'Got any spare change, Stevie?' yells a Scot from the back of the sell-out crowd. 'I do now, brother,' replies Steve. 'An' it's mostly yours', he drawls as an afterthought. This is all that has changed as a result of Steve’s increasing popularity following his performance on Jools Holland’s ‘Hootenanny’, and more recently at Glastonbury. In all other respects he stays true to his roots as a hobo who spent years on the streets of Mississippi after leaving a broken home at the tender age of 13. Dressed in denim dungarees, an old cap and sporting a grizzly grey beard, Steve roars through his intensely personal brand of blues with a crazy tramp’s gusto. His songs are underpinned by his own grim experiences, which he tells with razor-sharp wit and honesty. One of the most striking aspects of the performance is the modest equipment Steve uses. He plays a one-stringed ‘Diddley Bo’, a Mississippi Drum Machine (a wooden box that he stamps in place of percussion) and most impressively, a battered three-stringed guitar. Most bands would refuse to step on stage with such sub-standard gear, but for Steve it is part of the magic of his set: from these instruments he draws a thumping, knee-slapping blues rhythm that resonates throughout the hall. Like his equipment, Steve’s voice belies his gnarled exterior. There is little of the gruffness his appearance would suggest, as he sings with richness and composure, whilst the atmosphere remains visceral. Throughout the set there are moments of tenderness in his tribute to his dead dog, which manages to avoid mawkishness due to its obvious sincerity, and ‘Fly By Night’, Steve’s “song for the ladies”. It is ‘The Dead Song’, though, that is most poignant. Again it is based on his memory of the past – this time, of his own near-death from a heart attack. The crowd sings the haunting refrain ‘There ain’t nobody coming back from the dead’ back to Steve, who conducts his choir, eyes twinkling with delight. This is the pinnacle of Steve’s union with his audience, but the Edinburgh crowd, amongst which there are many old fans, has stayed captivated throughout. No one can resist stamping to the driven blues beat, joining in with the memorable choruses, or eagerly anticipating his next story from the streets, but at the heart of it is the fact that Steve is genuine. He seems constantly thrilled to be on stage, yet he also seems bemused by this new-found fame. ‘Girls used to cross the road to avoid me, but now I’m on stage with a guitar they all want to talk’, he says coyly. There are no inflated rock egos and no pretensions of stardom and this is clearly refreshing for the crowd. Despite the obvious incongruity of a hobo from the Deep South in a room full of Scots, fundamentally it is only the stage that separates Steve from the audience. The set culminates in the fans’ favourite ‘Dog House Boogie’, which receives rapturous applause. An autobiography set to a droning blues riff that moves to a wailing chorus, it encapsulates the spirit of Seasick as energy, wit, candour and emotion combine to leave the audience howling for more. It is difficult to see how Steve can continue to generate fresh material without becoming predictable, whilst sticking as he must to his winning formula. For now though, Steve’s live act is a truly memorable performance that looks set to delight wider audiences as his reputation justly expands.
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Police Plan Cowley Road Crackdown
Police are planning a crackdown on alcohol-related crime in the Cowley Road area, to coincide with the return of students.
The first two weeks of October will see both visible and covert patrols targeting antisocial behaviour and criminal damage.
Large numbers of students, including freshers, take up residence in the Cowley Road area.
Insp Brian Cooper, East Oxford Police chief, told the Oxford Mail that the aim was to “set the tone for newcomers to the city but to provide them with reassurance as well.”
Insp Cooper said he was also seeking closer links with the owners of licensed premises, particularly the Carling Academy, the new music venue on the former Zodiac site, which opens at the end of September.
“I'm not expecting the clientele to cause us too many problems, but clearly there is the possibility of it impacting on crime and disorder," he said.
Pick of the week
Best start to the termWith a distinct absence of plays kicking off Trinity Term, there is disappointingly little competition for this slot. Be this as it may, let it take nothing away from Emma Jenkinson’s sterling performance this week, as she takes on the lead role of Sarah in Harold Pinter’s The Lover. In doing so, she has proved equal to her previously high standards. Audiences might well remember her as the delightfully bitchy hostess in Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party at the O’Reilly, a role which Jenkinson performed in true Hyacinth Bucket fashion. The diversity of her talent was demonstrated by her “flawless portrayal” of Maggie last year in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a role that demanded a quite different style.
