email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 177 April ’s Music Magazine 2010 The Rock Of Travolta

Oxford’s own return

Plus Oxford Punt line-up announced - Foals sell-out - Cornbury bill revealed - news - six pages of local gigs.

NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net

THE LINE-UP FOR THIS YEAR’S OXFORD PUNT has been announced. The Punt is the annual showcase event for up and coming local unsigned acts. Previous Punts have provided early exposure for the likes of Young Knives, Stornoway, Little Fish and Yannis and Jack from Foals’ first band, Elizabeth. This year’s Punt takes place on Wednesday 12th May and features 22 acts playing across five venues in the city centre in one night. The full line-up is: FOALS return to action with a sold-out show at the O2 Academy and a Malmaison: Helen Pearson; We Are Ugly But We Have The Music; new single ahead of their highly-anticipated second . Samuel Zasada; Telling The Bees. The band’s show at the Academy on Wednesday 12th May, part of a The Purple Turtle: The Anydays; Dead Jerichos; Sealings; Risen In short UK tour, sold out within hours of tickets going on sale. Jonquil Black; Spring Offensive. have been confirmed as support for the night. Café Coco Royal: Canaday; The Roundheels; Mariana Foals’ new album, entitled ‘’, is released on Monday Magnavita; Scarlett In The Wilderness. 10th May and promises to be a more ambitious and eclectic affair than The Wheatsheaf: Message To Bears; Fixers; Empty Vessels; Taste My the band’s debut, with new single, ‘Spanish Sahara’, displaying a new, Eyes. more spaced-out and considered side. The Cellar: Beard Of Zeuss; Ute; The Scholars; Barbare11a; The Vicars Full tracklisting for the album is: ‘Blue Blood’; ‘Miami’; ‘Total Life Of Twiddly. Forever’; ‘Black Gold’; ‘Spanish Sahara’; ‘’; ‘Fugue’; The Punt kicks off at 7pm at Malmaison with Helen Pearson and ‘After Glow’; ‘Alabaster’; ‘2Trees’ and ‘What Remains’. finishes at the Cellar with Vicars of Twiddly at midnight. A limited number (100) all-venue Punt Passes are on sale now, priced £7, online at oxfordmusic.net, from the Scribbler in Oxford and the Music THE FAMILY MACHINE return independent record and CD shop. Box on Cowley Road. Due to the nature of the hotel, entry to Malmaison to action with a new single this The day includes a series of in- will be limited to Punt Pass holders only. Coco Royal is free entry. month. ‘See You’ is released on 1st store live appearances by local April, as a download from iTunes bands, a massive sale, a host of or from local indie store Rapture in special limited-edition releases and STORNOWAY have signed to SS20 on Cowley Road will start Witney. Meanwhile the band have some cake. Amongst the acts who 4AD Records. The local favourites stocking local CDs and vinyl from been chosen from over 1,600 acts have contributed special Record put pen to paper with the this month. The skate-wear store to play at the final of the Shop Day releases are The Rolling legendary indie label at the on Cowley Road steps into the gap Glastonbury Emerging Talent Stones, Paul Weller, Flaming Lips, beginning of March and join a left by the demise of Competition, with the prize being a Foals, The Fall, Midlake and The roster that currently includes TV Videosyncratic last month. All slot on the festival’s main stage. Hold Steady. Bands already On The Radio, Bon Iver and The acts are encouraged to Visit www.myspace.com/ confirmed to play in the store and Big Pink. Stornoway will release get in contact with either Mon or thefamilymachine for news on how later in the evening at a special their debut album, ‘Beachcomber’s Lee at SS20 at 176 Cowley Road or they get on show at Fat Lil’s, include The th Windowsill’, on May 24 with a on 01865 791851. The shop Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, single, ‘I Saw You Blink’, preceding already sells tickets for local RAPTURE in Witney take part in The Epstein, Ute, Two Fingers of it this month. The band are set to festivals, including Outgraze, the this year’s National Record Shop Firewater, From Light To Sound, grace the cover of Nightshift again three-day dance festival, which Day, which aims to celebrate the Matt Kilford, The Black Hats and in June; meanwhile an interview takes place over the weekend of country’s independent record The Roundheels. Visit th th with Brian Briggs, Jon Ouin and 11 -13 June, co-promoted by stores. Rapture, in Witney’s www.rapture-online.co.uk for Rob Steadman is up on Bassmentality, Slide and Simple, in Woolgate Centre, is now more details about the day’s Oxfordbands.co.uk now. aid of the Oxford Wheels Project. Oxfordshire’s sole remaining activities.

EBSEN & THE WITCH, Ms DYNAMITE AND LAU are amongst a host of acts now confirmed for Truck Festival. They join Danish alt.rockers Mew who are already confirmed to headline the main stage on Saturday night. Other names added to the festival bill include , Fonda 500, , Los Campesinos! and Good Shoes as well as local favourites Stornoway, Little Fish and This Town Needs Guns. This year’s Truck runs over the weekend of 23rd-25th July at Hill Farm in Steventon. Adult weekend tickets are £80; tickets for 13-17 year olds are £60 with under-13s going free. Tickets, including a limited number of Supertrucker tickets, which allow entry to both Truck and Wood Festival for £120, are on sale now from The Scribbler in Oxford, Oxford Guitar Gallery in Summertown, The Music Box on Cowley Road, Rapture in Witney and Local Roots in Abingdon, as well as online at Ticketweb, See Tickets and other outlets. Meanwhile, The Unthanks have now been added to the bill for Wood Festival, which takes place at Braziers Park, near Wallingford over the weekend of 21st-23rd May. Acts already confirmed for the eco-friendly festival include , Tunng, Danny & The Champions of the World, Martin Simpson, Nick Cope, Peggy Sue and Dusty & The Dreaming Spires. Visit www.thisistruck.com for more details on both festivals. A SPECIAL TRIBUTE GIG to the Shipton-Under-Wychwood a year late Rich Haines will be held in the ago with a second school opening unusual surroundings of West in Chipping Norton shortly after. Wycombe’s Hellfire Caves on This month a Witney branch will Saturday 1st May. Rich, who ran open. The schools provide a Dungeon Studios for nearly 30 weekly workshop for kids to learn years, died of cancer last year and to play instruments and write is rightly regarded as a local music songs, while the school’s new legend. The gig is being organised is set to help bands put by and features Wycombe band out their own releases. For more SubRosa5, the last band ever to information visit record with Rich. The Family www.witchwoodrock.com. Machine support with hopefully playing a solo AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into set. A limited number of 120 tickets BBC Oxford Introducing every are available for the show, priced at Saturday evening between 6-7pm £25, which includes drinks, and on 95.2fm. The dedicated local with all profits going to Marie music show plays the best new Curie Cancer Care and the Nordoff local releases and demos as well as Robbins Trust. A CD compilation featuring interviews with local and of songs by bands produced by touring acts. Introducing celebrated Rich is being compiled. Details of its fifth anniversary last month by the gig are available at releasing ‘Round The Bends’, a www.myspace.co.uk/subrosa5. tribute to ’s classic ‘Bends’ album by local bands. The THE SCARLETTS play a album is available to download farewell gig at the Wheatsheaf on from iTunes with all profits going Friday 23rd April. The promising to Children In Need. local ska-punk act are calling it a day but will bow out in style with NIGHTSHIFT URGES all its support from Dial F For readers to join the campaign to save Frankenstein - who recently had 6Music. BBC Director General their song, ‘Wes Vega’ used in the Mark Thompson has earmarked latest series of Skins - Vultures, the digital radio station for the axe Night Portraits and King of Cats. in an overhaul of the whole Meanwhile Scarletts corporation. 6Music is the only Matt and guitarist Vinnie have a radio station that consistently JACKSON BROWNE AND DAVID GRAY have been confirmed as new band together, Betablocker & broadcasts innovative new music, headline acts for this year’s CORNBURY FESTIVAL. American The Bodyclock, who support as well as providing a rare outlet singer- and political activist Browne, who was inducted Fixers at the Cellar on Thursday for new unsigned bands, including into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 by Bruce Springsteen, has 22nd April. many from Oxford who have a music career stretching back 40 years, including hits like `The received early airplay from DJs like Pretender’, `Somebody’s Baby’ and `These Days’. WITCHWOOD SCHOOL OF Tom Robinson. The BBC is Cornbury takes place over the weekend of the 3rd-4th July at ROCK is set to open its third rock currently holding an open Cornbury Country Park, near Charlbury. Other acts so far school for children aged between 6- consultation in which everyone can announced include Squeeze, Noisettes, Buddy Guy, Imelda May, 16 this month. The school, which express their views. Please visit Candi Staton and Dr John, who join Gray on the Saturday, with The was set up by a group of local bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consultation and Feeling, Newton Faulkner, Reef, The Blockheads, DOHL music teachers, started off in fill out the online form. Foundation and Kathryn Tickell among those joining Browne (pictured) on the Sunday. Tickets, priced £95 for adults (£115 with camping), and free for under-12s and over-70s, are on sale now at www.cornburyfestival.com

