email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 134 September Oxford’s Music Magazine 2006

Season’s Greetings from Oxford’s unfestive hardcore rockers

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Interview Inside Photo:Isla Miskelly NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255

Dr SHOTOVER NEWNEWSS Barrett and Lee RIP Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Mourning. No, not “Good Morning”, you fool. I’m IN Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] MOURNING. Fate has dealt a cruel blow recently... the chaps at the club and I are just recovering from the demise of Syd Barrett (with the assistance of some rather pokey SUPERGRASS play a low-key local gig mescaline-based cocktails, prepared by Huxley our bar at the Zodiac on Thursday 31st August. steward), and then Arthur Lee goes and joins him in Badly Drawn Boy plays a fanclub-only Psychedelic Heaven. I imagine they’re having a heck of a gig at the Zodiac on Wednesday 13th jam even as we speak - `Interstellar Overdrive’ segue-ing September. Both gigs are already sold out. into `Revelation’, while Jim Morrison hangs around on the touchline wishing he could join in with the bigger boys... Of course this decimation of the Old Guard cannot but lead us THE ROCK OF TRAVOLTA and The to wonder who will be next... If it helps the Powers That Walk Off headline a full day of live music Be decide, I could put forward a suggestions list, quite a long nd at the Port Mahon on Saturday 2 one actually. I mean, do we REALLY need Bobby Gillespie? September. The event kicks off at 1pm and He was okay about 20 years ago, but then it all went SUITABLES CASE FOR runs through to 11pm, featuring 11 bands, horribly wrong, didn’t it? All that sub-Mick-Jagger gurning, TREATMENT have announced they are including Dusty Sound System and I ask you... he could have got a job on Stella Street, IF HE to split. The band, who made national Brother Francisco. Tickets are available WASN’T SO CRAP! And what about Damon Albarn and headlines earlier this year when they from wegottickets.com, priced £6. the Gallagher Brothers? (The poor man’s David Bowie released a single, `Cows’, with The Rock have also been added to the bill meets The Rutles). And Pete “Chubby Chops” Doherty... If newsreader Jon Snow on vocals, have for this year’s Audioscope festival at the there was any justice in the cosmos, we’d be able to trade cited musical differences as the reason for Zodiac on Saturday 28th October. The them off, as it were, in order to keep Captain Beefheart the split. The band were due to start event, in aid of homeless charity Shelter is alive... What’s that you say - bad taste? I think this `Doors recording their new album later this year headlined by Clinic and also features of Perception’ cocktail tastes rather fine, actually... Wow, and will bow out with a farewell gig at the Magnetophone and Sonic Boom, I’m Being the colours! Ahem. Zodiac on Halloween night (Tuesday 31st Good, plus many more. Tickets, priced £9, Next month: Lucy in the Sky with Doherty October). The band hope to make a CD are on sale now from the Zodiac box office. of recent recordings, due to feature on the Ah-Syd next album, available at the gig. Tickets THE EXETER HALL in Cowley re- Rock are on sale now from the Zodiac box opens on Friday 22nd after a major refit. office - 01865 420042. No news of acts confirmed yet - check out www.thex.co.uk for details. THE YOUNG KNIVES (pictured right) celebrate the release of their new album, `Voices Of Animals And Men’, with two gigs at the Zodiac as part of their national tour. The Kirtlington trio, currently garnering rave reviews for the album, play on Thursday 12th and Tuesday 31st October. Tickets for both nights are on sale now, priced £8, from the Zodiac box office. The band’s latest single, a re-recorded T H E M U S I C M A R K E T version of `Weekends and Bleak Days’ (formerly the Charisma Bar, City Tavern) Upstairs @ The Market Tavern 8 Market Street, off Cornmarket St entered the Top 40 at number 35 at the Tel: 01865 248388 Email: [email protected] end of August. The single also features three brand new tracks, including live 2nd :CENTURIES BURNING + PAWEL KUTERBA favourite `Guess The Baby’s Weight’. Doors open 9pm, £4 Entry 7tth : Local Acoustic Rock Night Doors open 8pm, £4 Entry JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD (pictured) singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini (Tue 10th 08th: SU JORDAN & ANTON BARBEAU + Guests comes to the Zodiac on Friday 20th Oct - already sold out), human beatboxer Doors open 8.00pm st October as part of his UK tour to Killa Kela (Sat 21 Oct) and thrash- 09th: BORDERVILLE + HOLIDAY IN VIETNAM promote debut solo album, `The Great punk legends Discharge (Fri 17th Nov). Doors open 9pm, £4 Entry Western’. Tickets for the Manic Street Brookes University Union, meanwhile, 14th : To be confirmed Preachers frontman’s gig sold out in a hosts The Automatic (Thur 26th Oct), 15th : To be confirmed th matter of days. The Divine Comedy (Mon 30th Oct), 16 : NOT MY DAY + FULL METAL WAISTCOAT Other acts coming to the Zodiac in the Guillemots (Sat 4th Nov) and The Doors open 9pm, £4 Entry 21st: To be confirmed coming months include former Catatonia Feeling (Thu 9th Nov), while down at nd : To be confirmed singer Cerys Matthews (Thur 5th Oct), the New Theatre you can see Kate 22 rd Rusby (Fri 6th Oct), Imogen Heap (Sat 23 : CLONE RADIO + CENTURIES BURNING Doors open 9pm, £4 entry th th 7 Oct), The Moody Blues (Sat 14 29th: To be confirmed Oct), Beverly Knight (Fri 10th Nov), th: th 30 MOOCHER + SHE CRIES + FILIP SALEN Motorhead (Sun 12 Nov), Status Quo 9.00pm through to 1am, £4.00 entry fee (Thu 16th and Fri 17th Nov) and The Human League (Tue 5th Dec). Delicious Music Eclectic Jam Night Tickets available from the Zodiac box All musicians welcome… come & have a jam! Every Sunday, doors open 6pm, FREE ENTRY. office (01865 420042), Brookes Union

(01865 484750) and the New Theatre WANT TO PLAY HERE?? Just drop in a demo to the Market Tavern marked FAO Charis with your (0870 606 3500). band name & number on. AXmasXmasXmas Quiet Word With LightsLightsLights CHRISTMAS: TIS THE SEASON Marco: “There’s certainly a to be jolly. You know, mistletoe and difference of musical tastes in Xmas wine, children singing Christian Lights and I’d agree that some of that rhyme. Try telling that to Xmas comes from our respective Lights. You’re more likely to find experiences in our previous bands. them stuffing a hand grenade in the Umair has come more from guitar to turkey and lacing the brandy butter embrace his electronic side in the full; with ricin than getting smoochy James now has the vehicle to express around the tree. And Christian his love of everything hardcore after rhyme? This music comes straight exploring his metal side in what was out of the other place. At the very Near Life Experience; Dave brings moment Xmas Lights took to the more of the experimentalism and stage at Truck Festival in July the sky epic gestures to the table. Due to cracked with thunder and the heavens being in Outofinto, I think Simon opened. This is bad music. Evil music. brings most of the melody to Xmas It’s gonna hurt you. It’s intended to Lights and I’d like to think I also hurt you. So sit down, shut up and let contribute to that side of things, with the sonic drill bit open your skull. more emphasis on making it sound Cava, bassist Simon Tierney joining now I think the songs sound more organically epic at times. I’ve always XMAS LIGHTS ARE A from Outofinto and electronics fella like songs. Still obviously not tried to do something different hardcore band. They are also an Umair Chaudhry a veteran of traditional and with a real anything- vocally and Xmas Lights let me do ambient industrial band. And a prog countless other bands and solo goes strategy, but the changes in that to the greatest extent.” band. And a jazz band. And a metal projects, most of which have topped tempo etc. are far more organic now, band. They are not yet a reggae or the Nightshift demo pile over the less to piss people off and more to A TYPICAL XMAS LIGHTS folk band but such is their will and years. Sammy later left to serve the song.” song – if such a thing even exists – ability to move between genres that concentrate on NLE just as James was Umair: “We started out not really can clock in anywhere between five may just be round the corner. They leaving NLE to concentrate on Xmas having a direction to follow apart and fifteen minutes with myriad are not, however, and never will be, a Lights and new drummer Dave from what we all brought to the band, different parts. Tracks like ‘Grow Out namby-pamby emo band. They eat McDonald joined. Dave has always but I think the basic concepts of light Of Us’ from the new EP suggest namby-pamby emo bands for been a prog-rock drummer, and dark, ambience and heaviness they’ve got a hardcore rock opera breakfast. something that suits the band remains an integral part of the sound. inside waiting to come out. Thus far Xmas Lights have recorded perfectly as they deliberately wanted We’ve certainly become more James: “I can think of no better idea two EPs. Both were Nightshift Demo to avoid getting a metal drummer in. complex, but also more simplistic in then that! We always try and Of The Month. By several country In the interim the band recorded parts. We can only continue to approach our recordings with the miles. Recently they joined the roster their magnum opus, ‘The Threat develop and use ideas from other whole completed piece in mind, and of Try Harder Records, the label set Level EP’, using electronic drums. genres. Some of