email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 139 February Oxford’s Music Magazine 2007 photo by Squib RichardRichardRichard Oxford’sWaltersWaltersWalters master of melancholy on his incredible ten-year musical journey - interview inside. Plus - News, reviews and six pages of local gigs NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWNEWSS photo: Matt Sage Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] BANDS AND SINGERS wanting to play this most significant releases as well as the best of year’s Oxford Punt on May 9th have until the its current roster. The label began as a monthly 15th March to send CDs in. The Punt, now in singles club back in 1997 with Dustball’s ‘Senor its tenth year, will feature nineteen acts across Nachos’, and was responsible for The Young six venues in the city centre over the course of Knives’ debut single and mini-album as well as one night. The Punt is widely recognised as the debut releases by Unbelievable Truth and REM were surprise guests of Robyn premier showcase of new local talent, having, in Nought. The box set features tracks by Hitchcock at the Zodiac last month. Michael the past, provided early gigs for The Young Unbelievable Truth, Nought, Beaker and The Stipe and Mike Mills joined bandmate Pete Knives, Fell City Girl and Goldrush amongst Evenings as well as non-Oxford acts such as Buck - part of Hitchcock’s regular touring others. Venues taking part this year are Borders, Beulah, Elf Power and new signings My band, The Venus 3 - onstage for the encores, QI Club, the Wheatsheaf, the Music Market, Device. including a brace of REM songs, the Purple Turtle and the Cellar. The event runs `Electrolyte’, plus a new, as yet untitled song, from 6pm in Borders through to 1am down at YOUTHMOVIES team up with former-Can plus Hitchcock’s classic `Listening To The the Cellar. Bands, duos or solo artsits should legend Damo Suzuki for a one-off gig at the Higsons’ and a cover of `Eight Miles High’. send demos, with a short biog, to The Punt, c/o Cellar on Sunday 1st April. Damo has played a With Thom Yorke also in the audience, it Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. number of improvised gigs in Oxford with made for a star-studded night - see full gig The only rules for inclusion are that bands must various local musicians, including members of review, page 14. be unsigned, resident in Oxfordshire and have Nought, Dive Dive, Ride and Fell City Girl. some gigging experience. Bands that played last Tickets for the show are on sale now, priced £6, year’s Punt cannot play this year. As ever a from wegottickets.com. Support comes from Machine and Foxes! play a launch gig for the limited number (100) of all-venue Punt passes Fuck Buttons, Swordwind and Traktors. album at the Cellar on Thursday 8th February. will be on sale from mid-February, priced £7, from Videosyncratic on Cowley Road, QI Club THE WALK OFF release their debut single, QI CLUB in Turl Street are looking for more on Turl Street and online from oxfordmusic.net. ‘Vader Fader’, on Feburary 26th on Norwich- acts to play their fortnightly gig nights. Bands based indie label Hungry Audio, home also to and solo acts can email Stewart at Telescopes. The new single is released on 7” [email protected] or call on vinyl as well as a download. The band launch 07939592732. the single with a gig at the Zodiac on Saturday 24th February, with support from last month’s DON’T FORGET TO TUNE IN to the Nightshift cover stars Baby Gravy, plus ex- Download every Saturday evening between 6- Suitable Case people Mephisto Grande. Go to 7pm on BBC Radio Oxford 95.2fm. The local www.thewalkoff.com for further tour details. music show features the best new Oxford releases, plus interviews, a club and gig guide OXFORD GUITAR GALLERY hosts another and a regular demo vote. The show is available jazz masterclass with renowned guitarist Sid to listen to online all week at bbc.co.uk/oxford. Jacobs on Wednesday 21st March. The class starts at 6.30pm with tickets, priced £10, strictly limited. THE MUSIC MARKET Contact 01865 553777 for details or Upstairs @ The Market Tavern 8 Market St, off Cornmarket St visit www.oxfordguitargallery.com Tel: 01865 248388 Email: [email protected] JOHN CALE’s gig at the Zodiac on Monday 29th January has now been re-arranged for THE FAMILY MACHINE AND February Monday 19th March. The former-Velvet FOXES! contribute to a new DMR + UP’N’COMING ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS compilation mini-album on Big Scary Underground man pulled the Oxford show due to Every Saturday 