Issue 120.Pmd

Home , Babyshambles, Bring the Noise, Charlotte Hatherley, Credit to the Nation, DJ Derek, Dubstar

email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 120 July Oxford’s Music Magazine 2005

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by PPrreeviewview IInsnsiidede PPPPrrrreeeeviewviewviewview IIIInsnsnsnsiiiidededede photos WinWin aa pairpair ofof All weekendweekend tickets!tickets! NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255

photo: Miles Walkden FELL CITY GIRL are set to perform at this year’s NEWNEWSS Carling Weekend: Reading Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU and Leeds Festivals. The former Nightshift cover Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] stars, who are unsigned but have been earning themselves an enviable reputation on the local gig SUPERGRASS return with a new For Treatment, Richard Walters circuit and in London, th album and single in August. ‘Road and Smilex, and Sunday 4 have been picked to play To Rouen’, the band’s fifth studio September, which will be a launch on the Carling Stage, th album, is released on the 15 party for The Evenings’ new CD, which aims to showcase August. A single, St Petersburg’ with support from The Family the best up and coming th precedes the album on the 8 Machine and Fell City Girl. acts around. The band will August. be the second act on the AVID RECORDS could be forced Carling Stage on Friday at THE PORT MAHON is set to to close after Oxford City Council Reading (August 26th) and continue, and expand, its live music imposed a backdated rent increase Saturday at Leeds (27th). output with the arrival of a new that could see the shop faced with They will share a stage manager, John Russell-Smith, this a 50% hike in its rent. Avid, in with headliners Ladytron month. The pub, now regarded as Gloucester Street, which is the and Charlotte Hatherley. one of the best small venues in the only independent record shop in Speaking to Nightshift about the gig, Fell City Girl frontman Phil area, is installing a new PA and Oxford city centre and has been a McMinn described the band’s excitement at earning such a prestigious looking to build on the reputation it goldmine of rare and second hand slot: “I guess you’ll understand when I say it’s a massively big deal for gained under previous landlord vinyl for years, could be facing a us - we’ve not been around that long but we’ve played hard and Ralph Crabtree. John is keen to backdated bill for around £40,000 playing at Reading (we’re even on the yellow poster!) is way beyond hear from bands wanting to play, after the rent revue is implemented, anything I ever expected we’d ever be doing at this stage in the game. especially acoustic acts. Send an amount that would spell ruin for No doubt we’ll break a bass string during the first song though! Jokes demos to him c/o The Port Mahon, a small retail operation. Councils aside, we have much to prove, to ourselves more than anyone.” 82 St Clements, Oxford, OX4. are required by law to charge Fell City Girl release their new single, ‘Weaker Light’, in August on commercial rent rates but at a time Nomadic Records. SUITABLE CASE FOR when the Zodiac has just had its Win weekend tickets to the Reading Festival – see page 16 TREATMENT release a new planning application for an album, ‘Of Motets and extension into a vacant Misdirection’, on Friday 5th August neighbouring plot turned down by will continue to work under The URSA AUDIO is looking to on Thin Man Records and will the council who want to encourage Factory name, while singer Laima relocate this summer. The recording play a gig in the unlikely setting of retail outlets, these rent increases and guitarist Moty are also looking and rehearsal studio in Cave Street, the front lawn of Tate Britain to make a mockery of such a decision. for new musicians for a new east Oxford, will be closing launch it. The eleven-track album is So, another corporate coffee shop project. Both sides cite the usual temporarily this summer before basically a compilation of their first for the city centre? It’s looking musical differences as the cause of setting up in a new location. In the two mini-albums, ‘Plenty More more and more likely. the split. meantime the URSA crew are Neurologists In The Sea’, and last looking for anyone interested in year’s ‘A Sinistra Case For The AUDIOSCOPE festival will run BIG SPEAKERS follow up their taking over their current premises. Laevus Levus’, with many of the over two days this year. The mini- recent Make Poverty History Anyone interested should call tracks remastered. The Tate Britain festival, which has raised over benefit gig at the Zodiac last month James on 07870357748. gig is free and includes support £10,000 for homeless charity by releasing a cut-price compilation from White Night, Two Men In A Shelter since 2001, takes place at CD of local bands in aid of the THE CATWEAZLE CLUB takes a Boat and The Mabuses, as well as the Zodiac over the weekend of the campaign. The eleven-track CD well-earned summer break a barbecue. Check out 29th and 30th of October. features contributions from Big throughout August. The all-comers suitablecasefortreatment.myanalog.net Audioscope regularly showcases Speakers themselves, plus Asher live music, poetry and performance for more details. the best underground and leftfield Dust, The Evenings, Sexy club, which celebrated its tenth music from around the world and Breakfast, Oliver Shaw, J/Tusa, anniversary last year, opens its SEXY BREAKFAST launch their locally. Last year’s event was Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element, and doors for the last time this summer new website with another of their headlined by former-Can frontman Fragger, it costs just £3 and is on Wednesday 27th July and legendary boat parties on Sunday Damo Suzuki. available from The Polar Bear on returns on Wednesday 7th 31st July. The boat trip will include Cowley Road as well as from September. Thereafter it every a trip down the Thames to THIS YEAR’S FOX FM Party In www.bigspeakers.co.uk Wednesday night at Northgate Hall Abingdon and back plus a gig by The Park takes place on Sunday in St Michael’s Street. More details Sexy Breakfast, with support from 28th August in South Park. Texas THE MUSICIANS UNION will at www.catweazleclub.org. The Thumb Quintet and The Walk are the first band to be confirmed at be hosting an open meeting at the Off, followed by a glam-rock party the mini-festival, with more chart- Zodiac on Thursday 7th July, from LOCAL FIDDLE’N’SYNTH at the Wheatsheaf which will friendly acts to be announced soon. 7-10pm. The first hour of the rockers Red Star Cycle play their include a performance of Hedwig Tickets, priced £10, are on sale meeting is for MU members and final shows this month before going and the Angry Inch by SB now, from 0870 042 7477. The potential members to meet face-to- their separate ways. The band play frontman Joe Swarbrick. There will price includes a £1 donation to face with regional representatives. their last two gigs at Bicester be a limited number of tickets Help A Local Child. From 8pm there will be a Hobgoblin (Thursday 7th and the available for the boat party, priced presentation on the new licensing Wheatsheaf (Friday 8th). £10, available from The Polar Bear, THE FACTORY have split into law and what it will mean for The Music Box and Salters two factions with both sides publicans, venue owners and DON’T FORGET to tune into Steamers on Folly Bridge. Further looking for musicians to form new promoters. Call South East The Download each Saturday at boat trips are planned for Sunday bands. Guitarist and songwriter Regional Officer Jo Laverty on 6pm on BBC Radio Oxford - the 21st August, featuring Suitable Case Aaron, plus Andy, Chris and Joe 0207 840 5523. best of local music on the radio. TTTrururuckckck 222005005005 Biffy Clyro Saturday 23rd - Sunday 24th July Hill Farm, Steventon

discover. It’s impossible to do full (essentially Truck’s host band) are justice to a bill that takes in over enduringly popular and reliably 100 acts across six stages in just cool, while The Schla La La’s over a page, without it descending feature another Truck regular, into a list of names you simply Piney Gir, in her 60 garage punk have to see. Equally, you can girl band mode. Best of the local pretty much bet your last penny contingent should be the effusive that the best thing you’ll see all and inventive Sexy Breakfast. weekend will be a band or artist Over in the Trailerpark Tent, you whom you’d never even heard of could check out lo-fi screwballs beforehand. Fonda 500, Leeds’ dynamic post- No act bears this out more than rock assassins 65 Days Of Static Do Me Bad Things. This year and Oxford’s hottest band, The they’re second on the bill to The Young Knives among a host of Magic Number having blazed a trail quality new acts. across the UK’s live circuit since The Barn That Cannot Be Named, last summer. At Truck 2004, which was so much better for its however, they were complete increased capacity last year, is host unknowns who stole Nightshift’s to headliners Capdown with their hearts and sense of reserve, almost high-energy ska-core, plus Echo & lost halfway down the line-up on The Bunnymen acolytes The the tiny Trailerpark stage. Truck is Editors; frenetic post-hardore a great place to discover new, types Summer of Mars with Silent exciting, exotic and sometimes Film, Harlette and P.Y.E leading a downright daft new bands. strong local contingent.

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR having worked their way up, hand SO, WHO TO SEE? Yourcodenameis:milo indicators of just how much Truck over hand, into a genuine cult band. Well the two headline acts of Festival has become an established Sunday’s headliners, The Magic course: Scottish post-grunge part of the UK’s festival season. Numbers, are the real coup, though. rockers Biffy Clyro are a dynamic, The first is that this year it has Last month their debut album rousing live act well suited to a sold out in advance quicker than crashed into the Top10, while the festival atmosphere. The Magic ever before. Half the 4,000 tickets press and radio have unanimously Numbers, meanwhile, outwardly were snapped up by music fans hailed them as one of the best new seem more homely, in a 60s folk- from outside of Oxfordshire which bands around (they were recently pop kind of way, but they’ve got a means that, even more than last voted Best New Band at the Mojo rougher, rockier edge too and are year, the festival will feel even Awards). almost the epitome of a great more like a major event and less Below these two is a festival bill summer band. like a parochial fair. The second of incredible breadth and depth. Also essential viewing on the main signifier is in the quality of the Something for everyone, and stage on Saturday are Sweden’s The Cliffhangers, Peepshow headline acts. While Saturday’s bill- plenty more besides. Ravonettes, a gorgeous, fuzzed-up Paddy and the Ralfe Band are toppers Biffy Clyro perhaps take on classic Phil Spector- among the highlights of the Lounge typify the Truck way – of doing WHAT MAKES TRUCK SUCH produced girl bands, only stuck Tent, while the Acoustic Tent hosts things yourself and caring not for a joy and a problem to preview is through The Jesus and Mary the likes of Zoë Bicat, Dive Dive, the fickle hype of the national the riches on offer, and the Chain’s guitar mincer. Truck The Tenderfoot, KTB and press – they’re still major players, guarantee of so many new treats to regulars MC Lars and Goldrush headliner Neil Halstead, one-time T HE PROMOTER’S VIEW Truck Festival Co-ordinator Robin Bennett on this year’s event What new things can festival-goers expect from Truck this year? “A spoken-word stage, better disabled viewing, a larger market field and acoustic tent, and possibly a giant inflatable pig.” Apart from size, what do you think makes Truck so different to other festivals? “Truck is different because it doesn’t follow a script on how to do things, and as almost everyone is working for free, they all do things with a spirit of fun. The music is diverse because we have all kinds of different tastes. It would probably be safer to appeal to one niche, but I like seeing goths dancing to drum & bass and vice versa!” If you you had to recommend three acts that people hadn’t heard of before, who would they be? “There are many, but how about.. Absentee, from London, who have some noir-ish music and a guy with a very The Magic low voice but still sound uplifting. The Ralfe Band play weird European sounding polkas and I’m looking forward Numbers to them, whilst Nervous Test Pilot will probably be making some of the strangest electronic sounds you are likely to hear to a packed tent.” The Raveonettes BaBandnd’’ss EEyeye VViewiew We asked some of the local stars of this year’s Truck for their feelings about the festival

