HE may still be best known as the frontman of Oxford psych-pop band Fixers, but Jack Goldstein is much more than that. The Eynsham polymath has become one of the most interesting and bravest artists playing, not just here but anywhere, seemingly determined to take the path of most resistance.

Last seen presenting evenings of music (and mushroom biscuits) by the avant garde composer John Cage at the Port Mahon and then at the Ashmolean Museum, Jack is once again pushing boundaries with a night at the Old Fire Station this Saturday.

It’s called Gesamtkunstwerk Memetics, and even Jack describes it as ambitious.

He says: “The premise is three shows, each with different performers who can choose to do anything they wish, using any means or materials. The only perimeters are the duration of the piece and acknowledgement that each performance coexists on the same stage and at the same time.

“Each performer must also prepare with concealment and without the assistance or participation of a fellow designated performer.”

The performers, all handpicked by Jack, include poet Rachel Allen, free jazz musicians Phil Minton and Pat Thomas, comedians Adam Larter and Ben Target, composer Steve Beresford, ’70s avant-garde musician Ian Staples and musicologist Adam harper.

As for the name? Well, there hangs a tale....

"I went to a retrospective of the works of Eileen Gray at The Pompidou Centre last year," he explains.

"Eileen Gray, was an designer , architect, and lacquer artist who pioneered modern architecture and design in the early 20th century. She was popular for about 10 minutes in the twenties with the avant-gardist critics, and then fell into complete obscurity for the latter half of her life.

"I was reading about her at the time and it said that she was now considered a total creator, in the spirit of 'Gesamtkunstwerk'. I looked up the word and it’s a concept, first advanced as a theory by the German philosopher KFE Trahndorff (I know nothing about him to be honest!) which delineates the 'integration of all of the arts (music, poetry, dance, and other visual elements) into a single medium of dramatic expression'.

"I thought it was a really great word so it became the name of the show.

"In hindsight, I'm not sure it was the wisest title choice. For starters, it is impossible to pronounce, sounds like you’re saying a rude word, and no one really knows what it means.

"Secondly, the term roughly translates as 'total artwork' and, being delineated as an integration of art forms into a single medium of art, suggests that the outcome must, in some sense, reflect a predetermined, socially-adhered 'artform' in the first place.

"This isn't what we are trying to do with this show. We're not setting out to make a ‘total artwork’ – I’d be happy to settle for a ‘total failure’!”

He adds: "The performance space is larger, but still has a brilliant intimate feel to it. I wanted to do the show at The Port Mahon again but realised it just wouldn’t be practical; you couldn’t even fit the performers and all of their equipment into the pub.

"There won’t be mushroom biscuits but I can guarantee some kind of addictive sugary confectionary to subdue everyone. There will be another handmade program that details the performers and their work, as well as having details about the show and upcoming performances by each performer.

"I don’t want to give away anything else!”

And he is keen for people not to be put off by the concept. "All of the artists taking part are great," he says. "I am very lucky to have them involved. I think that one of the most important things to remember is that this should be fun, and funny, I don't think anyone should feel ostracized in any sense. It's all pretty silly stuff.”