Cheese your way into 2013, Take That fans, by popping down to the New Theatre in Oxford on 31 December where Gary Barlow will be entertaining “music” “fans” young and old with his wide selection of schmaltz-drenched balladry. He’s friends with the Queen, doncha know?

One of the first gigs in the calendar for 2013 – so far, at least – is on Saturday 5 January. It’s the latest showcase (number six) from the Bear On A Bicycle music and creativity collective, and a pretty darned decent line-up of talent will be playing sets at The Cellar in Oxford. Matt Midgley, Jordan O’Shea, Sier Pin Sky and Cries Wolf are down to appear, and maybe this is a nice way to check out some names that we’ll be hearing more of in 2013?

A couple of interesting non-mainstream musical opportunities present themselves in January. On Tuesday 8 January the ‘multimedia avant-rock collective’ Nonstop Tango will be at Oxford’s Old Fire Station, and then on Saturday 12 January there’s An Evening Of John Cage at the Port Mahon in Oxford. The latter, put together by Fixers frontman Jack Goldstein, will include a number of Cage works performed by Goldstein and Roo Bhasin (also of Fixers) along with Max Levy – aka King Of Cats – and Ian Staples of 1970s improv avant-garde band Red Square. There will also be a very limited edition cassette release to mark the occasion, available at the gig and put out by Oxford microlabel Fourier Transform.

The day before at the Port Mahon – Friday 11 January – there’s some cracking local talent performing in this up-close-and-personal venue; the Pixies-esque Von Braun will be supported by edgy songwriter Matt Midgley and the Americana-tinged Toliesel.

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

Tell us about gigs you’ll be checking out in the next two weeks in the comments!