by N-Trance, The Dutty WEDNESDAY 19th Hope & Glory, plus The Shapes and Ska Ba Doo Moonshine Big Band and a host of local bands THURSDAY 20th Ba – see main interview feature and music projects – see news feature JESS MALIN: The Bullingdon – Grimy, SUMMER IN THE CITY: Various venues downbeat tales from New York from Jesse BAND OF HORSES: O2 Academy – Epic SIMPLE with COURTESY: The Bullingdon melancholy from Ben Bridwell’s Americana (3pm-2am) – Big Scary Monsters debut their – The long-running house and techno club Malin, former glam-punk with D Generation; multi-venue one-day festival in east Oxford. Ryan Adams collaborator, and mate of Bruce survivors – see main preview night hosts Danish DJ Najaaraq Vestbirk, with GLADYS KNIGHT + SISTER SLEDGE: Across The Library, Fusion Arts, Brewdog, her unique Scandi-centric sets, in particular Springsteen, back in the UK having previously Truck Store and Port Mahon, the cast of indie, supported Chuck Prophet and set to release a Blenheim Palace – Opening night of the championing the club sounds of her native Nocturne Live 2019 season sees the Empress of punk and DIY acts includes math rockers Copenhagen. Simple residents Em Williams and new album, his first since 2015’s ‘Outsiders’. Tangled Hair; waywardly inventive jazz-infused th Soul coming to the palace – see main preview Thursday 20 Tim Gore also man the decks. CINDER WELL + GWENIFER RAYMOND crew Lucy Leave; hardcore ragers Worry and st rd + THE AUGUST LIST: The Jericho Tavern THE RYAN BINGHAM BAND: The Friday 21 – Sunday 23 MOTHER: The Port Mahon Bullingdon – A-Grade Americana from Empty mathcore merchants Masiro. Other confirmed BAND OF HORSES: GLASSHOUSE STUDIOS SUMMER FETE: – Superb triple bill of atmospheric folk-inspired names include Gender Roles, Colossal Squid, sounds at tonight’s Divine Schism show with Room Promotions again tonight with a visit to TANDEM FESTIVAL: O2 Academy Glasshouse Studios, Cumnor (Midday-7pm) – town for itinerant troubadour Bingham – see Flirting and Egrets. There are also DJ sets from The local studio hosts its annual family day, with Amelia Baker’s Cinder Well drawing on the likes of Vacuous Pop, Divine Schism and Lower Farm, Ramsden It’s almost a decade since Band of Horses main preview live music from Max Blansjaar; Emma Hunter; American and Irish traditions to create haunting Snuggle Dice people. Following in the footsteps of WOOD Festival, first – and last – came to Oxford. We were ADAM BARNES + JOE HICKS: The Jericho Juniper Nights; The Dollymops and special songs of loss, longing and memory, her mournful TEARS FOR FEARS + WHITE LIES + Tandem has carved its niche in the local scene excited then (their rare forays to the UK were Tavern – Return to live action for melancholic guests, plus bbq, and Oxfordshire’s largest crisp vocal style accompanied by sparse, plucked SCRITTI POLITTI: Blenheim Palace – The as an environmentally-responsible celebration always sold out in a matter of minutes) and local singer Adam Barnes, whose poetic and buffet. acoustic guitar and shruti box. Tonight also sees 80s hitmakers come to nocturne Live – see main of music, arts, dance, cinema, food and more, we’re excited now. Much has changed in Band sombre acoustic songs draw on Damien Rice, BOTT & BURN FESTIVAL: Isis Farmhouse a return to town for Gwenifer Raymond after preview the event founded and continuing to be run of Horses Land over the years, not least the Bon Iver, Elliot Smith and Frightened Rabbit. (2pm-midnight) – Ten hours of disco, house, her show in January, the Welsh-born, Brighton- LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM SUMMER by a team of volunteers. Musically, Tandem line-up, with Ben Bridwell leaking bandmates He’s back in the UK to play a short series of techno, garage, jungle and drum&bass across resident guitarist drawing on the inspiration of FESTIVAL: Isis Farmhouse, Iffley Lock (2pm- draws inspiration from WOMAD, offering a at an alarming rate since he formed the band shows with Newbury singer-songwriter Joe two stages with sets from Ben Holt & Diamond; John Fahey, Mississippi John Hurt and Skip midnight) – A full day and night of music in aid world of eclectic sounds that’s never confined in Seattle back in 2004, with him as the sole Hicks. Cave Sounds; Deep Cover; Made to Move; James for a virtuoso, and highly authentic fusion of the anti-racism charity. Among the acts on to rootsiness. This year’s headliners are constant. Musically too they’ve explored new CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community Musical Medicine; Shireboy Recordings; of American primitive, Delta blues, Appalachian show are Arabic folk, soul and hip hop collective London’s twelve-strong collective NUBIAN lands within their more mainstream albums, Centre Subculture; XODOS and more. folk and Indian raga. Local gothic drone-folk Brickwork Lizards; rapper Rhymeskeemz; hip TWIST, whose fusion of jazz, soul, hip hop, but lately returned to what they do best: a SPARKY’S NEW MOON: The Half Moon STEVE KNIGHTLEY: Tiddy Hall, Ascott- duo The August List continue to be the magical hop collective Inner Peace Records; soul singer Latin, dub and electro has seem them take wistful yet euphoric brand of Americana under-Wychwood – Intimate show at the Tiece, and country-folksters My Crooked Teeth. Glastonbury, Boomtown and Shambala by centred around Bridwell’s airy, keening st Wychwood Folk Club for Show of Hands th FRIDAY 21 Much more besides. storm in recent times. They’re joined over the voice and his sense of romantic longing, Thursday 20 frontman Knightley, out on a one-man tour LAURYN HILL + LAURA MVULA: TANDEM FESTIVAL: Lower Farm, weekend by Bristol’s warped psych quartet wonderment and homecoming. While, like presenting his ‘Roadworks’ show, which builds Blenheim Palace – The former Fugees star Ramsden – Second day of the eclectic eco fest. EVIL USSES, somehow finding a meeting so many American touring bands, Band of THE RYAN on the success of his sell-out 2018 solo tour comes to Nocturne Live – see main preview FLINTLOCK RIFLES + ALBOA + FIRST point between Captain Beefheart, Tortoise and Horses are prone to rock out a fair bit live ‘Songs and Stories’. TANDEM FESTIVAL: Lower Farm, RESERVES: The Bullingdon – It’s All About The Cardiacs; ME & MY FRIENDS’ euphoric compared to their records, with the band BINGHAM BAND: RORKE’S DRIFT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock Ramsden – Opening day of the annual eco- the Music show with new local indie rockers blend of Jamaican roots, Ghanaian highlife finding a meeting point between the dream- and metal covers. conscious world music celebration, featuring Flintlock Rifles and Wallingford’s 70s rock/indie and Afro-Brazilian folk; BLOOM’s harmony- like splendour of Flaming Lips and Eels on The Bullingdon A-Grade Americana from Empty Room a headline set from Nubian Twist – see main crew Alboa. led astral-pop; trance instrumentalists FREE one hand and the stadium-pleasing grandeur th promotions again tonight with a visit to town preview CANDY SAYS + MAX BLANSJAAR: Old MOVEMENTS; jazz supergroup THE TOM of Springsteen, Crazy Horse and The Allman SUNDAY 16 for itinerant troubadour Ryan Bingham, THE DOLLYMOPS + SARPASALPA + TV Fire Station – As part of Offbeat festival GREEN SEPTET; community orchestra Brothers on the other. But it’s often in the PERSONAL BEST + GARDEN CENTRE + whose soul-searching, wrong-side-of-the- COMA: The Jericho Tavern – Militant, mutant showcasing theatre, music, comedy, spoken SINFONIA GAIA; Edinburgh’s folktronica quieter moments their magic shines through, OH PEAS + DREAM PHONE: The tracks country blues comes informed by indie-rock from The Dollymops, mixing up the word, dance and more, atmospheric local electro- band YOKO PWNO; twenty-piece exchange with the likes of ‘Is There a Ghost’ and ‘No- Library – Classic indie courtesy of Divine Woody Guthrie’s protest folk songs, Mexican more scabrous side of 80s alt.pop – Josef K and pop duo Candy Says bring their sensual world to student project ETHNO-ENGLAND BAND, one’s Gonna Love You’ as perfect and hymnal Schism with Southsea’s spirited power-pop crew folk, southern hip hop, hard rock and Cajun Big Flame among them – with The Wedding the OFS alongside teen pop titan Max Blansjaar. and established local stars CATGOD; LUCY as American roots rock gets. The Jason Personal Best touring their second album, the traditions, the result of a turbulent upbringing Present and Orange Juice’s melodic noise. HEADS UP: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Talking Heads LEAVE and THE YOUNG WOMEN’S Lytle-produced ‘Why Are You Okay’ brought band, led by singer Katie Gatts, channelling the that meant he never lived in the same place GLUEMAN: The Wheatsheaf – Heavyweight tribute. MUSIC PROJECT. Beyond the main Bridwell and co. back to that classic old 90s indie pop of Lush, Posies and Sleeper. Weird for more than two years until, as an adult, he indie rocking from Glueman at tonight’s It’s All SIMON & GARFUNKEL THROUGH THE music stages there are activities both eco and sound, where the intimate meets the anthemic, and wired creep-pop from Max Levy’s Garden rocked up in California. Its raw, honest nature About the Music show. YEARS: The Cornerstone, Didcot – Career- spiritual as well as purely practical as artisans and while there’s no news on an imminent Centre in support, plus 80s-styled shambling has earned him an Oscar and a Grammy (for DEEP COVER: The Bullingdon – Hip hop and spanning tribute to the legendary duo. demonstrate their various skills. Another follow-up, this is going to be a very welcome, indie in the vein of Talulah Gosh etc from ‘The Weary Kind’, his theme song to the film UK bass club night. weekend pocket of escapism from the world if overdue, return to town. Cardiff’s Oh Peas. Crazy Heart) and he was voted Artist of the LATIN OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port and its cars, plastic and