Ocelot99 september 2014 final artwork

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 1

OXFORD NEWBURY

l

SWINDON

l

READING

l

SALISBURY

l MARLBOROUGH l WITNEY l DEVIZES l WANTAGE l HUNGERFORD l BASSETT RIVERS

FOOD AND DRINK / THEATRE / ART / COMEDY / LIVE MUSIC

OCELOT THE

ISSUE NO: 99

SEPTEMBER 2014

FREE

What the Shrek?

plus... a special preview to new arts and music festival OxfordOxford p40

It’s The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide Your indispensable Autumn and Winter Guide to Arts, Theatre and Comedy p23

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 2

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 3

Follow Ocelot Mag on Facebook and Twitter @ocelotmag

What’s in your Ocelot?

their hands in their pockets to help the countless refugees being created then it’s done its job.

Next month we will be celebrating 100 issues of this magazine, which makes us feel old.

Really old.

For Starters p4

Jamie Hill

Food and Drink

comedies to edge of your seat drama and even Shrek.

We also look into new festival Oxford Oxford, which promises to be one of the most interesting events of the year celebrating the arts as well as live music with The Klaxons and Gaz Coombes headlining.

In our food and drink section Brewery Bird has put her money where her mouth is and has started brewing her own real ale.

We also have a special report from Our Man in Iraq Luke Coleman after recent events have escalated over there engulfing the area where he lives. It’s shocking stuff and if reading this article means that one person more puts

For Starters

So here comes September. The gateway to Autumn. Leaves will start throwing themselves from trees soon like crispy lemmings, the days will get a bit shorter and the cold of winter will start to bite as the time goes on.

Oh, and you won’t be able to go shopping anywhere without hearing your first Christmas jingle at least three months before the big event.

And The Ocelot publishes its annual theatre guide for the winter.

That’s right, in these here pages you’ll find a guide to all of the amazing stuff you’ll be able to catch in the region’s theatres. It’s got everything from laugh out loud

Luke Coleman; Michael Bosley

Brewery Bird; Pan of Mystery; Dave for all Seasons

The Theatre Guide p23 Everything you need to know!

The Music section p38

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink p9

OxfordOxford; David Marx; Gig Monkey

Publisher:

Telephone: Website:

Ocelot Media, 65 Rogers Meadow, Marlborough, SN8 1DZ 01672 514442

www.theocelot.co.uk

The Ocelot does not accept responsibility for goods or services offered by advertisers.

The most comprehensive listings in the region.

What is an Ocelot? An Ocelot is a big

cat from central and south America.It is also the region’s leading arts and culture magazine letting you know what’s going on and where.

The Ocelot has more than 25,000 readers and is delivered to over 700 different venues on the 1st of every month.To be in it - get in touch!

For Sales call Dave Stewart on 07872 176999 or dave@theocelot.co.uk To get in The List for FREE email listings@theocelot.co.uk

The List

Editor: Jamie Hill jamie@theocelot.co.uk Contributors: Brewery Bird, John Palmgren, Ed Dyer, Dave Franklin, David Murphy, Sid Siddle, Mark Muggeridge, Dave Stewart, Jacqui Thorndyke Printers: Advent Colour

The List p48

Music

The Klaxons play OxfordOxford p40

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 4

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Live Another Pay-day?

a few geographical hiccups and the usual defying of simple physics to compliment the plotline (see drone bridge car attack), but generally, Jack Bauer gets a nice gentle pat on the head for a job well done.

Well, he would do if it weren’t for one clunking honker; the clumsy shoehorning of product placement into the show which threatened to derail my immersion with its barefaced audacity.

During one scene, Jack and his band of merry agents escape a hospital moments before a drone blows it into small chunks, scattering a thick layer of dust onto the surrounding onlookers and cars.

That is, except for a gleaming, undamaged, black Chrysler 200, a car which isn’t going to be released until 2015, isn’t even going to be sold in this country and looked completely out of place amongst the semi-destroyed Ford Focus’s and Honda Civics.

Bauer and clan climb into the slick, left-hand drive whip, which fortunately seems to have the keys in and they set off on a high-speed dart through London’s busy, narrow streets whilst the camera lingers excessively on the front of the car to show the badge. The whole show then becomes one prolonged car ad as our protagonist weave around obstacles and dodges missiles from a chasing drone.

Miraculously, the car survives this bombardment unscathed (warhead aversion must be an optional extra) and they switch cars to confuse the drone and confusing me in equal measure.

The Nerd’s Last Word with Michael Bosley

I recently worked my way through the special London-based series of 24: Live Another Day having not watched a whole episode of 24 in anger since the highly publicised first season aired back in the depressingly distant year of 2001.

Save for the abundant explosions, gun fights and conveniently uncomplicated relationships that help one high-drama scene flow into the next, my main reason for picking up this series again was for the partisan reason that it was set in the UK. You see, I get a pitiful thrill when I see the UK portrayed on bona fide, big budget US blockbuster television shows and movies; like seeing a picture of someone you recognise in the local Advertiser, jabbing at the article excitedly with your finger and proclaiming to an indifferent audience that you know that bloke holding up the big charity cheque.

When Thor 2 hit the cinemas, I watched the climactic battle scene at Greenwich and the brief snippet of the very local Stonehenge with giddy awe as they were played out before me in proper 24fps widescreen, looking as intangible and unreal as a New York skyline shot or any other typical movie backdrop.

For an American TV show, 24 presented its idea of London quite competently. Sure there were

4

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 5

An intensifying battle t

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 6

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot columnist Luke Coleman lives in the Kurdish city of Erbil in Northern Iraq. He now finds himself c

Luke Coleman teaches English to students in the Kurdish city of Erbil in Northern Iraq. He is also a regular contributor to The Ocelot. Over the past few months he has seen the impact that the IS insurgency is having on his chosen country. Please send help.

Off The Grid with Luke Coleman (Our Man in Iraq)

want to come back for belongings. Don't. Sit back for a few days or weeks, and understand that the situation is changeable.

Finally, I just want to say something about the premium given in international media to this as a religiously based war.

Every single one of the Muslims I know are outraged by the crimes being committed in the name of their faith. It's undeniable that the slaughter of Iraqi minorities over the last few weeks has been committed by zealots.

Horrific as this is, and IS (Islamic State) are carrying out atrocities in the name of their interpretation of their God and belief, the broader picture in Iraq at least is political. The White House asked for an inclusive government today - Iraq laughed wryly as it noted that PM Maliki, the man widely considered the spark for this current horror, was the man the US put in place.

As I said, I am leaving soon, for a short while. I will reassess my position. I won't be returning to the UK, rather just go and sit somewhere less panicked for a week. Then I will decide.

I'm not religious. However, I've found myself imploring a higher power recently. Pray for peace...and consider writing to your MP asking for

www.lukecoleman.co.uk

August 10 Firstly, if you're taking info from western media, it's been 24 hours behind the news up until today. The worst news, and what remains my biggest concern, is the stranded on Sinjar Mountain. So many of you compassionate friends are asking how to help them....the immediate aid is arriving there, slowly. That tens of thousands of people can be stranded in an area without water for almost a week is incomprehensible. I can't understand it, and most here don't either. Short of sorting logistics hitherto beyond the capacity of the best minds, there's no way to support them. However, drops have been made and there are encouraging reports of evacuation.

Secondly, and I can't stress this enough, Erbil is secure. It's a city I am going to leave shortly, but I fully intend to return.

That said - if you are not currently here, returning without essential purpose is crazy. I've been asked by many former residents about the situation, and some 6

ng battle to save Iraq Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 7

l in Northern Iraq. He now finds himself caught up in a major conflict and calls for people to donate.

For Starters Music The List

7

Arts & Culture

morning, as I think it explains to those of you new to the idea of Peshmerga, what they can be.

It was mid-morning, and I was walking home after spending the night at a friend's house. I hailed a cab. My driver was clothed in cheap camouflage duds and I greeted him, flustering Kurdish at him about the general area of my destination.

Once we were trucking he asked me where I was from and I trotted out the simple answer I give, "Mn barittani."

"Me too! I'm from London," he Cockneyed, shopping just short of the 'innit?' suffix.

We got in to a conversation, and he had returned to Kurdistan to fight. He was using the family taxi to make some dinars during his week from the frontline. He'd been in Makhmour, the town close to Erbil that has gone back and forth between IS and Kurdish control over the last week. What was the fighting like, I asked.

"We've only got AKs," he said, "And they've got all that gear from Mosul," his Lahhndahhn accent getting stronger, "but don't worry, we''ll fuck 'em."

Makhmour was back in Kurdish hands 24 hours later.

The Peshmerga may be poorly armed and unused to this theatre of combat. But they are exceptionally brave and proud - this might be the edge they have over jihadists. The Peshmerga loosely translates as 'those that face death', jihadists appear to want only to embrace it.

Other than the usual places like The Red Cross, Christian Aid and Refugees International Luke would recommend donating to the Rise Foundation to help as it directly supports refugees in Erbil. www.gofundme.com/RISE-Foundation

Food and Drink

action against IS, as that burst sausage of a cockwit Cameron seems to think that the UK is in no way responsible.

August 12 Safe & sound in Amman, Jordan.

In the Four Seasons, because evac insurance is amazing. Thanks AMIDEAST! I'd love to be writing something about the adventure I had in Kurdistan. Wild swimming in canyons and gorges, paragliding from the mountains surrounding Mosul or just shits and giggles with friends in one of the many Christian beer gardens in my neighbourhood. But I'm not. I can't.

The hardly known Yazedi people of Iraq are, as I write, being subjected to a massacre in the area around Sinjar town. I know, 'fucking Iraq, they need to get their shit together, I'm so tired of hearing about it.'

Not everyone's point of view, but I wouldn't hold it against you if you felt it deep down. Middle East fatigue is an understandable emotion....no one wants to bathe in the running sewer of stories to leave the region, especially at a time when the stream flushes so strong. But I've got nothing else to tell you. It's very difficult to stay positive, even more difficult to stay off the drink. But we work hard, we keep alert and I've got evacuation plans in place. It might be that the birthday just passed was my last in Kurdle Burdle, if I was here at all. I wrote this before it. I won't celebrate this year, as one of my closest friends was kidnapped

by Islamic State at the beginning of June and we don't know where he is or if he's alive. You can't imagine how much I pray for his return. It would be a nice present.

I want to share a moment I had on Saturday

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 8

Brew Day!

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 9

For Starters

with Brewery Bird

The region’s favourite beer writer

Music The List

9

(“And here’s one I made earlier)”….

13.00: After a spot of lunch, it’s time to run the beer through to the insulated Fermentation Vessel, via the heat exchange – a clever piece of equipment which brings the temperature of the wort down to 20 °c, taking approx. 35 minutes.

Yeast is added once the wort has cooled, so fermentation (the process by which yeast converts the glucose in the wort to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas – giving the beer its alcohol content and natural carbonation) can begin. The liquid is left to ferment here for a week, during which it is brought down to 10°c. More hops can be added during the last few days (dry hopping) to provide an additional hoppy punch and drier finish.

15.00: All that’s left is a spot of thorough cleaning to ensure nothing nasty is left lurking on floor or surfaces and then it’s off to the cellar to ‘sample’ a couple of brews before heading for the door.

Brewery Bird enjoyed a day’s brewing at Shed Ales, Pewsey, Wiltshire. It costs £65 per head (maximum two people), and includes all food/beer whilst on site.

Arts & Culture

grains. More heated water is then poured over the grains using a sparge arm, a stainless steel sprinkler with tiny holes along its ‘arm’, which rotates the circumference of the mash tun, to make sure all the sugars are removed. The liquid that is drained off at the end of the mash, containing mostly of fermentable sugars, is now very sweet and sticky and is essentially the backbone of the brew. This liquid or ‘wort’ is then transferred to the kettle, or copper, by a clever pipe and valve system, ready for ‘the boil’ 11.30am: Once the liquid has been transferred to the copper the fun really begins with the addition of hops. These cone shaped, dried flowers have been used in beermaking for centuries and we are encouraged to roll the thin, papery cones between our fingers and inhale the heady, oily aromas which are emitted. Hops can be added at different timings to achieve the desired flavour and aroma. The first bucketful are added at the beginning of the boil to add bitterness to the beer. More stirring required. It takes up to 75 minutes to extract the bitter acids. We add another load about 40 minutes towards the end of the boil, which the brewer says will add flavour and again just a few minutes before we finish – these will contribute to the aroma. We’re then beckoned into the rather compact and bijou cellar for a much-needed pint.

Food and Drink

Ever fancied stepping into the shoes of a brewer for the day?

Have designs on creating your own beer? Stuck for gift ideas for the person who already has just about everything? Well look no further. Many breweries are now offering beer-lovers a unique and fascinating opportunity with Brew Experience Days and as this beerlover can attest, it really is a day to remember. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, get stuck in and learn a thing or three!

8am: Arrive, grab a cuppa, a bacon butty and a chance to discuss what lies in store for the day ahead – the proposed brew, ingredient, timings and anticipated gravity. We check the malted barley and are offered a few grains to try, which taste like digestive biscuit!

8.30am: The chosen malts are weighed, and Mashing In begins – malted barley is gradually mixed with hot water in the Mash Tun; activating the malt enzymes and converting grain starches into fermentable sugars. This takes around 15-20 minutes of constant stirring to ensure the malt is evenly mixed, as the mash gets thicker and takes on a porridge like consistency.

The mash is left to settle and reach the desired temperature. The temperature of the mash dictates how the beer will taste – a lower temperature creates a dry beer and higher, a sweeter beer 10.30am: Next is a process called sparging. Liquid is drained from the bottom of the mash tun and recirculated to the top, so it filters through the husks of the spent

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 10

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 11

Music The List

11

Arts & Culture

Sojo: Holding on by the skin of their teeth after a recent unimpressive visit, though prior consistency keeps them in the list… for now. Go in a large group and let the chef choose your food - wave after wave of delicious Chinese food - yum!

lacking - lucky for them the food is so damned good!

Brasserie Blanc: Monsieur Blanc still holds a special place in his heart for the city where the Brasserie group originated. And we hold a special place for this restaurant in Jericho. Can be noisy when it's busy but the food is very good, so who needs to talk anyway?

Al Shami: Lebanese in Jericho.

Go hungry as you'll eat a lot!

Peek into the back room for stunning decor.

Door 74: Small, intimate and lovely restaurant-cum-cafe, serving seasonal freshly cooked food. You must try their amazing Eggs Benedict and their delicious chips.

Atomic Burgers: Voted by the Twittersphere as the best burgers in Oxford - both meat and veggie. Retro, fun, filling and flavoursome it's well worth a visit so get your hands on one of their mammoth filled burgers. You could always try Becca's tip and take a Krispy Kreme doughnut in with you to replace the top half of the burger bun!

Pierre Victoire: Excellent French bistro food, in an intimate and classy setting, at sometimes unbelievably low prices. For great value, do check out their set menus - three course lunch for £11.90, three course dinner for £23.50, pre theatre offers for £11.50 and three course Sunday lunch for £15.90.

Food and Drink

A column by Bitten Oxford After a recent Bitten team meeting, we agreed to make our first revisions to our top ten favourite places to eat in Oxford. There are some obvious choices along with some less obvious, but we hope you'll enjoy them as much as we do. They're in no particular order, just places where we know you can get consistently good food. There's food for when you want to scoff and food for when you require more of a fine dining experience.

But they're all good.

St Giles' Cafe: Proper home cooking, done well, with lots of care and attention, in a lovely little cafe. Big credit for making their own ‘Oxford sausage’ too.

And as Jacqui says - “the best cuppa you’ll get in Oxford”!

Oxford's Grill: Don’t let that basic sign fool you, the food inside is far from basic delicately balanced punchy flavours, free bread and houmous to start your meal, excellent service, all at incredibly reasonable prices. Excellent example of under promising and over delivering!

Oli's Thai: I’m utterly amazed when I speak to any locals who haven’t yet been. I want to grab them by both arms, give them a good shake and say “what the hell are you thinking?!”. Excellent food, exquisite flavours, lovely owners, relaxed but stylish vibe.

The confit penang duck is understandably a huge hit, but their simple dishes of ‘beef soup’ and sweetcorn fritters are way more exciting than they sound.

Booking essential because this place is VERY popular.