BAND OF HORSES come to Oxford in June as part of a short UK tour. The Sub-pop-signed Seattle alt.country rockers play at the O2 Academy on Friday 11th June, their first ever visit to Oxford. Tickets, priced £13.50, are on sale now from the Academy box office. Another big name confirmed for the venue is is Goldfrapp, who play the Academy on Monday 7th June. Tickets are £22.50. Coco Rosie also make their Oxford debut, at the Regal, on Friday 14th May. Visit www.myspace.com/pindropperformances for details. a quiet word with The Rock Of Travolta music. The new album is the tip of the iceberg. We made rough recordings of almost every writing session through to Summer 2007, storing ideas in an online vault called The Nursery. Most of the new album developed from there. We road-tested new tunes between 2005-2006 to remind folks that we still existed” DAVE: “We also had to get up to speed with the older tunes and wanted the new format to be an evolution of what we were before. We played in Bath, Southampton and and performed at Truck festival twice. We also supported Seafood and Foals at the Zodiac and played Audioscope” How is the forthcoming album different to ‘Uluru’? DAVE: “It was a different approach, starting from the writing process. Some tracks grew from subtle ideas, others from the most intense. We built many of the tracks THE ROCK OF TRAVOLTA FROM THIS ASTONISHING reservations out of the water: they back-to-front and inside out! Matt played their debut gig at Truck start, things just got better for The were fresh, vigorous and downright and Jennie have both had a huge Festival in July 2000, an impressive Rock Of Travolta. A debut mini- brutal, Matt duelling magnificently influence on the way that we work showcase of sonic firepower that at album – the tauntingly-titled ‘My on guitar with Dave while Jenny and this proved a catalyst to the the time marked them above and Band’s Better Than Yours’, took the cello centre stage and made new sound.” beyond the local indie and recorded in a single day – captured it rock harder than any guitar. MATT: “It shares a lot of the same pack. some of their sublime live power on elements: instrumental rock with Four months later they played their CD and in the summer of 2001 they THIS MONTH THE ROCK OF strings and synths, and we made a second gig, supporting And You were handpicked by Radiohead to Travolta return to the stage where conscious effort to maintain some Will Know Us By The Trail Of open the legendary South Park they first made their name – continuity. Sequenced Dead at the Zodiac. That show show in front of a 40,000 crowd. A upstairs at the Academy – once had become more prevalent on remains one of the most singularly second album, ‘Uluru’ (cheekily again back to remind anyone who `Uluru’ than its predecessors. awe-inspiring performances by an named after the biggest rock in the needs reminding, of what a fantastic Although not outside our interests Oxford band we have ever world) was released in 2003, band they are. The quintet have also and capabilities, the approach we witnessed, a purely instrumental including a guest vocal contribution finished recording their third album, took with `Fine Lines’ was for storm of coruscating synthetics and from Seafood frontman David Line ‘Fine Lines’, due for release later electronic sounds to be triggered by searing strings raging over an on the song ‘Everything’s Opened this year. The new album’s neo- hands or feet.” avalanche of guitar and bass noise. Up’, which topped Nightshift’s end classical prog-hardcore clamour is You recorded ‘My Band’s Better We hailed them as the best new of year Top 20. The band were bigger, more complex than before, Than Yours’ in a single day; could band in Oxford as they, along with touring the UK with the likes of taking inspiration from sources as you imagine doing that with the new kindred spirits Meanwhile, Back In Trans Am, Oceansize, Kat Bjelland diverse as Godspeed You! Black album? Communist Russia, Eeebleee and Six and Do Make Say Think and Emperor, Shellac, Stravinsky, Add DAVE: “For `My Band’s…’ we Ray Sun kicked revolutionary new picking up plaudits at every turn. N To (X) and The BBC turned up to record a single or EP, life into a scene that, if not But then in 2004 the band lost Radiophonic Workshop. Still almost got carried away and recorded every slumbering, was rarely daring to be three of its core members –Phill, completely instrumental, two tracks track we had. This time we weren’t different at the time. keyboard player ‘Deadly’ Dave feature spoken word contributions afraid to re-record whole sections if Formed by long-term friends Dave Crabtree, who would often play from former-Meanwhile, Back In that was what it took.” Warrington (guitar) and Phill Honey onstage dressed as the Grim Reaper, Communist Russia frontwoman MATT: “Even when recording a (bass and keyboards), along with and Ros. The Rock Of Travolta Emily Gray. band playing live, the result isn’t an bassist Jon Carter, drummer Joe could have dissolved and remained a exact replica of what it sounded like Durow and cellist and keyboardist fond memory, another lost cult LOOKING AHEAD TO THE for the audience. The process is Ros Murray, The Rock Of favourite to add to the pile. Instead Rock Of Travolta’s return to local unnatural. You stick microphones Travolta’s set-up and sound was a they came back stronger than ever. live performance, we spoke to the and apparatus in front of things that world away from anything else Matt Spooner joined The Rock on band and asked first where they’ve make noise, reassemble the result, going on in Oxford: a wild, guitar and keyboards from Southsea been these past couple of years and and hope that it might eventually cacophonous fusion of rock, post- Company Prospectus, while the why it’s taken so long for the new sound like a band. The upside of rock, classical and classically-trained Jennie Bates album to come together. recording all instruments at once is that was simultaneously innovative came in on cello. After a short hiatus MATT: “We’ve actually kept that it’s really quick. The downside and accessible; intelligent but to regroup, The Rock Of Travolta ourselves very busy. We took a six- is the inevitable compromise in visceral with a keen eye for rock returned to action in 2006 and month break in the summer of 2004 sound. We didn’t feel like theatre. immediately blew any doubts or and then set about writing new compromising.” JENNIE: “We had opportunities to all experienced in previous bands mastering recently and he was Radiohead still the band’s career experiment with harmonies and new with getting the guitars loud enough telling me about the time a waiter in highlight? What do textures that weren’t possible when on stage without the vocals feeding New York was raving about the you remember best about that day? playing live. It’s exciting to work on back. I’d been listening to ‘Cowley Strip’ in rock-central, DAVE: “It was mindblowing. the spot and get quick results. I instrumental music for many years Oxford!” Radiohead had been one of my liked creating mini string ensembles – mostly electronic – so adding the favourite bands since I was at on songs like `Acolytes’ and rock aspect was really fun for me. GOING BACK TO 2004, THE school. To open for them at their `Ships’, where the texture could The music has to hold the melody, band were in full steam and then homecoming show, less than a year sound thicker and would therefore otherwise we’re into an album of Ros, Deadly and most significantly after forming the band, was more behave differently among the other five-minute guitar solos.” Phill left. How did that affect you? than I could ever have imagined. instruments. I think we saw this as As regards influences and DAVE: “I guess Phill got frustrated However, much of a highlight that an opportunity to try out our ideas contemporaries, which bands that the band couldn’t move faster. was, there have been other highs, – it was a lengthier process but inspired you back then and now and But he also had very strong ideas such as our John Peel session.” we’re really happy with the result.” which bands, if any, did you feel about where he thought the band JON: “The best things that I affinity with at the beginning and should go. It was a shock when he remember about that day include WHEN TROT EMERGED IN now? quit and Deadly followed, but we the rush as we took the stage to 2000, they were part of a whole DAVE: “While I was at university, were determined to continue. After open the whole event in front of so new wave of local bands I remember seeing bands like Deus all, I formed the band with Phill, many people – even though the (Meanwhile, Back In Communist using interesting instruments such plus Jon and Joe had pretty much majority had no idea who we were, Russia, Eeebleee, Six Ray Sun) as strings and trumpets. Another been involved since day one, so and then standing in the wings breathing fresh life and new ideas local band that was going the why should that signal the band’s watching the other bands. It’s still into the local scene. How do they instrumental route was Nought, demise. Matt was already bursting amazing how many people mention remember that time, both from the although we were keen always to with ideas, and with Jennie we having seen us at that gig, even perspective of how the scene was keep our ideas more accessible and found we could play the old tracks nearly 10 years on.” around then and how they changed inject an element of fun and with a renewed enthusiasm. I must it? humour.” admit, though, for a while it did feel EMILY GRAY CONTRIBUTES JON: “I’m not sure we realised that JON: “Bands like Nought and Dive a bit like when Nigel left Spinal spoken word vocals on two of the we were part of this new wave. It Dive were certainly contemporary Tap!” new tracks; Can you see her never felt any different inside the influences. Obviously we had an JON: “We made a conscious becoming a more permanent band from the first gig at Truck to affinity with MBICR and Eeebleee, decision that in continuing with fixture? You worked with David South Park a year later. It kind of as we spent quite a bit of time TROT, we would maintain a Line on ‘Everything’s Opened Up’; just felt like we were all moving up touring with them. Just after we consistent thread in the music. would you like to have more vocal the venue scale in Oxford and released `My Band’s Better Than Sound-wise, we’ve moved the contributions? Any ideal people London together. It’s really amazing Yours’, it felt in many ways like we electronica away from sequencers you’d like to involve? to think that we changed the scene.” were doing something that no-one and it’s all played live. Otherwise, in JON: “Matt and Jennie had the DAVE: “For me, 2000 was the else was doing.” many ways the band works very idea of having some kind of most exciting time. We had all been much like it did back in the early monologue, although at the time we in various bands and we wanted to IT’S TEN YEARS NOW SINCE days.” hadn’t thought about who would challenge our own expectations and that debut gig. Back then you were What in particular have Matt and perform it. We asked Emily, as we abilities. Up to the minute we took the most exciting new band in town. Jennie brought to the band since knew that she would be able to to the stage of our first gig at Truck A decade on how do you think they joined? Jennie seems to have bring the right thing to those tracks.” Festival, we didn’t know how we TROT are viewed, locally and moved the cello more centre-stage DAVE: “We don’t often set out would be received. We could never beyond Oxford? than Roz did. with a vocal idea in mind. With have expected the positive reaction, JENNIE: “Those who know us are DAVE: “Jennie has a keen sense of `Everything’s Opened Up’ we had otherwise we would have spent probably wondering what the hell dynamics and adds more subtlety the bones of the track written, and more time thinking of a band name!” we’ve been doing, and why the into the quieter moments in our set. I asked Dave Line to contribute. It Was there a conscious desire to album has taken so long. We don’t Ros used her cello to bolster the really depends on whether we have shake things up musically? The mix do things by halves.” general idea or add simple textures. a track that we feel would benefit of classical and electronic music, and JON: “It’s always great to know Jennie has a lot more range and from a vocal performance.” the use of twin bass guitars was that people are still interested. I still knows how to belt out a loud tune Will the new album signal a pretty radical at the time. get emails from all over the world, too! Matt was a fan of the band concerted push to take the band on DAVE: “It was about doing asking when we’re going to play before, so much of his contribution to another level or is it going to stay something exciting for us. Phill was near them and when the new album is informed by previous material. It an on-off arrangement? bored of guitars, so decided from the is coming out. For example, we sometimes feels like he has been JON: “I think the new album is outset to play bass. When Jon hadn’t played in Bath for about involved from day one. Matt also taking us forward, and we want to joined the band, also on bass, from three years. We thought it would be played a huge role in the give this as big a push as we can. I Soulcraft a week or so later, we a low-profile gig. On the night, loads production of the album.” think we’re still seen as a ‘niche’ started to experiment with using one of people turned up. Awesome!” JENNIE: “I think we began using thing by so many in the industry, bass at a slightly higher register and How do you think the local scene the cello to carry melodies and duel which certainly was a problem the other covering the lower has changed in the last decade? with the guitars more – it wasn’t around 10 years ago. Now, things frequencies. When I invited Ros to DAVE: “It has been exciting to see planned, it just happened when we have moved on in terms of how you join, we had a third bass player! Foals become successful far beyond were writing. Buying the electric can reach people and also in terms Fortunately she could also play Oxford, and I think it has inspired a cello was the best move for me; it of channels for more diverse music cello and keys, so the orchestral/ new generation of bands to set their had more live presence and was (Save 6 Music!), so if the music is electronica combination started from sights higher. It has been sad to see able to stand up to the wall of strong enough, why shouldn’t the there and we kind of stumbled upon some of our favourite local venues guitars.” band move to another level?” ‘our’ sound.” close over the years, though.” JOE: “My initial scepticism about JON: “I suppose it’s natural for THE SOUTH PARK SHOW IN The Rock Of Travolta play the O2 our new sound eased after the venues to come and go but I still 2001 remains etched in the Academy on Saturday 17th April attention we got. The absence of miss the Point – always had a great memories of everyone who was with The Half Rabbits, Dead vocals encouraged us to use each atmosphere. On a more positive there and it was a phenomenal Jerichos and Night Portraits and instrument to maintain interest note, it seems that the Oxford scene opportunity for The Rock Of the Stocks Bar in Abingdon on throughout each track.” is as nationally and internationally Travolta to cement their growing Saturday 24th. Visit JON: “The no-vocals thing was relevant as ever, which is great. I reputation, an opportunity they www.myspace.com/ also a reaction to the trouble we’d was talking to Tim Turan during readily seized upon. Is supporting therockoftravolta. RELEASED sponsored by THE HALF RABBITS PHANTOM THEORY / ‘From The Horizon To GUNNING FOR TAMAR The Map’ ‘Split EP’ (Punk Elvis) (A Mother Python) With ’s tightening embrace of irony There’s always a risk with split EPs like this that and detachment, earnest artiness was scoffed into there’ll be an unequal partnership, one band a corner. It re-emerged of course, everywhere eclipsing the other (Fell City Girl’s team-up with from Muse to Borderville, and The Half Rabbits Latitude Blue a few years back being a case in have never been a band to deliver a rhyming point). It’s something we’re keenly aware of here couplet with a knowing wink. When Michael with Phantom Theory being big favourites of ours Weatherburn delivers the melodramatic lines while in their previous incarnation as Rise East, “Forged in the crucible of this city” and “This Strike West, Gunning For Tamar put out a city is a wasteland” with the theatrical conviction disappointingly unfocussed CD late last year. Such of a Year 10 metaphysical poet, there’s an urge to fears are quickly allayed. stifle a giggle, but equally a feeling that a singer so Bauhaus-like spook-pop of ‘In Vulnerability’ Phantom Theory have rapidly developed their buried within his own imagery shouldn’t be exhumes a lighter side to the band. Best of the lot sound, from their early hardcore-cum-classic-rock mocked so. is ‘Magnet Mountain’, with Michael showing he riffage, they’ve mastered a combination of solidity And that’s the conflict of emotions you can properly spit the words out. and spindly aggression, big, greasy bass rumble and constantly feel listening to The Half Rabbits’ The album’s main fault, other than the fact that chugging guitar fed through a post-punk filter and debut album as they alternately burn and canter half the songs here have been released before in on ‘Trancedog’ ending up a staccato sludge-fest, through gothic arthouse fizz and froth with various forms, is an under-production that maybe like Billy Idol fronting a stoner metal tribute to occasional folky leanings. They’re best when doesn’t bring their full portentous theatricality to Gang Of Four, while on ‘Playground’ they sound they’re playing at full throttle, as on ‘Stay the fore, but amid the pomp and circumstance is a more like Yourcodenameis:milo getting mugged by Positive’, the guitars dirtier, Michael’s thespian band whose convictions run deep. Free. Great stuff. delivery less overpowering, although the Ian Chesterton Gunning For Tamar are a more considered proposition altogether: spangled, slow-mo post- hardcore dinking but given an added kick by singer Joe Wallis’ strong, emotive voice and a keener STORNOWAY FOALS sense of building dynamics than they previously displayed. It takes more effort to get caught up in ‘I Saw You Blink’ ‘Spanish Sahara’ it than Phantom Theory, but the rewards are just as (4AD) (Transgressive) rich. There is a feeling though, on ‘The Organs. We’ve expended so much prose on Stornoway over Well, this is going to confound the bloody blazes The Senses. The Muscles. The Memories’ that the years we wonder if we’ve anything left to write out of fans and cynics alike. There’s always been they’d be better to finish on a fireball of about them that wouldn’t simply become a cliché. a creative restlessness about , unrestrained noise rather than fizzle out as they do, That they are the most exciting, musically right back to his days in Elizabeth and The but the creeping menace of ‘Norse Blood’ shows ambitious band to emerge from Oxford in recent Edmund Fitzgerald, and this new single is another off a keen grasp of atmospheric control and times is beyond doubt; just ask anyone who expectation-defying curveball, a lush, spaced-out reveals a bigger musical stick with which to witnessed their astonishing show at the Sheldonian dreamscape of twinkling electronics and lost-in- bludgeon you. last year. So, while we ready ourselves for the the-wilderness vocals that reflect the song’s snow- Ian Chesterton release of their debut album next month, there’s bound video. It’s a tidal surge of a song, rising to just time to consider the (sort of) re-release of ‘I a tantalising peak before dissipating, never quite Saw You Blink’, one of the band’s older tracks, a breaking on the shoreline. warm, enveloping lesson in wistful reflection and ‘Spanish Sahara’ is a long way removed from airy romanticism. Stornoway’s greatest talent is in most of the songs on ‘Antidotes’ and a world making songs of this quality seem like the easiest away from ‘Hummer’; there’s a definite echo of thing in the world to accomplish, when we know ’ ‘Sea Within A Sea’ in its undulating it’s a very rare skill indeed. And the fact that b-side ambience, while moments from ‘In Rainbows’ ‘Gondwanaland’ is even better, a simply gorgeous flit around the edges. Vocally Yannis harnesses acoustic lament where Brian Briggs’ rich, gentle Robet Wyatt’s spectral delivery. It takes some voice holds sway amid uncluttered guitar, and getting used to because, even with a band like cello, is even more incredible. And to think: they Foals, you like to think you know what you’re haven’t even got round to releasing ‘Coldharbour going to get next. But if ‘Total Life Together’ is Road’ or ‘Fuel Up’ yet. That the best is yet to as difficult to second guess, it’ll be an album well come from Stornoway fair gives us butterflies. worth the wait. Dale Kattack Dale Kattack