meat. Take the musical OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms rd Year at the 2010 Americana Music Association Mahon SUNDAY 23 good vibes home with you but also lessons in SUNDAY SOCIAL: The Wheatsheaf (3.30pm) KYLIE MINOGUE: Blenheim Palace – Wall Awards, although that high point of his career ROWAN RHEINGANS: Holywell Music how to help the planet. alongside cellist Anne Muller and violinist/ – Unplugged live music in the downstairs bar to wall hits, glamour and costume changes from came at the same time as he lost his mother Room – A solo show from the Lady Maisery and producer Alex Stolze, together and separately hosted by It’s All About the Music. the Princess of Pop – see main preview to alcoholism and his father to suicide, and Rheingans Sisters fiddle, guitar and banjo player, exploring shades of instrumental music, from THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Tree, Iffley TANDEM FESTIVAL: Lower Farm, the subsequent mental health problems have songwriter and award-winning folk pioneer, IMPROVISERS: Old Fire Station – Poet dulcet pianism to harsh, industrial electronic (4-6.30pm) – Goodtime blues, funk, rock, Ramsden – Final day of the fest – see main further fuelled the introspective nature of her ‘Dispatches on the Red Dress’ tour telling Elaine Baker teams up with Oxford Improvisers soundscaping. ska, psychedelic folk and more from the local preview his songs. He’s over in the UK to tour third the story of her German great grandmother’s for a set of spoken word pieces backed by and WITNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Leys, stalwarts. HELLO AGAIN: The New Theatre – Big stage album ‘American Love Song’, his tribute to childhood in Nazi Germany. reflected by improvised music. Witney (6-11pm) – Prodigy tribute band Jilted tribute to Neil Diamond. generation, T-Rex tribute Too Rex and talking the women who have inspired him – from his MAKE MUSIC DAY: Various venues, th A full day of live music and more OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms th Heads tribute Heads Up play the first night of MONDAY 17 mother, to singers like Janis Joplin and Aretha Abingdon – WEDNESDAY 26 as part of International Make Music Day. From Witney’s annual free music extravaganza, with SCANDINANVIAN FOLK SESSIONS: The Franklin – and it’s an album that combines JEFFREY LEWIS & LOS BOLTS: The Traditional songs from the north workshops in the library and guildhall early on, th live music around the town for the first half of Port Mahon – autobiographical reflection with a bittersweet MONDAY 24 Bullingdon – Continuing to be a beacon of of the wall. through live sets in the town’s market square, the month – see news feature celebration of the human spirit in the face of CARA DILLON: Nettlebed Folk Club – genuine wit and humour in music, New York’s JON BODEN: Nettlebed Folk Club – Post- to an evening of gigs and open mics at various Traditional folk music from the multiple award- MOTHER: The Port Mahon – First of a two- enduring difficulties. Jeffrey Lewis returns to town with his current Bellowhead, Jon Boden continues his journey venues in the evening. winning Irish singer, back at Nettlebed once night celebration of Oxfordshire Music Scene band, his sleight of hand as a lyricist matched to becoming the greatest living British folk again. mag’s 40th issue, featuring a pair of headline sets by his talent as an artist, and his way with a musician, while having to build a succession nd from stadium-sized grunge stars Mother, who’ve SATURDAY 22 OPEN MIC: The Castle story that marks him out as a genuinely funny of new mantelpieces to keep all his awards on. just released new single ‘School Days’, the band FLOFEST / GLOFEST: Florence Park – East entertainer; his songs tread a fine line between Virtuoso, maestro, genius – probably all labels th playing a different set each night. Oxford’s annual community festival returns. TUESDAY 25 melancholic introspection and jaunty whimsy, you could stick on him, his skill with the fiddle, BYE BYE BABY: The Cornerstone, Didcot – Flofest, from 11am through til 4pm, is a free, THE DEAD SOUTH: O2 Academy – Lively like a young Paul Simon. Stylistically he can flit as well as myriad other instruments, put him in Tribute to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. family-friendly mix of live music and activities, but dark-hearted American folk and bluegrass from grunge to skiffle with ease, unconstrained the top echelon of folk music people. with sets from Brickwork Lizards, The Owl from the Canadian quartet, singing stories of by style or the anti-folk tag that forever dogs OPEN MIC: The Castle SATURDAY 15th Light Trio, Collision Theory, Valentino and Jen the Old West’s violent past in songs like ‘That him. He’s out on tour to promote last year’s ‘13 OPEN MIC SESSION: Rose Hill Social Berkova. In the evening Glofest takes over, Bastard Son’ and ‘In Hell I’ll Be In Good Fall Songs’ – a spiritual follow-up to 2007’s ‘12 WITNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Leys, th Club – New monthly open night hosted by Trev a ticketed event headlined by this month’s Company’. Crass Songs’, and something like his 30 studio Witney (midday-11pm) – 90s electro-rock Williams and Self Help’s Lizzie Couves. Nightshift cover stars Little Brother Eli along ELAINE BAKER & OXFORD album, but frankly it’s impossible to keep up. BLACK PEACHES: The Jericho Tavern THURSDAY 27th – Rob Smoughton from Hot Chip and Scritti CAT POWER: O2 Academy – Chan Marshall Politti, and usually better known under his solo brings the sadness – see main preview alias Grosvenor, brings his new band to town, THE MURDER CAPITAL: The Jericho mixing up jazz, funk, southern boogie and Tavern – Rearranged from last month, Dublin’s country soul. artfully brutish post-punk crew make their GALICIAN FOLK SESSION: The Port Oxford debut, following their showing at The Mahon – Traditional music from northern Spain. Great Escape, the band mixing up the influences JESSE DAYTON BAND: Fat Lil’s, Witney of Joy Division, The Bad Seeds and Pixies and – Outlaw country blues, rockabilly, Cajun touring debut single ‘Feeling Fades’ following and zydeco with a punk spirit from Texan supports to Idles, Shame and Slaves. Telecaster troubadour Jesse Dayton at tonight’s PETE BOSS: The Bullingdon – Clapton- Empty Room show, the cult legend having inspired electric blues and rock from Oxford’s begun musical life playing with zydeco bands own Slowhand at tonight’s Haven Club show. th in his teens and working with Rockin Dopsy GOODNESS DAY & NIGHT: Isis Farmhouse Saturday 29 before touring as support for Supersuckers, / The Bullingdon (2pm-4am) – The travelling X and Social Distortion, all while topping the techno, house, disco and jazz dance club night FRONTROW Americana charts. He subsequently played lead brings a full 14 hours clubbing to town, kicking FESTIVAL: guitar for Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie off with an eight-hour daytime session at the Isis Nelson and Glen Campbell. Rarely off the road, with Gerd Janson and Carista, followed by a late Fritwell Playing Field he’s currently touring his album ‘The Outlaw’. night-early morning session at The Bully with While every village worth its salt seems to Laurel Halo and Joe. have an annual music festival these days, Thursday 27th CATWEAZLE: East Oxford Community most of them content themselves with a Centre couple of tribute acts and a school band CAT POWER: REVEREND BLACK’S ACOUSTIC competition winner. Not so Frontrow, who’ve CABARET: The Half Moon – Acoustic coaxed ace indie-goth stars DESPERATE O2 Academy blues, country, folk and classic rock with JOURNALIST, more used to playing Against stiff competition Cat Power’s Rich Rainford, Kef Mackowski and Richard Tramlines, Camden Rocks or Beniċassim, to ‘Names’ is the most gut-wrenchingly sad Brotherton. a quiet corner of north-east Oxfordshire. The song Nightshift has ever heard. It only feels London outfit draw their name from a Cure more tragic when you learn it’s based on FRIDAY 28th song mocking pretentious music journo Paul stories of people she once knew. But then MAD COBRA: O2 Academy – Oxford debut Morley and come inspired by the dark end Chan Marshall – who is Cat Power – hardly for the Jamaican dancehall star, whose string of 80s alt.pop, from The Cure themselves, enjoyed the most stable childhood, the of hits, including ‘Flex’, ‘Shoot To Kill’ and through New Order and The Smiths to German daughter of a travelling blues musician ‘Merciless Bad Boy’ made him one of the cult heroes Xmal Deutschland, whose Anja who was regularly left in the care of her country’s biggest stars through the 90s and early Huwe, Desperate Journalist frontwoman Jo oppressively religious grandmother. If her Noughties. Bevan sometimes echoes. Reverb permeates experiences have fuelled much of her music, TOTAL STONE ROSES: The Bullingdon – the band’s wall of chiming fuzz and every they’ve also occasionally left her with stage All of it, yeah. song carries an air of raw intensity about it, fright so extreme she’s abandoned gigs and SMASH FALCON + GRUB + like a can of well shaken coke that no-one whole tours, or played rambling shows, GRUDGEWOOD: The Wheatsheaf – It’s wants to open because they know it’ll explode which she’s put down to alcohol abuse, All About the Music showcase with Oxford- everywhere, so they’re perfectly suited to a itself to counter anxiety and depression. Northampton heavy rockers Smash Falcon, sunny rural celebration and more than worth Around the release of breakthrough album psych-garage—grunge noisemakers Grub and a trip out into the rustic wilds. Among the ‘Sun’ in 2012, she was hospitalised with an heavyweights Grudgewood, featuring former supporting cast are Bath’s harmony-heavy inherited immune disorder, which has since members of Marconi’s Voodoo and Junkie folk-pop and skiffle crewSAINT LOE; recurred. Despite all this Marshall has been