email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 144 July Oxford’s Music Magazine 2007
Jump for joy! It’s
A SilentMeet Oxford’s cinematic Film rockers
Plus Truck line-up announced: Brian Jonestown Massacre, Idlewild and more - inside
NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 Among acts already booked for the Academy and Zodiac are The Enemy (Thu 27th Sept); Alabama 3 (Thu 4th Oct); Happy Mondays (Fri 5th); The NEWNEWSS th rd Decemberists (Sun 7 ) and Ian Hunter (Tue 23 ). Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] AS WELL AS THIS MONTH’S TRUCK Festival, Truck Records are involved in Gloucestershire’s Two Thousand Trees Festival, THE YOUNG KNIVES re-release their debut tour with Bloc Party. The band’s debut album is which takes place from Friday 13th – Saturday mini-album, ‘Are Dead’, on Shifty Disco on due out in January 2008. 14th July at Upcote Farm in Withington, near Monday 30th July with new bonus tracks, including Cheltenham. Truck bands Goldrush, Piney Gir and classic single ‘Rollerskater’ and a video for THE REFURBISHED OXFORD ACADEMY / The Dusty Sound System are all performing along ‘Walking On The Autobahn’. Zodiac venue will have an increased overall with The Brian James Gang, Frank Turner, InMe The Knives, who are currently writing and capacity when it opens in September, as predicted and Rose Kemp. In all 50 acts are playing the recording their second full album, are set to in May’s Nightshift. The new venue will have a 2,000-capacity Cotswold festival. Tickets are perform at this year’s Carling Weekend. They capacity of 1,350 across two floors, allowing available locally from wegottickets.com or from play the Radio 1 / NME Stage at Reading on more flexibility to book larger touring acts. SS20 on Cowley Road. Visit Saturday 25th August, the same day that fellow Academy Music Group Operations Director, www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk for full line- local stars Foals perform on the Carling new Steve Forster said, “We have been working up and ticket details. bands stage. closely with the local authorities to increase the Foals, meanwhile, (pictured) are currently overall site capacity and we’re delighted with this THE DEADLINE FOR ACTS wanting to perform recording new tracks in New York with TV On new offering for touring artists and promoters. at this year’s Oxford Arts Festival is the 31st July. The Radio producer David Sitek, with a limited We plan to operate up to three separate rooms if Now in its second year the multi-media event, edition 7” single, ‘Mathletics’, due for release on required, and can increase the auditorium of which runs from Friday 28th – Sunday 30th 20th August. Another single, ‘Balloons’, is out at Carling Academy Oxford for larger touring acts September, will feature live music, poetry, art, the end of October, after which Foals head off on utilising the maximum lower floor space. The photography, drama and dance at various venues upstairs Zodiac room can also run at the same across the city. Artists should submit demos to time with a flexible capacity for developing The Oxford Arts Festival, PO Box 339, artists.” Kidlington, OX5 NAY. The festival line-up will be General Manager, Carl Bathgate, adds, “The announced on Friday 17th August. venue will still have an additional smaller room, Bar Academy, which will be a fantastic space for OPTIX launches this month with a night of live new and developing artists. Following the format funk and stand-up comedy at the Cellar on Sunday set by our Birmingham and Islington operations, 1st July. The new downloadable entertainment site our knowledge and expertise ensures we can offer promises interactive music, including viewers the most varied configurations for this venue for being able to vote for who performs at the club, all level of acts and maximise the potential of its with webcam broadcasts making the action operation, running multiple gigs.” available for home viewing. Visit www.theworldiswatching.tv for more details. STUDIO 45 in Cowley release ‘Days Ahead’, the debut album by Hertfordshire- A COMPILATION CD to accompany last based soul, r’n’b and soca singer Teressa month’s Swisstfest charity event is available Edwards this month. Listen to tracks now, with all proceeds going to the Red online at www.myspace.com/ Cross. The CD features tracks from Mr teressaedwardsdebut Shaodow, Mewgatz, Zuby, Foxes!, Last Days of Lorca, Ape has Killed Ape!, Balor THIS YEAR’S AUDIOSCOPE FESTIVAL Knights and La Frange, amongst others. will take place on Saturday 10th November Visit www.myspace.com/swissconcrete for at the new-look Zodiac. The annual benefit details. gig for homeless charity Shelter showcases the best in underground and leftfield music. Last year’s event featured Clinic, Sonic Boom and I’m Being Good as well as local stars The Rock Of Travolta and Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element.
THE SKITTLE ALLEY have announced a new monthly live music club at the Stocks Bar at the Crown & Thistle in Abingdon. The first night is on Saturday 28th July and features sets from The Ruins, Godwits and Bear In The Air. News and listings are online at the Skittle Alley’s new website at skittlealley.110mb.com.
LOVE CLUB is a new acoustic night at the Unicorn in the market Place, Banbury. The THE THIEVES (pictured) will perform at club takes place on the first Tuesday of two of America’s most prestigious music every month and is open to all styles, from festivals this summer. The Oxfordshire band, rock and folk to hip hop. Acts wanting to formed by brothers Hal and Sam Stokes, play should visit www.myspace.com/ have been based in LA for the last few years, myloveclub or email touring across the States. They play at [email protected] Milwaukee’s Summerfest on July 4th – the largest music festival in the States with over AFTER EIGHT YEARS in the business Nat a million fans present – on the same bill as Duke, one of the two partners of Black Crowes and Tool, while on September Soundworks Recording Studios, is leaving to 14th The Thieves join Flaming Lips and pursue other interests and is selling his Kings of Leon on the bill for Monolith in share of the studio. Anyone interested Red Rocks. Check out www.myspace.com/ should email info@soundworks- thethieves for more news on the band. oxford.co.uk or ring 01865 401585.
DR SHOTOVER: Emission Control Oh God. I woke from a long coma this morning to discover that the monstrous nanny state is stopping me smoking in public houses, supermarkets and children’s playgrounds... it’s political correctness gone mad! Luckily it’s still “de rigueur” to smoke at the East Indies Club - we blackballed a chap for refusing a gasper only last month - but it has cast a pall of gloom over the prospect of attending live gigs. Now, at this point you might say, “What live gigs, you miserable old git?”, as I am famous for avoiding anything that smacks of today’s Youth Culture... however, if you WERE to speak thusly, I would a) punch your smug grinning face for you, and b) point out that actually I was at the Zodiac End-of-an-Era Party, thank YOU very much, and I “dug” sets by The Candyskins, The Nubiles, Dustball and those young trouser- swingers The Relationships... Anyway, I do not remember much about the later stages of the evening, but it appears that I blended in well in my multicoloured kaftan and floral cummerbund, whilst enjoying a long pow-wow with an “entirely reputable” local entrepreneur around the concept of a Radiohead-themed rock opera (working title “Thommy”). Meanwhile I wonder what the chances are, in our Brave New Smoke-Free World, of seeing The Mission or The Sisters of Mercy play in this country again... ever been to a Goth gig with no smoke onstage?
Andrew Eldritch opening a supermarket Next month: Doctor Shotover meets in Belgium last week. Doktor Avalanche. A Quiet Word With A Silent Film KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, doesn’t need to be delivered with but what kind of rock band takes a anger.” book onstage with them? Well, A Silent Film do. In fact they A SILENT FILM EMERGED don’t just take the book onstage, from the ashes of local teen they put it through a projector and favourites Shouting Myke three use the pages as their backdrop, years ago. The old band were a singer Robert Stevenson studiously very different prospect – brasher turning the page for each new song, and more aggressive, closer in spirit like a slightly bohemian academic to American punk-pop, something giving a lecture on the social that initially helped but later consequences of loud music. hindered their progress. They were Because A Silent Film don’t just fêted both on the Oxford scene as have knowledge: for all their well as by a select few clued-up apparently bookish charm, they’ve record label scouts. Shouting Myke got power too. In spades. played at the Oxford Punt back in 2001 as they were just starting to AT THE END OF JUNE A make an impact on local audiences; Silent Film took that book and that THE EP IS THE FRUIT OF what we build the song around. It four years later A Silent Film power on stage at Glastonbury, three years’ labour, A Silent Film is not uncommon for us to go back played the Punt at a similar point having been chosen to perform on honing their sound into an eclectic and re-write songs four or even five in their career, making an the festival’s ‘BBC Introducing’ amalgam of disparate influences times if we are unhappy. In the live impressive show of it even at that stage by a panel comprised of that can sometimes make for a show we are looking for people to early stage. Radio 1 DJs Steve Lamacq and musical trainspotter’s wet dream. leave as if they’ve experienced A Silent Film are: Rob Stevenson Huw Stephens as well as Lead track, ‘The Lamplight’, has something special or even brand (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis. the understated sweep and new. This is exactly what we crave Lewis Jones (guitar), Ali Hussain They were put forward for the job deceptive grandiosity of Snow in artists we admire and we would (bass) and Spencer Walker (drums), by BBC Radio Oxford’s Download Patrol married to the be hypocrites to expect anything Ali being the only member who team and faced stiff competition uncomplicated pop nous of Robbie less of ourselves.” wasn’t previously in Shouting from acts proposed by all the other Williams, while ‘Six Feet Of Rope A Silent Film’s epic feel is not that Myke. regional BBC stations as well as And Revenge’ juxtaposes sullen, of your typical blustering heavy, “Despite all our best intentions, Radio 1, One Xtra and 6Music. stabbed piano with lightweight hairy rockers. The music is subtle Shouting Myke was consistently The reward is more than justified skipping beats and Rob’s Thom and often complex, with songs labelled as ‘Emo’. We didn’t really though, for a band who have, in Yorke-meets-Elton John-meets- sometimes searching through have a clue what that was about, their own quietly dedicated way, Midge Ure vocal depth and range. several different set pieces along but we got thrown on the pile gone about becoming one of the Best of the lot, though, is closing their course, much like Muse on anyway. A Silent Film is a most musically ambitious and track ‘Chromatic Eyes’, a long-time the soaring ‘Knights of Cydonia’, completely different animal. We’re accomplished acts in Oxford and live favourite that