The original UK rider owned and run Skate and Snow Store. Est ‘88 www.ss20.com cheap and cheerful, or, if not cheerful, then loved ones to. It’s almost Gregorian in its hushed angry, disgusted and jaded, sampling Bill Clinton portent, an indirect descendant of This Mortal denying sexual impropriety as he wanders the Coil, particular in its dark mix of viola and cello gutters and byways of Shitsville-by-the-Sea. and D’s rich, resonant baritone, which reminds us Sometimes the clattering and of TMC’s Dominic Appleton. Occasionally, limited production feels like it needs to kick wraith-like female backing vocals drift in and harder, but at others it’s this rudimentary dissipate and there’s a delicate touch to construction that adds his songs the slightly seedy everything here, as if not a single note of a single edge they need. Given that it’s just Matt, a guitar instrument can be wasted. and his little box of electronic tricks, it’s a well- Over thirteen tracks and forty-five minutes D formed racket and you feel his basic set up could maintains an unerring air of bleak, haunted work in his favour if he’s prepared to cram it all melancholy that turns these simply-arranged in the back of an old mini and play every dive on pieces into something far grander. That it’s all so the UK gig circuit for the price of a bag of chips unrelentingly downbeat is its strength, not a and two cans of warm lager. That in itself would weakness. You’re hypnotised from the off and doubtless add more fuel to his ire only returned to the real world when the album Ian Chesterton finishes and you realise it’s still daylight outside. Wonderful stuff, a real discovery. Let’s hope D CABARET RAT Gwalia is Oxford’s to keep. ‘Walking With Sharks Dale Kattack (CAB) D GWALIA Born and raised in Blackpool, now living in ‘In Puget Sound’ Banbury, one-man-band Cabaret Rat should know all about the less salubrious side of life and here he (Own Label) puts it all to music, a lo-fi smash-up of garage- Once in a blue moon a CD from a local act we’ve punk, industrial grind, electro-pop and profanity never heard of will drop through the letterbox and that at its best (the opening ‘Slice’n’Dice’) knock us sideways. In fairness the enigmatically- sounds like Ministry deconstructing ’s named D Gwalia is reasonably new to Oxford, ‘Tequila’, industrial chug’n’churn cut through originally hailing from Wales, but this debut album with bizarre jollity by way of the exuberant is utterly captivating, the sort of homespun female backing vocals, but at its least effective artistry that makes us wonder why more acts (‘Next To You, Forever’) is a clunky, ungainly can’t do something a bit more, y’know, special. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine pastiche There’s a pall of gloom that hangs over ‘In without the bludgeoning satire. Puget Sound’ that intensifies every sparsely- Throughout the six-song mini-album Cabaret Rat placed note, every sombre vocal incantation. It’s (aka the improbably-named Matt Prosac) keeps it not an album to party to, more an album to bury OXFORDOXFORDOXFORD PUNTPUNTPUNT 201020102010

