On Tuesday 16 October there’s a special show at The Wheatsheaf in Oxford – Crippled Black Phoenix, the doomy rock band including members of Mogwai and Electric Wizard are playing a warm-up show for their forthcoming European tour. They’re doing a special, lengthy set, and there will be no support acts!

Another refined evening of music from Pindrop Performances is lined up for Wednesday 17 October. Scottish balladeer Alasdair Roberts, signed to Chicago’s Drag City Records since 1996, plays at St Michael at the North Gate Church in Oxford, and will be ably supported by local acts The Cooling Pearls and Billy T’Rivers.

Congratulations to Oxford metal promoters Skeletor, who celebrate their thirtieth gig on Friday 19 October at O2 Academy 2, Oxford. The gig is a showcase of some of the younger bands in Oxford’s metal scene, and features Overlord, The Reaper, Twisted State Of Mind, I Cried Wolf, Pitch Black Summer and Indigo Montoya.

If you’re feeling hardy you can avail yourself of a five-hour long set from Mr Scruff at O2 Academy Oxford, also on Friday 19 October. The cheeky Renaissance-man turntablist will be playing from 10.00 pm until 3.00 am!

The two-day, multi-event Gathering festival takes place on Saturday 20 October and Sunday 21 October. As well as local acts including Black Hats, Beta Blocker And The Body Clock, Fine Union and Poledo, there will be swathes of out-of-towners descending on Oxford including the fantastic Liars, Dry The River, Lucy Rose, Clock Opera and many more.

Daisy Rodgers Promotions always puts on good gigs, and their latest one, on Friday 26 October isn’t breaking the trend. The line-up bundles together ‘Voodoo Sci-fi blues’ from Vienna Ditto, indie rock from Go Romano and krautrock-tinged instrumentals from Listing Ships. Daisy Rodgers also run a competition to choose a cover version for one of the bands to play – fingers crossed Listing Ships are set to perform Sir Mixalot’s ‘Baby Got Back’…

Plenty to choose from if you’re after an Oxford gig on Saturday 27 October: ex-Supergrass hairy legend Gaz Coombes at the O2 Academy 2; excellent songwriting all over the shop (literally) as Richard Walters, Family Machine and Phil McMinn do an in-store at Truck on Cowley Road; hip indie fun at The Jericho with Bright Light Bright Light, Secret Rivals and After The Thought; the latest eclectic Gappy Tooth Industries gig at The Wheatsheaf with Red Valve, One Man Team Dance and Lewis Newcombe; the refined Elysian Quartet string ensemble at St John the Evangelist Church; and finally, for the sadists amongst you, Bowling For Soup at O2 Academy. Take your pick!

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