a Brush. Northampton hard rockers EMPYRE, plus chameleon-like musical talent, the self-taught OWL LIGHT TRIO + BRACKENBURY & THE LILYHAMMERS; JAGUAR MILK; “Queen of Sad” moving from blues, punk NEILSON: Quaker Meeting House, St. Giles LITTLE SPARROW; DEVON MAYSON, and folk, into soul and increasingly electronic – Trad folk, jazz and contemporary classical and PLUCKING DIFFERENT. music, while retaining the gorgeous, emotive music. lyrical and vocal heart of her music. Over THE UMBRELLAS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE: O2 Academy – the years she’s collaborated with some of the Covers, from REM and Bowie to Stevie Wonder Tribute to the rock legends. greats, including Dave Grohl, Warren Ellis and Maroon 5, from the veteran band. VOLUME: The Bullingdon – Drum& bass club and Eddie Vedder’ on her 2003 masterpiece night with Danny Byrd. ‘You Are Free’; latest album ‘Wanderer’ th CATGOD: Modern Art Oxford (2-4pm) – features Lana del Rey alongside a cover of SATURDAY 29 Concert in the courtyard from last month’s Rihanna’s ‘Sky’, while beyond music she’s FRONT ROW FESTIVAL: Fritwell Playing Nightshift cover stars with their eclectic mix of Full day of live music and family worked as a model and narrated kids’ stories. Fields – folk-pop, jazz, electro-pop and pastoral prog. activities in the north Oxfordshire village, with Tonight’s gig is Cat Power’s first in Oxford Plus DJ sets from Tiger Mendoza and Octavia a headline set from brilliant indie-goth stars and she’s someone we feared we’d never Freud. Desperate Journalist – see main preview see come to town. So make the most of the OSPREY & CO.: The Half Moon – Funky opportunity to see a unique talent in action. GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with blues from local stalwart Osprey and chums. STARBELLY + PETER CAT + EMMA HUNTER: The Wheatsheaf – Heavyweight th glam-goth-grunge rocking from Starbelly at SUNDAY 30 tonight’s Gappy Tooth show. They’re joined by SUNDAY SOCIAL: The Wheatsheaf (3.30pm) quirky Glaswegian Peter Cat, channelling Divine – Unplugged live music in the downstairs bar Comedy, Jarvis Cocker and Luke Haines, plus hosted by It’s All About the Music. smoky, gothic jazz-pop from former Halcyons OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms singer Emma Hunter. BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3-7pm) – Open blues session.

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TEN TONNES THE OXFORD LIVE The Bullingdon Ten Tonnes (aka. Ethan Barnett, younger number, ‘Lucy’. The opening minute RECORD & CD FAIR brother of the inexplicably popular or so of ‘Better Than Me’ betrays some St ALDATES PARISH CENTRE George Ezra) and band come on stage of Ten Tonnes’ rockier influences and 40 Pembroke St, St Aldates, OX1 1BP looking like The Early Learning Centre’s is of a distinctly different flavour to the th My First Indie-Pop Band™. Everything rest of his tracks. It’s bassier and more Saturday 15 June about them screams corporate creation; self assured than the slightly simpering 10am-4pm an unremarkable Frankenstein of default- (though very popular) ‘Lucy’, and

photo: GlassHertzz photography Rock/pop/jazz/soul/reggae/indie/all other genres looking Home Counties boys in carefully seemed to hint that really Barnett would Accessories/memoriabillia/books. selected and painfully pristine Levi’s quite like to be in a band closer in sound Brand new and back catalogue/Rare Vinyl and Docs. This formula seems to be to Arctic Monkeys than Busted. www.usrfairs.co.uk airtight though, as The Bullingdon is Before one of his songs (I can’t tell you rammed with fans, many sporting newly which, but I imagine it’s true of most of purchased merch. A girl in front of me them) Barnett explains “this one’s about mutters to her friend, “there’s a lot of going out and having a good time, it’s oestrogen in here,” and she’s not wrong. just about having fun.” It’s easy to be Ten Tonnes are here touring their debut cynical about a band like this, album and to their credit, they’ve timed especially when your finger is absolutely the release well, managing to hit both not on the Radio 1 pulse, but it’s the ‘soundtrack to GCSE revision’ and undeniable that Barnett and co. are a the ‘getting ready for the year 11 prom’ good laugh. They’re easy to listen to and markets head on. The self-titled debut is provide their fans with exactly what they upbeat, palatable and very slightly edgier need: singable melodies plus vaguely than his brother’s chart-topping offerings. pitched, and therefore intensely relatable, The band are slick, Barnett has a good lyrics. voice and their opening few tracks are Ten Tonnes aren’t overwhelmingly good catchy enough, managing to get a lot or overwhelmingly bad: they’re not of hands, and even more phones, in the overwhelmingly anything really. Like a air. Barnett as frontman is a bit (but not serviceable chain restaurant, Ten Tonnes too) cheeky and his inoffensive banter gives you exactly what you’re expecting, with the crowd helps him sail through a which in this case is mediocre indie-pop Ox3 Audio couple of sticky moments where his amp rather than a lukewarm pizza margarita. MOBIUS / DEATHLY PALE PARTY New Model Army and The lets him down. But, if people like it, and they really seem Audio & Sound Engineer Hire Levellers might be the obvious Crowd favourites seem to be ‘Better to, who are we to judge. Events, Festivals, Bands, Weddings The Wheatsheaf first-glance touchstones for a band Than Me’, ‘G.I.V.E.’ and the set’s closing Amelia Gabaldoni call or email Spike for a quote Well obviously a band called as a Victorian penny dreadful; an intriguing curio, a bewitched of Mobius’ nature but they’ve a bit Deathly Pale Party are going to be often none of the composite bits music box that might just put its in common with Batcave bands 07752 887737 goths. What were you expecting, seem to fit together comfortably spell on you. like Specimen as those folkier acts, sunshine and samba? – the tumbling beats, hissing There’s more than a hint of the seemingly at ease with the slightly MASTER OF NONE [email protected] No, the duo, from near electronics and almost Spanish gothic about Mobius too. The camp, Hammer Horror nature The Wheatsheaf Birmingham, come to Gappy sounding guitar jarring with Emma violin player’s crushed velvet of their songs, that camp almost If local dark-folk trio Little Red’s music is Most of tonight’s short set is drawn from Tooth Industries’ 200th gig, not Castella’s ghostly vocals – but then suit alone demands to sit drinking nudging them into B52 territory a walk into the deep, dark forest, singer/ Master of None’s recent second EP, but to celebrate, but to take us for a we guess you’re not meant to feel snakebite and black in a suburban at one point. Suitably for a night guitarist Ian Mitchell’s side project Master they find room for a cover of Tom Waits’ guided tour through the haunted comfortable, particularly when graveyard. The man wearing it is where gothic sensibilities dominate, of None is a climb down a ladder into the ‘Going Out West’, bringing the band’s dollhouse of their musical one number rises to a clamouring all limbs and strident, sweeping Mobius close on their most yet darker depths of an abandoned fallout bluesy undercurrent more to the fore, imaginations, ghostly waltzes and cacophonous clockwork climax strings, taking the band’s sturdy, downbeat number, ‘The Force’, and shelter in that forest. mixing it up with some electro cabaret chamber dirges, to quote their that suggests the ghost is very almost Led Zep-style rock to more if they, like Deathly Pale Party, still Dispensing with any kind of folk niceties and painting the whole thing black. It’s own web page, that find them much in the machine. Not hysterical heights, before swooping have some untidy stitching around that make his other band such a serene pleasingly punishing stuff for the most creating quite a wall of noise for a everything they do is engaging and down again and spending the time the edges, they’re a pleasingly experience, here’s he’s gathered together part; only the monotone chant of ‘Fluffy two-piece. Synths, bowed guitar, they lose the atmosphere they’ve between songs inviting the crowd ostentatious antidote to the laddish a belligerently powerful band around Bunnies & Unicorns’, from Ian’s early Specialist practical and emotional loops and voices conjure a picture just created a couple of times, but to come and chat about Extinction sterility of so many rock bands. him, including Tiger Mendoza’s Ian de solo set of songs, failing to hit the mark. support for women and girls who of The Cure’s ‘Faith’ re-imagined at their best Deathly Pale Party are Rebellion afterwards. Ian Chesterton Quadros (who has turned his trademark For his part Ian casts an oddly avuncular mask inside out to make it look like he’s figure, kind of Frankie Boyle if he’d have experienced sexual violence THE BETHS That’s not to say their music isn’t complex or interestingly put together; wearing a gimp mask) and Moogieman been cast as Bauhaus’ Pete Murphy in at any time in their lives. the pre-chorus of ‘You Wouldn’t Like Me’ has interlocking melodies that Shan Sriharan and tonight’s set is a shock some weird, twisted drama production. The Bullingdon fall over one another in a way that sounds like they might not resolve and a slap to anyone expecting rustic Bespectacled and besuited, he also Telephone helpline tidily, but do in an incredibly satisfying and catchy chorus. Though many Having dutifully watched the rather boring first half of the Spurs-Ajax fairytales, however shadowy. reminds us a bit of The Nightingales’ 01865 726295 or Freephone 0800 783 6294 of The Beths’ songs sound quite samey (not necessarily a bad thing), a Instead set opener ‘Wolf & Ram’ is Robert Lloyd, with that air of a Champions League semi-final and predicted an easy Ajax win, we set off • Monday 6.30pm – 9pm to the