Thursday 18 July will see the latest ‘Frankie’s Whisky night’ take place at the Port Mahon in Oxford. It’s a fun concept – some decent acoustic-type music (this time including Francis Pugh & The Whisky Singers, Lewis Newcombe-Jones and Dan McKean) and an appreciation of fine-quality single malt whiskies. How refined.

It’s a big couple of days in Oxford’s musical calendar over Friday 19 July and Saturday 20 July, as that’s when this year’s Truck Festival happens! Our favourite celebration of music (both local and not) in a couple of fields is located, as usual, at Hill Farm in Steventon, and the big ol’ line-up includes big names like Spiritualized, Ash and The Horrors as well as a slew of local talent. See you there, tent/beer/banana smoothie in hand…

If you can’t make it to Truck, there’s some tasty alternative entertainment to be had on Saturday 20 July at the Holly Bush Inn in Oxford. Agness Pike will be supported by Samuel Zasada, Supremis and Gemma Moss at a ‘One Gig Closer’ night of music. Pop along with a tent/beer/banana smoothie if you feel the need to recreate that festival feeling… otherwise normal gig etiquette will suffice!

Get your post-Truck rock on with a barnstormer of a gig on Monday 22 July: the riff-heavy, super-badass Karma To Burn are at The Bullingdon in Oxford, supported by the equally rifftastic and powerful Desert Storm and Hark. What a way to kick off a new week!

On Thursday 25 July there’s something special at The Wheatsheaf in Oxford. Cracking new promoter Tertium Quid has Oliver Wilde – a one-man mix of vocals, guitars and subtle audio effects – will be joined by Oxford’s Bethany Weimers (whose album Harpsichord Row is a thing of rare beauty) and by the Dorset-sourced (although now resident in Oxfordshire) August List who offer ‘backwards country/porch folk’. Oliver Wilde will also play an in-store at the Truck Store on Cowley Road, Oxford, earlier in the day.

More Excellent Local Festival Action on Friday 26 July, Saturday 27 July and Sunday 28 July – Riverside Festival has its annual celebration of local music in Charlbury, with a massive line-up of local talent. There’s also D-Fest in Drayton on Saturday 27 July which has The Epstein, My Grey Horse, The Scholars and more.

If you’re not festival-ing there’s a fascinating gig at the Old Fire Station in Oxford on Saturday 27 July. Gesamtkunstwerk Memetics #1 is a evening of experimental performance that will include sets by Phil Minton, Steve Beresford and more – for anybody interested in more ‘out there’ explorations of music this seems like a bit of a ‘must attend’ show…

Full details of these and loads more gigs can be found in the events calendar.