Rock right into a year of live music in Oxford

When it comes to music, and most other things, we do well to remember the wisdom of Bob Dylan. “The future for me is already a thing of the past,” he said, gruffly. Though he went on to tell us “It’s hard to speculate what tomorrow may bring.”

Certainly predicting the future of music, or anything else, is a hazardous pursuit, with the soothsayer destined for a mighty fall.

That said, it is great fun – and with a great season of live music ahead of us, we couldn’t resist picking out a few of our gigs of 2016 – and there really are some treats .

So shake off the vestiges of that hangover, drop the rest of those foolhardy new year resolutions, abandon ‘dry January’ and dive headlong into what we boldly predict to be the best year of live music in Oxford since… well, the previous one.

Indie-lovers

One of the first big shows of the year is also one of its most interesting. North London indie-folk act Daughter spent 2015 making waves with their widely-acclaimed debut for 4AD, If You Leave.

Now Elena Tonra and her band are back for more of that dreamy loveliness (O2 Academy Oxford, January 16), with tunes from their second album Not To Disappear – out later this month.

Also worthy of attention, are former Mercury prize nominees Villagers (O2 Academy, February 8). Conor O’Brien and partners in indie-folk Tommy McLaughlin, Danny Snow, James Byrne and Cormac Curran are a startling act from Dublin who came to our attention in 2010 with their Mercury-nominated debut album, Becoming a Jackal. Now with a third LP, Darling Arithmetic, under their belts, they hit the road to showcase their imaginative craft.

From Jackals to wolves – specifically Wolf Alice. Ellie Rowsell’s band have chilled out a bit since their raucous early days and are just getting better. A Mercury nomination sealed their reputations as one of the land’s finest bands. They return (O2 Academy, March 13) for a night of alt-rock with a folky edge.

Also unmissable are Reading Festival favourites Little Comets (O2 Academy, February 25) - who come with bags of attitude and third album, Hope Is Just a State of Mind.

For something utterly outrageous, huge fun and musically accomplished, don’t miss a band tipped to be among the year’s biggest –and certainly most amusing: Fat White Family. Just when we thought rock & roll was dead, frontman Lias Saoudi and his five-piece step forward to carry on the mantle of Lemmy (well, almost). They come (O2 Academy, February 28) with second album, Songs For Our Mothers.

Perfect pop

While a true blue Aussie, Jason Donovan nonetheless has strong roots in Oxfordshire. His pop career may have played second fiddle to his acting parts in recent years, but the former Neighbours star is still a great artist with a formidable fan base. He returns to his days as pop icon with a show revolving around his debut, five-times platinum chart smash Ten Good Reasons.

The gig (New Theatre, March 13) also features a good dollop of his greatest hits – including those chart-toppers Too Many Broken Hearts, Sealed with a Kiss, and that Kylie Minogue duet Especially for You.

A song and dance Jason is not the only 80s heart-throb heading to town. Later this month one of the greats of the decade of shoulder pads appears to the delight of woman – and not a few men – everywhere. Baywatch and Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff takes to the New Theatre (January 26-30) with his show Last Night a DJ Saved my Life. This is not so much a gig as a musical, but one designed to appeal to lovers of dance music and really cheesy pop.

Fans of US pop-punk band Green Day are also in for a treat, with a musical production based around the group’s raucous tunes. American Idiot (New Theatre, May 3-7) has already been a hit on Broadway.

• Feral talent: Wolf Alice return after last year’s Mercury Prize nomination

Singer-songwriters

The start of the year sees a flurry of great singer-songwriters.

First up we have Elisabeth Corrin Maurus, aka Lissie (O2 Academy, February 13). A singer possessed of a startlingly beautiful voice, Lissie started tapping us on the shoulder with her debut EP Why You Runnin, back in 2009. She returns with her third effort My Wild West.

We also see a return from another woman who has done it on her own – Gabrielle Aplin. Making her name by posting videos of herself playing covers on YouTube, Gabrielle (O2 Academy, February 9) has gone on to great things – if you’re a fan, that is, of her sweet, folky fare. She comes armed with new album Light Up The Dark.

Emmy the Great was a leading light of the anti-folk movement which also spawned Kate Nash and Laura Marling, and, for a time, was a familiar face in Oxford. Now the London-based singer-songwriter – real name Emma-Lee Moss – is on her way back – with third album, Second Love (O2 Academy, March 11).

Also making waves is Missouri singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, who comes, with his band The Night Sweats for a night of soulful, bluesy folk-rock (O2 Academy, February 14).

Field days

No look at the coming year would be complete without a mention of the county’s great music festivals - many of them ranking among the country’s very best. Cornbury (July 8-10) has already unveiled Jamie Cullum, Wilko Johnson and Soul II Soul, while Fairport’s Cropredy Convention has Fairport Convention, of course, Hayseed Dixie, Steeleye Span and Ralph McTell. Wilderness, Truck, Towersey, Wood and the rest will drip-feed their own line-up in the coming months.

An exciting addition this year, though is Common People, which takes over Oxford’s South Park (May 28-29), with the likes of Primal Scream, Public Enemy, Soul II Soul, Craig David and our very own Gaz Coombes. A second headliner is yet to be named.

It does indeed, look like being a great musical year, both inside and out.