“My first truck was 1998 and I was just “This is our first Truck ever! The label 15. My brothers Robin and Joe and their as a whole was a major reason why I now-deceased band Whispering Bob picked Oxford to come and ‘do’ were one of the headline acts and I’ll university, so it’s kind of nice to be never forget doing the crazy marching involved with something like that. My dance to ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ in tip for the weekend has to be front of the main stage with the sun yourcodenameis:milo; they’re going to setting over Steventon Hill. At Truck destroy.” 98, I played one song and I caught the Phil McMinn (Fell City Girl) performance bug there and then and have loved playing live since. Truck 2003 “I want to see how Truck has changed was a crazy year cos I was headlining the since I’ve been away, and I’m looking main stage on the Sunday night with a forward to playing some new stuff. 16-piece band and so was nervous for the Favourite thing about Truck: the whole weekend. The gig was fab but I’d proximity of everything, so people been so worried cos we’d only had about passing by your gig en route to a lead singer of Slowdive, now synth meddlers Mesaplex (formed two hours rehearsal with the full band. radically different one sometimes stop by ploughing a sweet folk-pop furrow. by various ex-Meanwhile Back In I’d love to headline again one day, for a listen. Least favourite thing: the And after all that, and so much else Communist Russia members) and maybe with the LSO and a samba band food” besides, there’s dance music into Truck Records’ own Trademark. and an 80-strong choir. In my dreams.” Zoë Bicat the wee small hours from a wide Wander further and you’ll find Katy Bennett (aka KTB) range of DJs and sound systems; some great local stuff in the “Truck for me is like a sweet shop enough to send every party animal Lounge, including Cassette For where all the sweets are made of music, home to their tent happy. Cassette, The Mon£yshots, The except there are none of those stupid Walk Off, and Mark Cope’s Nine little blue bobbly ones that taste of SUNDAY, AS TENDS TO BE Stone Cowboy, while country chlorine and wasteful sterility. My experience of playing has been akin to traditional at Truck, starts in a legends Chip Taylor and Carrie crashing a truck full of batteries into a mellow fashion and quickly picks Rodriguez, sublime goth wraiths robot Bar Mitzvah, but wandering up speed. On the Main Stage you The Cranes and former Ride leader around a field full of sweating teenagers can skank lazily to The Drug Mark Gardener are the highlights at and catatonic hippies who probably have Squad, do a spot of robot dancing the Acoustic stage. names like “Sky Spectrum Mansion Carnival” is really why I return year after year, like a moth to a sparkler.” Paul Taylor (aka nervous test_pilot) “As a veteran of all but one Truck, it is For a full Truck Festival Line-up, go to always an honour and pleasure to play. “To my eternal shame I’ve never been to What’s so special about Truck is that it www.truckfestival.org Truck before, so you can’t believe how is a weekend wandering around in a field excited I am that we’re playing this year. in a trance, watching some great bands The bands I’m looking forward to the and camping with friends from all parts of along to Piney Gir’s synth-pop BUT REALLY, THAT’S JUST most are sikTh, Editors and the Oxford music scene and beyond. set or try line dancing to The the tip of the iceberg and we know yourcodenameis:milo. The only problem There is never a dull moment and there Epstein’s full-blooded country that the band we enjoy best will is that we’re playing early on Sunday; is always something to suit anyone’s rock before south London soul- probably be something strange and not that that will stop us enjoying tastes. It will be great to see The Bear ourselves.” (from The Walk Off) in a more natural punk-funk-metal collective Do wonderful from beyond this list. Michael (The Half Rabbits) environment - will he shit in the nearby Me Bad Things take the party to While the UK’s expanding summer woods? Oh and of course, let’s not forget another level altogether. festival scene becomes ever more “Truck is a great example of how the cross-dressing bar staff, the badger in In the Trailerpark Tent Truck corporate and homogenous, Truck thriving the music scene is here in a dress and ice cream from the local stalwarts Black Neilson headline, remains an example of what a great Oxford, so good that it’s attracting vicar.” people from outside the city now too. Dave Crabtree (The Mon£yshots) carving out splendid desert pop festival should be like. Make the The line-up this year looks to be one of landscapes, while local most of it. the best yet, with Captive State, The I’m really looking forward to playing supergroup Easy Tiger Spiralist, The Epstein, DJ Marky, Meat Truck this year; there’s always such a turn it into a stadium- Do Me Bad Things Katie and The Magic Numbers being great atmosphere. This year, I’m really sized celebration, The potential highlights for me.” looking forward to seeing The Young DJ Peepshow Paddy Knives - they’re one of my favourite Half Rabbits mine a Oxford bands, and it’s been too long dark New Wave vein since I’ve seen them. I also want to and new Truck Records check out the Schla La Las, and The signings Forward, Raveonettes. I really admire the Russia make their first opportunity it gives to smaller local bands. The thing I like least about Truck mark on the local scene. is the ridiculously hard ground that Leading UK metal leaves me with bruises when I wake up. lights Sikth headline The Gah. Barn Stage, along with Emma Short (Cassette For Cassette) Newcastle’s mighty “Favourite memory: getting into a fight Yourcodenameis:milo, “We love Truck. We recorded our very with a boy’s jealous girlfriend over me who recently tore rock a first demo as part of the Truck Club singing with him and consequently new backside at the Juniors Project in early 2004, so it’s waking up with `twat’ written in nail Zodiac. They’re joined great to be part of the Truck experience varnish on my tent! Also the great Shla by the truly dreadful this year. Especially as we’re looking La Las performance, which inspired me forward to seeing 65daysofstatic, The to form an all-girl band with, erm, Towers of London, UK Walk Off and Forward, Russia.” Jeremy.” emo vets Reuben, Staz (Harlette) Chantelle Pike (The Cliffhangers) Hondo Mclean and local Sponsored RELEASED by DIVE DIVE THE RELATIONSHIPS ‘Tilting At Windmills’ ‘Scene’ (Diablo) (Trailer Star) Given their lengthy tenure at the top of the “This is a very English blues / Falling like rain Oxford pop tree, it’s a wonder that Dive Dive on barbecues.” If any couplet sums up The can still sound so abundantly full of life. But so Relationships, it’s this. Twelve-string guitars it is with this long-awaited debut album, might shimmer and chime with the idle following on from three chart-bothering singles elegance of The Byrds, but ‘Scene’ feels as for the label. English as Elgar and semi-detached houses. Named after Don Quixote’s desperate squaring The Relationships exist in the comfort zone up to imagined monsters, ‘Tilting At Windmills’ of sadness: staring through net curtains, large finds singer Jamie Stuart venting his frustration brandy in hand, reflecting on the rain and at self-created or imagined problems, but the missed opportunities. This, their second angst is kept bottled at home, self-pity album, like its predecessor, is full of subsumed by splenetic exuberance. While has ever produced. But of course it’s the songs mysterious girls, galleries and strange several years of almost constant gigging may that matter: their gleeful aggression, the sudden suburbia. But The Relationships have never have stolen some of Dive Dive’s live breakdowns and charging melodies that stick sounded this complete before, at once spontaneity, as it does with many bands, it their barbs into you and just won’t let go. If ephemeral and timeless. Richard Ramage’s can’t smooth away their sharp edges and this much of ‘Tilting At Windmills’ sounds familiar delicately-arranged songs and reflective, album is one of those rare occasions where the it’s because once you’ve heard the songs, they slightly surreal lyrics take centre stage but it’s music seems to physically reach out of the stay with you. So previous singles ‘Good Angus Stevenson’s spangled guitar licks that stereo and compel you to have fun. Show’, ‘555 For Film Stars’ and ‘Name And complete the sometimes magical effect. Dive Dive’s strength is their remarkable Number’ are instant easy friends. It’s a ‘Flying Saucer Girl’ is almost a perfect pop individual components: singer and guitarist clamouring mini riot but meticulously executed. song: solid and simple, full of fanciful Jamie with his grunge choirboy yelp and puppy Mostly it’s rapid-fire punk-pop but the likes of thoughts and understated hooks. Similarly dog bile; fellow guitarist Ben Lloyd who never new single, ‘The Sorry Suitor’ are nervy ballads ‘Princess’, a dinky nursery rhyme that oozes imposes his ego on the task in hand and allows of a more tender nature. There’s plenty of loneliness but forever carries you along with a the songs to breathe; Tarrant Anderson who rumbustious fun, but intelligence too. Dive Dive sunshine guitar twang. But it’s ‘English Blues’ attacks his bass with something like complete are as lithe and sweet as Bambi but as hard and that takes The Relationship’s sweet, simple contempt and is so much more than just part of spiky as a Persian chariot. Ready for battle and formula takes to its conclusion, with its a rhythm section. And finally drummer Nigel destined for victory. mentions of butlers, potting sheds and Powell, surely one of the best sticksmen Oxford Sue Foreman eiderdowns and shrouded in a warm fug of melancholy that doesn’t want to impose. Oxford produces so many great new bands; there always seems to be another shooting for one. And it’s hardly a label of shame when star ready to speed through our field of vision, AT RISK the music has more in common with the varied but The Relationships, ten years young, and ‘Faith In Fairytales’ and often colourful (yes, really) world of the with members whose musical history goes original early-80s goth sound than the Eldritch- back to the early-80s, might just have eclipsed (Quickfix) leeching dirge-mongers that inhabited the cul-de- the lot of them with one of the most gently Who on earth would happily describe their own sac goth later became. wonderful albums you’ll hear this year. band as goth in this day and age? Well, At Risk Fronted by effervescent and coolly glamorous Dale Kattack singer Cat, At Risk cut out smoky, bolshy slabs of distorted pop of a slightly darker shade, the fizzing guitars providing a solid but unobtrusive canvas for Cat’s alternately girlish or soaring vocals. At their best, as on the billowing, haunted pure pop of ‘Frostbite’, they’re somewhere between Bang Bang Machine’s epic art-grunge and Strawberry Switchblade’s polka dot pop. Of course there are odd moments when it sounds like they’re trying a bit too hard to be, like, all dark and mysterious, like on ‘Drowned’ with its images of waves washing over the hapless victim as a metaphor for drowning in life, but they never layer the misery and panstick on too heavily. Victoria Waterfield Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day DAVID K FRAMPTON BIG SPEAKERS ‘Dragonslayer’ ‘Big Speakers’ (My Initials) (Own Label) Local experimental soundmaker David K The idea of hip hop from Oxford – hell, Frampton’s latest mini-album is released on My predominantly white hip hop from Oxford at Initials, a label that prides itself on its esoteric that – should be anathema to the whole so- roster. In the past David’s punished us with called urban schtik, but anyone who caught Big some seriously brutal electronic noise, but with Speakers rip up the Cellar at the Punt back in ‘Dragonslayer’ he claims to have toned down May will testify to their authenticity. some of the mayhem. Initially at least he seems Of course Big Speakers in their continually to be telling the truth, with ‘Taurokathapsis’ expanding form have been around the local washing in waves of textured electronic sound scene for a few years now, earning themselves a like a cross between a primitive Jean Michel clutch of Nightshift Demo Of The Month Jarre and a more simplistic Steve Reich, but after awards in the process, but 2005 finds the that things get a bit random. There are bursts of collective fully formed (four MCs plus vocalist sparse dub, abstract drill’n’bass, doomy bass AJ, decks, samples, drums and guitars), this is themselves have started to take their synth doodles and more menacing snatches of their first full-length CD, part album part homegrown rappers seriously, years after the horror film scores, like something ripped from collection of recent demos. French, Italians and even Israelis. Big Speakers, Hellraiser or Event Horizon, with barely The vibe is predominantly old school rap with like the best of their British counterparts, know decipherable vocals masking untold horrors. a softer trip hop underbelly and diversions into that the best way to sound true is to rap about At its best, like in the more nightmarish ragga, jazz and soul. The five-vocal frontline what they know – in this case, anything from ‘Crushface Roosevelt’ and ‘Sweetheart’, it’s gives Big Speakers plenty of scope for variety feelings on the Iraq war and the potentially captivating, although you feel it’d benefit and they play their hand well, the lead imminent death of Maggie Thatcher, to simpler enormously from some gut-churning visual switching from Sourface’s lispy Frank Black love songs. Once in a while, like on the stoner accompaniment. At other times you just feel like delivery to AJ’s softer, Horace Andy-leaning tilt of `Science’, they can be a bit stilted, but David’s simply discovered an interesting sound offerings. such moments are rare and for the most part patch and pissed about with it for a minute or The beats and backing are rarely punishing, there’s a warm fluidity as they switch leads. until he got bored. Unlikely to be filling a giving this 10-track album a more laid-back feel London-centric snobbery might make it harder dancefloor anywhere near you, or supporting than their contorting live show. “This is an for Big Speakers to be taken seriously outside Coldplay on tour any time soon, Mr Frampton Englishman’s rap”, they offer on `Wake Up’, of Oxford but with successful gigs around the needs a proper vessel to carry his sounds. If you with its echoes of Credit To The Nation and rest of the country already under their belt, notice any gateways to hell opening down your you realise that this is a different beast entirely they’re already proving they can lead an street, grab a camcorder and give him a ring. to its American cousin. Funny and sad that it’s unlikely revolution. Victoria Waterfield only in the last couple of years that the Brits Dale Kattack gig guide

