Ocelot 148 October 2018 edition

Lifestyle and Culture Magazine Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

No: 148 October 2018

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the brews and eats edition What's on / Ocelot 148.indd 1

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#148

OCTOBER ISSUE

For Starters

04 Michael Bosley + Luke Coleman 06 Encyclopaedia Ocelotica 08 Tattoos, booze and poos Lifestyle

11 Witchcraft 12 Get Away 14 Style 16 TV and Film Brews and Eats

17 Brews and Eats 18 Wine not?

19 Brewery Bird 20 History of chewing gum 22 Happy Friday Kitchen 23 George Inn 25 Goddards Arts and Culture

26 The Theatre Month Ahead 30 The National Theatre 32 Swindon Open Studios Music

35 Gig Monkey 36 Low Island 38 Ritual Union 40 EP and Single reviews 42 Fieldview 43 You Me At Six 44 The Month Ahead The Final Bit of the magazine

46 Agony Girl

By gum, you can get stuck into the history of Chewing Gum on page 20

The hunger games I seem to be hungry all the time nowadays.

The news doesn’t help. It keeps going on about whether we should have a Full English Brexit, a Continental Brexit or skip Brexit altogether. So by the time BBC Brexit (sorry I mean Breakfast) is over I’m hungrier than a caterpillar who is in fact very hungry.

So it is with this in mind that we put together this year’s Brews and Eats special and I’m very happy to say that Ocelotshire has more than enough good foodie restaurants to sate my appetite.

It’s been quite a year for us here going out to review the different establishments on our doorstep from the heavenly Wild Duck in Ewen to the nourishment nirvana that the new Westgate Centre in Oxford has become.

This month we look at the massive refurb at The George in rural Oxfordshire, review Los Gatos in Swindon as well as The Happy Friday Kitchen in Oxford.

As far as brews are concerned we have Brewery Bird and our wine guy Darren Willmott.

But the thing that I’m most excited about is our very funny writer Ben Fitzgerald’s take on a history of chewing gum. It’s going to be epic.

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 Reporter: Claire Dukes - claire@theocelot.co.uk Sales: Dave Stewart dave@theocelot.co.uk - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley rosy@positivemediagroup. press - 07717 501790 Telephone: 01793 781986 Publisher: Positive Media Group, Unit 3, Arclite House, Peatmoor, Swindon SN5 5YN Printers: Deltor, Saltash, Cornwall

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For Starters

How to Tell if You’re a Fedora-Wearing Pseudo Intellect The Nerd’s Last Word with Michael Bosley The internet is rife with self-appointed experts. Their qualifications are few, but their sense of self-importance is incalculable.

It’s a thankless and time consuming task to constantly argue and correct complete strangers on the internet, but here’s a list of key tell-tale signs to help you identify if you’ve slipped into a position of know-it-all-ness: “I’m just opening up a healthy debate” So you’ve just left an inappropriate comment on a page that probably wasn’t aimed at you and someone’s told you to just fuck off. Naturally, you’ve taken the superior position and accused them of being immature and preventing open dialogue. They’ve then told you to fuck off again. Use smug words like “ad-hominem” and “strawman” to assert your position as superior intellect and goad the recipient into a discussion about a subject nobody cares about with people you’re never likely to meet.

Post loads of links Someone has questioned the sources of your unusual conspiracy theory, therefore threatening your carefully honed intellect status. Hurriedly google stats and links to blogs that sustain your arguments and spam the thread with your links with no explanation. Admittedly, even you haven’t read all these, but the titles sound scary and seem to fit your agenda, so that’ll do.

Use your powers to humiliate Most people with knowledge and intellect use their

powers for good such as research into medical science, technological innovations and improving society, so are probably too busy writing their thesis and working overtime in the lab, not getting into petty arguments on Facebook. You however, are a warehouse operative who regretted not going to university and need to make up for it by exercising your limited knowledge for all to see on social media. If someone questions your lack of formal qualifications, claim that educational establishments are for the brainwashed and that you are a true free-thinker.

Resort to grammar corrections Shit! This guy’s actually made a very solid argument against you. But wait! He’s missed out the apostrophe in “you’re”. Mock his lack of intelligence repeatedly and invalidate his argument based on this slight grammatical mistake.

Claim victory when everyone else gets bored Most people have families, jobs and social commitments and so will find it difficult to respond to your repeated ramblings. But luckily you’ve been laid off for three years and have all the time in the world. When the thread eventually dries up, claim victory and chalk it up on your board of ‘wins’. You bloody champion, you!

Fashioning a hair raising experience in Iraq Off The Grid with Luke Coleman Our man in Iraq We all like a last hurrah, it’s just that sometimes we don’t realise at the time that the hurrah in progress is that final one.

I have known for a while that I was going to be changing role somewhat, the chain between me and the office faster and tighter than before.

More commissioning, report writing, managing, editing. Less in the field, finger on the button catching an image, a rush, a sound, a moment.

My last hurrah was to be in style.

Literally, a 24 minute film on the Kurdistan Fashion Week, the first international standard fashion event in Iraq.

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I spent a few weeks interviewing designers, following the fortunes of wannabe models from casting to catwalk, snapping and filming.

I was backstage at the show, even on the catwalk at one point, the hair stylists love my long hair, the Ukrainian professional models loved the camera, their local students and the experience of being in actual bloody Iraq.

The designers were fantastic, the event went off without a hitch large enough to derail it, and it was generally breathless and brilliant.

The main hair dude, Akram, even offered me a free treatment in his salon. I took him up on it, thinking I

was going to get me split ends seen to.

Long story short, I now have straight hair for the first time in my life, and I’m worth it.

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Encyclopedia Ocelotica

The blackest black

By Ben Fitzgerald We’re all familiar with the colour black right? In fact some pedants might even argue that there is no such colour as black because black really means an absence of light.

However, fans of blackness might be excited to learn about the creation of a whole new type of black - and it’s the blackest black you can get.

A company called Surrey nanosystems has developed a superblack type of paint that has been officially recognised as the world’s darkest man-made substance.

Vantablack absorbs virtually all light (approximately 99 per cent) which means that it has all sorts of important scientific applications.

But more excitingly is the fact that it looks so weird when applied to

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things - because it is just so black… when it is painted onto a three dimensional surface, it makes the thing look like a 2d black shape because the human eye struggles to make out any surface features. If you don’t believe me, have a gander at this clip on Youtube https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=9v0_fID_jvA The new ‘paint’ is actually a ‘forest’ of equally spaced microscopic carbon nanotubes (Vantablack stands for Vertically Aligned Nanotube Array black) the tubes are arranged to allow photons (light rays) to enter the surface but instead of being bounced back to the viewer, the energy is reflected between the tubes before being converted into heat.

The upshot of all this amazing

scientific endeavour is that the British artist Anish Kapoor was able to create a ‘cartoon’ hole entitled Descent into Limbo at the Serralves Museum in Portugal.

What resembles a flat black circle on the floor of the museum is actually an 8ft deep hole - something which an unconvinced gallery goer was able to prove beyond doubt. The gallery goer ignored warning signs and stepped onto the hole and plummeted to the bottom - he is said to be recovering well - presumably sporting a large ‘loony tunes’ style bump on the top of his head in the process.

To find out more head over to Surrey nanosystems www. surreynanosystems.com where you can order some for the bedroom.

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Gin, crabs and screaming Tattoos, booze and poos by Sara Witham

So I’ve decided to talk about the family holiday, I feel the need to share my recent experience.

In hindsight perhaps it was an oversight on our part to take a non-walking badly teething 10 month old who doesn’t like to be strapped in. To anything. Also an error to go on the last week of the holidays when everyone has had five weeks of getting steadily more and more fed up of one another.

Oh and sticking six humans in a two bed caravan, two of which are small humans. You can see where this ends up right?

