Fun, frolics and wobbles: a look back at Oxfordshire's musical year

Some years are characterised by revolution, others meteoric booms and busts. The same can be said for the music scene.

The past 12 months was none of these things. Much like the country as a whole, 2014 was a year of business as usual; of steady growth against a background of challenging economic conditions. But what great fun it has been!

Our established festivals continued to flourish; music venues have continued to pull in big-name acts, underscoring Oxford’s ability to punch above its weight; local legends still cause ripples of excitement; while a new generation of pretenders snap at their heels.

The undoubted highpoint was festival season — starting in sunny style way back in May, with Wood festival, at Braziers Park, Ipsden.

A model for festival-going, this gorgeous green-tinged gathering is run along strict ecologically friendly lines, and is practically self-sufficient with solar-powered stages, clay ovens and composting toilets. While the casual observer may draw the conclusion that music takes a back seat to the wholesome business of fungi foraging, yogurt-weaving and communing with nature, the bands were superb, with stand-out sets by singer-songwriter Luke Sital-Singh, vintage jazz act The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, and Americana acts Co-Pilgrim and hosts Dreaming Spires — who pulled off a show-stealing finale alongside chief Rabbit Foot, Stuart Macbeth, and Brian Briggs from Cowley folk-pop band Stornoway; the artists all performing in badger masks, in protest at the cull.

The festival fun continued at Cornbury Music Festival, at Great Tew, despite mixed weather, with great sets by Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Gipsy Kings, The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band again, Witney covers act The Standard, and a stodgy Simple Minds. Our hearts went out to Georgia hip-hop crew Arrested Development who were watched by just a handful of poncho-clad punters in torrential rain. Atlanta must have seemed very far away indeed.

Riverside Festival, in Charlbury, sweltered on one of the hottest weekend’s of the year; the temperatures matched by scorching performances by local talents Candy Says, Dubwiser, Grudle Bay, The Epstein and The Standard — again.

Truck Festival, in Steventon, pulled in such respectable names as The Cribbs, White Lies and Peace — as well as a return by Stornoway and New York hard-rocker Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, better known by his stage name Andrew WK, who, just weeks earlier, delighted fans with a lecture at the Oxford Union on his favourite subject — partying.

The sun was also out, for the most part, for Cropredy Festival, in August, with hosts Fairport Convention maintaining the event’s tankard-waving ambience while introducing such left-field acts as Steve Hackett’s Genesis and the Australian Pink Floyd Show. Highlights included sets by The Waterboys and rising country-rock stars Treetop Flyers - who delighted the real-ale and cider-swilling crowd with a gorgeous set of laid-back West Coast soul-rock, lit up by guitar acrobatics and frontman Reid Morrison's skyscraping vocals.

Oxford treasures: Stornoway at the Sheldonian

Wilderness, at Cornbury Park, the same weekend, was another sunny delight — despite some late-night rain for headliners Metronomy and a Sunday morning lashing by Hurricane Bertha. This was the year’s big success, with organisers increasing capacity, without sacrificing its boutique beauty. That was only enhanced by the presence of supermodel Cara Delevingne and a clutch of actor chums sipping Champagne with guests in hostess Lady Rotherwick’s walled garden. Quirky headliner Burt Bacharach served up easy listening standards but it was closing act London Grammar who stole the show, with a set which served as a soundtrack to the summer.

Less successful was the much-vaunted, but badly-organised OxfordOxford festival, which was due to take place in South Park in September, with sets from Klaxons, Katy B and our own Gaz Coombes. After poor ticket sales, chaotic discounting and rumours of Katy B’s withdrawal, organisers lost their nerve and pulled the plug with just a week to go.

Back inside, local heroes Foals continue to lead from the front, delighting fans with a sweaty, surprise hometown warm-up show at the O2 Academy Oxford in February. They went on to dominate the summer — earning a nomination for UK headline performance of the year for their Bestival show.

Into the Wilderness: Burt Bacharach

Also dropping into the O2 Academy was one Pete Doherty. Despite turning up late, and playing a suitably shambolic set, July’s performance underlined the sparky, glitchy brilliance of a man who really ought to be Poet Laureate. A similar claim could be made for another rock badboy: John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, who donned his best Country Life butter ad tweeds for an engaging Q&A session at the Sheldonian. For a man not given to suffering fools gladly, he came across as witty and eloquent — if unforgiving of his critics.

Also gracing the Sheldonian were Stornoway, who played two heart-melting shows at the Wren-designed masterpiece to celebrate its 350th anniversary in November. The boys were only the second rock act to play the venue in its history, the other being them-selves, five years previously.

This year’s standout local act were undoubtedly Glass Animals. The former St Edward’s schoolmates released their debut ZABA, on Adele producer Paul Epworth’s Wolf Tone label, to critical acclaim and sold out venues across the world — including London’s Southbank Centre and our Jericho Tavern.

Rising stars: Glass Animals

That venue also served as the venue for the Autumn Jamboree hosted by this newspaper, featuring the aforementioned Dreaming Spires, Oxford bluegrass-folk-rockers The Knights of Mentis and Stonoway’s Oli Steadman. As a statement of intent for the Oxford music scene, it was second to none. Three superb acts, coming together (literally for its stage-trembling grand finale) for a loud display of free-spirited creativity and musical cross-pollination.

The biggest news on the Oxford music scene though, came with news that one of the city’s biggest ever bands were re-forming — Ride. Fans couldn’t believe their luck in November, when it was revealed Ride would reunite for a series of dates in May.

Announcing the reunion, the band’s Mark Gardener, who lives in East Oxford, also raised the tantalising prospects of a hometown gig and a new Ride release.

“That’s one of the things we are so excited about,” he said.

This could be a very thrilling year indeed.

Beautiful shambles: Peter Doherty