Oxford gig guide

Friday, August 10

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Cooper . Modern rock band. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Cropredy, near Banbury: Cropredy Festival. Aug 9-11. Featuring Fairport Convention, Steve Ashley and Amos Garett.

Apollo Theatre, George Street, Oxford: Elkie Brooks. 7.30pm. 0870 6063500.

Village Hall, Goring: John Maddocks Jazzmen. 8pm.

Borders Bookshop, Magdalen Street, Oxford: Live jazz. Every Friday in the licensed cafe, 7-9pm 01865 203901.

The Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford: Retro night with Oz and the Mallyman. Every Friday. 70s in carwash style. 8pm. 01865 244516.

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Saturday, August 11

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Blue Boar, Godards Lane, Chipping Norton: Potion. Original Aussie Indie blues rock. 9-11pm. 01908 564 787.

Jack Russell, Old Marston, Oxford: Billy and the Bonquas. 8pm. 01865 247668.

Marquee on Brailes playing field, Gloucestershire: Boogie Brothers tribute band. Support by Electric Leg, made up of three ex-King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys musicians and Tom Nolan's Bluescasters. Evening will start with a children's disco at 6pm. 01608 685332.

Cropredy, near Banbury: Cropredy Festival final day.

Zodiac, Cowley Road, Oxford: Rock of Travolta. Kids Near Water, Dustball and Caliber. Presented by the Club that Cannot Be Named. For 16s plus. Doors open 7pm. 01865 420042.

The Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford: Drum 'n' bass club night. Featuring Nicky Blackmarket. 9pm. 01865 244516.

Zodiac, Cowley Road, Oxford: Transformation club night. Indie. Every Saturday. Plus Beatroot club downstairs. 01865 4200042.

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Sunday, August 12

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Rose Revived, Newbridge: Bejazzled Allstars. 7.30pm.

Hilton Hotel, Newbury: Derek Tatum Chicagoans. 8pm.

Lord Nelson, Brightwell Baldwin: Easy-listening jazz. Every Sunday. Lunchtime.

Bridge Hotel, Shillingford: George Brown. Lunchtime.

Black Horse, Kidlington: S.E.X. Live music. 8pm.

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Monday, August 13

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Jongleurs, Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford: Blues night. Fast Freddie and the Hotshots. 8pm.

Nettlebed Folk Song Club, near , Henley: Sally Barker with Keith Richard Buck. 8pm. 01628 636620.

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Tuesday, August 14

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Jongleurs Bar Risa, Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford: Dance night. Every Tuesday. Dancing with DJ Anthony. 01993 700403.

The Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford: Denny Ilett Jnr Quartet. Every Tuesday, 8pm

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Wednesday, August 15

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Upstairs Room, The Jericho, Walton Street, Oxford: Ginni Hogarth. The South African singer/songwriter with her full band. 8.30pm. 01628 546956.

Red Lion Hotel, Witney: Jazz at the Barn. The Alvin Ray Quartet. Every Wednesday, 8.30-11pm. 01993 703149.

Thursday, August 16

Cricketers Arms, Iffley Road, Oxford: Acoustic open session. 8.30pm. 01865 726264.

Zodiac, Cowley Road, Oxford: Disques Vogues easy-listing club night. Every Thursday. 10.30pm. 01865 420042.

The Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford: Funky weekend. Duvals, Suffragettes, Dog. DJ Marky Mark. 8pm. 01865 244516.

Lains Barn, near Wantage: Jazz. For the first time, Gerry Brown and the Mission Hall Jazz Band. Tickets £4.50 on the door. Fish and chips by the Penguin (£2.30, order by 8.30pm). Bar by the Royal Oak, Wantage. Raffle. Doors open 7.30pm. 01235 765648 or 01993 811678.

1 mile east of Wantage, off the A417, Wantage: Jazz at Lains Barn. Gerry Brown Mission Hall Band. Tickets: £4.50 on the door. Fish & Chips (£2.30 - order by 8.30pm). Bar, raffle. Doors open 7.30pm. 01235 765648/01993 811678.

Chicago Rock, Park End Street, Oxford: Millie Munroe's Tina Turner tribute. 8pm.

BULLDOG BASH

Long Marston Airfield

Stratford-upon-Avon, today and tomorrow XFORDSHIRE'S Cropredy Festival kicked off in spectacular style last night with a live set by one folk legend and a tribute to another.

The annual festival which takes place on a hillside near Banbury is frequently dubbed 'the friendly festival' and is one of the highlights of the folk music year.

This large - yet intimate - gathering has been a local tradition since 1979 and has something of a cult following, attracting a mix of roots purists, serious musicians, ageing hippies and real ale-supping festival lovers.

Thousands of music fans braved the tail end of the day's rainstorm to mark the start of another weekend of live plugged-in folk music. Headlining was the founding father of British folk rock, Lonnie Donegan. The 68-year-old 'king of skiffle' gave a storming set packed full of his trademark blues and country numbers.

Although he is best known for his novelty comedy record My Old Man's A Dustman, he shunned the temptation to play it for laughs. Instead he banged out a medley of some of the last century's best loved roots tunes, including: Woody Guthrie's Grand Coulee Dam; Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley; traditional American ballad The Battle of New Orleans; slavery-era spiritual We Shall Not Be Moved and Leadbelly's Midnight Special and Rock Island Line.

Switching smoothly from banjo to guitar, Donegan left the crowd in no doubts that the musical magic that inspired The Beatles is still very much alive.

Tribute

Folk rock fans were also given a treat courtesy of the Dylan Project. These Cropredy veterans are more than just a sound-alike tribute act. Many fans of the Dylan of old will secretly admit that - with all due respect to the great man - the talented five-piece often sound better than the real thing. This is not surprising, when you examine the line-up. The group consists of Steve Gibbons on guitar, vocals and harmonica, P J Wright on guitar and vocals, and three 'Fairports'; festival organiser Dave Pegg on bass and vocals, Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, and drummer Gerry Conway.

The set provided the perfect soundtrack to a glorious Cropredy sunset with covers of such classic tunes as Subterranean Homesick Blues, Highway 61 and the bittersweet Like A Rolling Stone.

PROVING this folk supergroup are capable of covering both ends of the Dylan spectrum, they encored with an upbeat cover version of The Travelling Wilburys' Dirty World.

Previously festival goers were treated to sets by up-and-coming folksters Tarras, and songwriter Steve Ashley who was supported by current Fairport fiddle player Chris Leslie and former member Martin Allcock.

The festival continues today with sets from Indian nine-piece Musafir, and blues band Sugarland Slim. Also on is the acclaimed folk singer Eliza Carthy, who took last summer's Cambridge folk festival by storm with a captivating duet with 60s singer-songwriter Joan Baez.

Saturday sees Fairport Convention taking to the stage with guest spots from Jethro Tull's manic front man Ian Anderson and US guitarist Amos Garrett.

If last night's performance was anything to go by, it looks like being a blistering weekend - whatever the weather.

The Cropredy festival runs until Saturday. Two-day tickets cost £46 and one-day £30, on the gate. Children under 12 go free if accompanied by an adult. Camping is £8 per vehicle for two days or free on Saturday.