Now don’t get me wrong, I dearly love our children but we got through A LOT of gin in a week, so much that I can’t actually repeat the bottle count publicly. The four year old had an epic screaming meltdown every time we had to leave the park or soft play or swimming pool or indeed anywhere that is fun for four year olds. The baby slept through

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for just the one night in seven. The rest of the nights he was up poking our faces and/or screaming for HOURS. This woke everyone up and made me wonder why caravans actually bother having walls.

We packed up our entire house, moved it into a caravan and had to do all the same things as we do at home with much less surface space.

Then come home and put it all back in our house. Strange concept that.

We lived for a week cheek by jowl with other shouty parents and screaming children too.

Some highlights were... the four year old screaming at me in a busy harbour for putting crabs in with some previously caught shrimp that might get eaten (do crabs even eat shrimp? Plus have you ever tried to remove two tiny shrimp from a large bucket containing crabs? Impossible).

Horizontal, choking fit tears when his big sister won him Superman instead of Batman from the grabby

machine. Me doing an entire wash with the tablets sitting on top of the washing machine. More washing drama by putting everyone’s stuff on a hot wash as I got the buttons mixed up. 101 awkward times/ places that the baby could fill his nappy. A seagull decorating the pushchair. Running out of tonic (this was the worst one of all).

I probably sound ungrateful but we did have fun and if anything these things make you closer right?

The four year old announced that he had ‘the best holiday ever’ the teenagers were brilliant and patient the whole time and we ate so much delicious food, sat on some lovely beaches, skimmed stones, won a drawstring swimming bag at bingo two nights in a row and watched the small people’s faces light up at the garish evening entertainment. Plus the gin, all the lovely gin that took the edge right off. Same time next year yeah?

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Remembering conflict through art

A hundred years after the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery is hosting a new exhibition exploring the impact of the conflict on the landscape and people of Wiltshire.

The exhibition “Cicatrix… the scar of a healed wound” brings together six contemporary artists from the South West, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The exhibition includes installation, drawing, painting, printmaking and film responding to the unique landscape and history of Salisbury Plain. While the Plain has been used by the military since 1896, the landscape has a special association with the First World

War, when thousands of local soldiers took part in manoeuvres and training in Wiltshire.

Curator Sophie Cummings said: “We are delighted to be hosting this exhibition. Artists Prudence Maltby, Susan Francis and Henny Burnett work in the South West and have a special association with the area.

“For this exhibition, they are joined by Commonwealth artists Caro Williams (New Zealand), Catherine Farish (Canada) and Sophie Cape (Australia). Together, they offer a unique perspective on Wiltshire and on the First World War. We hope visitors will be challenged, informed and inspired by the contemporary art on display.”

Cicatrix is part of a series of exhibitions, workshops and talks at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War. The six artists of Cicatrix have each selected pieces from the

Swindon Collection of Modern British Art that offer resonance with their own interests and practice. This mini exhibition, Art and Conflict, will also be displayed in the art gallery.

It will include Augustus John’s important First World War drawing, Canadian Soldiers, as well as works by Claude Francis Barry and Graham Sutherland.

Leader of the Council, Councillor David Renard, said: “We are in the final year of our commemorations, remembering the bravery of those who fought, lived and died in the First World War. “These exhibitions from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery explores the impact of the war from an artist’s point of view and are a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives during the conflict.”

The two exhibitions run until December. Further information on the talks and workshops can be found on the website – www. swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk

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The witching season is upon us...

By Jamie Hill

When I think of witches (which is more than you think) I’m always drawn to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and the events that occurred in Salem back in the seventeenth century.

Donald Trump might be claiming every two minutes that he’s the victim of a ‘witch-hunt’ but an investigation of the most powerful man in the world into alleged corruption and his extra-marital sexual exploits with various porn stars are a far cry from the pervading fear whole communities faced when being investigated for witchcraft.

A better comparison would be the Mcarthyism era of the 1950s with people across the board being accused of communism with feelings overshadowing facts whichever way you turned.

Witches have had a varied, mainly negative, press throughout history with the more positive pointing towards a kindly lady who provides healing in the community and the more negative painting a picture of a cursing harridan who was in league with the devil.

And then we have the witchfinders who used such tools

as ducking stools to catch their prey although there are even several instances of women being hanged for simply looking crone-like.

Nowadays we still carry a strange fascination for witchcraft especially in modern literature whether it’s from Harry Potter to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman or even Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches.

Each of the above writers paint a picture of witches as nuanced characters that are a far cry from the cursing, pointyhat wearing, black cat wielding, cauldron-stirring stereotypes of Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Baum’s Wizard of Oz. A Discovery of Witches itself has just been launched as a bigbudget Sky television series with witches and vampires battling amongst the beauty of Oxford’s architecture.

And Oxford has really embraced this new-found love of witchcraft with its flagship museum The Ashmolean holding a special exhibition called Spellbound from now until January 6.

This immersive and thoughtprovoking exhibition exhibition gives visitors the chance to explore the history of magic over eight centuries.

The intriguing objects on display show how our ancestors used magical thinking to cope with the unpredictable world around them. They range from the fantastical and macabre (a unicorn’s horn, a human heart encased in lead), the beautiful and mysterious (exquisitely engraved rings to bind a lover and medieval books of ritual magic), to the deeply moving confessions of women accused of witchcraft.

The exhibition asks visitors to examine their own beliefs and rituals, and aims to show how, even in this sceptical age, we still use magical thinking and why we might need a bit of magic in our lives.

With All Hallows Eve approaching you might want to pop along to this exhibition to gather some arcane knowledge to protect yourself from malignant spirits during the witching hour but be warned... booking is essential.

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Happiest in the middle of nowhere I love my job - I’m incredibly lucky to be that person who wakes up in the morning and is happy to go to work.

Another perk of my job is meeting so many different people including musicians, artists, theatre directors, Jeremy Corbyn, Phill Jupitus, independent business owners, charity trustees and so many more. But, my god, if it wasn’t glorious to spend two nights in the middle of nowhere in Wales - no signal, no texts, no emails and no social media. It was cathartic to just completely turn off from it all - it felt like a weird luxury.

I hadn’t had a holiday for quite some time and for two evenings it was nothing but bonfires, booze, vegan food and camping in a tent. All I could hear was the running stream which looked onto nothing but woodland, and when emerging from the secluded crescent of our campsite all that looked down on me was the Black Mountains.

Being in the middle of nowhere was also very replenishing - the littlest things became stripped back pleasures. For instance, a small group of us went for a walk one morning, which took a couple of hours, and we must have seen five other people at most. When I came home it was like coming down from a festival high - you know, when you feel

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Words by Claire Dukes Photographs by H

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unable to readjust to your normal day-to-day after coming out of ‘the bubble’. I distinctly remember nipping to Morissons to restock some fridge essentials, and, as I hustled my way to the counter clutching my hummus, it felt like chaos.

It was like that moment when Crocodile Dundee goes to New York and can’t quite acclimatize to the hustle and bustle, resulting in an escape up a lamp post, or - for those of you this reference is lost on - when Buddy can’t hack the escalator in Elf. Burrowing away in an isolated location was eye-opening in many ways, and to me revealed itself as a simplistic euphoria of sorts - time to read, time to write, time to think. Things got particularly primal when I awoke one morning to wash my hair in the stream - by far the most brutal and yet rewarding shower experience of mine to date. I squealed about three times, but my hair when it dried? It was the softest it’s ever been - it felt amazing. The day before, a woodland walk turned into bum shuffling down a man-made mud slide - in this sense, I can be taken anywhere.

To some this ‘holiday’ of mine must sound like hell, but for me - someone quite low maintenance, who nearly always fails to respond to someone who’s contacted me - it was sheer bliss.

With my side kick (Fumio Sasaki’s book ‘Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism’) in tow, it actually hit home quite hard about the importance of taking time for myself.

As I said, I love my job - I get to experience so many different things - but at times it can be insanely hectic, and it wasn’t until I took some time out that I really appreciated how uplifting and beneificial it is to get back in touch with nature and take some time off for myself.