generally closes or the Radiohead of ‘Paranoid writing songs to reflect our own now one of the UK’s hottest the band’s set – an oddly proggy, Android’. Rob, meanwhile, is a lives rather than falling into the unsigned bands. tripped-out, multi-drum rock consummate performer, whether trap of impersonating other bands.” tattoo that might just be the hammering it out behind a piano, As with Shouting Myke before THIS MONTH A SILENT FILM meeting point between The Beta tucked behind his guitar or roaming them, A Silent Film have been quick will play at Oxfordshire’s own Band, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds the stage with the microphone like to pick up record label interest, mini-Glastonbury, Truck Festival, and Queen. an old-fashioned crooner. Does Rob their regular London shows now returning to the scene of last year’s see himself as a showman? How populated by A&R scouts. How truncated set which saw the band PLAYING REGULARLY IN important is it, even at this stage, has this gone so far? washed out amid the heaviest rain local pub venues as well as the to put on a show, or is the music “Well they’re not breaking down storm the county had seen all year. Zodiac A Silent Film sound like a the only thing that matters? the door just yet. No bad The Truck show coincides with the stadium band in waiting, something “The show is essential; I like the experiences at all, just a few cups release of the band’s debut EP on that sits a little uneasily with Rob, challenge of making the show look of tea and free meals. It’s all about Xtra Mile Records, home also to who we meet the day after he’s jaw-droppingly good on our shoe- timing; you can be really good at fellow hopefuls like Dartz!, Frank received the news about being string budget. I definitely have an what you do but if it doesn’t fit Turner, This Et Al and The Rifles. picked to play Glastonbury. overactive imagination; I bore into the current trends why should The EP will be officially launched “We really don’t see ourselves as easily and I like change. they take a chance? They all have with a gig party at the Ultimate that grand; I’d hate for people to “Personally I’d go with Bjork as bosses to answer to and jobs to Picture Palace, a venue whose big think we’re OTT. Intricacy and the artist I most admire for being keep, so really it’s up to us to screen will make the perfect canvas intimacy are much more our vibe. constantly and extraordinarily prove ourselves, and show them on which to project that book. And When we write and play it’s a case ambitious, or Brian Wilson for what we’re doing is worth getting anyway, where else would a band of finding something small, maybe taking all that acid and making my with. Best case scenario, you do called A Silent Film launch their a sound or rhythm which we find life better, and The Flaming Lips what Biffy Clyro and countless debut CD other than a cinema. interesting. This catalyst is then for showing me a strong message other bands have done and slog at it for years until the majors cannot backed by a ‘rhythm section’ of resist laying their cards out. Then stomps, claps, finger cracks etc you have the upper hand in terms that give that distinctive and of choice.” unusual vibe. Why is it at the end How much has the local music of the EP? You try figuring out scene helped the band to grow which track should follow it!” along the way? “I love it; who wouldn’t round WHAT’S THE STORY WITH here? The venues are good and the book? What’s the actual story there are audiences for all ages too in the book and how does it relate – not like in Swindon where if you to the songs? don’t sound like the latest export “The story is our own ongoing of hardcore you may as well hang story and it is always growing, I up your haircut. We especially like hope we’ll be using the book for a seeing bands get bullied in while yet. When people come back July Nightshift and then get better, to see us a year from now they Every Monday because that’s what happened to might see us flicking past pages THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES us!” they recognise from older songs. The EP is out at the end of July on The pages are specific to every The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. £6 nd Xtra Mile; is this a long-term deal song we write. We are very keen on 2 LARRY MILLER (UK) or a stepping stone? What are they nurturing the visual aspect of our 9th NICKY MOORE’S BLUES CORPORATION (UK) like to work with? live performance, and the book was 16th LES WILSON & THE MIGHTY HOUSE ROCKERS (UK) “It’s a one-off deal to get the band an idea that appealed to us not 23rd AYNSLEY LISTER (UK) going. We were itching to release least because we’d never seen 30th FAMILY STYLE (Italy) something and they have a great anyone else do anything like it.” attitude. Xtra Mile also look after As mentioned, A Silent Film put a Frank Turner and have had dealings lot into their live show visually as Every Tuesday with Dive Dive – both of whom we well as musically, the book being THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB have had connections to in the past just part of a stage set that also 3rd PADDY MILNER – so it seemed to be a good fit.” features a selection of randomly- 10th/17th THE HOWARD PEACOCK QUINTET You say you’ve often been placed televisions showing all kinds 24th KATYA GORRIE feat DENNY ILETT Jr unhappy in the past with of weird and wonderful imagery, 31st THE HUGH TURNER BAND recordings you’ve done. Is this EP drawing the audience into a world Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am the first thing you’ve been happy where music and cinema collide. with and if so what was it about Given an unlimited budget, what the recording session that was would the ideal ASF gig involve and Every Wednesday different? where would it take place? BARCODE with DJs Dan Offer and Dave T Oxfords Finest “For a start all the songs we’ve “We’re interested in playing World Jazz 8.30pm -2am £6 www.fabpromotions.co.uk written for this EP are far superior slightly more ‘alternative’ venues, (* Except Wednesday 18th – live bands night with THE COURTESY to older songs; we have a better and so theatre shows are high on KILL / NEIMO / POP KLUB ARSENAL / WHITE SUNDAY 8.15pm / £5) idea of what we’re about and what our list. We’re hoping to achieve we want. Since we’ve been this on a smaller scale with the recording ourselves we’ve learned Oxford EP release show at the Thursdays so much about production that it’s Ultimate Picture Palace. Being able 5th/19th SMASH DISCO – Post-punk, indie, electro. 10-2am £3/4 less of a struggle to make great to incorporate a cinema screen into 12th/26th GET FUNKED – Electro, house, hip hop, grimey sounding recordings. The struggle the live performance and have a beats. 9.30-2am. £3 / £4 now lies in our conviction: a band seated audience opens a lot of benefits from a producer just like a doors. It should be a real event not Every Friday football team benefits from a coach. just another gig. That and In some respects we are looking Glastonbury! BACKROOM BOOGIE forward to doing the next record The band name and the spirit of Funk, soul and R&B. 9-2.30am / £4 with someone else to oversee the Vaudeville tie neatly together, but if (*last Friday of the month: Booze’n’Choons with DJ Aidan mayhem.” push comes to shove, who would Larkin and John Dash) Is it just me or does ‘Six Feet Of Rob go for: Chaplin, Keaton or the Rope And Revenge’ off the EP Marx Brothers? Saturdays sound a bit like Ultravox? “Harpo Marx every time. Unless th “ I’ve never heard Ultravox, sorry. of course you’re talking about 7 SIMPLE Funky House 9.30pm-4am th Subconscious plagiarism is not a Diane Keaton…” 14 CLOSED – private party crime!” 21st ROOTS & REGGAE. 9pm-3am. £5/ £6 And what about ‘Chromatic Eyes? A SILENT FILM: AS THE OLD 28th TRASHY / LADY GUN 10pm-3am It’s one of the most startling, Mafia maxim goes: speak softly, original songs to come out of but carry a big stick. Sunday 1st LIVE STAND-UP COMEDY 8-11pm £6 / £7 Oxford in the past couple of years, Sunday 29th BURNING LEGACY presents HOWARD’S and yet it’s tucked away right at ‘The Lamplight EP’ is released on ALIAS / KELLY KEMP (ex-No Comply singer) / the end. Monday 30th July on Xtra Mile. A “Chromatic Eyes was written as a Silent Film play the Barn Stage at RAGGASAURUS / NAGATHA KRUSTI 7.15pm / £5 bit of an experiment. The lyrics Truck Festival on Sunday 22nd deal with the relationship between July. The band’s EP launch gig Early Shows music and the human body, so we takes place at the Ultimate Picture Friday 6th BURNING LEGACY presents SOW / wanted to see if we could achieve a Palace on Cowley Road on GEHENNA / RANDALL FLAGG 7.30 / £4 really energetic sound using the Saturday 4th August. Check out Friday 13th THE HAZE human body as the instrument. The www.myspace.com/asilentfilm for Saturday 14th GUNNBUNNY / MONDO CADA / more TBC piano and vocals therefore are tracks and gig news. Sponsored RELEASED by THE JOFF WINKS THE HALF RABBITS BAND ‘The Final Days Of ‘Songs For Days’ Rome’ (JWR) (Punk Elvis) Its a moody rainy day. A day I could do with A thunderous wave of guitar fuzz, pounding winning the lottery. I am as grumpy as a drums and rumbling bass announces the return squirrel with a nut allergy, and I manage to of The Half Rabbits with lead track, ‘This badly stub my unshod toe heading to the mail Changes Everything’, but immediately it’s shute, where amongst the bills and demands I singer Michael Weatherburn’s theatrically- find my review copy of this album. So it’s hit wrought voice that takes centre stage, even as the sofa with a bumper mug of java and press the tumult surrounds and threatens to consume play, things can’t get any worse. him. Steeped in an abrasively flamboyant A piano leads a drum roll in a sense that a musical tradition that runs from art-goths curtain is opening to reveal a summery, off- Bauhaus through to stadium grungers Smashing kilter Britain transported to a Disney park as Pink Floyd-like experimentation: samples of a Pumpkins, The Half Rabbits revel in bluster run by David Lynch, a floaty place you’d BBC1 ident, primary school kids in a while retaining a breathless intensity that never never ever stub your toe and Lemon Jelly playground, and even the bass player noodling lets up. Michael hollers about the end of the probably painted the scenery. over the sound of dawdling Sunday drivers, all world on the lead track before crying out for At its best ‘Songs For Days’ is a giddy hint at home thoughts from some exile on a vengeance on the bitter ‘Louis’ Revenge’. The mushroom of complex jazz-influenced lonely planet. If the happy pills wear off a wall-to-wall, four-to-the-floor squall and swirl structures and harmonies woven with literate little during ‘Hedonic Treadmill’ and ‘Ace of heavily-distorted guitars might serve to hide but sometimes obscure or ambiguous lyrics, Train’, and worse, during an unnecessary any cracks in the band’s melodic armoury but as if you were sharing a beach house with revisit to a song called ‘Revisited Song’, which when they’re firing it out with such vigour, Turin Brakes and Donald Fagan, and Jagu is in itself about revisiting a song, then it’s all you’re far too busy holding on tight to the Jazzist had popped over for a game of brought back to a sunshine ending in ‘Morning handlebars to notice the decor. hackysack. ‘Milo’ and ‘Before