Ocelot 157 July edition

Lifestyle and Culture Magazine Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire No: 157 July 2019 Free Get that July festival feeling featuring TRUCK, THE SHUFFLE FESTIVAL ON THE FARM & loads more (Pictured - Sea girls who are playing at Truck) What's on / STYLE / EATS / BREWS / SCREEN / COMMENT



We’re nashing at the teeth for Truck this month p28 Magazine highlights The Editorial Team EDITOR - Jamie Hill - [email protected] 04 Michael Bosley DEPUTY EDITOR - Ben Fitzgerald - [email protected] 06 Encyclopaedia Ocelotica THE SCRIBBLER - Claire Dukes - [email protected] 20 DOCA 24 Swindon Shuffle The Sales Lot 30 Agony Girl Dave Stewart [email protected] - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley [email protected] - 07717 501790 #157 Kay Wainwright [email protected] - 07769 978823 Main Number - 01793 320043 Positive Media Group, Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Swindon SN1 4BJ PRINTED BY - Deltor, Saltash, Cornwall

,The Nerd’s Last Word By Michael Bosley We need to curb the greyness and let ,a little more colour into our lives. Okay, let’s just stop for a minute or character. It’s the new beige, hangover the morning after a and address the colour grey. It’s it’s the new magnolia; clean, night of endless sambuca shots. permeated your life, although inoffensive and a good choice for you may have only semi- an upcoming open house. Current trends are a powerful consciously recognised it. tool, but even more so if used But like anything, it should be sparingly. You’ve got a grey car; you’re treated in moderation. Do you not quite sure why, you’ve never remember ‘feature walls’ and Ask anyone who thought it was owned a grey car in your life, but when they were a thing? a good idea in the 70’s to plaster now you have one. their walls in psychedelic shades People rushed to DIY stores of brown and yellow wallpaper You painted your kitchen, with arms full of wallpaper, and follow it up with the matching hallway and bedroom grey. desperate to make one wall shag carpet and egg-shaped You looked around the room, in their house as garish and as armchair; it probably looked paint barely dry and wondered close to a magic eye picture as pretty ‘groovy’ for a few months why you did it, but there it is. possible. until the 80’s came along with Obviously you needed to colour pastel colours and pine furniture code, so you got the grey sofa, But fast-forward a few years and made the whole thing seem up-cycled the dining table and and these feature walls are now about as fitting as an acid trip at chairs and painted them grey too. an unsightly, strobing mess in a job interview. The tiles, the table cloth, the front these days of sober greyness. door – even the coffee mugs are So maybe we need to curb the grey now. We now shamefully and greyness; recognise that there is quietly paint over the whole power in restraint and let a little You took a trip to your affair as if it didn’t happen, like more colour into our lives. favourite pub and even they’ve the realisation and subsequent gone grey. The unfashionable cigarette stained varnished stools are now grey. The bar is grey, the panelled walls are a slightly lighter grey and it’s now gone from being The Queen’s Head to The Greyhound. You can’t quite put your finger on when it happened; one day there was colour and then there just…wasn’t. Grey is classy; it demonstrates taste without the risk of expressing any individual palate 4 www.theocelot.co.uk



By Ben Fitzgerald By Ben Fitzgerald Encyclopedia Ocelotica: zombie insects Is there anything more sinister functioning, its entire body remains intact, leaving it than a zombie…? has become a puppet for the conscious (in its own ant-like way) Cordyceps fungi - it’s a dead ant of the unfolding horror. Oh yes, there is. walking. A zombie insect. Once an infection is underway, Deep in the rainforests of When the fungus first enters it is thought that the neurons in Brazil, there exists a type its host, it exists as single cells the ant’s body—the ones that of fungus called Cordyceps that float around the ant’s give its brain control over its (Latin name Ophiocordyceps bloodstream, rapidly producing muscles—start to die. The fungus unilateralis) which has the power new copies of itself which then takes over, releasing chemicals to take over insects and control begin to join up and work that force the muscles to contract. their minds - infecting the poor together, physically connecting sods’ bodies and making them with tube like structures which Over the course of a week, unwitting accomplices in their allow it to share nutrients. it forces the insect to leave the tawdry reproductive schemes. safety of the nest and climb the Hanging on the underside of In a sense the microscopic cells nearest plant, and lock itself into a leaf, you might spot a leaf join forces, ironically much like a place on the stem. The fungus cutting ant with its massive jaws colony of ants, to create a super then sends a long stalk through clamped tight and holding it into organism and take over the the ants head which grows into a place. host’s body. capsule full of spores - which can Weird behaviour for a leaf then rain down on the nest below cutting ant you might say… Like all good parasites, it it, infecting other unfortunate shouldn’t it be busy… I dunno avoids killing the host, until its insects in turn. I’ve never really cutting leaves and suchlike. work is done. wanted to be an ant, leaf-cutting The dreadful truth is that or otherwise. although the ant’s brain is still The Cordyceps invades the insect’s muscles and begins But Cordyceps has really 6 www.theocelot.co.uk to control it like a puppet. helped me make my mind up. Unpleasantly, the ant’s brain