our jams bear little to some extent we have already done up by Youth Movie Soundtrack That EP displays everything that is relation to hardcore music.” one concept piece with `The Threat Strategies and home to the esoteric great about Xmas Lights – an unholy Dave: “When I joined the band there Level’. Seriously though, I love music likes of Foals, Jonquil and Blood Red melting pot of classical portent, were two guitars and things were a bit when there is a sense that there’s a Shoes; perhaps not at first glance the ominous electronic ambience, more metal. After our first EP, deeper thought process involved and most obvious home for a band as hardcore rage and meticulously `Enron Ate My Baby’, we took a step a greater meaning to songs.” outright heavy as Xmas Lights but a crafted rock dynamics. It stands forward and started to try absolutely Umair: “I think it could be a natural haven for such a musically amongst the very best demos anything. I think we first found the possibility, as we’ve already created ambitious one. Next month sees the Nightshift has ever reviewed, partway balance between heavy and epic in works along the lines of a concept release of a split-EP between Xmas between the worlds of Tool, Earth, one song with `See How it Feels As A album with `The Threat Level EP’. I Lights and Youth Movies, while Xmas Trans Am and Skinny Puppy, but also Unit’. Luke, our second guitarist, left don’t think writing songs like that is Light and Foals go head-to-head at drawing upon the likes of Eno, Bowie the band earlier this year, but it didn’t a conscious decision on our part, they the Zodiac on Saturday 23rd and Echo & The Bunnymen along stop our development at all. We just come out like that. There doesn’t September. the way. decided that instead of spending seem to be any limit in terms of months trying to find a new guitarist musical ambition. THE STORY OF XMAS LIGHTS NIGHTSHIFT MET UP WITH that suited our sound we would push Marco: I would agree with that. is somewhat convoluted. The band Xmas Lights in the middle of yet on with just James, and I think it’s Providing whenever we attempt to do was formed by guitarist James Gray another set of live dates around the really benefited our sound. There’s a it we have enough skill to pull it off, King and drummer Sam Howitt, then UK – the band have notched up 60 lot more keyboard in our new songs there’s no reason why having the both of local metal favourites Near gigs already this year, not bad for a and I think it fills things out well. I mentality that we do towards music as Life Experience, back in 2003, band yet to officially release a CD. believe we’ve got a more recognisable a whole, it couldn’t happen. Of although the name and idea of the How do they view their own band and sound now. As far as songwriting goes course, we could cock it all up and band (“we envisioned a very weird the way it has changed since its for the future, there aren’t really any then ruin our potential careers as emo band”) was dreamt up before that inception? limits to what we might decide to put musicians, but we’ll always have each by James and assorted other local James: “The biggest sonic in a song, and I don’t think we’ll other to hug.” musicians who subsequently became developments seem to be about write a track less than seven minutes Do you feel musically constrained at The E Band. Initially Xmas Lights cohesion. Before we would try and long anymore!” all either by your own internal was a local supergroup with vocalist put as many complicated awkward Who brings what to the Xmas Lights dynamics or people’s expectations of Marco Ruggiero on loan from Vena parts as we could in a song whereas table? what you should sound like? Umair: “My own interpretation is that we THERE’S ALSO A VERY DEFINITE don’t feel constrained, in fact we tend to go political edge to much of Xmas Lights’ against that constraint and try to find ideas material. Do they feel particularly political that are challenging to ourselves and other or is it simply a misanthropic streak making people. I hope the moment we start sounding itself known? like anyone else, or a parody of ourselves, is James: “I personally feel hugely political. I the moment we mutate into something else. am both a US and UK citizen so I have to 5K Luckily I think we have a formula which can watch both my countries go to hell right now, 32 perhaps be compared to other genres or which is very sad. But then politically we still bands, but unmistakably bears the mark and have a lot to be thankful for. Not least the feeling of Xmas Lights.” fact that we as a people are still allowed to Marco: “I think the main thing we all love speak up and raise issues, and while we don’t about this band is the freedom to do whatever fill all our songs with politics, it is a huge part we like. I believe that’s what true hardcore is of who we are.” all about: doing anything you feel. Quite in Umair: “I’m both misanthropic and contrast to what is termed as `hardcore’ these political! I think general awareness of events days, be it musically or in ethic.” has to be raised; people shouldn’t be so ready to accept what the mass media has to say. XMAS LIGHTS CAN BE A BLEAK We’re only being fed half-truths about the listen. Pounding industrial rhythms and a Middle East crises at the moment. level of mood that can vary from simmering Underneath it all there are always political menace to outright brutality, with spectral goals and objectives. With our lyrics we try choir samples and nagging piano rubbing up and convey these issues and infuse them with against raging guitars and rasping vocals do universality which can be applied to many not make for easy listening in anyone’s situations.” books, but Xmas Lights aren’t a po-faced Marco: “Lyrically, the vast majority of our bunch of hardcore purists. Tracks like ‘I Had songs are politically motivated. Umair and I To Choose Between My Legs and My Baby’ write all our own lyrics and despite feeling and ‘That’s Not A Beer Belly, It’s A Two I’m not physically doing as much as I could Stone Cyst’ suggest a good dose of humour in that respect, we try and make sure we’re in their music, albeit a pretty dark one. Is it writing about things that matter, rather than possible to be funny making this sort of being completely self obsessed. I’ve learnt music? Does hardcore suffer from being too more recently to appreciate what I’ve got a humourless at times? Bands like Butthole lot more and so don’t feel a great need to Surfers and Ministry rarely got credit for shout about how upset I am with the size of their humour. my cock or whatever, especially when James: “I think to play this sort of music there’s far more imperative issues going on you have to have a sense of humour. At its in the world. Getting even near a position heart heavy music is ridiculous; it’s a bunch where people might actually listening to what of guys shouting and making loads of noise you say, surely any rational person will use while a crowd hit each other! Try explaining that to attempt to bring attention to ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- that to your grandparents, its absurd! But it’s something worthwhile? More so if it’s SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- also great and we love it! The large reason something which you feel passionate about in DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- bands with humour don’t get recognised for some sense. I don’t shout in a song just 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 it is because far too many people in this because it fits, I shout because there’s too each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each world take far too many things too seriously many things that are going on in the world and fail to see that it is possible to be a that are unacceptable and that I’m as helpless Rehearsal studios in Central Bicester serious person with intelligent opinions and as anyone else in resolving these issues, which also be able to make jokes and act the fool consequently makes me feel angry with sometimes. People are more then a single myself and the lack of means for me to do Pearl Export Drum Kit, PA, facet of their personality, but it’s harder to anything about it.” Guitar & Bass Amps provided write about that so people become Bleak Xmas Lights may be at times but FREE * Cheap rates available caricatures for the public, which is kind of they’re a teddy bears’ picnic compared to * Free parking after 6pm sad really.” Umair’s myriad solo projects, notably Full weekdays * Gear storage Umair: “There’s definitely humour On Empty and Abandon, electronic-led available involved, and often sick humour. I think we projects that plumb the depths of can’t help but interpret the world with a desolation. In the flesh Umair is nothing The Courtyard Youth Arts Centre sense of irony, and tend to put that in the like as hostile and misanthropic as his music Launton Road, Bicester OX26 6DJ song titles. Part of what makes the music might suggest, but here’s a man who, asked interesting is the multi-faceted nature of it. to tell a joke suggest picturing “Jesus Christ Contact [email protected] or 01869 602555 The emotions range from hate to despair, with George Bush’s head superimposed, from sadness to humour, often within the holding a lamb with Tony Blair as its head.” course of a single song.” As such, we have to ask, who are the VENUE PHONE NUMBERS Marco: “The stigma that goes with being in bleakest band on the planet, ever? The Zodiac: 01865 420042 a heavier band is just hilarious. Although the Umair: “It’s pretty subjective I guess, and Point Promotions: 07711 628021 majority of bands have been really great to bands rarely stay bleak for the whole of The Bullingdon: 01865 244516 us and seem to have their feet firmly their careers. But I would have to give a The Wheatsheaf: 01865 721156 grounded as to who they actually are, others mention to Joy Division, there’s no greater The Exeter Hall: 01865 776431 are pure comedy in their self-conviction of proof of sincerity than someone’s suicide.” The Cellar: 01865 244761 their `metal-ness’. It appears even trying to Merry fucking Christmas, everyone. The New Theatre: 0870 606 3500 have a conversation with some of these Black Horse: 01865 373154 Nettlebed Folk Club: 01628 636620 people might even be termed as `un-metal’, Xmas Lights play alongside Foals and The Port Mahon: 01865 202067 judging by some of the reactions we’ve Andnostar at the Zodiac on Saturday Delicious Music: 07876 184623 rd previously got. I’d like to think of their 23 September. Check out The Victoria: 01865 554047 egos as the comedy element. They certainly www.myspace.com/xmaslights for news Brookes: 01865 484750 make me laugh anyway!” and music. TheMusic Market: 01865 248388 Sponsored RELEASED by