We Bow Sun’, a song so aglow you need to put on Dale Kattack Down’ are typical of the scintillating and Ambre Solaire. grown-up heights The Joff Winks Band can ‘Songs For Days’ shows that even with a lazy reach, and let’s face it, any band that can day vibe you can still challenge and thought deliver Steely Dan chops with such slippery provoke, and while I may not have won the GUESSWORK ease is a band to be respected. lottery, I’m still left with that bright feeling ‘Enter Alone’ ‘Cast Adrift’ is a dreamy lament on the loss you get when you manage to get three of innocence, and throughout the whole album numbers. (Crash) there are touches of nostalgia amongst the Paul Carrera Sweet Jesus, this is horrible. Insipid, over- polished folk-pop with those nasty shrill vocals you only get in bad folk clubs and stage school musicals. The higher up the register the MEWGATZ perpetrator Bronwen Harrison goes, the more ‘Underfelt’ the local canine population howl in protest. Lyrically it’s little better: cod philosophical (Oib Records) blatherings from a cerebrally-stunted year-nine Ed McGregor made his first excursions into unpredictable nature of the sounds he creates, wannabe poet. music on a £3 Yamaha keyboard and an old the haphazard background noise of bleeps and Sorry, but Guesswork have absolutely no 1980s ‘keytar’. Since then he’s made it his glitches too often feels tired and aimless; the redeeming features, from the cod-world music mission to accumulate all manner of obsolete Speak & Spell toy trick is one used as far back tokenism to the synthetic sheen they coat the electronic instruments and toys which he then as 1983 by OMD on their innovative ‘Dazzle limping melodies in. short circuits with a soldering iron to create Ships’ album. On top of all this is Ed’s voice, I’m not even completely sure Guesswork are unexpected and unpredictable new sounds. monotonous to the point of psychotic, like a actually from Oxford but this landfill-bothering ‘Underfelt’ is a six-track mini-album which aims cheap Casio keyboard stuck on a ‘morose travesty of an album comes courtesy of Chinnor to create some cohesion from his unique live mumbling’ pre-set. It brings everything down, label Crash and I seriously can’t believe they shows. As is so often the case with even more playful tracks like ‘Difference’, scoured the nation to find something so dreadful. experimental music, the theory is rather more while by the end the whole thing has sunk into ‘Enter Alone’, possibly a reflection of their interesting than the end result. standard ambient electro fidgeting. Maybe he popularity, clocks in at twelve tracks over 50 The biggest disappointment about the album is could try sticking his soldering iron minutes. We managed four and half before a rising that it seems to revel in its humdrum nature somewhere where it might produce more lively red mist compelled us to snap the wretched slice instead of breathlessly searching out the next effects. of aural excrement in half. crazy corner to turn. For all the supposedly Dale Kattack John Leeson Selected Oxford releases are now available on the ground floor HMV Oxford supports local music Open Sundays 11-5pm & late Thursdays till 7pm. 10% student discount every day Corner Cowley / Marsh Road thethe portport mmahonahon 01865 776431 Live Music in July July 1st Swiss Concrete All Day 14th Quarter Finals + music charity event Every Tuesday – Shush Open Mic – Come Ciccone + Brother Francisco Sing / Play / Listen. 8pm FREE; All Welcome 2nd The Attractions 15th Toad + Wire Room + th 4th Permanent Vacation Chocolate Nuts + Ghost Sat 30th June Live At The X Sat 7 Exposure At The X presents Glissando + Patel Presents Proudly Presents - Very presents MONDO CADA / Nable / Warriors + David K Be Careful. Having played two more 9pm £4 Pretal + Her Name is Calla Frampton days at Glastonbury - Los Angeles’ Sun 8th OX4 6th Oxford Folk Club 16th Dedlock + K-Lacura very own Vallenato Quintet - Think Wed 11th Shirley Wednesday 7th Quickfix All Day Music Salsa, think Rumba. VBC has with Shirley / Wire Jesus / Kate +Kerosine Chadwick 8pm £3 th th imported to LA and now Oxford a 8 Wink Stock th 17 Twat Daddies vintage sound and an urgent Fri 13 Gammy Leg Productions th 9 Poor Girl Noise presents 19th Botox Cowboys + agenda – DANCE, DANCE, presents My Father The Beat / Hreda + Orion Arm + Reddington DANCE!!! Plus Support from local Wilson / Ally Craig 8pm £4 Sat 14th Wittstock Fund Raiser. Madrid Axemen + December 20th Oxford Folk Club legends Raggasaurus! 8.30pm £5 Tickets available via the website Acts TBA 8.30pm £4 th st The 12 21 Jones Radio www.theX.co.uk Sun 15th Electric Jam 8pm FREE 10th Swiss Concrete 24th Zatorgus + support Sun 1st July Electric Jam - All Wed 18th Jazz At The X Presents A presents Martin Stephenson 25th True Rumour welcome. Come play/sing/listen Jazz Jam with the house band, lead by Paul Jefferies. 8.30pm FREE + Agents of Jane + Simon th with The X Men. 8pm FREE 26 Dubwiser Mon 2nd An evening of Electronica Fri 20th The Evenings / Bear In th Davies 27 Oxford Folk Club with Iuan 8.30pm £3 The Air / Mile High Young Team / 11th Oxford Improvisers 29th Pindrop Performance Wed 4th Jazz At The X Presents Fork / King Furnace 8.30pm £4 st 12th Dirty Boys presents The 31st Swiss Concrete London saxophonist Simon Allen Sat 21 Silversight / The Bard Stars / Yesterday Caught Fire / Gullivers + Bear In The Air with the stunning Paul Jefferies presents The Brights + Trio. Martin Pickett (keys), Paul Richlife £4 + The Repeats Stornaway + Stars of Jefferies (electric and double bass) Thu 26th SelectaSound Presents. 13th Oxford Folk Club Aviation Frank Hockney (drums). 8.30pm Acts TBA 8.30pm £4 £5. Tickets available on-line via Fri 27th The Idea / support. www.theX.co.uk 8.30pm £4 Book your band into play at Oxford’s best small music venue! th Thu 5th Grinning Spider Presents. Sat 28 Denise Marie 8.30pm £4 82 St Clements, Oxford. Tel: 01865 202067 Acts TBA 8.30pm £4 Sun 29th Electric Jam 8pm FREE
THE ANY DAYS
CD single `MONDAY MORNING’ at Polar Bear Records, Cowley Road
www.theanydays.com www.myspace.com/theanydays (check websites for local gig dates) Festival Preview CORNBURY Cornbury Country Park, near Charlbury Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th
Sunday evening, you are spiritually dead. David Gray, who heads Saturday’s bill, meanwhile, comes from the other side of the musical coin – earnest and introverted and possibly responsible for the million or so equally earnest and introverted singer- songwriters who have emerged in the wake of Echo & The Bunnymen his mega success at the turn of the decade with ‘White Ladder’. who has spent the last couple of years helping spearhead the English folk revival, injecting The rest of Saturday’s line-up provides more some fresh spirit and a punky verve into Blondie visceral thrills, particularly THE traditional fiddle-led tales of the English Civil War and West Country ghost stories. Seth heads NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, CORNBURY PROCLAIMERS, another band who seemed up the Oxford Folk Festival stage where he’s Festival is Oxfordshire’s big grown-up live destined to languish in pop’s vaults until they joined by folk traditionalists FLOOK, former- music event, set in a picturesque setting of were resurrected for this year’s Comic Relief Edward II people T & LATOUCHE, bluegrass, Cornbury Country Park and attracting an array single, a reworking of their 1988 hit ‘I’m Gonna rockabilly and jangle-pop starlets INDIGO of big-name hitmakers, complemented by a Be’. Much more than a speccy novelty act, the MOSS, flamenco dance duo RAPHAEL & selection of daytime radio-friendly rising stars, Auchtermuchty duo of identical twins Craig and LOLA, plus local 16-year-old folk prodigy plus a host of local acts on the Charlbury Charlie Reid are fantastic, rousing folk-rock WILBUR. Riverside stage. anthem-makers and perfect for an early-evening A world away from the dirty, overcrowded singalong. Up on the main stage, meanwhile THE Reading Festival, Cornbury has a similarly FEELING see nothing wrong in finding rustic vibe to Cropredy but with a considerably inspiration from Supertramp and 10cc, although more varied and contemporary line-up. It’s also perhaps they should, but never mind because pretty family-orientated and the latest event there’s the divine SUZANNE VEGA on hand to news suggests Rupert Bear and Postman Pat relive hits like ‘Luka’ and ‘Tom’s Diner’, while will be appearing onstage at some point, but, Texas’ MIDLAKE show The Feeling exactly hey, rather them than Razorlight, eh? how to take 60s and 70s soft rock influences and make them sound contemporary and This year’s headliners are DAVID GRAY and otherworldly, adding a spooky sheen to The BLONDIE (who also headlined the inaugural Eagles, America, Neil Young and Fleetwood event back in 2004). The latter, who top Mac, their debut album, ‘The Trials Of Van Sunday’s bill, are indisputably one of the Occupanther’ being one of the most overlooked greatest pop bands of all time, with a list of gems of recent times. classic hits to their name that equals any act in The Proclaimers history. Formed at the birth of punk in New While Truck Festival retains an element of the York, the band embraced both the emerging rock Back in Oxfordshire after their recent new village fete about it, Cornbury is like a country revolution and the nascent disco scene, fronted theatre show, THE WATERBOYS keep things fayre as much as a music festival, but the hit- by iconic pop pin-up Debbie Harry. From 1976 similarly folky and upbeat, as will Dublin’s strewn quality of the bill is indisputable and, through to 1982 Blondie were unstoppable HOTHOUSE FLOWERS, while rising aided by its setting, provides a welcome hitmakers, from ‘Denis’, through ‘Sunday Girl’, Midlands-based singer-songwriter SCOTT counterpoint to the almost industrial experience ‘Heart Of Glass’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Call Me’ and the MATTHEWS is no stranger to the area after a of most larger festivals these days. peerless ‘Union City Blue’, plus a dozen or so series of sold-out gigs at the Zodiac and others. After an inevitable split in 1983 and Brookes, providing an intense blend of 70s Tickets: weekend: £80 (under-16s £50; under- pretty much disappearing from sight, Blondie rock, acoustic folk, blues and soul. 10s £10; under-5s free). Day tickets: £45 returned, triumphantly in 1999 with another (under-16s £28; under-10s £8; under-5s free). number 1 hit, ‘Maria’, and have continued to The second, Word, stage on Saturday is headed Available from 0871 472 0420. enjoy the fruits of their pop legacy ever since. by darkly psychedelic alternative rock gods Information: www.cornburyfestival.com If you aren’t singing along to every song come ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, a band whose influence has never been more apparent, inspiring the likes of Editors and The Rakes. A quarter of a century on from their masterpiece, ‘Heaven Up Here’, the Bunnymen as still capable of creating elegantly wonderful music, as last year’s ‘Siberia’ album proved. Supporting them are Cambridge’s punky alt.country cult heroes THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND, American soul star BETTYE LAVETTE and Janis Joplin-inspired songstress KATE WALSH, who recently beat Take That to the number 1 spot in the national download charts.
