Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires

Greeting your grandparents who are in the audience at the O2 Academy in Cowley Road is a nice touch.

That’s what one of the band members of Rixton, from Manchester, did when they started a nationwide tour in Oxford, after selling out in the States.

It was the first time I’d seen a live band on stage at the O2 Academy.

Accompanied by my 16-year-old, it was a time for blending in with the oldies, while the teenagers danced, rapt, in front of the stage.

02 is a terrific venue: three stages with an overall capacity for over a thousand people. Entry was quick and efficient, plastic bottles removed at the door, to prevent underage drinking.

Inside, the space was compact, the stage small, and the atmosphere informal, well ordered and friendly. Free water was available at the bar. O2 Angels moved quietly and unobtrusively through the crowd, answering questions, helping the black T-shirted roadies, and keeping an eye out for trouble.

There was none and it was a great credit to the smooth running of the Academy that any potential problems were anticipated and dealt with.

Mothers held children on their shoulders, and by the hand (no one is admitted under the age of eight). Parents accompany under 14s – and ear protection is recommended. Why, I wonder, do gigs have to be so loud?

Those aged 14 and over may come to concerts alone – and this was the largest part of the audience – although there were older adults at the back, possibly keeping an eye on younger family members.

Rixton partied from the first chord.

Their lead singer’s vocals are unmistakable: the son of Shane Richie and Colleen Nolan, Jake Roche had swagger, style and superb musicality.

Keyboard and bass player Danny Wilkin played and sang harmonies with seamless ease and an evident love of performance, while Charley Bagnall’s guitar and Lewi Morgan’s drums kept the string of hits coming.

Earlier, Young Kato opened – my daughter reminded me that I’d seen them play already in an episode of the British reality TV soap Made In Chelsea, at the Barfly in Camden.

They offered fans the chance to meet them after the gig for “CDs, pics and flowers”.

I later saw them posing for selfies with excited girl fans.

Lead singer Tommy Wright, left on stage alone, produced an iPhone and took some shots of the audience. It’s good to know that artists too appreciate recording their fans – even if they’re compiling documentary evidence of success, just in case their mum and dad don’t believe them... and granny and grampy aren’t in the audience.

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