THE HALF RABBITS + WITCHES + MORE

Event information

THE HALF RABBITS

+ WITCHES

+ THE QUARTER FINALS

+ MR G AND RICH

OxfordBands.com and BBC Radio Oxford team up to present a showcase of four of Oxford's brightest hopes for 2006.

THE HALF RABBITS

'Impossible-to-ignore volume and insistence of someone hammering a point home and a dark, foreboding compulsiveness' - drownedinsound 'Rather endearing… ethereal, other worldly…for those who like their music a little off the beaten track' – BBC Radio 1

Strange things happen in the world of The Half Rabbits. On May 27th, singer/songwriter Michael Weatherburn woke up to find his band were slapped across the front page of RollingStone.com with the tagline "expect great things" next to their name.

Next, Jetplane Landing's Smalltown America label invited them to appear on their 'Public Service Broadcast' compilations 4 and 6, the BBC declared themselves "smitten" plus Drowned in Sound described Michael "a modern day Syd Barrett...a Bowie for the for the reality TV generation." All this from their self-released '3 songs' E.P. The release of the band's debut mini-album, 'Disclaimer', on Quickfix Recordings (home of the first Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies release), saw the band's following increase only further.

Gigging all around the country has earned The Half Rabbits a reputation as a frenetic yet commanding 4-piece, and the current buzz around the live circuit is testament to this. Having recently played around the UK with household names such as Editors, The Paddingtons, The Duke Spirit, We Are Scientists, Komakino, The Cribs, Shout Out Louds, House of Love, The Stands, 10,000 Things, The Young Knives, Eastern Lane and Fell City Girl, the band are looking only onwards and upwards.

WITCHES

The brainchild of former eeebleee frontman Dave Griffiths, Witches have flourished in an incredibly short time into purveyors of wonderfully lush orchestral pop, and are perhaps the hot tip for 2006 in Oxford.

'From Nought to Nick Drake, The Velvet Underground to Belle and Sebastian in the space of ten minutes. That's going some by any standards.' - Nightshift

THE QUARTER FINALS

Young Oxford three-piece currently producing some of the most imaginative, and intelligent rock music around. Expect big things in 2006.

MR G AND RICH

Drum machine-powered attention deficit rock from Oxford duo just back from recording with Pat Collier (Maximo Park, Jesus & Mary Chain).

'Forlorn, enchantingly laid back vocals cast shadows upon something beautifully Queens of the Stone Age, and a meandering, inquisitive pace and direction tastes quite distinctly Interpol. The lyrics cast a perverse sneer in their wake and the careful use of sound effects and beats leaves an intelligent scornful burn to the skin.' - drownedinsound

£5 in advance or on the door. Doors 8pm. More information: The Half Rabbits: www.halfrabbits.co.uk Witches: www.witchesband.com Mr G And Rich: www.mrgandrich.co.uk OxfordBands: www.oxfordbands.com BBC Oxford: www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/music