22 ACTS, 5 VENUES, 1 NIGHT The year’s best showcase of new local music

Wednesday 12th May

nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Cornbury advert gig guide

THURSDAY 1st Handsome Fee, Pete the Temp, Jessie Grace and more. PORT MAYHEM: The Bullingdon – April MC LARS: O2 Academy – Return to town for Fools Day special for the music and cabaret APRIL the Shakespeare and Poe-quoting, Fugazi and club night, tonight featuring purveyors of -sampling, and punk-inclined Community Centre – Original and best fast’n’dirty swing Top Shelf Jazz, plus ukulele Californian rapper and pioneer to acoustic open mic club, every week. player and tap dancer Josephine Shaker, punk coincide with his new ‘Lars Attacks’ album KENAI: Fat Lil’s, Witney poet Dalai Larkin, plus swing’n’bass from DJ SPACE HEROES OF THE PEOPLE + LOST INNOCENCE + UNTIL WE BURN + Mike Rack and Oxford Circus School. PICTUREHOUSE + GUNNING FOR AGE OF MISRULE: The Hobgoblin, NITKOWSKI + SILENT FRONT + PNEU + TAMAR + SECRET RIVALS: The Bicester – Metal, hardcore and heavy rock SHIELD YOUR EYES: The Cellar – Great Wheatsheaf – Synth-pop from Space Heroes, night at the Hob’s weekly live rock night. four-band bill at tonight’s Pure Concentrated plus jerky post-punk pop from Picturehouse ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: Bricklayers Arms, Evil club, with London’s dynamic math- and and atmospheric alt.rocking from Gunning For Old Marston post-rock instrumentalists Nitkowski alongside Tamar. OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern angular McLusky-style hardcore types Silent ZEN PIGS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock covers. – Weekly acoustic session hosted by Pete The Front, industrial noise-rockers Pneu and CABARET CLANDESTINE: East Oxford Temp, Tamara Parsons-Baker and Huck. frenetic Fugazi and Blood Brothers-influenced Community Centre – Country bluegrass from STEVE MORANO + BETHANY WEIMERS: post-hardcore types Shield Your Eyes. Knights of Mentis, psychedelic pop from Café Coco Royal – Acoustic night with CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Anton Barbeau, plus Gerry Potter and host Reading’s folk and blues chap Steve Morano Pete the Temp. and ethereal local folk-pop singer Bethany Friday 9th LAIMA BITE: The Ox, Abingdon – Skittle Weimers. Alley acoustic night featuring the return of OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon CHAPEL CLUB / superb gothic folkstress Laima Bite, plus more THE PETE FRYER BAND: Copa, George to be confirmed. Street SCHOLARS: TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM HOLY THURSDAY: The Cricketers Arms – 101: O2 Academy – Weekly three-clubs-in-one The Jericho Tavern Special Brickworks reunion club night for all the night with indie and electro at Transformation; After a debut single at the end of last year, DJs who played the venue between 2002-06, trashy pop, glam and 80s at Trashy and metal, ‘Surfacing’, that seemed to be little more spinning a mix of soul, funk, reggae and r’n’b. punk, hardcore and alt.rock at Room 101. than a grunged-up take on 1930s standard DANCE NIGHT: The Bullingdon ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’, London’s nd FRIDAY 2 WAX ON WAX OFF: James Street Tavern – Chapel Club are now finding their own voice KLUB KAKOFANNEY: The Wheatsheaf – Weekly funk, soul, , breaks and hip hop with the excellent follow-up, ‘O Maybe I’, a It’s a special birthday do for host Sue Smith at session. big wash of dark, epic guitars, impassioned tonight’s KK, with sets from Switch 60, IZZI STONE + SIX BULLET CHAMBER + baritone and wry lyrics that brings to mind Superloose and Horns of Plenty. MOTHER CORONA: The Centurion, fronting Editors in some parallel PETE LAURIE: The Jericho Tavern – Bicester – Classic heavy rock from Izzi Stone, universe. Frontman Lewis Bowman is a Lachrymose blues, folk and gospel from the plus and southern rock in the vein of commanding singer with a literate way with Welsh troubadour. and Clutch from Six Bullet Chamber. words, inspired by Ted Hughes and Ernest WHOLE LOTTA DC: Fat Lil’s, Witney – BASSMENTALITY: The Cellar Hemingway, while around him the band build Tribute to AC/DC. a wall of noise that variously borrows from SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM’S GOOD th My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver and SUNDAY 4 FRIDAY FISH FRY: The Cellar – Live set particularly great lost 80s indie types VON BRAUN + EIGHT DIRTY PAGES + from speakeasy jazz combo The Original Easterhouse. After that underwhelming UNDERSMILE: The Wheatsheaf – Cure and Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, plus classic ska, soul opening salvo they’re now attracting a Radiohead-style alt.rocking from Von Braun, and funk from DJ Derek and Count Skylarkin. groundswell of press and radio attention and plus heavyweight noise from BACKROOM : The Bullingdon – tonight’s show is part of their first ever Undersmile. Classic soul, funk and r’n’b every Friday. headline tour. Great local support from AGENTS OF JANE + ANTON BARBEAU + TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS: James Street Scholars, who rank alongside the most CHRIS PADMORE: Malmaison – Mellow, Tavern – Punk, rock and indie tunes every promising new bands emerging in dreamy indie folk rock from Agents of Jane at Friday night. Oxfordshire at the moment, coming in the Mal’s semi-acoustic session. Psychedelic GET DOWN: The Brickworks – Funk, Latin somewhere between Editors, Stellarstarr* folk-pop chap Anton supports. and Afrobeat every week. and Interpol. DIAL F FOR FRANKENSTEIN + VISIONS FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford FALL + AS SEEN ON RADIO + GO GO Community Centre – Roots, dancehall and BUFFALO + MIDNIGHT DRIVE + THE dub club night every week. KEYZ: Fat Lil’s, Witney – First heat of Fat BRANCH IMMERSION: The Duke’s Cut Lil’s Battle of the Bands competition, with a THE GEES: The Port Mahon slot on the main stage at Cornbury Festival up for grabs for the winners. rd SATURDAY 3 TECHNICOLOR TIME MACHINE: Baby CARNIVAL FUNDRAISER: James Street Simple – Prog, glam and psychedelia club Tavern (1.30pm) – Full day of live music and night. DJs in aid of Cowley Road Carnival, including REGGAE REGGAE SUNDAY: The Port sets from Alphabet Backwards, Huck and the Mahon MONDAY 5th FRIDAY 9th ROB TOGNONI: The Bullingdon – Driving ROLO TOMASSI + THRASH TALK + blues-rock from the versatile Tasmanian THROATS: O2 Academy – Sheffield’s raging guitarist, still going strong after 30 years on the math-core monsters return – see main preview road. PLAN B: O2 Academy – London’s rap balladeer and occasional actor Ben Drew TUESDAY 6th continues his commercial ascent after the success of 2006’s debut album, ‘Who Needs ROBOTS IN DISGUISE: O2 Academy – Action When You’ve Got Words’, documenting Electro-punk Mighty Boosh regulars Sue Demin life’s less pleasant side in a style somewhere and Dee Plume head out on tour to promote between Eminem and Damien Rice. From new album ‘Year 3000’. sampling Radiohead and Nirvana he’s moved E 4 ECHO + LADY & THE LOST BOYS + more into an acoustic rock style and is set to POOKAGE HAYES: The Wheatsheaf – support Noel Gallagher ahead of the release of th Ramshackle acoustic pop from E 4 Echo, plus his new album and film, ‘The Defamation of Friday 9 showy folk-pop from Lady and co. in support. Strickland Banks’ JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Free weekly CHAPEL CLUB + SCHOLARS: The Jericho ROLO TOMASSI / live jazz club with IDST. Tavern – Rising indie stars head out on their CREATIVE TUESDAY: Café Tarifa – THRASH TALK / first headline tour – see main preview Acoustic night with Motion In Colour’s Adam EMPTY VESSELS + SAMUEL ZASADA + THROATS: Barnes, plus Portuguese singer-songwriter THE NUMBER 9S: The Bullingdon – Pedro de Vasconcelos and Rob Beckinsale. Moshka club night with big’n’bold bluesy hard O2 Academy NIGHTFLIGHT: The Cellar – Jungle, reggae, rocking in the vein of Blue Cheer and Creedence Grrraaawwwgh!!! And, if you will, dubstep and funk club. Clearwater Revival from recent Nightshift Grraaaaaaaaaaaggghh!!!! Ah yes, the sweet, OPEN MIC SESSION: Masons Arms, Demo Of The Monthers Empty Vessels. sultry sound of Sheffield’s sublime math- Headington Quarry Support from excellent alt.folk newcomers core monsters Rolo Tomassi, one of the Samuel Zasada. th greatest bands we’ve had the pleasure of WEDNESDAY 7 DIAL F FOR FRANKENSTEIN + CAST OF witnessing in recent times. And my how LAST DAYS OF LORCA + CHAMBERS THE CAPITAL: The Wheatsheaf – Sharp- they’ve grown. The first time we saw them OF THE HEART + IF ALL ELSE FAILS: elbowed post-hardcore from Dial F. they were cracking the walls at the Port The Wheatsheaf – Jaggedly epic Muse-style THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT SPASM Mahon; now they’re headlining the rocking from Sussex’s Last Days of Lorca, BAND + BRAINDOGS + YELLOW FEVER Academy. In between they’ve brought the plus experimental improv rocking from + DAVID SIMON: The Regal – Authentic house down at Truck and wowed everyone Chambers of the Heart. 1930s-style New Orleans speakeasy jazz from lucky enough to catch their incendiary live PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar – Open jam the very mighty Rabbit Foot. show. Young and rather sweet to look at, session with in-house band Four Phat FRED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: Fat Lil’s, Rolo Tomassi, for the uninitiated, are utterly Fingers. Witney – Tribute band. ferocious. With musical nods to Mr Bungle, ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Latin, Dillinger Escape Plan and Babes In Toyland, Open mic session. Afrobeat, Balkan, World and nu-jazz dance with theirs is a breakneck switchback ride through live set from Ottawa’s Souljazz Orchestra, the complexities of angular math-rock and THURSDAY 8th mixing up raw 60s and 70s-style grooves with pure distilled hardcore rage, with a subtle an eclectic blend of funk, soul, jazz and electro-pop element that prevents the whole BRONTIDE + ELK: The Jericho Tavern – Afrobeat. thing tipping into the abyss. Singer Eva Lightweight instrumental math-rocking in a THE ANIMALS: Kidlington FC – Drummer Spence tends to make Linda Blair in The Battles-with-riffs vein from Brontide. John Steel brings the latest incarnation of the Exorcist sound like Judie Garland in The DOMES OF SILENCE + DESERT STORM 60s rockers to Kidlington. Wizard Of Oz, belching out guttural + DEATH VALLEY RIDERS: The Cellar – WITTSTOCK FUNDRAISER: The Ox, invective like a chain-smoking human Monstrous, grizzled industrial rocking in the Abingdon – Fundraiser for the annual free volcano. The band release their second vein of Primal Scream and festival, with Barry & The Beachcombers, Half album, Cosmology’ this month. Support from Domes of Silence, plus granite-heavy Naked Music, Mark Barnes, Glenda Huish and comes from California’s hardcore thrash stoner metal from Desert Storm and epic Mark Sollis. merchants Thrash Talk and UK instrumental metal from Death Valley Riders. BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon types Throats. DANNY & THE CHAMPIONS OF THE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS: James Street WORLD: The North Wall, Summertown – Tavern Life-affirming 60s-styled sunshine popstrels GET DOWN: The Brickworks return to Oxford after their recent support to FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford Fionn Regan. Community Centre RIOT HOUSE + AGE OF MISRULE + TRIDEM: The Bullingdon – First heat of the th Oxford Gigs Battle of the Bands. SATURDAY 10 CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford : The New Theatre – The 80s Community Centre electro-rock behemoths revisit their classic hits ALLEY RATS + RADIATING EYES + GO – see main preview GO BUFFALO: The Hobgoblin, Bicester – DESERT STORM + IVY’S ITCH + Punk triple bill with local thrash-punkers ANNERO + MOTHER CORONA: The Alley Rats and Bedford’s Radiating Eyes. Wheatsheaf – Brutal local stoner metallers ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: Bricklayers Desert Storm bring the riffs – hand-made from Arms, Old Marston girders and granite – while Ivy’s Itch continue OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street to explore the darker, more complex corners of Tavern their gothic hardcore mansion. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon THE BLACK HATS + THE LONG CRASH AND BURN: Fat Lil’s, Witney – INSIDERS + BEAR IN THE AIR + EMPIRE Rock club night. SAFARI: The Jericho Tavern – Excellent THE EPSTEIN: The Bullingdon – Soulful, THURSDAY 15th widescreen alt.country rocking from the local TEQUILA ROSE + K-LACURA + THIN favourites, taking detours into folk and Tex- GREEN CANDLES: The Bullingdon – Mex-influenced roots music, climaxing the Oxfringe festival. The night also features the Oxford Gigs Battle of the Bands. MIMI SOYA: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Brighton- final of the New Music Awards Battle of the based power-poppers. Bands competition. THE BLACK HATS + K-LACURA + STRIPE WHITES + HUCK & THE HANDSOME FEE: The Cellar – Tribute to SEROTONIN + CASTAWAY OYSTER + The White Stripes, plus Huck and co. play ELYSIUM WAITS + DEAD JERICHOS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Battle of the bands heat with tribute to Nick Cave and The Birthday Party. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford moddish new wave rockers Black Hats and Community Centre more. CARAVAN OF WHORES + BEING JO th REGGAE REGGAE SUNDAY: The Port Saturday 10 FRANCIS: The Hobgoblin, Bicester – Mahon ULTRAVOX: Heavyweight stoner metal and bluesy southern th rocking from Caravan of Whores. The New Theatre MONDAY 12 ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: Bricklayers STORM WARNING: The Bullingdon – Arms, Old Marston To most people, Ultravox will always be Classic blues and blues-rock from guitarist Bob OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street associated with the early-80s new romantics Moore and his band. Tavern and the decade-dominating electro-pomp, but BALMORHEA + NILS FRAHM + OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon really there were two distinct bands called DUOTONE: Holywell Music Room – Ultravox. The first, fronted by , Cinematic soundscapes inspired by Debussy emerged out of punk and glam rock and and classic Americana from Texan outfit created three of revolutionary synth- th th Balmorhea, plus -based contemporary Friday 16 – Sunday 18 rock that inspired acts as diverse as Gary classical composer Frahm and experimental Numan and Carter The Unstoppable Sex OXFORD FOLK cellist Barney Morse-Browne’s Duotone Machine. After being dropped by Island project. Records, Foxx departed and former-Rich Kids FESTIVAL: Oxford chap took over vocal duties and a th Town Hall & more whole new Ultravox was born. The band’s TUESDAY 13 commercial fortunes took flight as they TWENTY TWENTY: O2 Academy – The seventh Oxford Folk Festival finds the moved increasingly towards the mainstream. Wet’n’windy punk-pop of no discernible merit. annual event in rude health, still managing to Their first Ure-led album, ‘Vienna’, was a JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Funky, attract a wide range of English and world acts landmark in many ways, with its title track a keyboard-led jazz from The Howard Peacock to town, the live shows for the most part huge worldwide hit and musically much of Quintet. taking place in Oxford Town Hall but with the band’s early innovation remained, CREATIVE TUESDAY: Café Tarifa – Cellist gigs, celiedhs, worskhops, morris dancers and especially with ’s virtuoso and guitarist Alice Ream plays the weekly buskers spread across town and the Castle keyboard and violin playing. From there acoustic session, along with Steve Morano. complex. Friday night is topped by Spiers Ultravox’s music became more epic, even INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial and Boden’s irrepressible big band bloated at times, while the videos became and darkwave club night. Bellowhead (pictured), who have won so more elaborate. Hits like ‘’ and many folk awards now they probably need a ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’ cemented WEDNESDAY 14th new mantelpiece. Joining them are melodeon their popularity but after in 1985 and hammer dulcimer trad folk duo Maclaine (jointly organised by Midge Ure with Bob ROBYN HITCHCOCK: O2 Academy – The Colstar and Saul Rose and local psych-folk Geldof) the frontman departed for a solo surrealist pop cult hero returns to town, his last favourites Telling The Bees. career. Last year saw Ure and Currie reunite visit, back in 2007, featuring guest appearances Saturday sees top billing go to emotive Irish with drummer Warren Cann and guitarist from Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, while their songstress Cara Dillon, with a supporting to play a set of classic hits and REM bandmate Peter Buck continues to play cast including 2009 BBC Folk Award Best tonight’s show will feature songs from as part of Hitchcock’s Venus 3 band alongside Live Band winners The Demon Barber ‘Vienna’, ‘Rage In Eden’ and ‘Monument’. Scott McGoughey and Bill Rieflin. From his Roadshow; Young Folk Performer winner days fronting The Soft Boys, through the Megan Heward and French-based Balkan folk sublime psych-rock of The Egyptians, act Torivaki. moddish new wave rocking from The Black Hitchcock’s very English brand of whimsy has The final day of the festival finds traditional Hats, with support from Lee & Nancy-inspired remained, leaking from the songs into his Polish folk-dance collective The Warsaw surf popsters The Long Insiders. onstage banter where he’s a renowned Village Band closing proceedings and they’re FUSED + MOLOTOV SEX BOMB + THE storyteller. Expect plenty of classics from his joined by earthy English singer Chris Wood LONG WEEKEND: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Punk career as well as songs from his new ‘Propeller and celtic-tinged folksters Jez Lowe and the and alt.rock bands night. Time’ album. Bad Pennies. There’s plenty more besides all TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM LAISH + KRISTIN McCLEMENT: Baby these acts; full line-up and ticket details are 101: O2 Academy Simple – Downbeat rootsy folk in the vein if online at www.oxfordfolkfestival.com. KINO MACHINE: The Bullingdon – Indie Smog and Will Oldham from Brighton’s Laish, club night. with support from hushed and haunted folk WAX ON WAX OFF: James Street Tavern singer, guitarist and pianist Kristin McClement. CEILIDH: Kennington Village Hall – Folk STRANGE BOYS: The Bullingdon – Garage dance with Chalktown. rock, punk and r’n’b somewhere between early S.U.N + REVINANT DEAD + MOOCHER + Rolling Stones and Nuggets from the Austin, CHRIS MARTIN + PAUL WOOD: The Port Texas outfit, fresh from supporting Julian Mahon Casablancas on tour in the States. JAWLESS: The Cellar – Drum&bass. MARK CROZER + LAVINGTON BOUND: Café Tarifa – Solo set from International th SUNDAY 11 Jetsetters and Jesus & Mary Chain guitarist BOWLING FOR SOUP ACOUSTIC: O2 Mark Crozer, plus Swindon folk band Academy – Unplugged set from Jaret and Erik. Lavington Bound. FRIDAY 16th SUNDAY 18th OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL: Oxford Town OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL: Oxford Town Hall – First night of the annual folk festival – Hall – Final day of the annual folk festival – see main preview see main preview JOSHUA RADIN: O2 Academy – Soulful LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC: acoustic roots rocking from the Ohio singer- O2 Academy – The former-Velvets man goes songwriter who has toured with KT Tunstall improv crazy – see main preview and Tori Amos. SHALAMAR: The New Theatre – The THE WONDERSTUFF: O2 Academy – Miles bodypopping early-80s soul and disco Hunt reconvenes some of his old band for a tour hitmakers reunite for a run through old faves dedicated to the band’s 1989 second album like ‘A Night To Remember’ and ‘There It Is’. ‘Hup’, following on from their previous ‘Eight THE UNION: O2 Academy – New Legged Groove Machine’ revival. band formed by Thunder guitarist Luke Morley th INVISIBLE VEGAS + NO BUTTONS TO and Winterville chap Peter Shoulder. Sunday 18 PUSH + INVENTIONS OF JERRY DARGE: OLLY WILLS + MOUNTAIN PARADE + The Wheatsheaf – Old-fashioned roadhouse HUCK & THE HANDSOME FEE + METAL MACHINE rock and blues from Invisible Vegas. DANNY CHIVERS: Malmaison – The TRIO: O2 Academy ESSENTIAL JOURNEY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Mal’s fortnightly semi-acoustic session As frontman of , Tribute to Journey. tonight features Epstein frontman Olly Wills Lou Reed is responsible for arguably the FRESH OUT THE BOX: The Cellar – alongside cutesy folk-pop types The greatest album ever made, the band’s 1967 House and breaks club night. Mountain Parade, sombre alt.country chap debut ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’. E 4 ECHO + DLUGOKEKCKI: The Port Huck, plus spoken word stuff from Danny After that band’s demise Reed’s solo Mahon Chivers. output was uneven, sometimes inspired, THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Chester SHATTERED DREAMS + IN OCEANS + but in 1975 he released an album that tore Arms MISTAKEN RETRIBUTION + CRACKER up his reputation along with the rock’n’roll BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon DUMMY + 14TEN + PLAYER 2: Fat Lil’s, rulebook and has been the subject of TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS: James Street Witney – Local punk and alt.rock bands night frenzied discourse ever since. ‘Metal Tavern with promising punk-popsters Shattered Machine Music’ has been considered a GET DOWN: The Brickworks Dreams. joke, a massive ‘fuck you’ to his record FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford REGGAE REGGAE SUNDAY: The Port label and a pioneering piece of noise-rock Community Centre Mahon that has inspired generations of CEILIDH: Newman Rooms, St. Aldates – experimental musicians since. Basically it Folk dance with Tiggerz, mixing dance samples th MONDAY 19 was four sides of feedback, nothing more, and beats into their trad folk sound. THE LISA MILLS BAND: The Bullingdon – nothing less. If nothing else it presaged the th The Mississippi singer and guitarist comes to 1970s New York No Wave movement and SATURDAY 17 the Famous Monday Blues with her country as the album is re-released this month, Reed OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL: Oxford Town and gospel-orientated roots balladry, inspired has assembled a band featuring himself, Hall – First full day of the annual folk festival by Bonnie Raitt and Brenda Lee. German composer and improviser Ulrich – see main preview DUCK BAKER: The Phoenix Picturehouse Krieger and Brooklyn-based electronic THE HALF RABBITS + THE ROCK OF – The Phoenix plays host to the influential musician Sarth Calhoun to play a series of TRAVOLTA + DEAD JERICHOS + NIGHT American finger-style guitarist, now resident in shows of music inspired by the spirit of PORTRAITS: O2 Academy – Album launch the UK, renowned for his wide-ranging style, ‘Metal Machine Music’. The shows are gig for local goth-pop faves The Half Rabbits, taking in everything from blues, jazz and swing billed as “Lou Reed without words or with support from this month’s Nightshift to Cajun, bluegrass and country. songs” and “A night of deep noise”. The cover stars The Rock Of Travolta, moddish BEETROOT JAM: The Port Mahon – Live trio’s ‘The Creation Of The Universe’ new wave starlets Dead Jerichos and thrash- bands and jam session, including Branch album gives an indication of the eclectic pop noisemakers Night Portraits. Immersion. improvisation to expect, mixing in elements SAMUEL ZASADA: The Wheatsheaf – of electronica, jazz, neo-classical and noise- Excellent new alt.folk and country gothic TUESDAY 20th rock. Anyone going along hoping for a rock. quick blast of ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ will JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With The ICE, SEA, DEAD PEOPLE + VIXENS: The be disappointed. Or perhaps pleasantly Cellar – Vacuous Pop night with London’s Howard Peacock Quintet. surprised. However atonal and confounding CREATIVE TUESDAY: Café Tarifa – angular punk noise trio, plus local post-punkers the music on offer, it’s got to be better than Acoustic night with Castaway Oyster, Phousa Vixens. Reed’s last few ‘proper’ albums. SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – House, electro, and Scott Cooper. OPEN MIC SESSION: Masons Arms, dubstep and more with Jayou plus residents. Headington Quarry TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM 101: O2 Academy st NATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY: Fat WEDNESDAY 21 Lil’s, Witney – Celebration of independent SAMUEL ZASADA + LES record stores across the country with Rapture CLOCHARDS: Café Tarifa – hosting a night of bands and DJs. Different Light session with semi- CEILIDH: Newman Rooms, St. Aldates – acoustic sets from gothic country-folk Folk dance with Jazz, blues and folk act starlets Samuel Zasada and Steamchicken. Francophile café pop ensemble Les THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Red Lion, Clochards. Witney SOIREE FOR THE BUSKERS: WAX ON WAX OFF: James Street Tavern The Wheatsheaf COMRADE + DEATH VALLEY RIDERS: ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, The Port Mahon – Esoteric prog-core from Witney Comrade, plus expansive instrumental metal PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar – from DVR. Open jam night. FRIDAY 23rd THE GULLIVERS + TRISTAN & THE TROUBADOURS + MESSAGE TO BEARS: THE SCARLETTS + DIAL F FOR The Port Mahon – Excellent local triple bill of FRANKENSTEIN + VULTURES + NIGHT bands with flighty gothic pop from The PORTRAITS: The Wheatsheaf – Farewell gig Gullivers, Velvet Underground-inspired indie for the local ska-punk favourites, cranking it out rock from Tristan and electro-classical suitably fast and furious. Tightly-wound soundscaping from Message To Bears. angular heavyweight post-hardcore from Dial F TRANSFORMATION / TRASHY / ROOM in support, alongside indie rockers Vultures and 101: O2 Academy hardcore pop noisemakers Night Portraits. DANCE NIGHT: The Bullingdon THE BEAT: O2 Academy – Dave Wakeling ELECTEC: Cricketers Arms – and takes his Two Tone revivalists back on the road, minimalism from Art Lagun and guests. playing all the hits, from ‘Mirror In The ZEM + THESE DEAD ANIMALS + JUSTIN Bathroom’ and ‘Too Nice To Talk To’, to GIBSON: The Winchester, Crown Street nd ‘Hands Off She’s Mine. Thursday 22 WAX ON WAX OFF: James Street Tavern DUB POLITICS: O2 Academy – First EFTERKLANG: birthday party special for the monthly dubstep th club night, featuring Skism, Cotti B2B, Sukh SUNDAY 25 O2 Academy Knight, Bar 9ft, Kyza, Chasing Shadows and ALPHABEAT: O2 Academy – The Danish A welcome return to Oxford for Akira Kiteshi. pop crew head out on a headline tour Copenhagen’s experimental indie-electro- TURNING POINT + GO GO BUFFALO + having supported Lady Gaga in the States. The classical ensemble, even if that over- LAST DAYS OF THE SUN: The Bullingdon cheesy, cheery S Club-like pop band it’s cool to extended term only gives you a partial – Battle of the Bands heat. like follow up their hit debut album ‘This Is glimpse of their expansive and ambitious ALPHABET BACKWARDS + TAPE THE Alphabeat’ with ‘The Beat Is’, kicking out musical vision. Like Sigur Ros, Mùm and RADIO + CRAYON: The Jericho Tavern – kiddie-friendly chart fodder with a youthful fellow Danes Mew, Efterklang’s music Ebullient, anthemic synth-pop fun with local seems intended to capture the majestic faves Alphabet Backwards, with support from Tuesday 27th landscapes of Scandinavia’s bleaker London indie rockers Tape The Radio and folk- outposts, full of glacial ambience and rockers Crayon. THE PRIMITIVES: hushed, choral vocal arrangements that lend THE BRYAN ADAMS EXPERIENCE: Fat a ghostly atmosphere to tense, dramatic and Lil’s, Witney – Tribute band. O2 Academy highly emotive pieces of music. On CD BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Back in the mid-80s, inspired by the furious they can be a fragile experience, but live TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS: James Street musical iconoclasm of The Jesus & Mary Efterklang are a more robust proposition, all Tavern Chain, but also the pure pop of 60s girl marching snares and exuberant brass and GET DOWN: The Brickworks groups and Phil Spector’s wall of sound, a strings that embellish the evocative FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford host of bands emerged from the indie scene, electronics. Even the band’s name sounds Community Centre creating pop music that was the antithesis of like an exotically arcane instrument designed RIEGERFEST: Isis Farmhouse, Iffley Lock – the prevalent asinine chart sounds of the entirely to reflect the sound of glaciers and Live music from Empty Vessels, Colonel time. The Shop Assistants, The Flatmates, tundra. Their latest album, ‘Magic Chairs’ is Mustard and Echo Boomer, plus cabaret and The Primitives et al. made sublime pop a poppier, more restrained affair than their circus skills. records that came wrapped in fuzz and critically-acclaimed ‘Parades’, pitching them energised by the freedom their forebears had closer to Talk Talk, Philip Glass and even SATURDAY 24th shown them was theirs for the taking. The Elbow, but they remain a grandly- GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with THE Primitives’ debut single, ‘Thru The Flowers’ proportioned ensemble. YARNS + LEVENSHULME BICYCLE was a cathartic headrush of bounteous guitar ORCHESTRA + AGE OF MISRULE: The noise and sugar-sweet female vocals, courtesy of singer Tracy Tracy. Morrissey nd Wheatsheaf – Characteristically mixed bag of THURSDAY 22 styles at this month’s GTI, consistently the quickly proclaimed them as his favourite EFTERKLANG + HEATHER WOODS most adventurous and conscientiously band on the planet. After a succession of BRODERICK: O2 Academy – Musical untrendy live club night in town, tonight brilliant singles on Lazy Records they glaciers and Tundra from the expansive Danes – playing host to local country-tinged indie released their debut album, ‘Lovely’, which see main preview janglers The Yarns and bluesy punk rockers went Top 10 while its lead track, ‘Crash’ FIXERS + BETABLOCKERS & THE Age Of Misrule. The real treat, though, is provided the band with a Top 5 single. The BODYCLOCK: The Cellar – Brian Wilson- Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra, an Primitives eventually fizzled out in the inspired psychedelic West Coast harmony pop experimental collective playing synths, early-90s and bassist and co-songwriter from Fixers, plus debut gig from Scarletts side- clarinet, bass and… well, bicycles. Lots of Steve Dullaghan died last year, but the band project Betablockers. them. Creating beats and drones from the have now reconvened and are recording an HEADCOUNT + FREAKISHLY LONG wheels and spokes and coming on like a album of covers by obscure girl bands and MIRRORS + BEAVER FUEL: Fat Lil’s, modern day English Faust. Where else you female singers. Although considered little Witney – Proper ‘ard’n’eavy noise, gonna hear bikes being played this month, more than a footnote in musical history, The inspired by Killing Joke, Therapy? and Adam & huh? Primitives are a reminder of indie music’s The Ants from the brilliantly belligerent THE ROCK OF TRAVOLTA + golden age and for fans of pure pop thrills, Headcount, with suitably foulmouthed indie- HORSEGUARDS PARADE: The Stocks this reunion is umissable. punk from Beaver Fuel. Bar, Abingdon – The symphonic instrumental CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford rockers hit Abingdon – see main interview Community Centre feature IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT + TRAITOR THE DELTA FREQUENCY + DESERT BORN + HOPELESS POTENTIAL: The STORM + DIAL F FOR FRANKENSTEIN: Hobgoblin, Bicester – Double dose of death The Cellar – Album launch gig for electro- metal at the Hob tonight. industrial rockers The Delta Frequency, with a ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: Bricklayers Arms, suitably heavy supporting cast. Old Marston THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Bricklayers, OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern Marston – Swampy blues-rock from the local OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon vets. zest it’s difficult to resist, and unlike their E 4 ECHO + DIRTY VOICE + mainstream pop counterparts they earned ANNERO: The Bullingdon – Battle of their dues on the pub circuit before hitting the Bands heat. the big time. FITKIN: St. John’s College BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Open Auditorium – Oxford Contemporary blues jam. Music presents 2009 British Composers ACOUSTIC SESSION: Eurobar – With Award winner Graham Fitkin, mixing Sue Smith and Phil Freizinger. elements of classical, jazz, rock and REGGAE REGGAE SUNDAY: The Port improv into his trademark hard-edged Mahon minimalism. THE QUIREBOYS: O2 Academy – MONDAY 26th Spike Gray brings his veteran glam- metallers to town in support of recent WAMMAJAMMA: The Bullingdon – ‘Halfpenny Dancer’ album. Reunion tour for the rocking blues outfit THE DELTA FREQUENCY: Fat Lil’s, fronted by saxophonist Nick Parkes. Witney – High-octane electro-goth rocking UNKNOWN PLEASURES: O2 in the vein of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Academy – Spoken word night with Joy Manson. Division and New Order chappie Peter FLIES ARE SPIES FROM HELL + Hook, talking about his time with those FROM LIGHT TO SOUND + YOU bands, Factory Records and the Haçienda, ALREADY KNOW: The Cellar – Return plus legendary drug-dealer-turned- to town for the instrumental classical-core raconteur Howard Marks recounting tales instrumentalists, mixing up Explosions In from his eventful life. The Sky and Chopin. Electro-heavy post- rockers From Light To Sound support. th TUESDAY 27 SPRING OFFENSIVE + SEROTONIN THE PRIMITIVES: O2 Academy – The + RECLINERS: The Port Mahon – 80s indie stars reunite – see main preview Epic, intimate indie rocking from Spring JOHN COOPER CLARKE + FRANK Offensive, plus grungy rock noise from SIDEBOTTOM: O2 Academy – The Serotonin. North West’s twin titans of poetic wit join FLAMENCO GUITAR JAM: Café forces with Mancunian punk poet legend Tarifa JCC continuing to explore the gutter and CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford the sky in his undiminished sardonic style, Community Centre the godfather of slam poetry and a ELECTRIC BLUES JAM: Bricklayers rhyming genius with few peers. Arms, Old Marston Timperley’s big-headed would-be pop OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street legend Frank Sidebottom continues to be a Tavern cult hero long after his late-80s peak of OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon infamy. From songs and poems to lectures and straight-up comedy, his relentlessly FRIDAY 30th upbeat outlook on life is a joy to behold. THE BLUETONES: O2 Academy – JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live Must be that time of year again. jazz from The Hugh Turner Band EMPIRE SAFARI + CHAMBERS OF CREATIVE TUESDAY: Café Tarifa – THE HEART + PROSPEKT: The Acoustic night with Kate Gadsden, Nikki Bullingdon – Battle of the Bands heat. Loy and Steve Morano. LYREBIRDS: The Jericho Tavern – Free gig from Brighton’s Bowie and th WEDNESDAY 28 Doors-inspired indie rockers. KINGSKIN + THE CRUSHING + MURRAY TORKILDSEN + REBEKAH SHILLING SHAKERS: The DELGADO + NICK BREAKSPEAR: Wheatsheaf – Funked-up grunge rocking The Port Mahon – Former-Sweeney from Kent’s Kingskin, plus thrash-metal frontman and Otway Band guitarist from The Crushing. Murray plays his traditional May Eve ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, show, with support from Ciccone and Last Witney Army frontwoman Rebekah and Black DACOITS + VEDA PARK: Café Tarifa Hats chap Nick. – Different Light session with Faringdon’s LOS ALBERTOS + INFLATABLE PJ Harvey-inspired rockers The Dacoits BUDDHA: Baby Simple – Ska-punk and folk-rockers Veda Park. from Brighton’s cult heroes Los Albertos, plus from Inflatable Buddha th in support. THURSDAY 29 BACKROOM BOOGIE: The MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE + Bullingdon MOUNTAIN PARADE: The Jericho TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS: James Tavern – Return of Grandmaster Gareth’s Street Tavern ebullient feelgood indie pop tribe, with GET DOWN: The Brickworks local support from folk-pop ensemble FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford Mountain Parade. Community Centre Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission Sponsored LIVE by