Magdalen Arms: Loved by locals and nationals alike, this previous ‘spit and sawdust’ pub has led the way with food in Oxford for sometime. Sister pub to the ‘original’ gastropub The Anchor & Hope, Magdalen Arms now serves up consistently excellent Med-inspired food, though the service can be a little

For Starters

Bitten Oxford Top Ten

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:07 Page 12

Dave for all Seasons

I’m on a veggie kick this month and have been coming up with a few alternatives to classic dishes. It’s a fun challenge. If you’re interested in cutting back on red meat yourself, or fancy saving a few quid, give this a whirl:

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

with Dave Stewart

A full-flavour, meat-free Bolognese

A good ragù is just the thing for when the nights start to draw in and can easily be enjoyed by vegetarians with just a few substitutions. The key thing to remember is that soy mince won't offer any flavour of its own like meat will, so we have to add a good amount of 'umami' flavourings to make up for it - the slowly sweated veg, the red wine, the dried mushrooms, stock and Worcestershire sauce will all help you achieve that deep savoury flavour that's the mark of a good Bolognese sauce. The raw crushed garlic and thyme added at the end also add an extra depth of flavour to help in this regard.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large, lidded pan and sweat 2 finely diced carrots, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped stick celery, 5 finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp finely chopped dried mushrooms (any sort will do -just soak beforehand in hot water for 10 minutes), and 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves. Reduce the heat to low and put the lid on, leaving it slightly ajar. Continue to cook until the carrots are nicely soft, about 15 minutes or so. Then turn up the heat to high and add 250ml wine. Reduce until most of the liquid has gone, about 5-6 minutes. Then, add a large pinch of salt, a big grinding of black pepper, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tin tomatoes or 300g chopped ripe ones, ½ tsp sugar, 400 ml veg stock, a generous dash Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp dried oregano and bring to the boil. Then, reduce the heat, add 300g Quorn or soy mince and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes, until all the flavours are well incorporated and most of the liquid is reduced and you are left with a fairly thick, unctuous sauce.

Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Cook your spaghetti until al dente in salted boiling water. Meanwhile, take the Bolognese sauce off the heat and stir in the 1 raw crushed garlic clove and a few more chopped thyme leaves. Drain your spaghetti, saving 2-3 tbsp of pasta boiling water. Add the pasta and reserved water to the sauce, and toss well.

Place the lid back on the pan and leave it sit for about 1 minute. Finally, serve in large bowls, topped with grated Parmesan, a scattering of fresh basil leaves, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper to taste.

NOTE: There are three items present in it this dish that could contain animal products and you'll need to watch out for if you want this to be strictly vegetarian - these are the red wine (might contain finings), the Worcestershire sauce (anchovies) and the parmesan/hard cheese (could contain rennet). 100% Vegetarianfriendly versions of all three items are readily available, just be sure to read the labels when purchasing.

12

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 13

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 14

International Pan of Mystery

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Turning up the heat on some familiar and not so familiar ingredients from around the world.

Avocados

Native to central America, but now grown successfully anywhere there’s a bit of sunshine – the Avocado is a truly remarkable ingredient. It’s technically a fruit, but as with tomatoes more often used in a savoury way than a sweet one (sweetened smoothies and ice creams beloved in parts of SE Asian being some notable exceptions). But for the most part – we’re dealing with two types here in the UK – the bright green ‘Fuerte’ variety, and the dark green, almost black ‘Hass’ avocado. The latter is, I believe, the better bet for flavour, though either of these two common varieties or any others you might come across are pretty much interchangeable. The golden rule, always – is they have to be ripe and yielding to the touch. Don’t even bother trying to eat them if they’re not yet ripe – the only option is to put them back in the fruit bowl (not the fridge!) and give them another day or three.

The ‘ready to eat’ sorts you can get from some supermarkets these days generally help speed up the process a bit, as they’re a bit further along when you buy them,

but I still find they generally need a little more time – so plan ahead and buy the fruits a few days before you actually need them.

They’re great in sandwiches, salads and even soups (Sopa Azteca is a particularly wonderful fate for our green friends) but of course the daddy of the dishes is Guacamole - a dish which, despite its familiarity, seems to cause no end of confusion (at least in the case of cheap dips masquerading under the good name of Guaca!). Under no circumstances should you add any dairy - I see so many variations with cream cheese added and it's just not needed. To make yours, simply mash up 2 ripe avocados, add fresh lime juice (1-2 depending how much juice they give you), 1-2 cloves smashed garlic, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Once it’s mashed and mixed well, add finely chopped red onion, red chill pepper and fresh coriander to taste. Add extra lime/salt/chilli (or even a dash of chipotle tobacco or a few chopped cherry tomatoes) to taste. Serve with ice cold beer and plain tortilla chips.

14

Vinho di Montho

Rawnsley Estate Chardonnay

Small parcels of premium grapes have been carefully selected by the award winning winemakers at The Rawnsley Estate for this great quality Australian wine. With distinct varietal characters of tropical fruit, peach and citrus, together with a subtle oak influence, this wine has a wonderful length and texture. And it’s moreish. In fact it’s so moreish that it should come with a warning as you can’t have just one glass when several will do! But go and grab a bottle from Tesco soon as at the moment it’s half price and is going for £5.49 rather than the usual £10.99.

NATIONAL WEEKS OF WHATEVER Mushroom Month

September

September is Mushroom Month. I bet you didn’t know that. I always enjoy mushrooms, they’re funghis to hang out with (did you see what I did there?).

Mushrooms are not a vegetable, but the fruiting body of a funghi, starting life as microscopic spores which are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. It is believed that they have been in existence on earth for 90 million years. That’s a mighty long time so the least we can do is give them a month.

co soon as at the moment

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 15

Sunday 7th September

Friday night music and Thursday Comedy is back in the Cellar Bar!

Moonrakers Comedy - Thursday 4th September Doors open at 8pm Show starts 8.30pm Opener: Rob Coleman Headliner: Christian Reilly Tickets available in advance or on door ÂŁ10.00 Friday 5th September - Franc Cinelli - Doors 8pm Music 9pm Entry ÂŁ5.00 Cellar Bar is available for private hire.

Rugby and beer - the perfect combination....

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 16

Marlborough Rugby Club has had a bit of a facelift.

We’re not talking the actual players. They’ve not all gone out and had plastic surgery or anything over the summer break - as far as we know anyway.

No, we’re talking about the rugby club itself on Marlborough Common.

It’s been completely gutted and had a new bar put in. As far as refits go, it’s pretty major.

It’s also now open to the public for six days a week and will be open from 4pm Tuesday to Friday, 11am to midnight on Saturday and 12pm til closing on a Sunday. At £3 a pint it’s cheaper than most places as well.

The guy who’s now running it is Trevor Stannard, who used to run The Bear in Marlborough. This is a man who knows what he’s doing when it comes to running a good pub and we’ve got high hopes.

To celebrate, Trevor’s putting on a massive great beer festival on Saturday September 20.

This is something that he’s hoping will be the new annual Marlborough Beer Festival if it’s successful.

It ties in with the Marlborough first team’s first home game of the season against Coombe Down and will go on from midday to midnight.

There will be 15 real ales sourced from around the country and five ciders. All at £2.50 a pint.

A bit of sport will be on the big screen throughout the day with Bath v Leicester in rugby union, QPR v Stoke and West Ham v Liverpool in the football.

As part of it there will be a hog roast and a bouncy castle.

At 8pm there’s even some live music from Mick O’Toole and the Reprobates who will be bringing their unique brand of cider punk to the proceedings.

It all sounds brilliant and we can’t wait.

16

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 17

Crazy Golf is now open!

Open all day for food every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 18

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 19

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 20

Monday September 1 Fancy a laugh?

Four Comedians and a compere all for free!

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 21

The List

21

Music

Oxford Playhouse are putting on a collection of plays called Secret Theatre. The audience knows nothing about them until their tickets are torn and their seats are taken. This new way of seeing a play distances the audience from coming in with any pre-conceptions, positive or negative.

This Russian roulette of theatre brings with it the excitement of the unknown and unexpected. It may not be what you would normally choose but it could be the start of enjoying something completely new.

The drawback, of course, is that you might be stuck in a theatre for 90 minutes watching something that you have no interest in. The Playhouse have intentionally kept the ticket prices low, at £11 or £18, in the hope that you will think the risk is worth taking.

The plays take place over the first 2 weeks in September. Here are a few hints on what to expect, but if you want to find out you’ll just have to go along.

Show 1: This is the show that really got people talking. If you like bold, clever and thoughtprovoking productions this one is for you Show 2: If you like your theatre locations with a twist, why not give this one a go? It’s a pitch-black comedy that the critics loved.

Show 3: With a nod to Jacobean tragedy it’s been described as “thrilling” and “a thick slice of thick pulp fiction”.

Show 4: This show is experimental theatre at its best. If you’re brave enough, buy for this one and await our directions to the secret city centre location.

Show 5: If you’re a regular to the BT professional seasons, this one is for you. Written by a well-known and often controversial playwright, it’s sure to entertain.

Arts & Culture

What makes you want to see a play?

Perhaps it’s a recommendation from a friend, or a good review, or even just an interesting looking poster. But what about if you didn’t have any of that? Would you take the risk of seeing something that you knew nothing about? That is the question that the Oxford Playhouse is asking their audience this month.

Food and Drink

Breaking a Leg with John Palmgren

For Starters

Can you keep a secret?

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 22

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 23

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

Chipping Norton + Corsham + Didcot + Marlborough If there’s one thing that makes the Autumn that much more bearable once the colder nights set in it’s the fact that the region’s theatres go in to overdrive to keep us entertained. This season they really are going all out with singing ogres and allsorts. Here’s our guide....

Cornerstone Arts, Didcot

Cornerstonearts.org.uk The Cornerstone has everything from the dramatic to the droll. One production that we are particularly looking forward to is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (Oct 4). The production is the World Premiere of a new translation of this classic play about marriage, money and the freedom of women in the late 19th century. Other productions include The Pearl, an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel and Not About Heroes the unforgettable story of two of the finest ‘Great War’ poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon (Nov 12).

On a lighter note there’s comedy with Rory McGrath (Sept 12), Sean Hughes (Sept 19), Bridget Christie (Oct 3), Katherine Ryan (Oct 10), Mark Thomas (Oct 17), Craig Campbell (Nov 14) and Susan Calman (Nov 22).

For familes there’s Pop, described as Mr Bean meets Charlie Chaplin, (Sept 21), Once Upon A Snowflake (Sept 28), where a white sprite is discovered with a strange white suitcase, Hey Presto (Oct 5), an adventure with catchy songs and mischief, The Pillow Maker, a magical tale for children, (Oct 12), Around The World in 80 Days, where three actors portray a cast of thousands in this madcap adaptation (Oct 18), The Queen's Knickers (Oct 19), Jojo and Billie's Tour de France (Oct 22), Three Wise

Monkeys (Nov 2) with Seeno, Hearno and Speakno, The Magic Porridge (Nov 16), a trio of traditional and tasty tales, Silver Moon (Nov 23), combining music and shadow puppetry, The Falcon's Malteser (Nov 29), a detective story, Comedy Club 4 Kids (Nov 30) and Hansel and Gretel (Dec 7).

If you’re into music there’s Simpson, Cutting and Kerr, three of Britain’s finest musicians coming together (Sept 27), Blackbeard’s Tea Party (Oct 24) mix fiddles & squeezeboxes, guitar noise & synth bass, the beautiful folkiness of Mairearad and Anna Melody (Oct 30), Stringfever (Nov 1) are the world’s first genetically modified string quartet, Peatbog Faeries (Nov 7), the trailblazers of high octane Celtic dance music, St Giles Orchestra: A Night in Vienna (Nov 8) brilliant folk duo Megson (Nov 9), BBC Radio 2’s Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy (Dec 6), Coope, Boyes and Simpson: Hark, Hark (Dec 12), a feel good feast of carols and What a Wonderful Christmas singalong (Dec 13) with The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band.

To round it all off the big festive Show is The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (Dec 15 to 24).

The Theatre, Chipping Norton

www.chippingnortontheatre.co.uk The big Christmas production at The Theatre this year is Mother Goose (Nov 18 to Jan 11).. Otherwise in September alone you can catch The 23

A Doll’s House at The Cornerstone - photo by Pete Le May

Rollin’ Clones (Sept 12), The Secret Police (Sept 6), magicians Morgan and West (Sept 11) and a host of other events.

The Pound, Corsham

Neil Gaiman’s Stardust (Dec 20 to Dec 23) is the Christmas production.

Check out wwwpoundarts.org for the the rest of the programme.

Theatre on the Hill & KVAT, Marlborough

Marlborough’s Theatre on the Hill has Purple Zeppelin - The Ultimate Rock Tribute Show (Sat Oct 4).

Whilst Kennet Valley Arts Trust has a full season of theatre live screenings at Marlborough Town Hall including The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Sept 3), Medea (Sept 4), Hermitage Revealed (Sept 9), Stephen Fry (Oct 1), A Streetcar Named Desire (Oct 8) and Manon (Oct 16).

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 24

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

NEWBURY

Arlington Arts, Mary Hare

arlingtonarts.co.uk Arlington is definitely the place to go this season if you like your music. The season kicks off with blues magician Lil' Jimmy Reed (Sept 11), visionary acoustic guitarist Preston Reed (Sept 12), and then the next day there’s Fragile featuring Claire Hamill (Sept 13), a tribute to Yes. Then there’s gypsy guitarist Lulo Reinhardt (Sept 18), fantastic comedy band The Axis of Awesome: Viva La Vida Loca Las Vegas (Sept 20), singer songwriter Ben Montague (Sept 25), Danny Bryant (Oct 2), with his musical infusion of rock and blues, Jo Harman & Company 'the finest female soul blues singer in the UK' according to The Mirror (Oct 3), Urban Folk Quartet with its blend of the traditional and modern (Oct 9) and mesmerising guitarists Larry Miller (Oct 10) and Juan Martin (Oct 11). If that wasn’t enough there’s tribute act Whole Lotta Led (Oct 18), the fantastic Danny & the Champions of the World with support from Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou (Oct 23), outstanding guitarists John Etheridge and special guest Kit Holmes (Oct 24), Wormfood presents: Bunty, a one-woman electroorchestra (Oct 31), Americana pop Nell Bryden (Nov 1), nomadic songwriter Ruarri Joseph (Nov 6), Sandi Thom, who wishes she was a punk rocker, (Nov 8), a blend of vintage soul, funk, R&B and folk with Lady Nade & The Silhouettes (Nov 15), the folky coolness of Peter Knight Gigspanner (Nov 20), The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Nov 21), audacious band The Poozies (Nov 22), bluesmen Matt Schofield plus special guest Ben Poole (Nov 28) and rounding off the year on a musical high is the Mandolinquents Christmas Extravaganza (Dec 17).

Arlington also doesn’t skimp on the dramatic and theatrical and you don’t get more dramatic and spiritual than Tashi Lhunpo Tibetan Monks: The Power of Compassion (Sept 24). There’s also The Spin City 'Vintage' End of Year Showcase (Oct 4) with its aerial silks, aerial hoops, poles and trapeze performances.

Combining puppetry, immersive soundscapes and multimedia technology there’s Feral produced by company Tortoise in a Nutshell (Oct 14). You don’t get more dramatic than revealing the mysteries of the universe but Mark Thompson: Stargazer (Oct 25) has a pretty good attempt. For families and kids there’s Jojo & Billie's Tour de France (Oct 27). Beneath the Albion Sky is a storytelling performance mixing travelogue with 24

Tashi Lhunpo Tibetan Monks

mystery (Nov 5). There’s festive flower arranging with Newbury Floral Society: 'The Merry Bells of Yule' (Nov 11). Not About Heroes is the unforgettable story of two of the finest ‘Great War’ poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon (Nov 13 and 14). Clout Theatre present The Various Lives of Infinite Nullity (Nov 26) about a post-suicide support group in limbo. Ballet Theatre UK presents Swan Lake, with its fantastic plot filled with romance, sorcery and betrayal (Dec 19 to Dec 21).

Corn Exchange, Market Place

www.cornexchangenew.com Peppa Pig kicks off the season with a splash at The Corn Exchange (Sept 6 and 7) but that’s not the only show that will please the family audience as there’s also The Falcon’s Maltester (Oct 7 to 8) based on Anthony Hororwitz’s novel, The Gruffalo (Oct 24 to 26) and the

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 25

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

NEWBURY

big panto this year is Aladdin (Nov 28 to Jan 4).

Music-wise there’s We Say Yeah - Cliff Through The Years (Sept 10), Country Roads - A Celebration of John Denver (Sept 25), Forever Jackson (Sept 26), a tribute to the king of pop, a cafe concert with BBC Young Musician 2014 Martin James Bartlett (Sept 26), The Apollo Big Band’s Great American Tour (Oct 11), The Elvis Years - 1954 to 1977 (Oct 17), Villiers Quartet (Oct 17), Steeleye Span with their 45th anniversary tour (Oct 23), there’s Ceilidh with Threepenny Bit (Nov 8) and Carols at The Corn Exchange (Nov 22) will get you in the festive spirit.