While Blondie are Sunday’s main attraction, below them is a decent mixed bill, the star of Suzanne Vega which is most definitely SETH LAKEMAN, Seth Lakeman
Festival Preview TRUCK 10 Hill Farm, Steventon Saturday 21st – Sunday 22nd TRUCK 10 FINDS THE FESTIVAL rockers THE BRIAN returning to its roots. After the big-name JONESTOWN MASSACRE, appearances of the last couple of years, Truck fronted by the notoriously founder Robin Bennett has re-assumed his headstrong Anton Newcombe hands-on control of the event and produced a and who boast enough ex- line-up that is more biased towards Oxfordshire members to populate the whole acts as well as the regular Friends-Of-Truck of Steventon. Newcombe was cast, which includes the likes of Electric Soft made infamous by the film Dig! Parade (headlining the main stage on Sunday), A couple of years ago but his Piney Gir, Buck 65, Brakes and of course Truck singular rock vision has produced hosts Goldrush themselves. some stunning music along the way. Idlewild This year’s star turn is undoubtedly Of course Truck wouldn’t be IDLEWILD, who top the main stage bill on Truck without GOLDRUSH and Saturday night. Despite the lukewarm reception they’ll doubtless be airing much of recent catch the brilliant EARLY YEARS, worthy afforded recent album ‘Make Another World’, album, ‘The Heart Is The Place’ as well as heirs to Spacemen 3 and Neu!’s narcotic Idlewild are quite simply one of the UK’s inviting various guests and mates on stage along krautrock throne. Amongst those joining them greatest rock bands at the moment, one of the the way. One of whom may well be festival amid the vague odour of cattle dung and straw that rare breed of bands that can instil stalwart PINEY GIR, who tends to crop up all will be former-Cast frontman JOHN POWER, heartbreaking emotion into even the most over the place at Truck, whether with her own dark-minded indie troupers iLIKETRAINS, ferocious guitar anthem, and ‘Make Another Country Roadshow or with 60s-styled all-girl rising Oxford celtic-pop favourites World’ is already a contender for Nightshift’s band THE SCHLA LA LA’S. And possibly STORNOWAY and jauntily infectious indie album of the year. with every other act on the bill at some stage. rockers SIX NATION STATE. Later on, the Joining Idlewild on the main stage on Saturday Possibly at different ends of the festival site Barn switches over to the DJs with DJ are San Francisco’s maverick psychedelic simultaneously. FRESH, CHASE AND STATUS, TEDDY Idiosyncratic rapper BUCK 65, garage-pop DUBSPIN & BOB GNARLY and DJ DARCY sweeties THE BRAKES, alt.country dreamers amongst those spinning drum&bass, dub and MOJAVE 3 and local polka-punk starlets THE house into the early hours. MULES complete Saturday’s main stage line- up. On Sunday the star turns up on the main stage will undoubtedly be former-Squeeze songwriter The real joy of Truck, and one of the main GLENN TILBROOK, a man whose pop reasons it now sells out before the line-up has legacy has never been more apparent, inspiring even been announced, is the eclectic, often everyone from The Libertines to Arctic esoteric, nature of the acts on the other stages. Monkeys; Liverpool’s harmony-heavy, frantic Trademark Saturday in the Barn is a great chance for post-punkers HOT CLUB DE PARIS, with anyone who missed their recent Cellar show to their Futureheads and Bloc Party-leaning noise,
start or get involved Promoter’s View in other festivals, Nightshift spoke to Truck Festival founder Robin Bennett about this such as the 2,000 year’s event Trees festival near Cheltenham that You’ve taken this year’s festival back under your own control. we’re helping with What is the plan for the festival and how will this year’s event be this year, events that different to the last couple? have the DIY spirit.” “The plan is broadly the same as last year, with expansion beyond You’re expanding music with the theatre stage, the `Fete Encounter’ and various the idea of Truck to performance artists, a cinema tent and lots of new stalls. We also have a more year-round our own fire engine! We’re trying to put together a special finale for the thing; what is the Robin (far right) and Goldrush, the Sunday night and working on some very special guests. We’re again idea behind that and band who launched Truck in 1998 making a Channel 4 film and hope to make a DVD of the first ten years, how will it take shape? and quite a few of the acts playing this year are from the list of “Well, everyone always favourite-ever Truck acts that people sent us. We’ve slightly reduced feels so happy on the weekend and says they want more weekends like the number of bands in the lounge to make it more… loungey. I suspect it... so we’re working to provide that. We’re already scouting sites further the number of attendees is going to be about the same as last year after afield and have linked up with the Clean Air Clean Stars event in Joshua all. I don’t think something like Truck is ever `under control’, it’s more Tree, California. We also want to do a Truck tour that’s more like a like a freely-evolving amoeba!” musical revue with stage set and comperes etc.” Do you envisage Truck Festival carrying on for years to come in Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing this year? its current format? “There’s one I’m working on right now that would really excite me, “We took the decision to keep the size around the 5,000 mark as it fingers crossed... I’m nervous/excited to see what Anton from Brian means we can still enjoy it, organise it and play music, possibly Jonestown does on stage. My mum will have to tell him off if he swears simultaneously. Any bigger and it would be another kind of beast. The too much. They are a great live band on their day. Hard to believe fact is, we only have enough parking for 5,000. What we may do is Idlewild have been going 10 years, I remember moshing to them!” and THE RALFE BAND’s intense, atmospheric and nearly made the demolition crew’s jobs The Early Years quirk-pop. Headliners ELECTRIC SOFT redundant with their trademark blitzkrieg PARADE, meanwhile, at least give you an garage-metal attack. The Rock, meanwhile, cut excuse to head for home early if you so desire. their teeth at Truck many moons ago and despite losing founder member Phill Honey, But don’t. Instead head into the Barn where they’ve returned as strong and exhilarating as NOUGHT will soothe your fevered brow. ever, cellist and keyboard player Jenny Bates Before pummelling your skull to dust with their providing the focal point the group always pressure-cooker instrumental art-core. Main needed as they stick Stravinsky’s grandiosity man James Sedwards is easily the most original through Add N To (X)’s machine music mincer and talented guitarist Oxford has produced and and add a good dash of Spinal Tap what he can do with six strings, some effects showmanship for good measure. This month’s pedals and a couple of power tools is Nightshift cover stars A SILENT FILM help astonishing. keep the quality levels high. There are rumours THE CANDYSKINs may be continuing their recent reformation long Nightshift’s favourite stage at Truck is always enough to grace the Barn stage but at time of the Trailerpark Tent. Here is where the mad, going to press such things were still up in the bad and plain weird often crop up at the most air, but two acts who will be there are unexpected moments. Who’s playing which day WINNEBAGO DEAL and THE ROCK OF hasn’t been finalised as we write this but acts Beyond these stages of course are the Lounge TRAVOLTA. The former, like the Candyskins, you can expect to catch over the weekend Tent and the Market Acoustic Stage, where the played the last night of the Zodiac back in May include synth-rockers 100 BULLETS BACK, likes of THE EPSTEIN, ANDY YORKE and electro-poppers TRADEMARK, synth RICHARD WALTERS will all be performing, orchestra THE KEYBOARD CHOIR, but, as ever, there’s far too much going on to bedroom angst narrator GEORGE PRINGLE, fully preview in this space, and difficult either- mordant folksters GRAVENHURST, Italian or choices will need to be made at some point. disco-punks DISCO DRIVE and, best of the And of course, you can almost guarantee the lot, local post-rock experimentalists best thing you see all weekend will be some act YOUTHMOVIES, a band who manage to walk you’ve never even heard of before. Probably the very fine line between leftfield sound tucked away in a tent in the middle of the exploration and pure, unrefined rock and roll afternoon. That’s what makes Truck our thrills. Last year their set in the Barn was favourite festival of the summer. Small it may impossible to get into, so make sure you be, but perfectly formed. squeeze yourself into the considerably smaller Nought Trailerpark nice and early for what will Tickets: SOLD OUT undoubtedly be one of the sets of the weekend. Information: www.truckfestival.org gig guide Sponsored by