Take the weather with you E very summer is different and it seems this year it’s an unpredictable one. At a time when uncertainty appears to be taking over in everything, one thing we can be certain of is that we look set for a summer of changeable weather. Sunshine one minute, rain the next, warm then rather cool, it’s tricky to know what to wear but transitional clothes and flexible style will ensure you won’t let the weather wind you up. By Fashion Writer Gina Akers Barbour International’s Penhal Quilted Protected Species coats (£169) are Jacket (£199) has the flexibility to made in lightweight waterproof and work in all weathers. windproof fabrics. www.barbourinternational.com www.protected-species.com The Palladium AX_Eon Army Runner Trainers (£100) are a Barbour International’s Monza utilitarian design inspired by a retro army training shoe. Wellingtons (£89.95) are a great www.palladiumboots.co.uk hybrid style. www.barbourinternational.com 8 www.theocelot.co.uk

Jockey Women’s Indigo Jumpsuit (£28) for coverage that can still keep you cool. For men go for the Beach Mixed Short Pyjama Set - left (£25) www.jockey.co.uk For ladies the Trey T-Shirt in True Black (£29.99) with capped sleeves is perfect for layering. Available at www.protest.eu For men, Protest offer a great range of longer length shorts perfect for rolling up or down including the Carat Shorts in Deep Grey (£49.99) with rolled hems, the Brind Jogging Shorts in Dark Grey Melee (£34.99) and Carver Jogging Shorts in Ground Blue (£29.99). www.theocelot.co.uk 9

“The future is bright” - the next generation of gaming gets traditional Words by Simon Oxlade Next the graphics supports on spinning discs which results in a technique called raytracing delays as the read heads have So it is now official: The next where the path of each light to seek across the platters to Playstation will be a traditional particle is calculated from the find the data before they can console, an evolution of the light source, to the 3d object, read it. An SSD is chip-based PS4 architecture, but with more then to the viewer. This is a so removing the seek stage, graphics power, the processor processor intensive technique resulting with a massive increase has hyperthreading, there’s lots that has traditionally been out of in speed. Sony demonstrated a of attention on 3D audio and the reach of consoles, but leads speed increase of some 18 times an SSD. to much more realistic lighting over the PS4 Pro using the recent effects. Sony have also worked Spiderman game. I know, this is the Ocelot and out a way to use the raytracing you are either reading it in a pub technique for audio, so by using Add in backward compatibility or while waiting for a kebab, and raytracing you can work out the (so your PS4 games will work) I’ve just hit you with a load of position of an object in 3d space and the even more recent gibberish, so let me explain what in relation to the player’s view announcement of a tie-up all this means. and use that data to manipulate between Sony and Microsoft the audio files associated with regarding cloud services (which Firstly hyperthreading: Central that object. In short: shoot a crate may open up cross-platform processors now consist of multiple and the sound of bullet hitting gaming) and the future of cores, and each core is effectively wood will come from where the PlayStation is looking bright. an independent processor. The object is, but instead of just left PS4 has 8 cores, but can only or right, but closer (louder) and Microsoft announced the Xbox run one process on one core at further away (quieter). Trust me One S All Digital which is a One any one time. Hyperthreading on this, true 3D audio is going to S without the 3D Blu-Ray drive (so allows you to run more than one blow your mind, especially in VR. download only), but at the same process on one core, which means price. So you are paying money there’s more processing power Finally an SDD, or Solid State to remove hardware. If this isn’t a available, which means more Disc. Instead of a traditional good enough reason not to buy grunt available to the games HDD, where the data is stored the thing, the acronym is Xbox companies. So if you think GTA One SAD…. V is huge and complex, the next gen will have much more. 10 www.theocelot.co.uk