If it’s comedy you’re into then you might be disappointed to hear that Al Murray is already sold out (Sept 11) but never fear as there’s also Milton Jones (Oct 22) and Jongleurs monthly comedy club (Nov 21) As far as theatre and dance is concerned The Corn Exchange has it cover with an innovative staging of Romeo and Juliet (Sept 17 to 20), the future of contemporary British dance with Without Stars & There We Have Been (Sept 24), Summer Holiday (Oct 1 to 4) with its jaunt across Europe in a London bus, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Oct 14 to 15), Shakespeare School Festival brings together four local Newbury schools (Nov 4), The Trench about a trapped miner during World War One (Nov 6), Manmade Dance shows the future stars of male dance (Nov 7) and Kennet Opera presents Nabucco (Nov 13 to 15), If it’s entertainment of a lighter nature you’re after there’s An

Evening of Burlesque (Oct 18), Newbury Star Search Live Final (Oct 19), YCE Charity Showcase (Oct 28), Theatre of Illusion with James More (Oct 29), Sing-a-long-a-Rocky Horror (Oct 31) and find your Halloween spirit at the Skeleton Ball (Nov 1). There’s also an evening with Albert Roux (Nov 17)

Dave Gorman

New Greenham Arts

www.cornexchangenew.com At New Greenham Arts they’re justly proud of their folk and music programming and this season is no exception. There’s Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick (Sept 11), Barb Jungr treats the audience with This Wheel’s on Fire (Sept 26) and Scottish musicians Salthouse (Oct 11). Barb Jungr comes again for A Woman to Woman Christmas with Mari Wilson (Dec 19).

As usual it also has some fantastic comedy with Dave Gorman (Sept 16 and 17), Hardeep Singh Kohli (Sept 25), Andy Zaltzman (Oct 24), Sean Hughes (Nov 7) and Tom Wrigglesworth (Dec 5).

For the kids there’s I Believe in Unicorns (Sept 27), a stage adaptation of Michael Morpugo’s children’s story and a Christmas No1 Singalong (Dec 6).

On a more dramatic front there’s Longwave a seductively bleak comedy (Oct 21).

Watermill Theatre

watermill.org.uk This season The Watermill has everything from the tragic to the magical.

It all kicks off with Journey’s End (Sept 11 to Oct 11), a moving tale of life and death in the trenches.

Keeping the tragedy going you can then experience Hamlet (Oct 13 to 25

Oct 17), one of Shakespeare’s most haunting plays about the game of thrones in Denmark.

On a lighter note there’s But First This (Oct 23 to Nov 8), a new musical set in the corridors of Radio 4 with music from Des O’ Connor.

Then there’s the antics of Toby Belch and Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Nov 12 to Nov 15) showing the more comedic side of the bard.

The big Christmas show is Peter Pan and it promises to be very magical with added fairies, pirates and Lost Boys (Nov 20 to Jan 4).

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 26

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 27

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 28

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

OXFORD

Creation Theatre

www.creationtheatre.co.uk Creation Theatre is a small but perfectly formed Oxford company who like to find unusual spaces throughout the city to fit the story they are telling from bookshops to mirror gardens. They are just finishing a run of Macbeth at St Margaret’s Hall (Aug 19 to Sept 13). This year for their big festive show, Creation returns to the North Wall Arts Centre in Summertown to transform it into the banks of the bubbling Thames, country inns and the open road as we bring Kenneth Grahame’s family classic to life with music, fun and laughter. Of course we’re talking the tale of toad, badger, ratty and mole in The Wind In The Willows (Dec 5 to Jan 10).

Glee Club

www.glee.co.uk/oxford Glee on Hythe Bridge Street in the city centre is well known for its regular Saturday night comedy nights but it also has some rather big touring comedians coming for a vist this season. There’s Doc Brown (Sept 25) who you might remember helping out Ricky Gervais with Equality Street and Derek, the always great Scotsman Danny Bhoy (Oct 8), award- winning nonsensemaker Tony Law (Oct 30), the very posh Simon Evans (Nov 7), political satriisth Andy Zaltzman (Nov 14), glam role model Katherine Ryan (Nov 20) and Canadian genius Tom Stade (Nov 21). And from December 5 the Glee Club will be holding its Comedy Christmas party nights.

New Theatre

www.atgtickets.com/oxford It’s been a busy year at the New

Theatre Oxford – and that trend is set to continue for the rest of 2014 and into to 2015 with shows for the whole family.

Whether you are looking for musicals, dance, gigs or family fun, there is something for everyone in our Autumn 2014 brochure, which is now available to pick up around the city.

Musicals are well represented in 2014 with some of the biggest touring shows around coming to the theatre.

Get ready to have your face melted as Rock Of Ages takes to the stage (Oct 21 to 25), starring Noel Sullivan and Ben Richards. The musical is the ultimate rock mix-tape musical, an hilarious story of dreams, love and - of course - rock.

A celebration of classic 80s rock culture, the show tells the story of a small town girl and a big city rocker falling in love to the greatest songs of the decade and features memorable tunes such as ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘and ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.

The smash-hit musical Shrek joins us as part of its first UK tour (Nov 12 to 23). Based on the popular Dreamworks film, the big-hearted ogre and his and of fairytale friends and guaranteed to put a smile of the face of the whole family.

And get your party shoes on this Christmas as Dirty Dancing is guaranteed to have you up in the aisles (Dec 9 to Jan 3).

Fans of comedy are also in for a treat with performances by Jon Richardson (Sept21), Alan Davies (Oct 5), Joan Rivers (Oct 8) and Jimmy Carr (Dec 5) coming up before the end of 2014, with Milton

28

Jones (March 1) and Al Murray (March 9) already booked in for next year.

Other one night shows include Level 42 (Oct 11), Rumours of Fleetwood Mac (Dec 1), Sam Bailey (Feb 15) and Collabro (March 6).

Tickets for all shows can be purchased from the New Theatre box office by ringing 0844 871 3020.

North Wall

www.thenorthwall.com The season kicks off with the macabre pre-war Berlin cabaret of The Tiger Lillies (Sept 12) and keeps the drama going full speed with Blind Hamlet (Sept 18 to 19), which transforms Shakespeare’s tragedy into an interactive theatrical battle.

Then there’s Wuthering Heights (Sept 23) an all male interpretation of Emily Bronte’s seminal text. Fast Track (Oct 2 to 4) follows a lifechanging day in the lives of 6 young city-dwellers. Tortoise in a Nutshell presents Feral (Oct 8) which

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 29

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

OXFORD

combines puppetry, immersive soundscapes and multimedia technology. Stowaway (Oct 11) details an extraordinary journey in search of an impossible future. Blind (Oct 14) is a beat-boxing theatre show unlike any other. Then there’s Mark Thomas’s Cuckooed (Oct 15 to 16) about undercover antics in the protest movement. Our Fathers (Oct 25) is a moving and funny journey through fatherhood past and present. An Instinct of Kindness (Oct 28) explores the right to die for the chronically ill. Johnny Got His Gun (Nov 5) is about a young man’s experiences in World War One. Grounded (Nov 29) is a gripping new play that challenges our assumptions about war, family, and what it is to be a woman.

For the children there’s Thousand Crane’s Me and My Cat (Sept 27), The Jungle Book (Oct 19), Shakespeare Schools Festival (Oct 21 to 22) and Dare to Sea (Nov 7).

If music’s your bag then there’s Delia Darlings (Oct 9), Breathe (Nov 1), A Little Rough Music (Nov 1 to 2) Ivo Neame (Nov 8) and Chris Wood: None the Wiser (Nov 27).

Old Fire Station

www.oldfirestation.org.uk Apart from its monthly local music night The Listening Room which kicks off again in October (Oct 7), the Old Fire Station has a host of acts this season including Bicycles on Broadstreet (Sept 5 to Sept 6) with local singer/songwriter Mark Denton, Otway & Barrett – Film Stars on Tour (Oct 9), The Willows: ‘Amidst Fiery Skies’ Tour (Oct 28), WHO CARES Concert for Carers with Rocky Rockliff (Nov 13 to 14), The OFS Third Birthday Bash (Dec 9) and all-star 9 piece latin soul and

Barrio funk band Mambo Mambo Mambo (Dec 13).

On a theatrical front there’s dance theatre with Seeing Grace (Sept 9), the powerful play I Am Mark (Sept 12), bleak comedy Longwave (Sept 26), Verity (Sept 27 to 28) about one woman’s struggles with modern life, Keep The Home Fires Burning (Oct 3 to 4) a tale about silver linings, Brainsex (Oct 17) about the differences in men and women’s brains, taut thriller The Man Who Woke Up Dead (Oct 18), Don Q (Oct 22 to 25), a modern reimagining of Cervantes Don Quixote, Call Mr Robeson (Oct 30), a play about civil rights campaigner Paul Robeson, Night Visit (Oct 31) is an apt Halloween tale from a performance storyteller, Charles Dickens adapted ‘Sikes and Nancy’ (Nov 15) from the grislier material in Oliver Twist, dance theatre show Faraway, So Close (Dec 5) about race and identity and the season finishes with Noel Coward’s Hay Fever (Dec 16 to 20) from Oxford Theatre Guild.

That’s not forgetting the gallery at the Old Fire Station which has exhibitions throughout the season including Oxford Open Doors (Sept 13 to 14) where you’ll get a chance to see behind the scenes.

On the comedy front there’s Jenny Eclair (Oct 2), Tim Key with his show Single White Slut (Oct 16), Sara Pascoe (Dec 11) and The END OF THE WORLD Science Cabaret (Dec 12).

Oxford Playhouse and BT Studio

www.oxfordplayhouse.com The season kicks off in a mysterious way with Secret Theatre (Sept 1 to

29

Alan Davies

13). Throughout two weeks, five different shows will be performed on the main stage, back stage, in the Burton Taylor Studio and in a secret off-site location. The titles and the authors are secret; creating a genuine surprise and a chance to discover something new.

Other theatre shows includes haunting adaptation The Kite Runner (Sept 15 to 20, main stage), comedic period drama She Stoops to Conquer (Sept 23 to 27, main stage), Dead to Me (Sept 23, BT Studio) about relationships, psychics and spirit guides, When We Embraced (Sept 24), a play about you and me, The Bread and The Beer (Sept 25, BT Studio), a one-man ballad about ancient and modern England, I Wish I Was Lonely (Sept 26, BT Studio) about converstation and communication, In Time O' Strife (Sept 30 to Oct 4, Main Stage), a heartbreaking examination of class conflict and the price of industrial success and Still Score (Sept 30, BT Studio), a funny and moving show

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 30

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

OXFORD

about life, death and the things in between.

Then there’s The Forensics of a Flat (and other stories) (Oct 1, BT Studio), 300 to 1 (Oct 2, BT Studio), a new play from Monkey Poet containing spears, swords and underpants, The Watery Journey of Nereus Pike (Oct 3, BT Studio), a tale of myth and magic, Conscientious (Oct 6 to 7, BT Studio), a tale of World War One and modern day escape, The Angry Brigade (Oct 8 to 11, Main Stage) about anarchists during seventies, Fiction (Oct 9 to 10, BT Studio) a performance experienced in total darkness, The Furies (Oct 15 to 18, Main Stage), the Greek play performed by Oxford University students, Othello (Oct 21 to 25, Main Stage), Shakespeare’s play about jealousy and reputation, The Pillowman (Oct 29 to Nov 1, Main Stage), an epic and dark comedy, The Trial (Nov 3, Main Stage), a new opera for Music Theatre Wales, based on Kafka’s cult novel, The Man Jesus (Nov 4, main stage) with Simon Callow, The Five & The Prophecy of Prana (Nov 7 to 8) a dazzling dance theatre show, Pitcairn (Nov 11 to 15, Main Stage), a drama about a colony’s descent from a new Eden to burtal dystopia, Regeneration (Nov 18 to 22, Main Stage) a war tale about Siegfried Sassoon’s institutionalisation during the war, War Poets (Nov 21, Main Stage) with Live Canon and a collection of a war poetry, Carousel (Nov 24 to 29, Main Stage), Oxford Operatic Society’s adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s powerful story and finally the big festive panto is Beauty and the Beast (Dec 5 to Jan 18, Main Stage). After Christmas you can catch The Woman in Black (Jan 26 to 31, Main Stage) and Jeeves and Wooster (Feb 10 to 14, Main Stage).

If comedy’s your thing there’s Mark Steel's In Town (Oct 6, Main Stage), The Novice Detective with Sophie Willan (Oct 8), BT Studio), Marcus Brigstocke (Nov 5, Main Stage) and Mark Watson (Jan 22, Main Stage).

On the music front OxJams (Sept 6, BT Studio), the Oxford Jazz Masters Series launches a new season with a spectacular show filled with Latin flair that features world-leading conguero Robin Jones and Latin drummer Eric Young.

For families there’s What to do When You Find a Dinosaur (Sept 12 to 21, BT Studio), Shoe Baby (Sept 27, BT Studio), Everything You've Ever Needed to Know Ever (And Some Extra Stuff) (Oct 11, BT Studio) and Hurry up, Father Christmas (Dec 11 to Jan 4, BT Studio).

On the talk front there’s The Man Who Ate the Heart 30

Simon Callow in The Man Jesus

of a King (Sept 17, BT Studio) about William Buckland who set about sampling every animal in existence, Dinosaurs for Dummies (Sept 18, BT Studio), Finding Fossils (Sept 19, BT Studio), Crazy for Egypt (Sept 26, Main Stage), Simon Singh unearthing scientific and mathematical mysteries (Oct 3, Main Stage) and The Charles Simonyi Annual Lecture (Nov 14, Main Stage) with David MacKay, acclaimed author of Sustainable Energy – Without The Hot Air.

Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road

www.pegasustheatre.org.uk The Pegasus has quite an eclectic season ahead.

It starts off with My Name is… (Sept 12 and 13) a new verbatim play tell the story behind the headlines of Gaby/ Ghazala and a 'tug of love' battle between continents and cultures and then it keeps up the pace with a plethora of other shows including The Pearl (Sept 18 and 19), an adaptation of Steinbeck’s story, Wingman (Sept 27) a comedy from Richard Marsh, The Muddy Choir (Oct 2 to 4), a WW1 drama about singing soldiers, Festival of Shorts 2014 (Oct 19), brand new shorts from young writers in an evening of rehearsed readings, Shop of Little Horrors (Oct 30 to Nov 1), Halloween fun with spooky puppetry, Run This Town (Nov 7), adrenalin fuelled indoor Parkour, Hopelessly Devoted a powerful drama by Kate Tempest (Nov 13 and 14) and the big Christmas show is The Snow Queen (Dec 5 to Jan 4).

For families there’s Pigeon by Lunabug Theatre (Sept 20), Strictly Balti (Oct 9 and 10), local young bands let loose at Reins (Oct 11) Macbeth – Blood will have blood (Oct 16 to 18), digital Shakespeare for young audiences, Around the World in Eighty Days (Oct 23), Victorian silliness from Oxfordshire Theatre Company, Shh! (Oct 25), an extraordinary library comes to life, ¡Downside Up! (Nov 20), young dancers shake things up, The Princess and the Pea (Nov 21) and The Abominable Snowman (Dec 7).

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:08 Page 31

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 32

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

READING

www.readingarts.com/whatson

Paloma Faith

The Hexagon

Reading’s flagship theatre has quite the season ahead.

Music-wise there’s The Queen Extravaganza (Sept 5), Lisa Stansfield + special guests (Sept 15), RPO Test Drive the Classics (Sept 20), as part of Classical Music Alive, Level 42 (Oct 5), Aled Jones: Songs of Hope and Inspiration (Oct 9), Natalia Lomeiko presented by Russian State Symphony Orchestra as part of Classical Music Alive (Oct 16), Clannad plus support (Oct 17), Bond and Beyond (Oct 19), 10cc + special guests (Nov 4), Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra (Nov 5), Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze (Nov 6), Paloma Faith (Nov 9), Erasure (Nov 12), Paul Carrick (Nov 15), Imelda May (Nov 16), Bellowhead + special guests (Nov 19), The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace (Nov 23), Joan Armatrading (Nov 24) and Royal Philhamonic Orchestra (Nov 25), For families there’s Justin Live (Sept 6 and 7) and Tall Stories present Room On The Broom (Oct 23 to 24) If theatre spectacular is your bag you can catch Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Sept 9 to 13), The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular (Sept 17), Reading Operatic Society presents: Oliver (Sept 24 to 27), Over the Rainbow The Eva Cassidy Story starring Nicole Faraday (Sept 28), The West End Experience, a Showcase of the Musicals (Sept 30), Simply Gershwin - Crazy for Gershwin (Oct 2), Songs of Sister Act (Oct 10), Madama Butterfly (Oct 12), Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Oct 28 to Nov 1), Private Peaceful By Michael Morpurgo (Nov 2), Moscow Ballet La Classique - The Nutcracker (Nov 3) and Dancing in the Streets (Nov 22).

