Oxford Calling
Written by Mia Lambdin
Truck Festival, based in picturesque Oxfordshire is an alternative rock festival aims to highlight DIY, local and independent talent, being described as “The Godfather of the small festival scene” – their ethos of promoting underground musicians with cult followings has continued for 24 years, with bands returning year after year to progress from the smaller stages to the main stage slots.
The upmarket setting of Oxfordshire may juxtapose the image of alternative guitar music, which may seem more fitting for the surroundings of London – but it may be argued the locals of Oxfordshire have always had their own counter-culture to the stereotypical reputation of the highest seat of education.
Robin Bennett, the director of Truck Festival since 1998 and former member of band Goldrush, has described the event as a community, stating that “it’s the basic premise of loving playing music that’s at the core of it”, with Bennet creating the event after being inspired by New York’s Windrush Festival and starting the independent record label Truck himself, it is unsurprising that he holds these values.
This ethic has been clearly since day one of the festival, with mainly local bands playing the stages before the event had enough momentum to encourage independent artists from further away to join. These values may be stronger than ever in 2022, as the festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. Here, you can discover some local Oxford bands that have played the counter-typical festival.
Goldrush
Supergrass
Supergrass formed in 1993, consisting of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes, Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey. They quickly rose to fame after the release of their debut album, Should Coco which entered the UK charts at number one. Their music can be described as indie rock with a mix of 90’s Britpop.
The band headlined Truck in 2009, a performance which turned out to be a farewell show as they broke up in 2010. Their performance through heavy rain was described as “rapturous” that “left a field of festival goes more than satisfied”. Gaz Coombes returned to Truck Fest in 2018 and thankfully, the Oxfordshire band reformed in 2019.
Starting under a different name in the late 90’s, Goldrush is made up of brothers Robin and Joe Bennett, Garo, Growler and Graham Roby. They released a alternative rock mini album on their own record label Truck Records – created after the first Truck Festival which they started in order to throw a birthday party for bandmate Robin Bennet, by finding a flatbed truck for a stage and inviting their friends’ bands to play. Goldrush played the festival in 2001, giving the band national airplay and attention and returned in 2007. The band also reunited in 2018 for a reunion gig.
Foals
Foals members Jack Bevan, Yannis Philippakis and Jimmy Smith met in Oxford, coming together after leaving their previous bands. Their debut album, Antidotes, was released in 2008 and achieved commercial success in the UK. Their second album, Total Life Forever came out in 2010 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize.
Bevan and Philippakis first played Truck as part of trio band The Edmund Fitzgerald in 2000, with Smith also playing the festival in band Face Meets Grill in 2004. Foals first played the festival together in 2006, returning the following year having to pull their set from a small tent due to hundreds trying to enter – but were luckily offered a spot in the barn to play. They also returned in 2019 to headline.
Stornoway
Stornoway consists of Brian Briggs and Jon Ouin who met during freshers week at Oxford in 2005, Oli Steadman who was the only person to reply to their band advert, and Oli’s brother Rob Steadman. Despite self-releasing their debut single in 2009, they had radio play on BBC Oxford Introducing in 2006, when a radio presenter barricaded himself in the studio and exclusively played songs from the band’s debut EP for an hour. They signed to independent label 4AD in 2010, releasing their alternative, indie folk debut album Beachcomber’s Windowsill.
The group played Truck Festival in 2007 at a rescheduled show due to flooding, returning to headline in 2010, and once again in 2014 before disbanding in 2017.
Don Broco at Truck Festival 2019, by Francis Augustus
Supergrass in 2020, by Getty Images
Goldrush, from Oxford
Foals headlining in 2019, by Will Lavin
Stornoway in 2009, by Andrew Fairbarn