By Darren Willmott of vinesight.me Unearthing Churchill’s favourite tippple! It’s always a sad day when you across the century and are still in 1900. The diggers came have to tip some wine down remembered as being the go-to across a small cavity beneath the sink. Whether it’s because Champagne of ex-British Prime the surface which was then the wine has become tainted, Minister Winston Churchill. widened to allow access. isn’t to your taste, or has been left open for too long, you The landslide could have As well as much broken inevitably arrive at the same become a mere footnote of Pol glass they were astonished to on-the-spot decision: “Could I Roger’s history; indeed, much find a still intact bottle, then feasibly use this in some sort of darker times were ahead with the six more, and then a further cooking?”. destruction and looting stemming 19 bottles. from two world wars but, like in Pouring wine away feels the movies, some things don’t like Incredibly the corks were such a waste. to stay buried forever. still in place and the amount of wine in each of the 26 One can only imagine In 2018, the Pol Roger bottles was as packaged. then how famed Champagne family were looking to build This meant that the liquid producer Pol Roger felt back in a new packing facility on the hadn’t been evaporating and February 1900. The bumper ground above the old cellars. the bottles remained airtight. harvest of 1899, the first of Construction began, moving away There was every chance that decent size and quality in over layers of earth with the sort of they were still drinkable! five years, was safe in their heavy machinery that is standard underground cellars. practice today, but unthinkable The family were now very excited to push on, but A new century was dawning, in a cruel mirroring of the and hope was high despite the original rescue plan, two prolonged period of heavy months of heavy rain once winter rains. again saturated the soils and made further rescue attempts But as the soils became impossible. more and more waterlogged, Not being defeated though, two cellar floors (and several Pol Roger have now announced adjoining buildings) collapsed that they will be continuing the into each other, burying an rescue operation with a remotely estimated 500 casks and controlled robot guided through 1.5million bottles. That’s a lot of small discovery tunnels to see wine down the drain. what’s left to discover. A far cry from the shovels A rescue operation was originally used to try and dig the prepared but, when poor wine out. weather continued and a How incredible would it be neighbouring cellar also caved in, for them to raise a commercially plans were abandoned as being viable number of bottles so too risky. that everyone could taste a 120-year-old Champagne? Having to make the best of the Cheers! losses and soldier on, Pol Roger built new and improved cellars, going from strength to strength 12 www.theocelot.co.uk

Will Brexit mean the end of coffee? Words by Callum McLean Image at Atrium Coffee, Cirencester No. The exact New World Order the Chemex and of course the to your local place. Second, you that Brexit has fashioned for itself French invented smoking sulkily with must have the disposable income is purely hypothetical, however an a black coffee. to allow yourself for a £10 plate entirely globalised industry such as of brown avocado on tepid bread. the one I find myself in is rapidly Coffee inspires novels, plays, This automatically eliminates people changing. music, political movements and it’s with suppressed wages, poor work this anthropological endeavour life balance or with social issues Although coffee is not grown that keeps me getting out of bed such as carers and single mothers. within the EU the merchants that at 6:30am every day to serve This means that the population supply the roasters are often coffee to people. I work in a of a coffee shop is always out of trading from EU states and the coffee shop based in Barn Theatre, kilter with the general public. So, uncertainty is meaning that many Cirencester called Atrium Coffee for us our in our distressed wood are investing in networks that allow and with that I fuel creativity daily and copper tower, Brexit seems direct trade, however this huge as well as chefs, a patent attorney, ridiculous. Globalisation, consumer amount of time and resources and estate agents, musicians, sportsmen capitalism and a service-based the costs end up being passed onto and cyclists to name a few. economy works, right? Industrial cafes and customers. Another issue Anthropologically, coffee shops may heart lands such as the North East is that all coffee is sold in $USD well be the 21st century melting pot and the Valleys have been crippled which makes buying UK roasted of ideas, creativity, education and by the 21st century and been coffee more expensive as the £GBP discussion with the destruction of the utterly decimated by all that the diminishes. local pub by conglomerates and coffee industry has benefited from. lack of government policy. Thanks Further disruption will come to Starbucks, coffee shop aren’t So no, Brexit will not end coffee. as most coffee equipment is taxed at all.* Mr Juan Saldarriaga, from the La imported from Europe. Italian Claudina farm, will still be growing coffee machines are the best in the *Joke: independently run, small the plant, we will all still buy and world. Other worldwide equipment scale coffee shops are taxed consume it at the same unhealthy suppliers have manufacturing and beyond belief with VAT rules rate as we always have. We might distribution across the EU in order crippling most and ensuring they have to start paying more for it, to make the process more efficient must close unless they downsize. recalibrate how we buy it and and cost effective for EU member Either that or Russian or Arab how we produce it. We will always states, however our departure from property magnates destroy them be this creative melting pot in a the single market means that tariff with ludicrous business rates and political bubble slightly detached will be enforced. rent agreements. from reality but isn’t that what we want it to be? A sense of escapism Of course, culturally, our industry On the other hand of this from work, life, family and politics. is very outlooking, internationalist argument is the idea of a cultural That’s why we do this, every day at and inclusive. Espresso was invented and political bubble encasing the 8AM. Brexit can’t change that. We in Italy, commercialised in the US customers who do partake in the don’t really care, right? Flat White and then perfected by the collective enjoyment of coffee. One, you must anyone? efforts from across the world. work so you allow yourself the Japan invented the V60, Germany time to make the daily pilgrimage www.theocelot.co.uk 13

