Ocelot 131 may 2017 mag for issuu

No: 131 May 2017

Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

Free

The Annual Ocelot Festival Guide Your comprehensive 13-page guide to find out which field you’ll end up standing in this summer p35 to 49

What's on

/ STYLE / EATS / BREWS / SCREEN / TECH

#131

MAY ISSUE

For Starters

04 Michael Bosley + Luke Coleman 08 Encyclopaedia Oceloticca 09 Running for my life 10 The Bassett Rivers Echo 12 Writers Block Lifestyle

20 Style 24 Screenzone: TV 26 Screenzone: Gaming 27 Screenzone: Film Brews and Eats

28 Wine not?

29 Recipe 30 Cheese and Chilli Festival Arts and Culture

32 The Theatre List 33 Newbury’s light puppet show Music

35 The Annual Ocelot Festival Guide 50 O2 Academy in Oxford 51 Gig Monkey 52 The Night of the Ocelot 55 Level III 56 All Ears Avow 57 Academy of Music and Sound 58 The Gig List The Final Bit of the magazine

62 Agony Girl and toon Thought for the day “Everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and you make bad decisions.”

It’s festival time!

So, it looks like over the next few months a lot of us will find ourselves standing in some far flung field of Ocelotshire as we try to make out the tiny figures singing and playing guitars in the distance on a stage that you can just about see.

I’m talking about festivals of course. Our annual pilgrimage to nature where we drink overpriced soft drinks whilst chomping on food that has been ethically sourced through the backside of an ox.

In this issue it’s our annual festival guide where we give you a comprehensive guide to what’s what in the festival scene over the next few months. And there’s a hell of a lot of them.

Here’s some advice if you are festivalling this year 1. Mud is your friend. You’re going to get covered in it anyway so why not go the whole hog and cover your entire body in lovely wet mud so that it provides insulation and makes you stand out in the festival picture spread that will end up in The Guardian. The smellier the better.

2. Pretend that you’re a glamper and have shower facilities in your tent by creating a hole in the roof to let the rain in.

3. Be the belle of the ball by saying things like ‘I saw this act when they were starting out and were just a group of five spermatozoa jamming in their mothers’ front wombs’.

4. Perfect your dance moves. Everybody always loves getting jabbed continuously by your elbows as you twerk it especially during the slow numbers.

Write in to me at jamie@theocelot.co.uk

Jamie Hill

Editor: Jamie Hill - jamie@theocelot.co.uk Deputy: Ben Fitzgerald - ben@theocelot.co.uk Listings: Mike Barham - mike@theocelot.co.uk Sales: Dave Stewart dave@theocelot.co.uk - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley rosy@theocelot.co.uk 07717 501790 Telephone: 01793 781986 Publisher: Positive Media Group, Unit 3, Arclite House, Peatmoor, Swindon SN5 5YN Printers: Stephens & George, Merthyr Tydfil

For Starters A Nerd’s Last Word by Michael Bosley

1. Leave early, like everyone else – If you plan to take to the roads this summer holiday, make sure you get up nice and early just like most people will be planning to do. That way not only will you still get stuck in traffic, you’ll be tired and grumpy too!

2. Pack plenty of snakes – You thought you read snacks, didn’t you? Well it’s snakes. Everyone knows snakes are great travel companions. Grab a handful, chuck ‘em in the boot and watch the kids eyes light up with fear and amazement!

3. Plan which roads to complain about before you get there – Make sure you know which roads will be gridlocked and plan your complaining before you arrive at said road; “The A3052 is always like this!” and “They need to put a bypass here!” are all good ones. Try blaming the satnav or insisting that you should have gone right at that last turn off as well.

4. Pick busy destinations – Hotspots like beaches and child-friendly activity centres will be unbearable during the summer months, so why not add to the crowds? What better things could you possibly do with your time than queuing for an inordinate amount of time, battling through packs of sweaty, rude people and listening to a mother loudly scolding her misbehaving child for hours?

5. Adrenaline rush – Long journeys often reach a lull after the initial novelty of travelling has worn off. The family have nodded off and now you’re bored with no one to talk to. Pretending your brakes have failed and yelling that you’re all going to die will have the family motivated in no time. A great prank to play every half an hour or so, or as required.

6. Insist on a paper map – Buy one of those foldout AA roadmaps of the UK and insist on using it to navigate to

Top summer holiday tips your destination. Pull over every ten minutes to check it and spend ages trying to fold it away properly. Argue with your spouse about which way up they should hold it and when questioned as to why you won’t use the satnav, insist that it’s how the great explorers used to navigate their way to Legoland.

7. Point out mundane things – Driving can be boring. No wonder so many of us are now texting and driving. Keep everyone engaged by pointing out uninteresting things like “Hey look, there’s a bollard!” or “Look over there kids, a Vauxhall Meriva in sky blue!” Especially fun to do when they’re trying to sleep.

8. Lord of the dance – Buy the Riverdance soundtrack from a bargain bin at a service station and listen to it endlessly. The family will love it and it will make the journey fly by!

A confused media voice

Off The Grid with Luke Coleman - Our man in Iraq Usually, when I find myself in difficult situations, it’s because my hubris or bullshit has brought them upon me. See last month’s missive, for example, explaining how I’ve managed to Blarney my way into producing a documentary. Or the time I went paragliding above the plains of Nineveh, looking over Mosul just eight weeks before it fell to Abu Dick Splint and his band of murderous bell whiffs. Being the passenger on a tandem paragliding expedition isn’t challenging, right? It is, if in one’s quest to do something ’mazin’ which one can boast about to some guy in the pub at Reading train station via the medium of The Ocelot, one forgets one has a debilitating fear of heights, and won’t back down once the chips are down because you want to impress the pretty girl one’s brought along for the ride.

Today I’m as close to suited and booted as I fear to dress, ready to take to the stage to join a three-handed panel discussion on social media’s effect on television news.

It’s not something I know anything about, sincerely. I’m on

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the panel because I’m perhaps the sole British journalist in Iraq working on a project that uses social media as its premium delivery method. That, and my boss put me forward without asking.

I’ve had to do some learning. I thought Google would be awash with results, but it seems the algorithms prefer to suggest pages about social media incidents that have made the news. So at 5 this evening, I’ll be looking over the plains of bored conference attendees who will be watching me, this underprepared idiot, with a useless ream of notes, splutters and falters, eventually falling back on my trusted bullshit – it usually works.

May Gigs 6th - Casual Ties 13th - The Montiques 20th - The Shambles 28th - Dangermouse

Science Fact: Senses working overtime

by Ben Fitzgerald

Making sense of it all Ask any chef about food preparation and they are bound to say ‘the first taste is with the eye’, probably with a French accent. I used to dismiss this as nonsense until I caught a jet of lemon juice in my eye last Shrove Tuesday.

Seriously though, there may be more to this saying than meets the eye. Could it be that our senses are more interlinked than we think? Does what we see change our perception of taste?

Take my hand and let me lead you through the strange world of cross wired senses.

It is traditionally taught that we experience the world through five distinct senses - sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. But many neurologists suggest that there are at least nine senses, adding in the sense of balance, the organic sense (giving us feedback about our body condition) and proprioception (the understanding of where your body parts are at any given moment). They also divide the sense of touch into several ‘somatic’ senses - including perception of pressure, heat and pain.

To get even more trippy, neurologists suggest that these

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senses might cross over into each other to help us make sense of the world around us. Some people have a condition called synesthesia - a cross wiring of senses - enabling some to taste sounds or experience the shape of tastes and smell colours.

These are extreme cases but perhaps all of us are a little more freaky than we might imagine. Let’s prove it with a test invented by my favourite Estonian psychologist Wolfgang Kohler, in 1929.

Look at the shapes: One of them is called kiki and the other bouba. Which is which?

Over 95 percent of subjects say that bouba is the blobby one and kiki the spiky shape - Wolfgang said that this proves that we attribute certain characteristics to different sounds. Bouba is more.. well blobby sounding and Kiki has a spiky sound.

This test has been repeated many times since 1929 and the same result is replaced across

many different cultures.

So what’s happening here?

Could it be that we are seeing sounds or hearing shapes.

The bouba-kiki test can also be applied to taste, with some foods tasting more kiki and others more bouba. Brie, milk, vanilla I’m sure you will agree are more bouba whereas dark chocolate, chilli, and vinegar would all be called kiki.

Another study into this cross connection of the senses has been carried out by students at the University of London who found that foods served on round plates were perceived as tasting sweeter than food on square or triangle plates. In the most recent scientific study - a carefully selected panel of readers found that the Ocelot was greatly improved if consumed whilst listening to the Buzzcocks and sipping a pint of strong German lager. In contrast, try reading the Ocelot while listening to Phil Collins and sipping Blue Nun - it’s as much fun as having a small child repeatedly hit your face with a toffee hammer.

Find out more by searching for the kiki/bouba effect on the information superhighway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Bouba/kiki_effect

Running for my Life

Monkey marathon

In January Ocelot editor Jamie Hill, at an impressive 18 stone of fattiness, announced that he planned to lose three stone in six months and would be running the first ever Birmingham Marathon in October in aid of charity ICP Support.

By Jamie Hill I had a dream the other night. It was that I somehow agreed to do the Birmingham Marathon dressed as King Kong.

I think it had something to do with watching the scenes of jubilation at the London Marathon as amongst the scenes of exhausted runners crossing the finish line a giant giraffe lolloped over the line as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to dress up as a giant giraffe or King Kong to do my marathon. I couldn’t think of anything worse.

I don’t really get it to be honest. Doing a marathon is difficult enough so why on earth would you want to dress as a giant octopus for this feat of endurance? Do you find it that easy that you feel that the only way to do it properly would be to dress as Mr Blobby just to make it that much harder. Don’t you sweat enough already?

The first marathon commemorated the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield near the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. According to legend, Pheidippides ran the approximately 25 miles to announce the defeat of the Persians to some anxious Athenians.

It’s not as if the Athenians turned around to Pheidippides and said: “Thanks for that. But could you run it again but this time wearing this giant Meercat suit?”

The reality of the task ahead has been setting in over the last few weeks.

I’m running again. And I’ve even started a programme on my Nike + that will see me through to the big day itself on October 15.

It’s taking it easy on me at the moment with quite short runs and stamina building. But I’m finding every step difficult.

In fact my knees have decided to go on strike altogether and now I’ve got a constant ache as I walk anywhere. Which is nice.

Part of the Nike + training involves a lot aerobic workouts and they kick in this week so I’m hoping a bit of stretching and stuff will sort all those knee problems so I’m not walking like a bendy legged cowboy any more.

I’ve looked in the weeks ahead and things are going to start getting pretty tough quite soon with the distances being upped and upped as time goes on.

I’m already dreading the 4.5 mile run I’ve got to do

For camels a marathon is considered a doddle compared to crossing The Sahara

this Saturday Having taken March off, I’ve been concentrating in April just to start running again so I’ve kind of kicked the diet part of what I’m doing into touch.

But for May I’m doing another calorie counting month meaning I’m not allowed more than 1500 calories in any 24 hour period. So that should be good!

There are times where I have been thinking to myself ‘why the hell am I putting myself through this?’

And then I remember that I’m doing this to raise money for ICP Support - a charity that is close to my heart as my three children might not be here if it wasn’t for them.

In case you didn’t know ICP Support helps sufferers of Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), also known as obstetric cholestasis (OC), which is the most common liver condition specific to pregnancy.

There’s only six months to go now and I’m getting more and more nervous as time goes on.

My head’s definitely in the right place now though.

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Bassett

The

Rivers Scary news for scary times...

Echo

Footballer kicks ball with foot See full story in our sports section on p73

Grandma celebrates 100th birthday with good ol’ fashioned Twitter feud

by Kit Chentable

GRANDMOTHER Dierdre ‘Doris’ Davis celebrated her 100th birthday in style on Wednesday by getting in a Twitter spat with Harry Potter author JK Rowling and Rihanna.

The centenarian celebrated her birthday surrounded by her family, including grandson Bane, at Bassett Rivers’ Broken Dreamz Night Club having just completed a 24 hour dubstep set.

She then went on a five hour-long Twitter spree managing to upset celebrities from across the a-list firmament including Piers Morgan, who she described as a feckless racist Trumpsucker, ‘zero personality’ Fearne Cotton, ‘waste of space’ Rihanna and JK Rowling who ‘magically talks out of her arse’.

She said: “I iz like well so over dese celebrities wiv dere stitched togevva lives dat aren’t so sick. Dey lack

slaps, toons and rep and I iz like well dissed by dem. D’ya get me bra?”

The grandmother who was born during the first world war and lost her first husband Alfie during the D-Day landings has gifted herself several new sick tats and a new belly piercing.

She said: “Da man wantz u to be a sheep but I iz like so not lettin’ dat happen. Do ya get me?