Comedywise there’s Jethro (Oct 3), Jim Davidson (Oct 8), Alan Davies (Oct 11), Al Murray (Nov 8), Dave Gorman (Nov 21), Mark Watson (Nov 22, Concert Hall), Noel Fielding (Nov 26) and David Baddiel (Nov 28).

There’s also An Evening with Pam Ayres (Oct 18) and Paul Hollywood: Get Your Bake On (Nov 7).

The big spectacular panto this year is Cinderella (Dec 6 to Jan 4).

South Street

South Street has always been the place to go for good and original comedy. There’s the Short and Girlie Show (Sept 6), an improv masterpiece, Henning Wehn: Eins, Zwei, DIY (tour preview) (Sept 16), Tom Stade (Sept 17), James Acaster (Sept 26), Sara Pascoe (Nov 14), Andy Zaltzman (Dec 6), Skeptics - The Z List Dead List with comedian Iszi Lawrence (Dec 10) and Katherine Ryan (Dec 13).

If you want live music you can catch The Book of Genesis (Sept 13), a tribute to Genesis, folk duo Kris Drever (Lau) &

32

Éamonn Coyne (Treacherous Orchestra & Salsa Celtica) (Sept 20), Quiet Quiet Band - Album Launch Show + Support from Lonesound & Lake of Kings (Sept 23), Double Dot Dash present their fifth annual music festival Double Dot Bash (Sept 27), African Night Fever presents Dobet Gnahoré - Na Drê Dance (Oct 9), James Yorkston with his folky goodness ((Oct 11), Sgt. Pepper's Only Dart Board Band + Alan Clayson and the Argonauts (Oct 18), acclaimed folk musician and song writer, Luke Daniels (Oct 29), Dick Gaughan & Jim Page (Nov 1), Anais Mitchell (Nov 13), The Retreat Singers present 'A Voyage Home' (Nov 15), Baba Israel (Nov 19), Larry Miller (Nov 22), Spiro (Dec 5), Sweet Baboo & The Pictish Trail (Dec 5) and Floydian Doors (Dec 12).

For families there’s Tall Stories presents Emily Brown & The Thing (Sept 21), The Magic Porridge Pot & Other Tasty Tales (Oct 28 and 29) and Three Little Pigs (Oct 30) There’s also some pretty good dramatic productions going on including acclaimed show Longwave (Sept 25), Stowaway (Oct 8), a story about borders, Caroline Horton & Company present ISLANDS (Nov 6 and 7), Greg Wohead - The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill (Nov 13) and Toot - Be Here Now (Dec 4)

Reading Comedy Festival

Reading Comedy Festival is a corker this year and it mainly takes place at South Street unless otherwise stated. It kicks off with the fantastic Danny Bhoy (Sept 30) and continues with Bridget Christie (Oct 1 and Oct 30), Tim Key (Oct 2), Andrew Lawrence (Oct 3), Mitch Benn (Oct 4) James Campbell's Comedy 4 Kids (Oct 4) , David O'Doherty (Oct 9, Concert Hall), A.F. Harrold's Lovely Cabaret (Oct 10), One Man Lord of the Rings (Oct 14, Concert Hall), Chris Martin (Oct 15), Scoundrels Comedy Club Special (Oct 17, Concert Hall), Tony Law (Oct 24), Arthur Smith sings Leonard Cohen (Oct 29, Concert Hall), John Shuttleworth (Oct 31) and Stephen K Amos (Nov 1, Concert Hall).

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 33

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 34

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

SALISBURY

City Hall

Frank Skinner

www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk The season kicks off at City Hall with London Welsh Male Voice Choir (Sept 6) and then goes into overdrive when it comes to good music. There’s The Queen Extravaganza (Sept 20), Mad Dog Mcrea (Sept 26), Prince Fatty Sound System (Sept 27), Hawkwind (Sept 28), Sixties Gold (Sept 30), The Drifters (Oct 3), Joan Armatrading (Oct 4), Buzzcocks (Oct 10), T’Pau (Oct 11), The Manfreds (Oct 18), John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett (Oct 19), John Mayall (Oct 23), The Neville Staple Band (Oct 24), Kathryn Tickell and The Side (Oct 31), Chas and Dave (Nov 1), Secret Affair (Nov 8), Joanne Shaw Taylor (Nov 14), The Sensational Sixties Experience (Nov 15), Country Superstars Experience (Nov 19), Marty Wilde’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party (Nov 20), UB40 (Nov 23), Show of Hands (Nov 26), Big Country (Nov 27), Oysterband (Dec 7), Enjoy Yourself – Terry Hall DJ Set (Dec 13), The South (Dec 18), That’ll Be The Day – Christmas Show (Dec 19), Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band – Carols and Capers (Dec 20) and Tommy Emmanuel (Jan 23).

It doesn’t skimp on the comedy either this season with Jimmy Carr (Sept 9), Alan Davies (Oct 16), Jim Davidson (Oct 17), Al Murray (Nov 5), Chris Ramsey (Nov 12), David Baddiel (Nov 21), Omid Djalili (Dec 6), Frank Skinner (Dec 21) and Ross Noble (Feb 5).

If it’s something a bit different that you’re after there’s Vampires Rock (Nov 29).

31, Nov 28), Mark Watson (Oct 11), Bridget Christie (Oct 28) and Matt Parker (Dec 12).

Theatre shows include Manpower (Oct 3), Woman of Flowers (Oct 7), Our Friends, The Enemy (Oct 8), Pocket Dream (Oct 15), That is All You Need to Know (Oct 22) and Flint (Nov 22).

If you’re after a different kind of show there’s Tashi Lhunpo Monks Film and Performance (Oct 26), dance show Artificial Things (Nov 12), Practice (Nov 19), an evening of dance and theatre of works in progress and dance show Beauty of the Beast (Nov 26).

www.salisburyartscentre.co.uk For families there’s The Pied Piper (Sept 13), Beneath the Trees (where nobody sees) (Oct 28 and 29), The Story Game (Nov 1), Emily Brown and the Thing (Nov 30), Hoodwink’s Winter Wonderland (Dec 13) and Cinder-Ella (Dec 21).

For music fans there’s Lulo Reinhardt with support from Darren Hodge (Sept 19), Towers and Aztecs (Sept 25), The Altar Club with Gaz Brookfield (Sept 27), Lúnasa (Oct 16), Composer Portrait: Sarah Collins (Oct 19), Salisbury Music Awards (Oct 25), Songs for the Voiceless (Nov 9), Seckou Keita and the Perunika Trio (Nov 21), Altar Club: Bigtopp (Nov 29), Tropical Christmas Party (Dec 11) and it all finishes off with The Altar Club New Years Eve bash (Dec 31).

Comedy is also a big thing at the arts centre. There’s the monthly Barnstormers Comedy nights (Sept 26, Oct

www.salisburyplayhouse.com In the Main House there’s Bedroom Farce (Sept 4 to Oct 4), Honest (Oct 2 to 4), NYJO Big Band (Oct 8), Separate Tables (Oct 16 to Nov 8), Dracula (Nov 14 to 15), The Kite Runner (Nov 17 to 22) and the big Christmas show is Mother Goose (Dec 3 to Jan 10).

In the Salberg Studio there’s Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Sept 18 to 20), Watching The Living (Sept 25 to 27), Circles in the Sand (Sept 30), Elizabeth 1: Virgin on the Ridiculous (Oct 9 to 11), War Correspondents (Oct 23 to 25), Halloween Adventure (Oct 27), Vicious Victorians (Oct 28), Curious (Oct 29), Match (Oct 31), Hansel and Gretal (Nov 4), Do we do the right thing?

(Nov 6 to 8), The Muddy Choir (Nov 17 to 18), The Restoration of Nell Gwyn (Nov 21 to 22), Little Red Hen (Dec 2 to 13) and Come Fly with Me - Christmas in the Salberg (Dec 17 to Jan 17).

Salisbury Arts Centre

34

Salisbury Playhouse

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 35

The Annual Ocelot Theatre Guide

SWINDON

swindontheatres.co.uk

Swindon Arts Centre, Devizes Road

With Swindon Arts Centre now run by the people behind The Wyvern Theatre, its programming has definitely gone up a notch.

Comedy is always a mainstay at the venue and this season they’ve got Michael McIntyre (Sept 1), Katherine Ryan (Oct 11), Hardeep Singh Kohli (Oct 23), Simon Evans (Oct 24), Paul Foot (Oct 29), Pete Johansson (Nov 21) and Sara Pascoe (Dec 4).

For live music there’s Worbey and Farrell (Sept 12), The Axis of Awesome (Sept 17), Lazy Sunday Afternoon (Sept 28, Oct 19, Nov 16, Dec 21), Vin Garbutt (Oct 3), Hey Harley -Lizanne Knott & Bill Reveles (Oct 7), Richard Digance (Oct 8), Richard Lennox plays the Classics (Oct 9), Limehouse Lizzy (Oct 10), Lisa Knapp (Oct 16), Albert Lee and Hogan's Heroes (Oct 17), John Etheridge (Oct 25), Into the Shadows (Nov 1), Gigspanner (Nov 14), Nathan Jones Allstars (Nov 22), Richard DurrantChristmas Concert (Nov 30) and Johnny Coppin (Dec 5).

There’s also The Innovation Festival (Sept 13 and 14), World’s Worst Serial Killers (Sept 18), magician Pete Firman (Sept 20), Swindon Festival of Poetry (Oct 4 and 5), Generation Gap Christmas Show (Dec 6), A Night of Burlesque (Dec 18) and Kentwood Kids (Dec 20).

If you’re after a bit of theatre there’s Twelve Ten Fifteen (Sept 19), The Phoenix Players - Oh What a Lovely war (Sept 24 to 27), Great Expectations (Sept 30), The Queens Knickers (Oct 18), Charles Dickens' Captain Murderer (Oct 30), The Western Players Journeys End (Nov 5 to 8), Passion- Love and War 100 Years Apart (Nov 13), A November Day (Nov 20), Stage Struck - Cinderella (Nov 25 to 29), White Christmas presented by Ray Dance and Judith Sharp (Dec 10 to 14) and for the kids Dear Santa (Dec 22 to 28) rounds off the year.

Wyvern Theatre

There’s a real sense of the dramatic at The Wyvern this season.

Theatre shows Black Coffee by Agatha Christie (Sept 1 to 6), Dirty Dusting (Oct 7), Shakespeare Schools Festival (Oct 13 and 14), SALOS Presents - Oliver! (Oct 21 to 25), The Eva Cassidy Story - Over the Rainbow (Oct 31), Private Peaceful (Nov 3), Stones In His Pockets (Nov 11), Eric & Little Ern (Nov 19) and The Woman in Black (Nov 24 to 29).

35

Paul Foot

Music-wise there’s The Country Superstars Experience (Sept 10), One Night of Queen (Sept 13), The Stars From The Commitments (Oct 3), Let’s Hang On (Oct 8), Sensational 60s Experience (Oct 12), Des O'Connor (Oct 16), Roy Orbison & Friends (Oct 17), Festival Of Remembrance (Nov 2), Marty Wilde's Rock and Roll Party (Nov 5), The Gig To Remember-The Bootleg Beatles and Duke Beatbox (Nov 8, Oasis Leisure Centre), That'll be the Day (Nov 10), Talon-The Best Of The Eagles (Nov 14), Joan Armatrading (Nov 18) and Kentwood Cracker (Nov 23).

Other interesting events include An Evening With Tony Jacklin (Sept 11), Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee (Sept 24), Derek Acorah (Oct 2), Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music (Oct 15), Sally Morgan (Oct 30), Champions of Magic (Nov 9) and Tanwood School of Performing Arts (Nov 21 to 22).

For comedy fans there’s Joe Avati (Sept 12), John Bishop (Sept 26 and Oct 5), Chris Ramsey (Oct 4), Omid Djalili (Oct 10), Henning Wehn (Oct 18), Jason Byrne (Oct 26), Jim Davidson (Nov 4), Dave Gorman (Nov 12), Cardinal Burns (Nov 13), Ross Noble (Nov 16) and Hal Cruttenden (Nov 17).

Family shows include What The Ladybird Heard (Sept 13 and 14), Horrible Histories (Sept 16 to 20), The Sooty Show (Oct 26) and Family Fun Day including Mini Movers Taster Session, Punch and Judy, Ha Ha Hood (Nov 1), Dance fans can enjoy An Evening of Dirty Dancing (Sept 14), Vienna Festival Ballet - Snow White (Sept 28), Dancing In The Streets (Oct 9), Russian State Ballet & Opera House - Swan Lake (Oct 28), Russian State Ballet & Opera House - Giselle (Oct 29) and Kirsty Farrow Dance Academy (Nov 7 and 8).

The big panto this year is Dick Whittington starring Nigel Havers (Dec 6 to Jan 4).

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 36

Mon 1st

SEPTEMBER LISTINGS The Ocelot Comedy Night 8pm free

Thurs 4th

Songs of Praise presents Case Hardin + The Shudders + Tamsin Quin 8pm £3

Fri 5th

Bon Giovi 8pm £7adv £8dr

Sat 6th

Syntronix 8pm £4adv £5dr

Sun 7th

Obzidian + Support TBC 8pm £3

Tues 8th & Weds 9th

TS Theatre presents The Order 7pm

Thurs 11th

Darren Eedens + Drew Bryant + Andy Burke 8pm £3

Fri 12th

Fleetwood Bac 8pm £10adv £12dr

Sat 13th

Songs of Praise presents Colour The Atlas + Alex Rainsford + Charlie Bath 8pm £3adv £4dr

Mon 15th

Clothes Swap 7pm free

Thurs 18th

Gaz Brookfield + Lonely Tourist 8pm £4adv £5dr

Fri 19th

Pignose + The Blue Trees 8pm free

Sat 20th

Shepherds Pie 8pm free

Mon 22nd

Fox and The Law + The Greasy Slicks 8pm free

Fri 26th

Tin Spirits + Sound Bites 8pm £5adv £6dr

Sat 27th

Straighten Out Stranglers Tribute 8pm £6

Tues 30th

Open Mic Night All Welcome 8pm free

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 37

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 38

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

David Marx (lft) perfomring with The AK Poets

A bit of musical Marxism

Swindon musician David Marx has been critically lauded throughout his career.

Performing with his new band The AK Poets he has now released a brand new EP called The Ghost of Corelli. Dave Franklin caught up with him for a chat.

Having started out making your first music in Swindon some thirty years ago, you are now back. What’s the story in between?

Hmm, where to start? Whilst one can invariably be influenced by living in the same town or village most of one's life, my lyrical pallet has inadvertently been broadened by geographical difference. My first move was to London, which was a very different place then, less commercial, less dangerous, less expensive and more driven by a fundamentally real and vibrant music scene. The next ten years was in New York, working as a journalist and recording with the likes of the E-Street Band whilst playing countless support gigs (Christy Moore, The Psychedelic Furs, The Black Crowes). Following stints in Brighton and Berlin, my time is now divided between my home in Toulouse and making music in England.

Your current musical vehicle is The AK-Poets, how did that come about?

The AK-Poets were initially formed in Berlin, which had a much gentler, more acoustic path compared with the UK version, which has a harder, stripped back, rock and roll feel; although still retaining the continuing influence of The Beatles, The

Clash, Tom Waits and Sam Cooke - not necessarily in that order mind...

So have you released any albums along the way?

I've released three albums via Revolver Records. Firstly LoveJunk - which some people describe as a good party album even if it does contain ‘Gas Chamber,’ It's primarily a collection of immediate, up-tempo songs, a couple of which - ‘The Madness of Love’ and ‘Tomahawk Junky’ - I currently play with The Poets.

Next came My Crucial Execution, a more acoustic, pop album, somewhere betwixt the likes of Aztec Camera and Steve Earle.

Jesus Was a Socialist was/is my American album, with more political, perhaps more subversive material; covering such subjects as the despicably pointless Vietnam War ('Cherries') and the equally ghastly NRA ('Fellatio NRA'), along with the more reflective likes of ‘Times Square’ and ‘According to Elvis.’ All three albums include a couple of Waterboys whom I'd met during my London days.