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Back to black

By Fashion Writer Gina Akers

It’s always the easy fashion ‘go to’, looks great on everyone and goes with everything, that’s why this season takes style back to simple, we’re going back to black.

Team smart black jeans with any colour top to create instant day or night looks. For that special night out the little black dress is always a winner. When you haven’t got time or aren’t sure on what colour accessories to go for you can always make it work with black.

For a feel of dark decorative decadence Ceramic Black Drawer Knobs (£3.95 each) by Rex London are a great feature to add to furniture, ideal for upcycling or revamping, visit www.rexlondon.com

As the name suggests Secret Pillow (£50) has a secret, it’s a pillow that unfolds into a blanket. www.secretprojects. org

A Chloe the Cat Soft Cuddly Toy (£16.95) by Rex London brings a sense of comfort and fun to any room, machine washable too, from www.rexlondon. com

The Helly Hansen Business Beanie is ideal for a relaxed colder day look (£20). www.hellyhansen.com

If a fragrance was to reflect a colour it would have to be Herve Gambs Infusion Noire Unisex Eau De Parfum (£130 for 100ml) from www. harveynichols.com

Kempadoo Millar are leading the way in luxury designer headwear (from £58), with fans such as Idris Elba their flat-caps are a wardrobe must have at www.kempadoo.com

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k

this

at

ness The AnthologyFive STEM Wide Base Set (£55) has three different top types including oil candle, tealight holder and vase, you can interchange depending on your mood, from www.anthologyfive.com

ook

Wearing black makes adding another shade to your outfit easy. the Ladies W Motionista Jacket (£320) by Helly Hansen is a perfect example. www.hellyhansen.com

Cyberjammies offer a range of gorgeously luxurious pyjamas in many styles. For ladies the Mae Knit Top and Brushed Check Pyjama Set (£45) and for men the Oliver Knit T-Shirt (£20) and Brushed Check Pyjama Pants (£25) are great choices, visit www.cyberjammies.co.uk

Keep out the cold whilst looking super stylish in the Helly Hansen Ladies W HH 100% Merino Wool Fleece Hooded Jacket in Ebony (£180) www.hellyhansen.com

Complete your sports luxe style with the Men’s Gambier LC Trainers by Helly Hansen, super wearable and will go with any outfit (£100), visit www.hellyhansen.com

A crisp black t-shirt can suit many occasions Elvi have the right idea with their SELF Confidence Slogan Tee (£19) carrying a bright and positive message. www.elvi.com

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Film & Television Is there still room for watercooler TV in the Netflix era?

By Jamie Hill

Like most of the nation I was glued to my sofa during the BBC series The Bodyguard. It was the kind of truly gripping drama that the BBC excels in and the entire country seemed to be talking about it, trying to work out what would happen and just wallowing in the excitement of it all. In essence it was the kind of ‘watercooler’ TV that every television executive dreams of.

When I say watercooler I mean the kind of television that goes beyond the programme. The ones that get us all talking which can only be a good thing.

Big Brother in its early years had its fair share of these moments, soap operas are full of them from ‘Who shot JR?’ (don’t worry as whoever shot him then woke up in the shower with Bobby Ewing to realise it had all been a dream) to ‘Free Dierdre Barlow’ to several other ‘Who shot’ scenarios from ‘Phil Mitchell’ to ‘Mr Burns’ from The Simpsons.

But has the Netflix ‘boxset’ era that we now live in destroyed these ‘watercooler’ moments?

This has seen the ‘watercooler’ replaced by online and social media forums where the programme

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can be discussed. The more niche internet communities where they dissect every nuance and question every motive.

Think Game of Thrones with its Red Wedding moment or Walking Dead with its Negan baseball bat cliffhanger.

They are also the places that are beset by spoilers as idiots try to ruin the enjoyment for everybody else. In a bygone age these spoilers used to just be the province of Soap Opera magazines (which apparently still exist!) but now you have to tread carefully otherwise you might find out that Adam is in fact the brother of Eve and the snake is actually their mother, who was a rib before, in disguise - I’m obviously talking about HBO’s Eden series which doesn’t actually exist.

But these ‘watercooler’ forums, just by their very niche nature, lack the power of true ‘watercooler’ moments as not everybody has the ability to follow these programmes with the tenacity and ease that they can view the terrestrial channels.

Another aspect that is putting pay to true ‘watercooler’ moments is the boxset bingeworthy culture that we now live in.

Netflix and other streaming companies usually release every single episode at once meaning

there’s no time for watercooler moments to discuss what’s going to happen as you can simply press play and see what happens right now. he Bodyguard itself proves that the watercooler moment is far from dead and buried. The writer Joe Mercurio’s previous work on The Line of Duty also managed to reach ‘watercooler’ status in its latest series.

Other series like ‘Happy Valley’ and even the latest series of ‘Love Island’ also show that there is life in the ol’ watercooler yet.

But they now have to be really special to get the audience in the first place to get that ‘watercooler’ moment. There’s just so much television now and an increasing number of ways that you can watch said TV. For a watercooler moment you need a big audience in the first place on an accessible channel and with so much good TV to choose from those audiences are harder and harder to come by.

Personally I can’t wait for the Peppa Pig ‘watercooler’ moment when it comes which is bound to be sooner or later. (I don’t know whose idea it was to have Peppa on a school trip to a butchers but I definitely applaud that writer.)

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brews and eats A celebration of the best food and drink that Ocelotshire has to offer www.theocelot.co.uk Ocelot 148.indd 17

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By Darren WIllmott

Georgia on my mind

Ocelot wine expert ponders the merits of the home of wine... clue - it’s not France!

I’m always pleased when wine questions turn up in the pub quiz, a recent example being “Where can you find the world’s largest wine cellar?”.

Having visited the sprawling vast caverns of Champagne, where you sometimes need a motorised vehicle to get around, I offered it up as my answer. I was wrong, its actually in Moldova.

This reminded me that many people naturally think of France as the birthplace of wine when the truth is much more Eastern European. In fact, it’s just across the Black Sea from Moldova, in Georgia.

The oldest known evidence of wine-making there dates back 8,000 years, with scientists able to trace the organic compounds found in wine-making in various pottery shards. This historical importance, along with over 500 unique indigenous grape varieties and unusual wine-making techniques, should make Georgian wines an easy sell. How come then, most of us have never seen or tried them?

Traditionally focused on the domestic market and surrounding countries, the rug was firmly pulled from under Georgia’s feet when Russia imposed an import ban on their wines in 2006. Low standards

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and a plodding reliability on the norm caused them to lose 90% of their exports overnight.

Although lifted in 2013, the ban pushed them to improve quality and focus on further export opportunities, signing trade agreements with the EU and the quickly expanding Chinese wine market. Russia once again accounts for 50% of exports but, in just 4 years, China has become their third largest market.

These sales are all good but, due to the local economies they are mostly low value, with rival brands competing on bottle prices in the £1-£1.50 bracket. Serious future growth is dependent on higher value sales; hence them now looking to richer Western markets including both the UK and US. Wine is not immune to the recent food trends for ‘natural’ ingredients and processes, and buzzwords including organic and biodynamic are never far from reach when talking about current production styles.

This ‘back-to-nature’ style perfectly suits Georgian wine as many producers still practice the traditional methods used for thousands of years. Instead of fermenting/ageing wines in ultra-modern temperature

cooled facilities, they bury them underground in large egg-like clay jars called ‘Qvevri’, where they utilise the naturally cool and consistent underground temperatures.

Whilst this continued soaking of the grape juice on its skin is not so different to regular ‘over-ground’ red wine production around the world (the red colour comes from the grape skin, not the flesh), globally produced white wine sees little skin contact.

The Qvevri production sees them pick up a much darker hue, becoming ‘Gold’ or ‘Amber’ wines; a whole new spectrum of colour and taste.