Experimental music can go wrong in so many ZUBY ways, but when it goes right it can create a whole new way of listening to music. Listening ‘Commercial to ‘Sunny Casinos’ is like the aural equivalent of looking at a slightly surreal old photo that’s Underground’ bleached out over the years, trying to decipher (Own Label) the intricate details that have blurred into each Heralding his arrival on the local scene with a other or half faded from view. Utilising violin, Nightshift Demo Of The Month, quickly glockenspiel, melodica and accordion alongside followed by a slot on the Punt in May, UK- drums and guitar, Jonquil create music that is born, Saudi-raised Oxford University student wholly organic – no laptops or sequencers – but Nzube Udezue has quickly established himself which sounds like it comes from the laboratory as one of the slickest and most lyrically of some future sci-fi soundscapists. Guitar accomplished rappers on the local scene. drones and fuzzes create washes of sound or This debut album avoids the main pitfall of background static while the more exotic contemporary rap albums from the off – at just instruments pad about them like wraiths. The over 30 minutes it’s half the length of most JONQUIL whole thing takes on a dreamlike feel, efforts and comes free of filler and instead occasionally, on the more intense tracks like packs in eight concise raps. ‘Sunny Casinos’ ‘Square Rigger’ with its clamouring psychedelic Aside from a few Oxford-centric lyrical chamber music ambience, becoming (Try Harder) references, Zuby takes his cue far more from disorientating. The more insistent ‘There Is No the American mega stars of hip hop than more Jonquil is the work of local sound Ian Bridgewater’ finds the electric guitar maverick local players like AJ or GTA, with experimentalist Hugo Manual, formerly of marching ominously amid scattershot beats and Jay-Z, Nas and even LL Cool J the overriding Oxford post-rockers The Modern. Initially a spiralling bouzouki. The aptly-named influences. Certainly Zuby manages to take bedroom-bound solo project Jonquil has ‘Woodstock’ is more sedate, akin to 60s acid some of Jay-Z’s ear for a tight melody as well expanded into a full live band affair with the folksters Magnet, although the atmosphere as his free-flowing laidback rap style. Precise, addition of members of Wait For Coniston, The created throughout the album is more a melting sometimes minimalist electro back-up replace Edmund Fitzgerald and AndNo Star. ‘Sunny pot of Brian Eno, Bert Jansch and Steve Reich. luxurious string samples, but the production Casino’ is the band’s debut album, released on A melting pot full of richness and imagination. makes the most of these and it’s a full-blooded Youth Movie Soundtrack Strategies’ Try Harder Something to lose yourself in. affair, unlike the often tinny affairs of bedroom label. Victoria Waterfield rappers; particularly cute are the cartoon backing vocals on the album’s stand-out track, ‘Start All Over’. Lyrically Zuby isn’t treading they are one of the most consistently any especially new ground; amid the calls for THE EVENINGS unpredictable and entertaining bands in town, this unity and love there are raps about clubs and ‘Let’s Go: Remixed’ remix album messes around some old material. girls, though there’s precious little self- As with any remix album some knowledge of the aggrandising macho bullshit, even if ‘Lyrical (Freedom Row) source material is helpful but not essential to Driveby Pt.2’ does offer to take on all-comers With the recently-downsized Evenings on enjoying the remixes and with basically a bunch of in a rap stand-off. On the strength of that track temporary hiatus, a full album from the band mates doing the tweeking (Smilex, Nervous- alone there would be few in Oxford who could looks unlikely any time soon, but while we Testpilot, Boywithatoy and Trademark being the keep up with, never mind touch him. make do with a clutch of EPs to remind us why most recognisable names) it has plenty of Dale Kattack potential to be a backslapping frenzy with the narrowest of niche appeal. Thankfully The Evenings’ krautrock-leaning electro experimentation lends itself well to being made over, compatible with Board Of Canada-style ambient canters (King of the Rumbling Spires’ ‘PA’), easy Eurotrance (Trademark’s ‘Minerals’) or more scattershot electro workouts. Special mention goes to Soundz’s discofied trance take on ‘Obvious Clocks’ and Nervous_testpilot’s high-speed gabba mash of ‘Pink Breakfast’, and while there’s a fair bit of filler across the album’s 70-minutes and nothing here quite matches the band’s own inventiveness it should satisfy Evenings devotees while they await a proper studio album when the band reconvene. 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 September’s Tastiest Gigs Saturdays @ The Music Market Delicious Music Entertainment in association with Up’n’Coming Entertainment presents 02 CENTURIES BURNING + Pawel Kuterba 09 BORDERVILLE + Holiday In Vietnam 16 NOT MY DAY + Full Metal Waistcoat 23 CLONE RADIO + Centuries Burning 30 MOOCHER + She Cries + Filip Saelen 4 quid entry + EVERY SAT – RESIDENT DJ SHAKER+TWIS Sundays @ Market Tavern September Weekly Electric Open Mic Jam / 8pm Free! Tuesdays @ Pizza Express, Cornmarket LIVE JAZZ & MORE – Downstairs in Bar Milano / 8pm Every Monday 05 PAWEL KUTERBA JAZZ DUO THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES 12FILIP MARS DUO The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 19 JAZZ EMPORIUM 4th THE HITMAN BLUES BAND (USA) 26 LOS HOMBRES th (USA) Wednesdays – Weekly Acoustic Open Mic @ 11 BARRY ‘THE FISH’ MELTON th Smollenskys, Park End Street / 8pm / Free Entry 18 THE OLLY ALCOCK BAND (UK) Fridays @ Smollenskys Live Jazz & More 25th ANGELA BROWN & THE 45s (USA/UK) 01 The Jazz Emporium 08 Los Hombres 15 Pawel Kuterba Jazz Duo Every Tuesday 22 The Jazz Menagerie 29 Neil & Sandro Jazz Duo THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB COMING SOON to SMOLLENSKYS The Oxford Piano Bar Free live jazz with THE TOM GREY QUINTET plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am DEMOS to: DMR LTD 99 St ALDATES – (*except Tues 26th - Alvin Roy) T 01865 242784 M 07876 184623 FOR BOOKINGS email [email protected] Every Friday BACKROOM BOOGIE thethe portport mmahonahon Funk, soul and R&B. 9-2am Free B4 10pm; £4 after. Live Music in September Plus Saturday 2nd SIMPLE (funky house) 9-2am Fri 1st Kate Chadwick Thu 14th Sunnyvale Noise Wednesday 6th COMEDY CLUB – Live Stand Up nd Sat 2 Farewell To Summer Sub-Elements + with ALISTER BALLIE + Ron VAUERY plus All-Dayer – featuring The Nervous_testpilot + Lind Rock Of Travolta + The Walk Optical compere Silky. 7.30-11pm; £6.50 th Off + Dusty Sound System + Fri 15th Oxford Folk Club Saturday 9 HIP HOP & DRUM’N’BASS Brother Francisco + Palace Sat 16th Phil White (acoustic) Club Night. 9-3am Of Righteous Justice + + Sleepless + Bhasker Thursday 14th BROKEN JACK + FLIES ARE th smokers Prohibition Club + Sun 17 The Great Eskimo SPIES FROM HELL + HUSTLER Co-Pilgrim + Twat Daddies + Hoax + Photo Wingback – starts 2pm. Thu 21st Diatribe + Rocket (live bands night). 8pm; £4 Tickets, price £6, on sale Fall Saturday 16th REGGAE NIGHT. 9-3am now from wegottickets.com Fri 22nd Oxford Folk Club Sunday 17th TEMPLE + UNDERTOW Sun 3rd Melodic Oxford Sat 23rd The Idea th (live bands night) presents Zelega + Dear Sun 24 Pindrop st Bridge + Glockenspiel Performance with Jonquil + Thursday 21 TOXIN – Student Club Night – house, Thu 7th Port Mayhem Anna Loque + Gary Curran drum’n’bass. 9-2am; £4. Cheap drink deals. Fri 8th Oxford Folk Club (starts 5pm) Saturday 23rd HIP HOP NIGHT. 9-3am. Sat 9th True Rumour Mon 25th Colins Of Paradise Sunday 24th HANZA + support (live bands night) th th Sun 10 Kate Chadwick Tue 26 Hangman Joe Thursday 28th TOXIN – Student Club Night. Mon 11th Jacob’s Story + Wed 27th Dead Spies th Rebecca Mosley Thu 28th Macaca Mulatta + Saturday 30 ROADRUNNER Tue 12th Dots’n’Stops + Divine Coils Redox Fri 29th Oxford Folk Club Sun 3rd September Wed 13th Oxford Improvisers Sat 30th Joe Allen THE SELECTER – Two Tone legends. Book your band into play at Oxford’s best small music venue! Tickets £12 from The Bully 82 St Clements, Oxford. Tel: 01865 202067 gig guide