The Beer Monkey Column From The Ocelot’s tame beer industry insider... Ed Dyer The Lager Lowdown Hurrah! Summer is here… flavoured by these yeasts.. appealing to drinkers, especially apparently. Well, already lost in In British Brewing terms, when the sunshine is out, a fact the mists of time are memories of borne out by looking at the top last year’s mega early summer the granddaddy style is Ale. selling beers in the world, brands heatwave as June has been a Ales are brewed with a yeast like Budweiser, Heineken and soggy old affair up to point of that ferments from the top Corona plus the giants of Chinese writing. But, unpredictable as the of the liquid and at a warm brewing, Snow and Tsingtao, weather is, this is indeed what temperature (usually between 15 which are all lagers. These are us Brits call summer, and with it and 24 degrees, higher for some all great for your summer event, comes the season of barbecues, styles). These are the beers that but if you like to support the pub gardens and festivals. traditionally have been brewed local economy and buy beers in this country for centuries – brewed by your local brewery, For the discerning beer bitters, brown ales, stouts and can you get something cold and drinker, thoughts then often turn porters, originally in cask. fizzy from them? to what is the most popular but also most abused type of beer Lagers originated in central The answer is a resounding there is – lager. Europe and are brewed with Yes! Don’t be scared of trying yeasts that ferment from the something new. Several of But, what is lager? Despite bottom of the liquid, at a much our local brewers produce what you may think, surveying colder temperature. This has extremely good lagers that are the bewildering selection on offer to happen over a much longer comfortably familiar in style. at your local beer emporium, period in order to convert the So for your next barbecue or essentially beer can be broken sugars into alcohol and for the festival, I suggest you seek out down into just three categories flavours to develop. In fact, the some of the following, all of – Ale, Lager and Spontaneously very name “Lager”, in German, which are fantastic example of Fermented Beer. What means storeroom, or warehouse. Pilsner style Lagers: Tap Social determines these is the kind of For this process to happen should Movement “Even Larger”, West yeast used to convert the sugars take at least six weeks (ale Berkshire Brewery “Renegade into alcohol, and how it works. ferments out in about a week), Lager”, Loose Cannon Brewery which makes lagers harder to “Oxford Pils”, Ramsbury Brewery The wild card amongst these produce, especially for small “Red Ram” Lager and Hop Kettle three, and the most uncommon in brewers as it ties up vessels for Brewery “Shooting Star” Pilsner. this country are Spontaneously longer periods of time. Fermented Beers, left open to For more details on these ferment with wild yeasts blowing The most popular variety check the breweries’ websites: in (although most are now made (and what one tends to think of www.tapsocialmovement.com / in controlled situations with when considering a lager) is the www.wbbrew.com / www.lcbeers. cultivated strains of wild yeasts). “Pilsner” style. The very nature of co.uk / www.ramsburyestates. These are your sour beers these beers, with lighter flavours, co.uk / www.hop-kettle.com and saisons, very distinctively served cold and fizzy, make them 14 www.theocelot.co.uk