And you have a brand new EP, The Ghost of Corelli?

Yes, it’s a five-track EP released through Secret Chord Records, and is a pretty good representation of what the current AK-Poets are about. It 38

has some delicate moments (‘In An Empty Room,’ ‘Sweet Dreams’) and a couple of rock and roll numbers such as 'Cassius Clay' which, inexplicably, appears to be a big hit with the boxing fraternity! The last song, 'Eleven Thousand Martyred Virgins,' was described by the engineer Sam Bates as: “King Crimson on acid.”

So, in all, a considerable range of colour.

What now for the band?

More, gigs, more writing, and hopefully, more sales of this release so we can embark on recording an album. All offers of management, financial assistance, alcohol, fine Italian cuisine and northern prostitutes greatly appreciated.

Okay, I’ll see what I can do, thank you for chatting to us.

For more information: http://akpoets.weebly.com and www.secretchordrecords.com/b ands/david-marx-the-ak-poets

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 39

OxfordOxford is here!

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 40

Futuristic three-piece, Klaxons, are now confirmed as the headliner of new arts festival OxfordOxford in one of many new confirmations for the event’s debut line-up spanning the weekend of September 26 to 28 in South Park. Tickets for the film and music days, plus weekend passes are now available to purchase from www.oxfordoxford.co.uk, Sunday’s community themed day remains free entry.

Plaudits for their third album have been high and Klaxons are gearing up for live dates that now include a headline set at OxfordOxford, the band’s only gig in the city for 2014.

The crowning act for the event’s music-focused day on Saturday September 27, Klaxons come to South Park armed with tunes which charge between dance and post-punk sounds.

Also confirmed is Katy B, a vocalist who is firm favourite of dance floors nationwide. Katy B has leant talents to a whole host of recent club smash hits not to mention her two solo records of electronic, urban, pop perfection.

Supergrass’s Gaz Coombes is also on the line-up.

In support of home-grown talent OxfordOxford will play host to three local acts by teaming up with BBC Introducing in Oxford show to present space-pop quintet, Flights of Helios, indie outfit Balloon Ascents and lo-fi pop trio Robot Swans.

OxfordOxford will kick off with a cinematic spectacular on Friday September 26, additions to the big screen’s billing include a special ‘dance-a—long’ version of 80’s guilty pleasure, Dirty Dancing. Similar cult classics on offer will be the action-packed Top Gun and family-favourite, The Goonies. As already announced features will also include ‘sing-a-long’ Grease and Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland.

The event will culminate in a vibrant and varied collection of Oxford’s many different community groups and activities, access to which will be free all-day on Sunday September 28. Dance, local history, sports and local industry will all feature across the day in numerous forms. Local retailers wishing to take part are welcome to contact OxfordOxford via hello@oxfordoxford.co.uk. Specific details of Sunday’s offering will be announced shortly.

Katy B who will be supporting Klaxons

Eleven 11 Events Director, Owen Kent said: “Friday’s specially curated Film line up includes a number of the most entertaining cult films making for a fun-filled day out for all. The Kids Area will also bring some magic to the experience for families.

“Klaxons, as an Oxford exclusive for 2014, will surely bring all the energy, passion and hits to their headline show, it will be a real spectacle to close Saturday’s music event. I am also delighted to confirm Katy B as main support, another very talented live performer, and consistently a festival highlight.

“Most importantly for me, as one of the organisers of the event, OxfordOxford is supporting homegrown talent from the city, and is giving different performers the opportunity to share the stage with international artists, gain experience and promote their music. We are particularly pleased to have BBC Introducing in Oxford on board presenting Flights of Helios, Balloon Ascents and Robot Swans. It is great to be working with them as we share similar views on bringing up and coming talent to a local audience."

40

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 41

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 42

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

This is New Music with Mark Muggeridge

This is Ruu Campbell

One day, back when Ruu Campbell was still a reluctant city dweller, his house got robbed. For many, it would have been a moment of physical and emotional trauma. But for Ruu, in the wider scheme of things, all was well. They didn’t steal his guitars. Such is the unwavering spirit of this captivating English singer-songwriter that as long as he can keep his music and the people he loves close to him, that’s all he needs. Especially since that break-in was one of the catalysts for Campbell and his family to leave the city for the pastoral inspiration of the West Country. The result is the album ‘Heartsong,’ and it’s guaranteed to be one of this year’s most delightful acoustic pleasures. Infused with his natural warmth and spirit, and with its gorgeously deft use of guitars, flute, cellos and violins, ‘Heartsong’ is a record that will be loved by any devotee of the bucolic charms of Nick Drake and John Martyn, but with Campbell’s stamp gently embossed on every elegantlycrafted track. Heartsong is out now. (www.ruucampbell.com)

This is The Mispers

Misper: police slang for a missing person. And the perfect name to be re-appropriated by an alternative-rock quintet. The Mispers were born 18 months ago - Jack Scott and Joey Arnold met while busking in Camden, “actually people just threw tins at us, we never made any profit,’ Jack tells with a smile. Following a brief hiatus involving a girl and a trip to Australia Jack called upon an ex-bandmate and drummer Jordan Grispino and Joey called guitarist Diego Belmonte, who he also knew from a previous musical set up to get The Mispers going proper. With a growing fanbase they are now set to release their second EP, Dark Bits.

Recorded in Liverpool The Mispers have found a groovy party feel for their unusual take on lyrics, riffs, beats, and vocal melodies. Live the band are a sensory experience. Taking reference from Phoenix, Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Tame Impala, the band want nothing more than to make people feel great, the audience often finding themselves a sweating, heaving, partying mess. The Mispers rise to success continues.

One thing is certain, if you haven’t become a misper yet, you soon will.

Dark Bits EP was released last month, followed by an EP in November and debut album next year, through B-Unique. (www.themispers.com)

This is The Front Bottoms

Formed in North Jersey, The Front Bottoms grew organically throughout the underground and made major headway into the mainstream with their unique take on rock.

As they tour the UK in September they are now releasing a new ep, Rose.

Named after drummer Mathew Uychich’s grandmother Rosemary, Rose marks the first in a series of EPs named after their grandmothers which they plan on releasing in the future.

“These songs were also Mat’s grandmother Rosemary’s favorite songs,” he explains. “So it was kinda fitting that we named this EP Rose.” Launching the CD with the crowd pleaser “Flying Model Rockets,” it kicks off with an epic and bombastic bang. Epic and conversational, the track propels listeners through their trademark clever lyrics have started massive sing-alongs at their live shows. A collection of some of the best tracks of their career so far, many of the tracks on Rose will once again be road-tested when the band hits the UK this Summer.

42

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 43

Fri 5th - My Design + Awake the Wounded

Fri 12th - Nudybronque + The I's Weds 17th - Salisbury Open Mic Fri 19th - Blackwater Void + Wisefool

Fri 26th - Johnny Boxcars + Soul & Fire

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 44

The Gig Mon key

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Gig Monkey, AKA Ed Dyer, is a primate on a mission to discover as muc be out and about as well as reviewing as much stuff as you can send h

A Monkey’s Shuffle....

Bob Dylan once sang, ‘the times, they are a-changin’, a late sixties sentiment hailing cultural change that suddenly seems very appropriate once again within the music scene of a parochial western railway town (there is even a verse especially for us scribblers!) in the aftermath of what has been hailed as the best Swindon Shuffle ever. Many of the great cultural shifts are attributed to a singular event, especially in music. Think the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in ’64 or Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock in ‘69..

Whilst it is hard to pin down a single moment at this year’s Shuffle as that point when the crest of the hill was reached, the whole 5 days seems to have kicked out much of the lethargy from the towns music scene.

It all started in the build-up, with the usual buzz of anticipation seeming to be louder and more intense, conversations being overheard in pub corners of people plotting well in advance who they wanted to see and where. And then, once it all started, this buzz picked up to unknown levels as the crowds followed like never before, every session on every stage not only being busier than normal, but in the case of the events happening from the Friday to the Sunday being totally full. Had there been tickets for sale the “sold out” notices would have been proudly displayed. For three days!

What follows is a brief review of happenings as seen from my point of view. As one of the organisers of the festival, I get tied up running particular aspects of it so can’t get round the whole thing. As my esteemed colleague Dave Franklin is fond of saying, “the problem with running The Shuffle is that you don’t get to go to The Shuffle.” So, here is what I got to see!

First chord was struck at The Queens Tap on the Wednesday by Skiddy, Swindon’s very own “Man In Black”, his set of melancholic songs performed with a contrasting upbeat style setting the musical bar for the week ahead nice and high. Tamsin Quin was her customary perky self but discovery of the night was 44

Andrew Burke, just home from University and dipping his toe in the local scene. There will be more from him I am sure.

The Queens Tap was the busiest it had been for a Shuffle, and the atmosphere was fantastic, but for me the real moment I began to feel something special was happening was on the Thursday. The night for me was all about my usual Songs of Praise stage at The Victoria, conveniently scheduled this year to form part of the festival. A real smorgasbord of music, The Nightjar kicked things off with a set of swirling psychedelic rock.

Then, that spine tingle moment happened for the first time as Si Hall took the stage for his first show with a full band. I already knew he had one of the best voices around, coupled with some excellent blue-collar punk songs. But with a great band around him things stepped up many levels. If you like Chuck Ragan, Hot Water Music, The Bronx, Springsteen’s more rambunctious output or Gaslight Anthem then get out and check these guys out (we were assured a band name will happen soon) as you will fall in love with the sound. Simply awesome.

Straight away I found out that no it wasn’t, it was merely the first of many as Dead Royalties screamed onto stage, leaner, meaner and more aggressive than I have seen them before. Three songs in and the sweat was dripping from frontman Alex, and the crowd were responding to the energy crackling off the stage.

Tough follow for SkyBurnsRed then, in their first gig back after a yearlong break. However, during this break they have recorded their best collection of songs yet, and have obviously been working hard as again that night a band played the best set I have seen them play, resulting in a viciously delivered 30 mins of alt rock brilliance.

The night’s headliners Super Squarecloud, gambled by loading their set with a stack of new tunes. A risky strategy for bands, but totally in tune with this droup,

Mon key Bit Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 45

ate on a mission to discover as much quality original music playing as possible. He will ng as much stuff as you can send him to ed@theocelot.co.uk Nudybronque

For Starters Music The List

45

Arts & Culture

these new songs live. Have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Stripped back to basics they still had the power to move, thanks mainly to Luke’s vocal prowess. Hot on his heels Billyjon ripped into a set of acoustic folk-rock that showed why he has been a fixture of the local scene for years.

Middle act of the night Cook & The Case haven’t played round these parts for ages. And that is something that must not happen again. They effortlessly stole the show with a set of amped up, country and folk inflected rock n roll songs before handing over to Port Erin, who were stripped down to a guitar and bass duo, a situation that changed the dynamic of their jazzy indie, turning it into a smooth lounge style. Different, but no less brilliant.

All through the evening the venue was filling up and getting hotter, meaning that by the time Colour The Atlas were due on, I couldn’t actually get back in the room having popped out for a cooling off break. But, from what I heard from the back, they are in fine form at the moment, with a clutch of excellent new dreampop tunes.

I rounded off my Shuffle with the closing band on the Sunday, down at The Beehive. The Shudders, who feature James Adkin on drums, the only man on earth to have played at every single Shuffle, were the perfect closure, their brand of rocked up Americana going down very well in another full to the brim venue.

Of course there was so much more going on that I didn’t get to see but that I am hearing great things about, so expect coverage of these acts on these pages soon. With the quality of the music and the number of people coming out to watch at all all time high this was hailed as the best Shuffle ever. Leaving the big question; how do we top this?

Food and Drink

who are never predictable, but always seem to hit the nail on the head. For these new tunes showcased a change in direction for the band, away from some of the more eccentric and erratic sounds and samples and into a more flowing style, still unpredictable but it seemed somehow bigger, and wrapped around you as you listened.

Day three for me was also spent at The Victoria, opening with local blues-punk legend Ian Doeser and several members of his Hamsters From Hell band in his traditional opening slot. They staggered entertainingly through some cracking standards, even eliciting a singalong out of the audience before handing over the stage to a very different set of Musicians.

Wyldest is the latest project from Zoe Mead, and is starting to look like one that will do some great things. The trio’s spacey ambient pop music is very ‘now’, but delivered with such heart and soul it soars beyond all of the current crop of wannabes clogging up blog sites and music column inches. Zoe has always been a great songwriter but now has the perfect vehicle with which to deliver this promise. Breathtaking stuff.

By the time The Racket provided a wakeup call the place was rammed. Not just full, but properly, sweatily, to the rafters rammed. And when you have a full venue this is one of the bands you want playing, as they thrive on the energy coming back to them. This was perhaps the best I have seen them play, their own brand of sleazy indie-rock getting the room pumped up and frothing at the mouth as band and crowd fed off each other, everything coming together in a musical perfect storm.

Nudybronque somehow managed to get a few more squeezed into the room for their set, and quickly showed that they had brought their A game too. Their eccentric songs shouldn’t lend themselves to hyped festival atmospheres but somehow they do, with most songs getting loudly sung back at the band as Aiden in particular whipped up the crowd into a frenzy.

So closing this incredible night of music and mayhem seemed to be mission impossible for British Harlem, who were understandably slightly apprehensive about rounding off such a strong line-up.

But they saw what had gone before and joined in the whole stepping up of game that had been going on, playing what, in their words was their best show ever, complete with Praise You mosh, sing-a-longs and more sweat. Stunning stuff that was I decamped to The Castle for the Saturday for a more chilled out show. Opener Luke De-Sciscio has just produced his best record yet, and I was itching to hear

GROOVERS ON M

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 46

Travels around the local music scenes of Swindon, Oxford, Reading and Salisbury and their outl

Francis Pugh and The Whisky Singers For Starters Food and Drink Arts & Culture Music The List

By David Murphy There are six members of Francis Pugh and the Whisky Singers. None of them is called Francis Pugh, but they have been in various Oxfordshire bands of quite surprisingly varied styles over the years – you’ll quite probably have heard of some of them, but we won’t waste any time on the past, because the Whisky Singers don’t belong in the past...they belong in an eternal present where rousing folk tunes are sung in warm snugs, effortlessly emotional melodies are projected into the darkness outside, in defiance of bad times, misery and, you know, not being in an inn singing at the top of

The realities of running a local gig

By Dave Franklin of Dancing About Architecture blog I just thought that I would share some of the more amusing things that we constantly find ourselves up against trying to promote original music in Swindon.

Firstly, whilst people are willing to take a second mortgage out for a couple of Kate Bush tickets, they will do almost anything to avoid paying to get into a local show. The classic answers range from “I paid the other guy,” or “ I washed my hands and the stamp came off” (yeah right) to “My mate’s in the band” (surely you want to see him get paid then?) and the occasional “ I

Ox Th fo e rd bi t

your lungs.

I’ve seen them play The Jericho Tavern, starting up acoustically in the downstairs bar, and leading listeners up the stairs. In similarly inventive fashion, they’ve arranged folk pub crawls, where trundles down the roads of East Oxford are interspersed with waystations promising shots and shanties, pints and ballads. There are some hints of early 70s Dylan about the band’s music, although they shy away from his more esoteric lyrical tangles, but any number of reference points can be drawn up...drawn up, and tossed away again, because any band that takes the best of train whistlin’ American song and melds it with unpretentious British folk traditions will always only be important in the moment, the precise second that the smoky tendrils of song drift out and surround you, the second your voice rises to sing along with songs you never heard before, yet somehow know.

Plus, they’ve got a cornet, that’s pretty cool. www.whiskysingers.com

don’t pay to see local music” (shut the door behind you!) That’s if they bother to come at all. Many peoples idea of supporting live music is going to see their brother-in-laws cover band playing the Bucket Factory Social Club and then rabidly posting “support live music” banners on Facebook. There are also a large percentage of musicians who don’t go to watch other bands play, I mean, where is the community spirit in that? Why not treat gigs as a networking opportunity, or at least a chance to check out what else is going on, but don’t treat it as a "them and us" situation, this isn’t football, this is music.

Co-operation rather than competition.

Even when booking the acts the problems start. Bands who don’t meet the criteria of your bookings whether by genre, attitude or proficiency will regard you as some sort of evil regime and discuss the cliquey nature of the

46

Sw

in The do nb i

local scene on social network sites. When they do so they will spell it clicky. And be prepared for people to be blinded by their own self-importance, especially if you are looking for bands to play your shows. If you make a public appeal for a specific genre of band to fill a gig slot, be it pop, funk, indie or jazz, ninety per cent of the responses will come from newly formed metal bands based over 50 miles away.