Bullingdon. new song nestled in the middle of the set feels more mature and confident urgent and militant, while ‘Head Down’ disillusioned college lecturer one shot of • Thursday 6.30pm – 9pm It’s true what they say about New Zealanders being polite and The Beths and shows promise that the band will consolidate and grow into the more is a gothic wander along synth-lined whisky away from taking out the entire • Sunday 6pm – 8.30pm are no exception. Frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes is unassuming, calm and original aspects of their sound. passageways. Best of the lot is ‘This faculty with a semi automatic. We have a 24-hour answerphone, and if you leave us modest with a wry sense of humour. Yet, despite the whole band’s anti- For their much requested encore, Stokes announces a Death Cab for Animal’, part Richard Hawley midnight Where previously he was singing of black a message we can call you back the next time we are open. bravado, they’re intensely watchable as they allow their music to speak Cutie cover, then ends with ‘Little Death’ – both songs that show off croon, part Horrors-like skyride, part dogs and bad wolves in an almost pastoral for them. They open with their debut album’s title track, ‘Future Me her vocal prowess. She’s got a pure and effortless voice live which is uptight post-punk scurry, a metaphorical setting, now Ian’s nightmares come coated Email support Hates Me’, which sounds exactly like the kind of thing you would have especially impressive given the tendency for female pop-punk singers to flight from mental health issues that have in steel and are proper heavy demons. The [email protected] wanted to come on at The Purple Turtle (may it rest in peace) at 1am, and sound strained. haunted the songwriter. rate of ascent of the quality of his music which anyone who knows us will tell you is an enormous compliment. We check our phones for the semi-final score as we leave; Tottenham have Or perhaps Master of None’s best is matches the downward spiral of its mood. www.osarcc.org.uk We’d read that the band had all studied jazz at college and their sound is done the impossible and had won on away goals. We’d missed some bona saved til last and the galloping thunder Paint it black indeed. And then add a Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre is a company limited by guarantee, certainly a reaction to this; they swap meandering improv for tight four- fide unmissable football but we don’t care; The Beths are that good. that is ‘Tsunami’, a black-eyed cousin of second coat. registered in England & Wales No: 6835605.Registered Charity No: 1131054. piece indie-rock tinged with a pop punk vibe. Amelia Gabaldoni Mark Lanegan’s blackened blues. Dale Kattack SOAK / PILLOW QUEENS THE WEDDING PRESENT FARA DOLLY MAVIES / JOELY O2 Academy O2 Academy The North Wall Deaf & Hard of Hearing Centre Pillow Queens’ songs are single ‘Knock Me Off My Feet’, Tonight’s visit from the Leeds famous tunes; ‘Brassneck’ kicks “It’s been a beautiful day; we’re as a lovely, solemn solo sonata It might be the venue’s acoustics, shades and textures to songs like compelling, energetic and the shifts into the predominant mood legends has been prefaced by an of the evening in thrilling style all a bit lobster-ish from the from Austin towards the end, the with their natural reverb, but there’s ‘My Buoy’ and the almost Cocteau musicianship of the four Irish of emotive catharsis with ‘B A extra treat for Weddoes’ fans in while the incomparable indie disco sun,” says Jeanie Leslie by way more high energy ones managing something of the lost jazz siren Twins-like ‘Losing My Mind’. The women is near faultless. There Nobody’ and pretty much the rest the shape of The Wedding Present: fave that is ‘Kennedy’ is met with of announcement to her band’s to get tonight’s appreciative but about Joely, something of the wee few occasions when the band do is no needless ostentation or of the set. Not to say that the set Something Left Behind, a movie such gusto by the audience that second visit to Oxford. Ironically restrained audience tapping and small hours and the loneliness of ramp it up a notch or two, they can gimmick, they just simply deliver is samey, more that Monds-Watson that tracks the quartet’s early days Gedge himself wonders out loud if their native Orkney has been clapping along, but occasionally a faded jazz bars. Her voice is languid sound regimented, which doesn’t really, really good rock music has a consistent approach to her in the 1980s leading up to the it might have been one of the best even warmer today, but as the bit too smooth to stir the blood. and engaging, allowed to make suit these songs: songs about love without fuss. music that results in a sound you release of seminal album ‘George ever crowd reactions to the tune. quartet explain, the vagaries of the The ballads are the best part of the itself felt fully above the sparse and loss and water. Lots of water. They are stoic and driven, can lay back and float around in, Best’. Staged by the good folk The album is punctuated by a Scottish Islands’ weather patterns show, not least because there are musical arrangements – just her Along with ‘My Buoy’, there’s with big choruses and endless as the reflections on lost lovers and at the Ultimate Picture Palace, few longer songs and these are are something else. Warmth and few things more beautiful in music electric guitar and a bassist. Within castaway highlight ‘Distance’, all harmonies across the whole parental divorce wash over your the screening is accompanied duly given an airing, current weather is a theme running through than the sound of a soft Scottish those confines there’s enough romantic longing swelled by Adrian band. The riffs evoke Weezer and subconscious. by a Q&A with director Andrew bassist Melanie Howard twanging tonight’s evening, each song or voice in song. ‘Three Fishers’ in variety to keep tonight’s short Banks’ warm washes of bass. two vocals sharing lead duties This all typified by ‘Déjà vu’, Jezard and front man David Gedge especially impressively, but the tune introduced with a sweet, particular is a beautifully bleak support set fresh: something dark, Mavies can let her voice soar complement each other and keep which is simply as near to perfect himself; it’s an entertaining enough set is notable for its exorcism sometimes funny, sometimes lament for the loss of family and almost gothic here, a sprinkling of as well as look inward, and she the set fresh. Perhaps they’re 21st Century pop song as we can tribute, albeit one that might have of relative obscurities from the trasgic story, from freezing cold friends. Elsewhere ‘Speir Thoo something funkier there, a bit of does defiance as well as she does not show-stoppingly exciting, imagine, balancing between light benefited from a wider time frame. band’s back catalogue. Their winters spent in obscure German the Wast Wind’ captures the sense 60s folk-pop confessional at times, introspection, her voice sometimes but writing catchy rock with this and dark, synth and guitar, catchy Key moments in the band’s career cover of Close Lobsters’ ‘Let’s mining towns, to local fishermen of longing and isolation of an but it’s always her voice that you like a cross between Stevie Nicks consistently high standard is no chorus and poetry. such as their move to a major label Make Some Plans’ is a case in lost at sea in a storm. abandoned lover, while Edwin follow, at its best on ‘Tuesday’ and and Minnie Riperton, lush 70s pop mean feat. Bridie is great performer, a gay for the recording of ‘Bizarro’, point, while the only pre-1989 Fara – three fiddlers, plus Muir’s ‘Love Gathers All’ is a occasionally reminding us of Pet mixed with summery, butterfly- SOAK is the stage name of rights activist, a talented musician the emergence of the Ukrainians tune is ‘Nothing Comes Easy’, a keyboard player Jennifer Austin – celebration of positivity that almost Semetary’s Gaby-Elise Monaghan, light soul. Perhaps the bravest Northern Irish singer-songwriter and singer, but what stands out is side project and subsequent work b-side to early single ‘Nobody’s are easy to warm to: they grew up provokes a mass singalong. making a virtue of her hesitancy. move of tonight’s show is a cover Bridie Monds-Watson, who on how human she is. She’s not shy with Steve Albini on the album Twisting Your Arm’. New song together and have the easy, playful The chemistry between all four Launching her new EP, local of The Corrs’ ‘Dreams’ – as uncool this tour is returning to play with the crowd; we learn lots about ‘Seamonsters’ are disappointingly ‘Palisades’ provides a degree rapport that makes any great members, personally and musically singer/songwriter Dolly Mavies has as you can get but here carried off excerpts from recent second album her life and outlook through the left to one side. of southwestern desert drama, folk act. They’re also obviously is clear to see and hear and creates gone to serious lengths to make the with confidence and something of ‘Grim Town’: so named for her night and that intimacy is what On the other hand, ‘Bizarro’ is far while Gedge also launches into enjoying their current wave of an infectiousness about the set, room fit the occasion, the drapes her own personality. And if Dolly conflicting relationship with her takes good music and makes it from neglected when it comes to ‘Careless’ by Cinerama. At times, popularity on the back of second even when it occasionally fails to and curtains of tinsel bringing both Mavies’ music is still probably best home town of Derry. great. the gig as this is the latest of the The Wedding Present’s million album ‘Times From Times Fall’, a hit the highs you’re hoping for, glamour and intimacy to the room, listened to at home (probably alone You could definitely categorise Someone else could play these group’s tours to focus on a single miles an hour thrash can be almost mix of original instrumentals and and when Leslie announces they’re part 70s disco, part elfin grotto. and in the dark), tonight’s launch SOAK alongside The National at songs and they would be good, album; the RCA published major as tiring to listen to as it must be songs based on traditional Scottish having a break to get some fresh Musically understatement is more shows she can reach across not just the more pessimistic end of the but an artist like SOAK makes commercial breakthrough-of- to play, but this is a highly varied poems. air because it’s so warm in here, Dolly’s game; even tonight, backed metaphorical oceans, but sizeable creative expression spectrum, as them emotional, impactful and sorts is thus played in its entirety. set that belies that reputation The former are standard folk fare: that warmth isn’t just due to the by a full band, she’s reticent about venues, to entice listeners into seen when the twinkling dream pop unforgettable. There are renditions of perhaps magnificently. varying in mood from lively polkas weather. anything resembling rocking out, those depths. and infectious positivity of lead Matt Chapman Jones the Wedding Present’s two most Rob Langham to more considered pieces, as well Dale Kattack the guitarist instead adding subtle Dale Kattack