Review: Mario’s Italian By Richard Wintle Address: 7 Wood St, Swindon SN1 4AN History will never know if the gin which the and Moonrakers pulled from the pond was ever stored Parma in the tunnel below 7 Wood Street, but some is now; Ham along with a selection of other tipples to go with displayed an excellent menu, as this is the home of the long- the same established Mario’s Trattoria. qualities, setting us up Established in 1972, the restaurant has had four nicely for the owners, and many staff have moved on to create sweet course some of the best Italian food outlets in the area. of homemade Panna Cotta. My I first went to Mario’s in the mid-seventies, when I wife described worked for an American company in Swindon, and it wonderfully it was then I discovered the traditional welcome that as, “Cream with accompanies your arrival in the cellar restaurant; cream and it’s the Italian exuberance I have experienced in the caramel, but country itself. When I worked out of my Old Town who worries?” office, we would enjoy a lunchtime in Mario’s, where Peroni and pasta were the order of the day. Mario’s is not the Seated at a table in one of the inglenooks which cheapest form the cellar walls, we ordered a Cinzano and restaurant lemonade, and the staple of all Italian drinks; a in town, but Peroni. The layout is the same as it has been over the the high years, but the number of decorative bottles hanging quality from the beams has been reduced considerably. and personal The starter I went for was the Pesce Diavolo, Squid service make it a and prawns. My wife, the birthday girl, ordered just location for that special meal in the a main course of veal with Parma Ham. For my main, evening. They also have a new lunchtime menu which I chose the Medaglione Al Pepe Verde fillet steak, offers Pizza and Pasta with vegetarian and gluten- accompanied by a selection of vegetables; including free options for a modest £7. Much more civilised the infamous Mario’s petits pois with ham. This dish than those heady days in the eighties, where has been a staple on the menu since it opened, and lunchtime exuberances were common. is one I always look forward to. The gin from the Moonrakers story may have been Mario’s has always had a good house wine, and the staple commodity stored in those cellars in the although I chose fillet steak I went for the fruity long distant past, but now, in that cellar, rounding off white house wine, as I tend to enjoy the lighter wines the night with a coffee laced with a Tia Maria, the more than the heavier reds usually associated with evening was complete. Oh, and there is a 3G signal red meat. there so you can order your taxi. www.mariosrestaurant.co.uk The fillet steak was cooked to perfection, and the rich sauce completed the round mix of flavours, to combine the richness of the steak with the gentle flavours of the plain vegetables. Birthday girl’s Veal 16 www.theocelot.co.uk



Theatre: the month ahead Fanatic Comedy Festival, where - 27th July 2019 Oxfordshire has a huge appetite for quality workshops, delicious street food and award entertainment and as festival season is just winning craft beer. around the corner ATIC in North Oxfordshire ATIC, bars based in Banbury & Bicester, are launching a brand new outdoor boutique have been curating sell out comedy shows comedy event in Oxford city centre. for four years providing a platform for local FanAtic Comedy Festival, supported by comedians to develop whilst also attracting Oxford City Council, will be taking over Botley headliners such as Rhod Gilbert, James Park providing comedy fans with a fun filled Acaster and most recently Sara Pascoe. day of laughter on Saturday 27th July 2019 Organiser Ryan Mold has a huge passion from midday until 11pm. for stand up comedy, he has spent the last few This one day event will be offering three years creating an intimate setting within his arenas full of non stop stand up comedy venues and now wants to bring this comedy brought to you by Live At The Apollo stars experience to the city. This unique event will Lee Nelson, Phil Wang, Suzi Ruffell and many offer a limited number of tickets in order to more TV favorites. create a boutique, intimate experience. The festival intends to promote collaboration Tickets are now available at £50 including with local businesses to grow together and booking fee. celebrate the best of Oxfordshire. Festival For more information and to purchase tickets goers will be provided with creative visit www.rocktheatic.com An Evening with Tyson Fury, Wyvern Theatre, 5 July Gold Star Promotions present an evening with the true heavyweight champion of the world Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury. Tyson will be meeting fans, posing for photographs and telling all about his remarkable career and rise to the best heavyweight on the planet. The evening will also include a 45 minute memorabilia auction. Standard Tickets: £34.50, Standard Meet & Greet: £79.50, VIP Meet & Greet: £179.50 www.swindontheatres.co.uk A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lydiard Park, 12 July Immersion Theatre present the most Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. at Swindon’s Lydiard Park. Bring picnic blankets, rugs or low-back chairs and enjoy live theatre in the beautiful surroundings of Lydiard Park. Tickets: £15.50 Child (3-15 yrs): £11.50 Call Ticket Office on 01793 524481 18 www.theocelot.co.uk