These differences give unique selling points to Georgian wine and, with a little development to the quality classifications and labelling (both hindered by largely unpronounceable place names and grape varieties), they’ll be coming to a store near you very soon.

Two high-street staples have already taken the plunge and you can buy a Georgian white (aka gold) from M&S and a red from Waitrose. Will you take the plunge too?

Cheers!

Read Darren’s blog at vinesight. me

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It takes two, baby...

Brewery Bird lifts the lid on collaborative projects

Unless you’ve been going around with your eyes closed, it will have been impossible for you not to have noticed the veritable wave of breweries proudly promoting an often confusingly named beer they’ve just brewed as a collaborative ‘project’ with Another Person/Brewery/Celeb.

Once a rarity, collaboration brews have become an art-form both in terms of brewing and marketing, but just when did it all start, how do they work, and why?

As usual, we have to look to our cousins over the pond and to one of America’s oldest ‘craft brewers’.

In 1997 Garrett Oliver, Master Brewer for Brooklyn Brewery and revered by many as the Godfather of the US Craft Brewing movement, engineered a collaborative brew with none other than Oxfordshire’s Brakspear Brewery; a fan of their beers for a number of years, he was keen to deliver a traditionally English bitter to the drinkers of New York. Back then, the collaboration concept was very basic – I make a beer with you and you make a beer with me. The beer had a big American hop character, heavily dry-hopped with Cascade, which

was a first for Brakspear. (Peter Scholey, Head Brewer of Brakspear was due to repeat the process at Brooklyn Brewery, but sadly in 2002 the Henley-on-Thames brewery closed before he was able to do so).

A few years later, Garrett was back in the UK, but this time at J.W. Lees in Manchester where he brewed Brooklyn Best Bitter with Giles Dennis. Consumers loved it and the brewery made it a Spring seasonal for several years.

But collaborative brewing doesn’t have to involve expensive air travel.

Some brewers choose to separately brew the same beer at their respective breweries, following the same recipes, but with variations to yeast, malt and sometimes hops making for wildly different tasting beers. Others stick to the same recipe and ingredients. Regardless of the process, marketing plays an important part – Twitter feeds, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, pump clips and badges which wouldn’t look out of place in the Tate Modern.

So why do brewers collaborate?

In such a congested market, it pays to stand out from the crowd

and collaborations are one of the trendier ways to create noise, to grab consumer attention, get people excited about you.

Collaborating with another brewer is a unique opportunity to see how others work, to openly discuss brewing techniques and recipes – what works, what doesn’t and what perhaps shouldn’t, but actually does! It’s a concept which is unique to brewing – almost no other industry would tolerate such noncompetitiveness and certainly would baulk at such openness.

A few to try….. l (Joy As An Act Of Resistance (Violet & Blackcurrant IPA) by Wiper & True / Idles Band l Drinking With The Fish (Saison) Lost & Grounded / Moor Beer Co l The Frog Is Fired (Gooseberry Pale Ale) Weird Beard / Lervig l Et Tu? Brut IPA Wild Beer / Stillwater l Digeridank DIPA Tiny Rebel / Siren

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A sticky history of chewing gum

By Ben Fitzgerald

There is evidence that chewing gum, in one form or another, has been around since the Neolithic period - with our ancestors reaching for a variety of squishy substances to appear nonchalant whilst leaning on a cave wall watching the world go by.

Tree resin, plant roots, blubber, sap, betel nuts and tobacco leaves have all been used by ancient peoples to improve oral health, as appetite suppressants but mainly to appear cool.

Commercialisation of chewing gum came about in America when New England settlers witnessed Native Americans chewing resin made from the sap of spruce trees or tobacco leaves. This inspired John Curtis, in1848, to develop and sell The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum - made out of paraffin wax.

In those days people would dip their gum repeatedly into a plate of powdered sugar to maintain sweetness.

The cool image of chewing gum was popularised by American GIs during the Second World War who had chewing gum included in their rations. In movies the main use of gum is to stick a mirror onto the end of a bayonet to spot that German machine gunner above the trench line. By the 1960s,

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gum manufacturers began to use synthetic rubber as the base as a cost cutting exercise.

At around the same time, manufacturers began pointing out the joys of bubble blowing, leading to the creation of chewing gum’s brash younger brother ‘bubble gum’.

Ask a gum scientist about the differences between the two and she (or he!) will tell you that bubblegum uses a gum base with a higher molecular weight to allow the elasticity of gum polymers to form a bubble. It’s also a scientific fact that talking about bubble gum does not make you appear as cool as actually blowing bubbles with it, in much the same way that explaining a joke is not as funny as telling one.

And talking of not funny - whilst being undeniably cool, chewing gum can also be an enormous pain in the arse, especially if it gets stuck to your trousers, in your hair or anywhere else.

In fact getting gum stuck in your hair is almost the worst thing that can happen to you as a child. The only solution is to either trap your hair in the freezer and spend three hours crouching on the kitchen floor before the gum hardens enough to allow you to belt it with a hammer

and shatter it off or to attempt a radical reworking of your hairstyle by cutting out a section and then passing it off in the playground as an edgy new asymmetric trim that’s too hip for them to understand... which is why they are laughing and pointing at you.

Just to be clear, this happened to a friend, not me... OK? Anyone who has ever had the misfortune to peer under a school desk will have had to supress a retch after spotting layers of caked on gum stuck to the underside.

Never, ever, touch the underside of a school desk.

Various myths surround the swallowing of chewing/ bubble gum including the enduring one that if you swallow gum it will stay in the human stomach for up to seven years because it’s indigestible.

However, unless you are swallowing large wads of it on a daily basis, there is little truth to this myth.

There are several cases of people who did swallow large wads of it on a daily basis, including a four-year-old who swallowed up to five pieces a day.

Unsurprisingly, he had a two-year history of constipation with the gum mass and impacted food creating a solid blockage.

Please...don’t have nightmares.

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Words by Claire Dukes www.happyfridaykitchen.co.uk

Review: Happy Friday Kitchen, Oxford Personally, I am loving the boom in veganism - so many people are boarding the train to healthy living, and food made without animal-cruelty.

I do however believe that in previous years veganism has been marketed very aggressively, so it’s refreshing to see so many chefs, nutritionists, doctors and academics just talking about the black and white benefits of a plant-based diet.

So, because it’s getting harder to argue with the facts, it’s not shocking that veganism gets stick in other ways such as the food ‘being bland’ because there’s no cheese, or not being juicy because there’s no meat.

One place which is putting

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the latter comments to shame is Cowley Road’s vegan paradise: Happy Friday Kitchen.

I’d heard about HFK before - as a veggie wanting to go down more vegan avenues it was hard to ignore the arrival of Oxford’s first 100% vegan restaurant.

Inside it’s got an American diner vibe with a light and casual atmosphere generated particularly by the dancing avocados. And, naturally, it’s very green from the plant-based food to the hanging pots of plants from the ceiling.

Since my housemate was hangry and I was, as always, heinously indecisive we ordered a banquet consisting of the Happy Friday Burger

(seitan with the usual suspects of garnishes), Return of The Mac (better than most dairy versions of mac and cheese I’ve had), elote (gloriously seasoned corn on the cob) and a marinara pizza.

Needless to say, our banquet was devoured happily - I hate it when vegan, or even vegetarian, meals are a side note on the menu, so I was thrilled to see a good selection of meals to choose from. It was even better that when our meals arrived they were packed with flavour from the herbs and spices, and the natural taste of the vegetables themselves.

HFK is comfort food combined with fresh and eco ingredients - I was left full, happy and eager to return.

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Revamped pub alert in the Cotswolds The George Inn, recently refurbished to an exceptionally high standard, nestling in the charming village of Barford St. Michael, on the edge of the Cotswolds, eight miles south west of Banbury, is set for a grand reopening party on October 6.

The Inn will be fully functional and open for business from October 7 2018.