in lager after provoking the evening’s first moshpit. Every band tonight looks a little older, a little more grizzled than last time we saw them and if a few people have forgotten a few lyrics over the years it really doesn’t matter when, like FAITH IN HATE, they’re grinding unrelentingly through their sludgy death-metal, a screel and scrale of shredded guitars and bludgeoning blast beats. They’re missing their old lead singer but you’d barely notice amid the chaos of the circle pit and what sounds like , Pantera and all colliding Faith In Hate photo by Stuart Fowkes head-on with several juggernauts. And a tank. WINNEBAGO DEAL are the only going- concern on the bill, but tonight they’re playing a set of old songs. The duo’s wild, wired Hicksville mix of Motorhead and Black Flag has never mellowed and flies out like shit off a shovel, perpetually high on speed and mania. In many ways they’re Oxford’s most uncompromising band – ten years together and they’re still a stripped-down two-piece and have never come close to writing anything resembling a ballad. at its most raw and primal. SEXTODECIMO have long been one of our favourite local bands, capable of clearing a venue – even of confirmed metalheads – like no other. Tonight, they announce, is their farewell gig and characteristically they sound like the end of everything, their oblivion-core sounding like Carcass filtered through The Melvins and every minute of every track feeling like the climax to the last gig on earth. It ends in tribal carnage and a smashed guitar and we’re gutted they’re gone for good. It says a lot about a gig when SHOUTING MYKE are light relief. The band that spawned A Silent Film, Shouting Myke were melodic, hard-edged emo before that genre was sucked dry by a trillion corporate-sponsored clones. Rob Stevenson forgets his words, the drummer breaks his kit and they claim it’s just like the old days, shitty gear and all, but they rouse THE CLUB THAT CANNOT BE NAMED 10th themselves for an anthemic finale and pass the test of time with something approaching flying ANNIVERSARY colours. Which just leaves JOR to mop up any The Wheatsheaf survivors. “Fuck me, I’m too old for this shit” They could have sold the Wheatsheaf out many though, it’s all about those old local heroes, many proclaims Ben Hollyer before proving he really times over for this celebration party, but tonight of whom have reformed for the occasion and one isn’t and as the pit opens up to swallow half The Club That Cannot Be Named really are of which is playing their final show. the room their epic, grinding metalcore rages like going back to their roots. Conceived by friends THE WALK OFF sound as unrehearsed and the monster of old. As their set crashes and Alan Day and Dave Hale as an outlet for their unrefined as they did at the debut gig, but burns to an end, one reveller rushes across a favourite metal and hardcore bands of the day, their synapse-bothering digital hardcore sets floor covered in broken glass, his nose bleeding including rising stars like Hundred Reasons and the scene for tonight’s mayhem perfectly profusely from a misplaced headbutt, the , the club rapidly grew and today and they’ve still got the dancing bear. That joyous chaos and carnage of those old the pair are part of one of the biggest gig costume must stink by now – even more TCTCBN gigs revived for one night only. promoting organisations in the world. Tonight, so when he ends up drenched Dale Kattack PETER ANDRE O2 Academy Tonight’s gig comes at the end of a day when “Pe’er! Pe’er!” chant the crowd with it’s announced that the BBC are to axe admirably harmonised glottlestops. Jesus, 6Music, the only station consistently Field Music are playing upstairs and broadcasting new, innovative music. As such muggins here let some other bugger review it, it’s an even more depressing spectacle than it while I’m stuck down here. I try and would otherwise be. pretend I’m experiencing a cultural event, You can hear the screams of the crowd although a public hanging might have been before you even get inside the venue. They more fun. And with better tunes. 876084 scream at the unremarkable support act, Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of GTL. They scream at every thump of the manufactured pop but Andre’s voice is so drumkit as the stage crew tune up. They thin he makes Craig David sound like Scott scream when a small wardrobe is placed on Walker and when he metaphorically takes a the stage. They scream when the PVC-clad huge dump on Michael Jackson’s ‘Man In dancers take to the stage and when Peter The Mirror’ you don’t know whether to cry finally emerges from (yeah, you guessed) the or piss in a pint glass and lob it onstage. He wardrobe, all hell breaks loose. Two songs in announces one of his old number 1 hits but and we’re screaming too, internally, at the we don’t recognise it. As far as number 1 horror of it all. hits go it’s hardly ‘Paint It Black’ or ‘Don’t Putting aside the symbolism of Peter Andre You Want Me’. Fucking hell, it’s not even emerging from a closet (or perhaps just up there with Mr Blobby. By now Andre escaping from the confines of a miserable and his dancers are dressed all in red Devil marriage?), it’s interesting to see him dressed costumes: you see, he’s a complex character all in white. He’s The Good Guy, and no is Peter. His music’s still shit, mind. Shit on guessing who the baddie might be. He’s an stilts. Shit on stilts dressed in a £25 skinny- angel, albeit an angel who happily fit ‘Team Andre’ t-shirt. prostituted his kids to the gossip mags in So, 6Music dies; Peter Andre prospers. Did return for money and a resurrected pop you watch Survivors? Nights like this, and career that fizzled out a decade previously. the vacuous celebration of nonentity Anyway, the music – asinine, pumped-up celebrity culture that allows them to happen, r’n’b and several tons of soppy bollocks make you want to unleash a similar plague ballads so devoid of character or sincerity upon the world, starting with every fucker in they make Boyzone sound like Leonard this room. Instead, the future is set out Cohen, performed replete with every boy- before us: a pair of boots with Peter Andre band cliché imaginable: imbecile-pleasing and Katie Price’s gurning mugs painted on platitudes, loads of costume changes and their soles stamping on a human face. dance routines that at least show some of the Forever. imagination the songs so abjectly lack. Ian Chesterton