Casting disaster of the weekAs any director will undoubtedly tell you, casting is an integral part of the production process. It requires careful attention and deliberation to find the right man for the right role. No stranger to controversy, Tom Littler has demonstrated this week that it just doesn’t do to be too picky. Having been unable to find anyone talented enough to meet the high standards of professionalism he appears to have demanded for the role of Thomas a Becket, he has entirely abandoned his forthcoming production of Murder in the Cathedral, due to have taken place in Christ Church Chapel. That said, Littler soon may not be alone in his plight. This term’s OUDS calender is typically crowded, and Oxford’s top stars are in short supply. With several actors having already taken on a number of productions, and others sidelined by exam commitments, it may be time for some new talent to step forward.
And another thing…Ah, Burlesk. It was such a talking point last term, but can the enigmatic and at times rather hit-andmiss Jongleurs regular engage and regain a Trinity audience? For a start, they’ve moved to a Monday night slot starting at 10pm, which affords them the opportunity of presenting a longer performance. According to Sheridan Edwards, the show’s coordinator, this will consist of up to 75% more material including some rather topical, if somewhat unorthodox, party political broadcasts. A lot of Burlesk’s custom seems to be coming from the organisation of launch parties for student theatrical productions; look out for that of Orpheus in the Underworld in 5th Week. They will also be branching out from the Jongleurs venue, playing at the Christ Church and St Cross balls, before heading to the Edinburgh Festival and then on a mini-tour of London after the summer season. So the future does look bright in terms of demand; but the jury is still out as to whether the performative strength of the show can ever live up to its slick marketing.ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2005
Oxford tops University league tables
Oxford has come top of a list of UK universities in an annual study carried out byThe Guardian and Campus Pi, an applied research department at Brunel University.
This is the first time that the study includes a comprehensive list of fees, bursaries and scholarships on offer in universities, included in anticipation of the introduction of tuition fees in 2006. As well as these it assesses the teaching quality, staff to student ratios, graduate job opportunities, entry requirements and ‘value added’ to students. It also takes into account prospects for students from ethnic minorities and with disabilities.
Oxford received 84.08 out of a possible 100 marks, compared to Cambridge’s score of 83.10.
The Guardian also published lists to show which universities are best for certain subjects. Here, as in the general study, Oxbridge and the London universities took a prominent position.
An Oxford spokesperson commented, “[The University’s] position at the top ofThe Guardian’s ranking is a tribute to the high standard, hard work and powerful performance of staff and students across the University and Colleges.”
Top Five Ranking Universities |1|Oxford|2|Cambridge|3|Imperial College|4|School of Oriental and African Studies|5|London School of EconomicsARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2005
Oxbridge airline fails to get off the ground in time
AlphaOne Airways, an airline started by eighteen year old Oxfordshire resident Martin Halstead, has delayed all flight activity until further notice, failing to make even its first scheduled flight because of financial difficulties.
The first flight was set for takeoff at 7.30am on Monday, but AlphaOne cancelled that and all subsequent flights. Ticket fees were returned to customers and new sources of funding were announced just days before the charter flight was supposed to take place.
At the time of the cancellation, the company’s website proclaimed that they were “delighted to announce a major injection of funds from a new investor” and would announce a new launch date “in the next few weeks”.
One week before the flight, AlphaOne “appeared to run out of funds” said James Dillon Godfray, head of marketing and development for Oxford City Airport. “[Halstead] is currently taking a break, repackaging the whole operation, making it slightly more cost-effective,” Dillon Godfray said. Halstead was unavailable for comment.
The company now has four available planes, all eight-seat Piper Navajo Chieftains. They will eventually increase the fleet to eight, including a few nineteen-seat turbo props. AlphaOne uses planes with the permission of operator AirMed, who also crew flights.
The flight between Oxford and Cambridge would, if it gets off the ground, take approximately twenty minutes. There would be a check-in time of ten minutes, and the total transportation would take seventy minutes if a passenger used the free shuttle service to and from each city centre.
It currently takes approximately two hours to drive between the cities because of a circuitous road and traffic on the A34, and even longer by train because of its route via London.
The AlphaOne website said the company “look forward to welcoming you onboard in the coming months”. One version of the home page said flights could begin as early as late May, but Dillon Godfray predicted that AlphaOne will not commence flights until “later in the summer”.
