email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 154 May Oxford’s Music Magazine 2008 PUNT 2008 King Furnace fire up for the year’s best showcase of Oxford music talent. Four-page pull-out guide inside Katharine Bird by King Furnace photo Plus All the latest Festival news NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] THIS MONTH’S OXFORD PUNT will give local music fans a fantastic opportunity to see some of the best new and unsigned bands in the area. The Punt, now in its eleventh year, takes place on Wednesday 14th May and features 18 bands across five venues in Oxford City Centre. The mini-festival kicks off at Borders at 6.15pm with acoustic folk-pop singer Faceometer and runs through the evening at Thirst Lodge, the Purple Turtle and the Wheatsheaf, finishing at midnight at the Cellar with one-man digital hardcore riot Clanky Robo Gobjobs. In between you’ll hear funk, ska, metal, electro-pop, experimental noise, blues, rock, indie and more. THE LEMONHEADS have been confirmed as the main headline act for The full line-up for the Punt, which includes this month’s Nightshift this year’s Truck Festival. Evan Dando’s legendary grunge-pop band cover stars King Furnace, can be found in a special handy pull-out guide will perform the whole of their classic ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ album in in the middle of this issue, including a brief introduction to every venue its entirety as they perform on the main stage on Saturday 19th July at Hill and act involved. With so many of Oxford’s recent musical successes Farm in Steventon. having played at the Punt early on – including Young Knives, Goldrush, As Nightshift went to press Truck was almost completely sold out, Winnebago Deal, Fell City Girl and early incarnations of Foals and although a handful of tickets, priced £60 for the weekend, including Jonquil – it really is a great way to discover new local talent. camping, might still be available from outlets around the county. Visit As ever admission to each individual gig on the Punt is a bargain £4 and www.thisistruck.co.uk for details of outlets, as well as line-up details. there are a limited number (100 only) all-venue Punt passes available, Other acts already announced for Truck include Camera Obscura, priced £7, from Videosyncratic on Cowley Road, or online from Small Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan and the Bump Band, The Oxfordmusic.net. Television Personalities, Noah & The Whale and Maps. Vacuous Pop, Abort, Retry, Fail?, Sonic Cathedral and Fresh Out Of The Box are amongst local club nights who will be running stages over the weekend. BLACK KIDS, Pete Tong, and Jazzie B, who are joined by Meanwhile there are still tickets available for Truck’s new WOOD Mystery Jets, Elliot Minor and You Mystery Jets, Calvin Harris, FESTIVAL, which takes place at Braziers Park, near Wallingford, Me At Six are the latest acts to be Operator Please, Elliot Minor, across the weekend of 16th-18th May. The environmentally-conscious announced to perform at Norman Jay and Brandon Block, festival features sets from Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, Ashley Hutchings Wakestock Festival. Wakestock amongst others. and Lightspeed Champion, amongst others. takes place in the grounds of The Sunday sees The Streets, Blenheim Palace in Woodstock over Supergrass and Pete Tong the weekend of the 27th-29th June. headlining the three stages, along OUT TO GRAZE is the latest BAT FOR LASHES (pictured) The new acts confirmed join with Black Kids, Dykeenies, festival to grace Oxfordshire’s plays a special warm-up show at already announced bands like Futureheads, Young Knives, summer schedule. The two-day the Academy on Tuesday 3rd June Groove Armada, The Streets, Mark Lightspeed Champion and event takes place across the before supporting Radiohead on Ronson, Funeral For A Friend, Metronomy. weekend of 13th-14th June at their UK tour. Bat For Lashes - Supergrass, Futureheads, Calvin In addition to the bands there will Rookery Farm in Shabbington, on the band created by Brighton singer Harris, Young Knives and be displays of wakeboarding, the the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire and songwriter Natasha Khan - is Pendulum. More names are cult watersport which mixes water- border. The festival, in aid of the set to release her, as yet untitled, expected to be announced shortly, skiing and surfboarding. Oxford Wheels Project, features second album later this year, the including a number of Oxford bands. For more line-up information and three stages and an acoustic café. follow-up to her 2006 Mercury- As it stands Groove Armada will festival news visit Bands confirmed to play include nominated debut `Fur & Gold’, headline the Friday night main stage, www.wakestock.co.uk. Baby Gravy, International Nightshift’s album of the year. Her along with Audio Bullys. Pendulum Tickets for the weekend are on Jetsetters, Raggasaurus, Scanners, last Oxford show, at the Zodiac in head the main tent bill on the Friday sale online from the festival site, Dogshow, Borderville, Von Braun, February last year, was one of the and are joined by Hadouken, from the credit card ticket line on Jaberwok, One Dollar Peepshow most incredible gigs of 2007. Friendly Fires and Royworld. 