SKA CUBANO / ORIGINAL RABBIT We are looking to manage a new young, original FOOT SPASM BAND and ambitious band or singer songwriter. O2 Academy Please send a demo to: Oh what a night. Ska Cubano’s now mambo rhythm has hips swaying and feet RADIATE MGMT legendary Zodiac gigs back in 2005 mean moving even before the horns come in on the PO BOX 5038 anticipation for tonight is sky high, the gig ska beat. Natty Bo and Benny Billy take CHECKENDON has been switched to the main downstairs vocal turns throughout the night, Benny, the OXFORDSHIRE venue and it’s a real party atmosphere. ex-boxer who Natty found busking in RG8 0AW Local favourites Original Rabbit Foot Santiago de Cuba a more laid back foil to Spasm Band are the perfect warm-up act. Natty. His lyrical, melodious singing is at [email protected] Dixieland, Bessie Smith and early Louis one with classic Cuban rumba, mambo and Currently managing Stornoway, with previous A&R st Armstrong influence their gritty 21 son. Natty is the lesser singer but with his experience with Willy Mason, , Daft Century take on 1930s jazz, into which trademark white suit he is a natural Punk, Placebo, The Spinto Band they mix their own original songs. Dressed showman and magnetic front man who in dark suits and trilbys, they’re at ease on knows all about working up a crowd, all call the big stage despite front man Stuart and response chants and poses. Records, CDs and fighting a losing battle with a stubborn mic Ska Cubano, though, are much more than stand throughout the set. From the off the just a party band and everyone gets a chance DVD Fair band connect with the crowd as Stuart to show their virtuosity with short solos growls his way through a set of classic before returning to the groove. Despite the numbers and originals like ‘Peggy’, all solos and occasional surprises, like quoting SUNDAY 11th APRIL driven forward by the band’s relentless from a Northumbria folk tune, they could be 11am-4pm rhythm. It’s Bunny Eros’ classy trumpet criticised for their music now being a little solos that stand out in what is a rollicking predictable. But that would be to ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- ensemble performance. completely miss the point. Ska Cubano in SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- Many of Ska Cubano’s members are Oxford is a special brand of gig you can trust DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- veterans but are still are at the top in to deliver compulsory sweaty enjoyment. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 generating energy and excitement. The Colin May Thomas Truax photo by Johnny Moto hum, while thetwinacoustic voice reducedto adistanthowlor Luci totakethevocal lead,hisown understatement. Oftenheallows who recognisestheimportanceof technique andapowerfulsinger David amasterofmicrophone often withunusualconsequences, three voicesinteractingperfectly, the trioaresomethingspecial,their From thefirstmomentyoucantell bar’s Moroccanrugsandsofas. perched onalowstoolamidthe bassist ThomasMcKibbin,each guitarist LuciFlynnandelectric them, Davidjoinedbyacoustic sessions, there’s just thethreeof Creative Tuesdaysacoustic tonight, aspartof playing asafullelectricbandbut friends. Recentlythey’vestarted of Witney’s David Ashbourne and SamuelZasadaisthemusicalalias unsigned one. acoustic act,letalonealocal listen –agenuinerarityforany riches andsubtletieswitheach Month lastsummer,unveilingnew stereo sincewinningDemoofthe pretty closetotheNightshift Samuel Zasada’s CDhasstayed Café Tarifa SAMUEL ZASADA Café Tarifa’s Dale Kattack talent andimagination tospare. Samuel Zasadaare abandwith be seenbuttonightprovesthat plugged-in bandsetupremainsto How allthistranslatesintoafull earnest withoutsoundingmawkish. example ofhowabandcanbe music hasbecomeandagreat engagement toomuchacoustic how detachedfromemotional crushing delicacy. It’s areminderof breathlessly deliveredwith folk andromanticgothicpop, spellbinding mixof60s-styledacid ‘The Blade That You Hold’,a jaded outlook,butbestofthelotis critique ofahumdrumlifeand David’s lyrical ‘I Want To Be’ bestshowcases of thetuneandharmonies. submerging theacousticsubtleties more totheforewithoutever and Founds’bringsThomas’bass Bon Iver,whilethesturdier‘Losts gently betweenSteeleyeSpanand acoustic folk-pop.‘Pursuit’thrums unknown intheoftenaridworldof song arrangementthatisvirtually each other,exposingadepthof guitars weavetheirwayaround prowess, asuccinct David Murphy David Lynch tributealbum. the twentiethcenturyintoacarnyfreakshow:nowonderhemadethat and histwistsonrockbluesstylings,Truaxismakingthewholeof Ewan MacCollrallyingtheworkers.Withhisjoco-futuristnoisemakers than heartfelt clunky cabaretwinsout.Heembodiesfolkaslow-endshowbiz,rather show byhisstandards,butthemixtureofeloquentstorytellingand downhome grotesqueryof Waits. This isanintermittentlysuccessful folk, hissongsallhavetheeasynarrativedriveofCash,and frontier cybernetics,it’s easytoseealinkbetween Thomas Truax and Despitehisfamedmechanicalinstruments,liketheproductofdusty the fringe. a half-suckedsweet.Pleasant?Definitely. Interesting?Let’s justsay, on songs aredecent,butfeelasthoughthesalientpointsallmissing,like guitar pluckingtechnique,buthedoesn’tleaveahugeimpression.His Toronto’s EricChenauxhasa Garfunkel bouncedtousfromthesurfaceofmoon. ‘Holes’, Chris“Harry Angel” Beard’s delicatevoicesoundinglike Art and thesetisgorgeous, especiallyaplangenttakeonMercuryRev’s sound likeaslightlyaugmentedpubsongsession–whichisnobadthing, known themestonightand,theoddsynthburrorhushedscuffleaside, ImprovscampsTheBraindeadCollectiveplaytraditionalandwell intriguingly likebattlingthroughablizzardofcrackedLegoblocks. brief length,yethavesuchdifferentsonicqualities,andthesetfeels jagged loops.It’s fascinatingthatthelayeredfragmentsareofasimilar hover styliaboverecorddecks,usingthenaturalwarpofvinyltocreate the merestconceptionhowtheyrelatetofolkmusicinanyform,as Col ConPixmakePhilOakeylooklikeDuncanGoodhew;wehaven’t OFFshoot istheOxfordFolkFestivalfringe. Well, infringetermsLum Holywell MusicRoom LUM COLCONPIX / THEBRAINDEADCOLLECTIVE THOMAS TRUAX/ERICCHENAUX Clyro, and thenmoverapidly intoa reminds usdistinctly ofBiffy They openwith a songwhich can’t seemtohelpbutwonder why. rapturous audienceresponsewe Despite ravereviewsandthe rock, musicallyit’s adifferent story. Frightened Rabbitlookreadyto Ontheotherhand,while into theirappearance. the samedrivetheirmusiccontains “look livelylads!”untiltheystomp but wecan’thelplongtoyell sound, theydelightateveryturn drummer RichardSmith.Intermsof emphasises theprowessof melodies while`Reel To Reel’ keyboard harmoniesandguitar ‘Lamplight’ filledwithirresistible Musically they’rerobust, their bandmatesevenexist. worlds, unawarethattherestof others seemlostintheirown Ben Conwaybouncesaround,the lack flamboyance.Whilstfrontman pop oozespanache,visuallythey Whilst theirpsychedelic,surreal under thespotlight,totallyunaware. as thoughtheyhavebeendumped look TroubadoursTristanThe And O2 Academy THE TROUBADOURS FRIGHTENED RABBIT cri decoeur : FurryLewisjammingatamedicineshow, not warm intimatevoiceandaneatlute-like Lisa Ward disillusionment. into adepressive voidof scare usaway, beforewegetsucked set, FrightenedRabbitsuccessfully Suffice tosay, midwaythroughthe differentiated fromeachother. none ofthesongscanbe it quicklybecomesapparentthat downbeat folkvibe.Livehowever, an elementofdifferentiationwitha their recordedmaterialseemstoadd they’re emotiveandcaptivating as mainstreamrock.Lyrically that canonlybedescribedblandly before climaxinginyetanothersong the others,startingwithaslowbeat spirals inthesamedirectionasall Can’t SeeLand’butthissoon when theystart‘SwimUntil You There’s abriefglimmer ofhope secret tosuccessisimitation. winning formulaanddecidedthe aforementioned bandshavea think they’verealisedthe but inrealitywecan’thelp Hutchinson’s thickScottishaccent is simplyduetosingerScott Logan. Itwouldbenicetosaythis second whichisnotdissimilarto / TRIST AN & ERRORS / SO SO MODERN The Jericho Tavern I hate the genre name ‘electro- attention (one mid-set song does pop’. It sounds like a description nothing but repeat an electronic of music that’s lame, twee and mantra for around ten minutes - it’s ridiculous, but more often than not outstanding). I like it when a band that isn’t the case. It needs takes a familiar and oft-copied reinvention into something that framework and grafts on some new correctly describes music that is sonic architecture. often melodic, but which can also ’s Errors continue the be driving, dark, brutal and able to electro-pop theme of the evening - bubble about your insides with albeit in a format that they odd frequencies. I like the music - themselves describe as ‘post- generally - I just hate the name electro’. Another genre name, and that’s been attached. Tonight finds perhaps one that’s more fitting. But two outfits that have been let’s not get into that. Errors sound pigeonholed as such, and broadly broadly similar to So So Modern (or similar though they may be, each vice versa - I’m not trying to stir up has its own traits and some kind of ‘they came first’ idiosyncracies that reflect very debate here) but they keep things differently. tightly contained. In one way this New Zealand-based So So Modern provides definition and clarity - this kick off their set most excitingly, is a band with a definite sound - but with a building tone that hints at it also results in a limitation of some properly strange experimentation. This isn’t experimental things might be about altogether a bad thing; Errors sound to happen. This is somewhat brilliant; they’re perky, confident scotched by the transition into and bring a slice of Glaswegian neo- more traditional fare - hyper- Optimo acid-house-gone-new-wave repeato electronic arpeggios fun to the table. They begin to munged through a filter, repeat themselves, though, and crossed with somewhat hackneyed gradually it all turns into one long wail/yelp-style vocals. And believe piece: subtly different shades of the me, that description is more same rhythm, instrumentation and exciting than the sounds it covers sound struggling to find their way can end up being. However this through a relentless good-time set of band prove more interesting than party music. Enjoyable enough, but being happy to settle with with the rug pulled from under them simplicity, and drop in enough hints somewhat by what had gone before. of oddness and invention to hold the Simon Minter