“Me ink tellz me tru story and dey iz goin’ to get an ass whuppin’ if dey persist. I might even get me g-son Bane ‘Drive-by’ Bullet to pop a cap in dere ass if they don’t stop.”

As she opened her post later that day and happened upon a telegram from The Queen she was heard to utter: “Who uses telegramz nowadays blud? Why doesn’t that skank ho Liz Windsor use Snapchat like everyone else? I iz like well feeling dissed by dis.’

Gritty crime dramas promise to be more depressing Bassett Rivers MP Giles Hetherington-Smythe’s Column

No matter how many times they were told these police detectives refused to look at the camera

By Michael Bosley All crime dramas that aren’t gritty or depressing are to be dropped from television stations as of this week.

Shows like Inspector Morse, Frost and Midsomer Murders will remain a thing of the past as their quaint, likeable protagonists do not fit well with the modern idea of what a crime drama should be.

Patricia Fairenough from the Institute of Television Studies explains: “Crime dramas were once a Sunday night staple and mostly watched by your grandma. As such, they were expected to be warm and familiar, set in cozy villages where everyone knows each other’s names, speaks BBC English and drives a vintage Jaguar.

“As tastes have progressed, people now want something that makes their terrible lives look idyllic by comparison; a grizzled lead character with an alcohol dependency or a turbulent home life, ugly council estates, dark, unlit houses, mumbling, everything

shot with a cold blue filter and a female sidekick who looks malnourished and possibly hasn’t slept in two days.”

Barrenmoor, the new offering from ITV, debuts this weekend and their head of programming has high hopes: “Our marketing guys have made sure we stand out from all the other gritty crime dramas out there. We have posters showing the lead characters looking sternly out over a bleak coastal landscape, to show how serious and conflicted they are about all the complicated, harrowing stuff going on.

“There are absolutely no characters in this show who are happy or enjoying life. The DI is going through a divorce, the chief inspector lost her daughter and the witnesses are all living in varying levels of decrepitude and ill health. Even the shop assistant gets stabbed and contracts a sexually transmitted disease at least three times and she’s only on screen for twenty seconds!”

Well. I’ve only gone and done it.

Theresa has been most agreeable and welcomed me back into the fold with me having crossed the floor back from UKIP to The Tories.

Theresa even smiled when I asked her.

This is the first time that anybody has seen her smile since that time that Boris Johnson got grilled on Andrew Marr’s show in 2013.

Well, I must say I was jolly well surprised by the reaction from Nigel and Nuttall from UKIP. They called me a traitor and Nuttall even threatened to give me a Glasgow kiss. I told him that I wasn’t that way inclined but in these politicallly sensitive times if he wanted to give someone a kiss that would be up to him. That seemed to get him even more angry and he has been leaving me irate voicemails on the hour every hour since. His last message even said something about concrete boots which I’ve got to say don’t sound very practical at all.

But here I am as a happy Tory. I’ve got to say that everybody in UKIP just seemed a bit angry at everything. I did tell them that they should be celebrating as they won but that didn’t make them smile either.

I will miss my new mates Gaz, Daz and Baz. Daz seemed especially upset and said he would come with me and when I said no he headbutted me but I think that was his way of showing affection.

And all of this is just in time for the general election. Anyone would think that I planned it that way. I’m not really that worried about getting unseated though as my main rival will be whoever UKIP want to field.

Last time, they believed anything I said and they will do again. The electorate is so, so, so gullible.

I’m even thinking that I might print on the side of my battle bus the slogan ‘We’re the Tories. We’re not pigs at a trough... honest!’

They’ll eat it up.

Toodle pip!

Writers Block

Part Three: Ek Balam, Santiago and British Tourists.

In the third of a series of articles Tobias Baughan blogs about a life-changing trip to Mexico.

The world is too complicated a place to order, even with a top of the range filing cabinet and some coloured folder dividers.

I feel something similar when I visit the anthropological museum in Mexico City, walking through centuries of this country in a single hour, I realise no matter how long I stay here and how much time I put in, no amount will ever be enough. Still it hasn’t stopped me from visiting historic sites, some of which are spectacular. The ruins of Ek Balam boast some remarkably tall, intact structures, that would never pass health and safety checks today, if indeed it was possible to get planning permission for such a conspicuous pyramid. It is also as they say, a place with history.

The king of Ek Balam sacrificed 300 of his community during his lifetime, so he was a real people person, a great listener. To show his indestructible vitality his throne was built to resemble the mouth of a jaguar, a piece of furniture which fell on and killed him ... or so Roberta the ten year old tells me...

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...That said, not speaking any Spanish, has proved to cause much problems and confusion, even if it hasn’t led to me being used as a human sacrifice. After all, who could mistake me for an Aztec! It can, however, be perplexing at times. In one car journey the only word I understand is burrito. At others we set off for a tobacco factory and arrive at a swimming pool, to another chorus of Mexican voices beyond my comprehension.

I sit at family meals I did not know would exist, am told off by Robertha’s great grandmother for what I will never know, and, attending Robertha’s Catholic confirmation in church, I am only able to pass as a respectable Christian by sitting down and standing up at the same time as everybody else.

Looking on the internet I read that only 7 percent of all communication is actually verbal, which was something that piqued my curiosity at this time, probably because I thought it was a misleading statistic. Still, on another day I set out with this thought in mind, dodging several chickens on what proved to be a rather poorly maintained

road with Norma’s brother - an architect and recent divorcee (his match.com profile might read).

We are setting out for a nearby ranch he has designed. It’s a very beautiful place, and, huffing and puffing in the tropical sun, several builders labour at building something which is described to me as a castle. Sweating, smiling and putting my hands together in a humble gesture is not enough to keep me entertained however and might not placate my host, so to entertain myself and show appreciation I take pictures, some of which you can see on Facebook - a way monkeys with highly developed social needs can fulfil their ancient brains desire to let people know what’s new in life. Norma’s brother smiles, looking at my camera as he stands with his hands on his hips when we leave.

This was near Santiago Veracruz, a town we arrived at a week into the trip, home to the largest Almec head ever found, sitting in the town square, a mask of benevolence or confusion, wondering how it had got there and where all the people who took style cues from it in the jungle had gone. Still it had been

Writers Block

a long time, but on the other hand they’d said they were just going out for milk... I feel a similar sense of confusion, or rather wonder when I first arrive at this small and colourful town, teeming with fruit trees and yellow butterflies which chase each other.

Every year there is a fair celebrating the Saint Santiago, transforming this almost village sized town into something entirely different. Indeed at night you could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere else, somewhere five times the size as it floods with a number of people and horses it seemed impossible for this place to contain during the daylight.

In Santiago I do meet a lot of people, including many more members of Octavio, Norma and Robertha’s family. One such is their niece Sofia. The latter is a nice chance to be around someone my age, making small talk in my skeletal Spanish as she speaks no English.

Experimenting with a variety of language aids after the scintillating heights of our early conversations, including a translator that looks like an old fashioned calculator, then, finally, Google translate, we do

however manage eventually to communicate well by using the Internet in the same room. This isn’t the only form of written communication I use on the trip.

In my hotel when wifi is available on many occasions I use Facebook, the world’s number one way to stay in touch with friends wherever they may be.

Speaking as someone who hasn’t always used Facebook I’d like to take the opportunity to say I’m on Facebook now and it’s a lot of fun. Look me up so we can be buddies who have a lot of fun on Facebook together!

That’s not all: in my hotel on my IPad I can type a message in English - a language in which I consider myself fluent - and it travels all the way across the sea to someone’s computer, mobile or tablet. I’ve even made a friend back in England, while I’ve been away, it says so on Facebook which proves it. ...My last day in Santiago.

Tomorrow I am off to Mexico City.

We go for dinner at friends of Norma’s and Octavio’s where I drink lots of tequila and beer, more than anyone else, and tell them loudly in English to drink more because they have to catch

up with me. I continue speaking to them loudly in my native tongue, irrespective of whether they understand, hoping someone will interpret for me.

Have I become the typical English tourist? Drunk and ignorant? Everything I hate?

At the end of the meal Norma and Octavio’s friend gets out a book and asks me to write my name, address and contact details. Once I’ve finished he starts to leaf through this same book, turning pages with timetables, personal details and diary entries. There are years and years of it.

‘What is this for?’ I ask.

‘This,’ Robertha tells me ‘is the story of his life... through the people he’s had for dinner.’

‘Wow!’ I say. ‘It’s an honour!’

Since before I came to Mexico I knew a few words, including gracias. I have already said this too often. So one day when Norma and Octavio get pictures printed I give them some I took of them with Robertha. As for Spanish, I’ve improved a little, I’m humble and listen... well most of the time anyway. I’ll need these things even more when I go to Oaxaca City by myself.

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Style

Put a Spring

The wait is over, the sunshine has returned, everything is looking brighter and greener and the days are getting longer - it’s finally spring! A new season means new looks and trends in fashion.

Spring is great for experimenting with looks as it is a transitional season. Now is the time to go for brighter colours particularly for dresses.

The Sweat Dress (£34.00) from Next gives the perfect balance of smart but wearable in a fresh blue tone which is key this spring, wear with wedge sandals such as Zaccy’s Margarita Gold Espadrilles (£199.99) from www. zaccys.com or for a more casual feel go for Black Suede Wedge High Tops (£55.00) at www.next. co.uk Spring means it is time to enjoy the great outdoors more.

The Doog Walkie Bag (£28.99) is ideal if you are joined by your four-legged friend. With a built in water bottle holder, an inner waterproof pocket to protect your phone and built in degradable

By fashion writer Gina Akers pick up bags, it is large enough to carry your valuables and your dog’s accessories, but small enough to be comfy on a long walk, available in a range of colours from www. barksandbunnies.co.uk Be ‘spring showers’ ready with the Lana Hooded Waterproof Raincoat (£79.95), highly waterproof, with breathable cotton outer fabric, soft padded chambray lining, deep pockets and detachable hood, from www. lighthouseclothing.co.uk.

It wouldn’t be spring without the flowers and this theme of fabulous florals is petal perfect with the Julie Dodsworth Flower Girl Rubber Wellington Boots (£39.99) and Flower Girl Boot

Bag (£16.99) at www.briersltd. co.uk If your outside pursuits involve fitness in the sunshine then Born Nouli’s leggings (£65.00) are a must, from www.bornnouli. com For sports or leisure wear the Letter Clothing Company’s Tres Cool Cropped T-Shirt (£19.95) is ideal, visit www. letterclothing.com For guys shorts for spring are a necessity, the Soundwave Piped Board Shorts in Midnight Blue (£25.00) and Scales Classic Embroidered Long Sleeve T-Shirt in Gunmetal (£25.00) are a perfect combination, both from www. weirdfish.co.uk For baby in spring time the Boody Baby T-Shirt (£14.00) couldn’t be more cute, made from pesticide and chemical free organic bamboo yarn which is sustainable and renewable. Their clothing is super soft, comfortable, stretchy, breathable, hypo-allergenic and even anti-bacterial, visit www. boody.co.uk

From left, Julie Dodsworth Flower Girl Boot Bag, Broody Baby T-Shirt, Next blue sweat dress and Black suede wedge high tops.

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Style

in your step

Clockwise from top, Lana hooded waterproof raincoat, Flower Girl Rubber Wellington Boots, Doog Walkie Bag and Born Nouli’s leggings

www.theocelot.co.uk

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Screenzone: TV Lovejoy always pulls the birds

American Gods

Screen Grab A TV column by Jamie Hill I once saw a talk by British author Neil Gaiman when he quite confidently said that the nerds had won and that we were living in a golden age of fantasy and sci-fi TV. It’s hard not to agree with him. Especially when it comes to the televisual feasts of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and the upcoming Stephen King Dark Tower television series - which will follow the film.

But the television launch that I’m most looking forward to is Neil Gaiman’s own American Gods which is being streamed on Amazon Prime from May 1.

If you know Gaiman’s work, you’ll realise that this is a man with one of the most creative imaginations out there. He is the man who created The Sandman comics which managed effortlessly to weave mythology, theology and fantasy into one huge epic story that was as magnificent as it was thought-provoking. And he did all of this but still made it immensely readable and at times very funny.

This is also something that is reflected in his other work like Neverwhere, Coraline, Stardust, The Graveyard Book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and the fantastic Good Omens, which he co-authored with Terry Pratchett.

In all of these books he weaves the magical with the mundane creating a slightly off-kilter world that we can all relate to.

But it was his 2001 novel American Gods that got Hollywood frothing at the mouth (although The Sandman seems to be in perennial development hell) and finally

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It’s hammer time!

we’re getting the big budget television series that I for one have always wanted.

Like with all Gaiman’s work it interweaves the mythical with real life as we tackle the weird and wonderful American dream and its immigrants’ belief systems as they come up against the ultra-modern.