FRIDAY 1st with local heroes Winnebago Deal now established BUNKFEST: Various Venues, Wallingford – SEPTEMBER as his backing band, one of rock’s most fearsome First day of the annual town festival with live characters brings those songs to life, from music, ceilidhs, beer festival and more. pummelling speed-punk to slower stoner-blues section of local talents and out of town guests KLUB KAKOFANNEY with RAGGASAURUS that hark back to his Kyuss days. Fearsome stuff, with headliners The Rock Of Travolta now firmly + NON-STOP TANGO + IAN STAPLES + and very, very loud. back among the Oxford rocking elite after their ANTON BARBEAU: The Wheatsheaf – Dub THE HITMAN BLUES BAND: The Bullingdon showing at Truck. Truck supremo Robin Bennett, and ragga-tinged rock from Raggasaurus, plus the – American blues-rock band, covering all bases, meanwhile, brings his Dusty Soundsystem to the return of US songsmith Anton Barbeau. from Delta blues to Texan swing, Chicago blues to party for some country rocking action. There’s KATE CHADWICK: The Port Mahon – surf and r’n’b, fronted by singer and guitarist also digital hardcore noise from The Walk Off, Campfire country-folk cosiness from the local Russell Alexander gothic grunge from Harry Angel and, best of the songstress. THE HEIDI TALBOT TRIO: Nettlebed Folk out of town brigade, narcotic drone-rock from THE JAZZ EMPORIUM: Smollenskys Club Brother Francisco – one of the unexpected treats BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon th of Truck weekend. Ten hours of live music for a TUESDAY 5 nd SATURDAY 2 fiver. Can’t be bad. ROCCO DELUCA & THE BURDEN: The THE ROCK OF TRAVOLTA + PALACE OF BUNKFEST: Various Venues, Wallingford Zodiac – Subject of the recent ‘I Trust You To RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE + THE WALK OFF + BRICKWORK LIZARDS + THE BANJO Kill Me’ documentary – also the title of their HARRY ANGEL + DUSTY SOUND SYSTEM + BAND + REBECCA MOSLEY: The debut album – blues guitarist and singer Rocca CO-PILGRIM + WINGBACK + BROTHER Wheatsheaf – Local bands night featuring Deluca (the son of one of Bo Diddley’s backing FRANCISCO + SMOKERS PROHIBITION eclectic world sounds from Brickwork Lizards plus band) was ‘discovered’ by none other than Keifer CLUB + THE TWAT DADDIES + MORRISON atmospheric folk-pop from Rebecca Mosley. Sutherland who signed him to his Ironworks label STEAM FAYRE ACOUSTIC: The Port Mahon CENTURIES BURNING + PAWEL KUTERBA: and even tour managed him for the filming of the (1pm) – Billed as a farewell to the summer (hey, The Music Market show (he was later sacked and proclaimed it was a it’s felt like winter in our office for the past SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house. blessed relief). Pretty standard stuff, if fortnight), this all-dayer delivers a decent cross- REDOX: The General Elliot, Hinksey (3pm) commercial, mixing up standard rock riffage with – First of a many gigs for the local swamp-pop elements of blues and country. JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: Sunday 3rd festival funk band this month. SUNDAY 3rd The Bullingdon AIDEN: The Zodiac DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ NIGHT: Bar DIRTY EARTH BAND + THE CORSAIRS: Milano, Pizza Express – With guest Pawel Having a pop at Aiden is rather easier than The New Theatre – Local rock covers favourites Kuterba. shooting fish in the proverbial barrel. The Dirty Earth Band play an ambitious benefit for ABORT RETRY FAIL? With POST-WAR Seattle emo rockers have been accused of local children’s and youth charities at Oxford’s YEARS + NAPOLEON III + THE WALK OFF: ripping off both My Chemical Romance and biggest live music venue. Well established on the The Cellar – Jerky post-punk and funk in an AFI, and in fact they even managed to cover local scene DEB crank out plenty of crowd- XTC-meets-Gang Of Four style from Post-War the same Misfits songs as MCR a while pleasing hits and rock classics, while Corsairs Years at tonight’s electro club night. back for a Kerrang! CD, but it hasn’t relive rock’n’roll and rockabilly glory days with ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC SESSION: The stopped the band becoming seriously big original material and a few choice covers. Hobgoblin, Bicester – Free pint for all news and tonight’s gig is bound to be packed AIDEN + BAYSIDE: The Zodiac – Mallgoth performers. heroes continue their angst-ridden rise – see main to the rafters. Sporting AFI’s mall-goth look OPEN MIC SESSION: Mangos, Cowley Road preview and with frontman Wil Francis utilising the th THE SELECTER: The Bullingdon – The Two WEDNESDAY 6 patented “feel my pain” emo lyricism they Tone hitmakers return once again for a night of BRITISH SEA POWER: The Zodiac – neatly package melodic punk-pop into easy serious skanking fun. Pauline Black and band run Following on from last November’s show at to digest three-minute bursts. Signed through the classic tunes - ‘Missing Words’, Brookes, British Sea Power make another trip to (surpise, surprise) to Victory Records on the ‘Three-Minute Hero’ and ‘On My Radio’ – plus back of a recommendation by Silverstein, plenty of new songs, displaying a fresh dancier Aiden have gigged their way to emo edge supremacy. This year alone they’ve been BUNKFEST: Various Venues, Wallingford part of a Kerrang! package tour, supported MELODIC OXFORD with ZELEGA + DEAR HIM on tour and headlined the 2006 BRIDGE + GLOCKENSPIEL: The Port Warped tour, all in support of new album Mahon `Rain In Hell’. Along the way Francis ELECTRIC OPEN MIC JAM: The Music managed to fall off the stage mid-song and Market break his finger. Feel his pain indeed. SUEDE ALIEN: Black Horse, Kidlington MONDAY 4th AMP FIDDLER: The Zodiac – Former Parliament and Funkadelic fella goes soulful and solo – see main preview NICK OLIVERI & HIS MONDO GENERATOR: The Zodiac – One-time Dwarves and Queens Of The Stones Age lunatic (he got the axe from both bands for being too rock and roll – some achievement in both cases) returns to the Zodiac after last summer’s monolithic showing. Having just recorded a new album, ‘Dead World: Sonic Slow Motion Trails’ at Dave Grohl’s studio upbeat country-pop. Chuck in the odd cover KATE CHADWICK: The Port Mahon version of OutKast or Violent Femmes and you’re FUSED: Black Horse, Kidlington away. Tapdancing percussionist Jamie Williams, MONDAY 11th along with singer Neely Jenkins are old bandmates ABERFELDY: The Zodiac – Twee kitchen sink with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and the band were pop from Edinburgh’s boy-girl collective playing the first act to be signed to Saddle Creek. a sweet, ramshackle indie pop that’s THE FAMILY MACHINE + THE EPSTEIN: The unsurprisingly in thrall to fellow Scots Teenage Cellar – Darkly humorous country-tinged pop Fanclub, Ballboy and Belle & Sebastian. from The Family Machine, plus country rockers BARRY ‘THE FISH’ MELTON: The The Epstein. Bullingdon – Veteran bluesman, born in New SABOTAGE: The Zodiac – Weekly dose of new York but better known as a San Francisco Bay metal, hardcore and alternative rock tunes. Area musician, particularly as guitarist with JUNKIE BRUSH + PHOTO + THE BERTS: Country Joe & The Fish as well as psychedelic The Hobgoblin, Bicester – Melodic new wave side project Dinosaur. His current band also and punk-inspired noise from Junkie Brush, plus features Peter Albin, formerly of Big Brother & indie rocking from Photo. The Holding Company. Barry is also a criminal PORT MAYHEM: The Port Mahon - Acoustic defence lawyer when he’s not playing guitar. bands night. There’s not many bluesmen can say that now, are SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks – Aidan Larkin there? and guests play reggae, ska, Latin, funk and JACOB’S STORY + REBECCA MOSLEY: Afrobeat. The Port Mahon OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon PATRICK STREET: Nettlebed Folk Club Monday 4th CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford th Community Centre – The long-running all- TUESDAY 12 AMP FIDDLER: comers music and performance club returns after THE VIEW: The Zodiac – Punky indie noise a summer break with singers, musicians, poets and from Dundee’s The View, newly signed to Rough The Zodiac more. Trade A&R man James Endeacott’s 1965 label and already celebrating a Top 20 hit with ‘Wasted Joseph ‘Amp’ Fiddler might not be a th FRIDAY 8 Little DJ’. Recent tour support to Babyshambles household name but as part of George NIZLOPI: The Zodiac – Folk club faves with and owing no small musical debt to Pete Doherty Clinton’s Parliament and Funkadelic, as well ‘JCB Song’ number one to their credit return to and co. as a member of doo-wop hitmakers club venue life – see main preview JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: Enchanted, he’s been part of some of the BUCKCHERRY: The Zodiac – LA sleaze- The Bullingdon most influential black music of the last 30 metallers of the old school, fronted by crazy years. The Detroit-based keyboard player frontman Joshua Todd. In the grand tradition of Friday 8th travelled the world as an integral part of each LA rock beasts they doff their caps to band he joined – he has also worked with Guns’n’Roses, The Stooges, and Aerosmith. Their NIZLOPI: The Zodiac debut album was produced by Sex Pistols guitarist Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai – but When ‘JCB Song’ gatecrashed the charts at Steve Jones while now, having reformed in 2002, with the birth of his son, he took time off the number 1 last year and nearly stole the they’re promoting new album ‘Fifteen’. road to make his own music. His debut solo Christmas top spot from vile X-Factor album, ‘Waltz Of A Ghetto Flyway’, was KILL CASINO: The Wheatsheaf – Furious garage rocking and grunge noise from recent muppet Shane Ward, Nizlopi became an steeped in the sounds of funk and soul’s Truck Festival stars Kill Casino, coming on like overnight sensation. One that took a mere 14 heyday as well as moving