FRANZ NICOLAY Café Tarifa With his big beard, pale skin, to break free of his music, waistcoat and accordion, Franz struggling for air amongst the Nicolay is an imposing figure. He brevity. His verbosity and ‘look at could be mistaken for a turn of the me’ stage manner indicates all this century Eastern European could be down to insecurity. This peasant. earnestness is not always However, when he opens his irritating; it works best with his mouth to sing or to speak he is rather lovely plaintive ballads and pure Brooklyn, New York. he does have a good line in After working with critical storytelling, especially as he turns darlings The Hold Steady for a the air unexpectedly blue with a while, he’s now gone solo. That’s story about an unusual circus act. not to say his former band haven’t It’s a good night spent in his made a mark on him; his songs on company. It’s also a promising the acoustic guitar exist in the start to the proposed cabaret Springsteen-like furrows that the nights Tarifa are planning on HS ploughed but likewise, there having as a mainstay: the support are some traditional, folksier tonight is a real mix, from the good elements. He plays a tango on his (an amp-lite incarnation of The accordion at one point and whips Long Insiders) to the middling (the out a banjo for a song or two, vocal caterwaul of Huck and the including a pretty little Americana Handsome Fee) to the rather cover at the end of the set. trying (dodgy performance poet The quality of his music does Danny Chivers). Yet, the sheer vary. Frustratingly, all his songs variety and unusualness of the feel a little too compact: after two evening and set up means it’s a minutes (or less) they tend to just winner. stop. His lyrics, though, threaten James Benefield torch and pitchfork mob against; a patently industry- and radio- focussed package, as if a made-over Cooper Temple Clause had opted to become an off-the-peg sub- Killers outfit with all their shiny- shiny pump and drive, but none of the hooks. But maybe they’ve caught me on one of my live and let

Antlers photo by rphimages live nights when I’ve tired of railing

against the soulless gunk emanating from the charted media. They are flashily tight, endlessly one fast pace and, augmented by a brilliant synth player, appeal to my love of trance, into which most of these songs will end up being remixed. Brooklyn NY next to a band name has increasingly become a guild sticker of quality, and Antlers don’t disappoint. Upgraded from the Jericho due to demand they immediately put the stone-faced Oxford crowd in a thrall with ‘Two’, a kinder-ditty, typical of their album ‘Hospice’, where the leitmotif is Peter Silberman’s fixation with all things medical. Keyboardist Michael Lerner gradually floods the searing rhymes with progressive church organ, a spiritual bombast so unlike Athlete’s ‘Wires’ NHS normality, you feel you’re more in the hospital chapel praying for a supernatural, rather than scientific, saviour. ‘Bear’ takes a similar musically repetitive ‘Tom’s Diner’-like phrasing, a tale of a couple’s pregnancy in New York city, but this time sounding as if Oxford’s own Witches had added a bossanova ANTLERS / MORNING PARADE / HUGO MANUEL chorus. The set’s success is based on life’s two bookends; of the O2 Academy childlike and the holy subtly Hugo Manuel, singer with stage and juggles his wide ranging performance, and as compelling as circling, as one, round the traumatic experimental local folk-pop types voice high into the lights along with watching someone doing a years between, and ending in the Jonquil, tonight humps his coffin- arbitrary delays, Adhan-like cries thousand piece jigsaw at gunpoint. warmest reception I can ever sized, wire strewn, one man studio and marimba beats, all dubbed-out Morning Parade are normally the remember for a travelling band. of gadgetry to the very lip of the and stretched. It’s a slick, battling sort of band I’d rally a flaming Paul Carrera

SPRING OFFENSIVE / OUR LOST INFANTRY / incessantly catchy, with a dynamic frontman CAT MATADOR / SLEEPING PASSENGERS who’s a tangle of fringe and limbs. They’re all big choruses and handclaps, which are aided and The Cellar abetted by a sizeable chunk of a suddenly An acoustic guitar, a child-sized keyboard, a different band steamrollers the whole thing, frenzied audience. djembe and a laptop could, in the right hands, smashing through the subtlety that the songs Their folkier tendencies are hard to spot, and be a magical combination, but Leamington’s The demand. With the guitar and violin straining to if anything the occasional strum of an acoustic Sleeping Passengers’ brand of try-hard be heard over the thundering drums and bass, feels tacked on in what is clearly a rock show. folkadelia isn’t it. A clutch of unimaginative you can’t help but think that Cat Matador have More soaring Britrock than folk-flecked beats paired with a vocal dynamic that lacks a lot more to offer. Stornoway, then, and it’s no bad thing – if any spark makes for a pretty rough set which, The Cellar is beginning to feel suitably hot and anything you get the feeling this is a band that at times, feels more like a bedroom jam than a sweaty by the time Our Lost Infantry take to operates best at full volume. performance. the stage; their spirited, if at times slightly In the end it’s simply the fact that it’s all from Cat Matador liven things up with a pinch of predictable, synth-rock is broken up with neat the heart with Spring Offensive, and that’s -flavoured melodrama. They possess a tempo changes and some inventive keyboard what wins you over. They radiate a self-belief strong vocalist who is neatly augmented by weirdness that sets things up nicely for the that is irresistible, safe in the knowledge that some well crafted delay-fuelled guitar and headliner, the swiftly ascending Spring all the fuss they’ve been causing is more than classy violin work. Unfortunately, a rhythm Offensive, a band with a shiny new mini-album justified. section that often feels like it’s playing in a to tout. There is a lot here to like: they’re Rob Power

photo: Marc West THE DRUMS O2 Academy She bangs the drums? Well, yes, but the truth is that just now EVERYONE’s banging The Drums. It seems you can hardly open a music publication or browse a website without being told in unequivocally gushing terms how they’re the brightest bright young things of 2010. If you’re anything like me, then this amount of fawning adulation surrounding a band always tends to stick in the craw, meaning that I’m automatically predisposed to stand back, fold my arms and challenge them to impress me. All rather unfair, you might argue, given that responsibility for all the hype doesn’t lie with them – but responsibility for being good very definitely does. Tonight, thankfully, they are. Listening to The Drums is like tuning in to the second half of the 20th Century as someone twiddles the dial, picking up frequencies from each decade – harmonic 50s doo-wop, effervescent 60s surf-rock, taut 70s NY punk, gloomy 80s Manc post-punk jangle, self- reservations about the rest of last year’s debut whipping the mic cable during ‘Make You confident 90s indie. It’s a dazzling post-modern mini-album/EP/call-it-what-you-will, Mine’, theatrically bowing and scraping through bricolage of sounds and styles – though `Summertime’: reservations which are, by and his between-song thank yous and generally admittedly there’s nothing much new except in large, obliterated, ‘Down By The Water’ and dancing like Peter Crouch trying to do the robot the mildly audacious but successful splicing of ‘Submarine’ translating particularly well live. in the style of . such ostensibly disparate musical threads. And And there’s more to come this year, with The Drums aren’t, I suspect, a band with yet this isn’t to suggest an excessively dense encore-closer ‘Forever’ and new single ‘Best hidden depths, and my current lustful attraction quality to their music, or a sense of it being Friend’ both making an instant impression. may possibly turn out to be not much more weighted down by the baggage of history and The truth is, though, that without focal point than a one-night stand. But right now, even if lineage – on the contrary, there’s both a breezy Jonathan Pierce The Drums would be far less you ignore all the vigorous tub-thumping going levity and a spaciousness to their sound. engaging a prospect. Of the four streaks of piss on on their behalf, it’s not hard to see why Genius single ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ I already knew on stage Pierce is the streakiest – but he’s also a everyone’s dancing to their beat. and loved unconditionally, but I had significant fantastic frontman with a great vocal range, Ben Woolhead

FIRST AID KIT FIONN REGAN / DANNY AND THE The Jericho Tavern CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD We don’t know whether to feel singers from Kentucky or sorry for First Aid Kit or curse their Mississippi, in the tradition of The Jericho Tavern lack of organisation. Two songs into Alison Krauss or The Cox Family. Danny & The Champions Of The guitar. `These Days’ remains their tonight’s set and the pair, Swedish They even speak with American World gigs are always a real event. defining rallying call, though sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg, accents. They’re obviously in love You never know quite who’s going everyone here is already converted. aged 19 and 16 respectively, have with American folk music; their to be playing, and first impressions Fionn Regan looks uncannily like broken their guitar. Cue much faffing cover of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger can suggest a certain carefree Mike Reid (the radio DJ not the about and awkward attempts at a Mountain Peasant Song’, which shambolicness, but the moment the actor) with a matching moptop bit of banter. Gig resumed they made them a Youtube sensation last music starts everyone is studied and haircut and an occasional Beatles- break their second guitar. Tonight’s year, is stark and quite magical, focussed. The highly-acclaimed new like shake of the head. He’s also show is rapidly descending into while at times their acrobatic vocal album ‘Streets Of Our Time’ touring a new album, ‘Shadow Of farce as they seem unable to mend performance recall Joanna Newsom. reunites the core lineup, including An Empire’, after his Mercury- either instrument or find a As with so many acoustic acts, Truck’s Bennett brothers, and is nominated debut. Tonight he’s replacement. By the time they First Aid Kit suffer from somewhat more sparse, understated backed by a few Champions, finally do find a substitute – after an occasionally being drowned out by and personal than its predecessor. playing a strident set that mixes appeal from the sound engineer to the incessant chatter of people who, Robin Bennett isn’t playing on folk with a rockabilly edge and the support acts – many in the sold- having paid to get in, seem intent on most of this tour but has made an more than a touch of The out crowd have lost interest or left ignoring the band, but when the exception for tonight, where we also Waterboys. His key strength is an and the set has lost its momentum sisters turn off their microphones have Romeo from The Magic inventive lyrical style heavy with and overrun. for an a cappella ‘You’re Not Numbers with some subtle, poetic metaphors, such as “Ideas Which is a shame because when Coming Home Tonight’ every voice thoughtful extra guitar. Starting with are like sparrows, they dart down they do get their act together, as on in the room is hushed in awe. If `Henry The Van’, the most the hall”. Tonight’s set may the mesmerising ‘Tangerine’ or the they could maintain such a poignant track from the LP, Danny surprise those expecting delicate warm, hypnotising ‘Hard Believer’, spellbinding performance for the full George Wilson is a captivating wistfulness but, just when the set they show themselves up as quite set, and maybe employ the services performer, combining a highly looks in danger of lacking variety, superb singers with keen of a decent guitar tech while they’re personal storytelling approach with he encores with a beautiful solo harmonising interaction. To be about it, they’d soon escape the a sense of celebration that they’ve acoustic ‘Be Good Or Be Gone’, as honest, it’s often difficult to believe pub circuit and its pitfalls and described as “the yesness”. The perfectly-formed and concise a that the pair are either as young as would be playing the size of venues new material sounds pleasingly musical sentiment as you’re likely they look, or even from Sweden. their very obvious talents deserve. distinct from the LP versions, to hear anywhere. They sound like veteran bluegrass Sue Foreman without its abundance of pedal steel Art Lagun NIGHTSHIFT presents OXFORDOXFORDOXFORD PUNTPUNTPUNT 201020102010

22 ACTS, 5 VENUES, 1 NIGHT The year’s best showcase of new local music Wednesday 12th May

Malmaison The Wheatsheaf The Cellar Helen Pearson Message To Bears Beard Of Zeuss We Are Ugly But We Have Fixers Ute The Music Empty Vessels The Scholars Samuel Zasada Taste My Eyes Barbare11a Telling The Bees Vicars Of Twiddly The Purple Turtle The Oxford Punt runs from 7pm Coco Royal The Anydays through to 1am, starting at Malmaison Aiden Canaday Dead Jerichos and finishing at the Cellar. The Roundheels Sealings Music at Malmaison is only open to Mariana Magnavita Risen In Black Punt Pass holders Scarlett In The Wilderness Spring Offensive

100 all-venue Punt passes on sale now from Oxfordmusic.net, The Scribbler (Bonn Square) and The Music Box (Cowley Road). Only £7 (subject to booking fee) nightshift.oxfordmusic.net DR SHOTOVER DANGER – High Expletives Lou Reed? Sounds like something you do when you’re constipated – a well-thumbed copy of Horse and Hound, perhaps, or (my own favourite) Steam Fair Monthly... Anyway, the old ex-toilet-trader himself is due at the Eau Too later this month. Now I am the FIRST to admit the brilliance of the Velvet Underground, but I am really not convinced that the world needs Lou’s Metal Machine Trio droning away in a smug kind of way – Art with a Capital F, what? I certainly don’t need it. Personally I wouldn’t go if you paid me... in fact, so strongly do I feel about it that I would rather be locked in Lee Smilex’s vocal booth for three hours with that moustachioed c**t who sings “Go Compare” on those vile TV adverts... Meanwhile, talking of TV, Lou Reed never even had the decency to cross-dress properly... it took our own dear “Queens from April Queens” the New York Dolls to bring that particular strand of Big Apple decadence to (ahem) fruition. Where was I? Oh yes, about to order a Every Monday pint of Pernod and a jewelled straw. You’re THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES paying, by the way. Oh The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. YES you ARE, honey – I 5th ROB TOGNONI () don’t care if you WERE 12th STORM WARNING (UK) an extra in Lady Gaga’s latest video, bee-yuch! th 19 THE LISA MILLS BAND (USA) [cries of “girls, GIRLS” 26th WAMMA JAMMA - reunion tour (UK) from the East Indies Club bar]... Harumph! Sorry, old boy, can’t tell Every Tuesday you what happened THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB there. Oh all right, never 6th IDST mind the jewelled straw... Jug with a th th 13 / 20 THE HOWARD PEACOCK QUINTET handle, please. And a 27th THE HUGH TURNER BAND pickled egg. And a manly Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am round of darts.

Next month: A nice Wednesday game of Scrabble 14th STRANGE BOYS – Texan r’n’b band on tour. with Smilex. – The Academy in Peril

Every Friday BACKROOM BOOGIE Funk, soul and R&B. 10.30pm-2.30am; £4.

Early Friday show 9th MOSHKA presents EMPTY VESSELS / SAMUEL ZASADA / THE NUMBER 9s Includes entry to Backroom Boogie afterward

Saturdays 3rd DANCE NIGHT 10-3am 10th KINO MACHINE – Modern and classic indie. 10-3am; £4 17th SIMPLE – House, dubstep, techno with JAYOU. 10-3am 24th DANCE NIGHT 10-3am

Oxford Gigs Battle Of The Bands Thu 8th RIOT HOUSE / AGE OF MISRULE / TRIDEM Thu 15th TEQUILA ROSE / K-LACURA / THIN GREEN CANDLES Fri 23rd TURNING POINT / GO GO BUFFALO / LAST DAYS OF THE SUN Thu 29th E 4 ECHO / DIRTY VOICE / ANNERO Fri 30th EMPIRE SAFARI / CHAMBERS OF THE HEART / PROSPEKT

Friday 14th May STACEY EARLE & MARK STUART 7pm Tickets £9adv from Wegottickets.com

Join us on Facebook: Backroom @ The Bully Introducing….

Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local bands bubbling under FIXERS

Who are they? Modern day psychedelic surf pop quintet Fixers are Jack Goldstein (piano, hand percussion); Roo Bhasin (guitar, synth, samplers and sleighbells); Micheal Thompson (drums and percussion); Christopher Dawson (guitar and sleighbells) and Jason Warner (bass and percussion). On top of this everyone sings, in perfect harmony. The band took shape from a bunch of Jack’s early bedroom demos in 2006, trying to create ‘Smile’-esque pop with Jack’s vocals multi-tracked and sprinkled in generous layers of echo. Jack, Dawson and Jason were collaborating on Fixers in early 2009 before recruting Roo and Micheal. Booked to headline the Cellar’s Xmas party member of a band to replace too because they really typify the level of they were presented with the challenge of trying to recreate Phil Spector’s musicianship within the band.” wall of sound onstage with just five people. Incredibly, it worked. The band Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: have already been picked to play at this year’s Oxford Punt in May. “We haven’t really seen many. We have friends who are in various bands What do they sound like? but that’s about as far as it goes.” A gorgeous, summer salad of 60s West Coast psychedelia, spaced-out If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: Americana and lysergic sunshine pop, all plentiful multi-part harmonies, “‘Love You’ by The Beach Boys. It was recorded in the late 70s when Brian sleighbells and handclaps. The sweet-natured bastard offspring of Brian Wilson was coaxed back to produce a few records. He essentially wrote and Wilson and Ronnie Spector. recorded the entire record himself with a few exceptions. It sounds like What inspires them? nothing that came before or since; its just a phenomenally beautiful record “Wolves howling. Suns and moons. Sleigh bells and castanets. The Wizard with all the straight-up childlike innocence and all the underlying, unhinged Of Speed & Time. Just discovering new music too. There are so many great sophistication that typifies Brian Wilson’s genius.” new bands seeping out of the woodwork, like Nite Jewel, Moon And Moon, When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? Beach House and Heavy Hawaii and with the speed at which music is “We will be headlining The Cellar on April 22nd. Expect heavy vocal obtainable these days, before you’ve had a chance to really grasp one great harmonies and pop songs coated in reverb.” band you’ve found another.” Their favourite and least favourite thing about Oxford music are: Career highlight so far: “Promoters. They are both our favourite and least favourite thing.” “Purchasing a large white tambourine; we are looking forward to supporting You might love them if you love: Best Coast in May.” The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Beulah, Van Dyke Parks, Fleet Foxes. And the lowlight: Hear them here: “We had a drummer who quit a while ago. A drummer must be the hardest www.myspace.com/fixerstheband

Whatever happened to… those heroes WHEN? Formed in 1995, Holy Roman Empire earned their small but devoted following by supporting pretty much everyone who played at the Kooler and attracted enough love to release four singles on different labels: their self- released ‘Glitterkissed’; ‘Holy Water Baby’ and ‘Benazir Bhutto’ on Tim HolyHoly RomanRoman EmpireEmpire (Oxford Folk Festival organiser) Healey’s Luscious Peach label and ‘Dante’s Inferno’ on Bluefire, which also released the Snakebite City compilations back WHO? in the day. Notable gig highlights included playing a special Oxford United Revered in select local circles as a genuine Oxford cult band, Holy Roman show just before the team ran out to suffer their heaviest ever home defeat, Empire were Ste Fleming, Martin Jones and Emma Killick (generally referred and a gig at the Jericho Tavern where they spectacularly managed to stay in to as Emma Empire at the time, mainly because she was known to hate it). tune for the entire show. They also received a foul-mouthed review from Together they played a ragtag collection of guitars, synths, tambourine and a Steven Wells in NME. They split in 2001 after Martin became a dad and cymbal, augmented by the tinniest, trashiest drum couldn’t commit to the band. machine on God’s earth. Three friends who shared a WHY? house and a vision of lo-fi pop, their first gig was in Why indeed. To most people, Holy Roman Empire 1995 at a Battle of the Bands at Westminster College were a musical mess, a tuneless racket or a cheap where they were all studying Thoelogy. They wanted novelty. But to connoisseurs of lo-fi pop, they were to make sure there was at least one band on the bill passionate purveyors of simple, life-affirming electro who didn’t play dreadful old blues covers. They lost. joy. Who just couldn’t sing in tune. Ste claims Holy Championed by local promoter Mark Sargeant, they Roman Empire introduced Radiohead to electronic became regulars at his Kooler Club nights, which he music, for which he apologises, but claims beyond ran at Oxford United Social Club and later at the that they were more notorious than popular; more Bullingdon. infamous than famous. WHAT? WHERE? Cheap’n’cheerful lo-fi electro-indie pop that was for Martin lives in Witney and is married with two kids the most part heroically out of tune. Not that such and a dog. Emma is now Emma Yendell and lives in trivialities mattered – Holy Roman Empire’s Swindon, married with two kids, but, as far as we exuberant, brassy DIY brand of pop was a joyous thing know, no dog. Ste moved to Liverpool a few years for all its string’n’blu-tak collapsability. Songs like ago and is training to be an RE teacher. He also has a ‘My Life For Yours’ were irresistible, sing-along new band, Le Emu Tavern, who are set to release anthems, while ‘Benazir Bhutto’ was a fantastic ode to their debut album anytime soon. Apparently some of the now-deceased Pakistani politician. Imagine a his best friends are dogs. frantically ramshackle mash-up of Bis and Carter The HOW? Unstoppable Sex Machine playing a punk version of A decent selection of tracks is available at the theme tune to Rupert The Bear, with only a www.myspace.com/holyromanempirepop. Ste hopes passing thought for the actual tune. Sound terrible? a compilation of the band’s old songs might be made You might be right, but you’d also be utterly wrong. available at some point DEMOSDEMOS Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day’s recording at Keynote. Call 01189 599944 to claim your prize and get special deals for local bands!

DEMO OF ADAM BARNES Adam’s Myspace suggests that his THE MONTH previous band, Motion In Colour, is no THE MONTH more and it’s just him on his own now, which is no bad thing since it was generally his solo acoustic interludes that made that GLASS ANIMALS band’s gigs all the more palatable. And so This was the last demo in the pile this out goes the emo-lite emoting and in comes month and we were just about to give up to a more fragrant soulfulness, mixing in be honest. Not just give up listening to elements of Americana and celtic folk, demos, but give up breathing, such was the which suit his voice far better. ‘Come depressing nature of most of what we’d Undone’ is the better of the two tracks ploughed through previously. So you can here, light and airy in a Damien Rice vein thank or blame Glass Animals for our and possessed of a simple, downbeat continued existence. A three-piece based in charm. ‘Lighthouse’ has a similar delicate Jericho and Headington, theirs is a dark plaintiveness about it but is at least twice form of electronic psychedelia that as long as it needs to be, it all gets a bit occasionally touches bases with Liars and over-egged and adenoidal and loses you some of Tricky’s more oblique moments. well before then end. Adam might not be There are chants and drones, wispy, easily distinguishable from a whole swathe atmospheric electronics, wired, trashy of other acoustic strummers but there’s guitar interruptions, ambient dubstep, enough evidence here to suggest he’s overlapping vocals and a steely machine starting to fulfil some of the potential he’s rock, all of which form a ghostly collage of previously hinted at. shifting, not quite interlocking pieces. ‘Golden Antlers’ is amiable lysergic drifting, while ‘Aureus’ comes with STRANGE FOLK weirdy bits that sound like the stuff Pink Neither as strange nor as folky as we’d Floyd toyed with in the immediate hoped they might be Strange Folk have one aftermath of Syd Barrett’s departure. It’s good song and a load of other stuff we feel all just weird and trippy enough to keep would be better off being flushed down the your attention throughout, but light enough nearest toilet. The good song is called to be allowed out during the day. They ‘Voices From The Lake’, a strident, slightly maybe need a little bit more focus at times stagy 60s-style folk-rock track somewhere but in a month when most of the between Jefferson Airplane and Sinead competition makes us want to drink petrol O’Connor. A bit more of that and they Glass Animals are a welcome breath of might be on to something but as it is most fresh musical air. of the time Strange Folk sound like a band designed in a laboratory to soundtrack mobile phone adverts, billowing, saccharine Euro-rock fronted by Elaine Page by way SANDRA McKENZIE of Lacuna Coil. Everywhere you look Sandra is another honourable exemption there’s an unnecessary guitar solo ready to from the vicious cull we plan to wreak erupt, which is at least respite from the upon the month’s hapless demo lethargic chug of overwrought perpetrators, which is no more than you’d numbers like ‘On My Own’. ‘Buried Me’ expect from a woman whose vocals graced promises something more with its tale of both CJ Bolland’s ‘Sugar Is Sweeter’ and pagan sacrifice or somesuch but even here Goldbug’s remake of ‘Whole Lotta Love’. there’s too much wailing and soloing to be Sandra is possessed of an astonishingly bearable for long and we’ve buggered off to powerful voice, equally bluesy and soulful, make more tea before the poor lass is even and combined as it is here with a discreetly cold in the ground. squelchy electro-trance backing track comes over as a cross between Alison Moyet, and Grace Jones. And we can say UNKNOWN FLOW with some confidence we’ve never heard We reviewed this lot about three years ago the line “Burn this motherfucking and while we remember admiring their motherfucker down” belted out so technical ability we ended up begging for seductively. She may be a great singer but that half hour of our life back. For this, she sure ain’t no lady, obviously. people, is prog rock of the old school. Prog rock with lashings of swirling and NOBLE ROGUES widdling and elaborate fretplay and 17- After the interminable dirge of the last few minute-long songs constructed in three demos we initially welcome this movements, possibly about six- unadulterated slab of bluesy garage rocking dimensional broccoli-shaped beings who with open arms, a refreshing change from the control our very destines from their misery of it all. But it’s a horribly brief Atlantis hideaway when they’re not respite, a treacherous illusion created by a breeding unicorns under the light of a band with barely an ounce of soul or an black sun. Actually, we think the second original bone in their body. The rhymes are song here – weighing in at an admirably terrible, the vocals strangulated, the chord succinct seven minutes – is about Rome or structures clichéd and the whole thing something but it’s narrated in such a po- sounds like Oasis with any semblance of a faced, pedestrian manner we’re too busy tune filleted and replaced with extra volume. giggling to really pay attention. It’s not all It’s Aerosmith with all the fun taken out, bad of course, there are some great lumpen, laboured pub-rock stuck in a bog widescreen crescendos that dissolve into and crying for its mum like a hippo with THE COURTYARD STUDIO pockets of ponderous calm and they’ve laryngitis. It’s all “My baby” this and “My even got a chime bar and it’s all PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ Baby that” and “I can’t find my baby”. You wonderfully elaborate and clever, but just 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE know why you can’t find your baby? Cos when you’re getting interested and think MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB she done gone fucked off with the bass they’re really going to go off on one they CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION player from Stereo-fucking-phonics. She stop to contemplate a passing cloud OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI was that desperate for a break. formation or consider the ripples on the FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI Black Lake of Gondor and we end up S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) reaching for our treasured copy of Shit & Residential facilities included. Shine’s ‘Ladybird’ – 45-minutes of THE DEMO www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com unrelenting blitzkrieg noise without a PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS single pause for breath. That’s the way to DUMPER ON 01235 845800 do it. ILKER AKTAN WICKHAM If there is one phrase in the English Having been comprehensively demo language that can have us running screaming dumped as recently as December Witney- from a room before any further information based American one-man-band Wickham is proffered it’s jazz-fusion. Has there ever returns for more of the same, decrying our been a more hatefully self-satisfied form of lack of feel for irony, although what irony music? It’s a genre seemingly invented for there is to be found in a dirge so tuneless it the sole purpose of giving technically- makes the dying groans of a harpooned proficient, spiritually deceased musicians elephant seal sound like the chorus to something to play where they can con Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ escapes us. But themselves and their equally sheltered anyway, joy upon joy upon joy peers that they’re somehow doing unbounded, in a month where we believed a something relevant to what is nominally the 17-minute prog-rock epic was the zenith of modern age? It makes us think of all those indulgence and arduous endurance, college rock society members who Wickham here robs us of another quarter of eulogised Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, an hour of our rapidly diminishing time on or the sort of people who actually make an earth with a single track (we hesitate to call effort to go and sit in the drumming circle at it a song) called ‘Doll’ (at least in the title Glastonbury, revelling in the “wonderfully he makes a nod to brevity), which appears ethnic vibe”. Ilker Aktan is originally from to be nothing more or less than a semi- Turkey and there are occasionally pleasing musical mush of detuned piano falling moments where he takes on board some of down a concrete stairwell in slow motion his home country’s traditional music, along while a half dead tramp mutters something with some north African and middle-eastern incomprehensible from a distant corner. At influences. There’s even a brief, encouraging its best – and we hate having to use the glimpse of something resembling something word best in the context of this – it sounds psychedelic, but mostly it’s just an endless like an appallingly poor quality recording of jam session conducted by people who a rough Dinosaur Jr demo written and listened to Jimi Hendrix, tried to copy him performed by J Mascis while lying in a deep and got it all horribly wrong. This is by no coma. And if that in any way shape or form means the worst musical disaster in this makes it sound even vaguely interesting, we month’s demo pile but, y’know, jazz- apologise for misleading you. fusion. Just fuck right off.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. Or email MySpace link to [email protected], clearly marked Demo for review. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number. No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo.