There’s a fascinating-looking event at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on Friday 22 February. ‘Musical Technologies: Old & New’ is an exploration of musical technology over the last 100 years, and includes free performances and all kinds of things to see and do, including live improvisation, a collection of vintage synthesizers, demonstrations of wind-up gramophones and more!
Noisy rock of various types to be had at The Cellar in Oxford on Saturday 23 February. Blasted is a new band featuring Ben Perrier, formerly of prime-cut noisemongers Winnebago Deal and Mondo Generator; they’ll be supported by the relentlessly entertaining Desert Storm along with punk noise from both War Wolf and Bear Trap. Bring some earplugs. Or don’t. Make your ears bleed.
The fantastic Audiograft Festival kicks off again this year from Wednesdaay 27 February; it’s a showcase of sound art and experimental music run by Oxford Brookes University’s Sonic Art Research Unit. The launch event at the Richard Hamilton Building (at Oxford Brookes) features a selection of interesting and challenging practitioners, for free, and is followed up by several events over the following days including performances by Phill Niblock and John Tilbury.
Dig into the craft of songwriting with the Oxford Country Folk Songwriters Circle, taking place at Oxford’s Port Mahon on Friday 1 March. As well as sets by Swindlestock, Olly Wills of The Epstein, Robin Bennett of The Dreaming Spires and Jess Hall, the evening will also include discussions and conversations about ‘the craft and tales behind the songs and the performance itself’.
The latest gig run by Upstairs in association with BBC Introducing in Oxford is on Saturday 2 March and, as usual, they’ve organised a great showcase of local talent for a likely-to-be-very-busy show at O2 Academy 2 in Oxford. Get along there to check out performances by Deer Chicago, Von Braun, Dallas Don’t, Matt Midgley and Will Healey. Then, if you’re feeling up for it, stick around for free entry to the Propaganda club that takes place afterwards and runs until 3.00 am.
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!