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There is no denying 2016 was the grim reaper of years for the world of rock and pop music. According to research by BBC Radio 4’s More or Less Programme, the number of obituaries for celebrity deaths showed a shocking five-fold increase compared to the statistics from 2012. The Daily Telegraph gallery of notable deaths […]
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2016, amongst all the social upset, has produced some great films! Many of these have been politically charged, shedding some light onto current turmoil by providing critical inquiry into culture and even proposing alternatives. Granted, I have not seen all the releases of 2016. In particular, I should note, I didn’t get to see Ciro […]
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New College JCR rejected two presidential candidates in the recent JCR elections, allowing 2nd year physicist Will Kocur to sweep to power. It was the 2nd year in a row that New have decided to reopen nominations first time around the presidential elections, refusing to get behind the initial candidates, Annabel Lawrence – a 1st […]
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Having not seen Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) – The Huntman’s retrospective sequel – before entering the cinema theatre, I had little notion of what to expect beyond Charlize Theron’s foreboding utterance, ‘If it’s a fairy-tale you’re hoping for, prepare yourself for so much more’ in the film’s trailer. I unfortunately found myself largely […]
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With the first pre-season test of the 2016 Formula One season done and dusted, time has come to reflect on what we might have gleaned from four days of relentless running around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, and look ahead to the season as a whole. F1 pre-season tests are notoriously misleading (Ferrari finished fastest in […]
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Massive Attack have had a rough journey from the hey-days of mid-90s trip-hop. It’s been a story of breakups and scandal. Yet ‘Ritual Spirit’, their first release since the commercial acclaim of Heliograd in 2010, feels evocative of much of their earlier music. Perhaps the return of long-time collaborator Tricky adds to the pre-Mezzannine feel […]
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When Ezra Furman laughs that the crowd is ‘starting to get the hang of it’ three songs into his frenetic, marathon set, the crowd understand exactly what he’s talking about. Resplendent in a pink shirt, skirt, red lipstick and pearls, Ezra Furman is by no means a typical rockstar. Raising money on Kickstarter for his […]
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I suppose that there must have been at least someone else in the room who expected to be hearing Rach 2 on Saturday night—only to find themselves wondering where on earth the piano was! But if there was then, like me, they were keeping a low profile because unfortunately, this review must start with an […]
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The list of winners from the 58th Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles on Monday night, provides little of shock value. In the case of some categories this feels deserved. Who can really argue with the monumental success of Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’? In others, it feels somewhat like déjà vu. Taylor Swift picked up […]
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This May Bank Holiday weekend (28th and 29th May), Common People – a new festival organised by Rob da Bank and the team behind Bestival – comes to South Park, Oxford for the first time. Speaking at the festival’s launch on 27th January at the Oxford Town Hall, the organisers seemed delighted to be expanding […]
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2015 was an impressive year for British-band Wolf Alice. Having secured a Brit award nomination for Best British Breakthrough Act and a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance (with their track ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’), the band are now getting ready for another UK tour. They play at the O2 Academy in Oxford on Sunday 13th […]
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On 13th February OUO performs their termly concert in the Sheldonian Theatre. Continuing on from last term’s massive undertaking of Mahler’s 7th Symphony, OUO will perform Debussy’s Ronde de Printemps from Images, Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest, culminating in Stravinsky’s earth-shattering Rite of Spring. Hugh Brunt, chief conductor of London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) and alumnus of New […]
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Why the Beatles Still Deserve our Attention On 24th December last year, the Beatles released their back catalogue onto several major streaming platforms; they now sit in the 50 most listened-to artists on Spotify. Although they’re by no means threatening to challenge Justin Bieber’s hegemony over the charts, that’s an impressive figure for a band […]
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The International Rameau Ensemble was founded in 2014 with the intention of shedding light on one of the most unjustly marginalised composers of the early-eighteenth century, Phillipe Rameau (1683-1784). The group’s creation coincided with the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death and has, in its two years of existence, gone from strength to strength, performing […]
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The Ox Stu: What is Dreaming Squires promotions? Dreaming Squires was formed in a field in Winchester by two pretty drunk blokes who like music that doesn’t visit Oxford. It seemed like a good idea in the morning, so we went ahead with it. It’s a labour of dirty, sweaty love aimed at fostering a […]
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Preview with Fred Conybeare-Cross After another success at The Bullingdon in November last year, creative community Keep Hush are returning to Oxford on 4th February for another of their immersive Walk. Thru nights. Keep Hush founder Fred Conybeare-Cross describes how the concept came about, and what makes it unique within Oxford’s nightlife: “I studied fine art […]
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Take your eyes away from the Oxford bubble for a moment, and let’s transport ourselves to the exotic paradise of Norwich. A local venue, the Owl Sanctuary, has been bought without the knowledge of its owner and is closing its doors on the 31st of January. It has become a great DIY venue that has […]
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The SSS Brooding, pensive, mysterious are just three words which you might use to describe the live presence of Sheffield band, The SSS. Their sold out hometown show last year was a testament to the care that is behind the band’s music; releasing a single here and there, their catalogue is growing into a carefully […]
Continue ReadingAlready the fight is on. Four years. Two Parties. One Winner. The Democratic Party now have the challenge of finding the man, or indeed woman, to replace Barack Obama and become the first Democrat to succeed another in the White House since 1963. Contenders are hard to find though. Real contenders, that is. One name […]
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