So why do we do it? Because we are not just promoters, we are music snobs eager to show the man in the street what he is missing out on or maybe just to show off our holier than thou music taste. And you know, sometimes we even get it right.

t

ON MANOEUVRES Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:09 Page 47

Reading and Salisbury and their outlying areas with our hand-picked team of music writers.

By Sid Siddle of Club Velocity

Swindon takes over Salisbury Gaz Brookfield

Sa

lis The bu ry b

it

47

The List

Here’s something that will make you feel old. The Altar Club, the cracking monthly night at Salisbury Arts Centre, is three years old.

Where’s the time gone? It only seems like yesterday that we went along to one of the first

Music

gigs there.

Well this month the night is celebrating its third birthday in style and has got an amazing lineup that will show you just what the Altar Club is about.

It takes place on Saturday September 27 from 7.30pm.

They’ve got the wonderful Gaz Brookfield playing with his full band to really make the bash one to remember.

Supporting Gaz are Salisbury stalwarts The Intercepteurs, South West band Echo Boom Generation, everybody’s fave guitar band Middlenamekill who have been rocking the scene for a good few years now and new band out the gate Faux.

The organisers promise loads more so this is definitely one gig you should get to.

Salisbury Arts Centre is also a former church as well so that’s a bonus.

Tickets £5 adv/£6 on the door.

Arts & Culture

They are not Gimp Fist.

Throw in great less than three minute songs.Then you have a truly wonderful great three piece.

They can play on any bill and win over the masses. They have recently shared bills with Hardskin,999, Sly And The Family Drone and Spear of Destiny.

My personal fave is their 2 minutes and 57 seconds soon to be classic 'Love Love Love' It is like the Buzzcocks trying to be The Business, whilst 999 are looking above.

No shit punk,here.Just proper punk.

The Cottonettes play the Queens Arms, Reading on Saturday September 27th 8pm £5 (door) £4 (advance) www.wegottickets.co.uk

Food and Drink

The Cottonettes are a proper modern punk band.In attitude-spirit and of course music.

They are not some stuck in the past, longing for the past nonsense.They are proper.

Proper punk.

They are so punk. One of them is a hairdresser.

Now that is punk as fudge.

They are so punk.They come from Fleet. Now that is punk as fudge.

Re T ad he They are so punk. One of in them supports Orient FC. Now that gb is punk as fudge.

Throw in a bit of Oi.They are so punk it they have no idea what Oi is.

For Starters

The Cottonettes

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 48

THE RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR SHOW It’s nostalgia all the way as the "Purveyors of Cool" swing into Reading’s Hexagon Theatre on Wednesday September 17 with a sensational show featuring the greatest music of the 20th century in some people’s opinion.

The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular will bring back all the memories of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior in a fabulous production that continues to be successful all over the world.

The great news is - it's all totally live and every song is an absolute classic - Come Fly With Me, Under My Skin, Mr Bojangles, Lady Is A Tramp, That's Amore, Mack The Knife plus many more of your favourites.

With an abundance of class & style they take you on a trip back in time to vintage Las Vegas; hip, cool and a with their timeless soiree that still remains the hottest party around.

The BBC summed up this show in just one word ‘magnificent!’

Tickets are available from: the box office on 0118 960 6060 or from the following website – www.readingarts.com/thehexagon

48

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 49

DANCE

NEWBURY

NEWBURY

Thursday September 11 Corn Exchange AL MURRAY THE PUB LANDLORD: ONE MAN, ONE GUVNOR sold out Tues September 16 to Weds September 17 New Greenham Arts DAVE GORMAN GETS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT* (*THE POWERPOINT) 8pm £15

READING

Saturday September 6

Jongleurs Comedy Club BRENDAN RILEY + OLA + PAT CAHILL 8:30 pm £17 South Street Arts Centre SHORT & GIRLIE SHOW: Spreading the Love Tour - Improv With special guests, Greymatter 8pm

Tuesday September 16

South Street Arts Centre HENNING WEHN: EINS, ZWEI, DIY (tour preview) Sold Out! 8pm

Wednesday September 17 South Street Arts Centre TOM STADE - DECISIONS DECISIONS 8pm Friday September 19 South Street Arts Centre SCOUNDRELS COMEDY CLUB WITH DAN ANTOPOLSKI + SOPHIE HAGEN + ED GAMBLE + TOM PRICE (MC) 8pm Saturday September 20

Friday September 26

South Street Arts Centre JAMES ACASTER - RECOGNISE 8pm

Saturday September 27 Jongleurs Comedy Club IAN SMITH + BEN LAWES + JOEL DOMMETT + DALISO CHAPONDA 8:30pm £17

READING

Every Thursday Oakford Social Club REMIX CLUB NIGHT 8pm to 1am

Sub89 PROPAGANDA CLUB NIGHT 10.30pm Every Friday Face Bar RELOADED CLUB NIGHT 9pm Every Saturday The Abbot Cook DJ NIGHT 8pm

Saturday September 20 South Street Arts Centre DARKLANDS CLUB NIGHT 8pm FAMILY EVENTS

NEWBURY

Sat September 6 and Sun September 7 Corn Exchange PEPPA PIG’S BIG SPLASH 10am, 1pm, 4pm £15.50/£13.50 Saturday September 27

New Greenham Arts I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS 11.30am and 2pm £10/£8 READING

Sat September 6 and Sun September 7 The Hexagon JUSTIN LIVE 11am & 3pm

Sunday September 21 South Street Arts Centre EMILY BROWN & THE THING 11.30am & 2pm FESTIVALS

READING

Saturday September 27 South Street Arts Centre DOUBLE DOT BASH! South Street & doubledotdash!? present the 5th annual music

49

Thursday September 11 New Greenham Arts MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK 8pm £14/£12 Arlington Arts Centre LIL' JIMMY REED 8pm Friday September 12 Arlington Arts Centre PRESTON REED 8pm

Saturday September 13 Arlington Arts Centre FRAGILE FEATURING CLAIRE HAMILL 8pm Thursday September 18 Arlington Arts Centre LULO REINHARDT 8pm

Saturday September 20 Arlington Arts Centre THE AXIS OF AWESOME: VIVA LA VIDA LOCA LAS VEGAS 8pm Sunday September 21 Corn Exchange YOUNG SONGWRITERS COMPETITION 3pm £5/£2.50 Thursday September 25 Corn Exchange COUNTRY ROADS - A CELEBRATION OF JOHN DENVER 7.45pm £15 Arlington Arts Centre Ben Montague 8pm

Friday September 26 Corn Exchange CAFÉ CONCERT: MARTIN JAMES BARTLETT 1pm £7 Winner of BBC Young Musician 2014.

Corn Exchange FOREVER JACKSON 7.45pm £17.50/£19.50 New Greenham Arts BARB JUNGR - THIS WHEEL’S ON FIRE 8pm £15/£13 READING

Wednesdays

Pavlov’s Dog OPEN MIC 8pm free The Junction UP THE JUNCTION Acoustic night with 4 artists every week, free entry, 8pm start.

Thursdays

The List

Tuesday September 30 South Street Arts Centre DANNY BHOY: PLEASE UNTICK THIS BOX Part of Reading Comedy Festival 2014 8pm

DJ NIGHTS

Wednesday September 10 Corn Exchange WE SAY YEAH - CLIFF THROUGH THE YEARS 7.45pm £18/£16

Music

Jongleurs Comedy Club SALLY-ANNE HAYWARD + IAN MOORE + LUKE TOULSON + PETE JOHANSSON 8:30 pm £17

Wednesday September 24 Corn Exchange WITHOUT STARS & THERE WE HAVE BEEN 7.45pm £14/£12 Arlington Arts Centre TASHI LHUNPO TIBETAN MONKS: THE POWER OF COMPASSION 8pm

Arts & Culture

Saturday September 13 Jongleurs Comedy Club JOJO SMITH + GARY LITTLE + ROBERT WHITE + JUNIOR SIMPSON 8:30pm £17

GIGS AND CONCERTS

NEWBURY

Food and Drink

Thursday September 25 New Greenham Arts HARDEEP SINGH KOHLI 8pm £12/£10

festival. doors 4pm

For Starters

COMEDY

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 50

For Starters

The Walkabout OPEN MIC 8pm free - all styles welcome Thursday September 4 Walkabout RED ROCK + THE CATS + OUBLIETTES + SPLINTERS 8pm free

Friday September 5 The Hexagon THE QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA -The Official QUEEN Tribute Produced by ROGER TAYLOR doors 7.30pm

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

Saturday September 6

Queens Arms Club Velocity/Malfunction/TBC presents MARK MORRISS (THE BLUETONES) Doors 8pm 18 plus £10 (door) £8 (advance) with support from THE SEASONS IN SHORTHAND + ECHOIC + BEN GOSLING Sunday September 7

Risc and Global Cafe Readifolk presents ‘CRIME & PUNISHMENT’ 8pm £2 Tuesday September 9 South Street Arts Centre Readipop presents - UKULELE 101 7pm

Wednesday September 10 Sub89 GOLDEN TANKS W/ GIANTS + HINDSIGHTS + THE TWIN DRACULA 7pm £6 Friday September 12 Sub89 AN ACOUSTIC EVENING WITH ANDY CAIRNS (THERAPY?) 7pm £10 Queens Arms Malfunction/Club Velocity/TBC presents PEACH FUZZ (Last EVER gig) 18 plus 8pm £5 (door) £4 (advance) with support from BLEAK HOUSE + CAPTIVES + PALM HONEY

Music

Saturday September 13

South Street Arts Centre THE BOOK OF GENESIS 8pm Jazz Café FUNKLINE with DJ £8.00 Queens Arms Club Velocity/Malfunction/TBC presents CHELSEA + RAGE DC + THE TWIN DRACULA + NANCY JOHNSON 8pm 18 plus£10 (door) £8.50 (advance)

The List

Sunday September 14 Risc and Global Cafe Readifolk presents BRAM TAYLOR 8pm £6 Monday September 15 The Hexagon LISA STANSFIELD + special guests 7pm Wednesday September 17 The Hexagon

THE RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR 7.30pm

Thursday September 18 South Street Arts Centre Thirdsday Blues - ADAM FRANKLIN & DEL REY Monthly Blues Night 8pm Friday September 19 Sub89 CASH 7pm £10 Queens Arms Club Velocity/Malfunction presents KUNT AND THE GANG 18 plus £ 9 (door) £7 (advance) www.wegottickets.co.uk with support from DAMIEN A PASSMORE AND THE LOVEABLE FRAUDSTERS + DOM LISTER Saturday September 20 The Hexagon RPO TEST DRIVE THE CLASSICS - Classical Music Alive 7.30pm South Street Arts Centre KRIS DREVER (LAU) & ÉAMONN COYNE 8pm Rising Sun Arts Centre Club Velocity/Bandoramma presents...... THE AUGUST LIST album launch party /gig/knees up/ 8pm All Ages £5 (door) £4 (advance) with VIENNA DITTO + BEAR JONES Sunday September 21

Risc and Global Cafe Readifolk presents DAMIEN BARBER & MIKE WILSON 8pm £6

Tuesday September 23 South Street Arts Centre QUIET QUIET BAND - Album Launch Show + Support doors 8pm

Wednesday September 24 South Street Arts Centre Readipop present AFRICAN DRUMMING 101 7pm Friday September 26

Rising Sun Arts Centre Club Velocity (very proud) to promote.......

LUKE PAULO AND THE GRAPEFRUIT EP launch party 8pm £5 (door) £4 (advance) with JACK CADE AND THE EVERYDAY SINNERS + THE OUBLIETTES

Saturday September 27 Jazz Café ALL COVERED UP £8.00 Sun Inn OUBLIETTES + HUMBUG + GOLDN + SPEAK EASY 8pm free Queens Arms Club Velocity/Malfunction/TBC presents Launch Control 'Cardiac Arrest Part 2' EP launch partyyyyy Doors 8pm 18 plus £5 (door) £4 (advance) with LAUNCH CONTROL + THE COTTONETTES + THE PINK DIAMOND REVUE + TAPE IT SHUT

50

Sunday September 28 Risc and Global Cafe READIFOLK presents Singers Night 8pm £2 QUIZ NIGHT

READING

Mondays The Abbot Cook QUIZ NIGHT 8pm THEATRE

NEWBURY

Weds September 17 to Sat September 20 Corn Exchange ROMEO & JULIET 7.45pm £15/£13 READING

Tues September 9 to Sat September 13 The Hexagon JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 7.30pm. 2.30pm matinees on Wed, Thurs, Fri. Weds September 24 to Sat September 27

The Hexagon Reading Operatic Society presents: OLIVER 7.30pm. Matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday.

Thursday September 25 South Street Arts Centre Chris Goode & Company present LONGWAVE 8pm

Sunday September 28 The Hexagon OVER THE RAINBOW - The Eva Cassidy Story Starring Nicole Faraday 7.30pm Tuesday September 30 The Hexagon THE WEST END EXPERIENCE - A Showcase of the Musicals 7.30pm THEATRICAL SCREENINGS

NEWBURY

Wednesday September 3 Corn Exchange RSC LIVE: THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA 7pm £14/£12 Thursday September 4 Corn Exchange NT LIVE: MEDEA 7pm

Sunday September 28 Corn Exchange BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL - LIVE 1.30pm and 6.30pm £14/£12 SOLD OUT

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 51

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 52

Oxford Open Doors Oxford Open Doors at Oxford Castle Quarter September 13 and 14 Over the weekend of September 13 and 14, the city of Oxford will open its doors inviting you in to the familiar and the unexpected, the unusual and the everyday. The Universities, the Colleges and the Town all take part, taking a fresh look at the many places where we live, study and work.

This year Oxford Castle Quarter once again welcomes you to Oxford’s most cultural quarter to discover where Oxford began. Come along and explore the history and heritage at the Oxford Castle site, in collaboration with the Oxford Preservation Trust and Oxford Open Doors. An entire weekend of discovery and fun is planned and everybody is welcome.

Visit the heritage attraction and museum at Oxford Castle Unlocked, learn about the history and past inhabitants of St George’s tower, and climb the Mound to see Oxford in an entirely new way. Be sure to venture into the punishment cells hidden away in the castle gardens.

Guided tours of Malmaison will be offered throughout the weekend to visitors interested in the former prison, past inmates and guards, and how a

former gaol can become a luxury boutique hotel.

You can also see an original cell, which has been left untouched since the prison closed in 1996.

Come along to O3 Gallery and take part in their special Oxford Open Doors Creation Station; children and adults alike are welcomed to add their insights and impressions of Oxford.

The Key Learning Centre will offer a variety of activities for children and families on the Oxford Castle Beach in Market Square, where you will also find yourselves among some highly skilled castlethemed stilt walkers, which will bring the history of the castle to life.

On Sunday 14th there will also be an exhibition of vintage automobiles in Oxford Castle Unlocked Courtyard, with experts on hand to discuss their history.

Oxford Castle was originally built in 1071, and, after many years as a jail, is now a thriving part of the city centre with a hotel, bars, restaurants, an art gallery, and a visitor attraction, as well as a year round programme of events. With some of the oldest buildings in Oxford, including the St George’s Tower, which is saxon in origin, it’s the place where Oxford truly began.

