Rock and roll has earned itself something of a bad name in recent years.

Since its inception way back in the 50s it has exploded into all of our lives, giving birth to popular music as we know it today. In the late 60s and early 70s rock and roll started to splinter into different sub genres, an effect that’s still happening – even as I write these words.

We are now so lost in the thousands of different strands it would be impossible for me to even attempt to list them here, but also rather interestingly it would probably be quite impossible these days for a true grass roots rock and roll group to make a vague impression on the charts.

We’re so used hearing that indispensable rock and roll influence in so many different musical forms we wouldn’t recognise the original sound at all.

Yet it’s by far the most important influence in modern pop music, a knock-on aesthetic we hear every day in the music that provides a soundtrack to our lives.

And it’s very easy to feel that whatever’s being done today is somewhat stale, like it’s all been done before.

This is what makes a night like the Cellar’s latest offering Big Ten Inch such a wonderful breath of fresh air.

Here is a night that hasn’t forgotten those early days of rock, and truly seems to live in some beautiful world where all you’ll ever hear are the sumptuous tunes and beats of early ska, soul, blues and of course the true roots of rock and roll.

The music keeps the night swinging effortlessly into the early hours, and frankly, if you don’t find yourself dancing while grinning like a maniac for pretty much the entire evening there’s probably something seriously wrong with you.

The night is overseen by one of Oxford’s favourite sons as Count Skylarkin continues to bring us ancient tunes that probably don’t exist in any other format than vinyl, and you probably can’t buy anywhere other than small record fairs and car boot sales.

Somehow he manages to dig out an unbelievable amount of engaging old rock and roll tunes to delight the enormous crowd who have turned out to witness the birth of the latest jewel in the Cellar’s crown.

The brilliant beats and rhythms of Big Ten Inch feel more fresh and fun than pretty much any other night in the city, and a whole host of likeminded guest acts reinforce just how much fun this night can be.

Chuck Berry once sang ‘Hail, hail, rock and roll, deliver me from the days of old’, but in truth the best thing about Big Ten Inch is that it takes us right back to those glory days to deliver one of the best nights it’s ever been my pleasure to attend – one that is utterly sublime and more importantly, an awful lot of fun.