Tim Hughes takes a look at the musical offerings at this year's Cowley Road Carnival

The stage is set, the beers are chilling and the bass bins are primed. It can only mean one thing – it’s carnival time!

In three days the traffic-clogged Cowley Road will be transformed into the county’s greatest street celebration, with the East Oxford community coming together for a day of live music, processions, dancing, great food... and perhaps a drink or two.

It may not quite match the beauty of Rio de Janeiro, the debauchery of New Orleans, or the vibrancy of Trinidad, but Cowley Road Carnival is Oxford’s biggest day out – and one not to be missed by anyone who likes their music.

For carnival regular Aidan Larkin – aka DJ Count Skylarkin’ - the event, which attracts 35,000 revellers and hundreds of performers, symbolises all that is good about his community.

The musician, producer and DJ will be manning the decks three times throughout the afternoon, spinning reggae, ska, calypso, rocksteady and dancehall, with sets outside the Art Bar (the venue formerly known as ‘The Bully’) with DJ Tony Nanton, and at the Hi-Lo Jamaican Eating House with Blackbird Leys dancehall legend Sir Sambo.

The Irish born reggae-lover, who lives in East Oxford, is fresh from a show at Glastonbury and will be following Sunday’s carnival with sets at T in the Park, Latitude, Boomtown and Bestival. He said: “We have got every type of people, every type of food and every type of music – and everyone gets on. I love the area for what it is. There’s no sign of anyone feeling excluded, nor any of the tension you get in other areas with mixed communities. It’s an area where people have grasped the benefits of diversity with both hands – and carnival is a good expression of that.”

He goes on: “It’s great to see the people take over the whole thing. Suddenly it has got nothing to do with those meetings with the organisers and the police. The people make it happen and businesses contribute in a creative way, with soundsystems appearing in unexpected places, like Indian grocer’s.

“It’s a representation of a diverse, unique road and the people that live here, or used to live here but can no longer afford to, all coming together. As the area gets redeveloped and gentrified, with people paying half a million pounds for a house, we need to promote the carnival and keep it going in its current form.”

However, he condemned a decision to bring forward the curfew to 6pm, effectively shortening the event by an hour, and to stifle street drinking with the introduction of an authorised bar and stage in a car park on Chapel Street.

Oxford Mail:

Vintage style: the Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band

He said: “I find it all unnecessary. The whole point of carnival is that it’s on the street. They should not be clamping down on people’s fun. The popularity and safety of the event is already proven.”

He added: “This weekend the weather looks good, there’s some great people playing and I’m looking forward to it.”

As well as reggae, the event features live rock, folk, African and Latin grooves and vintage jazz. The main performances take place at Manzil Gardens and on a Scrapyard Stage in Chapel Street – with a line-up compiled by Edd Lewington and Paul Williams of Oxford-based Katalystic Events.

Danielle Battigelli, carnival organiser said: “We are lucky to have the car park as a second area, in addition to Manzil Gardens, where we can have a stage and plenty of space for people to sit outdoors and enjoy the performances.”

There will be additional outdoor stages along Cowley Road, inside pubs, bars and other venues, and on side streets.

Highlights will include Sensible Dancehall and Kingdom of Jamalot, on the Methodist Church forecourt; folk at the James Street Tavern; and sets by Count Drachma – a Zulu-flavoured side project led by brothers Oli and Rob Steadman of Cowley folk-pop act Stornoway, and South Oxfordshire singer-songwriter Megan Henwood.

Zahra Tehrani will be running the Kate Garrett stage outside the O2 Academy for the second year in a row.

The stage was set up in memory of folk musician Kate Garrett, a member of The Mystics who spent a lot of time in Oxford, but died aged 37 in 2009 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Miss Tehrani works with community groups, including young people and the homeless, teaching courses on music production. She said: “ I grew up on Cowley Road and have been going to carnival since I was a young kid.”
She said the stage would host 10 acts, all picked by a panel of judges. She added: “Some people who were rejected last year have got though this year, so its really nice to see the improvement.”

Headlining the Manzil Gardens stage are jump blues and vintage jazz seven-piece The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, who have played everywhere from Glastonbury and Bestival to Ronnie Scott’s and the Royal Albert Hall. Carnival remains close to the band’s collective heart – being the scene of their first real gig.

Frontman Stuart Macbeth said: “The biggest thrill is the way local residents go out and create their own party in Cowley Road. It’s all about local people and nothing to do with official organisations. And it’s all very exciting.”