52

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 53

ART EXHIBITIONS Saturday September 6 Broad Street BOFFY ARTS MARKET

Sat September 13 to Sun September 14 Venues across Oxford Oxford Preservation Trust presents OXFORD OPEN DOORS www.oxfordopendoors.org.uk

CABARET OXFORD

Every Thursday East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley Rd CATWEAZLE CLUB 8pm to 11pm the city’s longest running and best cabaret show Friday September 12

North Wall Arts Centre THE TIGER LILLIES 7.30pm

CHARITY EVENTS

FARINGDON

Sunday September 21

Buscot Park THE GRWE (GREYHOUND RESCUE WEST OF ENGLAND) TEA PARTY 12 noon - 5pm www.grweshop.co.uk OXFORD

COMEDY

DIDCOT

Friday September 12 Cornerstone Arts RORY MCGRATH AND PHILIP POPE: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED LAGER 8pm £13/£11.50

OXFORD

DANCE

FARINGDON

Tuesday September 2 Swan at Faringdon EYNSHAM MORRIS MEN 6.30pm-7.00pm DJ NIGHTS/DISCO OXFORD

Every Wednesday O2 Academy, Cowley Road 0844 4772000 BROOKES BIG NIGHT OUT w/ Dub Focus - Students only 10.30pm to 2am O2 Academy 2, Cowley Road 190 CLUB NIGHT 10pm to 2am Over 18s Every Friday O2 Academy, Cowley Road 0844 4772000 SWITCH DJ NIGHT 11pm Every Saturday

O2 Academy, Cowley Road Tel - 0844 4772000 PROPAGANDA + TRASHY + ROOM 101 + JACK FM Oxford’s biggest indie night. 18+ 10:30pm £5-£6 The Cellar, Frewin Court EXTRA CURRICULAR weekly electronic and bass-heavy music night FREE B4 11pm £5after Saturday September 6

Cellar Bar, Frewin Court WHAT YOU CALL IT GARAGE 11pm - 3am £5 Tuesday September 9

53

Sunday September 21 Cornerstone Arts POP 2pm £8/£6

Sunday September 28 Cornerstone Arts ONCE UPON A SNOWFLAKE 2pm £8/£6 OXFORD

Friday September 12 to Sun September 21 Burton Taylor Studio WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND A DINOSAUR check times

Sunday September 14 Pegasus Theatre FUNDAY SUNDAYS: BABY BOOGIE £5 Adult, £3 child 1pm & 3pm Friday September 19 Venues across Oxford UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD OPEN DAY www.ox.ac.uk/opendays

Saturday September 20 Pegasus Theatre PIGEON by Lunabug Theatre £9, £6 2pm & 4.30pm Saturday September 27

Burton Taylor Studio SHOE BABY check times North Wall Arts Centre ME AND MY CAT check times FESTIVALS

OXFORD

Fri September 26 to Sun September 28

South Park OXFORDOXFORD FESTIVAL with Klaxons + Katy B + Gaz Coombes + Tunng and more FILM

FARINGDON

Wednesday September 10 Corn Exchange THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (15) showing at

The List

Friday September 19 Cornerstone Arts SEAN HUGHES: PENGUINS 8pm £15/£13.50

Saturday September 27 Glee Club Best In Live Stand-up Comedy with LOST VOICE GUY (LEE RIDLEY) + ANDY WHITE + JOE ROWNTREE + COMIC TBC £14.50 7.15pm

FAMILY EVENTS

DIDCOT

Music

Tuesday September 16 St Aldate's Tavern CHARITY OPEN MIC NIGHT (AND RAFFLE) IN AID OF OXFORD RAPE CRISIS 8pm www.oxfordrapecrisis.net

Sunday September 21 New Theatre JON RICHARDSON 8pm

Friday September 26 O2 Academy Oxford SWITCH AUTUMN SEASON OPENING PARTY with ROUTE 94 + SECONDCITY 10pm £8-£13

Arts & Culture

Tuesday September 30 New Theatre SALLY MORGAN 7.30pm

Saturday September 20 Glee Club Best In Live Stand-up Comedy with IAN MOORE + MICKEY SHARMA + MATT PRICE + PHILBERTO £14.50 7.15pm

Friday September 19 Cellar Bar, Frewin Court THE NEXTMEN + COUNT SKYLARKIN + DISCO SHED DJs 10pm - 3am £6adv £8dr

Food and Drink

Thursday September 25 Pegasus Theatre CREATE OXFORD £10 6.30pm Come and meet six people who have amazing creative ideas and just need a little bit of help

Saturday September 13 Glee Club Best In Live Stand-up Comedy with DAN THOMAS + JOHN HASTINGS + TONY BURGESS + LUKE TOULSON £14.50 7.15pm

Cellar Bar, Frewin Court INTRUSION 8:30 pm - 2:00 am £4

For Starters

OXFORD

Saturday September 6 Glee Club Best In Live Stand-up Comedy with CARL DONNELLY + ELIS JAMES + MARK OLVER + TIERNAN DOUIEB £14.50 7.15pm

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 54

For Starters

The Regent Cinema Matinee Club. midday

Friday September 26 Corn Exchange MALEFICENT (PG) showing at The Regent Cinema. Doors open 6.30pm, film starts 7pm. £4 Adult. £3 Under 18s. £10 Family ticket.

GIGS AND CONCERTS

ABINGDON

Mondays Old Anchor Inn MONDAY NIGHT MUSIC GROUP (folk singing, poetry reading etc). 8:30pm and all welcome

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

Tuesdays

Old Anchor Inn OPEN MIC NIGHT 8:30pm all welcome Saturdays Old Anchor Inn LIVE BANDS 9pm free BURFORD

Friday September 5 Mermaid Inn TRIBUTE TO ELVIS 9pm free

Friday September 19 Mermaid Inn GINA 9pm free SOLO SINGER/COMEDY Friday September 26 Mermaid Inn IAN GOULD 9pm free DIDCOT

Saturday September 27 Cornerstone Arts SIMPSON, CUTTING AND KERR 8pm £14.50 FARINGDON

Music

Thursday September 4 Swan at Faringdon FOLK NIGHT 8.30pm

Saturday September 6 Swan at Faringdon Live Music - THE CORSAIRS 9.00pm Thursday September 11 Swan at Faringdon OPEN MIC 7.30pm

Saturday September 13 Swan at Faringdon Live Music - TEDDY WHITE BAND 9.00pm

The List

Thursday September 18 Swan at Faringdon FOLK NIGHT 8.30pm Thursday September 25 Swan at Faringdon OPEN MIC 8.00pm

Saturday September 27 Swan at Faringdon THE WIREBIRDS FT. JENNY HAAN 9.00pm

LECHLADE

Saturday September 20 Crown Inn THE HYPERBOLICS 9pm free OXFORD

Every Monday The Port Mahon OXFORD UKULELES WORKSHOP 8pm £5 Every Wednesday Cape of Good Hope, The Plain OPEN MIC 8.30pm free

Every Thursday Cape of Good Hope, The Plain LIVE LOUNGE CAPE 8.30pm free

Every Sunday The Crown, Cornmarket Street JAZZ AT THE CROWN with OXFORD JAZZ KITCHEN 4pm to 6pm free The Harcourt Arms, Jericho HOAM OPEN MIC 8pm Free The Old Bookbinders Arms, Victor Street BOOKIE’S OPEN MIC hosted by Chris Padmore 8pm Free

Monday September 1 Jericho Tavern Famous Monday Blues with LAURA HOLLAND BAND (UK) 9pm £10 Tuesday September 2 Old Fire Station CHELTENHAM IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm £8 / £6

Thursday September 4 Cellar Bar, Frewin Court THE ROYAL HANGMEN + THE SAME 8pm 10:30 pm £5 (advance) / £4 (door) Fri September 5 and Sat September 6 Old Fire Station BICYCLES ON BROADSTREET - Join local singer/songwriter Mark Denton and friends Cellar Bar, Frewin Court JSTAR + THE SIDEWALK DOCTORS 10pm £5adv £6dr

Saturday September 6 O2 Academy 2 WHEN OUR TIME COMES + GODSBANE + IGNITE THE SKY + A KILLER AMONGST US + BEING EUGENE 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm £7 Burton Taylor Studio OXJAMS - The Oxford Jazz Masters Series featuring world-leading conguero Robin Jones and Latin drummer Eric Young.

54

Sunday September 7 Wheatsheaf, High Street PETER PAN SPEEDROCK + J.D. PINKUS + DESERT STORM + HATEMAIL + GIRLPOWER 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm £10

Monday September 8 Jericho Tavern Famous Monday Blues presents BOB MALONE BAND (USA) 9pm £12 Tuesday September 9

O2 Academy 2 CATE LE BON + H. HAWKLINE 7pm £10 Thursday September 11

O2 Academy 2 LUKE SITAL-SINGH + KARIMA FRANCIS 7pm £9 Cellar Bar, Frewin Court PREGNANT + LIMBO KIDS + AFTER THE THOUGHT 8pm - 11:00 pm £5

Friday September 12 O2 Academy 2 THE KITES + BRIGHT WORKS + DUCHESS + TOO MANY POETS + LEWIS & MICHAEL 6pm £7 Wheatsheaf, High Street YELLOW FEVER, BE GOOD + TBC 8pm Truck Store ESBEN AND THE WITCH 6pm free

Saturday September 13 O2 Academy 2 THE DOORS ALIVE 6:30pm £10 New Theatre SHOWADDYWADDY 7.30pm George Inn, Littlemore live music with HIPPY HAZE £2 Entry 9pm

Monday September 15 Jericho Tavern Famous Monday Blues presents STEPHEN DALE PETIT (UK) 9pm £10 Thursday September 18 The Art Bar (formerly The Bullingdon) MARCUS MALONE 8pm

Saturday September 20 Cellar Bar, Frewin Court IRON KNIGHTS + SANITY LOSS 7pm - 10:30 pm £4 (advance) / £5 (door) St John the Evangelist Church TAKE FOUR 7:30 pm - 10:30pm £8 / £5 (students and under 18s) Wheatsheaf, High Street OVERLORD + BLACK JUJU + FRANCIS PUGH & THE WHISKY SINGERS 8:20 pm - 11:00 pm £3.50 (advance) / £4.50 (door) Sunday September 21 O2 Academy 2

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 55

THE MAGIC NUMBERS 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm £15

Cellar Bar, Frewin Court MOTHER OF GOD + MOLIOR SUPERUM + BARON GREENBACK 7pm - 11:30 pm £10adv Jericho Tavern Famous Monday Blues presents JO HARMAN BAND (UK) 9pm £12

Friday September 26 O2 Academy 2 TRAPS + ORANGE VISION + CRAYON + RUSSIAN COWBOYS + ANASTASIA GORBUNOVA 6pm - 10pm £7 New Theatre ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN 7.30pm performed

by Gary Mullen and The Works Cellar Bar, Frewin Court ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY 8pm £5adv £6dr

Saturday September 27 New Theatre THE RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR 7.30pm George Inn, Littlemore TWO TONE WITH HOPE AND GLORY £5 Entry Ticket Only 9pm Start

Thursday September 4

Fat Lil's SIGNAL MY ESCAPE + THE HAZE + ROCKSOLID 7.30pm £3

Friday September 5 Fat Lil's GREENISH DAY 8pm Adv: £7 / Door: £8

Friday September 12

Sunday September 28

Fat Lil's MONTHLY BLUES JAM 3pm free TALKS AND POETRY

OXFORD

Sunday September 14 North Wall Arts Centre THE ROLE OF THE CRITIC IN CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY 7.30pm Wednesday September 17

New Theatre AN EVENING WITH SIR ROGER MOORE 7.30pm Burton Taylor Studio THE MAN WHO ATE THE HEART OF A KING 7.30pm Thursday September 18 Burton Taylor Studio DINOSAURS FOR DUMMIES 7.30pm Friday September 19 Burton Taylor Studio Finding Fossils 7.30pm

Friday September 26 Oxford Playhouse CRAZY FOR EGYPT with art critic Alastair Sooke 5pm Tuesday September 30 Burton Taylor Studio STILL SCORE 7.30pm THEATRE

ABINGDON

Weds September 10 to Sat September 13 Unicorn Theatre BreakaLeg Productions presents 'AN IDEAL HUSBAND' by Oscar Wilde 7.30pm OXFORD

Mon September 1 to Sat September 6

55

Pegasus Theatre MY NAME IS… 7.30pm Friday September 12 Old Fire Station I AM MARK 7.30pm

Mon September 15 to Sat September 20 Oxford Playhouse THE KITE RUNNER 7.30pm

Thurs September 18 and Fri September 19 Pegasus Theatre THE PEARL £13, £9 concs., £6 U18 7.30pm Friday September 19 North Wall Arts Centre BLIND HAMLET 7.30pm

Tuesday September 23 North Wall Arts Centre WUTHERING HEIGHTS 7.30pm Burton Taylor Studio DEAD TO ME 7.30pm

Tues September 23 to Sat September 27 Oxford Playhouse SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER 7.30pm Wednesday September 24 Burton Taylor Studio WHEN WE EMBRACED 7.30pm

Thursday September 25 Burton Taylor Studio THE BREAD AND THE BEER 7.30pm Friday September 26 Burton Taylor Studio I WISH I WAS LONELY 7.30pm Old Fire Station LONGWAVE 7.30pm

Saturday September 27 Pegasus Theatre WINGMAN £13, £9 concs, £6 U18 7.30pm Sat September 27 and Sun September 28 Old Fire Station VERITY 7.30pm Tuesday September 30

Oxford Playhouse IN TIME O' STRIFE 7.30pm

The List

Saturday September 6 Fat Lil's FUSED 8pm £5

Saturday September 27 Fat Lil's HAIRFORCE 5 8pm

Friday September 12 and Sat September 13

Music

Monday September 29 O2 Academy 2 ELIZA AND THE BEAR 7pm £8 Jericho Tavern Famous Monday Blues presents NEVER THE BRIDE (UK) SPECIAL SHOW 9pm £10 WITNEY

Saturday September 20 Fat Lil's W.A.M 8pm

Tues September 9 to Thurs September 11 Old Fire Station SEEING GRACE 7.30pm

Arts & Culture

Jericho Tavern JAMES BELL & THE HALF MOON ALL STARS + THREEPENNY BIT + 1 AFROFUSION RHYTHM 8pm £6

Friday September 19 Fat Lil's THE PISTOLS 8pm

Mon September 1 to Sat September 13 Oxford Playhouse SECRET THEATRE - 2 weeks. 5 shows

Food and Drink

Thursday September 25 New Theatre THE ELO EXPERIENCE 7.30pm The Art Bar (formerly The Bullingdon) WILL WILDE 8pm

Saturday September 13 Fat Lil's FREEFALL 8pm

New Theatre DREAMBOATS AND MINISKIRTS 7.30pm with 2.30pm matinee on Wed/Sat

For Starters

Monday September 22 O2 Academy 2 SHARON CORR + JOHN GAUGHAN 7pm 11pm £17.50

Fat Lil's SECRET POLICE 8pm

The List

Music

Arts & Culture

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 56

Come celebrate The Cellar Bar’s tenth anniversary This month The Cellar Bar at The Bear Hotel in Devizes is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

That’s ten years of putting Devizes on the map when it comes to putting on quality music.

And they’ve put on quite the line-up to make sure that the month is properly celebrated.

It all kicks off with The Moonrakers Comedy Club on September 4.

The opening act is Rob Coleman. Here are two important facts about Rob Coleman: 1) He writes beautifully crafted gags that range from the dark to the ridiculous.

2) He possesses one of the finest heads of hair on the circuit.

Combined, they make Rob an extremely striking comic The headliner for the evening is Christian Reilly, who seems to have found a new bite to his musical comedy of late. His brisk and punchy set is sprinkled with some witty but accessible muso jokes about the emotional pull chords, before parodying the likes of Bon Jovi, or reimagining a modern hit sung by Bryan Ferry – applying enough twist to the formula to keep it fresh, while never letting any gag outstay its welcome.

The night kicks off at 8pm and costs £10 on the door.

Then there’s Franc Cinelli on Friday September 5.

A troubadour who is being touted as one to watch.

Doors open at 9pm and entry costs £5.

On Saturday September 6 there’s a curry night with music by Secondhand. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets cost £10 or for the music only £5.

On Friday September 12 you can catch songwriter David Waddiington. Doors open at 8pm and entry costs £5.

Then on Saturday September 13 there’s the Pete Gage Band. Accomplished guitarist Pete used to be in Dr Feelgood. Again doors open at 8pm with

Christian Reilly

tickets costing £5.

On Friday September 19 there’s Wiltshire band Corinthian Casuals. This young blues rock band have been tearing up the scene for the last few years now and impress wherever they go. Tickets cost £5 and the doors open at 8pm.

If you fancy trying your hand at entertaining the masses you should come along to the open mic night on Thursday September 25. The doors open at 7pm and it’s free entry so you might as well come along and give the people of Devizes a taste of your guitar (or triangle) stylings.

The anniversary month is finished off with Frith Street with Benji Clements on Friday September 26.

Benji has had quite the career so far even playing at The Royal Albert Hall with his funky soul blues music.

This guy has definitely got a lot of soul and he will be joining Ronnie Scott favourites Frith Street. Doors open at 8pm and entry costs £5.

56

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 57

ART EXHIBITIONS & CRAFT WORKSHOPS Mon September 22 to Sat September 27 St Peter's Church THE GUILD OF WILTSHIRE ARTISTS AUTUMN EXHIBITION 10am to 4.30pm and entry is free.