FRIDAY 1st metallers Outofinto. THE CHAPEL: The Bullingdon - Local bands THE WALK OFF + THE SHLA LA LAS + JULY showcase. THE KEYBOARD CHOIR + CAMP SUEDE ALIENS: The Black Horse, ACTOR: The Zodiac – Baton down the Kidlington hatches and head for the air raid shelter as The KLUB KAKOFANNEY with SUITABLE th Walk Off unleash another volley of their CASE FOR TREATMENT + HELLSET MONDAY 4 industrial hardcore mayhem: pressure cooker ORCHESTRA + THE MULES: The THE PAUL COX BAND: The Bullingdon – electro-rock with a dancing bear. Support comes Wheatsheaf – An excellent bill at tonight’s KK, UK blues and soul singer revisits the Monday from Piney Gir’s 60s-themed garage rockers, with mutant gospel metallers SC4T headlining. night blues club. coming on like a cross between The Runaways Inspiringly camp noise from the suitably SALSANEROS: The Cellar – Weekly Latin and The Ronettes. orchestral Hellset – an eight-piece ensemble dance club night with live salsa from Salsaneros. LEBURN: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Live featuring Hammond lead, a string quartet, TUESDAY 5th blues. drums, bass and sampler and coming on like Sparks, ELO and Tindersticks soundtracking an JAZZ CLUB with ROGER INNES: The Bullingdon – Excellent free entry jazz club th old Hammer Horror flick. Don’t be surprised if Wednesday 6 they’re huge a year from now. with guest band providing the live sounds, plus LOVE with ARTHUR ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Victoria, Jericho DJs til late. OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN NIGHT: The THE LITTLE EXPLORER + THE JESUS LEE: The Zodiac Port Mahon YEARS + THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS: The BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Wheatsheaf – Local bands showcase. A welcome return visit to town for Arthur DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC Lee, two years after his last gig at Brookes, LIVE AT COOPER 10: Cooper School, Bicester – Local young bands showcase in aid SESSION: The Old School House now celebrating almost 40 years of inspiring OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, young pop pups to greater heights of of cancer research, featuring Andensum, ATN, Black Mesa, Carnage, Chokehold and Grinder. Cowley psychedelic wonder. Follwing a critically- CHIARINA: Café Rouge – Weekly acoustic acclaimed return to live performing in 2002, HQ: The Cellar – Transmute Records night with Linus and Exxon. folk, jazz and pop residency. after a spell in prison, Arthur Lee embarks th on another extensive tour. From those early SATURDAY 2nd WEDNESDAY 6 days on the Sunset Strip club circuit and PHYAL + JUNKIE BRUSH + VERBAL KINK LOVE with ARTHUR LEE: The Zodiac – becoming the first rock band to sign to + HARRY ANGEL + THE PROCESS: The Legendary 60s psychedelic pop fella continues Elektra Records, through groundbreaking Exeter Hall, Cowley – Launch gig for the new the comeback trail – see main preview. albums like the proto-punk pop of ‘De ‘Fresh Faces For The Modern Age’ COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, Capo’ and the epoch-making ‘Forever compilation, featuring a selection of local up Cowley – Weekly trad Irish folk residency. Changes’, to the drug and alcohol-fuelled and coming punk, metal and heavy rock bands. CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall – All- turmoil that precipitated the band’s collapse, WHOLE LOTTA LED: The Zodiac – Led comers live music and poetry club. Love were always above and apart from the Zeppelin tribute band. PHONIK SETIONS: The Cellar hippy dreamers, and Arthur Lee, the only BROTHERS OF INVENTION + BLUEWAX: THURSDAY 7th member to survive the band’s entire career, The Wheatsheaf VALIUM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley has never lost his ability to exude SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house THE YOUNG KNIVES + FORWARD, individuality and cool while constantly club night. RUSSIA: The Cellar – Truck Festival warm- offering glimpses of his pop genius through th 30 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: Nettlebed Folk up with local favourites The Young Knives and a patchy solo career. So here he is, perfect Club – South Oxfordshire’s legendary folk club new Truck Records signings Forward, Russia. pop’s great uncle. th celebrates its 30 anniversary with a night of DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ AND BLUES old favourites, including Hugh Crabtree, Pete SESSION: Far From The Madding Crowd Lincoln, plus stars of Feast of Fiddles. LIVE AT COOPER 10: Cooper School, Bicester (2pm) – Second day of the cancer research benefit fundraiser, featuring a full day of local bands, including Enola Tribe, Fatally Yours, Girls R Louder, Inacus, Krissy’s Blues Boys, Mainstream and more. NED KELLY: Chipping Norton FC SLIGHTLY MAD: The Red Lion, Witney FRESH OUT OF THE BOX: The Cellar – Breakbeats party style. SUNDAY 3rd ROCK IN THE PARK with HARRY ANGEL + OUTOFINTO + ALL YOU MISS + AT RISK + THE CLIFFHANGERS: Manor Road Recreation Ground, Wantage (1pm) – Outdoor all-dayer with a goodly selection of local noise makers, including gothabilly heavyweights Harry Angel and old school THE HALF RABBITS + RED STAR CYCLE TUESDAY 12th + HARRY ANGEL: The Hobgoblin, Bicester JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY – Various shades of new wave noise with QUINTET: The Bullingdon Chameleons-inspired Half Rabbits headlining. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC SPIN JAZZ CLUB with STEVE LODDER: SESSION: The Old School House The Wheatsheaf OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks – Weekly DJ Cowley session with Aidan Larkin and guests playing a CHIARINA: Café Rouge varied selection of ska, reggae, funk, Latin and INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth and Afrobeat. industrial club night. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac – Weekly club night th from The Club That Cannot Be Named playing WEDNESDAY 13 classic and new metal, punk and indie. COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, MAMPI SWIFT + IC3: Atlantic Bar – A Cowley Night of drum&bass as Charge Records launch GIGSWAP UK SHOWCASE: The their latest album. Wheatsheaf FRIDAY 8th CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall Thursday 7th th PLACE ABOVE + HARLETTE + 20/20 THURSDAY 14 SUZANNE VEGA: VISION + ACCIDENTALLY INNOCENT: ANTHRAX: The Zodiac – The classic line-up The Zodiac – Place Above bow out as the of the metal legends reunites – see main preview The New Theatre members head off for university, with support THE DOMES OF SILENCE + THE UNISEX One of only a handful of UK dates on her from goth-grungers Harlette and more. + THE RACE + SEAGULL STRANGE: The current acoustic tour finds Suzanne Vega still RED STAR CYCLE + SHIRLEY + Zodiac – Shifty Disco Records showcase tour able to fill a venue of this size, 18 years after CHANTELLE PIKE: The Wheatsheaf – Red with Bicester’s glam-goth rockers Domes of her biggest chart hit. New York-born Star Cycle bow out with this final gig, taking Silence headlining. songstress Vega emerged out of the same the various parts of their New Model Army- KOHOUTEK: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Greenwich Village folk scene in the mid-80s influenced synth’n’fiddle rock to the far corners Local acoustic rockers. that had spawned Bob Dylan and Joan Baez of the globe. BROTHERS OF INVENTION + ASHER in the 60s, and initially at least she followed ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Victoria, Jericho DUST: The Cellar – Live funk and breakbeats a similarly political lyrical path, albeit with a OXFORD FOLK CLUB with DAVE from the Brothers, plus Streets-y electro, dub strangely skewed and personal perspective. WEBBERS & ANNI FENTIMAN: The Port and hip hop from Asher Dust. Hits like ‘Marlene On The Wall’ and ‘Luka’ Mahon UZIZI: The Red Lion, Witney dealt with bedsit isolation and child abuse BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ AND BLUES respectively, while songs like ‘Men In A THE UNDERDOGS Vs SLIDE: Studio SESSION: Far From The Madding Crowd War’ detailed the experiences of military Lounge, Westgate – Weekly club night playing SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks amputees. Her career received an added funky house and breaks. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac boost in 1900 with DNA’s remix of ‘Tom’s OVERDRIVE: The Marlborough Hotel, th Diner’. In recent years her songs and subject Witney FRIDAY 15 matter have mellowed considerably, tending SOUNDS OF THE JAM: The Red Lion, FUCK OFF MACHETE + HARRY ANGEL + o towards more romantic themes, but she’s Witney HOOKERS GREEN N .1 + AND NO STAR: gone on to be a massive influence on th The Wheatsheaf – Scuzzy Sonic Youth- SATURDAY 9 inspired post-hardcore noise from headliners subsequent generations of female folk THE TREAT: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Fuck Off Machete at tonight’s Vacuous Pop singers, notably Alanis Morrisette and Beth 60s-styled melodic rockers. club night. Support from gothic rockers Harry Orton, and she remains a uniquely talented BARAKA: The Coven – A Night of psy-trance Angel, Aberdeen’s pastoral pop people, singer. with DJs Arvy, Ryan H and 22 Bing. Hookers Green No.1 and instrumental post-rock th HIGH VOLTAGE: The Red Lion, Witney from Wantage’s And No Star. SATURDAY 16 ENDLESS GROOVE: The Cellar – Hip hop PORTER BOYS: The Exeter Hall, Cowley THE RELATIONSHIPS: The Port Mahon – and drum&bass club night. SOURCE: The Zodiac – Drum&bass club Launch gig for the veteran band’s excellent new SUNDAY 10th night with sets from Jibba and Rogue, Hussla, album, ‘Scene’. Dubplate and Smokey. ELECTRIC JAM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley PHYAL: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Punk- ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Victoria, Jericho (5pm) – Join in with the in-house rhythm metal noise from the Bicester faves. THE EVENINGS + FELL CITY GIRL + THE section; all musicians welcome. GUNNBUNNY + IN THE FLESH + CLIFFHANGERS + KAZOR + FAJITA EATERS: The Black Horse, HOLIDAY STABBINGS: The Wheatsheaf – RETRIBUTION + DJ REACTOR MIND: Kidlington Howling grunge-blues and garage punk from the The Net, Abingdon – Local bands showcase at THE CHAPEL: The Bullingdon - Local bands mighty Gunnbunny, with support from tonight’s special under-18s gig. Synth-rock showcase. metallers In the Flesh and riotous dissonance th experimenters The Evenings MONDAY 11 headline with support from fast- THE WILDCARDS: The Bullingdon – The rising rockers Fell City Girl and band formed from the ashes of The more. Nightporters and currently ripping it up on the OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN European blues festival circuit with their blend NIGHT: The Port Mahon of classic blues, jump and rockabilly, fronted by EVOLUTION: The Red Lion, singer and guitarist Vince Lee and promoting Witney new album ‘On Fire’. BACKROOM BOOGIE: The SALSANEROS: The Cellar Bullingdon THE KARINE POLWART TRIO: Nettlebed BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar Folk Club – Sometime singer with Scottish – Latin dance night with live folk giants The Battlefield Band and winner of bossanova act tbc. three awards at this year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk THE UNDERDOGS Vs SLIDE: Awards. Studio Lounge, Westgate SUNDAY 17th local siren Chantelle Pike supports with her band. JOSH ROUSE: The Zodiac – Rising SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks American folk singer makes his Oxford debut – SABOTAGE: The Zodiac see main preview nd THE CLIFFHANGERS: The Bullingdon – FRIDAY 22 Singer Chantelle Pike’s all-girl-with-token-bloke TRANSMISSION: The Exeter Hall, Cowley rock project. – Epic indie rock in a Muse vein. BEN DUGGARD & LEE DAVIES: The ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Victoria, Jericho Exeter Hall, Cowley OXFORD FOLK CLUB with LARKRISE + NATION: The Black Horse, Kidlington – RANTERS & FRIENDS: The Port Mahon – Chart-friendly stadium pop from the local Assorted local folk luminaries join on harp, hopefuls, set to headline their own New hammer dulcimer, bouzouki, accordion and Thursday 14th Theatre gig next month. fiddle. THE CHAPEL: The Bullingdon - Local bands BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon ANTHRAX: showcase. BLON-D: The Red Lion, Witney MONDAY 18th BLUNTED: The Cellar – Hip hop club night. The Zodiac THE UNDERDOGS Vs SLIDE: Studio AYNSLEY LISTER: The Bullingdon – Yes that’s right, Anthrax. At the Zodiac. Lounge, Westgate Anthrax. Gods of metal. Anthrax, who just Heavy duty blues rock from the acclaimed rd played to 60,000 people at Download and young British guitarist, equally at home playing SATURDAY 23 won best metal band in the world in Metal it raw and acoustic or pumping it up in a TRUCK FESTIVAL: Hill Farm Steventon Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards. Anthrax Hendrix style on the electric. (from midday) – Day one of Oxford’s premier who, along with Metallica and Slayer, INME: The Zodiac – Sigh. They’re back. The live music festival with a headline set from rejuvenated a crumbling dynasty in the mid- Essex grunge starlets fritter away their major Biffy Clyro on the main stage – see main 80s, going on to sell over 10,000,000 albums label advance on pristine production values, preview feature. worldwide and becoming one of the most while wringing the last desperate droplets of influential rock bands of the past 20 years. Kurt’s creative spirit onto their by-numbers Sunday 17th Yes, that Anthrax. At the Zodiac. One hell of angst-rock and hoping their pubescent fans a coup for The Club That Cannot Be don’t grow up too quickly and realise what JOSH ROUSE: Named. From their early skate-punk- utter pish they’re wasting their time and money The Zodiac influenced racket, through classic albums on. New album, ‘White Butterfly’, is out soon like `Spreading The Disease’ and ‘Among on V2. Bush, Silverchair, Puddle of Mudd: look He comes from Nashville, his new album is The Living’, including return-to-form album, at their lineage and weep, dear music fan. called ‘Nashville’, and it’s got a pedal steel ‘Stomp 442’, as well collaborating with SALSANEROS: The Cellar on it, but Josh Rouse doesn’t wear a Stetson Public Enemy on ‘Bring The Noise’, PETER KNIGHT, TOM LEARY & KEVIN or rhinestones, thankfully. Instead country- Anthrax have rarely lost their grip, survived DEMPSEY: Nettlebed Folk Club – Steeleye folk star Rouse is closer to the likes of Ryan various line-up changes and the vagaries of Span fiddler Peter Knight teams up with his Adams or Carol King, with a rootsy feel and fashion and always retained a sense of Feast Of Fiddles compadre Tom Leary again an introspective, soul-searching lyrical bent. humour that metal often lacks. It’s the with Kevin Dempsey on guitar and vocals. ‘Nashville’ is his fifth album in a career classic line-up of the band too: Joey TUESDAY 19th spanning ten years, but the first to be recorded outside of his native city, having Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY briefly relocated to Spain after the break up Scott Ian and Danny Spitz, and it’s gonna QUINTET: The Bullingdon of his marriage. Unsurprisingly that break rock. Like a bastard. DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC has infected the new songs. They’re simpler, SESSION: The Old School House more countrified than those that made its OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, 2003 predecessor, the critically-acclaimed from Holiday Stabbings. Cowley ‘1972’, such a hit. Dig deeper into Rouse’s DOGS: The Zodiac – Indie rock from Dogs, CHIARINA: Café Rouge career and you’ll find nods to British indie recent support to The Ravonettes. th WEDNESDAY 20 music, Philly soul and even hippy-period R’N’B & REGGAE NIGHT: The Bullingdon COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, Van Morrison. What it boils down to is a NBS: The Red Lion, Witney Cowley sweet-sounding collection of languid, THE DANCETTES + LEGENDARY + THE 20/20 VISION + THE CLIFFHANGERS + melodic, melancholy acoustic country pop DIRTY EARTH BAND: City Farm, HARLETTE + SARGE’S MUM + LOST that probably sounds best when played Eynsham GENERATIONS: The Vibe, Didcot – Under- around an intimate campfire setting but ROLLERCOASTER Vs CHICKS WITH 18s gig with metallers 20/20 Visions headlining. deserves a wider audience. DECKS: The Cellar – Indie, 80s, post-punk CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall and electro-pop club night. PHONIK SETIONS: The Cellar THURSDAY 21st SPIN JAZZ CLUB with CURIOUS PARADISE: The Wheatsheaf ANDENSUM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Complex proggy hardcore in a Tool kind of vein from the young local rockers. DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ AND BLUES SESSION: Far From The Madding Crowd THE WITCHES + THE CLIFFHANGERS: The Cellar – Former Eeebleee frontman Dave returns with his new band, while ELECTRIC JAM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley ACOUSTIC NIGHT: The Victoria, Jericho (5pm) OXFORD FOLK CLUB OPEN NIGHT: The INTERN: The Bullingdon – Band showcase Port Mahon night. BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon SOUL IN DIDCOT: Edmonds Park, Didcot INDEFINITELY: The Red Lion, Witney (2pm) – A day of Christian rock and pop. BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – With live BURN: The Black Horse, Kidlington music from 10-piece funk act Tonic. MONDAY 25th THE UNDERDOGS Vs SLIDE: Studio Lounge, Westgate CONNIE LUSH AND BLUES SHOUTER: th The Bullingdon – Winner of the best British SATURDAY 30 female blues singer award for five years and DUCKFEST: Ducklington Village – The Saturday 30th best female vocalist in Europe for the last two, second Duckfest, in aid of RESTORE, featuring the Monday blues night welcomes back one of an assortment of local luminaries in the sedate DUCKFEST: its regular star attractions. setting of Ducklington village - see main Ducklington SALSANEROS: The Cellar preview TUESDAY 26th GRAVENHURST + THE EVENINGS + THE Duckfest organisers don’t actually get any THUMB QUINTET: The Wheatsheaf – JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY more specific about the location of this one- Sweet, sad songs and murder ballads from the QUINTET: The Bullingdon day mini-festival in aid of RESTORE, but pen of Bristol’s Nick Talbot – see main DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC then Ducklington – just outside of Witney – preview. SESSION: The Old School House is pretty compact so it shouldn’t be too TOUNSI: The Exeter Hall, Cowley REVENGE OF THE CORNDOLLY with hard to find it. You could probably just drive MOFO: The Red Lion, Witney to the village, wind your window down and KING FURNACE + SHADOW MACHINE: st follow the sound of guitars being mangled in The Cellar – Chili Peppers-influenced funky SUNDAY 31 the name of charity. This year’s line-up is rock from King Furnace. FRESH OUT OF THE BOX: The Cellar topped by the mighty Dive Dive, now OPEN MIC SESSION: The Exeter Hall, THE CHAPEL: The Bullingdon - Local bands honed into the tightest musical fighting unit Cowley showcase. in Oxford after countless jaunts around the CHIARINA: Café Rouge nation’s toilet circuit. Joining them will be WEDNESDAY 27th th spangled guitar dreamers The Workhouse, COROFIN & FRIENDS: The Exeter Hall, Saturday 30 all-action power-pop crew The Samurai Cowley Seven, darkly-inclined new wavers The Half GIGSWAP UK SHOWCASE: The GRAVENHURST / Rabbits, old school rap mob Big Speakers Wheatsheaf THE EVENINGS / (pictured), gothic noiseniks Harry Angel, CATWEAZLE CLUB: Northgate Hall fragile pop torch singer Richard Walters, th inspired folk-pop siren Laima Bite and THURSDAY 28 THUMB QUINTET: assorted other local talents. With Truck DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ AND BLUES The Wheatsheaf Festival now a national concern, selling out SESSION: Far From The Madding Crowd You want sad music? You got sad music! months in advance, the considerably smaller WARHEN: The Cellar – Heavyweight indie Gravenhurst’s first visit to Oxford is a minor and even more homely Duckfest is already rockers. cause for celebration, but it’ll be no party. being called ‘The New Truck’. Always room SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks The Bristol band, centred around songwriter for more of these events. Make a day of it. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac Nick Talbot, find themselves in the strange th FRIDAY 29 and wonderful position of being signed to INACUN: The Exeter Hall, Cowley GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with THE Warp Records, despite making some of the LIVE BANDS NIGHT: The Bullingdon – DRUG SQUAD + NAILBOMB CULTS + least danceable music possible. Instead Acts to be announced. MICHAEL BERK: The Zodiac – Party- they’re a less-is-more neo-folk band in the SUPERNATURAL: The Red Lion, Witney friendly ska-punk, pub rock and spaghetti vein of Low and Red House Painters, but th western themes from headliners The Drug equally inspired by Slint and Joy Division. SUNDAY 24 Squad at tonight’s GTI night. Support from So yes, jolly hockey sticks from start to TRUCK FESTIVAL: Hill Farm Steventon local gabba techno misfits Nailbomb Cults. finish. The band’s most recent album, ‘Black (from 11am) – Day two of the festival with HEDROOM: The Exeter Hall, Cowley – Holes In The Sand’, finds Gravenhurst lost Magic Numbers rounding proceedings off in a Funky rap-rock from the hard-gigging Thame in a lysergic fog of gentle despair, covering dreamy 60s style – see main preview feature. crew. Husker Du’s haunting murder ballad ‘Diane’ in suitably bleak style but buoyed by some seriously lovely folky melodies. Excellent local support at tonight’s Oxfordbands.com Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no night comes from retro-futurist synth exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. This manglers The Evenings, plus ambient gig guide is copyright of Nightshift Magazine and may not be reproduced without permission. electro-folk from The Thumb Quintet.

