Our pick of the week's best gigs...

Festival

  • WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL
  • Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Tomorrow-Sunday
  • Weekend tickets £120 for adults (day and concs tickets available).
  • 01993 772580 wychwoodfestival.com

Organised by Witney music lover Graeme Merrifield from an attic above the town’s Market Square, this three-day feast of music, comedy, literature, crafts and creativity has something for everyone. Musical highlights include The Human League, Kate Nash, The Beat, Soul II Soul, Moulettes, Sam Lee, Eddie & The Hotrods, John Otway and Oxford’s Brickwork Lizards and The Goggenheim.

Read our interviewe with festival director Graeme Merrifield here

Pop

The 'bad boys’ of X Factor, District 3 bring their show to the O2 Academy to what is expected to be a loud, young and principally female audience.
Loveable rogues Micky Parsons, Dan Ferrari-Lane and Greg West bring a mix of new original material and cover versions popularised by their performance on the TV talent show.

They may missed out to rival boyband Union J, but the tricky trio have lost none of their fiesty stage presence and close-harmony vocal talent.

Americana

Husband and wife duo Rennie and Brett Sparks return to The Bully for another dose of dark country and twisted American folk. The Albuquerque-based pair conjure up introspective and twisted lyrics to heartmeltingly lovely music.

Singer-songwriter

The last time we saw Nell, she was on stage with her mate Gary Barlow at the New Theatre for his New Year’s Eve extravaganza. Tomorrow she returns to Oxford, to play the more intimate surroundings of The Jericho. The New Yorker has a cult following for her heartfelt songwriting honed through years of busking and lonely small town gigs. She will perform songs from latest album Shake The Tree.

Pop

  • THE SEARCHERS
  • St John the Evangelist, Iffley Road, Oxford
  • Tuesday
  • Tickets £19 (£21 on the door) from wegottickets.com or The Truck Store in Cowley Road.

John NcNally, Frank Allen, Spencer James and Scott Ottaway had their first hit with the Number One Sweets For My Sweet in 1963, and followed it up with such classics as Needles and Pins, Don’t Throw Your Love Away, Sugar and Spice and When You Walk in the Room. This timeless band have sold 40 million records, and yet their repertoire still sounds fresh.

Post hip-hop/ electronica

Lyrical genius Obaro Ejimiwe - aka Ghostpoet - rhymes about everyday stuff - like tricky relationships and Chinese takeaways - all to an atmospheric - often eerie - musical backdrop. Obaro claims to just "mumble to music" but this modest Londoner is essential listening. 

Read an interview with Ghostpoet here