Tim Hughes shares his top tips on the best Oxfordshire gigs for the first half of the new year

WE are only five days in, but already 2017 is shaping up to be a great year for music-lovers.

Every day news reaches us of fresh gigs and tours, long-awaited albums and rumours of festival appearances. And the good news is, that our music venues have hit the ground running this new year, with some great events to get your teeth into already, even before the last of the Christmas decorations come down.

So banish all thoughts of hibernation and get out there and join the fun. After all: singing, dancing and elbowing your way to the bar is a great way to keep fit. And far more fun, and cheaper, than a sweaty old gym.

Here are just a few of our tips for some of 2017s highlights, whatever you’re into:

  •  For the local scenester

Oxford always surprises, continually throwing up new talent capable of surprising us just when we’d thought we’d seen it all.

People we are keeping a close eye on this year include hotly tipped singer-songwriter Willie J Healey, Ags Connolly, Loud Mountains aka Empty White Circles’ Sean and Kevin Duggan; and duo Cold Red Light. Neverlnd (formerly Balloon Ascents), Kanadia, Esther Joy Lane and Cameron AG will continue to burn brightly after a stunning year which saw both mounting the springboard to greatness as will north Oxford’s Glass Animals – already a hot property around the world, particularly after the reception of amazing second album, How to Be a Human Being. The band are predicted to be a highlight of this year’s Reading Festival – providing the event’s best local interest.

Also try and catch Wednesday’s Wolves – contemporary duo Chrissy Renker and Ysabelle Durant. Their downtempo guitar riffs and percussion is engaging, elegant and quite lovely.

Those lucky enough to have landed tickets for Glastonbury Festival – or even more fortunate to be heading to Coachella in California – will get to see Radiohead. Closer to home, and even more melancholic (if possible), is the farewell show by Cowley folk-rockers Stornoway, who sign off with a show at the New Theatre on March 12 – the finale of their StorNoMore tour. A bittersweet night of smiles and tears is expected.

Oxford Mail:

We will see a tearful farwell to Stornoway

  • For the indie kid

Don’t miss the return of White Lies (February 25), who bring their melancholic synth rock and killer choruses to the O2 Academy Oxford. They come armed with new album Friends. The same venue offers an impressive schedule of indie, with Los Angeles female four-piece Warpaint (March 28) supporting their third album, Heads Up, and Trumpton Riots stars Half Man Half Biscuit bringing their wry take on pop culture, celebrity and sporting personality on March 18. Expect biting satire, jagged indie-rock and punchy laugh-out-loud lyrics from Wirral lad Nigel Blackwell and his crew. They even have a new album, 2016’s And Some Fell on Stony Ground, again proving last year wasn’t all bad.

One of the most hotly anticipated gigs of the year is that by the reincarnated Jesus and Mary Chain (April 2). Brothers Jim and William Reid bring long-awaited new album Damage & Joy, due out in March – their first since 1998’s Munki.

“The interesting thing about this record is what comes out of the speakers,” says Jim. “To make a good record is an achievement if you’re twenty-two, but to do it in your 50s, the way we are, I think is a minor miracle.”

Dig out the black jeans, and black everything else, for goth survivors The Mission who hit town (May 18) with new LP Another Fall From Grace – cue much dry ice.

And then there is Kraftwerk, who surprisingly play a 3-D show the New Theatre on June 6. We are as surprised as everyone else. An historic night of electronica and robotic rock is guaranteed.

  • For the folk fan

The Oxford Folk Weekend has become a popular fixture on the city's calendar with a feast of all things acoustic and more Morris dancing than you can shake a stick at (which is exactly what they'll be doing to us). Highlights this year (April 21-23) include Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Melrose Quartet, Jim Moray, Leveret, Ange Hardy, Jackie Oates & Megan Henwood, John Spiers, Dan Walsh, Dipper Malkin, Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, The Emily Askew Band and The Discussion Topic. (folk-arts-oxford.co.uk)

IT may be a little bit of a trek, but Nettlebed Folk Club, is one of the very best in the country – and we are lucky to have it. This year’s line-up is a tankard-botherer’s dream, starting on January 16 with a show by Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band, with Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin, who will be recording a new live album. Cheer loud enough and you’ll be on it!

Other dates to watch out for include Seth Lakeman on January 30, Cara Dillon on February 27, John Kirkpatrick and Martin Carthy on March 27 and Fairport Convention on May 22. nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk

Oxford Mail:

Richard Thompson returns to Cropredy this year

  • For the rocker

Mosh away the cobwebs to The Hunna at the O2 Academy Oxford (January 25). The Hertfordshire four-piece had a great 2016, selling out headline shows around the world, amassing nearly 10 million Spotify streams and releasing their debut album, 100, which entered the album chart at number 13.

For something more cosmic, head to the same venue on February 15 for Galactic Empire, who touch down on the Cowley Road after having to postpone last month’s show. To the uninitiated, Galactic Empire are a Star Wars-obsessed bunch of heavy rockers who appear on stage in full Stormtrooper and Imperial empire/ Sith garb. The force is indeed strong with these ones.

  • For the festival freak

For all its faults, 2016 proved a great year for festival-goers, with scorchers at Truck, Wilderness, Cornbury, Cropredy and The Big Feastival (notwithstanding that downpour). And we also saw the inaugural Oxford Common People in South Park.

Truck continues this year in its expanded three-day form and tickets are already on sale for the others. While line-ups have yet to be announced, great things are expected.

Following last year’s stellar Ride set at Common People’s sister festival, Bestival, is it to much to hope for a homecoming show by the seminal shoe-gazers in South Park (May 27-28)? Come on lads!

Fairport’s Cropredy Convention (August 10-12) this year marks its 50th anniversary, and will be particularly special. Early names to be announced, other than hosts Fairport, of course, include former Fairporters Richard Thomson, Iain Matthews and Judy Dyble, and Neil Hannon’s Divine Comedy, prog-rockers Marillion, Scottish folk legend, and Amber Festival stalwart Dougie MacLean and one of the hits of last year’s gathering, easy-on-the-ear Australian siblings Pierce Brothers.

On a down note, this year marks the finale of Cornbury Music Festival (July 8-10), at Great Tew. The ‘groover from Vancouver’, Bryan Adams has already been revealed as one of the headliners. Big things are expected for the final send-off of dear old ‘Poshstock’.

Oxford Mail:

Chipping Norton's Esther Joy Lane is heading for another great year

  • For pop people

X Factor fans can indulge themselves with foursome Union J, (O2 Academy, February 16) who are joined by former Stereo Kicks member Casey Johnson, Sam Bailey (New Theatre, March 4) and singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan (O2 Academy, March 15).

Then there’s 80s star and one-hit wonder (discuss!) Rick Astley (New Theatre March 18). Whatever he does, it seems we’re never gonna give him up, that’s for sure.

Whatever you do, have a good one.

For tickets go to ticketweb.co.uk (O2 Academy); atgtickets.com (New Theatre), and wegottickets.com