I don’t want to give too much away here, having read and thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it all starts when an ex-con called Shadow Moon, named by hippy parents, becomes the bodyguard of a Mr Wednesday and they go on a bit of a road trip.

The thing that makes me smile the most is that they’ve got Ian McShane as Mr Wednesday and apparently he’s on a full-on charm offensive channeling his Deadwood character Swearengen into the bargain.

Timing couldn’t be better especially in a time where America is struggling with its own identity. Roll on May 1.

Screenzone: Gaming

Battlefront II EA Strikes Back?

Game On!

by Mike Barham During April, the first trailer for Star Wars: Battlefront II “leaked” on to the interwebs days before it was due to première at the Star Wars Celebration convention in Orlando, Florida. And it was INCREDIBLE! As documented in a previous Ocelot, the rebirth of the Battlefront franchise was a little rough around the edges, a shaky start from EA and DICE, wielding their newly acquired Star Wars franchise rights in a similar fashion to a padawan with their first lightsaber. It was messy.

Let’s face it, the first game was Battlefield 4 dressed up in Star Wars drag and thrown into the world like a new born Wookie; kicking, screaming and likely to pull your arms off if you disagreed with it. Or with EA. But now the development team have been allowed to take their time and this leads to history repeating itself; we are getting a full single player story crossing multiple Star Wars eras, space battles, “expanded” multiplayer (with Heroes vs Villains making a proper return it would seem...) and split screen co-op.

Basically everything we wanted from the first game. And everything we got from the last Battlefront II. So wait... EA have listened?!

Hold off on that klaxon and celebratory parade people, this could just be a drill! They haven’t told us how much the inevitable season pass is going to cost yet. Or how long it will take them to deliver what you pay for.

Personally, I think the return of a single player experience is going to be key for Battlefront II. If they can create an engaging and expansive campaign experience, Star Wars fans will be gurning with the equivalent force

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of a Death Star. And no other franchise can produce gurning of that magnitude.

Also, we are getting split screen co-op! Yes, that’s right, it’s 2017 and it’s now amazing to think we can have someone sitting next to us in the same room playing the same game on the same console!

This is revolutionary, soon everyone will be doing it!

As if that wasn’t enough, we are getting proper space battles again, meaning you aren’t just swooping through canyons and snowy hills anymore, avoiding that one bloke with a sniper rifle who seems to think he’s Vasili Zaitsev.

You can take on capital ships, probably a few moons/ space stations and, of course, that one guy on the opposing team who thinks flying in a circle will somehow get you to stop chasing him.

Hopefully the release will also present us with some content from Episode XIII: The Last Jedi, but with the game’s release slated for November and the film not due until Christmas time, you can bet your shiny republic credits that it will be in the form of DLC. If the DICE team can deliver all of the above, Battlefront II could be a classic like its namesake.

Otherwise I’m going to be as angry as this bloke...

Screenzone: Film

Are You Talkin’ To Me? A Film column by Jamie Hill

Okay, I’m just about to delve into a complex cultural issue and hope that I manage to navigate my way through without being offensive or ignorant.

So what is this minefield I hear you ask?

Well, it is whitewashing and cultural appropriation. Specifically I’m talking about western casting choices for Far Eastern projects like Ghost in the Shell with Scarlett Johansson and Matt Damon’s starring turn in the The Great Wall.

Firstly, I’ve been a great fan of anime all of my life and loved the Ghost in the Shell manga comics as well as the anime films. And before I say more, I should say that I’ve watched Ghost in the Shell and thought it was visually spectacular and believe there was an injustice done to it because of the whitewashing debate that surrounded it and hurt its box office returns. But I’m a westerner so what do I know?

Some would argue that as it’s an adaptation of a Japanese manga it should have cast a Japanese actress but her character The Major being essentially a mind put into a ‘shell’ could have easily been put

into a shell of any nationality and the original comics and anime are quite clear on that with the character having a western appearance in the source material. So in that respect I have no problem with the casting.

And from a purely financial point of view as they try to sell the material globally it’s easy to understand why they would cast one of the top action actresses of the day in the role.

But, and this is where the issue gets a bit blurry, is the character from the source material, which seems westernised in our eyes, actually Japanese in the eyes of the Japanese? The characters in anime are drawn in a deliberately unrealistic style with eye size and hair colour not really having much to do with it as they would still be seen as Japanese by the Japanese.

But at the same time one cannot underestimate the impact of Western culture on Japan before World War II and after as well. Before the war, European fashions and American music was popular. What’s more, they were held up as something that was “modern”. The US Occupation brought a flood of American pop culture — pop culture that had been banned during the war.

So, it’s either a bit racist to say it’s

not racist or it could even be racist to suggest it is racist as it is most probably not. I’m going to defer to the creators of the anime on this one who have vocally announced that Scarlett Johansson was perfect casting and that it’s not racist in the slightest.

In my opinion the argument about The Great Wall is a lot clearer. It’s a Chinese production directed by Zhang of House of Flying Daggers fame. They cast an American actor to act as a western gateway into the film to try and get the western audience on board. Like Matt Damon’s character it was a pure mercenary decision.

When west meets far east we still have a good few choppy waters to navigate and I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear of this particular issue. But in each case we should all at least see the movie before passing judgement.

Knee-jerk reactions and backlashes never help especially when there could be real issues to deal with beneath the surface.

And if you really want to rally against racist casting choices all you have to do is look at most Adam Sandler films as they’ve been doing it with impunity for years.

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Brews and Eats

By Darren Willmott The triggering of Brexit has finally begun and the implications on the pound, the markets and our trade deals are all still unknown quantities. With the majority of our favourite wines coming from within Europe there will undoubtedly be some impact on pricing.

Several years of austerity have already made us tighten our belts and become increasingly price-conscious, so it may seem odd if I suggest that you should perhaps want to pay more for a bottle of wine.

No, I don’t mean arbitrarily handing over more money than you need to the cashier and, with care-free flair, telling them they can “keep the change”, but in much the way that the craft movement has thrown open the beer market and moved many people away from larger mass produced brands, people are increasingly aware that sometimes paying slightly more can mean a lot extra in terms of quality.

Quick question: When you buy a bottle of wine, how much of that cost actually goes towards the quality of what you are drinking? 100%, 50%, 10%?

If you don’t know, read on!

A bottle of wine costing £5.39

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£5.39 is a fairly specific amount, but that’s the average cost for a bottle of wine in the UK*. The first slice of the bottle price goes to the retailer who would expect to make something like 22-25% of the value as their profit. The next big slice of the pie goes to the government who will take a fixed amount of excise duty (currently £2.16) as well as VAT at 17.5%.

Once you factor in the packaging costs (labels, corks/ screwcaps) and logistics of getting the bottle on to the shelves in the first place, the amount left spent on the actual quality of the wine is a mere 60p.

Yes, that’s right, just 11% of the bottle price goes on the actual wine whilst the government take nearly 60% of your money for themselves. Boo! A bottle of wine costing £7.50 If you trade up slightly to a £7.50 bottle of wine, what do you get for your extra £2.11?

Well the good news is that most of it goes on the wine itself. As the packaging and logistics costs are exactly the same regardless of the wine inside, and the fixed

excise duty doesn’t change, the only percentage increases are the extra VAT and retailer margin.

What this means is that now you are actually paying £1.50 on the contents of the bottle, so well on the way to three times the quality for not much extra cost.

The extra money spent on wine quality allows the winemaker to shun bulk production methods (which can see stalks, vine canes and even insects go in to the vats) and be more selective about what grapes they include.

In the long term it can lead to them buying better equipment to produce and mature their wines.

Excluding prestige brands, which can cost fifty times the price and not be fifty times the quality, the good news is that this carries on up to scale.

If you’re feeling flush and spending £20 on a bottle of wine, you’re still paying the fixed excise duty and packing/ logistics costs and, consequently, a lot more for the contents of the bottle. Cheers!

Note: Of course it is absolutely possible to find £5 bottles of wine that shine for the price, and sometimes they just need rooting out. Head on over to my website vinesight.me if you want some help locating one. * Source: Bibendum

Brews and Eats

Make room for squash! squash and black bean chilli serves 4 Either stuff a whole squash with the chilli, or dice and roast the squash and add it to the chilli. The latter opens up a whole variety of serving suggestions: eat it with rice or in a baked potato; top it with a dollop of soured cream, some spicy tomato salsa or some guacamole; stuff it in a taco with some grated cheese; or spread it over a tortilla. If you are stuffing the squash you will need to use one that is a suitable size and will hold its shape when cooked, such as onion squash.

1 medium butternut, large onion or smallish crown prince squash 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for roasting 1 large onion, chopped 4 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped 3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1–2 tsp crushed chipotle chillies (if you can’t source them, substitute another fresh or dried red chilli) 1 tsp dried marjoram or handful of fresh oregano 2 bay leaves 2 tsp ground cumin 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g cans black beans, rinsed and drained juice of 1 lime (approx. 2 tbsp) small bunch of coriander, finely chopped salt and black pepper grated cheese and/or soured cream, to serve (optional) l Heat the oven to 180°C/ Gas 4. If stuffing a whole squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and stuff each half; or roasting in chunks. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over a medium–

high heat. l Add the onion and celery.

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the peppers and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or so, stirring frequently. l Stir in the garlic, and cook for another minute.

Add the chilli, 1–2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, the herbs and cumin. l Give everything a good mix then add the tomatoes.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes. l Remove the bay leaves, stir in the lime juice and coriander and adjust the seasoning to taste. If using roast squash, add it now, heat through, and then serve. l If stuffing a whole squash, fill each roasted squash half with the filling mixture.

Top with grated cheese or soured cream (or both), if you like.

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Brews and Eats

Cheese and chilli festval

The Cheese and Chilli Festival is returning to Swindon in 2017 at Lydiard Park.

The event will see a bewildering array of cheese and chillies from around the world brought to one place. There will also be fantastic range of arts and craft stalls.

The festival promises something for everyone and is a perfect family day out (even if you’re not keen on cheese or

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chilli!) with free activities for children and adults to take part in as well as fun rides and games.

Activities include; live music, motorbike displays, quad and mountain bike stunt shows from Jez Avery, a falconry display, magic shows, Punch & Judy, a chilli eating competition, real ale and real cider bars, a craft tent, sand art, balloon modelling, wine tastings, cookery demonstrations,

not to mention all the amazing produce and crafts for sale at the show.

Dogs are very welcome at the shows, as long as they are kept on leads.

Price: children free Adults from £5 in advance, £7 on the door Seniors from £3 in advance, £4 on the door www. cheeseandchillifestival.com admin@ cheeseandchillifestival.com

Theatre list Monday May 1 to Saturday May 13 Swindon Festival of Literature Multiple Venues swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk Wednesday May 3 THEATRE: Give Me Your Love 8pm - North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Tuesday May 9 COMEDY: All Star Stand Up Tour Stewart Francis + Justin Moorhouse + Jarred Christmas + Jim Tavare 7.30pm - Wyvern Theatre, Swindon Wednesday May 10 to Thursday May 11 THEATRE: The Lounge 8pm - North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Wednesday May 10 to Saturday May 13 THEATRE: Romeo + Juliet Times Vary - Watermill Theatre, Newbury

Thursday May 11 COMEDY: Richard Herring: The Best 8pm - Arts at the Old Fire Station, Oxford Friday May 12 CABARET: The Time Travelling Magicians 7pm - Trowbrige Town Hall, Wiltshire CONCERT: The Unravelling Wilburys 7.30pm - Neeld Community and Arts Centre, Chippenham Monday May 15 to Saturday May 20 THEATRE: Sister Act Times Vary - New Theatre, Oxford Tuesday May 16 to Saturday May 20 THEATRE: I Capture The Castle Times Vary - Oxford Playhouse, Oxford Thursday May 18 THEATRE: Bubble Schmeisis 8pm - North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford

Friday May 19 COMEDY: Jongleurs - On The Road 8pm - Neeld Community and Arts Centre, Chippenham Saturday May 20 COMEDY: Susan Calman: The Calman Before the Storm 8pm - North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Monday May 22 to Saturday May 27 THEATRE: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Times Vary - New Theatre, Oxford Thursday May 25 to Saturday July 1 THEATRE: House and Garden Times Vary - Watermill Theatre, Newbury Monday May 29 DANCE: Remembering Fred 7.30pm - New Theatre, Oxford

Britain’s Bake Off sweetheart comes to Oxford Loved for her warmth and charisma as well as her unique approach to flavours, Britain’s favourite Bake Off winner, Nadiya Hussain, has captured the heart of the nation, and will be telling her unique story at the Oxford Playhouse as part of a special event on July 19.

Nadiya will be in conversation with Barney Desmazery, Senior food Editor at BBC Good Food Magazine, about her life and adventures with food. From cooking for her family to baking the Queen’s 90th Birthday

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Cake, and how she’ll never say “maybe” again.