Michael Regan has taken a 25 year lease from local businessman and his wife, Louis and Laura Holtzhausen, for the Inn, which comprises a bar, restaurant with terrace and 9 ensuite bedrooms all with their own individual style, creating a unique experience for every guest.

Regan said: “We are thrilled to be able to add The George Inn to our portfolio. The refurbishment looks amazing and we are sure that the inn will prove to be a popular destination.”

Head Chef Alex has created dishes which offer variety and choice. From pub classics, sandwiches to á la carte, there is something to suit everybody’s taste.

The restaurant uses the finest, seasonal, local produce to guarantee quality and flavour.

There will be a launch party on October 6 from 6pm to 9pm, serving canapés and drinks, and will be open for all who wish to attend. www.thegeorgebarford.co.uk

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Review: The Goddard Arms, Swindon Words by Claire Dukes

How often you frequent restaurants, tends to have a tight relationship to your bank account. These days most people, myself included, will take a pub lunch over fine dining – it’s a more modest choice for a mid-week meal.

When you hear “pub lunch” many things come to mind, and it’s often “processed”, – there’s very few pubs I’ll go to for a meal for this very reason – so I was pleasantly surprised after a meal at The Goddard Arms.

As pubs go, this converted coach house is one of the better-looking ones in Swindon. The interior and menu have been modernised but still maintain some classic pub features including oak wood furnishings and an open fire place – perfect for Sunday roasts in the autumn, I should imagine.

This particular visit was a working lunch – we kept it simple with a meal and a drink. The Goddard Arms has an impressive menu which offers a wide selection of main meals, starters and sharers including meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan. As a recently converted vegetarian it would have been nice to see a bit more selection on this front, but nonetheless vegetarians and vegans are provided for.

I went for the Asparagus and Pea Pasta, which for less of a word is ravioli filled with asparagus,

peas and cheese. It’s a pretty generous and colourful dish which was accompanied by cherry tomatoes, mixed seeds, watercress and garlic bread. There’s also a lot of sauce with this dish, – a very thin consistency – which gave the meal an added kick of flavour.

Ocelot editor, Jamie, went for the Wagyu burger – for those who don’t know, this is from Japanese cattle said to have a very intense flavouring.

Ocelot deputy editor, Ben, opted for the Superfood Salad with added chicken and bacon.

He said: “If you’re hungry, ordering any kind of salad is always a risk. Sometimes restaurants use salad as a shorthand for ‘I can see you need to lose weight… allow us underfeed you.’ I needn’t have worried though. The Goddard Arms Superfood Salad was a proper meal fit for a growing lad like me – packed with supposedly healthy things like pomegranate seeds and beans – it was actually a delicious kaleidoscope of food, with the joyful addition of bacon… and chicken.

That’s what I call super food. I shall be back. And I shall order the same again.”

The Goddard Arms is a strong competitor in Swindon’s pub grub scene, and I’d happily recommend you venture there to grab some dinner or lunch.

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Theatre: highlights of The Barn Theatre – Cirencester Sherlock Holmes: Hound of The Baskervilles 24 OCT - 24 NOV

When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on his estate, with a look of terror still etched on his face, and the paw prints of a gigantic hound beside his body, the great detective Sherlock Holmes is summoned from Baker Street, with Dr Watson in tow, to unravel the mysteries surrounding

his death, and investigate the ancient curse of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Written by John Nicholson and Steven Canny for the hit comedy team Peepolykus, this version premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, UK in 2007, where it broke box-office records,

before touring the UK and transferring to the West End. On 31 October there will be a tweed-evening, with Sherlock themed cocktails, an opportunity to meet the cast, and a prize for the best tweed!

Information: www.barntheatre. org.uk

The Oxford Playhouse Women in Power 3 - 6 OCT MAIN STAGE

Aristophanes’ Assembly Women is turned into a celebration of funfilled and silly comedy sketches, slapstick, songs, dance, dumb gags, clever gags, music and women taking the lead.

350 BC. Athens. The country is in

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political turmoil. Recent wars and alliances have left Athenians no option but to take radical action: a government of women!

Women storm the Assembly, dressed as men, big fake beards, big shoes and a big vision - total

equality! A world where power imbalance is eradicated and with it debt, greed and theft. But this has unintended consequences...

Age guideline: 14+ Information: www. oxfordplayhouse.com

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s of the month ahead The Wyvern Theatre – Swindon The Full Monty 29 OCT - 3 NOV

The Full Monty is one of the most acclaimed British films ever and The Full Monty stage play has become one of the most phenomenal theatrical productions ever.

This “chuffing brilliant” production about six out-of-work, impoverished steelworkers from Sheffield with nothing to lose, took the world by storm and has become

one of Britain’s most successful shows.

Based on his smash hit film and adapted for the stage by Oscarwinning writer Simon Beaufoy, this hilarious and heartfelt production has received standing ovations every night and won the prestigious UK Theatre Award.

Featuring Gary Lucy who has

made the part of Gaz his own, with an all-star cast of Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Joe Gill, Kai Owen and James Redmond with songs by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones you really should… drop absolutely everything and book today!

Information: www. swindontheatres.co.uk

The Watermill Theatre – Oxford Trial By Laughter 20 SEPT - 27 OCT

Following critical acclaim for The Wipers Times, Ian Hislop and Nick Newman return to The Watermill with the premiere of a new play inspired by extraordinary reallife events. William Hone, the forgotten hero of free speech, was a bookseller, publisher and satirist.

In 1817, he stood trial for ‘impious blasphemy and seditious libel’. The only crime he had committed was to be funny. Worse than that he was funny by parodying religious texts.

And worst of all, he was funny about the despotic government and the debauched monarchy.

Along with his great ally, political cartoonist George Cruikshank, Hone sought vindication for his laughable offences and fought for freedom in one of the most remarkable legal cases of its time. Information: www.watermill. org.uk

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Fair is foul, and foul is fair in the National Theatre’s rehearsal room

Words by Claire Dukes

Photographs by Richard Hubert Smith

I was invited by Oxford New Theatre to London’s Sugar Studios to watch a rehearsal session of the National Theatre’s latest production of Macbeth.

Despite what you may know about Macbeth, it was definitely not a sorry sight in this rehearsal session it was one of the most intense bursts of acting I have ever witnessed.

The cast of 19 performed the end of act 1 - some of which had only just been run through that very morning. The performance was electric and made me even more excited for when it tours to Oxford

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New Theatre (January 8 to January 12).

After they wrapped up, a panel formed for a discussion about the production which included the National Theatre’s renowned director Rufus Norris he’s co-directing Macbeth alongside Liz Stevenson.

Listening to the panel it was incredible to hear, first hand, the scale of how much thought, time, and research has gone into the play - especially as this particular tour will be shown to 20,000 schools across the UK and Ireland as Macbeth is part of their syllabus.

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For some it may be strange to think of Shakespeare as contemporary, but when you really think about it the themes and motifs addressed in all of his plays are relevant - as I discussed with Liz Stevenson. “Macbeth and Lady Macbeth aren’t two evil people sat in their ivory towers – these are two people that are desperate, they’ve gone through so much struggle and strife during the war, and they’ve lost their children,” she explained.

“They’re given a glimmer of hope, and that hope – that they get to be King and Queen – means they’re safe and secure. We wanted to find a way to bring out humanity in them so that people would watch them and go ‘that could be me’. I think, because that was so important to Rufus, that makes it a really accessible, human, production.”

The set has also been intricately designed to reflect our current, and potential, social and political climate. Everything has been constructed to identify modern circumstances and consequences in this revamped Shakespearean classic.

Liz continued: “If law and order was to disintegrate, if the internet was to crash, if the banks were to crash, if the world descended into chaos, we would end up in a place something like this - potentially. I think that’s why it’s another good one for students to see, because it’s not ‘we’re gonna do Macbeth and relate it to Victorian history’ – it’s set in the future, it’s whatever we imagine it to be, and I think that means they’re going in on the same page as everyone in the audience.