into more electronic early Hole. years to happen. Singer and guitarist Luke music. This year he releases a follow-up, ANTON BARBEAU: The Music Market – 60s- Concannon and double bassist and human `Afrostrut’, and this gig will be his first visit inspired songsmith returns to the UK for another beatboxer John Parker met and started writing to Oxford, so make the most of it. round of gigs in support of his new album songs together at school in their early teens LOS HOMBRES: Smollenskys and had already made a name for themselves Oxford, continuing their slow but sure rise up the OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon on the UK folk circuit long before they British indie rock ranks to the point where they BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Live jazz enjoyed their moment of chart glory. Based in can almost see Arctic Monkey’s coat-tails. It dance with Oi Va Voi. Leamington Spa they’re about as unlikely shouldn’t be so – the band’s glorious debut single, THE PETE FRYER BAND + STRANGE VIBES: pop stars as it’s possible to get but Luke’s ‘Remember Me’, preceded most of the new wave The General Elliot, Hinksey soulful voice, part Paul Simon, part Tracy revivalists by some months, while the band’s self- BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Chapman, coupled with doleful lyrics and th consciously eccentric stage shows (military SATURDAY 9 some imaginative songwriting, have made uniforms, plastic animals and much foliage) and GOG + CITY LIGHTS JUST BURN: The them a live favourite; this summer alone off-stage pursuits (orienteering, campaigning for Wheatsheaf they’ve played festivals as diverse as The Big the reintroduction of manned lighthouses) go BORDERVILLE + HOLIDAY IN VIETNAM: Chill, Wireless and the Cambridge Folk beyond the usual art-house activities of the early- The Music Market Festival. With virtually no hype and off their 80s acolytes. With the modest success of debut TRUE RUMOUR: The Port Mahon – Local own backs – they started their own label to album, ‘The Decline of British Sea Power’ and 80s-influenced atmospheric popsters. release ‘JCB’ as well as their debut album - last year’s follow-up, ‘Open Season’, the band HIP HOP CLUB NIGHT: The Bullingdon they did well to upset the corporate apple have constantly displayed a keen grasp of the SUNDAY 10th cart and now they’re back on home ground, understated, awkward pop sensibilities that made SCOTT MATTHEWS: The Zodiac – Eclectic playing intimate club dates, only this time their major inspirations (The Bunnymen, Joy and intimate mix of rock, soul and funk from the round everyone knows their name. Division) such stars. Wolverhampton singer-songwriter, drawing OPEN MIC SESSION: Marlborough House inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, Joni OPEN MIC SESSION: Smollenskys Mitchell and Robert Johnson. th THURSDAY 7 BEARD MUSEUM with ROSE KEMP + TILLY & THE WALL: The Zodiac – We’ve seen DANIEL RACHEL + NORTH SEA some strange things in bands before but never a NAVIGATOR: The Purple Turtle – Alluringly band with a tapdancer instead of a drummer. But dark indie rocking from Rose Kemp in a PJ that’s Nebraska’s Tilly & The Wall for you: Harvey vein at tonight’s Beard Museum, possibly this year’s most life-affirming bunch of promoting her new single, ‘Violence’. pop optimists, mixing up 60s girls group ELECTRIC OPEN MIC JAM: The Music sweetness with some Latin spirit and a spot of Market THURSDAY 14th seventh album, ‘Stabbing The Drama’, having BROKEN JACK + FLIES ARE SPIES FROM toured with Killswitch Engage and In Flames. HELL + HUSTLER: The Bullingdon – Ambient JAZZ CLUB with THE TOM GREY QUINTET: indie rocking from Reading’s Broken Jack, plus The Bullingdon post-rock sounds from Brookes band Flies Are DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ NIGHT: Bar Spies. Milano, Pizza Express – With Jazz Emporium. SUNNYVALE NOISE SUB-ELEMENT + OPEN MIC SESSION: Mangos, Cowley Road th NERVOUS_TESTPILOT + LIND OPTICAL: WEDNESDAY 20 The Port Mahon – Crunched-up rock spite from OPEN MIC SESSION: Marlborough House Sunnyvale, twisting Shellac’s skeletal frame across OPEN MIC SESSION: Smollenskys Squarepusher’s bruising electro rack. Gabba mash- THURSDAY 21st Monday 18th up fun from NTP. THE WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT + DIRTY NOUGHT + SPLEEN Vs IDEAL + MAI MAYO SCI-FI: The Zodiac – London robo-rockers on LOVE IS ALL: MAI: The Cellar – Incendiary instrumental rock the rise – see main preview action from the mighty jazz-core leviathan that THEY DON’T SLEEP + FLIES ARE SPIES The Zodiac is Nought, plus support from the splendid Spleen FROM HELL + VESTIBULE: The Cellar – Vs Ideal who we can only describe as the Fall gone Currently Nightshift’s favourite new band Tumultuous guitar-rock carnage from They Don’t industrial gabba. of the year, Gothenburg’s Love Is All Sleep, in a Mogwai stylee. SABOTAGE: The Zodiac DIATRIBE + ROCKET FALL: The Port Mahon encapsulate all that was so refreshing and SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks maverick about the post-punk era. Not for SABOTAGE: The Zodiac OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks them ripped-off Bunnymen riffs or Gang Of CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Four’s basslines; the five-piece rebel OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Community Centre CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford revellers fuse together a real mixed bag of FRIDAY 15th influences, from John Coltrane and early Community Centre THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS + DARTZ! + THE Roxy Music to X-Ray Spex and Altered LITTLE EXPLORER: The Wheatsheaf – Images. The result, as heard so splendidly Oxford’s most improved young band TTNG st on debut album ‘Nine Times That Same release their debut single, ‘Hippy Jam Fest’, this Thursday 21 Song’, is an effervescent blast of pure party month on Big Scary Monsters, treading an WHITE ROSE pop music which flowers in a dozen alternately noisy and melodic indie rock path. different directions at any time. From New wave / hardcore crossover mayhem from MOVEMENT: super-sweet glockenspiel-led slowies to Dartz! In support. crazed sax-led blasts of jazz-punk, they’re TEDDY THOMPSON: The Zodiac – Genteel The Zodiac both disarmingly poppy and startlingly off- singer-songwriter fare from the offspring of Last Autumn Nightshift drove over 200 the-wall. John Peel was – unsurprisingly – a English folk legend Richard Thompson. miles back to Oxford at breakneck speed to big fan from the off, giving the band a PAWEL KUTERBA JAZZ DUO: Smollenskys catch White Rose Movement’s Zodiac session before they’d even recorded a single, OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon debut. Mainly because we’d fallen in love BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon and it’s been all uphill since then, with robot-woman keyboard player Taxxi th culminating in a rapturously-received show SATURDAY 16 after watching the video to ‘Love Is A at SXSW, while early import copies of the SUSPICION OF AFFRAY + GEHENNA + 20/ Number’ on the band’s website. And was it album sold out in the UK within a few 20 VISION + ARKANGEL: The Zodiac – Metal worth the trip? Absolutely. White Rose days. Never mind the new wave revival, the night at the Zodiac with the first gig back in Movement, based on London, formed in a real new wave is still alive and kicking here. action for Suspicion Of Affray, formerly known Norfolk commune, are named after an anti- as Near Life Experience, plus a local supporting Nazi student movement in 1940s Germany DOTS AND STOPS + REDOX: Port Mahon cast. (all of whom were executed) and revisit that DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ NIGHT: Bar NOT MY DAY + FULL METAL WAISTCOAT: lost era of classic synth-pop. Frontman Milano, Pizza Express – Featuring The Filip The Music Market Finn Vines may harbour an Ian Curtis Mars Duo. PHIL WHITE + SLEEPLESS + BHASKER: The fixation on stage and there are nods to New WEDNESDAY 13th Port Mahon FRESH OUT OF THE BOX: The Cellar – Live Order in the throbbing basslines but it’s to OXFORD IMPROVISORS: The Port Mahon the likes of Depeche Mode, DAF and early – Freeform jam session. performance from five-deck, reggae-influenced breakbeats crew Apply The Breaks. Duran Duran that White Rose Movement OPEN MIC SESSION: Marlborough House owe their sound. Having supported The OPEN MIC SESSION: Smollenskys REGGAE NIGHT: The Bullingdon SUNDAY 17th Rakes, The Kills and Soulwax the band released debut album ‘Kick’ on TEMPLE + UNDERTOW + MORE: The Independiente earlier this year and are now Bullingdon – Local bands night. headlining on their own. From disco punk to ELECTRIC OPEN MIC JAM: The Music Market atmospheric synth-pop and the darker edges THE GREAT ESKIMO HOPE + PHOTO: The of new wave, they’re more than worth the Port Mahon – Glitchy indie rocking from trip across town. Or half the length of the Birmingham’s Great Eskimo Hoax, plus new UK if you must wave-inspired pop from Photo. THE INFLATABLES: Black Horse, Kidlington MONDAY 18th LOVE IS ALL: The Zodiac – Excellent new wave madness out of Sweden – see main preview THE OLLY ALCOCK BAND: The Bullingdon – Cumbrian bluesman and veteran of a succession of 60s rock bands, now playing blues classics and a few originals. TUESDAY 19th SOILWORK: The Zodiac – Rising stars of the Swedish metal scene, adding a melodic edge to their death metal roots, currently promoting nd they’re quite capable of making it big in their own FRIDAY 22 right. THEA GILMORE: The Zodiac – Oxford-born, BUDGIE: The Zodiac – Return of the 70s hard Midlands-based folkstress who, along with the rock veterans. likes of Kathryn Williams and Kate Rusby, has JAZZ CLUB with ALVIN ROY: The revitalised English traditional folk over the last Bullingdon decade. After touring with Joan Baez in the States, HANGMAN JOE: The Port Mahon Thea returns for a UK tour in support of new DELICIOUS MUSIC JAZZ NIGHT: Bar album ‘Harpo’s Ghost’. Milano, Pizza Express – With Latin guitar duo SKYLARKIN’: The Zodiac – Fourth birthday Los Hombres. bash for the enduringly popular dance club, th playing a goodly selection of ska, reggae, dub, WEDNESDAY 27 funk, Latin and Afrobeat. Tonight’s party features DEAD SPIES: The Port Mahon Friday 29th live sets from The Nextmen, featuring MC Wrec OPEN MIC SESSION: Marlborough House as well as regulars The Nine Ton Peanut OPEN MIC SESSION: Smollenskys SPARKLEHORSE: Smugglers and host DJ Aidan Larkin. THURSDAY 28th The Zodiac THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Magdalen SIKTH + ARCHITECTS: The Zodiac – The Arms UK’s best metal band? Hard to argue with that Mark Linkous releases his first album in THE JAZZ MENAGERIE: Smollenskys banner hanging over their head since Watford’s over five years this month, ‘Dreamt For OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon monstrous riffmongers feature the splendid Lightyears In The Belly Of A Mountain’, BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon spectacle of a dual vocal attack that sees a rabid slightly less of a tongue twister than his SATURDAY 23rd hyena go up against the troll from Three Billy 1995 debut, XMAS LIGHTS + FOALS + AND NO STAR + Goats Gruff. Like Extreme Noise Terror with ‘Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot’, but REMEMBER THE FLOOD: The Zodiac – This bigger guitars. Nice. one equally infused with Linkous’ month’s cover stars go head-to-head with PEGGY SEEGER: Rover Sports & Social introspective, melancholic spirit and surreal labelmates Foals, two of the most esoteric rock Club, Romanway, Cowley – Rare local lyrical imagery. Alongside Will Oldham and acts in town, with Xmas Light’s proggy hardcore appearance from the pioneering protest singer Smog’s Bill Callahan, Linkous (who to all and Foals’ disco-fied post-rock. Spiky and former wife of Ewan MaColl (he wrote ‘The intents and purposes is Sparklehorse) is one instrumental rockers And No Star support. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ about her). of the great contemporary American roots CLONE RADIO + CENTURIES BURNING: Famed for her children’s folk songs and songs songwriters, mixing up traditional country The Music Market – Funk rock from Clone about the 60s women’s movement (including and folk sounds with a subtle 60s-style Radio at tonight’s Delicious Music bands ‘Gonna Be An Engineer’) she, along with Paul psychedelia and all manner of obsolete and showcase. Robeson, was victimised by America’s antique instrumentation. The new album McCarthyite censorship and stripped of her US THE IDEA: The Port Mahon follows Linkous’ trademark search for citizenship until 1998 and remains a radical HIP HOP CLUB NIGHT: The Bullingdon haunted beauty in musical form and presence on the world folk scene. Tonight’s gig is th features, amongst other guest appearances, SUNDAY 24 a benefit in aid of Ruskin College. THE BLUETONES: The Zodiac – Good grief, FLIPRON + BORDERVILLE + STORNAWAY: Tom Waits, Dangermouse and Flaming Lips’ are they back again already? Haven’t these The Cellar – Moody folk and country pop from Stephen Drodz. Linkous has a reputation as people got homes to go to? Flipron, plus theatrical glam rocking and funk an inconsistent live performer. His last show BEARD MUSEUM with THE JOFF WINKS from Borderville. at the Zodiac veered on farcical and early in BAND + JONNY RACE: The Purple Turtle – MACACA MULATTA + THE DIVINE COILS: his career Mark was hospitalised and spent Promising psychedelic jazz-pop from Joff and The Port Mahon – Former Rhesus and Art Brut many months confined to a wheelchair as a chums, plus energetic indie rocking from Jonny people return with new band Macaca Mulatta, result of an overdose of anti-depressants. Race. while local drone terrorists Divine Coils conjure But beyond the personal problems that no PINDROP PERFORMANCE with JONQUIL up dark soundscapes. doubt fan his creative flame, lies a singer and + ANNA LOQUE + GARY CURRAN: The SABOTAGE: The Zodiac songwriter of not inconsiderable splendour. Port Mahon (5pm) - Dreamy, spooked SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks ambience from Jonquil, with support from OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon ethereal popstrel Anna Loque and jazz and blues CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon singer Gary Curran. Community Centre NEIL & SANDRO JAZZ DUO: Smollenskys HANZA: The Bullingdon – Skewed indie rock. FRIDAY 29th REDOX + STRANGE VINTAGE: The General ELECTRIC OPEN MIC JAM: The Music Elliot, Hinksey Market SPARKLEHORSE: The Zodiac – Somnambulant country romance from Mark HQ: The Cellar – Drum&bass club night. THE CORAIRS: Black Horse, Kidlington SATURDAY 30th MONDAY 25th Linkous – see main preview GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with HALF RABBITS + HARRY ANGEL + ANGELA BROWN & THE MIGHTY 45s: The FIREWORKS NIGHT + SCROOBIUS PIP + WITCHES: The Zodiac – Launch gig for Half Bullingdon – Live blues and rock. INACUN: The Zodiac - Rabbits’ new EP, with support from local THE ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT: The THE WORKHOUSE + THE DELTA favourites Harry Angel and Witches. Zodiac – Quite excellent tub-thumping FREQUENCY + JONQUIL + TWAT TROT ROADRUNNER: The Bullingdon – Mod, ska, psychedelic garage rock from Domino signings TRA LA: The Wheatsheaf – Spangled Britpop and 60s sounds plus live bands. Archie Bronson, currently promoting ace new instrumental soundscaping from the mighty MOOCHER + SHE CRIES + FILIP SAELEN: single ‘Cherry Lips’. Workshop, back in action and promoting ace The Music Market – Local bands night. COLINS OF PARADISE + LES second album, ‘Flyover’, after an injury-hit JUNKIE BRUSH: The Wheatsheaf – Old CLOCHARDS: The Port Mahon summer. Gothic rock flamboyance from The school punk and New Wave thrash from the local th TUESDAY 26 Delta Frequency in support alongside esoteric pop faves. BREED 77 + HIDING PLACE + BOMBSHOE: experimenters Jonquil and strangely-shaped ROLLERCOASTER Vs CHICKS WITH The Zodiac – Post-grunge thrash metallers newcomers Twat Trot Tra La. DECKS: The Cellar originally from Gibraltar but long-since relocated BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon JOE ALLEN: The Port Mahon to London and setting their sights high with the release of new album ‘In My Blood’, the follow- up to 2004’s acclaimed ‘Cultura’. Adding a Latin edge and some middle eastern atmospherics to their heavy-duty riffage they’ve drawn Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no comparisons to Alice In Chains and System Of A exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. This Down, but as chart hit, ‘The River’, proved, gig guide is copyright of Nightshift Magazine and may not be reproduced without permission. JUANA MOLINA LIVE The Phoenix Picturehouse The Phoenix Cinema, like Oxford’s Spanish) and plays guitar. MOMA, does not often stage Her control over this squirming concerts but when it does they are soundworld, which often threatens to DRUGDEALER CHEERLEADER usually something special and a little take on a life of its own, is out of the ordinary. This is impressive. In fact part of the The Bullingdon especially true of Argentinean Juana success of this music is the way that To be honest I really wasn’t looking its dogged determination to be Molina whose current UK tour is it does cohere in an organic whole, forward to this: a band with one of unfashionable in every way, as if it largely restricted to art cinemas. with the electronic instruments the worst names in Christendom who that’s a virtue in itself. Perhaps tonight’s venue is not the adding colour and texture to songs proudly name Motley Crue as an There are moments tonight when we most atmospheric venue around; it which are essentially direct and influence. Well, the experience rose could all have been transported back feels a little too much like a lecture poetic. Among current UK groups, above this inauspicious introduction, to the 80s, a few girls dancing self- theatre but does offer an intimate Pram share some of the same quirky but not by a huge margin. Drugdealer consciously at the front, the lads space to absorb music that repays and uncompromising methods, Cheerleader are an extremely swigging lager at the back, unwilling close attention and involvement. though perhaps Robert Wyatt is the proficient five-piece rock band who to commit. Which brings us to a Juana Molina has an intriguing artist she has most in common with. put on a professional show and exude slightly uncomfortable area. Heavy background. Hugely popular in her Live, some of Juana Molina’s songs ambition from every pore. They look rock has traditionally been a working- native Argentina as a comedienne, have a keener dramatic edge that on great, the riffs are fairly original and class pursuit in this country, or at with her own successful TV show, she record, particularly darker pieces like they’ve got a few half-decent songs. least one where simple, then abandoned showbiz celebrity to ‘Las Culpas’ from the last album. But The drummer lets the side down a bit; straightforward musical and lyrical carve an increasingly her music is mercifully resistant to his timing’s alright but he doesn’t concepts take precedence over fey uncompromising niche as a producer categorisation. The condescending score much for