SUNDAY 1st Hobgoblin, Bicester COWLEY ROAD CARNIVAL: Cowley Road CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford (12-6pm) – The annual East Oxford festival Community Centre returns with four live music stages, assorted JULY OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon sound systems and myriad community SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks performances and displays – see main preview Mijuanito, Rowena Dugdale, Simon Davies and FRIDAY 6th SWISSFEST: The Port Mahon (1-11pm) – Beaver Fuel. All proceeds go to The Red Cross. SOW + GEHENNA + RANDALL FLAGG: Second day of the mini festival, featuring ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley – All- The Bullingdon – Top night of local metal at Foxes!, Sailplanes, Last Days Of Lorca, Mr comers jam session. Jam along with in-house the Bully with heavyweight grinders Sow Shaodow, Mewgatz and Ash Verjee, Also, in the band The X Men. cranking it up in the style of Meshugga, while garden in the afternoon for free there’s James MONDAY 2nd Bicester’s Gehenna opt for some Will Haven- Bell, Jody Prewett, Naomi Hates Humans, THE LARRY MILLER BAND: The style spazz-core action. Randall Flagg provide Bullingdon – Rocking blues from the UK the mayhemic hardcore opening fun. st Sunday 1 guitarist inspired by the likes of Stevie Ray KLUB KAKOFANNEY with Vaughan and Gary Moore. CONFIDENTIAL COLLECTIVE + KANED COWLEY ROAD ELECTRONICA NIGHT with IUAN: The X, CITIZEN + NOT TOO SHABBY: The CARNIVAL Cowley Wheatsheaf – Jazz, funk and dub-tinted party CHERISH THE LADIES: Nettlebed Folk hip hop from expansive local crew The Carnival returns again this year, its future Club – Traditional Irish folk from the Confidential Collective at tonight’s Klub Kak. seemingly secure now with BMW’s American-based all-female folk collective. Upbeat indie pop from Kaned Citizen and continued sponsorship. This year’s event THE ATTRACTIONS: The Port Mahon scuzzy heavy rock from Not Too Shabby in sees the return of the big parade and more TUESDAY 3rd support. live music than last year. There are four live OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Paddy stages featuring a wide selection of mostly THE SHAKER HEIGHTS + EMMA Milner is the guest at tonight’s free jazz club. local acts, as well as half a dozen sound FOREMAN + LAUGHING PINES + WAVE That’s free jazz as in you don’t have to pay, MACHINES: The Jericho Tavern – Rootsy, systems, including sessions from Skylarkin, not the other sort of free jazz. Slide, Simple and Bossaphonik. This year’s melodic guitar pop from Aylesbury’s Shaker SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, Heights, with support from trashy indie rockers Carnival theme is fire and on the main Cowley Phoenix Stage, situated in front of The Elm Laughing Pines and glitchy, lo-fi country-pop WEDNESDAY 4 th types Wave Machines. tree, Brickwork Lizards will be exploring an BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon entire world’s worth of musical styles , with SIMON ALLEN & THE PAUL JEFFERIES TRIO: The X, Cowley – The X’s jazz club th support from psychedelic singer-songwriter SATURDAY 7 presents London saxophonist Simon Allen, Anton Barbeau, experimental soundscapists CORNBURY FESTIVAL: Cornbury Country playing with keyboard player Martin Pickett, Jonquil, rising rap star Mr Shaodow, world- Park – First day of the festival with David electric and double bassist Paul Jefferies and folkster Matt Sage, superb young Gray, The Waterboys, Proclaimers, Echo & The drummer Frank Hockney. Bunnymen and more – see main preview guitar’n’violin duo Joe Allen & Angharad OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn Jenkins, plus Michael Henry and Friends’ LITTLE PEOPLE BIG NEEDS CHARITY OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar ALL-DAYER: The Port Mahon – The Quickfix traditional Irish folk. At the end of James th Street the OX4 stage features local reggae THURSDAY 5 crew present an all-day live music event in aid of the John Radcliffe children’s hospital. Smilex are favourites Mackating, country rockers The SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – headliners but will also be opening the day with a Epstein, Arabic-reggae youngsters Trumpeter Steve Waterman plays with the Spin’s house band. special children’s set, which won’t, hopefully, Raggasaurus, theatrical space rockers THE FAMILY MACHINE + THE PONY feature such favourites as ‘Sex For Sale’ or Borderville and jazzy rap crew Confidential COLLABORATION + LITTLE FISH: The ‘Flimsy Fickle Fashion (Fuck Off And Die)’. Collective, plus DJs, all of which will be Jericho Tavern – Lachrymose country-tinged Actually, hopefully it will. Anyway, able broadcast throughout the day on OX4fm. indie rocking from local favourites The Family support comes from a reformed Verbal Kink, The Freedom Community Stage sees Machine at tonight’s Truck Festival warm-up wobbly pop geniuses Baby Gravy, digital reigning UK calypso monarch Brown Sugar gig. Support comes from London’s sweet- hardcore noiseniks The Walk Off, dark-minded (pictured) headlining, while the Constant natured pop dreamers The Pony Collaboration indie rockers The Courtesy Kill, metallers Jammin’ stage outside the Hi Lo restaurant and this month’s demo of the monthers Little Skullthrash and indie-ska hopefuls Tristan and hosts a non-stop reggae, ska, soca and Fish. the Troubadours. Outside in the acoustic garden Afrobeat jam with Ockard Ridim. Carnival is GRINNING SPIDER: The X, Cowley there are sets from Jamie Hyatt, Nick a great way to appreciate Cowley Road NATIONAL SCHOOL + INDIKA + THE Breakspear, Tara Milton, Dave Fullbrook, Chris without the traffic chaos; it runs from RUINS: The Cellar – Oddball mix of post- Beard and more. Kids are allowed in until 6pm midday through to 6pm, with various punk jerkiness and end-of-the-pier cabaret from for a bargain two quid. aftershow parties running into the night. National School at tonight’s Big Hair club. MONDO CADA + NABLE: The X, Cowley – Check out wwwcowleyroadcarnival.org for SMASH DISCO: The Bullingdon – Electro, Good’n’nasty grunge and hardcore rumbling and more info and set times. indie and post-punk club night. raging from Mondo Cada, with Didcot’s garage TOY #1 + MY OWN CONSPIRACY: The rockers Nable in support. FUCK BUTTONS + KEYBOARD CHOIR + Quinn’s Bakerhouse are tonight’s guests. CUTTING PINK WITH KNIVES + THE EPSTEIN + RHONDDA VALLEY EDUARD SOUNDING BLOCK: The Cellar PIGEON FEDERATION + THE – A night of righteous noise with electro ear ROUNDHEELS: The Jericho Tavern – manglers Fuck Buttons mixing up brutal Country rocking in Flying Burrito Brothers rhythms with ferocious sound frequencies. style from local faves the Epstein, warming up Keyboard Choir bring their textured for Truck Festival. synthscapes, while CPWK crank it out in a GET FUNKED: The Bullingdon post-At The Drive-In fashion. Former-Suitable CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Case types Eduard Sounding Block make their Community Centre live debut. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Funky house SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks club night. FRIDAY 13th MELTING POT with THE HOOSIERS + GAMMY LEG PRODUCTIONS with MY THE SKIES + BLACK HATS + JIM: The FATHER THE BEAT + WILSON + ALLY Jericho Tavern – Melodic post-punk pop in CRAIG: The X, Cowley – Dark-minded the vein of Squeeze and XTC from London’s synth-pop and baggy grooves from MFTB at Hoosiers at tonight’s Melting Pot. Support tonight’s Gammy Leg session. Joining them are comes from Reading rockers The Skies, plus rousing Happy Mondays-styled party rockers local 60s-style pop people The Black Hats. Wilson, plus local Jeff Buckley-goes-Sonic LEE DAVIES & CHRIS THOMPSON: Youth songsmith Ally Craig. Temple Bar ANNA LOG + JAMES BELL + JOE th th SUNDAY 8 SWARBRICK: The Wheatsheaf – Lo-fi, Tuesday 10 CORNBURY FESTIVAL: Cornbury Country melancholic piano balladry from local MARTIN Park – Second day of the festival with songstress Anna Log at tonight’s acoustic headliners Blondie joined by The Feeling, session, with Borderville frontman Joe STEPHENSON: Midlake, Seth Lakeman, Suzanne Vega and more Swarbrick bringing a dash of glamour to the – see main preview occasion. The Port Mahon OX4: The X, Cowley – DJs from the new THE HAZE: The Bullingdon – Swiss Concrete are fast becoming masters of OX4 87.9fm radio station on the decks. Experimentally-minded indie rock in a resurrecting obscure 80s pop careers, from I, ROBOTS NEED TOYS: The Jericho Radiohead vein. Ludicrous, through Eat’s Ange Doolittle to Tavern – Special VJ night with an audio-visual OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon this latest show, featuring County Durham- mix of electro indie disco. FILTHY DUKES: Po Na Na – The Kill ‘Em born, Scottish-based singer-songwriter th All club DJs spin a selection of electro, new MONDAY 9 Martin Stephenson, who made a reasonable- wave and post-punk-inspired tunes, from NICKY MOORE’S BLUES sized dent in the music scene with his band Maccabees to LCD Soundsystem and Simian. CORPORATION: The Bullingdon – The Daintees. Always someone wanting BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon Something of a UK blues legend, with the kick against dominant trends, Stephenson nickname The Voice, Nicky Moore has REDOX + THE PETE FRYER BAND + FILM NOIR + THE NEW MOON: The named his band in response to the previously sung with heavy rockers Samson seriousness and austerity of the prevailing and Mammoth and can belt it out with the best Magdalen – Swamp rock and festival funk from Redox, with the usual cast of friends. post-punk trends, and when, in the early- of them, as well as possessing the range to sing 90s he grew tired of endless music industry raw blues and r’n’b and acoustic ballads. THE REPERTOIRES + SHIRLEY + WINTERKINGS: The Jericho Tavern – Big, shenanigans, he simply upped and went to SWARB’S LAZARUS: Nettlebed Folk Club – live in the Scottish Highlands. Here he gigs The former-Fairport and Whippersnapper bolshy indie rocking in the style of Oasis and and busks regularly to this day and tonight’s fiddler teams up with Martin Allcock and Kevin Embrace from Henley’s Repertoires, plus local gig is a rare journey so far south. Dempsey for some traditional British folk tunes. summery 60s-inspired rock and rollers Shirley Stephenson’s rootsy pop is inspired as TUESDAY 10th in support. SATURDAY 14th much by folk stars like John Martyn and MARTIN STEPHENSON + AGENTS OF WITTSTOCK FUNDRAISER: The X, Dick Gaughan as it is by the 60s harmonic JANE + SIMON DAVIES: The Port Mahon pop of The Byrds and The Beatles, – The former-Daintees frontman makes a rare Cowley THE TAMBORINES: The Jericho Tavern – switching from carefree summer jangle to trip south of the border – see main preview gorgeously lachrymose acoustic folk. And JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Regular jazz Coo Coo Club presents a Truck warm-up for London-based trio The Tamborines, heading maybe, just maybe, with the rebirth of folk club band The Howard Peacock Quintet music these past couple of years, the man perform live. skywards with heir wall-of-sound devotional might finally be in fashion. SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, psych-pop, somewhere between My Bloody Cowley Valentine, The Byrds and Ride. th THE SCREENBEATS + RICHARD WEDNESDAY 11 FULLER: Temple Bar MONDAY 16th SHIRLEY + WIRE JESUS + KATE SUNDAY 15th LES WILSON & THE MIGHTY HOUSE CHADWICK: The X, Cowley – New regular ROCKERS: The Bullingdon – Gutsy slide club night from bouncy local 60s-styled rockers MEET ME IN St LOUIS + ROLO guitar veteran of 25 years on the UK blues Shirley, plus Reading’s Fleetwood Mac-meets- TOMASSI + SHUT YOUR EYES AND scene, with a style learned from the likes of Arcade Fire epic chamber pop types Wire YOU’LL BURST INTO FLAMES: The Port Buddy Guy, Hound Dog Taylor and Albert Jesus. Local acoustic singer-songwriter Kate Mahon – Excellent triple bill of leftfield King. Chadwick opens. rocking courtesy of Vacuous Pop. Guildford’s DEDLOTZ + K-LACURA + KEROSINE: OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn Meet Me In St Louis launch their debut album, The Port Mahon – New local metal showcase OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar ‘Variations On Swing’, on Big Scary Monsters night. th Records, kicking out an animated, spasmodic THURSDAY 12 racket in the vein of Minus The Bear and UISCEDWR: Nettlebed Folk Club – THE JOFF WINKS BAND + THE CARTER Interpol, while teen typhoons Rolo Tomassi Yorkshire trio, and former-BBC Young Folk MANOEUVRE + JOE ALLEN: The Cellar – crank out a frighteningly maniacal hardcore Musician Award winners, mixing up lively folk Last month’s Nightshift cover stars launch their noise akin to The Locust. Shut Your Eyes… dance with mournful ballads. debut album. keep up the high-paced tempo with a frantic TUESDAY 17th THE GULLIVERS: The Port Mahon brand of punk-funk. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With the SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Justin ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley Howard Peacock Quintet . SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, managed to entice London’s fast-rising cult DJ DEREK + RAGGASAURUS + THE Cowley faves Vincent Vincent and the Villains over to DRUG SQUAD: The Cellar – Ska and reggae TWAT DADDIES: The Port Mahon headline, the band recently signed to EMI for night with legendary Bristolian DJ Derek on the WEDNESDAY 18th whom they released ‘Johnny Two Bands’. decks, with live sets from ska-punks The Drug Following loosely in the slipstream of The Squad and Arabic vocal-led dub act ANTONIA: The Port Mahon – Ballads and Libertines et al, theirs is a more old-fashioned Raggasaurus. pop hits mixed with originals from the local sound, with a heavy 50s rock’n’roll twang and CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford singer. rolling surf rock rhythms. Support comes from Community Centre OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn local eclectic oddballs Baby Gravy. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks th THURSDAY 19 THE RUINS + THE ATTIKA STATE + THE FRIDAY 27th SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – With BROMPTONS: The Jericho Tavern – Local THE IDEA: The X, Cowley – The local punk- trumpeter Damon Brown. indie thrash and grunge pop noisemakers The pop types bid a fond farewell with a final gig, SMASH DISCO: The Bullingdon Ruins headline tonight’s new bands night. featuring assorted mates and special guests. BORDERVILLE + ALL THESE ARMS: The BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon OXFORD FOLK CLUB: The Port Mahon Cellar – Theatrical glam-goth-funk-space rock st SATURDAY 21 THE SHAKER HEIGHTS + THE DIRTY with a Vaudevillian flair from the mighty TRUCK FESTIVAL: Hill Farm, Steventon – ROYALS + MISTER KITE: The Jericho Borderville. First day of Oxfordshire’s premier new music Tavern – Album launch party for Aylesbury’s OWEN TROMANS + PACIFIC OCEAN festival. Idlewild and Brian Jonestown massacre roots-rockers The Shaker Heights with former- FIRE + THE CONSCRIPTS + THE headline – see main festival preview Samurai Seven chaps The Dirty Royals set to MARMADUKES: The Jericho Tavern – SILVERSIGHT + THE BARD STARS + steal the show with their live-wire harmonic Campfire country pop from Wiltshire singer- YESTERDAY CAUGHT FIRE + RICHLIFE: guitar pop, partway between The Beach Boys songwriter Owen Tromans, plus Leicester’s The X, Cowley – Four-band rock bill at the X and Buzzcocks. wistful, downbeat blues and roots-flavoured tonight with funky heavyweights Silversight BACKROOM BOOGIE: The Bullingdon rockers Pacific Ocean Fire. headlining. Bluesy pub rock from Bard Stars SATURDAY 28th CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford and emo from Yesterday Caught Fire. Community Centre MELTING POT with RUBBER DUCK + DENISE MARIE: The X, Cowley – Bayou OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon DEATHSTAR PREVIEW + VOID: The blues, swampy jazz and funky soul from the SKYLARKIN: The Brickworks Jericho Tavern – A decidedly mixed bill at New Orleans singer. FRIDAY 20th tonight’s Melting Pot with funk and dub GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with MINUTES + UNDERCUT + BEAVER FUEL: GUNNBUNNY + MONDO CADA: The rockers Rubber Duck going up against fearsome The Wheatsheaf – Melodic acoustic pop from Bullingdon – Superlative night of local grunge gothic synth-rockers Deathstar Preview. The Minutes, plus recent Orson supports noise with raw, bluesy duo Gunnbunny firing ROOTS & REGGAE PARTY: The Undercut and lo-fi scuzz-pop lunatic Beaver up in authentic early Mudhoney style, while Bullingdon Fuel. the increasingly brutal Mondo Cada follow REDOX + THE PETE FRYER BAND + TRASHY Vs LADYGUN: The Bullingdon – their brilliant Oxford Punt set with another HUGH McMANNERS BAND: The Cavalier, Trash-pop, new indie, post-punk and dirty journey into virulent hardcore. Marston rock & roll. THE EVENINGS + BEAR IN THE AIR + ACOUSTIC SKY: Temple Bar THE RUINS + THE GODWITS + BEAR IN MILE HIGH YOUNG TEAM + FORK + JONES RADIO: The Port Mahon THE AIR: The Crown & Thistle, Abingdon – KING FURNACE: The X, Cowley – nd SUNDAY 22 New regular Skittle Alley bands night. Krautrocking grooves and bolshy electro-pop TRUCK FESTIVAL: Hill Farm, Steventon – THE TYMES + LIDDINGTON: Temple Bar from Nightshift favourites the Evenings, plus Second day of the south Oxfordshire festival. th assorted local supports. Electric Soft Parade top the bill – see main SUNDAY 29 VINCENT VINCENT & THE VILLAINS + festival preview HOWARD’S ALIAS + KELLY KEMP + FLOWE + BABY GRAVY: Sunningwell ELECTRIC JAM: The X, Cowley RAGGASAURUS + NAGATHA KRUSTI: Festival – Another cute local outdoor festival, MONDAY 23rd The Bullingdon – Ska-punkers Howard’s Alias this time featuring a stage mounted over the return to town, out on tour to promote their AYNSLEY LISTER: The Bullingdon – village pond in Sunningwell. And they’ve third album, following supports to the likes of Heavy-duty blues-rock from the acclaimed Capdown and RX Bandits. Tour support comes young British guitarist, equally at home playing from former-No Comply frontwoman Kelly it raw and acoustic or pumping it up Hendrix- Kemp, now following a more acoustic folk and style on the electric. country path, while local support comes from STEELEYE SPAN: Nettlebed Folk Club Arabic vocal-led dub crew Raggasaurus and th TUESDAY 24 funky hardcore types Nagatha Krusti. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Local jazz MONDAY 30th singer Katya Gorrie guests with guitarist Denny FAMILY STYLE: The Bullingdon – Genuine Ilett Jr. family blues band out of Milan and now SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, recognised as Italy’s premier blues band, taking Cowley in a little bit soul, swing and whisky-soaked th WEDNESDAY 25 balladeering along the way. OPEN MIC SESSION: Folly Bridge Inn TUESDAY 31st OPEN MIC SESSION: Temple Bar THE BRIGHTS + STORNOWAY + STARS TRUE RUMOUR: The Port Mahon th OF AVIATION: The Port Mahon – Essex THURSDAY 26 jangle-popsters The Brights visit town where SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – they’re joined by bright young local hopes Saxophonist Butch Thomas guests with the Stornoway. Spin’s house musicians. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With a live SELECTASOUND PRESENTS: The X, Cowley set from The Hugh Turner Band GET FUNKED: The Bullingdon SHUSH OPEN MIC SESSION: The X, DUBWISER: The Port Mahon Cowley
Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is the 20th of each month - no exceptions. Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm) or email listings to [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced without permission LIVE photo: Marc West
MATHS CLASS / GEORGE PRINGLE The Cellar We may not have hover cars and digest our food in pill form yet, but George Pringle could be held up as a prime example of futuristic musical reductiveness, a series of rueful spoken-word observations about what it means to be a 21st-century woman set to a skittering, minimal electronic beat. While it might be the sort of thing they gobble down with post-ironic relish in Hoxton, unfortunately it’s also rubbish. Get a fourteen-year-old girl to read out her MySpace blog over the top of a beat laid down by someone after their first half hour in front of a sequencer and a CD of royalty-free drum beats, and you’d achieve a similar effect. Except given those circumstances, you’d at least be free from the mannequin archness on display here, which seems to suggest that dropping a few zeitgeist-defining keywords over some lame electronica makes you the new Patti Smith. Maths Class, meanwhile, could scarcely be trying harder for that elusive NME best-new-band-in-Britain bracket if they were all wearing T-shirts with Conor McNicholas’ grinning mug plastered all over them. That said, there are certainly some great moments mixed in there, most notably when pulsing keyboards take centre stage, layering up the melodies and mixing up the influences well. They’re great visually, too, with plenty of energy and playful aggression, and a look that stays just the right side of A&R shop dummy. But although their referential touchpoints undoubtedly push all the buttons marked ‘cool’, and the finely-coiffured choppiness of the songs undeniably has its charms, there just isn’t much in the way of memorable moments you’d take home and treasure: only one or two songs hint at a sound all their own. Appealingly stylish yet almost immediately forgettable, then – perhaps there’s hope for that NME cover yet. Holly Temperature.