“It’s imaging what the world could be like, and I think young people are really interested in that. There’s also a real diversity amongst the cast, and that’s how it should be – reflecting the world we see around us today. We really felt, where everybody’s done what they’ve needed to do to survive, they’ve adapted to survive this new world.”

Question time with the leading lady: Kirsty Besterman (Lady Macbeth) You’re playing Lady Macbeth, an iconic role – how are you finding that?

I’ve always wanted to play her, I think she’s wonderful – I don’t think she is the evil woman she’s painted to be. I think she’s fierce, but I also think what’s also attracted to me to her is that she’s lost her children and that her and husband are united in their grief – they are this incredible force.

In our production they are more pragmatic, and they’re opportunistic survivors in a dark, horrible, world.

How does this production resonate with the current social and political climate?

There’s certainly an echo of someone getting into power who is mad, and everyone around him going ‘what the hell are we going to do about this?’ Because that also happens in the England scenes, they go ‘we’ve got to sort this out!

And then of course, rather nastily in this play, - I hate to think about it – knife culture is a huge thing in this country and this play does not shy from it. Maybe seeing us all getting stabbed and bleeding out on stage will be a bit of a reminder that it’s not a game. I don’t want to glamorise using a knife but it is a part of this play.

Why do you think theatre is an important part of school education?

As an actor my love for theatre started when I started watching plays from a young age. I’ve also worked a lot in schools doing workshops, and I see kids come alive when they get to do this stuff. They just start bouncing off each other - drama can build confidence in a really brilliant way. It gives them the chance to be other characters and to work with each other, and to listen to each other. It has huge benefits.

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Inside Ken White’s Studio Words by Claire Dukes www.kenwhitemurals.co.uk

I have known the name ‘Ken White’ since I can remember. There’s no question that he’s an integral part of Swindon’s art scene, and this is evident by the murals you can still see around the town today.

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“You have to be focused and driven – painting’s all I ever did and thought about.”

As one of England’s most renowned artists, - for his murals in particular - I was delighted to be invited to Ken’s studio before he opened it to the public as part of Swindon Open Studios 2018.

A Swindon man throughand-through, Ken’s visionary talents have made a creative impact on the town’s heritage, identity and culture - his house and studio are packed with paintings, canvases, posters and newspaper clippings from since he discovered painting at 15. At 75 he admitted that he still gets overwhelmed by the amount of people who come to see his collections. He humbly explained that “I’m not good at these things - I can’t mingle, I like one-to-one.”

Ken’s work has been seen all over England, Europe, NYC and even the skies - when Virgin Atlantic launched in 1984 he was commissioned

by Richard Branson for the ‘Scarlet Lady’ emblem which featured on the aircraft. “I became a painter over the weekend,” he said. After that he worked on a retainer for Branson for 20 years.

Focusing now primarily on his own independent projects, Ken still burrows away in his studio. “I come in here, shut the door and put the music on,” he explained. Whilst preparing for Swindon Open Studios - his work has featured in each event for the last 12 years - Ken shuffled through canvas after canvas to show me some of his more recent art

works, which are still very much influenced by his time working as a hotter of rivets on the GWR. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere like Bath, or Marlborough,” Ken explained.

“Swindon’s like a workingclass town to me, which I like.

It’s what my paintings are influenced by, when I worked at the railways.”

Asking what advice he has for young creatives today, he told me: “You have to be focused and driven – painting’s all I ever did and thought about. It’s the same with Ray [‘Gilbert’ O’Sullivan] - all he focused on was his music. That’s how you get there: just keep on going.

Painting’s the only thing I’ve ever liked since I was at school.”

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Gig Monkey reviews the latest releases

Palm Rose – Daydreams EP There is already quite a murmur going around the local scene about Palm Rose, and if you have been lucky enough to catch them live already you will understand why. If you have missed this pleasure so far, then catch up with their debut EP, as it is a superb piece of woozy dream pop, loaded with pulsating rhythms, soaring melodies and some quality song writing. In fact, all the musical ingredients of classic Oxford musical output are in place including judicious use of synths and keys, driving bass, clean guitars and breathy vocals plus strong dynamic awareness with considered use of silence. Except, these guys are from Swindon. How has that happened?

Happen it has though, and Palm Rose remind me of some of my favourite Oxford artists of the last 5 years. I expect to see them wear a furrow in the A420 before long.

Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett – Fossils of the Mind Wiltshire duo Will and Weasel have conjured up something unique

with this debut album. Starting with a spoken word piece borrowed from the ever-eloquent Robin Ince that has been set to a rolling piano piece and drum and bass groove is a strange but wonderful false start.

It is with track 2, Hope, that you start to get a better idea of what the guys are all about – piano driven folky Americana with an interesting anthemic pop edge and stabs of urban beats. Perhaps this is what Tom O’Dell fronting Wilco would sound like if produced by Roni Size?

Regardless of how chaotic this sounds, it works. I mean it really works. This is refreshing, fascinating and exciting and a project I am going to be keeping a very close eye on to see how it develops. I suggest you do the same.

Master of None – Master of None This debut solo release from Little Red’s Ian Mitchell is not what you expect musically. However, it does confirm where the darkness in the song writing of his main band originates from, for this is a very dark and nasty little record indeed – the

self-claimed influence of Nick Cave and Tom Waits is indeed writ large all over it.

As well as being loaded with shadowy lyrics and themes, there is a serious schizophrenia going on, as the music careers wildly between musical and vocal styles, from soft ballads to raging rants, electro pop to irish jigs. If you listen closely, you can even hear the kitchen sink.

However, there is a twisted coherency to it all, an ongoing thread of fucked up-ness for want of a better phrase, that gives it an almost coherent narrative, albeit one dredged up from the bottom of a particularly murky lake of liquid LSD. It is a narrative that deals explicitly with alcoholism, substance abuse, sex, debt, death and mental illness by framing it with some deliciously lo-fi, eclectic, erratic noise in a serious assault on your soul.

As Ian himself has stated, this was written and recorded “to challenge the listener from the ground up. No brief. No limits. No restrictions. No apologies.” It is not for the faint of heart, that is for sure.

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L to R Carlos Posada (vocals, guitars, keys), Felix Higginbottom (drums, percussion), Jamie Jay (vocals, guitars, keys, electronics), and Jacob Lively (bass)

From Ritual Union to headlining Oxford’s O2 Academy - Claire Dukes talks to Low Island’s Carlos Posada 36

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Low Island came onto my radar last year.

After being sent a press release one thing led to another and I was drifting through their tracks on Soundcloud. My immediate comparison was a cross combination of Caribou and LCD Soundsystem, sure it’s not an original comparison, others have certainly shared the same thought - and as I coasted through each euphoric track it became a dreamy amalgamation of electronica, dance, and indiepop. When the latter elements crossover they almost transcend into a sort of jazz compilation, but in a really contemporary and complex execution of smooth electronic melodies. Yep, I was sold.

Since seeing them at Ritual Union last October Low Island just seemed to shoot up afterwards with two sold out shows at London’s Corsica Studios, festival performances at Reading, Leeds and Truck, a show at Berlin’s Lollapalooza, and a headline show in their hometown Oxford’s O2 Academy (September 21). It looks like hard work is paying off. According to Carlos this is due to “an impossible to balance cocktail of having fun, perseverance and self-criticism.”

One of the best aspects of Low Island’s O2 show was just simply the fact that you could tell they were enjoying themselves - their connection on stage was as tight as their ethereal sound. More to the point it was clear they were working their arses off due to the shine of sweat glistening over them.

Carlos said: “It’s the most I’ve ever sweated at a show, so much at one point that I couldn’t see for all the salt in my eyes!”

The lead up to this show had been quite momentous - an O2 show on their home turf. It that worse? Is that better? “There’s a warmth from the crowd in Oxford that we don’t always get in other places because it’s so often filled with close friends and family who have been supporting us from the start.

