n e w s   April 00
JOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JOR - stars of last year’s Punt
P U N T
S U N K

This year’s Oxford Punt, planned for the 18th of May, has been cancelled - because there simply aren’t enough suitable venues in town.

Last year’s Punt featured over twenty acts across seven venues in one night, showcasing some of the best new bands in Oxford and helping to establish bands like JOR and Nortica. This year saw an unprecedented number of bands wanting to play the prestigious event but there was nowhere for many of them to play. As with last year’s Punt the Point, Bullingdon Arms and Elm Tree, all on Cowley Road, plus the Fuggle & Firkin in the city centre were confirmed as host venues but elsewhere the news was less positive. The Dolly, always one of the best Punt venues with its central location, no longer functions as a live music venue. The Jericho, on Walton Street, is unlikely to be open for most of May due to a major refurbishment (it is being turned into a Scream pub after a brewery take-over - the Fuggle faces a similar refit in the near future) while Po Na Na, which has just completed a refurbishment is concentrating on club nights.

Of the new venues in town, Jongleurs -whose promoters had hoped to be involved in the Punt - is restricted to hosting live music only on Wednesdays, with other nights reserved for its comedy club, while venues such as YesBut in George Street don’t have a full live music licence.

The lack of venues meant that at most only twelve bands could have taken part in the Punt - almost half the number of last year. Given the quantity and quality of bands wanting to play it seemed pointless to go ahead with what would have been a half-hearted event. Since its inauguration in 1997, as part of the build-up to Radio 1 Sound City, the Punt has expanded each year and to go ahead with only four venues could only have been a backward step.

There is no reason why the Punt cannot take place next year - or even later this year - when the local venue situation is less in a state of flux. In the meantime Nightshift is planning to launch a series of monthly gigs, starting in May, showcasing our favourite new local bands, in much the same way as the Punt was intended for. Thanks and apologies to all the bands who sent in demos or asked to play.