Combining her love of family and food, flavour and fun, Nadiya will introduce her latest recipe book, Nadiya’s British Food Adventure, which transforms familiar British dishes into fresh and enticing new recipes. Inspired by her travels up and down the country visiting local food heroes and producers, come and hear about Masala Eggy Bread, Jerk Haddock, Rosemary Banoffee Pie and more and be

inspired to expand your own cooking repertoire.

Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase a discounted copy of Nadiya’s British Food Adventure at £13 (RRP £20) when you book your tickets. Pre-bought books will be available for collection from the onsite Waterstones on the night.

Full price books will be available for purchase on the night and Nadiya will be signing and dedicating books after the event. www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Theatre

Gentle Giants of Light to walk through Newbury this June On Friday June 30, specialist outdoor puppeteers, Dundu will bring two gentle giants of light to life in Newbury’s town centre, accompanied by high-octane live music from renowned percussion ensemble, Worldbeaters in a premier collaboration performance, Sense of Unity.

Presented as part of the Corn Exchange, Newbury’s expanding free outdoor arts programme, Sense of Unity will combine visual spectacle, live music and snippets of audience interaction, to bring the community together for an evening of captivating, free outdoor theatre.

At 9.45pm, the Worldbeaters will lead the procession through the

town in search of the puppets, performing high-energy beats on their unique LED-lit drums and setting the atmosphere for the performance.

Once discovered, German company, Dundu will animate a giant human shaped puppet of the same name, walking it through the audience in search of a smaller puppet companion. The puppet’s transparent, flexible bodies, made up of a weave of individual fiber strands, will be lit from the inside, illuminating them against the darkening evening sky. Dundu will be handled and steered by a team of five skilled puppeteers who collectively breathe life into the gigantic figure as it glides through the audience. Though large in size, Dundu is a gentle giant, capable of presenting surprisingly touching human characteristics.

Audiences are invited to enjoy the different musical worlds of Dundu, from the West African Kora to the Latin American based drumming riffs and rhythms, whilst following the gentle giant and its smaller companion

on their unique journey through Newbury.

Both Dundu and the Worldbeaters have already separately captivated the imaginations and hearts of audiences across the world, and now come to Newbury for their first collaboration performance.

This world premiere is produced

by Activate Performing Arts and has been developed in a residency at the Corn Exchange’s 101 Outdoor Art Creation Space.

The Corn Exchange’s Outdoor Event Programme is supported by Greenham Common Trust and Arts Council England.

For further information visit the Corn Exchange website at www. cornexchangenew.com

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The Ocelot festival guide Your one-stop guide to the festival scene

Here we are again dear Oceloteers, another festival season is upon us.

Whether it’s the open fields of the traditional music festivals like 2000 Trees, Reading and Common People to the colourful, vibrant town centre events like ChippFest, Devizes Arts and Newbury Spring festivals, there is something for everyone this year. And that’s before we have even got to the big oneday festivals like All Roads

Lead to Frome, the new One Faith Punk Festival, CalneFest, Heddstock and much more!

However, 2017 will be the last time some of our favourite events are included, such as the White Horse Folk Festival near Wantage and Cornbury’s Fabulous Finale, so we urge you to see both these fantastic events out with a bang and support the teams of people who helped make them happen.

So get out there with your

wellies, your tents and your sun-cream.

Enjoy the British summer and everything it may bring.

And remember that if we don’t support these festivals and live music events, they will fade into the winter and distant memory.

Don’t let that happen, keep these communities alive and rally to that festival flag!

We will see you in the fields Oceloteers, save a drink and singalong for us!

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Festival Guide

Insane in the membrane

By Gina Akers B is for Boomtown and B is the grade I got in GCSE Art. C is for Cypress Hill (who I used to listen to during Art class while studying for that B) and who are headlining this years Boomtown Fair.

In the mid 90’s at school in Art Class listening to Cypress Hill (yep, we had a very cool art teacher) little did I know that some years later I’d be interviewing them. I’ve caught up with Cypress Hill band member Sen Dog to find out its all really that ‘insane’.

How are you feeling about coming to the UK and performing this summer?

We’re excited about heading over to the UK this summer, we always enjoy performing and visiting over there. It has one of the greatest audiences I’ve had to perform for in my career. Europe as a whole is all great to perform for, they have always had a very special appreciation we’ve always enjoyed the crowd there.

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What can we expect from you at Boomtown?

When Cypress comes through you can always expect good times, and some jumping around. We like to have our live shows be as much of a party as people make out of it, so its right for us and we feel its right for the audience who come to see us y’know, its who we are, what we do, performing is everything.

There’s recording and there’s performing, like Lemmy from Motorhead said you’re not a real band if you don’t tour. Performing is a whole different character to recording and making a new album or song. You have to have an equal balance of both, it would be insane without that balance, I think I’d go bat shit crazy y’know.

What do you like most about the UK? I would say the UK nightlife, there’s always something cool to do. What I think I enjoy the most is actually the people out there, talking to folks, getting to know people, for many years now I’ve always

Boomtown Fair August 10 - 13 enjoyed the open mindedness of the European people and people in the UK. They’re a very open minded audience and they can be challenged musically and I think that’s what I really dig about the audience out there.

What are you working on at the moment?

We’ve been recording with Cypress pretty heavy for the last few years and getting to that point now where we are getting new music out which we are excited about. I’m just actually recording a rap metal album, that ones with Powerflow with members of Bio Harzard, Fear Factory and Wost, I’m really excited about it, it’ll be cool getting a chance to hear that, it’s on new damage records, we’re all excited about that.

The band has been involved in a lot of movie projects, are you involved in any right now?

No movie projects right now but it sure is something I’d like to get a chance at. We’ve been concentrating really hard on music

Festival Guide for a while now, but if the right thing comes along y’know I’d definitely like to get back in front of the camera, when it comes to movies that’s what I would do, not so much a movie score or anything like that, I’d like to get into the acting.

I’ve heard a rumour that there is pitch altered horse neigh on ‘Insane in the Brain’ is this true?

(Laughs) Yep y’know, I dunno if its true or not, we’ve been asked that before. I know there’s a good chance that that’s true because DJ Muggs always dabbles in the strangest things. At one point he had sampled like whales and dolphins and stuff for a record, so there’s a pretty good chance that yeah that’s exactly what it is.

If the band could collaborate with anyone past or present, who would it be?

Jimi Hendrix, that would’ve been cool. Respected musicians, musicians that I respect, James Brown is another one, Bob Marley.

As a band you’re very active on social media, how do you feel this benefits you as an act and music in general?

Social media, I dig it! I love it, I think its great! It gives you a chance to y’know communicate with your fans and followers, it’s awesome, it’s a great way to promote and to network. I wish they had it back when we started, that would have been great, I think it’s great, I think it’s really cool able to promote, it’s a really really big thing in my opinion.

What do you think the future will be for hip-hop music?

I think it’s just going to continue to expand, to grow, y’know it’s a community, Afro-American and Latino, all races have a part in hip-hop, all regions, all countries have their own hip-hop stars. I

haven’t come across a country that actually has no rappers in it, every country has rappers and hip-hop and DJ’s. I see that there’s a very bright future for hip-hop and I think we’re going to continue to come out with cutting edge artists that are going to set the trends and sell millions of records, and open the doors for the next generation of hip-hop and continue to be successful.

Do you think hip-hop is represented enough at music festivals?

I see hip-hop represented, y’know we’ve been pretty good within that aspect in music festivals. There may be some hip-hop artists that don’t care to peform at festivals and stuff like that, but I feel that ever since we took to it back in the early 90’s and we started at festivals we’ve seen more hip-hop artists at festivals around the world. I saw that as the future of touring, festivals are a natual part of touring When we first started, our first couple of times in Euope were not festivals they were our own tours across Europe y’know, and later on we did festivals and I saw like this is the future for us because we are serving three, four times as many people at these festivals than we are on our tours. So, for me I didn’t want to go on any more Cypress Hill tours, if we had to we had to, okay, but I’d rather go perform at these festivals along with great other artists. So as far as that goes I think y’know we were kind of like right up there with Public Enemy with regard to festival dates. I think it’s very important in our history and our success to get to where we are here now, over the years we became a festival act because thats where the whole spectacle is y’know.

What about in the UK? I’d like to see a bit more hip-hop at the UK festivals, the promoter people types they know what they wanna do and y’know they know Cypress is gonna bring it so that’s a no brainer.

I think it takes from experience to get to know how to perform at these festivals, its not ‘I’m going to go up there and just walk on with my mike and me and my DJ’.

You have to give an actual concert so you have to get to that level y’know. Its not something that you’re born with to even start to learn how to perform at these festivals, you have to learn how to do that, it might be intimidating at first but for sure new hip-hop is always a good thing.

Do you have any special surprises in store for us at Boomtown?

There’s always a bunch of good things going on at our shows, we could maybe have one of our good friends involved but I can’t say who at this point, you’ll hear about it the closer we get to it.

Cypress Hill will be performing at Boomtown Fair this summer along with loads of other top acts including Arrested Development, Sugar Hill Gang, Ziggy Marley, AJ Tracey and Wiltshire based band The Tribe. Boomtown Fair takes place from 10th-13th August 2017, for tickets visit www.boomtownfair.co.uk

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May 6 - May 20 Wood Festival

Friday May 19 to Sunday May 21 Braziers Park, Wallingford, Oxfordshire www.woodfestival.com

Line-up: The Magic Numbers + CC Smugglers + Blue Rose Code + Brent Cobb + Flats And Sharps + Worry Dolls + Jackie Oates and Megan Henwood + Co-Pilgrim + The Epstein + Jason McNiff + Nick Cope + Ben Ottewell + Youngblood + MORE TBA

All Roads Lead to)Frome Saturday May 6 (From 12pm

Cheese and Grain, Frome, Somerset www.cheeseandgrain.ticketsolve.com

Hit Returning for a second year of musical madness, for again up d teame have Music Sheer and Miss Or 2017’s all-day fiesta of underground talent.

Line-up: e Gaz Brookfield & The Company of Thieves + Decad the of Ghost + Arm Crazy + c Atlanti The Freeze + s Avalanche + Sam Little (The Gospel Youth) + B-Syde (The Millia n Warre + e O’Tool Mick + Erin Port + Attika State) + Nick Parker + Turner + As The Sun Sail Sleeps + Heartwork + Jake Martin + Spark The + Stay Voiceless + Zoe Newton + Eban & Beth

Newbury Spring Festival Saturday May 6 - Saturday May 20

Venues: Combe Manor Barn / Corn Exchange / Englefield House / New Greenham Arts / Highclere Castle / Holy Cross Church / Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre / The Vineyard / The Chapel + MORE www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk

Sham 69

One Faith Punk Festival

Saturday May 20 (From 12pm) MECA, Swindon, Wiltshire www.onefaith.co.uk One Faith is about providing a showcase for the next generation of punk bands. It’s about collecting the best young, up and coming punk bands in the region, and setting themselves free to express themselves in their own way.

Line-up: Sham 69 + Criminal Mind + Mick O’Toole + Dirt Royal + Rotten Foxes + Disruptive Influence + Delinquents + Hazard + Face Up!

Cursus Music and Cider Festival Friday May 12 to Sunday May 14 Canada Farm, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset www.cursusfestival.com

Line-up: Gadje Scum + General Roots + Counting Coins + Nick Harper + The Skimmity Hitchers + The Tritones + Blackwater County + DJ Dapper Dan + Funke and the Two Tone Baby + Non Canon + China Shop Bull + Captain Hotknives + The Kings of Outer Space + Imprints + Dubclass + The Surfin’ Birds + MORE

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Concert at The Kings Saturday May 20

The Kings Arms, All Cannings, Wiltshire www.concertatthekings.co.uk Line-up: Alison Moyet + Wilko Johnson + Gerry and The Pacemakers + Sweet + John Coghlan’s Quo + Invisible Vegas + Verdisa + Bite The Buffalo

May 26 - June 1 The Hoosiers

Salisbury International Arts Festival Friday May 26 to Saturday June 10 Venues across Salisbury, Wiltshire www.salisburyfestival.co.uk

Lechlade Festival

Friday May 26 to Sunday May 28

Riverside Park, Lechlade, Gloucestershire www.lechladefestival.co.uk

Lechlade’s award winning family festival returns for another year of music and fun! This year the Cotswold market town also features a new Dance Zone to show off your festival moves, as well as

100+ performers!