OXFORD IMPROVISERS draped in tea towels to vegetable slicers and musical time where ordinary meant heavy, wood blocks in a rush of spontaneous creativity. engaging rock music. featuring CHRIS DADGE Free improvisation seems to return to the They lead surprisingly fittingly into 50ft Panda’s & DAVID LAING audaciously experimental child in all of us - outstanding take on the Sweep The Leg Johnny- bashing away at anything purely to hear its Oxes-That Fucking Tank axis of broken, chunking, The Port Mahon rough, organic timbre. An Oxford Improvisers instrumental rock: this music takes urgently melodic riffs, and grinds them through all manner Oxford Improvisers are a humble group who gig certainly requires one’s ears to do the work, of time changes, awkward corners and forays into indulge in the obscure yet intriguing art of ad lib to connect seemingly incongruous musical lines feedback-drenched mayhem. Normally I’m ready music performance. An informal gig every together. Another captivating gig displaying to gnaw off my own hands at the thought of second Wednesday of the month with a special Oxford’s refreshingly broad music scene. another heavy-angular-post-rock band, but 50ft guest seems to be a winning format: tonight’s Pascal Ansell Panda maintain a strong grip on what’s important performance is their 98th! for a good live show: they rock, and they do so A ‘house band’ is an arbitrary decision made on relentlessly and brilliantly. Never does the artifice the night: a violin, guitar and percussion three- of tricky structure and churning confusion give piece resolve to play tonight. The three 50ft PANDA / BLIND way to self-conscious isolation from the audience members’ delicate suggestions begin tentatively PILOTS – rather, the connection between musician and then converge into a tremendous racket, totally listener is constant and immense. Sure, it’s clever incomprehensible but completely mesmerizing. The Bullingdon and impressive what they’re doing, structurally Intricate sprawls of fantastically nonsensical We arrive with customary lateness into a Bully and musically (and the two members – on just guitar pickings meet violin moans and peculiar that seems something of a private social club drums and guitar – are outstandingly good), but knockings. The percussionist’s unconventional tonight – a relatively small crowd maybe, but one it’s the sheer primal heaviness at play that sets source of inspiration lies in a long metal sheet that seems to be operating as a close-knit group this band way above their peers. draped across an overturned barstool, along of enthusiastic chums – quarter-way into Blind Simon Minter with sundry unrelated metal bits and pieces. Pilots’ set. And lo, it’s like we’re back in 1969, The metal strip displays wide versatility: gentle with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath knockings morph into atmospheric wah-wah jet laying down the foundations for streams, then lull into eerie thuds. heavy metal. Here is a band that’s Casually straddling tonight’s intervals are Chris unashamedly retro, but unerringly Dadge and David Laing. The bearded fellows are confident and assured. With band Shirley Wednesday @ The Ex two thirds of the Canadian improv outfit Bent members lurching away to their noisy, featuring Shirley Spoon Trio, and are Oxford’s special guests riff-heavy concoctions, and a Robert Starts Weds 11th July tonight. The band use unconventional Plant-in-waiting yelping out lyrics and then every 1st Wednesday of the month instruments and techniques to engender creative that speak of girls, partying and cut- July’s guests: Wire Jesus and Kate Chadwick liberation. One example is Laing’s signature to-the-quick emotions, Blind Pilots £3.00 entry, doors 8pm, ‘laingdon’, which consists of a mouthpiece tied are nothing if not a solid show to to a plastic tube with a bell on the end to behold. Dealing not quite elegantly The Exeter Hall, 1 Oxford Road, Cowley project the sound. When blown, it emits an odd, with some technical problems, they http://www.myspace.com/shirleytheband http://www.shirleymusic.co.uk/ wheezy buzz. Dadge is an extraordinarily do remain steadfastly ordinary; but http://www.wegottickets.co.uk/ virtuosic drummer, hurriedly moving from toms they operate with reference to a BIFFY CLYRO / YOURCODENAMEIS: MILO / FRANK TURNER Brookes Union Since splitting Million Dead Frank As their set speeds onwards the Turner has been carving a career for riffs get heavier until they lurch into himself as a mostly acoustic solo act the pulverising ‘Rapt. Dept.’ – although occasionally wherein Killing Joke dismantle accompanied by local boys Dive ‘Kashmir’. It’s an absolute killer; a Dive – with a work ethic that would genuine rock anthem. shame a honey bee. He’s a likeable, But the majority of tonight’s chatty host, looking like a young hirsute crowd are here for fellow Bob Dylan but musically and beardies Biffy Clyro, haling from lyrically closer to Billy Bragg, that Scotland but whose hearts and souls punky edge still sticking to his reside in Seattle (but hey, Kurt was folky songs. Heartache dominates always a big fan of Caledonian but the set’s highlight is the spittle- indie). For the most part Biffy seem flecked ‘Thatcher Fucked the Kids’, intent on burying every tune they a poignant and strangely possess in several layers of fuzz, contemporary song that should be but the way the crowd cheers at played at top volume from every even the most innocuous bass street corner the day the old hag rumble intro, they’re doing some finally croaks. thing right. In fact you get the Great to have feeling that ten or twenty years Yourcodenameis:milo in town after from now the band will be regarded they cancelled their recent Zodiac as some kind of seminal moment in show. Newcastle’s spindly rock, having for the most part, noiseniks are one of the UK’s most avoided any kind of press hype, underrated talents, a curious sense achieving cult status by word of of pure pop melody underpinning mouth and hard work alone. As such everything they do, however intense we want to love them more than we or propulsive. They are one of the can. There are moments of near- few bands able to bridge the gap greatness where their inventive side between aggression and melody rises to the surface, or a catchy without compromising either: rising melody pokes through the bluster, above emo and side-stepping pure but after an hour of solid, sometime hardcore and sometimes as close to stodgy noise, you yearn for fresh air Snow Patrol or Idlewild as they are and some sort of respite. to spiritual mentors Fugazi. Ian Chesterton
THE ROSIE TAYLOR PROJECT / EUGENE MCGUINNESS / LONELY SPOKANE / 4 OR 5 MAGICIANS GHOSTS vs TUMBLEDOWN ESTATE The Port Mahon / MEWGATZ Brighton’s 4 or 5 Magicians make one hell of a racket, most of which is produced by an enthusiastic and not untalented drummer. They don’t The Port Mahon stray from a path marked out by Guided By Voices, Dinosaur Jr and Good old Vacuous Pop. Oxford’s finest promoter is seemingly incapable of Sebadoh, and make a pretty good case for being mentioned in the same putting on crap bands. Tonight’s theme is solo artists with different sentence. The thing about this kind of loosely-played, stoner rock is that visions, with the support acts nurtured by Brighton’s mighty One Inch bands with a touch of genius, like Pavement, tend to show up the Badge label. Mewgatz (real name Ed) is the male half of Oxford folktronic inadequacies of lesser outfits, and these noisemongers fall into the latter duo Little Eiffel, and he’s a cheeky one. He grabs toys and retro keyboards camp. by the neck and circuit bends them ‘til they emit peals of pleasant ringings The crowd suddenly swells to welcome Spokane and their dark, midway through a chunky guitar riff. Over fuzzy guitar pangs and furry alt.country music that sounds for all the world like Chris Isaac beats Ed interjects breathy, syncopated lyrics, and the result is absorbing reincarnated on Cowley Road. They’re fronted by Dan Morgan, whose and intriguing. It’s great to see a lowly Oxford artist you never knew implausibly deep, sonorous voice demands attention and sings of empty existed, a sure testament to Oxford’s thriving music scene. streets and lost love. As an Oxford band this all a bit incongruous but it Lonely Ghosts and Tumbledown Estate are two solo artists respectively, soon becomes clear that they’re dead serious about their music and, in the field of bucolic guitar electronica. Tonight it’s not the expected scrap though some of the material punches above its weight, classy songs like between them but more of a collective shouting match over furious beats. ‘By Your Name’ recall Johnny Cash in leaving us feeling satisfied if a The agitated riffs and backing tracks aren’t too bad per se but it’s hard not little unsettled. to be put off by the somewhat contrived histrionics. That sort of Gay The Rosie Taylor Project describe themselves as alt.country but sound Against You boxer-hanging-out seems unwarranted as the music doesn’t as much like a Postcard-era Scottish band. Hailing from Leeds, they shun quite match the performance that accompanies it. drums in favour of an acoustic sound embellished by some very nice Alex McGuinness has no time for that of that nonsense, however. trumpet from second vocalist Sophie. The overall effect is delicate and Recently signed to Domino, it seems that big things await the Liverpool/ thoughtful, and a good example of how less can very much be more. ‘The London acoustic wailer. McGuinness has a certain element which defies the Sun On My Right’ stands out, with a haunting refrain that stays in the singer/songwriter cliché. He truly stands by himself for artistic direction head long after the gig is over. The imperfect acoustics of the Port don’t and originality. His performance is filled with a humility, a modest display do them full justice, but listening to them again at home you could see of his sonorous top end singing evocative lyrics as mellifluous chords them doing a Belle and Sebastian by producing late night songs for people ground the listener. The baking, muggy Port Mahon air is stilled, the whose main musical interests lie elsewhere. warmth is shared, and McGuinness leaves with a glorious encore. Art Lagun Pascal Ansell THE EARLY YEARS / MAXIMO PARK THE GOLDEN WOK SENNEN Oxford Union The Cellar Vodafone’s series of secret gigs in strange Finest Chinese Cuisine Take-Away locations is novel and fun, with a cave and 170 Cowley Road That Sennen have named themselves after a a church already ticked off the list. With (Opposite Tesco) Ride song should tell you plenty about the its high beamed roof and ornate leaded Norwich shoegazing revivalists. As it is, the windows, the Oxford Union makes a grand band hark back to the narcotic drone rock of setting for Newcastle’s Maximo Park in 01865 248158 Spacemen 3, who along with My Bloody front of 200 lucky competition winners, Home Delivery Available Valentine and Sonic Youth, inspired Ride in but when it comes to the bit, the room the first place. Their set is surrounded by a works against the occasion. Basically, the fug of heavily-flanged guitars which sound tonight is awful. The music is a Open 7 days a week subsume the introverted melodies and mush, the vocals incoherent, even with the backseat vocals. For the first fifteen help of a top of the range PA system. minutes it sounds pretty but not enough to A shame, since Maximo Park fully deserve convince, but, with the subtle mastery of their recent success, second album ‘Our their forebears, they utilise the power of Earthly Pleasures’ only just missing out on hypnotic suggestion to suck you in and give top spot in the charts and the band’s live your brain a good scramble. shows have earned them a growing, They’re just a rumble of distant thunder fanatical following. Much of this is down compared to The Early Years’ storm, though. to frontman Paul Smith, a bowler-hatted, The London quartet’s eponymous debut action-packed cross between Phil Daniels was one of last year’s most impressive, and and Jerry Sadowitz, whose frantic antics overlooked, albums, a meticulously-crafted reflect the urgent, bug-eyed mania of their amalgam of Neu!’s motorik grooves, best songs and contrast with the rest of Spacemen 3’s devotional psychedelia and the the band’s static studiousness. Stand out dark, fragrant new wave melody of Echo & track from an hour-long set is, The Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes. unsurprisingly, ‘Apply Some Pressure’, Tonight, initially frustratingly, but wherein Spizz Energi’s full-throttle pop- increasingly exhilaratingly, they crush such punk is sucked into Devo’s jerky robo-rock subtleties under a welter of swirling guitar machinery and a bona fide indie disco anthem is born. They’re at their best when noise and pounding, metronomic rhythms. they keep it fast and sharp, as on new Stand-out tracks