* It's all going lupine-loopy this week, with two wolfish acts hitting the Cowley Road. On Saturday we have the exhilarating Wolf Alice, fronted by singer Ellie Rowsell, at the O2 Academy, while Wednesday sees the even more rapacious Turbowolf rocking up at the Bullingdon (see above).

While Ellie’s band take their name from a tender short story about a girl raised up by wolves, Turbowolf confess to being less cerebral.

“It was the result of lots of alcohol” laughs singer Chris Georgiadis.

“We didn’t have a name and one night we drank a lot and went to a party. It was a wild night and someone said, ‘How about Turbowolf?’, and it stuck. If we could change the name now, we definitely would.”

In terms of wolfish traits, he points at his mouth. “My canine teeth are very prominent,” he laughs. “You can’t take yourself too seriously. We are all just moss growing on a big old rock in space. You’ve got to have a smile.”

* Fancy yourself as the next Sam Bailey, James Arthur or, er, Steve Brookstein?

Well, you could be in luck, because the X Factor is coming to town. Yes, the crew is coming to Oxford’s Clarendon Shopping Centre on April 9, to hold auditions for budding stars. Be there between 9am and 6pm. You must be over 16 and with an adult if you’re under 18.

Go to itv.com/xfactor

* Gig-goers may well be familiar with Chantelle Pike, who has plied her trade as a singer-songwriter in this parish for a number of years. Now she’s half of folk-pop duo Eyes for Gertrude with Hannah Dean and they have released their debut album, Residential Bliss.

The spine-tinglingly beautiful harmonies, grabby lyrics and virtuoso musicianship have gone down a storm everywhere from our own Wheatsheaf to Glastonbury. She says much of her inspiration came from seven years in the city, some of it on the canal. “Mark Gardener of Ride helped me set out, as he does so many. Living on the narrowboat meant I could move location every day and become inspired by everything.”

Go to eyesforgertrude.com