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1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890VENUE PHONE NUMBERS 1

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1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890The Red Lion, Witney: 01993 703149 The Victoria: 01865 554047 1

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1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890The Cellar: 01865 244761 Brookes: 01865 484750 1

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THE MAGIC BAND / THE E BAND The Zodiac Black shades, white noise, Krautrock rhythms, muttered monologues, dislocating samples - the E Band are a Neu! for now, a short-haired Hawkwind for tomorrow. Watch this (inner) space. The Magic Band are... The Magic Band. For now and always. Their former leader Captain Beefheart is out painting the desert, but these guys are still bringing the desert to a town near you. ‘When It Blows Its Stacks’ and ‘Floppy Boot Stomp’ whip in like a hot Mojave wind, as a man in a crumpled hat patrols the stage, gesticulating and growling his way through tales of strange and disturbing forces on the prowl. This is Magic Band original John “Drumbo” French, and he does a spooky impersonation of the Captain on vocals and mouth-harp, while bringing his own wired energies and mannerisms to the hoodoo hoedown. The guitars of Gary Lucas and Denny Walley lock together to create a clanking, humming composite of avant-blues slide and supernatural twang, underpinned by the juddering drums touching tribute to John Peel. Finishing with a monumental triumvirate of of Michael Traylor and the loping bass of Rockette Morton. Mr French ‘Moonlight on Vermont’, ‘Big-Eyed Beans From Venus’ and ‘Mirror Man’, takes his place behind the drumkit for a swathe of instrumentals, and the The Magic Band then stroll out to meet the audience, nice as (hair) pie. I sound moves from skewed gutbucket blues to something more abstract - am reminded of when I last saw these songs performed live, aged 16, and am which still retains its “rusty clockwork toy” feel, as if about to trip over, but proud to get the guys’ autographs. The Captain may have retired, but his always lands triumphantly on its syncopated feet. Then it’s back to the music lives on... long may The Magic Band continue to booglarise us. front for Drumbo, and a fizzing version of ‘Electricity’, prefaced by a Harry Lime

