THE music nearly died at the Jericho Tavern in 1986 after complaints about the noise.

The Walton Street pub cancelled all planned live performances in March that year while it reapplied to Oxford City Council for a music licence.

A charity rock show and gig by cult guitar hero Wild Willy Barrett were the first casualties.

Environmental health officers had served an abatement notice on the pub and said the music had to be softer.

It followed the demise of three other live music spots – The Radcliffe Arms in Jericho, the Pennyfarthing and the Caribbean Club in St Ebbe's – who had all stopped hosting gigs that year.

Jonny Avocado, who organised The Avocado Club at the pub on Monday nights, said: "Without somewhere for budding musicians to learn their apprenticeship where are all the supergroups of tomorrow? The Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Kate Bush - they all had to start in places like this."

Thankfully, the licence was granted and the venue still hosts live music to this day.