SWINDON

Wednesdays Riffs Bar, Greatfield ART CLASSES WITH MIKE YORK 6.30pm Fridays

CABARET

SWINDON

Monday September 1

Wyvern Theatre MONDAY NIGHT MAGIC in the Wyvern Restaurant 7pm £10/£8.50

Wednesday September 24 Wyvern Theatre PAUL DANIELS AND DEBBIE MCGEE 7.30pm COMEDY

CHIPPENHAM

First Sunday of every month Old Road Tavern COMEDY CLUB 8pm DEVIZES

Thursday September 4

SALISBURY

Tuesday September 9

Salisbury City Hall JIMMY CARR – FUNNY BUSINESS 8pm £25 Friday September 26 Salisbury Arts Centre BARNSTORMERS COMEDY 8.30pm SWINDON

Swindon Arts Centre MICHAEL MCINTYRE- Work In Progress

Friday September 26 Wyvern Theatre JOHN BISHOP -Work In Progress 8PM DANCE

SWINDON

Sunday September 14

Wyvern Theatre AN EVENING OF DIRTY DANCING 7.30pm Sunday September 28 Wyvern Theatre VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET-SNOW WHITE 7.30pm

The Swan Bradford on Avon Folk Club presents SINGAROUND 8pm free

Tuesday September 9 The Swan Bradford on Avon Folk Club presents ROSIE EADE & JOHNNNY CAMBELL -- “Folk Pixie” multi-instrumental singer/ songwriter. Floor spots. Free entry. 8pm

Tuesday September 16 The Swan Bradford on Avon Folk Club presents SINGAROUND Floor spots. Free entry. 8pm.

Tuesday September 23 The Swan Bradford on Avon Folk Club presents ASH MANDRAKE - unique, brave, anarchic, comic.

Floor spots. Free entry. 8pm Tuesday September 30

MARLBOROUGH Fridays

The Swan Bradford on Avon Folk Club presents THE HOME FIRES – our favourite local band returns to the club. Free entry. 8pm

Saturdays

Tuesday September 30 David Ryder Jazz Club, Marden House DAVE NEWTON TRIO 7pm for 7.30pm

DJ NIGHTS/PARTY NIGHTS

AZUZA, Hughendon Yard Tel - 01672 513380 TOP DJS 11pm to 2.30am only £2 all night. Drink promos...

AZUZA, Hughendon Yard Tel - 01672 513380 TOP DJS 11pm to 3am £3 before midnight £4 after FAMILY EVENTS

SALISBURY

Saturday September 6 Salisbury Arts Centre Family Fiesta: ‘ARTIFICIAL’ 12noon - 5pm free Saturday September 13 Salisbury Arts Centre THE PIED PIPER 11am & 2.30pm £7.50 SWINDON

Sat September 13 to Sun September 14

Wyvern Theatre WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD - check times Tues September 16 to Sat September 20 Wyvern Theatre HORRIBLE HISTORIES - check times GIGS AND CONCERTS

ASHTON KEYNES

First Sunday of the month White Hart

57

CALNE

CHIPPENHAM

Second Sunday of the month Old Road Tavern FRENCH OPEN FOLK SESSION 8pm free Third Sunday of the month Old Road Tavern OPEN FOLK SESSION 8pm free Fourth Sunday of the month Old Road Tavern OPEN MIC NIGHT 8pm free CORSHAM

Thursday September 4 Royal Oak of Corsham Acoustic Oak presents DANA & SUSAN ROBINSON - Contemporary & traditional Appalachian music. £4 entry. 8pm

Thursday September 11 Royal Oak of Corsham Acoustic Oak presents SINGERS NIGHT Floor spots. £2 entry. 8pm Thursday September 18 Royal Oak of Corsham Acoustic Oak presents SPOTLIGHT NIGHT Floor spots. £2 entry. 8pm

The List

Monday September 1 The Vic THE OCELOT COMEDY NIGHT 8pm free

Saturday September 20 Wyvern Theatre TED & CO THE DINNER SHOW 7pm in the Wyvern Restaurant

Music

Bear Hotel, Market Place MOONRAKERS COMEDY – 8pm – Tickets £10 with CHRISTIAN REILLY

Tuesday September 2

Arts & Culture

Saturday September 20 Swindon Arts Centre PETE FIRMAN 8pm

BRADFORD ON AVON

Food and Drink

Riffs Bar, Greatfield CAFE @ RIFFS 10am - 2pm - Crafty Coffee morning

OPEN MIC NIGHT 8pm free

Friday September 12 Wyvern Theatre JOE AVATI 8pm

For Starters

MARLBOROUGH

(Warm Up) 8pm

Food and Drink

For Starters

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 58

Thursday September 25 Royal Oak of Corsham Acoustic Oak SINGERS NIGHT 8pm £2

01672 512465 Green Dragon MISSIN' ROSIE 9pm free

Friday September 5 Bear Hotel, Market Place FRANC CINELLI 8pm Music 9pm - £5

Saturday September 27

DEVIZES

Saturday September 6

Bear Hotel, Market Place Curry Night with music by SECONDHAND 7.30pm – Tickets £10 Music only £5.00 Long Street Blues Club NIMMO BROTHERS WITH ACOUSTIC SUPPORT FROM TOM HARRIS 8pm £13adv

Sunday September 7 Bear Hotel, Market Place JAZZ SUNDAY LUNCH in the Bear Grills Bistro & Bar – Noon – 2.30pm- book your table with Reception – 01380 722444 Friday September 12 Bear Hotel, Market Place DAVID WADDINGTON – Cellar Bar 8pm £5 Saturday September 13 Bear Hotel, Market Place PETE GAGE BAND – Cellar Bar 8pm £5

Arts & Culture

Friday September 19

Bear Hotel, Market Place CORINTHIAN CASUALS – Cellar bar 8pm £5 Saturday September 20

The Lamb Inn, Devizes KUNT & THE GANG 18+. 9pm.

Thursday September 25 Bear Hotel, Market Place OPEN MIC NIGHT – Cellar Bar 7pm Free

Music

Friday September 26 Bear Hotel, Market Place FRITH ST (WITH BENJI CLEMMENTS) – Cellar Bar – Doors 8pm Music 9pm - £5.00 Saturday September 27 Long Street Blues Club PRETTY THINGS 8pm £15adv MALMESBURY

Saturday September 27 Rose and Crown TRIBUTE TO ELVIS 9pm free MARLBOROUGH

Saturday September 6

The List

Green Dragon ZING 9pm free POP,ROCK,INDIE COVERS

Saturday September 13 St Mary's Church Hall KIERAN GOSS 8pm one of Ireland's leading songwriters and performers. £15 each from

Saturday September 20 Green Dragon MONKEYDOLLS 9pm free St Mary's Church Hall MIRANDA SYKES AND REX PRESTON 8pm £13 each from 01672 512465 Green Dragon LEWIS CREAVEN BAND 9pm free

PEWSEY

Saturday September 6

Barge Inn, Honeystreet BLACK LIGHTNING 9pm free Saturday September 13 Barge Inn, Honeystreet M.O.D 9pm free Saturday September 20 Barge Inn, Honeystreet ULYSSES 9pm free

Saturday September 27 Barge Inn, Honeystreet THE AK POETS 9pm free

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT

Saturday September 6 Waggon and Horses GOULDY (GOING UNDERGROUND) 9pm Saturday September 13 Waggon and Horses BI POLAR BEARS 9pm free Saturday September 20

Waggon and Horses DAN & ADAM 9pm free FT DAN FROM OCEAN COLOUR SCENE Saturday September 27

Waggon and Horses SIMON BLIGHT 9pm free SALISBURY

Friday September 5 Winchester Gate MY DESIGN + AWAKE THE WOUNDED 8.30pm free

Saturday September 6 Salisbury City Hall LONDON WELSH MALE VOICE CHOIR 7pm £20. Box Office: 01722 434 434 Sunday September 7 Salisbury Arts Centre Live Lunch with DREW ALLEN 12noon Friday September 12 Winchester Gate

58

NUDYBRONQUE + THE I'S 8.30pm free

Sunday September 14 Salisbury Arts Centre Live Lunch with TIM GRAHAM & ROSEMARY LIPPARD 12noon free Wednesday September 17 Winchester Gate SALISBURY OPEN MIC 8pm free Friday September 19

Salisbury Arts Centre LULO REINHARDT WITH SUPPORT FROM DARREN HODGE 8pm £14/£12 Winchester Gate Blackwater Void + Wisefool 8.30pm free Saturday September 20

Salisbury City Hall The Queen Extravaganza 8pm £26.50

Sunday September 21 Salisbury Arts Centre Live Lunch with DAISY CHAPMAN 12noon Thursday September 25 Salisbury Arts Centre HIJACK OPEN MIC 5pm free Salisbury Arts Centre TOWERS AND AZTECS 7.30pm £5 Friday September 26

Salisbury City Hall MAD DOG MCREA 8pm £12adv, £14dr Winchester Gate Johnny Boxcars + Soul & Fire 8.30pm, Free

Saturday September 27 Salisbury Arts Centre Live Lunch with BEN CIPOLLA 12noon free Salisbury City Hall PRINCE FATTY SOUND SYSTEM 8pm £15adv and £16.50dr. Box Office: 01722 434 434 Salisbury Arts Centre ALTAR CLUBS 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY . Feat.

GAZ BROOKFIELD (FULL BAND), THE INTERCEPTEURS, ECHO BOOM GENERATION, MIDDLENAMEKILL, FAUX 7.30pm £5adv £6dr Sunday September 28

Salisbury Arts Centre Live Lunch with SIX DAYS 12noon free Salisbury City Hall HAWKWIND 8pm £24.50 Tuesday September 30 Salisbury City Hall SIXTIES GOLD 7.30pm £29.50 SWINDON

Wednesdays

The Vic WACKY WEDNESDAY 8.30pm free Riffs Bar, Greatfield

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 59

BLUEGRASS JAM Free entry. starts at 7:30pm.

Fridays Riffs Bar, Greatfield THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS with featured artists and Open Mic, starts at 19:30. Free Tuesday September 2

The Vic Songs of Praise presents CASE HARDIN + THE SHUDDERS + TAMSIN QUIN 8pm £3

Friday September 5

The Vic BON GIOVI 8pm £7adv £8dr Crumpled Horn CORSAIRS 9pm free PSYCHOBILLY/PUNKABILLY The Messenger IAN GOULD (GOING UNDERGROUND) 9pm Rolleston HOT FLEX 9pm free ROCK/METAL COVERS

Rolleston INNES SIBUN 9pm free BLUES ROCK Tap & Barrel BANKSY/SKA NIGHT 9pm free SKA NIGHT Woodlands Edge INTERLIGHT 9pm free Sunday September 7 The Vic OBZIDIAN + Support TBC 8pm £3

Wyvern Theatre SWINDON RECITAL SERIES 1:05 PM Wyvern Theatre THE COUNTRY SUPERSTARS EXPERIENCE 7.30pm

Thursday September 11 Riffs Bar, Greatfield MYSTERY - Canadian Prog! 7pm £10 The Vic DARREN EEDENS + DREW BRYANT + ANDY BURKE 8pm £3

Thursday September 18

The Vic GAZ BROOKFIELD + LONELY TOURIST 8pm £4adv £5dr Friday September 19 The Vic PIGNOSE + THE BLUE TREES 8pm free Rolleston THE NOMARKS 9pm free SKA ORIGINALS Saturday September 20 The Vic SHEPHERDS PIE 8pm free Woodlands Edge DARREN HUNT 9pm free ROCK COVERS Rolleston BROKEN IMAGE 9pm free Level 3 ECHO 9pm PARTY BAND

Monday September 22 The Vic FOX AND THE LAW + THE GREASY SLICKS 8pm free

Friday September 26 The Vic TIN SPIRITS + SOUND BITES 8pm £5adv £6dr Rolleston PREFAB FOUR 9pm free BEATLES TRIBUTE The Messenger BANKSY/SKA NIGHT 9pm free Level 3 JILTED GENERATION 9pm PRODIGY TRIBUTE Saturday September 27

The Vic STRAIGHTEN OUT Stranglers Tribute 8pm £6 Castle, Prospect Place HAMSTERS FROM HELL 9pm free Woodlands Edge

59

TALKS AND POETRY

SWINDON

Thursday September 11

Wyvern Theatre AN EVENING WITH TONY JACKLIN 8pm Thursday September 18 Swindon Arts Centre WORLD'S WORST SERIAL KILLERS 8pm THEATRE

SALISBURY

Thurs September 4 to Sat October 4 Salisbury Playhouse BEDROOM FARCE - check times

Thurs September 18 to Sat September 20 Salisbury Playhouse JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE in THE SALBERG Thurs September 25 to Sat September 27 Salisbury Playhouse WATCHING THE LIVING in THE SALBERG Tuesday September 30

Salisbury Playhouse CIRCLES IN THE SAND in THE SALBERG SWINDON

Mon September 1 to Sat September 6

Wyvern Theatre BLACK COFFEE by Agatha Christie 7.30pm

Mon September 8 and Tues September 9 The Vic THE ORDER - a TS Theatre Productions 7pm Friday September 19 Swindon Arts Centre TWELVE TEN FIFTEEN 7.30pm

Weds September 24 to Sat September 27

Swindon Arts Centre The Phoenix Players - OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR 7.30pm Tuesday September 30 Swindon Arts Centre GREAT EXPECTATIONS 8pm

The List

Friday September 12 The Vic FLEETWOOD BAC 8pm £10adv £12dr

Wednesday September 17 Swindon Arts Centre THE AXIS OF AWESOME 8pm The Vic OPEN MIC NIGHT - All Welcome 8pm free

Sunday September 28 Swindon Arts Centre LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON 3PM

Music

Wednesday September 10

Wyvern Theatre ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN 8pm Rolleston KEITH THOMPSON BAND 9pm free Woodlands Edge SYNTRONIX 9pm free 80S NIGHT

Arts & Culture

Saturday September 6 The Vic SYNTRONIX 8pm £4adv £5dr Level 3 FELIX & THE FUNK 9pm followed by club night

Saturday September 13 The Vic Songs of Praise presents COLOUR THE ATLAS + ALEX RAINSFORD + CHARLIE BATH 8pm £3adv £4dr

REPLICA 9pm free POP,ROCK,INDIE COVERS Rolleston POWERSLAVES 9pm free Brookhouse Farm COVER ADDICTS 9pm free

Food and Drink

Thursday September 4 Riffs Bar, Greatfield BOB MALONE 7pm £ 8ADV / £ 10 DOOR

Swindon Arts Centre WORBEY AND FARRELL 8pm

For Starters

Thursdays Riffs Bar, Greatfield CROONER NIGHT WITH STEVEN COLEMAN bringing the Rat Pack to Riffs! 8pm

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 60

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 61

MENDOZA + GRIFFITHS

A special gig to launch a new collaboration by electrorockers Tiger Mendoza and song-writer Dave Griffiths

MOTION STATIC

“Electro and dubstep with hard, crunching guitar riffs and emotive punk fuelled ” female vocals.”

PUPPET MECHANIC

“A civilised, well-kempt literate pop quintet, with a smidgen of all your 80s bookshop indie favourites.”

Saturday October 25

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 62

Agony Girl

Everybody’s favourite advice columnist!

Seven-year-old Agony Girl is going back to school this month but she still has time to help with your problems. We read her the questions and these are her answers. Honest!

DEAR ANNABEL I’ve now been married for 30 years. They have been wonderful years full of joy and a very attentive husband. The only problem is that when I accidentally went on to his Facebook account the other day as he had left it signed into his account, I found out that he’s been the most prolific serial killer that the world has ever seen. This now leaves me with a dilemma. Do I tell him and risk losing my wonderul marriage or do I stay quiet so that we can keep enjoying our lives and he can keep enjoying his secret life, which doesn’t seem to interfere at all except for sometimes leaving some strange cuts of meat in our

freezer. What to do!

Caitlin, Salisbury Don’t kill animals or humans. That is wrong. Especially animals. Tell him and the police. They would arrest him because he shouldn’t kill the people because it’s bad.

Killing people is wrong. People should live and when they’re ready to die they can die.

DEAR ANNABEL I’ve become addicted to Angry Birds. I can’t stop playing it. I now have got so obsessed that I’ve started dressing myself as an Angry Bird and chucking myself at pigs. So far I’ve been chucked out of five farms and one farmer even brandished a 12 bore at me.

What can I do?

Alex, Chipping Norton

Twisted Peel (www.twistedpeel.com)

Next month’s issue..

Maybe you should play a different game like Hungry Shark.

You get your first shark that’s a reef shark and then you have to click on it and then there’ll be a little shopping line where you can buy lots of stuff. In my one I have a baby reef shark. The sharks eat all the gold fish and all the other fish and humans. Then we can unlock another shark called the Marco shark. Then we keep collecting, collecting, collecting.

DEAR ANNABEL What’s the time Mr Wolf?

Perry, Newbury Pig! Send your questions to stuff@theocelot.co.uk

by Peter Roy

ctober 1st is out on O

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 63

Ocelot99 25/08/2014 20:10 Page 64