Line-up: The Hoosiers + Dr Feelgood + The Lambrettas + Abba Arrival + Not The Rolling Stones + That 80s Rock Show + Modraphenia + Ed Stones and The w BD3 + Cecil + Light Zeppelin + Magician’s Nephe + Nicola Hardman + Hellsinki-V + Hangfire + Vibe Machine + The Cotswold Voices + Nasty High + Tom Powell + MORE

Line-up: A C Grayling + Alan Johnson + Susie Dent + Simon Evans + Morgan and West + Clare Teal and Her Mini Big Band + Cordelia Williams + Bollywood Brass Band + John Simpson + MORE

Common People Oxford Saturday May 27 to Sunday May 28 South Park, Oxford www.oxford.commonpeople.net

Line-up: Sean Paul + Groove Armada (DJ Set) + Pete Tong presents Ibiza Classics performed by The Heritage Orchestra + Rag ‘n’ Bone Man + Wild Beasts + Foals (DJ Set) + The Selecter + The Beat + Becky Hill + The Cuban Brothers + Saint Etienne + Amy MacDonald + Novelist + House Gospel Choir + Dutty Moonshine + Lucy Leave + Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana + Tom Williams + Coldredlight + Oxford Dancin’ + All Tamara’s Parties + MORE

Matt Forde

Chippenham Folk Festival

Friday May 26 to Monday May 29

Multiple Venues, Chippenham, Wiltshire www.chippfolk.co.uk

Chippenham Folk Festival is now in its 46th success ful year. Although it has seen many changes since its beginnings in Lacock all those years ago, it still retains its ‘village’ atmosphere, providing three and a half days packed with song, dance, workshops and displays.

Line-up: Belshazzars Feast + Keith Donnelly + CROW5 + Mick Ryan and Paul Downes + Barley Rye Choir + Moira Craig + Rosie Upton + Georgia Lewis Trio + Three Rounds Blank + Sound Tradition + Flash Jack + MORE

l Devizes Arts Festiva June 18 Thursday June 1 to Sunday

Multiple Venues, Devizes, Wiltshire www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk

Devizes Festival always has a fantastic line up, boasting a three week extravaganza of music, dance, be comedy and lectures and we know that tickets will snapped up quickly.

Line-up:

Matt Forde + Jay Rayner + Cassetteboy + Jo Caulfield + Danny and The Champions of The World + Linda Smith + Sebastian Faulks + Tom Bell + Robb Johnson + Chris Searle + Adam Norsworthy + Ben Waghorn Trio + Marici Saxes + Helen Mort + Dan Duo Cruickshank + The Spitfire Sisters + Lewis Clark + Phil King + Helen Lederer + MORE

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June 2 - June 21 Wallingford Blues and Beer Festival Buzzcocks

Wychwood Festiva4l Friday June 2 to Sunday June

Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Glos www.wychwoodfestival.com

2017 will mark the 13th Wychwood Festival. Some of you have been every single year and others have found out about this carefree summer event more recently, but all Wychwood goers tell of their common love of the friendly atmosphere.

Line-up: Buzzcocks + OMD + The Levellers + Billy Bragg + + Rejasthan Heritage Brass Band + The Strypes Katy + Man Bongo Kanda + Circus Electric Swing Ashworth + The East Pointers + Let’s Eat Grandma + CC Smugglers + Harpers Ferry + Cabbage + Flamingods + Professor Elemental + MORE

Friday June 9 to Saturday June 10 Regal Centre, Wallingford, Oxfordshire www.bluesandbeer.co.uk

Line-up: Willie and The Bandits + Catfish Blues Band + Buzz + The Happy Few + Hip Route + Matt Edwards Band + Backbone Blues Band + Troy Redfern Band + The Eric Street Band + The Vincent White Band

Witney Music Festival Saturday June 10

The Leys, Witney, Oxfordshire www.witneymusicfestival.com Line-up: The Undertones + MORE TBA

Forest Live 15 to Sunday June 18 Thursday June

ucestershire

Westonbirt Arboretum, Glo www.forestry.gov.uk

CalneFest

is in store amidst the Another spectacular line up birt Arboretum as Forest ston We the of s towering tree a special setting, into Live brings big names out Line-up: - Olly Murs / June 15 - Elbow / June 16 18 - Craig David e Jun / ey Astl June 17 - Rick

Saturday June 3

The Recreation Ground, Calne, Wiltshire www.calnefest.co.uk

CalneFest has consistently produced an incredible event for over 3000 attendees in the small Wiltshire town of Calne, and this year Britpop legends Space are set to continue that trend amidst a strong line up of local talent.

Line-up: Space + The Real Cheesemakers + Ulysses + The Tribe + All Ears Avow + Rewire The Time Machine + The Vooz + Bradley Cowtan + Mike Barham + MORE

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Glastonbury Festival

Wednesday June 21 to Sunday June 25 Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Line-up: Foo Fighters + Radiohead + Ed Sheeran + The XX + The National + Biffy Clyro + Katy Perry + Barry Gibb + Royal Blood + Stormzy + Chic + Major Lazer + Alt-J + Boy Better Know + Lorde + Solange + Run The Jewels + Laura Marling + Kris Kristofferson + Emeli Sande + MORE

June 23 - July 6 Chippenham FM DJ Brian Reid

ChippFest

Friday June 23 to Sunday July 2 Multiple Venues, Chippenham, Wiltshire www.chippfest.org

Run by Chippenham FM Community Internet Radio Station (www.chippenhamfm.com) and succeeding a Chippenham Arts Festival since 2015, ChippFest is m. celebration of local talent from across the spectru The Festival supports Dorothy House Hospice and The Doorway, with the signature event Rockin the Park on Saturday July 1 in John Coles Park.

Line-up: The Lightnin Hobos + The Dead Pheasants + The Hat Club + Black Collider +Escapade + Misfires + Hip Route + MORE TBA

Dr & The Medics

Minety Music Festival

Friday June 30 to Sunday July 2

Kinches Fields, Minety, Wiltshire www.minetyfestival.co.uk

Set in the heart of the Cotswolds, Minety Festival is a brand new, community music festival. This not for profit event will aim to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Naomi House & Jacksplace Hospice.

Line-up: Doctor and The Medics + Who’s Next + Roving Crows + The Dirty Smooth + Mo’eep + Drogo + Ruff Diamond + Champagne Charlie + Echo + The Vooz + The Long Players + The Arkansaw Jukebox Collective + The Ukey Dukes + MORE

Henley Festival

Offbeat Festival

Wednesday July 5 to Sunday July 9

Arts at The Old Fire Station & BT Studio, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford www.offbeatoxford.co.uk

Line-up: Jess Glynne + Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band + Matt Forde + Pet Shop Boys + Chaka Khan + Goldie and The Heritage Orchestra + Ruby Turner + All Saints + Brother Strut + Andy Parsons + Russell Kane + Andy Parsons + MORE

Friday June 23 to Sunday July 2

Offbeat Festival, Oxford’s fringe event, is a festival collaboration between Arts at The Old Fire Station and the Oxford Playhouse, consisting of brand-new theatre, comedy, dance, family shows, spoken word and music. It’s a place for you to see something which wouldn’t usually come to Oxford.

Hungerford and District Community Arts Festival Friday June 30 to Sunday July 16

Multiple Venues, Hungerford, West Berkshire www.hungerfordartsfestival.com Line-up: Ben Waters and his Big Band + Lilli La Scala + Alexander Karpeyev + Trio Sospiroso + MORE

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Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire www.henley-festival.co.uk

2000 Trees Festival

Thursday July 6 to Saturday July 8

Upcote Farm, nr Cheltenham, Gloucestershire www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk Line-up: Slaves + Nothing But Thieves + Lower Than Atlantis + Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes + Mallory Knox + The Front Bottoms + The Wonder Years + The Menzingers + Honey Blood + Beach Slang + Jamie Lenman + Pulled Apart by Horses + Skinny Lister + Young Guns + Will Varley + Black Peaks + Gnarwolves + Kevin Devine + Dinosaur Pile-Up + Feed The Rhino + ROAM + Rolo Tomassi + Tall Ships + Muncie Girls + Black Foxxes + Decade + MORE

July 6 - July 7 Metronomy

l Blissfields FestivaJuly 8

Avebury Rocks

In July 2017 the very fabric of your perception is warping beneath Vicarage Farm as Blissfields breaks on through to the under side. What will we find together, exploring both the very real and the very unreal of the bizarre.

Line-up: The Cinematic Orchestra + Metronomy + Lady Leshurr + Shura + Sundara Karma + The Japanese House + Tom Grennan + Moses Sumney + MORE

A celebration of all forms of great live music, from rock to folk and everything in between, the aim is to bring you a fantastic weekend of musical treats - you might even discover your new favourite band! All proceeds from Avebury Rocks go towards supporting the ongoing care provided by local charity Prospect Hospice.

Line-up: Benji & Hibbz + Edd Mann + George Wilding + Nick Harper + Kioko + Jamie Williams and The Roots Collective + Morganway + Rock Choir + Ministry of Samba + The Vooz + Ukey D’Ukes +

Thursday July 6 to Saturday

Vicarage Farm, nr Winchester, Hampshire www.blissfields.co.uk

Friday July 7 to Sunday July 9 East Farm, Avebury, Wiltshire www.aveburyrocksfestival.net

Ulysses + MORE

Cornbury Festival

Friday July 7 to Sunday July 9

The Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire www.cornburyfestival.com

Cornbury Music Festival represents classic summe r entertainment for a friendly crowd from all walks of life. But unfortunately this year will be the Fabulous Finale so let’s all see it out with a bang!

Line-up: Bryan Adams + Kaiser Chiefs + The Pretenders + Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra + Tom Chaplin + Jack Savoretti + Imelda May + Ward Thomas + Sophie Ellis-Bextor + Scouting For Girls + Right Said Fred + MORE

Frome Festival

Friday July 7 to Sunday July 16 Multiple Venues, Frome, Somerset www.fromefestival.co.uk

Now in its 17th year, the 2017 Frome Festival will feature a stellar cast that head up a huge range of activities covering arts, crafts and lifestyle.

Line-up: Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel + The Wonderstuff + Bollywood Brass Band + Andy Parsons + Gyles Brandreth + Jeremy Hardy + Tim O’Conner + Germaine Greer + Dr David Starkey + Ann Widdecombe + MORE

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July 7 - July 14 Baby Boondocks Festival (Normally Boondocks Festival, smaller for 2017)

Friday July 7 to Saturday July 8

Sherston Village Hall, nr Malmesbury, Wiltshire www.theboondocksfestival.co.uk Line-up: They Say Jump + Fromage En Feu + Long Players + Poisonous Birds + The Dustbowl Children

The Boom Band

Saddlebacks BluesFest Saturday July 8

Devizes Sports Club, Wiltshire www.disorderlysounds.co.uk/saddlebacks-blues-fest

A brand new, family friendly blues festival organised by the team at Disorderly Sounds, Saddlebacks is continuing the long tradition of musical magic in Devizes.

Line-up: The Boom Band + Jo Harman + Elles Bailey + Lisa Mills + Blue Dog + Poplar Jake Electric Delta Review + Ruzz Guitar’s Blues Revue + The Red Hot Trio

Kid Calico & The Astral Ponies

Swindon Shuffle

Tuesday July 11 to Sunday July 16

Multiple Venues, Swindon, Wiltshire www.swindonshuffle.org.uk

Started back in 2007, the Swindon Shuffle just keeps getting better with every trip around the sun.

A superb line-up of local talent is guaranteed, plus an ace up the sleeve every year.

Line-up: Kid Calico and The Astral Ponies + The Tribe + Misfires + Diagonal People + 2 Sick Monkeys + MORE TBA

Once Upon A Time In The West Festival Thursday July 13 to Sunday July 16

Secret Location nr Westbury/Trowbridge, Wiltshire www.outwestfestival.co.uk Line-up: Mad Professor + Pronghorn + The Ska Vengers + Gypsy Hill + Three Daft Monkeys + Tankus The Henge + Kaptain + MORE TBA

Heddstock Music Festival Saturday July 8

The Ivy Pub, Heddington, Wiltshire www.facebook.com/Heddstock The second ever Heddstock will once again take place near the Ivy Pub in Heddington, just outside Calne. This year the organisers have excelled themselves, combining local talent, some of the best touring acts on the festival circuit and a mix of top tributes to really provide the best afternoon and evening of entertainment.

Line-up: Gaz Brookfield + Mick O’Toole + The Bowie Experience + Stony Browder Jr + Billy in the Lowground + PignosePignose + Peerless Pirates

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Latin Underground

Marlborough Jazz Festival Friday July 14 to Sunday July 16

Marlborough Town Hall, Marlborough, Wilts www.marlboroughjazz.com

Downscaling for 2017, the Marlborough Jazz Festival maintains its impressive calibre of acts whilst taking place in a single venue.