imagination. The sophistication. Mark E Smith of The of strange and beautiful songs and label of ‘world music’ hardly means bassist and lead guitarist are terrific, Fall complains that middle-class kids soundscapes - imagine Dawn French anything to anyone these days, while while the singer’s competent but only make music because they can’t succeeding in a second career as a the tag of folktronica, is usually hardly Axl Rose. The new single ‘I be arsed to work for a living, whereas female Brian Eno. Her last three applied to acts with one tenth of the Don’t Wanna Go To School’ is a feel- to the working class music and albums, including this year’s ‘Son’ invention on display here. Humour good, catchy number that deserves a football are their only chance of ever (Sound), form a stunning body of and wit are also rich ingredients in the bit of success, and within rock circles seeing real money. A highly simplistic work. Alone on stage with acoustic mix - ‘Un Beso Llega’, not played it’ll doubtless achieve some, but I position, but there’s a valid point in guitar she succeeds remarkably well tonight, includes a chaotic wail of really doubt whether they’ll break their somewhere. Drugdealer in recreating the aural textures from mewling cats - while in ‘El Perro’ she through beyond it. The songs bounce Cheerleader give the impression that the recordings, aided by an delivers a brilliant range of canine along nicely but none are likely to be this is their job and, like them or not, impressive bank of synthesisers and impersonations, from barking to seen troubling the pop charts. The they take pride in their work. electronic wizardry. Typically, she’ll plaintive whining. How many of curious thing about heavy rock is Art Lagun play a melody line or rhythm on the today¹s leading creative musicians keyboard and then loop it, might also have benefited from an successfully building up and shaping a early career in Latin American strange and complex collage of comedy. Ruskin College sounds over which she then sings (in Steve Thompson Presents Peggy Seeger in Concert TWAT DADDIES The Port Mahon Whilst perhaps not the most poetic of guitars, resulting in comedy rock of monikers, Twat Daddies is one of that lacks a discernable punch line. the most winsomely dumb band Meanwhile, a typically ramshackle names I’ve encountered in some track - on which bassist Twat Daddy time. Bringing to mind the juvenile Andy delivers the line “I’m well fun of MC Pitman and countless fucking higher than you” in OxBow- Your Songs, it’s a name which esque growls and gurgles - should be positively drips with the promise of played to kids in secondary school as ‘ironic’ student larking. It may not proof positive that drugs are not a be the most highly respected of road to coolness. styles, but it often has a so-shit-it’s- Although guitarist and vocalist Twat great silliness that can hit the spot Daddy Kev has a certain ageing rock more sophisticated endeavours just star flair to him, the band as a whole can’t reach. exude all the energy of a narcoleptic Proceeds to Ruskin College However, it emerges Twat Daddies sloth whose drink has been spiked harbour aspirations towards proper with Rohypnol. Their virtually static musicianship. Well, sort of, anyway. postures underscore the tedium of Adopting a plug-it-in-and-away-we- their set. go approach, they thrash out This is the kind of musical scrappy sub-Snuff ditties with nary a masturbation that should never have Support act: Maeve Bayton care for tuning or timing. Nah, we’re been allowed outside of the bedroom too punk for that! The volume is in which it all seemed like such a Venue: Romanway, Rover (Oxford) Sport and Social Club cranked up to eleven, but the music good idea. Twat Daddies fail to live Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 5NL is so muffled that it sounds as though up to the promise of their name – Event Date: 28th September 2006 / 7pm it couldn’t quite be arsed to rouse and to the majority of people who Ticket Price: £13 / £11 concessions itself for the gig and has elected to probably thought it was a pretty To book contact: Orlagh Muldoon on 01865 517 812 remain swaddled in its duvet instead. rubbish name in the first place, let or email:[email protected] Lyrics conceived on Spinal Tap’s sex that serve as a warning. farm are all but lost beneath a dirge Emily Gray GUNNBUNNY / MONDO PHILIP ROEBUCK / KTB / LUKE SMITH CADA / COBRA THE MULES QI Bar Ssshhhh…It’s the sound of the crowd through a lot The Music Market Port Mahon of Luke Smith’s set tonight. This is the problem From the base of the venue’s stairs (where I am I have great respect for bands willing to inject a bit with the QI Bar as a venue. It’s a nice little bar parked for their set), and even through a closed of fun back into music, and with their self described with its comfy seats and drinks in over-sized test door, Cobra seem to make a sheer fucking unholy ‘electrobilly’ sound, The Mules fulfil my tubes but it doesn’t lend itself to being a good gig racket that on a stronger day I’ll feel man enough expectations and are a genuine hoot. A fiddle environment. Tonight’s show is in a very small side to take on. They sound like the 1980s American sounding like a whistling kettle, clackity snaps room with no door just off the main bar. There’s teen movie parents’ impression of the evil music from drummer/vocalist Ed Seed and buzzing Moog no way all the people who want to see the show that their wayward son has gotten into – a scream- lines converge into a folky polka head bang, a kind can get in (all of 20 lucky people do) and the noise drenched collision of bluesy punk and thundering of rambunctious `Songs For The Deaf’ without the from the main bar drowns out any quieter riffs. (This is a good thing). detuned distortion. Sadly, the spontaneity of moments of Luke’s set. The situation could have Mondo Cada, whose set I actually make it upstairs previous songs filters out, and so does the fun, but a been worse though, as Luke planned an acoustic set for, continue along similar lines, but draw the sound bloody good show nevertheless. tonight, before Dave the drummer became out into a variety of tripped-out stoner rock Winner of the Subway Performer of the Year in available at the last minute. An upside of the places. Recalling the cataclysmic power of Part New York, one man band Philip Roebuck aims to relaxed atmosphere is that we get just over an hour Chimp or Hey Colossus (or to place it more create “roots music for the modern age”, wielding a of Luke playing selections from his three albums. historically, Black Sabbath or Black Flag), they’re banjo and bass drum with tambourine attached, the Luke and his songs are the epitome of reserved impressively intense and rock out some seriously latter residing on his back. His latest album, `Fever Englishness, the antidote to overblown rock and bizarre melodies and sounds – perhaps they could Pitch’, was produced by Steve Albini. Roebuck roll and he’s a keen observer of the minutiae of be the band to fill the awkwardly-shaped space that greets the timid crowd with an “Any questions? daily life and the worries it brings. ‘Luke’s National Suitable Case For Treatment recently vacated. Alright then!” and then does his business. Madly Anthem’ provides a high point, while songs like Gunnbunny are to Mondo Cada what a cheese scratching his banjo, his hands a blur and body ‘You’ll Never Stop People Being Gits’ prove he’s sandwich is to a brie and broken glass baguette – contorted, and both feet stomping a primitive beat still got it. absolutely straightforward in a way, but absolutely with his drum contraption atop his shoulders, Before KTB starts I make what turns out to be a satisfying and comfortably unsurprising. I like it Roebuck likes to tell a story and carry some sort of major error. Sweltering in the heat I step outside when bands are obviously in thrall to other bands message across in each song, whether it’s about for some fresh air, only to find when I return the that I like (in this case, Mudhoney, ‘Bleach’-period building a ship, refraining from hitting one’s wife, room is packed and I can’t get in. On tiptoes I Nirvana and Led Zeppelin), especially when they or, more profoundly, wanting to be a lizard. He is a manage to catch some of KTB’s set, but with the pull it off with such power and style. I’m sure there true talent and a breath of fresh air considering the chatter from the bar I can barely hear it. Her used to be more of Gunnbunny, but their current amount of artists hiding behind laptops or over- kooky folk songs seem to be going down well with two piece (guitar, drums) line-up works layered samples. This is music stripped to the those who can hear, but sadly the other noise fantastically well – it’s a no-bullshit line-up that bones, with nothing more the a bass/tambourine proves too much of an irritant. It’s a shame, but seems scientifically engineered to work for no frills hit, slick banjo licks and the soulful human voice they need to sort things out to make the QI Bar rock and roll music. singing `til his face turns red. the venue it could be. Simon Minter Pascal Ansell Russell Barker DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS No review without a proper contact number or address! DEMO OF FOXES! THE MONTH And at the other end of the musical scale, here are Foxes! whose explanation mark at www.appletreestudios.com the end of their name is about the most MARY BENDY TOY aggressive thing about them. Starting off Faced with several bathtubs full of demos with some uber-twee synth-pop-cum-60s from bands for whom achieving a perfect girl band dinkiness they’re a rather sweet degree