If the proposed schedule is kept, there will be two daily flights in each direction. Fares are £49 for a one-way trip, £44 for students.ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2005
Reality Show Restaurant Goes Bust
Oxford restaurant Porters, which features in chef Raymond Blanc’s new reality TV show ‘The Restaurant’, has closed.
The show sees nine couples take an empty restaurant and try to turn it into a successful business. The winners will be able to run their own restaurant financed and supported by Blanc.
Porters was already ailing in April, when the BBC took over for a week’s filming. A subsequent refurbishment failed to keep the business afloat long enough to benefit from any publicity off the back of the show.
Owners Jonathan Flint and Sara Reevell blamed soaring rents and the increasing presence of big chains. University College, the landlords, refused to confirm an extension of the lease.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Flint said: “When all that the landlords are interested in is how much they can get out of a property, then the only players will be the chain groups.”
Flint went on to suggest Oxford is “losing its character.” “Look at Cowley Road – the local shops can't afford it,” he said.
The Restaurant starts this Wednesday, 8pm on BBC2.
Life in the Fast Lane
A motorist has admitted to travelling at 172mph on a road in Oxfordshire – the fastest speeding incident of its kind recorded in Britain.
Timothy Brady, of Harrow, North West London, achieved the speed in a Porsche 911 Turbo as he travelled along the A420 near Abingdon in January this year.
Caught by a routine police speed check, Brady admitted in Oxford Crown Court to one count of dangerous driving. He pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated vehicle taking.
Brady’s is not the only recent driving incident to attract attention. Earlier this month, the Marquess of Blandford, whose ancestral home is Blenheim Palace, appeared in Oxford Crown Court on a string of motoring charges.
In one incident, the Marquess tailgated drivers at high speed, before blocking traffic and directing a ‘tirade of abuse’ at an innocent driver.
The Marquess pleaded guilty to criminal damage and dangerous and careless driving on two occasions, and a separate charge of dangerous driving.
Both defendants are due to be sentenced next month.
Cherwell24 meets poet Jenny Lewis
Jenny Lewis performs one of her poems for Cherwell24 at the Oxford Literary Festival 2007.
Oxford beats Cambridge to Top Spot
Oxford has beaten Cambridge to the top spot in the Times Good University Guide for the sixth year running, reports The Times Online.Cambridge came in second place, but the gap between the two universities is the smallest it has been since 1993. According to John O'Leary, editor of the guide, Oxford were able to edge ahead because of bigger budgets for library and computing facilities, and a greater number of students graduating with at least a 2:1 degree.
There was good news across the town as well as Oxford Brookes University broke into the top 50, ranking 49th. For graduate employment rates, it ranks 26th overall, placing it ahead of many top university competitors such as Exeter, Manchester, Reading and York.The annually published Times Good University Guide was released today, giving prospective students the opportunity to see where their universities strengths and weaknesses lie.
The Summer Blog: A-Level Results, Archives and Everything Else
Hello! Over the past few days, you might have noticed that the site has been offline. This is because we are currently moving the archived articles from our old-style website to our new C24 site. We're not finished yet; this will be an ongoing process which will continue for the next few weeks, but before term begins again, you will find a comprehensive Cherwell website up and running. For the moment, we apologise for the interruption to the normal order of things. We'll keep you up to date with our progress. Throughout the summer, Cherwell24 hasn't stopped. We've been continuing to bring you all of the latest updates on what's going on in Oxford, covering major stories from the facebook scandal to the floods. Over the coming months we will continue to feed you information on what's happening, you will see more bloggers appear, more features, more pictures, more videos and more updates.For any prospective freshers taking a look at the Cherwell24 site, good luck with the A-Level results you'll be receiving later on today and we hope you receive the news you want.On the run up to term, we'll be posting more details on how to get involved in Cherwell this next term. Cherwell24 – the online version of the newspaper – will be looking for writers, contributors, photographers and film team to name a few, so keep checking back. We'll be at the freshers' fair and will be organising some events of our own, but if you are thinking ahead and want to get in contact, we'd love to hear from you. To ask any questions, sign up to the website and leave a comment below, or alternatively send an e-mail to [email protected] with "C24 Michaelmas Term" as the subject and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.All the best,Fiona and LeahC24 Editors