8.30pm, £4. Local live bands night. “unforeseen circumstances”. All tickets remain Monsters’ Alcopop singles club this 3rd Caminus / One Dollar Peepshow / The Wildflowers Tour valid for the new date. Similarly Thirteen Senses month. The six-track, 3 CD is 10th Hip Hop Night with Mr Shaodow / Nonsense / have re-arranged their February Zodiac show for available to singles club subscribers Chris Martin / Sly / more Thursday 22nd March due to recording from late January or by mail-order 17th Shaker Appeal / Juxtsar / The Castrates / The Iliterates commitments. from www.ilovealcopop.co.uk from 24th Off Kilter / The Underside 26th February. The other acts SHIFTY DISCO celebrates ten years of musical included on the CD are Ooberman, DELICIOUS MUSIC OPEN MIC NIGHT Every Sunday 8pm, FREE ENTRY independence this month with the release of a Midget, Beauty School Dropout and three-CD box set featuring some of the label’s Popular Workshop. Family OXFORD UNIVERSITY JAZZ SOCIETY Every Thursday 8pm. FREE ENTRY SCOTT MATTHEWS plays at FRIDAY FOOD Brookes University Union on Every Friday 12-3pm. £2 (includes a bowl of fresh home-made soup) Sunday 1st April following two sold- 2nd BORDERVILLE 9th BROTHER BEN & JAMES BELL out shows at the Zodiac by the 16th AMBERSTATE 23rd MONDO CADA Midlands-based singer-songwriter last year. Tickets, priced £10.50, DEADBEAT SOUNDS - Live bands th th are on sale now from Friday 9 / 16 . 8pm, £4 wegottickets.com or from the DMR TUESDAY NIGHT BLUES CLUB 8pm, £3 Brookes Union box office, on 01865 13th GREEN ONIONS (unpeeled) 27th BLUE MAMA 484750. A Quiet Word With Richard Walters “I USED TO GET THE JEFF Photo: Squib with Björk, especially on Buckley comparison a lot, that and `Vespertine’, and his involvement Thom Yorke. They’re two of the best with Madonna but that was it. I did vocalists of the last 20 years, so it’s some research and fell in love with always been a taken by me as a the Frou Frou album he did with compliment.They were two of the Imogen Heap, that’s an incredible main reasons I started singing. But record, totally underrated. It’s been a really, deep down, I wish I was Scott fantastic experience. I’ve also written Walker.” and recorded with Bernard Butler over the last year. I met him at a festival RICHARD WALTERS IS ONE OF in Ireland in 2005, and pestered him the most talented singers Oxford has until he agreed to do some tracks. I produced and, almost secretly, one of think Bernard’s still untouchable as a the most successful. Still only 24 guitarist, he’s totally unique.” years-old, Richard has been playing on the local scene for ten years now, YOU’VE JUST SIGNED TO BIG originally in the band Polysoul Scary Monsters. How did that come (alongside future members of Witches about, do you see it as a long-term and Jaberwok) and later Theremin, arrangement and how does it feel to who released a single on Shifty Disco be involved with a small label in 2001. But it’s as a solo performer compared to Warner Chappell? that Richard is best known and has “I heard about BSM because they enjoyed his greatest successes. In the released a wonderful EP by the past five years he has signed a Swedish band Jeniferever, whom I publishing deal with Warner Chappell became a little obsessed with. Kev Music and been taken under the wing who runs the label was a friend of a of Courtyard Management, who look friend, and I got her to speak to him after Radiohead and Supergrass. He simple, the latter a solemn, funereal 2001 - Courtyard saw us supporting about the possibility of doing a single. has played gigs as far and wide as the lament that recalls the heart-breaking Medal, who they were managing at I thought he’d instantly dismiss the States, Hong Kong and Sweden and purity of Robert Wyatt at his very the time. I left the band in 2002, idea - the label’s quite rock based and worked with Suede’s Bernard Butler, best. Elsewhere, ‘Ice Skaters’ rides pretty much intent on leaving music I was looking to release what is, Noel Hogan of The Cranberries (in over a bizarre rhythm like the sound alone for a few years. But I started essentially, a pop EP. It’s impossible his Monoband project) and Guy of feet trudging through deep snow, writing again and playing a few gigs to compare BSM and my publishers. Sigworth, producer to Björk and accentuating the gorgeous longing and on my own, and that’s when Kevin’s running a fantastic, proven Britney Spears. loneliness inherent in it. Courtyard approached me regarding label almost entirely by himself, Along the way Richard has A long-time favourite of ours here at management.