DEVILS GUN JOANOVARC / THE RAKES / CAZALS The Zodiac HARLETTE The Zodiac, In the midnight hour and suitably monged, Having attracted favourable mutterings in the tonight’s crowd is ready to make the floor The Wheatsheaf praise-happy national music press, tonight’s gig bounce. London’s Devils Gun, up for their second It’s unfortunate but true, that all-girl bands seems likely to be either a chance to catch The ever gig, look set to help them. A gangling afro-ed (particularly all-girl rock bands) are still Rakes in such intimate surroundings before they MC, born to mob-orate, like a lovechild of Bob considered as something of an oddity. They are really take off, or another crash and burn case. Marley and Phil Lynott; a riffing guitarist; two always held up for inspection to see if they can First however, are Mod revivalists Cazals. With producer/ FX samplers and a percussionist play as well as their male counterparts. Is their stabbing staccato guitar sounds, their rapid-fire set working mostly on toms, make up a cabal bent on songwriting as good? Is their lead singer a fox? A quickly emerges from the muddy mix that plagues audio-sedition. At first they blaze away well with lot of female bands face the kind of questions that the opening couple of songs. Their ragged, yet everything, including the kitchen sink. An shouldn’t and don’t matter before anyone melodic sound is emphasised by a vocalist who, as industrial ‘Addicted To Love’ beat is given broad actually starts to take any notice of their music. the set progresses, moves from sounding like Paul brushstrokes of Prodigy-lite rap, Art of Noise- Harlette won’t suffer from these problems, Weller with a sore throat to Joe Strummer after style breaks and Kool And The Gang samples, like however. They may be young, but somehow they swallowing a bag of gravel. In terms of sound and a Fire House remix of Dreadzone’s ‘Little can remember when Riot Grrl was a major force songs, they’re not too far behind The Britain’. Its promise outweighs its lack of in contemporary music. There’s plenty of Futureheads, yet the set never really catch on definition, but definition is what it desperately distorted guitars, screeched vocals (‘Sometimes with the crowd. Be it a largely static stage needs. Three tracks in and the great party She Pisses Me Off’ is a particular highlight) and presence or a failure to interact, their set fails to atmosphere Fresh Out Of The Box had frantic drumming that brings to mind Babes In provide the dancefloor call to arms offered engendered is flatlining, and hectoring the crowd Toyland. Singer Iona brims with a brattish elsewhere in an already overcrowded genre. to “Come on, get down” is not the answer. confidence that brings to mind Molly Ringwald in Mobilising the crowd doesn’t pose any problem When we want it to bang it doesn’t bang way The Breakfast Club, if The Breakfast Club had once The Rakes get settled into their set, hard enough. The tom-toms are no substitute for been soundtracked by Huggy Bear, and not Simple however. While much of the press surrounding the a four-to-the-floor, wall-cracking bass, and when Minds. Their confidence speaks for itself. band has thrown them in with this generation’s we want phasing, walking-through-water, electro- JoanovArc are from a different era entirely. Not batch of Joy Division acolytes, on the strength of synth breaks it has all the emotional depth of a the 14th Century thankfully, but from a time when tonight’s set the length seems a touch dubious. puddle. Things get a whole lot better when they the likes of the Runaways and Girlschool were at While frontman Alan Donohoe plays the bring on Kelly, a six-foot tall Zoë-from- their prime. Joanovarc evidently never really left eccentric card, with the jerky stage moves and Eastenders lookalike, to perform double MC the New Wave of British Heavy Metal behind, darting eyes, he comes across less Curtis-crazy vocals and her kicking cover of The White because tonight is a lesson in how to rock. Gone is more a poor man’s David Byrne. However, not Stripes’ ‘Blue Orchid’ is a major league treat. the garage punk of the Suffrajets (sisters Shelley sounding exactly like Joy Division isn’t Devil’s Gun eventually come home winners with and Sam Walker were both members) replaced by something to be ashamed of. Instead their short, their own ‘London’s Calling’, one of the best club the metallic sheen of Queen, and Guns‘n’Roses. sharp songs are more guitar heavy, with their anthems I’ve heard in a while and one I expect to Their cover of Hendrix’s `Purple Haze’ is inspired brand of post-punk at times cheekier than it is hot-wire their success. It has the crucial mix of rather than tedious; Shelley Walker’s solo would dark. Yet for The Rakes the proof is most house, electro and synth-rock in and if the band make Jimi himself blush. They may not be certainly in the pudding and their set, mostly of were seriously doing their homework, careful note playing the most fashionable of music but they material from their ‘Automatic’ album, clearly of the crowd’s overboard reaction to that track play well, and with passion. Just for a moment, goes down well with a very vocal Oxford fanbase, alone should have them writing six more like it they make rocking out like a hoary old biker already enough attached to the band to post haste. seem like a possible life change. passionately plead for their favourite songs. Paul Carrera Allin Pratt Patrick Casey DR SHOTOVER Royal Variety Bollocks The Caesars. Kaiser Chiefs. Kings of Leon. What is it with these young whippersnappers and their regal aspirations? Personally, I blame... myself. Since I set up NobSearch UK three years ago with “Tuppy” Ware July and some of the other chaps, all these ghastly minor pop celebrities want Every Monday: to up their scores on the THE FAMOUS MONDAY Blue-Blood-o-meter... as if Queen weren’t bad enough NIGHT BLUES in the first place, with The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 their vulgar pretensions to th being “rock royalty”... 4 THE PAUL COX BAND (UK) What’s that you say? 11th THE WILDCATS (UK) Double meaning? Ah, that 18th THE AYNSLEY LISTER BAND (UK) sort of “Queen”. He’d 25th CONNIE LUSH & BLUES SHOUTER have been drummed out of Merle Oberon impersonates the regiment in my day... Dr Shotover (UK) well, yes, of course we knew it went on... the C.O. would generally turn a blind eye, as long as the getting vamped up in wigs and cocktail dresses was confined to Every Tuesday: musical numbers at the Christmas Concert. One year I did a rather THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB fetching impersonation of Merle Oberon meself, I seem to remember... Same again? Make mine a Campari and soda. Free live jazz from THE TOM GREY Next month: Progressive Frock. QUINTET, plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am. (Except Tuesday 5th – Jazz Club with ROGER INNES)

Every Friday: BACKROOM BOOGIE Funk, soul and R&B. 9-2am Free B4 10pm; £4 after.

Every Sunday: THE CHAPEL LOCAL BANDS SHOWCASE. 8-11pm. £3

Plus

Saturday 2nd SIMPLE – Quality Funky House. 9-2am Wednesday 6th STAND UP COMEDY with compere SILKY 8.30-12am. £6.50 Saturday 9th To Be Announced 9-2am Saturday 16th REGGAE AND R’n’B NIGHT 9-2am Saturday 23rd LIVE BANDS NIGHT – Acts to be confirmed Saturday 30th LIVE BANDS NIGHT with INTERN plus support MONDO GENERATOR / LIVELIVE SEXTODECIMO / DEGUELLO The Zodiac This is exactly what you need at the end of a bank holiday weekend – a deep soul cleansing. Bank holiday torpor means we arrive too late to catch Winnebago Deal’s metal side project Spine Christ, but we’ll catch up with the two Bens later when they play with Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator. Before that there’s Deguello, one of the best teenage bands on the scene. Since we last saw them they’ve come on massively, from fuzzy garage punk beginnings to their current state where they mix up rabid New Wave melodies with passages of virulent, explorative noise. A serious blast of hot, fresh air, Mondo Generator photo: Becky Perry but just a warm-up for what follows… “We’re Sextodecimo and this isn’t going to be very pleasant”, announce Sextodecimo, moments before the jaws of hell open amid a blizzard of strobes. Putting a lie to their old stoner/sludgecore reputation, tonight they’re singularly brutal. They’re even more of a cacophony than last time we encountered them; although they’ve opened up a bit musically and visually, there’s no compromise. This goes way beyond metal. Time slows to a crawl and the air becomes thick with the pressure of it all. It sounds like warfare, it’s bleak and cruel and it feels absolutely magnificent. That Ben Perrier and Ben Thomas have been recruited into Mondo Generator shows the level they’ve reached, and tonight it proves beyond doubt just what incredible musicians they are. Nick Oliveri was born to be a rock star. He looks like a gothic backwoods serial killer and he’s playing breakneck backwoods rock and roll. The two Bens presence has lifted the experience from last time’s disappointing show. They just don’t let up. Walls of slasher guitar fuzz coat punishing velocity punk songs. Occasional slower songs piledrive like bulldozers, while a sprawling blues number morphs into hair metal thrash partway through. There’s even a moment when it all sounds like Slade. Or at least Slade if they’d just returned from the abyss. It’s punishing, but varied enough to keep the show interesting, and we get a clutch of old Queens Of The Stone-Age songs into the bargain. Years of gig going means we rarely get a ringing in our ears any more. Tonight our ears are ringing. Tomorrow we have to return to work. Fuck that, we want to fight! Ian Chesterton LOU BARLOW The Zodiac Lou Barlow, member of Dinosaur Jr, and fragile in its softness, and his self- Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion, deprecating humour in between songs only announces that he is nervous. The reason seems to endear him all the more to the behind his anxiety is, he explains, that audience. The occasional vintage Sebadoh tonight is the first time he has played in track, such as ‘Freed Pig’ and ‘On Fire’, are front of an English speaking audience in all received with rapturous applause, and some time, and thus he will be unable to Barlow’s attempt to leave the stage at the pretend that any heckles are, in fact, cheers end of his touching performance of ‘Brand of admiration. He needn’t worry, however, New Love’ is vehemently opposed. as those here tonight are totally enthralled Barlow’s songs are portraits of striking with him from the offset. With songs such intimacy, while his chatter is so friendly and as ‘Legendary’, in which bittersweet unassuming that those watching him feel a sentiments are cloaked in melancholic and sense of involvement in the performance. haunting guitar melodies, Barlow holds the He opens his heart to the audience tonight, crowd gently in the palm of his hand. He is and is accepted with open arms. gifted with a voice that is both comforting Emma Short

HELP SHE CAN’T SWIM / CASSETTE FOR CASSETTE / GO! TEAM! GO! The Wheatsheaf Welcome to another unbearably hot night at band that really give it their all and make a the Wheatsheaf, but London three piece tremendous noise with little regard for their Go! Team! Go! seem not the slightest bit own safety. Which I guess makes them a daunted by this. Throwing themselves fully-formed version of Go! Team! Go! You around the stage with abandon, what they can see the early Sonic Youth and riot grrl lack tune-wise they make up for in energy. influences in the band, but most of all they It’s shouty, jerky, disjointed and infectious. resemble a beefed-up Bis, kinda cutesy but Cassette For Cassette provide the calm in with extra guitars kicking the songs off in the eye of the storm tonight. Unfortunately different directions. The band works best it’s a little too peaceful for a band that when Leesey and Tom are both singing, threatens to let rip like the early Hole sparring off each other and creating endless recordings did, but the promise is never kinetic energy that infuses the songs with fulfilled. The problem is there’s no real vitality. To further the Bis comparison dynamics in the band; they promise menace Leesey has a very Manda Rin style voice, without there being a threatening bone in one which fey indie kids will adore. Their their bodies. music attracts the shy outsider and for this It takes a while but eventually Help She reason alone I wish more power to them. Can’t Swim win me over. It’s great to see a Russell Barker