Line-up: The Latin Underground + The Debbie Bond Quartet + Clare Teal and Her Mini Big Band + The Gabby Young Quintet + MORE

July 14 - July 28 Readipop Festival

Friday July 14 to Sunday July 16 Christchurch Meadows, Reading www.readipop.co.uk/readipopfestival

Line-up: Clean Cut Kid + Maxi Jazz and The E-Type Boys + Beardyman and The Masters of Distraction + Kioko + Neville Staple + K.O.G. and The Zongo Brigade + 9Bach + MC Xander + Tom Hingley and The Kar-Pets + Vaudou Game + Nate Simpson + Mark Morriss + Vienna Ditto + Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band + Tiny Giant + Somos Son + The Small Strings + Beatroots Bateria + MORE

Truck Festival

Friday July 21 to Sunday July 23 Hill Farm, Didcot, Oxfordshire www.truckfestival.com

Line-up: The Libertines + Franz Ferdinand + The Vaccines + The Wombats + Slaves + Maximo Park + Nothing But Thieves + Twin Atlantic + Loyle Carner + Deaf Havana + Hinds + Jagwar MA + Sundara Karma + Hot 8 Brass Band + Idris Elba + British Sea Power + The Moonlandingz + Pulled Apart By Horses + Jamie Lenman + MORE

Stratton Festival

Saturday July 22

Grange Leisure, Grange Drive, Stratton, Wiltshire strattonstmargaret.gov.uk/stratton-festival-2017

The plans for this year’s festival are already well under way. With various attractions coming back for another year of success, Stratton Festival consistently provides a unique platform for local musicians, performers, businesses and the community to meet each other and enjoy the summer sun.

WOMAD

Thursday July 27 to Sunday July 30 Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire www.womad.co.uk

Line-up: Emir Kusturica and The No Smoking Orchestra + Ladysmith Black Mambazo + Benjamin Zephaniah and The Revolutionary Minds + Oumou Sangare + Goat + Eliza Carthy and The Wayward Band + Shobaleader One + MORE

Party in the Paddock - Jess Glynne

FarmFestival

Newbury Racecourse, West Berkshire

Gilcombe Farm, Bruton, Somerset www.farmfestival.co.uk

Saturday July 22

www.newburyracecourse.co.uk/party-in-the-paddock First coming into the public consciousness as the vocalist on Clean Bandit’s Grammy Award winning and number one hit ‘Rather Be’; pop sensation Jess Glynne has since become one of the biggest UK breakthrough acts of recent years. She is also one of only two British female solo artists to have five consecutive UK number one singles.

The highlight of the afternoon’s racing action is the much-anticipated Weatherbys Super Sprint Day, won last year by Mrs Danvers.

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Friday July 28 to Saturday July 29 Line-up: Tony Allen + Shobaleader One + DJ Yoda + Melt Yourself Down + Beans On Toast + Session Victim + MORE

FollyFest

Friday July 28 to Sunday July 30 Faringdon, Oxfordshire www.follyfest.co.uk

Line-up: Boogie Me + CooperBlack + The Tribe + Josie and The Outlaw + Young Rosie + Born Ideal + The Wirebirds + Dubwiser + Kiff + Wayne Wonder + MORE TBA

July 29 - August 5 Riverside Festival

Saturday July 29 to Sunday July 30

Mill Field, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Oxon. www.riversidefestival.charlbury.com Line-up: TBA

Pewsey Music Festival

Saturday August 5

Cooper’s Field, Pewsey, Wiltshire www.pewseymusicfestival.org

Fieldview FestivalAugust 6 Thursday August 3 to Sunday

Little Somerford, Chippenham, Wiltshire www.fieldviewfestival.co.uk

Fieldview Festival aims to deliver a high quality grass roots music and arts festival every year which has earned the reputation as being Wiltshire’s biggest little festival raising money for good causes since 2009.

Line-up: Fickle Friends + Palace + Clean Cut Kid + Lakuta + Kyan + Mammal Hands + Cousin Kula + Ardyn + Youth Club + Bare Traps + MORE

This quirky little festival marks its 10th anniversary, and is not so much about big names - though previous performers include Nick Harper and Mick Quinn from Supergrass - but more about revealing impressive newcomers - last year’s headliners Tankus The Henge being a prime example. The organisers are keeping this year’s acts close to their chest until the line-up is complete, but, in addition to the usual two stages, Pewsey 2017 will feature music workshops hosted by Wiltshire Rural Music School as well as Kaya Drums workshops and more.

Wilderness Festival Thursday August 3 to Sunday August 6 Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire www.wildernessfestival.com

Line-up: Two Door Cinema Club + Grace Jones + Bonobo + First Aid Kit + Michael Kiwanuka + Toots and The Maytals + Aurora + Ray Blk + Hudson Taylor + Louis Berry + The Correspondents + The Turbans + Sigrid + The Ska Vengers + Brian Deady + Ten Fe + MORE

Supernormal Festival

Friday August 4 to Sunday August 6 Braziers Park, Wallingford, Oxfordshire www.supernormalfestival.co.uk

Perpetually on a quest for an experience beyond the parameters and paradigms of the standard festival format, summoning the most otherworldly delights they can muster across a multidisciplinary spectrum of artistic expression.

Bowood Classic Ibiza Concert Saturday August 5

Bowood House and Gardens, Wiltshire www.bowood.org/event/classic-ibiza

Bowood House will play host to Classic Ibiza, with favourite anthems from the White Island performed by a live world-class orchestra and internationally renowned artists. The Urban Soul Orchestra conducted by Stephen Hussey perform classic Ibiza anthems under the stars, with DJ Goldierocks and vocalists. As dusk falls, the lasers will hit the skyline as the Urban Soul Orchestra return to bring some of the best of the White Island’s dance tunes to orchestral life.

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August 5 - August 20 Cheese and Chilli Festival Saturday August 5 to Sunday August 6 Lydiard Park, Swindon, Wiltshire www.cheeseandchillifestival.com

The amazing Cheese and Chilli Festival is coming to Swindon in 2017. The event will again bring an amazing array of tastes, colours and experiences to town See more cheese and chillies from around the world brought to you along with amazing arts and craft stalls selling great and authentic products.

Cropredy

Thursday August 10 to Saturday August 12 Cropredy, Banbury, Oxfordshire www.fairportconvention.com

Line-up: Petula Clark + Fairport Convention + Dougie MacLean + Marillion + The Trevor Horn Band + Richard Thompson News + CC Smugglers + Quill + The Divine Comedy + Pierce Brothers + Richard Thompson + MORE

Newbury Retro Festival

Friday August 11 to Sunday August 13

Newbury Showground, Thatcham, West Berkshire www.retrofestival.co.uk Line-up: Swingout Swindon + The Swing Commanders + Ding Dong Daddios + The Spitfire Cabaret + MORE

Party in the Paddock - Olly Murs Saturday August 19

Newbury Racecourse, West Berkshire

www.newburyracecourse.co.uk/party-in-the-paddock Olly shot to fame on ‘X Factor’ in 2009, he has crafted four multi-platinum albums, produced four number One singles, whilst clocking up total record sales exceeding 10 million. Betfred Ladies Day combines superb racing including the Betfred Hungerford Stakes, with fashion, glamour and entertainment off-the-track.

White Horse Folk Festival Friday August 18 to Sunday August 20 Grove nr Wantage, Oxfordshire www.whitehorsefolkfestival.co.uk

The White Horse Folk Festival is a small, friendly event for folk fans who enjoy making new friends just like a weekendlong party - but unfortunately this year will be the last one so make sure you enjoy the summer party one last time!

Radford Mill Festival of Rhythm and Blues Saturday August 12

Radford Mill Farm, nr Bath, Somerset www.radfordmillfestival.co.uk Line-up: Jon Amor + Flash Harry Band + Deep Blue Sea + First Raitt Band + Blackfish Band + Ruzz Guitar’s Blue Revue + Ragged Union + Keith and Julie Richards

Rewind Festival

Friday August 18 to Sunday August 20

Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon www.rewindfestival.com Line-up: Level 42 + Status Quo + Midge Ure + Kim Wilde + Gloria Gaynor + Village People + Big Country + MORE

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Devizes International Street Festival

Sunday August 20 to Saturday September 2

Devizes, Wiltshire www.docadevizes.org.uk

Devizes’ famous International Street Festival combines several events like Picnic in the Park, multiple street performances, confetti battle and culminating in a full processional carnival through the town. Fun for all the family through the last weeks of the summer.

August 25 - September 9 The Big Feastival

Friday August 25 to Sunday August 27 Alex James’ Farm, The Cotswolds www.thebigfeastival.com

Line-up: Hacienda Classical + Olly Murs + Madness + The Cribs + Louisa Johnson + Gentlemen’s Dub Club + De La Soul + Norman Jay MBE + The Cuban Brothers + Betsy + Dodgy + Frances + Jo Whiley + Ella Eyre + Faithless (DJ Set) + Embrace + Congo Natty + The Skatalites

Reading Festival

Friday August 25 to Sunday August 27 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire www.readingfestival.com

Barbers XL + The Spooky Men’s Chorale + Ange Hardy and Lukas Drinkwater + MORE

Phoenix Festival

Saturday August 26 to Sunday August 27 Abbey Grounds, Cirencester, Gloucestershire www.phoenix-festival.co.uk

The first one was 2013 - it rocked. 2014 was even better and despite some drizzle 2015 was a massive success.

And 2016... well that was simply incredible! There’s no stopping the juggernaut that is rocking the Cotswolds - The Phoenix Festival!

End of the Road Festival

Thursday August 31 to Sunday September 3 Larmer Tree Gardens, nr Salisbury, Wiltshire www.endoftheroadfestival.com

Line-up: Father John Misty + Mac DeMarco + Bill Callahan + Band of Horses + Lucinda Williams + The Jesus and The Mary Chain + Slowdive + Amadou and Mariam + Ty Segall + Real Estate + Parquet Courts + Perfume Genius + Japandroids + Pond + Alvvays + Foxygen + Car Seat Headrest + MORE

Bunkfest

Friday September 1 to Sunday September 3 Wallingford, Oxfordshire www.bunkfest.co.uk Line-up: Kasabian + Eminem + Muse + Liam Gallagher + Major Lazer + Bastille + Two Door Cinema Club + Korn + Blossoms + Giggs + At The Drive In + Jimmy Eat World + Circa Waves + Migos + Architects + Against The Current + The Pretty Reckless + PVRIS + Rat Boy + Mallory Knox + Deap Vally + Judas + Moose Blood + Honeyblood + Vant + You Me At Six + Flume + Haim + Fat Boy Slim + AndyC + Marshmello + Billy Talent + While She Sleeps + Breaking Benjamin + Gnarwolves + Arcane Roots + MORE

Towersey Festival

Friday August 25 to Monday August 28 Thame Showground, Oxfordshire www.towerseyfestival.com

Line-up: KT Tunstall + Newton Faulkner + Eliza Carthy and The Wayward Band + Foy Vance + Jon Boden + Lindisfarne + Show Of Hands + The Blackheads + The Demon

On the banks of the Thames in South Oxfordshire, Wallingford BunkFest is a free-access community festival providing a unique, family friendly celebration with something for everyone. In 2017, BunkFest celebrates its 16th year of life - starting from a small marquee in a pub car park to filling the KineCroft and providing entertainment throughout Wallingford, on the River Thames and on the Bunk Railway line.

Broad Town Big Gig Saturday September 9

Broad Town Showfield, Broad Town, Wiltshire www.thebroadtownbiggig.co.uk Since its inception in 2006, the village of Broad Town has come together to have fun watching the best live music acts from the local area and further afield. The Broad Town Big Gig has raised over £14,000 for local and national charities.

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O2 Academy

Summertime at the O2 Academy Another month of musical magic at the O2 is on its merry way in June, full of the best up and coming acts as well as the return of some familiar faces. As always we urge you to get your tickets in soon as these are all likely to be big sellers.

Slowdive continue their incredible return with a long awaited stop at the O2 on June 2

The Inflatables will be ransacking the O2 Academy on June 24 with a who’s who of ska and punk legends

Hunter and the Bear dive into the O2 Academy2 on June 16

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Kicking things off on June 2 is the returning indie juggernaut that is Slowdive. Since their rebirth in 2014, the band have released their new single, ‘Star Roving’. News of their forthcoming shows were received with delight by their ever growing fanbase, who’d been hopeful for a reunion for the duration of Slowdive’s virtual disappearance after their 1995 Pygmalion. Catch them as they play a mix of classics and fresh material up close and personal.

After reforming in 2014, the British quartet Starsailor will take to the stage at O2 Academy Oxford on June 7 to showcase new material from their forthcoming studio album, as well as tracks from their chart-topping debut and sophomore albums. Bang Bang Romeo will be supporting these returning heroes.

Celebrating their 40th anniversary, Dunfermline band The Skids embark on a new tour, rolling into Oxford on June 9.

The new wave post punkers are still bringing their A-game to every performance and fans of the Scottish four piece will thoroughly enjoy this special anniversary show.

Then on June 16, Hunter & The Bear will be stopping by the O2 Academy2 as they tour the UK in support of their debut album Paper Heart, which is due in May. The quartet was hailed as ‘the heroes British rock needs right now’ by the Huffington Post and having shared the stage with the likes of Eric Clapton, they’re definitely worth checking out live this summer. Support comes from the sublime Model Aeroplanes, so make sure you get your tickets in early.