01758 710 000, as well as from and Loose Grip, while DJs from Tickets for the gig are on sale Saturday night’s bill is topped by SS20 on Cowley Road and Rapture Simple, Slide, Skylarkin and now, priced £9 from Mark Ronson, Funeral For A Friend in Witney. Bassmentality will also be playing wegottickets.com or from the funk, soul, ska, reggae, hip hop, Academy box office. house, breaks and techno. Tickets for the event, priced £30, are on sale now through wegottickets.com. Visit www.outtograze.com for more details. COWLEY ROAD CARNIVAL takes place on Sunday 6th July, featuring four live music stages along with various sound systems, a carnival parade, theatre, dance, magic, circus acts and food, running across the afternoon from midday til 6pm. Any bands or solo artists wanting to play should email [email protected] for an application form. VIDEOSYNCRATIC is set to for free. The CDs feature Nought, become the only independent Dustball, Cat On Form, stockist of local music from this Meanwhile, Back In Communist month. The video and comic shop Russia, and more. Go to on Cowley Road currently sells www.audioscope.co.uk for more tickets for local gigs and festivals, details. including Truck and the Punt, but Witches, who also performed at the any bands wanting to sell good last Audioscope, play a special quality CDs through the shop Shelter benefit gig at the should pop in and talk to Jon Wheatsheaf on Saturday 17th May Spira. with Ivy’s Itch. The band recently Meanwhile, Videosyncratic will released a download-only video EP be holding a special comic and toy in aid of Shelter. give-away day on Saturday 3rd May, with a 2000AD signing SERJ TANKIAN’S gig at the session with the comic’s editor Academy on Saturday 5th April has Matt Smith (what, no Tharg?) and been rescheduled for the Tuesday artist Simon Davies. In the evening 19th August after the singer taken there will be a special Superheroes ill. All tickets for original date gig at the Port Mahon featuring remain valid or refunds are available Smilex and The Palace of from point of purchase. Righteous Justice in full costume. AS EVER, don’t forget to tune OXFORD CYCLE into the Download every Saturday WORKSHOP celebrates a major evening between 6-7pm on BBC re-launch with an afternoon of free Radio Oxford 95.2fm. The live music this month. Inflatable dedicated local music show plays Buddha, Dr Butler’s Hatstand the best Oxford releases and PAUL SIMON has been confirmed as the main headline act for the Saturday night of this year’s CORNBURY FESTIVAL. The legendary Medicine Band, Chris Faroe and demos and features interviews th Simon Davis will be performing at with local and touring acts as well New Jersey singer-songwriter tops the bill on Saturday 5 July at the OCW shop at 39 Magdalen as a gig and clubbing guide. The Cornbury Park, near Charlbury. He is joined on the main stage by Road in East Oxford from 1pm on show is available to listen to Beverley Knight, Toots & The Maytals and The Bangles amongst Saturday 10th May. A cycle online all week at bbc.co.uk/oxford others, while Mick Jones and Tony James’ Carbon Silicon project join treasure hunt is also planned in the Nick Lowe, Eric Bibb, Half Man, Half Biscuit and The Beat on the second stage. As already announced, Crowded House headline the morning in aid of Shelter. For more PLEASE CAN ALL BANDS th details on the gig or OCW call sending in CDs for review make festival on Sunday 6 July and are joined by the likes of KT Tunstall, 01865 204799 or visit sure they affix the correct postage. 10cc and Imelda May, while the Oxford Folk Festival stage plays host www.myspace.com/ Recently we’ve had a few notes to Bellowhead, Salsa Celtica and Tift Merritt. theoxfordcycleworkshop. from Royal Mail saying full Paul Simon’s headline set is sure to include plenty of old classics, postage has not been paid on an following, as it does, the release of his ‘Essential’ best of album last LAST YEAR’S AUDIOSCOPE item and it’ll cost us £1.06 to have year, as well as songs from his Eno-produced ‘Surprise’ album.