BIG SPEAKERS / FLOODED HALLWAYS / DELICIOUSDELICIOUS CAPSKY ENTERTAINMENT The Cellar Live Music in July - Opening tonight’s Oxfordbands.com relaunch seven-strong personnel and equipment into Every Tuesday OPEN MIC SESSION gig, showcasing some of the city’s best hip the Cellar. The instrumentation blends a wide The Old School House, Gloucester Green 8.30-11.15 Free! hop acts, is Capsky, whose staccato lyrical range of styles - hip hop, soul, jazz, funk Every Thursday - LIVE JAZZ & BLUES patterning is layered over the guitar of and even ska - by way of synth, guitar, bass, Far From the Madding Crowd, Friars Entry 8.30-11 Free! partner Greasy Red and their interesting, scratching and sample sounds, while MCs Alternate Wednesdays - OPEN MIC SESSION glitchy electronic Aim-like backing. The Tomohawk and Soulface’s aggressive Far From the Madding Crowd, Friars Entry 8.30-11 Free! contrast works well, but the vocals may be Gravediggaz / Wu Tang Clan-like vocals both For bookings/info- Tel: 07876 184623 / 01865 242784 suited to something less mellow, and the meld nicely and contrast sharply with the backing would sound good enough on its own, more laid-back Fragger and soulful, yet in an Ulrich Schnauss kind of way. It’s all a underused AJ. Always tight despite their size, little unpolished and the delivery could be tracks like “Overpaid Slave” and more confident, but promising nonetheless. “Apocolypse Rising” are catchy, though still Flooded Hallways are similar in composition have heartfelt and provocative lyrics. but differ in style; their looped samples It would be a shame to deny a larger audience become quite wearing after a while and they the intimacy and immediacy of Big Speakers sometimes stray into Streets territory, but experiences like tonight’s, but their tracks like ‘After All’ and ‘Formulae’ show conviction, and how much they care about off clever rhymes and rhythms. The two the music and their message, will be palpable rappers’ voices work play off each other however large the audience is. It’s such a ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- dynamically, but the whole thing would work delight and so refreshing to come across an SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- better with fewer monotonous loops. act not frightened to mix genres, be DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- Even though they’re an MC down tonight, outspoken and experiment. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 Big Speakers still barely squeeze their Kisten Etheridge each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each DKT/MC5 The Zodiac There will be few sights more let’s give ‘em a chance. What memorable this year than a ultimately wins through is an freeform improv set featuring irresistible sense of celebration – MC5, Gilby Clarke from Guns ‘N’ of the legacy of Rob Tyner and Roses and our very own Suitable Fred Smith, and of some amazing Case For Treatment (who played a songs. Photo:Richard Hounslow wonderful opening set earlier in One-time Dictators frontman the evening). Throw in a surprise Handsome Dick Manitoba does a appearance from Julian Cope and decent job on vocals, while Gilby you’ve got a pretty surreal all-star Clarke is one of the few guitarists line-up, encoring with a twenty- capable of trading solos with minute starship ride into uncharted Brother Wayne Kramer without territory. coming off worst. There’s precious little revolution It’s Kramer who’s the focal point on offer at the beginning of MC5’s of the ensemble, leading off with a set, and not exactly a surfeit of the series of mercurial solos. His band’s legendary urgency and enthusiasm is infectious, and is intensity, suggesting that perhaps eventually matched when the this is just another in a long line of group start to kick loose and financially-, rather than creatively- discover the sense of freedom and inspired reformations. Opener exploration that leads them onto ‘Ramblin’ Rose’ is almost their exhilarating collaborative precociously smug in its delivery, climax. and for a while it looks as if self- A triumphant tribute snatched satisfaction could be the from the jaws of listless karaoke, watchword of the evening. then. And I’ve got through my Hang on, though. These are, after word count resisting the urge to all, three of the men responsible shout ‘KICK OUT THE JAMS for penning one of the greatest MOTHERF- punk rock anthems of all time, so Stuart Fowkes

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012THE CARLING WEEKEND: READING FESTIVAL! 123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012festivals! Hurray! Cos festivals means loads of Of course Reading12345678901234567890123456789012 is just down the road from 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012rock festivals, then they don’t come much There are some day12345678901234567890123456789012 tickets still available for 1

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012bigger or fatter than The Carling Weekend: the Leeds site, priced12345678901234567890123456789012 £60 (plus booking fee) 1

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Reading and Leeds Festivals. available from See12345678901234567890123456789012 Tickets on 0870 060 3775 1

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012 This year’s Carling Weekend: Reading and or go to www.readingfestival.com12345678901234567890123456789012 or 1

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012(pictured), grunge giants The Foo Fighters and Hall or Nothing press,12345678901234567890123456789012 we’ve got a pair of 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012metal legends Iron Maiden. And of course weekend tickets for12345678901234567890123456789012 the Carling Weekend: 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012there’s loads and loads and loads more. Quite Reading Festival. That’s12345678901234567890123456789012 right, you can’t buy 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012various stages over the three days of each pair on us for free!123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012festival (with each day’s bill appearing at the All you have to do12345678901234567890123456789012 is answer the following 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012And that’s just the tip of that particular pop 123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012 On the main stage over the weekend you’ll 123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012 Of course one of our favourite bits about the 123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012find the likes of The Killers, Queens of the What is the name12345678901234567890123456789012 of Iron Maiden’s pet 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012whole Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds 123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Stone Age, Kings of Leon, Razorlight, Marilyn Festivals is The Carling Stage, where you can monster? 123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Manson, The Coral, Elbow, The Charlatans, catch up on some of the best rising stars and best 123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Iggy Pop and the Stooges. A feast of fiery fun. Ladytron, plus the fantastic Go! Team and Festivals Competition,12345678901234567890123456789012 Nightshift, PO Box 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012th 123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012you’ll find headline sets from Kasabian, The be joined by, amongst others, Charlotte Hatherly, entries is the 20 of12345678901234567890123456789012 July. No email entries. 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Tears and Bloc Party, along with appearances Saul Williams, The Raveonettes, Sleater Kinney Multiple entries will12345678901234567890123456789012 be used to line the cat’s 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Fightstar, and – oh yes – Oxford’s very own Fell City Girl, litter tray. The editor’s12345678901234567890123456789012 decision is to drink 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

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12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012Futureheads, The Kills and Sons and Daughters. Friday – so get there early to cheer them on. Ladytron’s bound-to-be-brilliant12345678901234567890123456789012 set. 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121

