Oxford musicians and promoters back underground bolthole for Independent Venue Week

Since its early days, The Cellar, has prided itself on its independence.

Tucked away, in Frewin Court, just off Cornmarket, the venue has long been at the heart of Oxford’s alternative music scene. Starting life as a rockers pub called The Corn Dolly, it has provided a platform for local, national and international acts - many of whom have gone on to make it very big indeed.

Still run by father and son Adrian and Tim Hopkins, it remains close to the hearts of punters - and to those bands who played there on their way up. They include Foals, Fixers, The Young Knives and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who played his first ever live show there.

Other acts to have graced its stage, under the watchful eye - and ear - of house sound engineer Jimmy Hetherington, are Afrika Bambaataa, Dawn Pen, Pulled Apart By Horses, Noah And The Whale, Metronome, Rolo Tomassi and Stornoway.

Last Friday the club celebrated it's noncomformist spirit with a party, curated by Stornoway, to coincide with Independent Venue Week. We asked a few people connected with the club, what it was that made it special.

What they said...

Here’s what a few of The Cellar’s fans have to say about Oxford’s quirkiest venue:

* Walter Gervers of Oxford band Foals: “After just about being allowed into the Point to see Dustball shows, the Cellar was the next level in Oxford to see bands. I have fond, albeit boozy, memories of Truck’s Trailer park nights, and feeling very privileged to let whoever was headlining to sleep in bags on our floor that night, long before I was doing the same on other people’s. There have been some great shows: Trademark, Young Knives, Black Madonnas, Youthmovies, to name a few.

“It’s also probably the venue that members of my band have been thrown out of more times than we’ve played there. Quite an accolade.

“Long may it continue for all to enjoy real gold shows in the most intimate of settings. Just please stop spilling Sambuca on my shoes!”

* Gaz Coombes, formerly of Supergrass: ”Oxford has some great venues, like The Cellar, where I’ve see a few shows. I love these places where you can feel the sweat dripping from the ceiling and the breath of the front row on your face!”

* DJ and promoter Count Aidan Skylarkin: “I’ve been running Skylarkin' Soundsystem on the first Friday of every month at The Cellar since 2008. All the acts I've invited to come and play in those years have fallen in love with the place. Dawn Penn, the great Jamaican hitmaker, still talks to this day of her two-night stint for me in 2011. Like the punters, the artists recognise a genuine place when they see it. Unsalubrious it might be, but The Cellar is still by far and away the best night out in Oxford. Long may it remain so.”

Oxford Mail:

Out for the Count: Aidan (Sky)Larkin

* Ronan Munro, Editor of Oxford’s music monthly Nightshift: “I’ve been going to gigs at the Cellar for nearly 30 years now, and it’s never really changed. And nor should it. They can put a new coat of paint on the walls once in a while but the spirit of rock and roll continues to seep out of them. With its low ceiling and labyrinthine layout it’s just the perfect venue to see bands in, to really get up close and personal and have your senses blown to smithereens by some great new band that no-one’s heard of yet. It’s a brilliant venue because it oozes character and it’s never had some corporate drone with a marketing degree come in and try to beautify it. It’s beautiful enough as it is.”

* Brian Briggs of Oxford folk-pop band Stornoway: “It’s a classic! It’s bang in the centre of Oxford, but is in a secluded alleyway off Cornmarket. It is underground, has low ceilings, and on a busy day it drips with water. It has a great atmosphere. There are club nights, student nights, and loads of gigs of all genres, from reggae to rock and dance. It’s an institution, and we keep going back.”

* Remi Phillips of club promoters Extra Curricular: “The Cellar is my favourite venue to work with, the crowd are some of the friendliest people I've met and the staff are an incredible team. There is no other place I know that welcomes such diverse musical talents, it has personally seen the growth of some of our most beloved artists.”

* Idiot King promoter Michael Chiltott: “The Cellar is pretty much the best venue in Oxford for the sort of shows we do. It's got a great atmosphere, a fantastic history and the sound guys get it right every time. It's done an incredible amount for the Oxford music scene.”

The Cellar's Tim Hopkins is keeping it in the family. Read more here...

Oxford Mail:

Cooking on Gaz: Wheatley's Gaz Coombes live (Picture: Tim Jensen)