WhatsOn1.indd 1 19/04/2018 22:01:16 LIVE photo: Helen Messenger

nature of self-image, and it’s GIRLI ability to set one’s world on fire. The Bullingdon Whether it’s the intrepidity A feverish throng of glitter-clad music that exists in the ether, youths and their inability to quit, brought by support act Ashnikko, teens buzz beneath a giant disco blending pop, rap, electro, punk, even after ending the night in the singing vital messages of consent ball suspended from the ceiling and even 80s new wave. Despite back of a police car (fear not, it (‘Invitation’) and condemning of the Bullingdon. Adorned in a not knowing exactly what it is, this escorted them to the next bar). perpetrators of sexual assault; luminous yellow dress and hot pink glorious crucible produces some of However, while hailing euphoric the tannoy-style message before hair, GIRLI is every parent’s worst the more gratifying approaches to independence, the majority of GIRLI’s set announcing that the nightmare. But more importantly, pop of recent times. GIRLI’s songs are incredibly bathrooms of the Bullingdon had she is a gift to teenage – and Adolescent angst is never more validating to teens adjusting to been made gender-neutral for 20-something – girls. Navigating prevalent than on songs such as their unfamiliar feelings and the occasion; or the overarching the hordes of heartbreak – be it ‘Young’, where GIRLI bemoans experiences. message of tenacity that laces romantic or platonic – that come how “They never told us / How In particular, the song ‘Up and every song, GIRLI is an ineffable with growing up is dizzying, but much it hurts to be young,” with Down’ focuses on the trials of goddess that younger generations there is comfort in artists like the crowd singing along to every mental health: whether one feels are lucky to have. Judging by the GIRLI wearing the label ‘Hot word in bittersweet sympathy. like a “fat giraffe who likes pea vehemence of the audience on Mess’ proudly on their sleeve, Some of GIRLI’s lyrics may be soup,” someone with “belly rolls Sunday night, people are more embracing the chaos of youth. on the superficial side, with tracks and spots on tap” or a “karaoke than willing to worship at her GIRLI carries out her mission of such as ‘Deal With It’ portraying teenage dream,” the track altar. empowerment in a form of pop the eternal energy of party-driven emphasises the ever-fluctuating Amy Barker

of Love, Knobblehead’s melodies are not muddled in the crossfire of KNOBBLEHEAD stomp-boxes and keys; the archetypes of psychedelia shine through with The Wheatsheaf the acoustic elements of the trumpet and guitar, yet it doesn’t have that Entering the comforting darkness of The Wheatsheaf, we’re greeted tiredness that the original pioneers now feel in their knees. Revived with with blaring optimism spilling off the stage, quite literally, as the nine- a pulse of 90s distortion, keys that we can only liken to Crumb, and of piece Knobblehead are forced to have two percussionists shaking their course unquestionable musicianship that these students are adorned with, tambourines amongst the crowd; there just isn’t enough room up there to we’re amazed at how ‘off the album’ they sounds live. fit them all on. The band appears to be fronted by two women, which is similarly What strikes you first about the band is their youthfulness, the joy of the refreshing in psychedelia and that modernity sweeps across the playful moment twinkling in their eyes, feeding into their dancing and that, despite melodies, and also the band’s selection of musicians and their roles. the clean and well-rehearsed structure, makes their set feel organic instead Images of sun-soaked days, coming of age and societal change spring to of rigid and precise. Scanning the stage, you find happiness emanating mind and, caught up in their infectious optimism, we’re glad to see them from their faces, everyone wanting to be there, enjoying the moment. signalling the future. In what appears to be an understated, modern take on the Summer Ziggy Jinda TIM TURAN’S SESSION NOTES INTRODUCING.... Part Five is known as ‘inner groove Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under “The Vinyl Frontier” (Part 2 preparing audio for vinyl) distortion’ and has nothing to do with people who Hello PVC lovers. Vinyl is a very difficult beast to tame. It is very temperamental have difficulty dancing. and can get quite upset at the slightest deviation from its comfort zone. In order Also there is the RIAA to keep it happy it is always best to treat it with the respect it deserves. This (Recording Industry Ciphers means preparing your audio masters in accordance with vinyl’s very stringent Association of America) Who are they? requirements. The frequency response of vinyl records can reach 50Khz and equalisation curve, Local rockers Ciphers are: Kieran Spriggs (guitar); Mila Todd (vocals); go as low as 20Hz. The masters for vinyl cutting will rarely (if ever) exceed introduced in the late Lindsey Spriggs (bass, backing vocals); Sam Spacksman (drums), and Pete this limit. The dynamic range for vinyl can vary between 60db - 70db. Masters 1940s. The equalisation Lloyd (guitar, backing vocals). Kieran wrote some instrumental demos in submitted for vinyl cutting will almost always exceed this limit. So let’s begin curve is applied at the 2017 and started looking for a vocalist. After a few false starts, he found with the frequency response. lacquer cutting stage Mila on Join my Band. Mila wrote lyrics and the pair recorded vocals over I always filter the frequency extremes to give the cutting head a chance to and works like this: bass the demos in her kitchen. Kieran is married to bassist Lindsey, who was And the lowlight: accurately cut the groove. Remember that the groove is the “plastic sculpture” of content is reduced and previously in local post-punk act The Beckoning Fair Ones with drummer “When Mila was compared to Belinda Carlisle.” the waveform that once resided in the air before being captured by a microphone. treble is increased. The Sam. Lindsey worked with Pete (better known musically as Kid Kin) in Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: Or the waveform on your screen if you DI’d (direct injection) the sound from a bass frequencies take up publishing for a number of years. The band have recorded two EPs: ‘Feed “Catgod: we saw them play a show at the Bullingdon at the end of 2018. The synth, for example. so much space that you Their Fiction’, and ‘Future Tribes’, released this month. quality of their song writing and musicianship is inspiring. The cutting head heats up dramatically with super high frequencies so I tend to wouldn’t be able to get more than five minutes per side and the treble increase What do they sound like? If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: execute an LPF (Low Pass Filter) at the top end to reduce the severity of super greatly reduces surface noise. On playback this is reversed at the phono preamp Drama-laden, bordering on gothic, rock with its foundations in 90s alt.rock, “Massive Attack – ‘Mezzanine’. It contrasts fragility with brutality and has a high frequencies. Conversely, I use an HPF (High Pass Filter) to remove super thereby restoring the original frequency content. particularly Skunk Anansie with Mila’s powerful vocals, and shoegaze, with brooding intensity that you can really lose yourself in. low frequencies that the cutting head and eventually the turntable stylus will One other thing that’s very important is sibilance. Sibilance (a distortion of high those vocals surrounded by a blizzard of effects-heavy guitars. Or, in their When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? have difficulty tracking. I use filters with a characteristic of between 6db & 12db frequencies) is usually caused by vocal artefacts based around the letter ’Sssss’. own words: “a vast dynamic sound that ranges from post-rock to post-punk, “We’re playing Catgod’s album launch at the Bullingdon on 26th May with per octave. I shan’t reveal the exact frequencies I use because that is one of my These high frequency distortions sound God awful on most playback media but encompassing powerful vocals, interlocking guitars, and soaring crescendos.” Lucy Leave, Death of the Maiden, The August List, and Despicable Zee. none moreso than vinyl. So make sure that you ‘De-Ess’ your vocals if your unique practices. But do try this yourselves by all means: it cleans up and tightens What inspires them? We’ll be launching our new EP, ‘Future Tribes’, so we’ll be playing songs music is destined for vinyl. Any kind of harshness from cymbals, vocals, hi synth the sound in