DOCA’s season of events are in Words by Claire Dukes full swing, with workshops well DOCA: Devizes Outdoor underway to prepare for the Celebratory Arts Devizes Carnival on July 13. “a great chance to see something All extra miles have been totally unique” taken to celebrate Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts’ tenth anniversary, so from now until November DOCA will be hosting everything from an international street fair - celebrating its 20th birthday - and charity colour rush, to a mesmerising lantern display and gigantic parade for thousands of festival-goers. A spokesperson for the event said: “We are over the moon at having the opportunity to have a six metre Neolithic giantess leading our Parade this year with a baby Woolly Mammoth by her side, accompanied by children from local schools who have taken part in workshops funded by the Area Boards. The Giant is possible because of a partnership project with Amesbury Carnival, funded by Bloor Homes and Arts Council and created by Beautiful Creatures Theatre. It’s been an amazing joint project that has meant both Carnivals have had a really exciting addition to their parades. “As always DOCA will bring high quality international work to Devizes - it is a great chance to see something totally unique!” www.docadevizes.org.uk 20 www.theocelot.co.uk

WIHSA?OTN Devizes Carnival Skittles Night When: July 13 When: July 10 Where: Leaving The Green at 6pm for a 2km route What: As this year is DOCA’s tenth anniversary, it’s a Where: The Wyvern Club ‘Through the Ages’ themed Carnival! Jennings Fair will also What: Get a team together for a fun, be in town, so expect loads of rides at the end! competitive evening (no Picnic in the Park Quiz Night experience needed) - with a chance of cash prizes! When: August 18 When: August 21 Where: Hillworth Park Where: Southbroom Infant Street Festival What: Bring a picnic When: Aug 25 - 26 blanket and relax with School Where: On The Green What: A long standing What: International street great music, family performers, contemporary entertainment and copious fundraiser with all circus acts, dancers, amounts of refreshments. proceeds contributing to the musicians and walkabout programme of DOCA’s work. shows. Colour Rush & Lantern Parade Confetti Battle When: Nov 30 When: Aug 31 Where: On The Green Where: On The Green What: Celebrating the What: The ultimate Confetti start of the festive season, Battle and charity Colour Devizes boasts one of the Rush run paints Devizes all region’s most spectacular the colours of the rainbow! lantern processions. www.theocelot.co.uk 21

Music: the month ahead British Sea Power, The Bullingdon, Oxford, 12 July Brighton’s indie rock stalwarts British Sea Power will be weighing anchor at The Bullingdon this month. The six piece will be sailing the sonic seven seas with musical influences ranging from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live performances, the unusual lyrical content of their songs and the adventurous choice of locations for some of their shows. Since 2008, the British Sea Power line-up has consisted of Jan Scott Wilkinson (known as Yan – vocals, guitar), Neil Hamilton Wilkinson (known as Hamilton – bass guitar, vocals, guitar), Martin Noble (known as Noble – guitar), Matthew Wood (known as Wood – drums), Phil Sumner (cornet, keyboards), and Abi Fry (viola). The only former member is Eamon Hamilton (keyboards, vocals, percussion, guitar), since 2006 the frontman of Brakes. Buy your tickets at www.songkick.com Festival on the farm: Purton House Organics, August 2-4 The Festival on the Farm features three days of great music on a rural organic Wiltshire Farm. This year the line up includes Get Carter, Rave Against the Regime, The Wurzels, Superseed, Arkansaw Jukebox Collective, The Dirty Smooth, The Berries, Pink Mac, Buzwell Rules, Ska Bucks and The Berries. The festival is Swindon’s only small, funky, cool festival on an organic farm. In the words of the organisers: “It’s small ‘cos we like it that way, but that’s not to say we don’t have amazing bands, great food and great beer!” For tickets see www.purtonhouseorganics.co.uk 22 www.theocelot.co.uk

