Oxjam Takes Over Oxford

Braving the cold

On Saturday 12^th October, Oxford opened its doors to local musicians such as the Americana/Folk band, Empty White Circles, singer/songwriter, Aurora J Young, and Brookes’ own Ed Templer, Stroke of Luck and Alex Lanyon, who graduated last year.

I had been looking forward to this night for a couple of weeks, but with the first chills of winter in the air, the idea of trekking into the centre of Oxford was not appealing. However, I wrapped up warm, hopped on the bus and headed straight for the Turl Street Kitchen to collect my wristband for Oxjam: Oxford Takeover 2013.

A gig in a church

Perhaps the bleak weather and horizontal rain put people off, but the centre of town did seem quieter than I had expected. Once I stepped inside Turl Street Kitchen however, it was a challenge to move and I had to stand on tiptoe and strain my neck to get the best view of the stage. Armed with a timetable of the events, I made my way to St Michael at the Northgate to see Sweet William, a musician who describes his music as ‘rock and stroll’.

Sweet William, aka William Healey, performed an enticing set on his guitar, joking with the audience in between songs and creating a cheerful camaraderie. Throughout his set, I could not help but notice the peculiar sight of people drinking beer in a church.

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Sweet William

Dance à la Plage

What I liked most about Oxjam was that the sessions were placed all over the centre of Oxford. It may have required you to make a hasty exit from one performance to the next, but that was half the fun of it. So after a few songs of Sweet William, I raced over to the New Road Baptist Church to see Dance à la Plage. This alternative Indie-Pop band performed an energetic set to a lively audience in the intimate space. Lead guitarist Joe said that it was “very strange performing in a church. It’s quite echoey but I feel we did a good job on stage.”

Dance à la Plage

It’s all for charity

At £10 – £12 a ticket, the event was pricey for us students, but for the variety of music on offer and because it was in support of a good cause, I definitely got my money’s worth. The organisers revealed after the event that “with the fantastic support from all of the people, bands, venues and volunteers we have raised a staggering £11,134.64.” After hearing that I couldn’t feel hard done by for having to venture out into the cold.