June 24 sees The Inflatables make their long-awaited return to O2 Academy Oxford. Producing ska, reggae and soul of a high calibre since 1980, these Oxford legends will be sure to bring their very best to their home town show.

Also featuring Roddy Radiation & The Skabilly Rebels, King Hammond and The Rude Boy Mafia with an aftershow DJ set from Madam Scorcher and Darren Bennet, it’s one not to miss.

And if all that wasn’t enough, on June 27 there is a chance to get up close and personal with Tom Clarke of indie rock band, The Enemy, as he embarks on a solo tour including Oxford’s O2 Academy2.

Tom will be playing the band’s debut album, We’ll Live And Die In These Towns, acoustically in celebration of its 10th anniversary. Set to be an intimate gig, this is not something to miss out on.

For tickets and more information on the litany of other offerings that we just couldn’t squeeze all onto one page, visit: www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academyoxford

Gig Monkey Gig Monkey, AKA Ed Dyer, takes a rummage through the best music released by local artists. If you like the sound of something please check it out Send your reviews to ed@theocelot.co.uk

Hip Route – Shout Out (single) I wouldn’t normally review a single track but it is not often a local band hooks up with a bona-fide rock legend so I couldn’t ignore this. What also helped is an offering from the frankly superb Hip Route. The big story here then is that somehow a band from Swindon have persuaded Reef frontman Gary Stringer to share lead vocal duties. To be honest, I’m not bothered how this has come about, they could have kidnapped his granny for all I care, all I am interested in doing is listening to the result, because it sounds incredible!

Hip Route’s laid back, swaggering slide guitar bluesfunk is tailor made for a singer like Stringer, his outrageous gravelly voice is the perfect complement to the gutsy music.

The band’s own singer, Jim Blair, is himself possessed of a great, raspy growl of a voice and the two together are a perfect match. That is, right up to the point Stringer lets go and really pushes it, howling into the mic like a man possessed, that iconic rumbling snarl so familiar and still so exciting. The net result is instant goose bumps and a swift response from Blair, as he shows his guitar skills off in reply via a blistering guitar solo. Honours even then…

But it is not all about the star turn or the extraordinary level of musicianship. No, this is a well-judged and

Hip Route - who have mixed it up with Reef’s Gary Stringer (inset) to create a gutsy gem worth shouting about.

perfectly balanced rock ‘n’ roll record – well written, authentic sounding, laden with hooks and melody and a stirring call to arms for the generations that should have us all springing to some sort of action in our lives, no matter how feeble.

Ghosts in the Photographs – A Murmur, A Charm, A Murder.

(EP) Instrumental music can be a wonderful thing but it can also be rather problematic – the lack of vocals can often mean there is no focal point for the audience, nothing for them to hook into.

Musicians will often try to combat this with constantly changing lead parts, a technique that can lead to muddled and messy pieces of work that tend to disappear up their own backsides with their own sense of importance.

But, captivating instrumental music has been practiced

by EDM producers for some time and it is great to hear a band like Oxford’s Ghosts in the Photographs take

cues from their electronic brothers and sisters to create a cohesive EP that manages to keep the listener involved.

It is not perfect, there are some wobbly moments where you get the impression ideas were running low, but for the clear majority of the work it flows along at just the right pace, allowing each movement to grow, breathe and have a life of its own.

It is also a diverse record – sampled voiceovers give way to crunching guitars and pounding drums whilst ambient washes of atmospheric sound butt up to gently finger-picked acoustic guitar sonnets. The most obvious guitar based touchstone being perhaps …

And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead, a band who also have an ability to allow a track to organically develop.

Somehow it makes sense, somehow this strange, shoegazy, post-rock electronica becomes coherent, deft story-telling without words. Clever and beguiling stuff indeed. www.theocelot.co.uk

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The Night of The Ocelot

Return of the Cat!

So here’s the thing - we had a great time putting on our first Night of The Ocelot in March.

Little Brother Eli, Hip Route and Bradley Cowtan simply blew our minds and amazed a room full of people, proving what we here at The Ocelot have known all along; we have a wealth of musical talent across Ocelotshire that needs celebrating.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much we decided we want to do another one!

This time, we are welcoming one of Swindon’s most prominent, loudest and hardest working bands in All Ears Avow. They are a force of nature both on stage and in your ears, and we are so happy they’ve agreed to headline the night for us. And we get to celebrate the release of their new EP Edge of This as well!

As the filling in the sandwich of musical delights we have Rival Pilots, one of the rising talents from wider Wiltshire. These chaps are essentially a super-group comprised of former heavy hitting local bands from the mid-2000s and have been bitten by the performance bug again. And the way they

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are going about their business, audiences across the south west are going to be seeing a lot more of them soon. So we had to grab them before they spread their wings too far.

And continuing the tradition established last time out, we are calling in a solo singer/songwriter to open the night and they’ve decided to turn up with a band!

Devizes’ very own man mountain Mike Barham will be dusting off his electric guitar and presenting his debut release Altitude with Attitude in its entirety for you all to dissect and enjoy.

As before, this will be a FREE ENTRY show, all you need is your finest dancing shoes and a desire to see some of the finest live music on your doorstep.

We will be operating a 16+ entry policy again, meaning everyone from teenagers and pensioners can enjoy our region’s finest talents in the comfort of The Victoria in Swindon’s Old Town. Just remember to bring some form of identification with you if you wish to sample the alcoholic beverages.

We will see you at the front!

All Ears Avow

The Night of The Ocelot

The relentless force that is All Ears Avow are one of Swindon’s hardest working bands. Fact.

With a truly massive sounding live show, these four friends impress us with every new release, every step they take that brings them closer to inevitable success on a national level.

Imagine throwing Arcane Roots, Halestorm and Lower Than Atlantis into a musical womb, nine months later you would have these guys.

Frankly, we are over the moon that these guys have agreed to join us for a night at The Vic and take up their rightful place as headliners. Especially with their new release Edge of This blazing a beautiful sonic trail of loud noises right now across many platforms (including on a cassette?!).

You can read more about that on page 56.

Or pick up last month’s Ocelot to read the Gig Monkey review! www.allearsavow.com

Rival Pilots

Credit - Anthony Hunt

These boys might be relatively new as Rival Pilots, but each member is a seasoned veteran of the live music scene in Wiltshire and beyond.

The ‘Pilots are a sonically immense juggernaut reminiscent of Reuben, early Biffy Clyro and that whole underground rock scene of the mid-00s that had a whole generation wrapped in promises of a better musical tomorrow.

These gents are simply phenomenal musicians banded together to have some fun and play some great tunes, which is what it’s all about really isn’t it?

Although how we are going to fit all five of them on the stage at one time we have no idea...

www.rivalpilots.com

Mike Barham So yeah, technically this is self-indulgent, but after the first Night of The Ocelot went so well, Mike Barham just had to get involved!

As our resident music reporter and guitar wielding man mountain, Mr Barham was inevitably going to end up playing one of our nights at some point, so here he is to open the May invasion of The Vic. Blame the editor for coercing him into it.

He’s promised us something special for the night, bringing a proper full band show in support of his new mini-album Altitude with Attitude. Expect a full on rock show, blurring Mike’s usual singer/songwriter credentials.

facebook.com/mikebarhamUK

Credit - Benji Walker

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Level III - Swindon Level III in Swindon will be primed for Boston Manor on May 24

A whole new level of music in Swindon during May

Currently it feels like things have never been so good for Level III, Swindon’s 350 capacity venue, formerly known as The Furnace.

And if you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic about what’s going on in Swindon - May is a good month to look at the listings.

The Voice UK is swinging into Level III on May 5 for the Swindon rounds of their showcase auditions. Whilst Tom Jones and Co. will not be present, you can win a place at the televised auditions. Any soloist or duet can showcase their talents, and performances shouldn’t be longer than five minutes. More information can be found at leveliii.co.uk The following day, rock’n’roll levels will be going into overdrive for Noasis - the UK’s most renowned Oasis tribute band - whose high-octane, fist-in-the-air nineties rock should be a pulse quickener for any fan of the original band.

May 13 sees the return of Southwest Hardcore, whose heady nights of punk and metal have been a staple of the venue, on and off, for over five years now. This time they’ll be bringing The Mausoleum Trap, Conspire and Erase The Rat for a night that’s greater and louder than ever before.

A week later on May 20, Level III will be swimming by similar territory with the venue’s very own punk/rock/ metal club night, otherwise known as DOOM. You’re guaranteed to get the classics from bands like Green Day, Evanescence, Iron Maiden and The Sex Pistols and Alkaline Trio - and get the chance to request your own tunes - they’re nice like that.

Pop punk and emo rising stars Boston Manor are Level III’s must see show on May 24, courtesy of Sheer Music.

Fresh from tours with Four Year Strong and British emo young guns Moose Blood, the band will be plying their unique hybrid of genres to a town still recovering from last year’s show with Gnarwolves - also courtesy of the guys at Sheer. In support will be Casey, a solo outing from emo-rocking Heartwork (aka. Dan O’Dell) and local boys A Way With Words.

Finishing off the month will be Tragedy: An All Metal Tribute To The Bee Gees on May 28 and a right old knees-up the day after with The Special Brew: The UK’s premier Bad Manners tribute.

For more information on what’s happening at Swindon’s only medium-sized music venue, visit their website at: www.leveliii.co.uk

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All Ears Avow - Edge of This

Edge of greatness?

We chat to All Ears Avow about their latest release Swindon based four piece rock group All Ears Avow have just released their third EP Edge of This into the world, and it’s really making waves, so we decided to grab lead singer and guitarist Claire Sutton for a chat.

So what’s the best part of the new EP for you guys?

For us, it’s that the whole thing doesn’t have a weak track.

We think we’ve really upped our game on the songwriting for this release. It’s normally really easy to choose which songs should be singles but this time we found it really hard which is obviously a good thing.

I don’t think we’ve ever had so much fun performing as we have with these songs, which comes across in our shows and gets the audience vibe up as well.

How was the recording process? Anything changed?

We’re still recording everything ourselves so not much has changed really but we did go to a really nice studio in Cheltenham to track and get into a good vibe.

In the past when we’ve got into recording, we’re often recording songs that haven’t been 100 percent finished like the lyrics/vocals aren’t usually complete.

Then we’ll add quite a lot of extra stuff once we’ve got into the mixing stage. But this time everything was pretty much nailed down by the time we got recording so it was actually way more enjoyable than usual.

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We could just really get into the playing and performance of it all rather than worrying about whether the songs would actually get finished at all. It was a much better head space to be in.

Plans for taking the EP out to the wide world?

The EP is available world wide across digital download/ streaming platforms, but we are looking at getting ourselves out to Europe. Watch this space!

Where do you guys see yourself currently on the musical path? On the brink of breaking down the door or just keeping to the course?

For us, it’s just about keeping on doing what we do working hard, touring and writing new music that we love.

We don’t really think anyone ever knows definitively that they’re on the brink of something until they look back in hindsight.

And in our experience opportunities come pretty out of the blue. So it’s just about putting yourself out there so that you can pick up on them when they do come around.

Grab your copy of Edge of This on Spotify, iTunes or via www.allearsavow.com

The Music News

Academy of Music and Sound in Swindon to hold Open Day for prospective students in May On Saturday May 6, the Swindon branch of The Academy of Music & Sound will be opening its doors from 10am – 2pm for another fantastic open event.

Founded in 1994, The Academy of Music & Sound has established itself as one of the leading providers of contemporary music education in the UK. Focusing primarily on performance, production and essential industry skills, students can choose to study from Level 3 college-level courses, right the way through to full BA (Hons) level.

Following the opening of a newly refurbished centre in January 2017, this is a great opportunity for local musicians both young and old to come along and find out more about AMS Swindon, its facilities and the courses that they offer.

Activities on the day include: - Student performances in the dedicated live performance room.

- Guitar, Vocal and Drum workshops from the professional instrument tutors.

- Music equipment ‘Jumble Sale’ in the upstairs lounge.

For more information, or to confirm your attendance on the day, please contact Student Recruitment & Admissions Officer Sean Ivens by calling the centre on 01793 644477 or email: sean.ivens@academyofmusic.ac.uk

The Old Road Tavern changes hands with a familiar face in charge

The Old Road Tavern in Chippenham has recently changed hands, in a manner of speaking.

Long term tenant turned landlord Lindsey Miller has taken on the popular establishment, close to Chippenham train station, full time and promises more live music, comedy and all the things that have made the Old Road

one of the town’s iconic going out spots.

Home to all manner of entertainment in Chippenham, the Old Road has long been the home of the Irish Sessions, as well as a pop up stop on iconic comedy tours and warmups, playing host to Russell Howard, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer and many more in recent years.