By Ben Fitzgerald The Devon Worley Band: Rolleston Arms, Swindon, 12th July On tour from the USA – The Devon Worley Band. The country music world is changing. The days of bro-country and bubble gum, pop-influenced country songs are meeting a slow death on country radio. The current country fan is ready for something more aggressive, soulful and edgy. Meet the band that defines that movement. Welcome to the future of country music. Featuring guitarist Jason – a member of the Bay City Rollers for about four years, back in their heyday! The Devon Worley Band live at The Rolly, Friday 12th July, 9pm, Free Entry! www.devonworley.com I Cried Wolf: O2 Academy, Oxford, 9th July Oxfordshire’s post-hardcore with someone new, to worrying that quintet I Cried Wolf are back you’re not enough, to pretending with their brand new single to be exactly what you think they “Sigh”. might want, and how that can spiral into a bout of crippling self-doubt. “Sigh” is a story about the If that’s your cup of tea pick up tickets for shortcomings of online dating, their forthcoming show at the O2 Academy in how you can go from the absolute Oxford at www.songkick.com euphoria of making a connection www.theocelot.co.uk 23

The venues: Swindon Shuffle Words by Claire Dukes www.swindonshuffle.org.uk Thursday 11 July to Sunday 14 July 2019 The Victoria 88 Victoria Rd, Swindon The Tuppenny 58-59 Devizes Rd, Swindon The Beehive 55 Prospect Hill, Swindon The Hop Inn 8 Devizes Rd, Swindon Baila Photograph by Justin Smythe Flour Babies, 2018 85 Victoria Rd, Swindon

If we’re honest - even today “A thriving, local when the anxiety of saving music scene” money is at the forefront of our minds on a night out - But needless to say, Swindon’s Headliners: when people hear “free gig” own have also been reaching they’re often apprehensive. further afield. Gaz Brookfield No Side Effects “Why is it free? What’s the 11 July 11 July catch? What kind of mediocre “In the last 12 years many rabble has been scraped artists have gone on from The Victoria The Tuppenny together?” playing the Shuffle to make their mark on the wider Raze*Rebuild Wyldest But time and time again this national scene,” says Ed, 12 July 12 July notion has been proven wrong “including out of towner acts The Hop Inn with smaller, cheaper and like Stornoway, The Volt and The Victoria even free events now often Bleech as well as Swindon’s considered as being at the own success stories, acts like Wilding Flour Babies cultural helm of both gigs and Gaz Brookfield, Beatbullyz, 13 July 13 July festivals alike. Colour The Atlas, The Alfonz The Tuppenny and The Dead Lay Waiting. The Hop Inn Since its inaugural event More recent years have seen back in 2007, the Swindon this tradition continue with Bone Chapel The Astral Ponies Shuffle has brought together bands like Yves and GETRZ 14 July 14 July Swindon’s music scene and gaining national recognition general community for a free, having partly cut their teeth at The Tuppenny The Beehive four-day weekend of original the Shuffle.” music - all in aid of charity. www.theocelot.co.uk 25 This year the Shuffle will be Each time I have attended raising money for mental the Shuffle that supportive, health charity Swindon Mind. community feel has always been ever present - with the One of the founding venues always pulling in good organisers, Ed Dyer, said: crowds - and still progresses “The idea was simple and each year. Ed adds, “In the was inspired by already following years venues and established city centre music organisers have come and festivals like the Camden gone, supported charities have Crawl, The Great Escape and changed and of course the the Oxford Punt; the crowd music and musicians involved was to ‘Shuffle’ between a has been an ever-fluid story. couple of music venues on one particular night to watch a “Two things have remained variety of acts performing. constant however: the overall ethos and aim of the event; to “This, of course, quickly bring together the community expanded before the first to showcase a thriving local event had been run, to be music scene remains as solid a four-day event across as ever, and of course, The even more venues, with the Beehive as a venue, our audience ‘Shuffle’ giving the only ever-present physical event its now familiar name.” component. Although the event “The festival is strongly predominantly showcases rooted in the Old Town Swindon’s ability to generate community and seeks to original music, it’s not continually promote and exclusive to the SN postcode highlight the area. So, come - a highlight last year was on down and enjoy the music!” definitely watching Bradford- on-Avon’s Wasuremono ahead of their tour supporting the Flaming Lips! Yes, the Shuffle has done well to progress and bring musicians from the surrounding areas into town.