He adds: “It’s the one chance that everyone who lives in the area has to drink beer, dance in the street and have a great time. It’s like having Notting Hill Carnival has come to your front door.
“It’s also the only local platform for urban music - which is at the root of this band. Among the highlights for me will be seeing Temple Funk Collective on the Scrapyard Stage - an eight piece New Orleans style brass band from Temple Cowley - and Chukie, a young Oxford rapper who's part of the Ark-T project.”

He adds: "The band started out playing in the yard in front of our house in East Oxford so it's a big deal for us to be headlining.

"We live in this street and it’s our carnival. We intend to throw the party of our lives and make this our best show. It’s all well and good playing the Royal Albert Hall, but that’s nothing compared to Cowley Road Carnival."

Cowley Road Carnival runs from noon to 6pm on Sunday. For more details go to cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk

Oxford Mail:

Musical currency: Count Drachma

Where to hear what (line-up subject to change)

Manzil Gardens (dance)
Noon-2pm: Majorettes, Barefoot Bellydance, Oxford Indonesia Society, Attitude Dance School, Camels in the Night, Nia Dance Oxford, Kalika Tribal, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Mims & Santa Maria Bellydance
Tac-au-Tac Young Dancers, Miss P Performers, Step 2 Dance
3.40-4.30pm: Lunas Dance Project, Sol Samba, Expression School of Ballet, Pegasus Street Dance / Body Politic, Uniao da Mocidade.
5-6pm: Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band
* Inner City by Urban Playground, presented by Dancin’ Oxford & Playhouse Plays Out at 2pm, 3.15pm and 4.30pm.

The Scrapyard Stage (bands and DJS)
Dutty Moonshine, DJ Fu, Temple Funk Collective, Zaia, The Dublings

Asian Cultural Centre (traditional)
Various performances

Cape of Good Hope (acoustic stage)
Nikki Loy, Gazz and Padz, George Huxtable, Darwinswish, In Zanadu, The April Maze

Kazbar (acoustic and Spanish guitar)
Franz Frenetix

Meli Deli (house music and chilled electronica)
Datsound:

Music Box (live artists)
Larry Reddington, Aaron Keylock

Methodist Church forecourt (tropical beats)
Kingdom of Jamalot and Sensible Dancehall playing dancehall, reggae, soca, jazz, hip hop and tropical bass.

East Oxford Community Centre (live music and DJs)
EOCC’s own DJs and performers from City of Oxford College with Oxford Institute of Music, including Nina Jade, Ebony Keisha, Lies of Elizabeth, XCS, Hannah & the lads, Kypptik, Smudge, The Magic Mango Band, Studio 5 & Jamatone

Courtyard (live music):
Horns of Plenty, City of Oxford College with Oxford Institute of Music, City Of Oxford Silver Band, Oxford Ukeleles

The Truck Store (live sets)
Oxford Ukeleles, Count Drachma and others

Marston Street junction (DJs)
Street Sounds sound system, featuring DJ Phloss, D90, Super T & Tommy B

First Floor Restaurant (soul)
Artists including Samita Atkins.

Art Bar (original indie, rock and pop)
Error 54, Moogieman, Madcaps, Mighty Redox, Palahnuik, A Reluctant Arrow, Tess of the Circle, Ran Kan Kan, Count Skylarkin, Tony Nanton and Housewurk

The Library (acoustic)
various artists

O2 Academy: Kate Garrett stage (urban and alternative music by young performers)
Zamir Wheeler, Beat This, Paige Mathis, Shottz, Nadine Fisher, Voodoo Collective Mizz Lyrikal, Jack Casstles-Jones, Chukie, Mary James, YWMP, Jack Bushrod

Bar Aroma (Latino Corner)
Latino DJs spinning salsa, bachata, reggaeton, merengue, zumba and carnival sounds

Blanco (house)
Simple soundsystem

City Arms (Bear on a Bike stage - live artists)
Jordan O’Shea and the Commonwealth, Josh Woodman, My Crooked Teeth, Amir Sharma, Sier Pin Sky, Daffyd Jenkins, Balloon Ascents

James Street Tavern (folk)
Sarah Fell, Jon Fletcher, Howling Taildraggers, Manny & the Coloured Sky, Frankie the Gambler, Edd Donavan & The Wandering Moles, One Wing Left, Megan Henwood

Black Swan (traditional music and DJs)
Pavement Whisky, University of Oxford Ceiledh Band