from the album, like`All single, ‘Books In Boxes, especially since Ones And Zeroes’, are just about the slower numbers, like ‘Parisian Skies’, recognisable, David Malkinson’s voice often suffer the most from the unholy sound mix. little more than a howl in the heart of a In the end, though, there’s an hurricane. Like Spacemen 3 before them, The awkwardness about the whole affair, like a Early Years specialise in the build up, sustain bunch of fancy dressed goonsters and release of tension, taking each track to a accidentally gatecrashing a black tie do, a point where it can no longer withstand the largely static crowd either unable to make pressure and bursts like a dam. A brief out their favourite songs or worried they’ll pocket of calm sees them riding Kraftwerk’s break a nearby statue if they start Autobahn before the clouds consume them moshing. So, Maximo Park at the Oxford for one last acid-binged blizzard. Union: right band; wrong venue; nice try. Victoria Waterfield Dale Kattack ONLINEFLYERS.CO.UK STORNOWAY / EARNEST COX / Flyers, Leaflets & Posters THE NEW MOON High quality litho printing The X delivered in the mainland UK Stornoway, the headliners at tonight’s Gammy Leg gig, should be well known to within 4 working days. Nightshift readers by now, so we’ll concentrate on the others lesser known acts. Suffice to say, if you haven’t fallen in love with their exquisite melodies, supreme musicianship and rambling banter already, you either have a heart of stone or need to catch up quick. Find us at: www.onlineflyers.co.uk Remember, it’s never too late. Or call us: 01844 218 531 The New Moon, who are probably much better suited to a festival crowd, already have an attentive audience when I arrive. Their songs, mainly a wispy kind of folk, lose their legs before they reach the point where I’m standing. Much more interesting for me is the climactic couple of songs of their set, where Matt cuts loose somewhat, shooting off on tangents from a gentle melody to torrents of noise from his acoustic, akin to the reaction Albini provoked from David Gedge on `Seamonsters’. Earnest Cox, who apparently take their name from a Gloucester undertakers and not a porn film, are a more interesting proposition, falling somewhere between the art school stylings of the Blue Aeroplanes and the working men’s club ramblings of The Fall. Wonderfully they look like a band that’s been thrown together, one that shouldn’t produce such good music, but somehow pulls it out the bag. Maybe the key is in the way they ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- throw everything at the wall to see what sticks; a lot doesn’t, but you applaud them for trying. Then there’s the keyboard player who doesn’t use more than one hand throughout SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- the set. They also have a bass player that looks like a Geography teacher. How can it all DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- seem so wrong but work out so right? It’s there in a nutshell. 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 Russell Barker each. Brand new chart CDs £5 - £10 each DEMOSDEMOSDEMOS Please read the conditions below before submitting a demo,or we won’t review it. DEMO OF THE CONSCRIPTS A band featuring at least one former THE MONTH member of local rap crew Big Speakers, The Conscripts promise us some funk and deliver on that pledge. Opening track LITTLE FISH ‘Food’ is a deceptive killer, a stumbling, In a month of demos low on what you grimy, brass-laden 70s funk trip that might call talent, here’s some serious star initially appears far too drunk and quality. Little Fish are a two-piece band awkward to hit the dancefloor but formed by one-time Dolly singer Julia, becomes oddly infectious to the point who for some reason now calls herself you’re unconsciously nodding your head Juju (either because she’s a big fan of and thinking about Prince and cheap porn Siouxsie and the Banshees or she’s flicks by the end – a rare trick indeed. The developed a stutter) and erstwhile Vade rest of the demo doesn’t quite hit that Mecum drummer Neil, who has decided to spot, ‘In Love With Yourself’ trying to be rename himself Nez, possibly because he too slick in a jazzed-up hip hop kind of fell asleep halfway through telling way, but sounding too ponderous to get everyone what he was really called. That its groove on, although the more urgent silliness aside, this is simply great. Julia ‘Legions’ rescues things a bit with what has a pretty stunning voice, somewhere appears to be Jimi Hendrix trying to rap, between Sinead O’Connor, Suzie Quatro which is at least a novelty. and a very young Tina Turner, and the music flits between O’Connor’s wracked emotional folk-rock, Quatro’s rollicking UNKNOWN FLOW glam-stomp and Turner’s ballsy blues and What’s this? More goth? It certainly soul. Lead track, ‘Devil’s Eyes’, is a sounds like it from the opening minutes – stripped-down but full-blooded balancing eerie electro hum, chime bars, a ghostly act between garage-rock aggression and dissonance and some stridently intense meticulously-constructed melody, while female vocals, but soon it become ‘Am I Crazy’ touches on The Pixies’ latin- apparent we’re in the realm of a darker tinged punk mania. They can even do it beast altogether – Prog Rock. Yes, proper slow and sensitive, as on the sweet- prog rock. Not your modern day post- natured acoustic lament, ‘Error In Your Radiohead stuff, the proper fifteen-minute Sunrise’. Almost a decade on from when rambling epic stuff with impenetrable she first lit up the local music scene, it’s a guitar solos, wandering bass excursions, genuine pleasure to hear Julia’s voice arpeggiating funk jams, random passages again. of frantic drumming and narrative vocals that form part of a song trilogy called ‘The Arco Isis Archipelago’. No, really, it’s true. They told us. They also told us BETHANY WEIMERS they use flattened fifths, whatever they Can it really be summer when in some are (we’re just guessing but The Ramones people’s hearts it is still the very depths of probably never used them), and we get darkest winter? Here’s cheery, chirpy terribly confused and wonder where party sparrow Bethany Weimers with a they’ve hidden the tunes amongst all this seven-and-a-half-minute opus made up cleverness. On the one hand Unknown entirely of scraping violin and banshee wail Flow are ambitious and very that wanders through several octaves and is accomplished, especially since they’re all to The Cheeky Girls what the charred still at school. But on the other hand, can bones of atomic bomb victims are to a we have the last half hour of our lives Chuckle Brothers show. Come on, let’s be back please? honest – this is goth! Depending on your disposition, Bethany is either the soundtrack to a thousand lost souls, or a PIGTHE wailing harpy who ought to cheer up a bit. And at the opposite end of the musical It’s a bit of a trawl if we’re honest but scale, here’s someone who doesn’t seem something in its unrelenting misery grips to know one end of a guitar from the us. And when it finally finishes it begins to other. Which always warms us to people, rain. And then it begins to snow. And then mainly because we can feel marginally the earth splits and demons pour out. Do more clever than them. Anyway, Pigthe’s you see what you’ve done, Bethany? Do pleasantly rambling letter makes way for you? You’ve only bloody gone and started some pleasantly rambling lo-fi rock noise Ragnarok! that perhaps doesn’t seem to have any great sense of purpose or direction but in that increasingly tedious stop-start settles itself in with some whistling post-hardcore thing that’s long-since been synthesizer over a hazy mist of distorted done to death. Formed at the back end of guitar and some sporadic despairing over 2006, they’re another one of those, come the state of human existence. Things take back in six months and we’ll see what a turn for the acoustic on ‘Clap Hands’, you’ve come up with bands. Until then, which tries to turn that old singalong into not a bad effort. a Shetland sea shanty, but demo highlight is ‘Melt’ which fails, but at least tries hard, to emulate My Bloody Valentine’s THE FURNITURE fluttering splendour. After that it’s a quick GROUP drop back down the quality ladder for What kind of a band name is that? Sounds closing number ‘End Of My Rope’, which more like a removal firm to us, or a chain finds Pigthe pining for some release from of discount flatpack wardrobe stores. the misery of it all. By which point we Mind you it captures the exotic nature of can only empathise. their music perfectly: pedestrian funk- THE COURTYARD STUDIO rock-lite that sits around waiting for the PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ KNARF party to start before sinking into a torpor 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE What in blazes is happening to band that’s only briefly alleviated by a short, MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB names these days? Pigthe? Knarf? Both tedious, widdly guitar solo. There’s some CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION sound like the sound of either snide vague attempt on the part of the band, and OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI sniggering or violent vomiting, although in in particular the singer, to be The Red Hot FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI Knarf’s case we must stress that ambient Chili Peppers, but any end resemblance is S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) drum&bass is no laughing matter. No, fleeting at most, a closer likeness would be instead we get studiously discreet chitter watching someone you didn’t know or Residential facilities included. chatter beats and intermittent but hushed care about dying slowly on a hospital www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com piano stabs, which might tempt a ventilator. The machinery is working PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS particularly timid mouse onto the efficiently, if laboriously, but all the soul is ON 01235 845800 dancefloor, but tend to sound too much seeping out of it. Seriously, self-assembly like wallpaper musak for painfully trendy kitchen units are more rock and roll than bars where everyone dresses in white, this. wears way too much hair gel and they only sell imported Japanese lager. It’s well executed but you wonder at its purpose, THE DEMO since it’s neither danceable (unless you’re a particularly timid mouse, of course) but DUMPER equally it’s too restless to relax to. But then they do hit their stride with third track ‘Winston’, a dinky electro-pop THE KICKS shuffle that nudges its way into your face Funny the direction in which bands’ and gives Knarf some purpose. And then ambitions seem to lie. From their opening they follow that with ‘For the Journey’, track, ‘Notice Me’, with its solemn, which does lean back on those samey sensitive piano lead, The Kicks sound like drum&bass beats but comes with a tingle they’re gearing up to soundtrack end-of- of 70s synths that warm us like the tender season footage of weeping football fans on caress of a bacofoil-clad alien temptress. a what-could-have-been montage. Or Good to see they get there in the end. maybe they really do just want to reach the semi-finals of X-Factor by offending no-one at all. Either way they layer on the THE JESUS KNIVES pain with the singer wailing “I want you The Jesus Knives apparently got together to notice me!” And like a creaking door, with the sole purpose of creating some it’s impossible to ignore. Further into a aggressive feedback noise, which has to be strangely incoherent hotchpotch of a demo a more honest and admirable intention there’s some life with second track than wanting to make a career in the music ‘Lately’, although it does sound like it’s industry by sucking any corporate cock been recorded inside a giant milk bottle that presents itself along the way. If the several miles away from the nearest reality doesn’t quite live up to the microphone; the muffled, fuzzy guitars at hellstorm we imagined, they do manage to least distracting from the desperate shout a lot and batter their guitars to a pleading and shouting that has replaced moderate degree, genuflecting at the altar the earlier whining. A tune briefly pops its of Fugazi (never a bad thing) and racing head above the parapet for ‘Element Of through two and a bit tracks in seven Surprise’, a forlorn Beatles-y strum that minutes. Pleasing to the ear for a few brief sounds like it just wants to curl up and die moments, they don’t, however, offer in a corner. We’re happy to lend a swift anything much new and at times get stuck boot in the right direction.
Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number (no email or mobile- only). No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Nightshift accepts no responsibility for deflated egos.