“We love playing here and working with all the brilliant people

in the local live scene; Jimmy on sound, Allan on the lights, Simon at Futureperfect - to name a few.”

Amidst the band’s success it was great to bump into Carlos and Jamie, back in May, at Jordan Allen’s Cellar gig - just out in the crowd, enjoying and supporting the show. “It’s a great way to get out of the studio and talk to other people,” Carlos explained.

“We love working with other musicians and artists of all kinds.

We learn a lot from all the people we work with.”

It’s a funny thing because when I spoke to Carlos and Jamie they had said something about taking some time off... Given their busy summer I have a feeling time off was just a nice idea. “It didn’t really end up happening. We’ve been

“Sounds and genres move in and out of fashion like jeans or bumbags” writing a hell of a lot in between shows, thinking ahead to next year and really trying to nail down where it is we want to take the music sonically. It’s been really fun putting together the vinyl package too and finally having something physical to show for ourselves. But again, it kiboshed any chance of a break.”

As well as being incredibly hardworking, Low Island are amongst the many musicians currently experimenting in the regions of percussion, dance and electronica - and Oxford seems to be a hot bed for it. So how do they keep relevant? “Fuck knows!”

“I think as long as you write about things that mean something to people then you’ll always be relevant. Sounds and genres move

in and out of fashion like jeans and bumbags (what is the fucking deal with that?), but I find the emotional impact and relatability of songs much more enduring and able to transcend things like identity or genre.”

From my perspective, this is what sets Low Island apart - the originality of each song. The songs feel like a unique entity that exists in a particular moment in time bluntly, it’s something that can’t be replicated. It’s this captivating presence generated by their sound which really engages people with their music - it’s the reason I went to Ritual Union last year, because I wanted to know if this was just a sonic manipulation conjured up in the studio. Turns out, it is not - and this was amplified by their headline show.

But for musicians working today, it’s not all about sound and lyrics - it’s also about attitude. I’d argue that another way in which Low Island are keeping people engaged is by the way they communicate with the crowd and their fans. After finishing their O2 set the band reassembled to mingle and sell their latest album - Low Island 17-18 - on vinyl and CD. For a band well on their way they still seem incredibly grounded. “I find the stuff that sticks out more is when it goes hilariously wrong,” said Carlos “like last night in Manchester when it sounded like the sound system was about to explode because the previous act had spilt beer everywhere. And we were playing literally next door to another stage; it became a sort of competition of who could drown out the other band.”

Asking what he hopes Low Island’s music gives to people Carlos said: “I hope it gives people a kind of comforting voice that tries to relieve some of the pressures put on us by society, by each other and ourselves.” I’ll vouch for that.

Purchase Low Island’s tunes via www.musicglue.com/lowisland Check them out via www. soundcloud.com/lowislandmusic

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Ritual Union: Oxford’s Cow ley Former supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes is set to headline the second Ritual Union festival in Oxford - building on the success of last year’s event.

The event, on October 20 will see Gaz joined by Kiran Leonard and Madonnatron as he promotes his latest album World’s Strongest Man. Other artists taking to the stage include Mercury Prize-nominated jazzer Nadine Shah, Ghostpoet, Jane Weaver and Canadian Krautrockers Suuns, The Lovely Eggs, Gnod, Boy Azooga… I could go on… but I won’t.

Taking place in a variety of venues along the Cowley Road, including the O2 Academies 1&2, The Truck Store, The Bullingdon and the Library. The festival bills itself as a celebration of young bands and emerging talent.

Doors open at 11am with shows beginning at midday. General admission tickets cost £33. For more information see the event website www.ritualunion.co.uk

Gaz Coombe

Nadine Shah Ghost Poet

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wley road set for quality lineup

Gaz Coombes

Jane Weaver

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The Ocelot’s October music reviews Words by Claire Dukes

Palm Rose EP: Daydreams

Palm Rose have made their own foothold in the world of dreampop – Daydreams is embeded with the hypnotising qualities of Beach House, but also the raw attributes of Beirut.

For the longest time I couldn’t figure out which other artist Adam’s voice compared to, until it clicked it was Beirut’s Zach Condon. His voice is folksy, almost classical, but the band have built an alt-pop sound around it which executes their sound, as a whole, in a very shoegazing way. It’s a stunning listen.

I’m a fan of bands that can give you a very visceral experience, and that’s what Palm Rose provides. Sometimes this can be scary, because a band like this can tap into inner emotions which you hoped were locked away for good. But what is also evident in each song of this EP is that Palm Rose are there with you – it’s all very misery loves company with lyrics like “And I will let you down” (Daydream), and “I must confess, that I’m in love with you” (Move Slowly). It’s music that Morrissey would inflict upon you.

Art Theefe Album: Dig Deep

album with songs such as ‘Steely Jam’, - an unapologetic three minute instrumental - which then transcends into something more demonic in ‘Cold Dark Night’.

One thing I found consistent was a notable essence of Tom Waits and Black Sabbath – the tones can be harsh at times, but ultimately soothing.

After listening to – probably my favourite track – ‘I Have Named You The Queen’, I have to admit there is something very embellishing about lying on your floor and listening to the lyrics, “But you are the queen” swirl around you. It’s the difference I notice when music comes out at you, or to you – the difference between being talked at, and spoken to. Art Theefe very much speaks to you throughout Dig

Deep – the album’s soul-searching motif is very apparent, and their journey to self-resolution makes for a thouroughly enjoyable and compelling listen.

Dig Deep could easily be the soundtrack to a contemporary spaghetti western – there’s a Malcolm Mclaren solace feel to it, as well as an ominous Luis Bacalov vibe. It feels very much like an enduring journey to self-discovery, and entirely engrossing.

Art Theefe (a three-piece made up of Matt Sage, - lead singer and guitarist – Josh Rigal, bass – and Joel Bassuk, - drums) resonates with me as a classic rock ensemble with Dig Deep as their homage to this genre, bringing it back to basics, in the least basic way. It’s music in a very pure form, and I’m into it.

Their underlying rock sound is creatively explored throughout the

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Leader Single: Open Skies Open Skies feels a lot more current in comparison to Leader’s earlier material - they’re broadening themselves into new territories incorporating more synth into the production of their sound.

Still in the same vein as their signature alt-pop/rock identity, their latest release sounds very fresh. It’s as if the five-piece from Oxfordshire have been balancing on a tightrope and have taken a jump into something less familiar. Open Skies feels like the lads have landed firmly on their feet.

Instrumentally I easily get lost in this song - the sound is incredibly

L to R Matt Morris (drums), Matt Barrell (guitar/keys), Luke Coggins (bass), Ben Edington (vocals), Mikey Fletcher (guitar/vocals)

tight and there’s a clear unity that can be recognised. The single is rife with energy which gives it that intense lead up to the chorus, belted out by Leader’s lead singer Ben Edington, resulting in a powerful punch when it kicks in.

It’s a crowd pleaser for sure, - one of those bangers that you can see being played at a festival to a sea of glow sticks - but given the band’s extensive career I expected to hear more depth in the lyrics.

Lyrically, for me, Open Skies is not Leader’s strongest exploit, and it’s here the single loses a bit of direction - it’s the element

of the song where I’m not sure what’s trying to be achieved.

Instrumentally it’s big and bold, but lyrically, for me, it lacks purpose - I expected more. With a lot of very strong musicians in, and emerging on, the music scene it’s something that can’t be ignored.

However given the quality of the sound, - it’s incredibly polished, heat-pounding and well produced - it allows the song to stand on its own. In an interview with Neon Music, the band said they want to “make the world know Leader“ as one of their goals, and Open Skies seems just like the ticket to get them there.

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Take me back to Fieldview Festival!

Words by Claire Dukes

I’ve known about Fieldview for ages - for a small non-profit festival it has a lot of hype about it, so needless to say this year my curiosity killed me.

