TIM HUGHES dons his flares, bandana and open-toed sandals to get down with ‘flower child’ Nelly B Page for a night of 60s excess.

IF you’re going to Cowley Road, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair… Yep, this weekend we turn on, tune in and drop out as our favourite venue heralds the new Summer of Love.

In keeping with its series of ‘decades’ club nights, the O2 Academy Oxford celebrates the decade of peace, love and unfeasibly wide trousers… the sixties.

Forty years since Dylan, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, The Who and, err, the Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band, got down with the kids at the Isle of Wight Festival, the Academy is inviting all hep cats, freaks, flower children and mods to shake their stuff on its dancefloor to the finest sounds of the decade which invented modern rock culture.

The night is the idea of those crazy dudes at Trashy, no doubt after a night of herbally-infused naked dancing around at one of those ‘love-in’ things which the ‘squares’ rightly frown upon.

“It’s a brilliant idea,” says Trashy icon DJ Nelly B Page.

“And it’s the logical next step after our amazing 1940s and ‘50s theme nights – which were great fun.

“The original idea was to do something which would interest everybody but not be tacky.

“We wanted to make it broad but didn’t want to get into hen night territory.

“Having nights styled on different decades makes it a big party for everyone.

“It’s a great chance to dress up – and there is no better decade to get stuck into fancy dress than the sixties.”

The night will see the Trashy party night teaming up with the venue’s Transformation indie night for one floor of fun – covering everything from Motown to Northern soul, Mersey Beat, acid rock, psychedelia and mod culture.

“It’s the first decade night where we could play exclusively music from that period,” adds Nelly – “Though we probably won’t!

“”The music of the ‘60s was so diverse,” she goes on.

“And we do play a lot of tunes from back then anyway – especially Motown classics and tunes by Lulu and Sandy Shaw, while the Beatles, Kicks and Rolling Stones are perfect for Transformation.

“The ‘60s was a hugely influential decade and is still important to what we do now. It saw people defining themselves by what music they listened to – and dressing accordingly.

“It saw lots of people starting to go to gigs, and the music festival was invented. Before then no one would have thought about camping in a field listening to music and having a drink. But now everyone does it – of all ages.

“And it’s important that people dress up.

“We want to see loads of hippies, mods, Beatles look-alikes and girls in mini skirts and white lipstick, or hippy dresses and with flowers in their hair.”

So, think Carnaby Street, the Cavern Club, Motor City, San Francisco Bay, and Woodstock… New York, not Oxfordshire.

“It’s easy and it’s cool,” smiles Nelly.

“Because, as we all know, the 60s never really died!”

Nelly’s Fashion Tips: * Hippy dudes: baggy jeans, bright shirts, beads, Afghans, long hair (or wigs), bandanas, beards and flowers.

* Mods: Carefully brushed hair, smart shoes, sharp suits, fitted trousers, thin ties and parkas. Swinging sisters: mini skirts, knee-high boots, black eyelashes, mascara, false eye-lashes, back-combed hair and pale lipstick.

* Flower chicks: Maxi-dresses, embroidery, kaftans, Pocahontas headbands, sandals, flowers, and beads, beads, beads!