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The Freshers Guide to the Oxford Music Scene

So you’ve got the grades, you’ve got the reading list and you’re officially in to Oxford. So this is where the hard work starts, right? Well, no. Incoming freshers will quickly realise that the novel charms of a late night Bod session are vastly outstripped by the merits of the Oxford music scene. For it often comes as a surprise to newcomers that in spite of its fusty reputation, the city’s music scene is actually rich, diverse and highly propitious for new talent. From reggae to rock, with a massive helping of indie in between, the musical outpourings beneath Oxford’s dreaming spires straddle pretty much every genre going. In the spirit of this all-inclusiveness, Cherwell has compiled a brief and succinct (but by no means exhaustive) guide to the most prominent venues to help freshers navigate the musical myriad on offer. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your degree now, would you?

 

1) 02 Academy – Cowley Road

 It’s the biggie. In the past it has seen performances by well established names such as Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight, M83 and Kate Nash, and with a capacity of 1,350 it’s the largest venue on offer. While the downstairs area is more spacious, from personal experience it suffers from poor visibility (NB: having a flexible neck joint can only take you so far) .

 

2) Jericho Tavern – Walton Street

 Slap-bang in the heart of bourgeois Jericho, the Jericho Tavern is a mecca for the musically-conscious students of north Oxford colleges whose devotion to all things indie doesn’t quite stretch to a weekly trek to Cowley. Despite being a tiny venue it regularly attracts up-and-coming talent such as Bastille, King Charles and Spector. The pub is pretty good as well, with ‘English potato vodka’ readily available if your gig turns out to be unremittingly abysmal.

 

3) The Cellar – Frewin Court (off Cornmarket Street)

 Like a great-uncle who has had one too many at the family Christmas reunion, The Cellar is one of the oldest and most raucous of Oxford venues and describes itself (optimistically) as a ‘bastion of quality in a sea of mediocrity’. It’s popular with non-students so head here if you want to avoid the rah contingent. Big names tend to circumvent the Cellar, so it’s best if you want to catch under-the-radar acts such as Severed Limb and Wild Swim.

 

4) The Bullingdon Arms – Cowley Road

 This unsuspecting bar in Cowley, known as ‘The Bully’ (if you’re down with the local lingo yo) at first glance could easily be mistaken for a slightly seedy off-licence. Particularly strong for jazz apparently, the Bullingdon has also recently hosted gigs by bigger-name artists such as Mystery Jets. Much beloved by locals, it’s a strong contender for hegemony in the music scene, so those seeking a more ‘authentic’ Oxford experience take note.

 

5) The Wheatsheaf – High Street

 Aside from the Oxford Imps who perform here weekly, the pub venue (don’t be disheartened by its inauspicious alley entrance) tends to attract local indie and jazz bands, with more unknown artists such as Go Romano, Refugees of Culture and the Black Hats being typical musical fodder here. The Wheatsheaf might not be your first choice for an evening’s musical medley, but it’s nonetheless worth bearing in mind if you fancy checking out some home-grown, local talent.

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