of ordinariness is obviously some proposition, a bit like Lily Allen fronting kind of mission on a par with the search for Heavenly on one of their particularly fluffy the Holy Grail, newcomers Mary Bendy days. Plinkety plonk goes a cheap Casio Toy win hands down by sheer dint of a) keyboard while the guitarist attempts the having one absolutely brilliant song and b) world’s most awkward tempo change. They being just mad enough to make some silly try on a bit of daftness later on but that music that isn’t punchably wacky. The ace makes them sound like a bit of a mess and up their sleeve is ‘Ringtone’ which sounds they’re best leaving the songs to get on with like Hazel O’Connor in full robot-woman looking pretty and cooing over sparrows mode (or possibly Lena Lovitch’s slightly and water voles. Still, even in the middle of less shrill kid sister) squawking over some all this sweetness and light they manage this battering ram grunge-punk racket about month’s most unpleasant lyric award for vibrating her ringtone in what we presume “My dog got anal cancer from running to be a filthy, dirty sexual reference. around”. Bleedin’ charming that is. Actually it reminds us very slightly of brilliant but hopelessly lost Alternative Tentacles signings Tragic Mulatto at times. PHYAL The silliness comes in ‘Spiders’, with “Here’s our new EP for you to ridicule at bellowed yokel backing vocals that get us your leisure” announce Phyal with a to thinking about great lost, much-missed “Please love us” sort of self-deprecation. As Wiltshire metallers Mad Cow Disease and if we would, since Phyal are a band who has a daft talky bit in it about getting have always stuck to their guns musically, spiders out of the bath with a good dose of never wavering from the one true path of sexual innuendo thrown in. Alternately punky metal that went in and out of fashion childlike and nasty Mary Bendy Toy are briefly in the early 80s in the wake of Lita wilfully mental and had they turned up 25 Ford and Girlschool. Glenda Huish’s years ago would doubtless have ended up strident, almost operatically constipated signed to Cherry Red or Rough Trade. As it voice looms over the band’s ballsy thrash is they’ll have to make do with sitting on which churns with an almost puritan top of this month’s pile pissing on the austerity. `Cavity’ hints at more hardcore competition. intentions but generally they prefer to wallow in that churning pit of metal noise. There are far worse places to lurk, as we SOULBURN shall soon discover. My, aren’t some folks just a bit too serious. Soulburn offer up their CD WAR PRUNE accompanied by half a dozen full colour Great name, though apparently this is the A4-sized live photos, mostly of the back work of two blokes, one called War and one of the audience’s head. There are glimpses called Prune; the former plays accordion and of a topless man with long hair apparently ukulele as well as rapping while the latter bellowing loudly into a microphone, deals with the beats and booms as well as surrounded by several other men with long rapping. The demo actually came stuffed hair making a racket with electric guitars inside an Elton John CD case with the Elton and so we must be in the land of HEAVY John CD still in it, a freebie given away with METAL. Squeal go the guitars, chugga The Independent. We have a bad feeling chugga crunch they continue. “Grrrrrr” about this. One that is justified by the self- growls the singer. They own some consciously kerrazy whooping and meowing Metallica albums, that much is certain. And when they try and get all theatrical on us, so it goes on. And on. And on. For some like Flavor Flav trapped in the body of Noel time it must be said, grunting and churning Coward, or vice versa. The more serious at full pelt like what heavy metal used to stuff, like ‘State Of The Nation’, shows off do back in about 1988, and nothing wrong the pair’s slightly rudimentary grasp of with that. Solid stuff, though not much rapping techniques, although their lack of here – or anything to be perfectly honest – attitude is oddly refreshing. Best thing here that hasn’t been done many times before. is instrumental track ‘WARPRUNE’, a Mostly by Metallica. primitive synth wobble that sounds remarkably like early Human League. All a that will lift it out of the ordinary. Maybe bit random and ultimately pointless but we’d let it go if they could let themselves go those odd moments of promise suggest that a bit more, allow the noise to take over but if they can ditch the wackiness all may not each time they get going they just have to be lost. stop and get all sensitive and clever on us. The tracklisting on the sleeve is impossible to follow but the third track, which we think TWAT TROT TRA LA is called ‘Presence Descending’ sounds like This lot make demo dumpers The Pure Reason Revolution without the Blueprints sound like Emerson, Lake and spiritual madness. A promising young band Palmer in the musically accomplished but in need of some kind of religious or stakes, but then what do you expect with a chemically-induced epiphany. name like that? Initially at least it sounds like a one-legged one-man band trying to heave his instruments up a steep flight of LO stairs, occasionally dropping a snare drum Due to the typeface they employ on the while scraping his guitar against the banister sleeve, we’re not quite sure whether this lot THE COURTYARD STUDIO and muttering vague curses under his breath are called Lo, as in “And lo the angel of the PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ at the awkwardness of it all. It’s all part of Lord did smite down The Kooks for being 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE the plan though, it turns out. Twat Trot Tra utter bloody bollocking rubbish and did do MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB La are from that small corner of music that for Ray Bloody Lamontagne while he was CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION likes to call itself difficult. The music is about it”, or Io, as in the moon of Jupiter OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI fractured and oblique with the merest hint of where The Kooks should be blasted to on FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI a love for contemporary jazz. Thing is, the next available space shuttle. Like a S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) while the intention is admirable, the voyage to that particular place in the solar execution leaves much to be desired and it system the accompanying biog seems to go Residential facilities included. often sounds like they’re wandering along in on forever, mainly about why the band www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com a vaguely stoned haze, looking for new have such a short name, but once you get PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS ways to be different. At best they sound past all that waffle, they’re not a bad ON 01235 845800 like Butthole Surfers in one of their pastoral bunch, with a bit of an 80s pop jangle intermissions, but the truth is that Suitable about them and a vocalist who is almost Case For Treatment have more mad ideas in breathlessly urgent sounding. Almost gothy a single minute-long rustic breakdown than at times, for all that they’re pretty upbeat, there are in the whole of this demo. even sprightly, employing high-pitched vocal harmonies amid the guitar clutter. Half the time they sound like they’re about NATION to break into a chorus of The Banshees’ Favourite whipping boys of certain folks on `Hong Kong Garden; the other half `Deeply local online music messageboards they may Dippy’ by Right said Fred. Not often we be but Nation do seem to have their musical get to say that about a band. act together. Here is a one-song demo, following on from their second album, ‘Walk On’. The track, ‘Look On The Bright Side’, is a grand, stadium-size rock anthem, one THE DEMO step up from a power ballad, replete with tastefully tinkled piano and guitar flourishes, DUMPER plus the obligatory solo towards the end and enough pomp to power the whole thing along. It sounds like a cross between Oasis, THE BLUEPRINTS Stereophonics and Robbie Williams at A two-track demo from an East Oxford- various points, and, while it’s all a bit based band for whom the word ramshackle formulaic, it’s got a commercial potential was doubtless invented. Plenty of barely that not much else on this page this month together indie rumbling, jangling and can boast. mumbling, underpinned by some furtive bass playing that kind of wants to get funky but hasn’t the confidence and ANDENSUM topped off by nervous, hamsterish vocals More anthems, this time of a harder, of indistinguishable gender. It’s a flat, darker persuasion. Andensum lean ungainly stumble through many of the towards the proggier side of emo and things that gets indie music laughed at by hardcore, widdly interludes breaking up techno kids, but the first song, ‘Years To more bullish thrash passages, the vocals of Come’, does at least have the vaguest the alternately bellowing / plaintive resemblance to a half decent folky melody variety. Doubtless inspired by Tool and that you feel might be pretty good if the several hundred dozen other similarly- band had a better singer and could play minded noisy buggers, they’re not short properly. Which is a bit like saying The of talent, ideas or power but they lack a Kooks would be a great band if the were real maverick streak, and we’re hungry for The Arcade Fire. And thus an utterly some originality, some spark of madness pointless thing to say. Sorry.

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?