BUCKINGHAMSHIRE university students spent a night in Oxford watching live math rock, folk and soul music as part of the UK's first national Live Music Census.

The 12 students from Bucks New University went to gigs at The Bullingdon, The Cellar, the O2 Academy, the Library and many more and spoke to hundreds of gig-goers.

Oxford was one of just seven cities taking part in the first UK Live Music Census co-ordinated by professors of pop at Edinburgh University.

Dubbed 'Springwatch for live music', the survey aimed to get a measure of live music's cultural and economic value, discover what challenges the industry faces and even inform government policy to help it flourish.

The music students from Bucks took part as part of their course and said they enjoyed their research very much.

The sweet sound of research: some of the gigs the students went to:

  • O2 Academy, Cowley Road: Ashanti (R’n’B)
  • The Cellar, Frewin Court: White Kite (ambient synth-pop and indie-funk)
  • The Bullingdon, Cowley Road: Dot’s Funky Odyssey (Soul covers including Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson plus originals)
  • The Jericho Tavern: Masiro + The Hope Burden + Ghosts In The Photographs + Lee riley (Math rock; instrumental post-rock; atmospheric post-rock and drone music)
  • The Library, Cowley Road: Flatlands + Slate Hearts + Self Help + High Tide Royals (Upbeat indie rocking and ferocious grunge noise)
  • Truck Store, Cowley Road: Catgod (Acoustic instore set from the local electro-jazz/ pop band)
  • East Oxford Community Centre, Princes Street: Catweazle Club (Oxford’s famous open-mic night for poetry, performance and music)
  • The Half Moon, St Clement’s: Sparky’s Flying Circus (Open mic for musicians, poets and comedians)
  • The Catherine Wheel, Sandford-on-Thames: Blues Jam night

Music management lecturer Paul Fields, who joined them on the field trip, said: "We had a fun and productive night in Oxford, which gave our passionate first-year students invaluable experience of field research very early on in their university journey, and highlighted the immense variety present within the UK’s live music industry.

"We look forward to seeing the results of the census, both from Oxford and other UK cities.”

The group also visited The Catherine Wheel, East Oxford Community Centre, The Jericho Tavern and Truck Store on their night out.

The survey co-ordinators said they chose Oxford as one of the seven survey cities because, spawning superstars such as Radiohead, Supergrass and Foals, it has long 'punched above its weight' in terms of live music.