a rather pleasing way. “Musically, movies that are as dark, surreal and atmospheric as possible: from that, plus a couple of new ones too.” parts etc sound atrocious when committed to vinyl untamed. So … please address Another technique I use is to ‘mono-ise’ (new word there) the bass frequencies the narrative is less important than the overall feeling conveyed. We like the Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: the top end of your mixes. below a certain point. Cutting heads like linear centred bass waveforms. Bass unease created when evil wins, and when disillusionment or uncertainty takes “The support shown towards us has been amazing. For a relatively small One of the most overlooked criteria for vinyl records is the side length. The causes the cutting head on the lathe to move from side to side greater than other the place of a happy ending. We’re also inspired by witchcraft, the sublime, city, Oxford has a robust and inclusive musical community that it’s a pleasure frequencies. Too much bass or stereo bass at high amplitude can cause the groove maximum length for a 12” LP @ 33⅓ rpm is 22-24 mins. At 45rpm it’s about and moments of angst inspired by woodland creatures.” to be a part of. However, people who pay to come to a gig and then proceed to cut into the preceding groove causing a skip on the record which will become a 15 mins. For 7” singles @ 45 rpm it’s 6 mins. I’ve lost count of the number of Their career highlight so far is: to talk throughout the whole show will never cease to be a disappointment.” permanent feature on the disc, it will also cut your playing time. times a band has requested vinyl masters for their album that’s coming in at 60 “The launch of ‘Feed Their Fiction’, at the O2 Academy in January. You might love them if you love: Interestingly, one second of music on a 12” LP @ 33⅓ rpm starting at the mins. For CD that’s fine … for vinyl … NO CHANCE … you’re gonna have to Everything came together, we visited BBC Introducing for a chat and first Skunk Anansie; No Doubt; Portishead; Explosions in the Sky; Deftones; beginning has a groove length of around 18 inches. At the end of the side lose some tracks and that is that or run to a double album. The running time will radio play, our name was on the billboard on the front of venue, we got to Belinda Carlisle. the groove length is around 8 inches long, so imagine trying to cram all that dictate the ‘loudness’ of the cut and if you have frequency extremes (especially play with some great bands and had a good turnout. It felt like we’d taken a Hear them here: frequency information that once occupied 18 inches into 8 inches. The end of a the bass) you’re going to run into serious problems. great step forward from recording the initial demos about a year before.” ciphersband.bandcamp.com vinyl LP side is where the frequency response really suffers as a result of this. It Next month I’ll look at aspects of dynamic range, levels and stereo. THIS MONTH IN OXFORD T H E W H E A T S H E A F Dr SHOTOVER: The Dolly Dolly Spy ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY st Saturday 1 June 7:45pm Ah, there you are, Lord Fuzzy-Felt. Welcome to the East Indies Club bar. Pull up an inflatable pop-art chair and get us all a Martini. I was just talking about 20 YEARS AGO 10 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO “Confusion surrounds the future of The With Ride back with a new album, a look back More departures, this time five years ago with the my new career as a swinging post-Bond super-spy. Remember when all those Candyskins after stories circulated that the band ten years to June 2009 found drummer Loz news that HMV in Cornmarket had closed its doors th slightly washed-up older guys jumped on the bandwagon in about 1965, ‘66? Wednesday 5 June – 7:45pm have split” ran the lead news story in June 1999’s Colbert keeping himself busy with International for the last time. With music retail in seemingly Shiny suit with narrow lapels? Check. Bri-nylon turtle-neck sweater? Check. Nightshift. The long-time local heroes and official Jetsetters, who graced the cover of Nightshift. terminal decline HMV’s closure followed that of th Embarrassing elastic-sided ankle boots? Check. Hair de-Brylcreemed and Friday 7 June – 7:45pm unluckiest band on the planet were facing yet Oxford has produced so many musical success Zavvi and Fopp in previous years and left Oxford brushed forward into an awkward ‘with-it’ fringe? Check. Scenes on a huge another metaphorical slap in the face after the but there have been few local pop people who city centre bereft of a dedicated music store, with circular bed surrounded by models young enough to be your daughters? collapse of both their American and British record have enjoyed such unusual fame as that band’s only Truck on Cowley Road flying the flag. Five Check-ola. Not to mention all those body doubles running, skiing, driving th labels, which ultimately meant their fourth album, frontman Mark Crozer. The band had just year on the situation is the same, with Fopp closing Saturday 8 June – 7:40pm sports cars and jumping out of helicopters on your behalf (since in real life ‘Death of a Minor TV Celebrity’, couldn’t be released their single, ‘California’, “a typically for a second time in Gloucester Green. you’d actually get a bit out of puff opening the mirrored drinks cabinet to fix released. All this just as the ‘Skins were enjoying elegant, sky-searching mix of shimmering, Gone too was The Port Mahon, as a music venue up a Sidecar for Miss Guatemala). But hands off the love scenes! No stand- renewed Stateside success with their single chiming guitars and singer Fi McFall’s powerfully at least, the pub’s upstairs room being turned into a ins there … if you know what I mean. Hnyuk, hnyuk. So, what’s my mission ‘Somewhere Under London’. dreamy vocals, an amalgamation of everything dance studio. This story has a happier ending, as the this month? Take on the evil tendrils of SMEGZIT? My absolute pleasure. I th Another local band who definitely had split this that was great about indie music when that term Port, which closed through May for a major refurb, Thursday 13 June – 7:45pm shall start by running Article 50 off the road in a groovy Hammond-organ- month were Dr Didg, whose main man Graham actually meant anything,” according to the review. reopens as a music venue this month. Welcome soundtracked car chase, then liquidate all the bad guys in a variety of Wiggins was moving back to the States after Fi had joined the band after Mark overheard her back! Support those grassroots venues people, else th colourful ways (eg. poisoned wig for Boorish Jobbson, exploding hansom Friday 14 June – 7:35pm studing at Oxford University before leading the singing one day and recommended her to The they’ll close again and get turned into something cab for Fauntleroy pioneering didgeridoo-led band. Sadly Graham Jesus & Mary Chain as a backing singer. Mark considerably less interesting. Freeze-Fogg). Then died, aged 53, back in 2016. being the on-tour guitarist for the Mary Chain. On the cover of Nightshift back in June 2014 of course kiss all the While some were departing, others were returning. He don’t half get about a bit, does Mark: having were the wonderful Vienna Ditto, easily one attractive young ladies. Notably The No, Oxford’s leading punk lights back departed his hometown for a life in the US, Crozer of the most fun live bands in town over the past th What’s that? Penny Saturday 15 June 7:45pm in the 1970s, who reformed for a show at The Point. subsequently played in front of 75,000 people, decade, but sadly no longer with us (at least until Mordaunt is the main The one-time kings of local punk stronghold The and a TV audience of millions when his band The we win the lottery and make it worth their while

love interest? Oh Oranges & Lemons featured Ian Nixon on bass, one Rels (featuring Rock of Travolta founder Phill to reform). “We have been known to occasionally SHIIIT, there goes the st of the longest-serving members of the local music Honey) were invited to perform at Wrestlemania, have a couple of drinks before we play,” confessed Friday 21 June 7:45pm charabanc. The things community, still leading Les Clochards. Mark’s song ‘Broken Out in Love’ having been the consistently chaotic duo, before recounting I do for England. I’ll th Excitement too at the launch of local TV channel adopted by Bray Wyatt. Elsewhere this month how they first came together, guitarist Nigel Friday 28 June – 7:45pm need another drink… Channel 6 and its weekly Sound Stage programme, The Relationships released their third album, having met singer Hatty’s mum, a nurse, while he [slurp-o]… and another featuring local bands filmed live. The inaugural ‘Space’, while Samuel Zasada were Demo of the was about to undergo a minor medical procedure [glugg, glugg]… and show covered The Klyvz, Mecca, Whispering Month. Gig highlights of the month included some (“having a camera put somewhere that no camera th another [etc, ad 8pm Bob, Soma, Dolly, Black Candy and Overground bloke we may have heard of, Gary Numan, at the should ever be put”). Beats an advert on Gumtree, Saturday 29 June – infinitum]… Miss Guatemala: ‘You seem… strangely distant, Mr among others as well as features on local record O2 Academy; indie revivalists The Pains of Being we guess. Next month: CIGS CIGS Shotts’. store Avid, and The National Band Register. Sadly Pure At Heart at the Jericho Tavern and seminal Elsewhere, Glass Animals released debut album CIGS CIGS CIGS CIGS Mr Shotts: ‘Darn it… my stand-in is doing BETTER neither the show, nor the channel itself, based bass player Doug Wimbush playing a rare gig at ‘Zaba’, while Adam Barnes put out ‘The Land, Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford CIGS than ME on the goddam GOLF COURSE!’ along Woodstock Road, lasted very long. the North Wall. The Sea & Everything Lost Beneath’.