12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 ELIOT Exeter Hall Pub The Cellar Corner Cowley / Marsh Road How refreshing. Not the Cellar, mind, on a Maria sings in a softly unassuming 01865 776431 balmy evening, but Eliot, a pop trio manner, pleasantly careless, while Jim www.thex.co.uk consisting of Jim Eliot, ex-Oxford student creates complex arrangements with fine and now London-based producer, and electronic melodies. Only occasionally do THE BEST FREE MUSIC local pop folkstress Maria Ilett. Their we stray into bland, background dinner chillout grooves, funky keyboards and party blah, with the likes of ‘Fade’. But VENUE IN TOWN! samples are being backed up with a live all is made up for by the astounding Every Tuesday - Open Mic - all welcome. 8pm drummer. It’s clear he is an essential part ‘Shine’. Pure pop genius, which they save Every Wednesday - Irish Folk Session. 8.30pm of this threesome even if he has listened to until last. The backing track consists of JULY ‘Mezzanine’ too many times. Maria jangly, Smiths-like guitars and Maria’s Fri 1st Leburn 8:30pm sometimes struggles to be heard over the confidence is booming. She sways back Sat 2nd Fresh Faces For The Modern Age - CD punching rhythm, but without him we’d and forth and there’s nothing shy about Launch Phyal/Junkie Brush/Verbal Kink/Harry be heading into karaoke territory. her now. Angel/The Process 7:00 pm th I like Eliot, but Eliot seem to be a little Thu 7 Valium 8:30pm Thankfully that is far from the sound th unsure of their footing, not quite sure Sat 9 The Treat 8:30pm tonight. As Jim twiddles knobs, Maria Sun 10th Electric Jam 5:00pm come and join in! coyly sings, giving the likes of Jem, Zero 7 which road to take. Whether it be down Thu 14th Kohoutek 8:30pm and Dubstar a run for their money. She the Dubstar or Dido route (and with a set Fri 15th Porter Boys 8:30pm seems to relax more the further they get of songs as good as ‘Shine’, they wouldn’t Sat 16th Phyal 8:30pm through their set. A quick switch on ‘Front go wrong) or a more chilled-out, down Sun 17th Ben Duggard & Lee Davies 8:30pm Room’ leaves Jim singing (not unlike Matt tempo direction like Massive Attack, Thu 21st Andensum + Rising Dragon 8:30pm nd Hales from Aqualung) and Maria on bass Bent, Abraham or Zero 7, which they Fri 22 Transmission 8:30pm Free rd pull off equally well. It’s a road trip I Sat 23 Inacun 8:30pm Free and backing vocals. This keeps the th can’t wait to see progress. Sun 24 Electric Jam 5:00pm Come and join audience on their toes and means songs in! take on different shapes. Katy Jerome Fri 29th Hedroom 8:30pm Sat 30th Tounsi 8:30pm SKA CUBANO The Zodiac Skylarkin’ Soundsystems has been the band. Not one person is left unmoved; growing in popularity at a rapid rate it’s the most complete reaction I’ve ever recently. Taking their regular nights to the seen to a band at the Zodiac. The call and 5K Zodiac stage with Reggae legend DJ Derek response of `Ay Caramba’ is a delight, as 32 has served to cement their reputation is their reworking of ‘Jezebel’. Every song further. The next step is this, moving into is a gem and Ska Cubano continue on their the live arena, and they couldn’t have got mission to tear the roof off of the place. it more right. Eleven-piece London / Only a fool or a hardened cynic could fail Cuban party merchants Ska Cubano hit to have a good time here tonight. Ska the stage running and for the next two Cubano are about as close to a perfect live hours there is absolutely no let up. Their band as you could hope to find. By the fusion of ska, and rocksteady with the end of a thoroughly exhausting but Latin Cuban influence is spot on. It’s a entirely enjoyable two hours, DJ Derek thoroughly dirty mix, and one that forces takes to the stage as he needs to tell us all you to dance with a rum spiked grin on something. “I’ve seen just about everyone your face. in the world of ska,” he drawls in that Singers Natty Bo and Beny Billy focus peculiar Bristol-cum-Trenchtown patois the attention brilliantly, always moving, of his, “and you’ve just seen the best continually whipping the crowd up until performance I’ve ever seen.” It’s been a the whole place is jumping. By the time legendary night in every sense of the ‘Revolutionary Ska’ makes an appearance, word. the audience is under complete control of Allin Pratt Photo: Sam Shepherd DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS Demo of the month wins a day’s free recording at Ursa Audio. For special deals for local bands, call Ursa on 01865 242055. DEMO OF DELINQUENT This fella’s not lacking in self-confidence: THE MONTH “I am an aspiring songwriter, performer www.appletreestudio.co.uk and producer creating exciting alternative music”, chirrups Rob Greenaway about his radical idea of mixing up traditional JABERWOK acoustic instrumentation with exciting new Recorded live, this three-track demo gives a electronic gadgetry and samples. You know, better impression of Jaberwok than they like Beck did about ten years ago. would probably have got through hours Sometimes it works okay, the loops and spent on studio overdubs. It captures the grooves and occasional vocal samples band’s fluid, funky feel, jamming out on weaving together into a passable tapestry extended Hammond, bass and guitar of sound, but Rob’s own vocals can’t hold journeys, trying to evoke the spirits of up in such company, moping innocuously Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes and JTQ. Here around the Moby-ish backdrops. on CD you perhaps don’t quite get the Essentially it’s pretty basic 60s folk-pop feeling that you would at a gig where with a bit of a synthetic overhaul, and Jaberwok’s onstage energy can react with while even here it can work alright – as on that of an audience, but the wah-wah the Byrds-y `Chemicals’, the whole project guitar-heavy ‘Spiewak’, with its wobbly is bogged down by its pedestrian pace bass lines, or ‘Chicken Song’ with its dirty which never looks likely to drags itself out keyboard sound and arpeggiating bass carry of its self-made rut. Strong singer / front a convincing 70s vibe. ‘It Ain’t Ting’, meanwhile is pure cocktail lounge retro person required jazz-funk, content to wander any which CASSETTE FOR way as you sip on your vodka martini. Ah, CASSETTE for established oxford based gigging and now there’s an idea. Maybe not the most original demo we’ve heard, but performed Just think, there will very soon be an entire recording band. Must have drive and with gusto and anything that makes us generation of music fans who will have no enthusiasm and a musical bent for inventive think about vodka martinis has to be good. idea what a cassette is. Mind you, there is cerebral rock with extra poppy goodness. already an entire generation who have no idea whatsoever who Young Marble Giants were. But they should, because they were Email [email protected] great, and Cassette For Cassette sound a FORMALDEHYDE tiny bit like them at times, which is always Ah bless, here’s a Didcot band apparently to be encouraged. Here is tinpot, minimalist looking for “the ultimate break”. And while indie noise that sounds like it’s held it’s tempting to suggest sticking their necks together by willpower and sticky tape in a noose and jumping from the nearest alone. Vocalist Emma sounds fabulously bridge, they don’t deserve such treatment, bored and angsty, the almost desolate sense although we should perhaps warn the of melancholy and spindly arrangements young hopefuls that the ultimate break recalling Cat Power at her most maudlin. simply doesn’t exist: it’s all sweat, tears ‘Quiet, Too Quiet’ has a children’s music and bloody hard work and even if you do box simplicity and if you pinched its pale, ever make it big in the cruel world of rock skinny arm it’d doubtless squeal like a and roll, you’ll be far too busy playing rabbit, but it’s bolstered by some edgy, endless gigs in godforsaken eastern almost toy town keyboards and the whole European towns and enduring soul-sapping ramshackle affair smells pleasantly of the interviews with regional radio DJs to notice true spirit of indie music past. that this is where you always wanted to end up. So there, simple dreams viciously punctured, all that’s left for us to say is REDOX that Formaldehyde sound extremely cross. Individually and together Redox have been If you cut them up at a junction they’d around the local scene seemingly forever, probably shout at you so long and so loud including in their ranks, as they do, Klub your head would fall off. This sounds like Kakofanney stalwarts Phil Freizinger and Liam Gallagher in a bad mood trying to Sue Smith. As such, we’re unlikely to find keep up with Oasis’ new hair metal them chasing the latest musical trend, and direction. Which isn’t such a terrible thing nor would we want to. Not when there are all things considered, although the odd guilty pleasures to be had like vocalist’s idea of shouting the same ‘Bullaburra’, a barn-dance hoe-down couple of lines over and over again in the topped off with Gong-like space-shrieking vague hope they might take on some kind vocals, a touch of skiffle and a barely- of spiritual significance doesn’t work suppressed silly side. It’s like an ungodly very well. Keep the dream alive, kids. mix up of 70s drug-addled Glastonbury indulgence, a children’s TV advertising serious stuff: aggressive post-hardcore nightmare and Lonnie Donegan. ‘Blood’ is a rocking with a metallic sharpness, not more saddle-weary cowboy jaunt with a unlike Dive Dive at times. That ill-advised tendency to go off on a jazz-rock wander rap (which really amounts to little more halfway through but it’s ‘Free’ that than talking in an awkward manner) ultimately scares us away: a dubbier, detracts from an otherwise effective stab at mystical skank with lyrics about dancing the harder edge of emo, and while the whole on beaches, being free and getting tender thing feels like it may have arrived just a and squeezy under a solstice moon. A bit little too late to catch the emo bandwagon, too much like Ozric Tentacles doing a it’s confident and slickly-constructed stuff crusty, tie-dyed remake of ‘Je T’aime’. and hopefully has enough character of its You’ll excuse us if we pass on that idea. own to push on from here. PHYAL LOOPY Phyal seem to have been around forever, Another band of local circuit stalwarts such is the regular flow of demos from who’ve always managed to produce THE COURTYARD STUDIO them and their insatiable local gigging something likeable without ever quite OTARI MTR90 MK11, 24 TRACK TAPE appetite, but they only formed in 2002. In setting the local scene on fire, Loopy return that time they’ve gone from being a with more cheery summer-sounding pop, MACHINE & MTA 980, 32/24/24 CONSOLE, rudimentary but fun punk band with slight part-way between The Monkees and The SOUNDSCAPE DIGITAL EDITOR, SUPERB metal undertones to a full-blooded metal Beautiful South. ‘This Sound’ is jolly CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION OF beast with a slightly punky edge. Big power pop with a distinct 60s feel, while OUTBOARD GEAR, MIDI FACILITIES INCLUDE rolling punk chords thunder along apace, best track on the demo, ‘Too Late’, is LOGIC AUDIO, 8 MEG S1000, etc gutsy and bombastic without being fancy, frothy in an early-Beatles kind of way and allowing singer Glenda Huish to exercise full of bah, bah, bah backing vocals. Bit of a RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES OPTIONAL her not inconsiderable lung capacity. shame then about the strained, almost Brassy and bluesy she plays the metal pained acoustic lament, ‘Living The queen part well, although we always seem Adventure’, although ‘Blue Cortina’, with Phone KATE or PIPPA for details to end up describing her as strident. But its chirpy keyboard bounce and bubblegum on 01235 845800 then she is, in an almost operatic kind of harmonies, just about manages to rise above way, which is probably what gives Phyal its grumbling indie dirge roots and shows a their 1980s feel, the way they seem to so keenness to expand on simple ideas. unashamedly over the top. Anyway, where once they sounded very much like Vice Squad, now Girlschool and even L7 seem like more appropriate reference points, but THE DEMO for all their lack of subtlety, there’s something heroically rumbustious about DUMPER Phyal. TREV WILLIAMS GESSO Trev made his demo debut here a few Sometimes you wonder whether band are months back with an expansive, really just having a laugh at your expense, inconsistent but sometimes inventive or if not, what possessed them to do what offering. This time he’s compressed it all they do. That feeling goes, initially at least, into four tracks and attained some kind of for Gesso, who sound like a kind of joke consistency of sound, although perhaps not version of The Divine Comedy: a of the kind we’d have liked. The lounge rudimentary piano-led pop stomp topped jazz-funk of ‘Seaside’, with its softly off with some incongruous, faux-operatic chugging FM rock guitars is a bad enough vocals. The only person we’ve ever heard start but it’s all downhill from there. The sing like this who can get away with it is monstrously cheesy ‘I Love You’ is a Nick Cave on ‘Release The Bats’. Here it lifeless piano ballad that somehow manages sounds ridiculous, but then you start to fuse Savage Garden, Toploader and the feeling a strange sense of admiration for the very worst bits of Elton John into a grim band for maybe trying to do something a four minutes, while ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ is bit OTT. And they use a harpsichord on Crowded House’s ‘Always Take The one song, and anything with a harpsichord Weather With You’ rendered as lame as a on is alright in our book. Still, really rather pig in a minefield. And so we reach the silly all things considered. grand finale, ‘Slow Down’, which aside from ironically urging us to slow down even though it seems to have taken us DON SMOOTH several years to get here, goes on to Nothing silly about Don Smooth of course. reassure us that everything will work out Well, apart from the name, which sounds fine. Except it hasn’t, has it Trev? You’re in like a character from Miami Vice. Oh, and the Demo Dumper and things are going to the atrocious attempt at rapping from the get a whole lot worse for you just as soon lead singer on second track here, ‘Decadent as we detonate the lethal plague spore Honey’. But, apart from all that, this is bomb we hid behind your radiator earlier.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number (no email or mobile- only). No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Aw heck, you’re not taking the slightest bit of notice of this are you?