Admittedly - having not been before - it was the music this year which initially drew me in.

Known as ‘Wiltshire’s biggest little festival’ I was impressed with the line-up which featured The Blinders, Harvey Causon, Compact Pussycat and Grace Savage - musicians you may not know now, but I guarantee you will soon!

Musically my ultimate highlight was The Blinders - indie dream boats in rock outfits from Doncaster.

They had the stage presence, they had charisma, and most importantly they had original songs with a flawless sound - what a find in the middle of a field! I can’t wait to see them again in Oxford

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next month.

Fieldview was everything I expected, and yet I was still blown away - happy people, grand food, insane music line-up and activities for everyone! What’s not to like? I honestly had the best time. Riding high on the community vibes the whole weekend, I loved how chilled out it was and all for a good cause!

Organisers have said that this big little festival might not take place next year due to a decline in volunteers, and I hope it isn’t so! Taking an optimistic stance, I’m going to say: “I can’t wait until next year!”

For further information, or to get involved with this amazing project, visit www.fieldviewfestival.co.uk

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You Me At Six are still working around the clock Preparing for the release of their fifth album, You Me At Six will be performing an exclusive acoustic set at Marlborough Sound Knowledge this month.

You Me At Six have announced a week-long run of UK in-store performances and signings, beginning October 4, to mark the celebrations of their forthcoming new album, ‘VI’, due for release this October 5. Next month they will be at Marlborough Sound Knowledge October 7.

With new single ‘Back Again’, and album standouts ‘IOU’and ‘3AM’, You Me At Six are showcasing a multi-dimensional evolution with their forthcoming sixth album. Replacing what was once distortion and big rock riffs, for indiepop prowess and a set of explosive new live

favourites.

The band have notched up a list of considerable achievements since forming as teenagers in Weybridge, Surrey, including four UK Gold Records, four Top Ten albums in the UK including Number One album ‘Cavalier Youth’, three sold out arena shows, sold-out UK headline arena tours, an unparalleled 15 consecutive A-List singles on BBC Radio One, multiple sold-out US headline tours, and a Number One rock song in the UK and Australia.

These upcoming sold-out shows give You Me At Six the chance to road test their explosive new set, creating a new batch of future live classics for fans in the process.

For further information visit www.songkick.com

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Music news for the months ahead Words by Claire Dukes

Original song competition Swindon recording studio announces new songwriting competition - ‘For the Song’.

Earthworm Recording Studio want to unearth a genuinely brilliant new song, give it the treatment it deserves and put together a free professional package including a single, video and showcase performance for the winner.

The winning entry will benefit from first class musical, and promotional, support in launching the song. The Judges: Jon Buckett (Music producer, arranger and musician), Gaz Brookfield (Acoustic Magazine’s Songwriter of the Year) and Lee Alder (Songwriter & Film music composer).

The deadline for 2018 entries is October 31.

To enter visit www.earstudio.co.uk

Milk Teeth in Swindon

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Donned as “the Green Day that we’ve always wanted”, Swindon is in for a huge treat as rising punk stars, Milk Teeth, play a one off gig next month.

After gaining huge success supporting Enter Shikari in America, Milk Teeth have been taking the punk scene by storm and have announced a special gig at The Victoria, Swindon, November 17 - this will see the band perform their two Roadrunner Records EPs ‘Be Nice’ and ‘Go Away’ for the first time ever back-to-back.

Supporting acts for the night are soon to be announced which will include special guests, and an acoustic set.

The night is being put together to celebrate local label Sheer Music hitting their 15th year in the industry. This year alone the label has brought the likes of Frank Turner, Ginger Wildheart and Justin Sullivan to Swindon’s stages.

Support acts and special guest to be announced.

For tickets visit www.wegottickets.com

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Cassette Store Day at Truck Store

Beanie Tapes / Candy Says www.candysays.it / www.beanietapes.club

Whether you know them as tape label ‘Beanie Tapes’ or Oxford band ‘Candy Says’, the point is that both have been created by one of the most exciting art collectives working in Oxford’s music scene - Julia and Ben Walker.

I have known about both Beanie Tapes and Candy Says for quite some time, but it wasn’t until their gig at Modern Art Oxford back in June that I met them and first heard them perform live. Musically it was one of the most raw, intense and gifted performances I had seen.

Between the two of them they’re a collaborative and creative force to be reckoned with - a hypnotic combination of Julia’s haunting vocals, lyrics and guitar, with Ben’s multi-instrumentalist talents spread over drums, percussion and synth. Tragedy is made beautiful by the intimacy ignited by their lyrics, and each musical element evoked so much raw emotion and honesty - truly a breath-taking performance.

On top of this, as Beanie Tapes, they have regenerated a strong sense of community through they’re collaborative projects - even as a band there’s a strong sense of support buzzing around them.

In the band’s most recent news this month sees the duo release their latest song `You Are Beautiful; We are All Beautiful’ via Beanie Tapes - I’m really psyched. Live-wise you can catch these two at The Library, Oxford, November 8, 15 and 22.

Since 2013 musicians and record labels have been taking over venues across the world to celebrate unsigned and independent releases in cassette form.

Beanie Tapes will be bringing the event to Oxford’s Truck Store - the event includes the exclusive release of a 19-track mix tape of Oxford bands, released on 30 neon pink cassettes, and several live performances.

Cassette Store Day at Cowley Road’s Truck Store is on Saturday October, 13 - it’s a free event and live music kicks off at 6pm. See you there!

New music alert!

As well as the release of Continuous Play, which also features a track from Candy Says, Max Blansjaar - a 15-year-old musical protégé with a promising career ahead - will be performing at Truck Store to celebrate the launch of his latest EP Spit It Out via Beanie Tape’s label.

Talking about the release of the EP, available now via Bandcamp and Spotify, Beanie Tapes said: “Enjoy the riotous guitars, energetic beats, superb lyrical writing and the unexpected - we LOVE it!”

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Agony Girl Five-year-old Amy is looking forward to Hallowe’en and is thinking of getting dressed up as Harley Quinn. We read her the questions and these are her answers... honest.

Dear Amy, Do you ever say Yes? Howard, Halifax Yes Dear Amy, If you could build a house what would you build it out of? And what rooms would it have?

Geraldine, Oxford I would have three bedrooms and made out of bricks. Not play dough as that would be silly. It would have a big swimming pool.

Dear Amy, I really want to travel the world but I don’t know where to start. Would you be able to recommend any good places to visit?

Michael, Swindon Beach, forest and treehouse.

Dear Amy, I’m in love with this girl but she doesn’t know I exist. I see her every day but can never get up the nerve to speak to her as I’m afraid she will just laugh at me. What can I do?

Dave, Newbury I would walk up to her and slap her.

Dear Amy, I keep getting mistaken for a famous film star everywhere I go. It’s got so bad that I have people constantly asking for my autograph and last week I got mobbed outside Primark.

How can I change my look so this doesn’t happen any more?

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Kieran, Devizes/Trowbridge If you have one of them, put a wig on and a mask and paint your T-shirt a different color.

Dear Amy, I’ve been having an argument with a friend. My friend says that dogs are better than cats but I know that cats are better than dogs. He also believes in Brexit so it makes any opinions that he has completely pointless anyway but maybe you can settle the argument. What’s better cats or dogs?

Whitney, Witney Cats because they are cute.

Dear Amy, I need to get up North as I’m travelling to the Lake District over Half Term. Should I use the M6 toll or not? And what time should I leave to avoid the traffic?

Quentin, Hungerford Six o’clock at the morning. Eat your breakfast early. I don’t know what the strict lake is!

Dear Amy, Me and my friend are travelling from Russia for two days and are thinking of visiting Salisbury from our convenient hotel in East London. What do you recommend that we visit - the cathedral, Stone Henge or a small residential street?

Petrov, Moscow Street because it’s just down the road.

Write in by emailing jamie@theocelot.co.uk

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