by a DPhil in biochemistry (actually, we that current class of soulful singer-songwriters are but not in the context of music where a like Jack Savoretti or Lewis Capaldi or Toms doctorate in outdrinking Keith Richards or a Grennan and Walker. It’s earthy. It’s authentic. professorship in playing so loud and heavy It’s got soul. And the blues. And it might TRACks people’s brains actually turn to soup would be as well be dead, it’s so lacking in vitality. Sponsored by Track of the Month wins a free remix more appropriate). All of which means we’ve Everything is perfectly in place. Both singers from Soundworks studio in Oxford, got 200 words into the review and not even have fine voices. The organ player provides a courtesy of Umair Chaudhry. Visit mentioned the music. Which is passable: one funky, jazzy vibe. Jools Holland is probably track, titled ‘Story of the Ronin’, a laidback rubbing his thighs excitedly even as we write www.umairchaudhry.co.uk/nightshift rap over easy but lithe lounge jazz that would this. But there’s not a single iota of a hint of to be Black Sabbath or Blue Cheer but got it neatly into the space between The Streets and a shadow of anything here that you’d sit in a TOP slightly wrong in the best kind of way. If this Loyle Carner, though the rapper in question, bar and think, “wow, these guys are the future turned up at some mad Brazilian psych festival, James Boyes, seems to have an almost of music,” or “I could listen to this forever.” people would be hailing Dan as a rock hero. Mancunian edge to his voice. Anyway, it’s Instead, we’d sit there drinking too quickly and TRACKS So perhaps not as red raw as we felt we were decent enough but we’d need to hear more wondering if there was another pub up the road led to believe, but all is forgiven: this is a very than this solitary offering to form a proper we could escape to where music was banned. solid slab of rock. And when we say solid we opinion. Until then, don’t give up the studies Or, failing that option, find a Dothraki warrior BLOOD HORSE don’t mean ‘competent if uninspired’, we mean – something to fall back on if this music lark to prod and provoke until he lopped our head As we sit down to this month’s pile of sounds doesn’t rake in the millions. off, which would at least save us from hearing Game of Thrones has just collided with the ‘if it landed on your car there’d be nothing left but an aluminium pancake’. another second of this. “Give me honesty, crash barriers at the end of the line, leaving every day of the week,” pleads beardy behatted blood, ruined cities and an army of hysterical THE ADY BAKER soulful singer man, “Give me uninspired viewers bleating and weeping because it competence,” he continues. Only kidding; we didn’t work out like they wanted it to, and BRIXTONS We saw Brixtons last year and made some SOUND added that line, but he’s welcome to use it. we half considered doing a GoT themed cruel jibe about them being the Temperate For all that we joke about drugs being all cool Tracks review to celebrate the end of the Thames Valley Monkeys as opposed to The and stuff, they do have a habit of leaving you most epic telly show ever. But then people Arctic Monkeys, who they bore a distinct unsure who you are or what you came in here TOILET would bleat and weep about spoilers (who’d resemblance to. “Since then, our sound has to do. Was I meant to stick the kettle on or have guessed Bruce Willis was a ghost all massively changed and matured to a The Cure, feed the cats? Sing a spaced-out psychedelic along?), so we’ll let it go. But, if we had done TRACKS Coldplay, Oasis melodic sound,” they promise, pop lullaby or somehow try to sound like a that and we’d assigned a GoT character to and more cruel jibes well up inside us and it cross between a New York rapper and a 70s each act appropriate to their character then takes an entire packet of Rennie to quell the blues explorer? Such is the quandary Ady ANDY VAIC Blood Horse here would be the Dothraki. Is there a more clichéd setting for a music rising gorge of vitriol and bile. We guess that to Baker here appears to find himself in on .co.uk All of them. There they go, charging full-pelt photoshoot or video than the zebra crossing TURAN AUDIO a snail the width of a pavement is the span of his one song, conveniently named ‘O.N.E.’ Professional, independent at the enemy, screaming and whooping as by Abbey Road Studio? And is there a worse the universe. Anyway, what they say is partly which starts off as creeping narcotic spangle audio mastering they go, off to wreak some serious butchery. Beatles song than ‘Come Together’? Throw true. Not the Cure or Coldplay bits particularly, pop and mind-in-the-stars vocals which add And like the Dothraki charge at the Battle of in a one-man band with a rather smug attitude but certainly the Oasis thing. ‘Emily’ might up to a sort of blissed-out Charlatans or even Mastered in the studio last month; Winterfell, it doesn’t last long and ends in a to musicality and performance art and what Apple approved well have been half-inched from a mid-period Ride, but then comes over all unsteady on its mastering glorious blood-spattered mess. Only two of have you got? This month’s Toilet Track is DIVE DIVE, SILVERVOID, THE Oasis album, and in all likelihood, even Noel feet and lurches off on a wave of wah wah the twelve tracks here outlast a full minute what. Andy Vaic here has set his equipment FLUFFY JACKETS, THE KIRALS, wouldn’t have noticed it had gone. The singer’s and something approaching what we imagine and then only by a few seconds. Mostly they up on the pavement next to said landmark, BECKY HOLLOWAY, DEAD HORSE ONE, previous yobby, gobby Alex Turner snarl is the singer from Cast would sound like if he crank everything up loud, nasty and distorted, doubtless early enough in the morning that his OLIVIA JANE, USURPER, CATGOD, PRINCE, replaced with a more languorous, stretched-out thought he was a rap star for a few seconds. It there is screaming and more screaming, and shoot won’t be interrupted by several thousand Liam sense of anthemic pleading over solid feels incongruously uptight and wigged-out but SEN3, BEE GEES, BAD BOAT, VAN HALEN, THE a bit more screaming and then they stop. And confused tourists, and off he goes. Yes, off he indie rock riffage. And in this case, when we just as you’re coming to terms with it, they’re GREAT WESTERN TEARS, GRATEFUL DEAD. then do it all again. Flights of stairs fall down goes. Playing everything, from guitar and bass say solid, we really do mean competent and back to that lilting, lysergic groove rock. And flights of stairs, heads get chopped off and to drums, on a karaoke cover of the song that uninspired, rather than anything that could then back again: suddenly it’s all psychological 01865 716466 [email protected] pretty much everyone dies. “I wish I was is almost single handedly responsible for the crush your car to scrap. Maybe heavy enough gangsters and real-life Al Capones. And then happy / I wish I was healthy” screams the existence of Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s to crack poor Mr Snail’s shell, but in all it stops and we’ve only gone and poured the lead Dothraki screamer man. Hey, to quote High Flying Birds. It’s all done in a single take, likelihood that’d only make him more sluggish. cats a cup of tea each and there’s a horribly Ramsay Bolton: “if you think this has a happy from the looped handclaps to the singing, which COURTYARD There’s probably a joke about Noel Gallagher’s meaty odour emanating from the kettle. It’s ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” is flatter than that car