On top of tickling you pink, the Tavern plays host to regular music nights covering multiple genres.

You could walk in one night and catch some of the country’s best touring musicians, such as Sad Song Co. and Non Canon who dropped in late last year. Or could catch locally sourced pop goodness such as Kate Lomas, math rock madness from local promoters Vamos Promotions or something a little heavier. Whatever your musical or comedic taste, the Old Road Tavern has you covered.

For more information and for the upcoming events at the Old Road Tavern, check out their facebook page: www.facebook.com/theoldroadtavern

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Gig list Tuesday May 2 The Night Cafe 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Wednesday May 3 Andrew Combs Band 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Thursday May 4 Morgan Heritage & Etana + J Boog 6pm - O2 Academy, Oxford Troy Redfern Band 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Getrz + Bradley Cowtan + We Are Parkas 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon Mor Karbasi 8pm - North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Singers Night 8pm - The Royal Oak, Corsham SoP Live present: The Ranch 8pm - The Beehive, Swindon The Mandolinquents & Steve Tilston 8pm - Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury Alicia 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon Thursday May 5 It’s All About The Music feat. Holly Redford Jones + Chalk + Juniper Nights + Semi Urban Fox + Fuji 7pm - O2 Academy2 Oxford The Voice Showcase: Open Mic Night 7pm - Level 3, Swindon Newbury Unplugged (Open Mic) 7.30pm - ACE Space, Newbury Oasish + Stereotonics 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon Rebel Heroes (Bowie Tribute) 8pm - The Cellar Bar, Devizes Sparky’s Spontaneous Showcase and Spotlight Jam - Hurricane + Monk 9 + Reverend Black 8pm - James Street Tavern, Oxford Steve Tilston 8pm - The Village Pump, Trowbridge The Mighty Disco Biscuits 8pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney Felix and The Funk 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon Locarno Beat 9pm - The Mermaid, Burford The Funkinstiens 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon Groove - Charlie Scott + Nique + G Whizz + Cizza P + Mac White + Only

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Child + Maximilian Carton 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Lady Maisery 8pm - Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury

Saturday May 6 Unsigned Out! 10am - Trowbridge Town Hall, Wiltshire

Limehouse Lizzy 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon

Ward Thomas 6.30pm - O2 Academy, Oxford Bigfoot + Regulus + New Generation Superstars + Hell’s Gazelles 7pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Just Floyd 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon Noasis 8pm - Level 3, Swindon Eyecon + Wam 8.30pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney The Bull Town Boys 8.30pm - The Lamb Inn, Marlborough 2 Tone All Skas 9pm - Woodlands Edge, Swindon Make The Call 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon Ragged Company 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon Triple JD 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon Casual Ties 9pm - The Locomotive, Swindon Gunfingers feat. Bassboy 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Singers Night 8pm - The Royal Oak, Corsham Drew Bryant 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon Friday May 12 End Of An Era - Dave And The Ravers + Five Quarters Of A Quartet + We Only Play Theme Tunes + Ivory + Chole Chesney 7pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Jon Boden, Painted Lady Tour, Part Two 7pm - City Hall, Salisbury MJR Group present - Tom Walker 7pm - The Cellar, Oxford Will Joseph Cook 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Indie Disco feat. Will Joseph Cook 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford The Unravelling Wilburys 7.30pm - Neeld Community and Arts Centre, Chippenham The John Otway Band 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon Alicia 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon Monkeydolls 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon

Sunday May 7 AGMP presents: Dr. Robert + Matt Deighton 7pm - The Cellar, Oxford

Rockin’ Ratbags 9pm - The Mermaid, Burford

Bloodstock: Metal to the Masses Bloodshot + Silk Road + 1000 Chains 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Severance 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

The Trophy Foundlings 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon Monday May 8 Future Perfect present - Sam Brookes 7.30pm - The Cellar, Oxford Tuesday May 9 J Hus 7pm - O2 Academy, Oxford The Japanese House 7pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Wednesday May 10 The Magic Gang 6pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Thursday May 11 Steve Rodgers + Laima Bite 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Saints of Sin 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Saturday May 13 The Vincent White Band 3pm - Rokefest, Benson Oxfordshire Skeletor - Desert Storm + Contek + The Reaper + Shattered Compass + A Nightmare Upon Us 6pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford SWHC Present: The Mausoleum Trap + Special Guests 7pm - Level 3, Swindon The Montiques 9pm - The Locomotive, Swindon Brian McNeill 7pm - Neeld Community and Arts Centre, Chippenham Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited

Gig List 7.30pm - New Theatre, Oxford Damn Good Reason 8pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney The Guns N Roses Experience 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon The Naughties 8.30pm - The Lamb Inn, Marlborough Virus + Bus Station Loonys + Husband and Knives 8.30pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon Jamie R Hawkins 9pm - The London Road Inn, Calne Mad Larry 9pm - Tap Social Movement, Botley, Oxfordshire Meccano Men 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon Pre Fab 4 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon Ladies of the Blues - Elles Bailey + Gabriella Jones + Amy Khonsari 8pm - The Cellar Bar, Devizes The Chocolate Candy Band 9pm - Woodlands Edge, Swindon Zing 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

Ryley Walker 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford The Mission + The Skeletal Family + Pauline Murray 7pm - O2 Academy, Oxford

Gappy Tooth Industries 15th Birthday Show Unman + Little Death Machine + La Phooka 8.30pm - The Wheatsheaf, Oxford Captain Accident + 2 Sick Monkeys 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon

Spotlight Night 8pm - The Royal Oak, Corsham

DOOM: Rock/Punk/Metal Club Night 9pm - Level 3, Swindon

Chris O’Leary 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Kova Me Badd 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Friday May 19 Open Mic 7pm - The Village Pump, Trowbridge

Straight Shooter 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Smoove & Turrell 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Uprising – BBC Introducing - Little Brother Eli + Lucy Leave + Harry Pane + Ghosts in the Photographs + Sleepers’ Dome 7pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford

The Soul Tones 9pm - Woodlands Edge, Swindon The Ultimate Band 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

Liza Sings Streisand 7.30pm - Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot

Sunday May 21 Bloodstock: Metal to the Masses Twisted State of Mind + Cherokii + Crimson Tusk + Promethean Reign 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Monster Ceilidh Band 8pm - ACE Space, Newbury

The Worried Men 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Oye Santana 8pm - Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury

Wednesday May 24 Aoife O’Donovan 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

The Corsairs 8pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney Cantaloop 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Sheer Music presents - Boston Manor + Casey + A Way With Words + Heartwork 7.30pm - Level 3, Swindon

RedHot Trio + The Strays 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon

Thursday May 25 The Rifles (Unplugged) 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Runaway Boys 9pm - The Mermaid, Burford

Otherkin 8pm - The Cellar, Oxford

Ruzz Guitar’s Electric Blues Revue 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Snatch It Back 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

Monday May 15 Howie Payne 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

The Killertones 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Tigmus presents - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan + The Fusion Project 7.30pm - The Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford

The Oxford Soul Train 11pm - O2 Academy, Oxford Sunday May 14 Threepenny Bit + Xogara + The Rivers 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

Tuesday May 16 The Coathangers 7pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford The Comet Is Coming + Flamingods + Wandering Wires 7pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Wheatus 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon Wednesday May 17 Marlborough Folk-Roots - Daphne’s Flight 8pm - Marlborough Town Hall, Wiltshire

Bossaphonik presents - Grupo Lokito 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Saturday May 20 The Verve Experience 6.30pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford

Singers Night 8pm - The Royal Oak, Corsham Craig Hutchinson 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan 8pm - Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury

Friday May 26 Church of the Heavy presents: Twisted State of Mind + K-Lacura + The Hope Burden + Over Dog 6pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford

The Shambles 9pm - The Locomotive, Swindon

The Songs of Leonard Cohen 7.30pm - Trowbrige Town Hall, Wiltshire

Pat Reedy & Ags Connolly 8pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney

Belial presents - Within Destruction + A Trust Unclean 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon

SoP Live present: Grant Sharkey 8pm - The Tuppenny, Swindon

Dylegans 8.30pm - The Lamb Inn, Marlborough

Thursday May 18 DJ Format & Abdominal 7pm - The Cellar, Oxford

Fieldview Warm-Up Show 8.30pm - The Victoria, Swindon

Eric Gales 8.30pm - Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury

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Gig list SN Dubstation 8.30pm - Fat Lil’s, Witney

The Killertones 8pm - The Victoria, Swindon

Dangermouse 9pm - The Locomotive, Swindon

Champagne Charlie 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

Fizz 8.30pm - The Lamb Inn, Marlborough

Syn City Rockers 8pm - The Brewery Tap, Abingdon

Glam Resurrection 9pm - The Mermaid, Burford

Black Max and The Pirates 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Bull Town Boys 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

In It For The Money 9pm - Groves Company Inn, Swindon

Kaos 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

Kevin Lovatt (Johnny Cash Tribute) 9pm - The Castle Inn, Swindon

The Dirt Preachers 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon

Last Call 9pm - The Castle Inn, Swindon

Lay Low Band 9pm - The Queens Tap, Swindon

The Edsel Furys 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Penfold 9pm - Woodlands Edge, Swindon

The Model Folk 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Official Oxford Outlook Festival Launch Party - Flava D + Skepsis + Darkzy + Champion + Murlo 11pm - O2 Academy, Oxford

The Forgetting Curve 9pm - The Three Horseshoes, Bradford on Avon

Interlight 9.30pm - The Beehive, Carterton Oxfordshire

The Naughties 9pm - The Rolleston, Swindon

Simple presents - Peggy Gou 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford

The Wirebirds 9pm - Tap Social Movement, Botley Oxfordshire

Monday May 29 Special Brew: The Bad Manners Tribute 7.30pm - Level 3, Swindon

Zaia 11pm - The Bullingdon, Oxford Saturday May 27

Ciderfest

All Day - The Owl, Bromham Wiltshire Novana - A Tribute to Nirvana 6.30pm - O2 Academy2, Oxford Future Perfect presents - Twin Wild 7.30pm - The Cellar, Oxford

Damn Good Reason 9.30pm - The Beehive, Carterton Oxfordshire Sunday May 28 Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to The Bee Gees & Beyond 7.30pm - Level 3, Swindon

Tuesday May 30 Bars and Melody / Johnny Orlando Coheadline tour + Mackenzie Ziegler 7.30pm - O2 Academy, Oxford

A Way With Words get angry with new EP

Swindon based rockers A Way With Words have unleashed their latest EP Mr Angry on the world at the end of April.

Available now online from all the usual platforms, the four piece have been slaving away on this new collection of songs for several months to make sure they reflect the band’s current position.

Frontman Anthony Willis said: “So after what feels like an age we’re finally putting something out. We’ve been quiet recently and working really hard behind the scenes to put this three track release together. Certainly feeling this is more like our sound and we’re happy with what we’ve achieved. Stayed tuned cause there’s more to come.”

www.facebook.com/AWayWithWordsOfficial

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Fri 5th Bands to be announced Sat 6th Tim Madden and the Struggle Fri 12th Captain Hotknives + Luke Hall Sat 13th The Kings of Outer Space Fri 19th Captain Accident and the Disasters Sat 20th Electric Ballroom + Head Back Holler Fri 26th idestroy + Support Sat 27th All dayer from 2pm feat. The Silhouettes

Agony Girl Nine year old Annabel is celebrating her birthday this month. But she’s still had time to answer your problems. We ask her the questions and these are her answers.... honest!

Dear Annabel, Do you think that a progressive alliance is the way forward to keep out Theresa May? Or do you think it’s already a done deal in this General Election and that May has got in the bag? Who would you vote for?

Brenda, Bristol Who? I’m not old enough to vote. I would vote for Ginny my cat. She would make everyone into a cat and they will have to go hunting with her.

Dear Annabel, Do you think world leaders should get proper haircuts before they lead their country into armageddon? Or do Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump prove that you can lead your country to annhilation and still look a bit silly at the same time?

Steve, Oxford Look a bit silly. I like people with stupid haircuts but I don’t like Donald Trump as he’s a poo who should be flushed down the toilet.

Dear Annabel, My big brother keeps stealing my toys and burying them in the garden. How can I stop him?

Sally, Swindon By taking all his stuff and I would put them in the bin and then set it on fire.

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Dear Annabel, How many cats can you own before people think you are a weird cat lady?

Dolores, Hogmeade 2,000 million hundred cats.

Dear Annabel, Who let the dogs out?

Geoff, Devizes You. Dear Annabel, Have you ever been to London?

Kimberley, Newbury Yes. We did everything and we did everything. There was loads of cats and palm trees and the River Thames and Buckingham Palace and Big Ben and the London Eye. I got quite tired though. I’d like to go again but this time I wouldn’t get tired.

Write into Annabel at editorial@theocelot.co.uk