ROCK stars of the future believe Oxford will need more venues for bands to perform if the city is to produce another Supergrass or Radiohead.

At least 200 teenagers gave their views during a session of rock workshops and talks given by leading figures in the music business in Oxford Town Hall.

Event organiser and city leisure officer David Steel said: "We wanted to hear from young people involved in the music business in Oxford - either players or DJs. It became clear last year that Oxford is a centre for popular music, and there is a lot of creativity in Oxford at the moment.

"There are a lot of good things happening with a lot of bands progressing through.

"Apart from Supergrass and Radiohead, there are a lot of other bands in the wings and moving through in a similar way, like Tumbleweed."

Teenagers discussed music copyright and licensing as well as taking part in specific workshops.

Radio One executive producer Chris Lycett, plus members of the arts council, gave valuable advice to the budding musicians.

Youngsters want to see more venues open to under 18 bands and fans in Oxford. At the moment most big venues are attached to pubs, making it difficult for bands to perform.

There is also a shortage of rehearsal space and inexpensive recording facilities.

Mr Steel said the city council will address these problems in the future.

Monday night's event capitalised on the success of Sound City last year, where Radio One did live broadcasts from a variety of venues in Oxford.

Dave Newton, who runs Oxford record label Shifty Disco and recently released a single by Crackout, said the event was a great way to show teenagers how to do sound-checking and live performances.

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