pancake we mentioned music in there somewhere. alright actually this, we like it, but we are a bit RECORDING STUDIO confused, as we, suspect, are they. Roll another earlier and Andy looks immeasurably pleased 2 Tracking Rooms. Superb Control Room with: spliff; everything will be better after some with himself about it all. So pleased in fact NEVE 5106 32 Channel Console. ProTools HD3 more drugs, right? he segues seamlessly into ‘I Am the Walrus’ MTR 90 2” 24 Track Tape Machine. Vintage EMT Plate Reverb BRASCO Loads of Brilliant Outboard Gear RAGGEDTOOTH Along with idiots pushing doors that clearly without dropping a crumb of self satisfaction in Not much information with this one, although Loads of Great Mics, Vintage and Modern state “Pull”; entitled fucknuts losing their the process. An early morning jogger trundles Old School Akai/Roland Synth Modules a glance at Raggedtooth’s Facebook page rags because TV shows don’t end how they THE UNBLESSED past, paying no heed to what’s going on, Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Amps and great vibes. suggests it’s a one-man band made up of wanted them to and anything that involves However irresponsible it sounds, we regularly doubtless too embarrassed for all concerned Residential recording studio in Sutton Courtenay. a slightly nervous looking skinhead from Tommy Robinson and milkshake, one of the imagine some bands would be far better off if to say anything. It all climaxes with Andy www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk Didcot called Dan who lists Idles, Slaves, things that makes us laugh here at Nightshift is they did take shedloads of drugs before they walking onto the crossing and a car stopping In-house producer: Ian Davenport www.ian-davenport.co.uk Rage Against the Machine and The Sex Email: [email protected] ostentatious or deluded press releases. Brasc0 wrote, recorded or performed their music. conveniently for him to climb atop and play his Pistols as influences. So initially we’re Phone: Kate on 01235 845800 tickle us with this gem: “Brasc0, formed by Then again, there’s a sneaking suspicion masturbatory guitar solo. And while we’re not expecting something a bit savage. Instead he’s Oxford academics, is releasing its first single The Unblessed are on something heavy duty violent people here at Nightshift, just slightly more like one of his other stated influences: following a whirlwind rise to local success, given their biog suggests “their music blends belligerent once we’ve got a few beers inside Queens of the Stone-Age, particularly on performing their unique combination of jazz influences of seminal rock artists like David us, we can’t help wishing it was a white van rumblin’ and grumblin’ heavyweight track and hip-hop. After forming in early 2018, the Bowie and Bruce Springsteen,” when the full of builders in a hurry to get to work and ‘Carpal Tunnel’, which chugs along with seven strong band have gained popularity Sunday afternoon market town pub corner- they’d just run the fucker over while yelling an almost poppy sense of purpose for all its after playing local venues such as the Cape friendly chugaboogie we’re listening to derogatory abuse at his guitar skills. The meaty riffage. It even gets its funk on a bit of Good Hope, and Sandy’s piano bar.” Fuck would suggest something rather different and video closes to black with the legend “To John towards the end. Maybe it isn’t the ferocious our old boots: from nowhere to The Cape considerably less seminal. With his hat and Lennon”. John who’s turning in his grave and, dire wolf we thought it might be but it Rehearsal and Recording studios of Good Hope (a “venue” that manages to substantive beard the singer looks a fair bit like perhaps looking down from Heaven, wishing turns out to be a likably bouncy and mildly squeeze its artists into a corner next to an Rag N’ Bone Man and this beardy, behatted, he’d just becoming a builder if this is the legacy Four state of the art rehearsal rooms destructive large doggy, which is something oversized burger grill) in only a few months. workaday soul-rock would sit comfortably into he’s left on the world. and a professional recording studio. no sane person would turn away from the Whirlwind indeed. The seven-strong uni- door. ‘Silver Line’ then ramps things up Send tracks for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to based jazz/hip hop ensemble then list which For bookings call Jamie on 07917685935 another notch and brings a lysergic psych- [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without a courses they’re studying alongside what Glasshouse studios, Cumnor, Oxford • glasshousestudios.org rock edge into the mix, like someone tried contact phone number. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Same goes they play, as if we’re going to be impressed for your stupid, over-sensitive mates. facebook.com/o2academyoxford twitter.com/o2academyoxford instagram.com/o2academyoxford youtube.com/o2academytv

Tue 14th May Thur 20th Jun Thur 26th Sep Mon 4th Nov J Mascis Band Of Horses Submotion Feeder + Rosali + Lion Orchestra Thur 7th Nov Tue 14th May Tue 25th Jun Sat 28th Sep • 6.30pm Little Comets Lucy Spraggan The Dead South Evil Scarecrow Sat 9th Nov • 6.30pm Wed 15th May • 6.30pm + The Grand Mal Thur 27th Jun Snarky Puppy SOAK + Damaged Reich Cat Power + Imminent Annihilation Mon 11th Nov + Pillow Queens Fri 28th Jun • 11pm Mon 30th Sep Elder Island Sat 18th May • 6.30pm Samantha Fish Mad Cobra The Night Café Thur 14th Nov Thur 3rd Oct The Smyths... Tue 21st May Sat 29th Jun The AC/DC Pierce Brothers A celebration End Of An Era - Vol 1 of the debut L.P ft Keeva Mairéad, Experience - Who’s Fri 4th Oct • 6.30pm The Auburn Project, Got Big Balls CoCo and the Fri 15th Nov • 6.30pm Novacane, The Chess Club The Treatment Thur 4th Jul • SOLD OUT Butterfields Wed 22nd May • 6.30pm + Airrace Belle & Sebastian Tue 8th Oct + Lake Acacia Sons of the East Easy Life ft Amistat, Five Fathoms Deep Tue 9th Jul Sun 17th Nov Fri 11th Oct • 6.30pm Thur 23rd May Comeback Kid Black Water County + Svalbard King Prawn End Of An Era - Vol 2 Fri 22nd Nov • 6.30pm + I Cried Wolf + Popes of Chillitown ft Ellie Armetta, Kiera Half Man Half Biscuit Gabrielle, The Roaches, Thur 25th Jul Sat 12th Oct • 6.30pm Tue 26th Nov RedShift, A Dying Breed Antarctic Monkeys Elvana: Elvis Fontaines D.C. Sat 25th May • 6.30pm Fronted Nirvana Sat 12th Oct • 6.30pm Wed 27th Nov • 6.30pm Inner Peace + Cherokii The Divine Comedy Records Electric Six Fri 2nd Aug Fri 18th Oct • 6.30pm ft DeSide, Deeq, Erbz & Those White Denim Thur 28th Nov That Know DJs Amber Run + Boy Azooga Happy Mondays Sat 25th May • 11pm Tue 22nd Oct - Greatest Hits Tour Thur 15th Aug I LOVE REGGAETON Striking Matches + Jon Dasilva This Is The Kit + Tenille Townes Sat 25th May • 11pm + Rozi Plain Fri 29th Nov • 6.30pm #6MILLI Summer Fri 25th Oct • 6.30pm Mad Dog Mcrea Sun 25th Aug Jake Clemons Send Off Sat 30th Nov • 6.30pm Little Steven & + Ben McKelvey Fri 31th May • 6pm Definitely Mightbe The Disciples Of Soul Sat 26th Oct • 6.30pm All Ears Avow (Oasis tribute) Fri 30th Aug Guns 2 Roses & Kill The Ideal + MOTLEY CRUED Fri 6th Dtec • 6.30pm + Be Still Palmist Sat 2nd Nov • 6pm Pearl Jam UK + Thousand Thoughts Fri 6th Sep • 6.30pm + Born Ideal Hip Hop Hooray Sat 7th Dec • 6.30pm Ultimate Coldplay Fri 31st May • 11pm Sat 2nd Nov • 6.30pm Absolute Bowie Bass Odyssey Fri 20th Sep • 6.30pm The Dualers - Legacy Tour Boyzlife + Kioko Sat 8th Jun Fri 13th Mar 2020 Honeyblood Tue 24th Sep Sun 3rd Nov The SUPERSONIC 70s + LUCIA New Hope Club Bear’s Den XMAS SHOW

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