When British Sea Power won a nomination for this year's Mercury Music Prize they picked up an army of new fans.

And it wasn't just because of the quality of their punchy North Country rock — though compulsively brilliant stuff it is. No, it's because of their pledge that, if they should win, they would spend the money on hiring a hitman to assasinate a notorious right wing comedian.

"If we won £25,000, I'd get a contract killer and send him after Jim Davidson," joked the band's Martin Noble.

Predictably, their album Do You Like Rock Music was pipped at the post by Elbow, and Davidson is free to stalk the land, plying his unfunny trade. Yet their cheeky promise reminded us of the crowd-pleasing, off-kilter quality of this Brighton-based bunch of Yorkshire and Cumbria lads.

They've played sets in Cornish caves, London's Natural History Museum, and, on Wednesday, will be at the Regal, in Cowley Road, Oxford. Be there!

Tickets are £14 from tctmusic.co.uk. Support comes from Film School and Euchrid Eucrow.