2P6hotograph by Jwacwk Kwim.tbheer oPhcoetloogtr.acpoh.yuk

Words by Claire Dukes Girls on tour: Truck is this month! Kate Nash The Japanese House Is this Truck’s best line-up so far? It’s headliners as Foals, Wolf Alice and Two Door Cinema Club (and the fact that the Swimming Girls definitely a contender! festival sold-out last month)! I’ve wanted to go to Truck for years. Headliners aside this year the line-up The review back in 2010 from The throughout is seemingly flawless - I can’t Guardian - donning it “the godfather of wait to see IDLES, Johnny Marr, Cassels, the UK’s small festival scene” - certainly Yonaka, Don Broco, Mallory Knox, Ten peaking my interest. And, after two Tonnes and so many more! trips to Glastonbury I have beoame more drawn to niche festivals (Hop Farm On top of this there are some amazing was the lifetime highlight) but based on female fronted bands, and solo artists Truck’s line-up I might be boarding a hitting the stages this year that are bigger boat than originally anticipated... definitely on my watch list. And it’s not surprising, with this year’s www.truckfestival.com whenyoung She Drew The Gun In conversation with Ten Tonnes Ahead of his tour I caught it’s built around more of amazing gigs. 27 up with Ten Tonnes, aka a thing rather than a few “On a professional level Ethan Barnett, to talk random songs. Hopefully about festivals, and one in by that point people would I’ve wanted to play Truck particular - Truck! have heard it [Ten Tonnes] for ages – I think it always and made up their mind if has such a cool line-up and Ethan said, “I’m excited they want to come and see definitely fits in with the for festivals this year, me, or not≠≠. But festivals music that I make. There’s a more than any other year, are really fun, and they lot of young, indie kids into because the album’s going can produce really random, guitar music so that should to be out, and it feels like be a good one!” www.theocelot.co.uk



JULY 2019 FRI 5th TRIPLE JD - CLASSIC ROCK COVERS - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston FRI 5th SKA’BUCKS - SKA CLASSICS - 9pm-11.30pm - Level 3 SAT 6th FOLK THE SYSTEM - A MIX OF FOLK MAYHEM AND PUNK ATTITUDE - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston FRI 12th THE DEVON WORLEY BAND - SOULFUL AND EDGY ORIGINALS FROM THE US - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston SAT 13th EARL JAM - The TRIBUTE BAND TO PEARL JAM - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston FRI 19th BLACK TREE VULTURES + ALICIA GRIFFIN - ORIGINAL ROCK AND METAL - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston FRI 19th KOVAS ME BADD - REALLY BAD COVERS - 9pm-11.30pm - Level 3 SAT 20th STEELYARD BOYS - BLUES ROCK - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston FRI 26th THE RUNAWAY BOYS - STRAY CAT TRIBUTE - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston SAT 27th KOKROK - PROPER ROCK COVERS - 9pm-11.30pm - The Rolleston

Six-year-old Amy wants good. Why did you do it? How do you keep to know why we kill yourself from eating meat? And what’s your animals to eat when we favourite meal? can just eat sweets and Horace, Oxford fruit instead, but she’s still I done it because me and my friend Stephanie got time to answer your started a saving animal club and that means we questions. We read her can’t eat meat. My favourite meal is salmon. the questions and these are her answers... honest. Dear Amy, If you could get any pet what would you get? Dear Amy, Hector, Poole You’ve been missing from these pages for the Not a chinchilla. I would get a cat, a dog and a past two months. What happened? Are you chinchilla. No a chimp. I would call the chimpanzee. hanging up your Agony Girl quill now that If it’s yellow I would call it ginger. you’ve reached the ripe ol’ age of six? Graham, Abingdon Dear Amy, No. I enjoy being Agony Girl as it’s fun. It’s like I’ve got this song in my head and all I need is a being a teacher and you ask me lots of questions good singer and I believe we’ll have a hit record and I have to answer them. It’s like an English on our hands. Have you got any advice on how lesson. to break into the music industry? Are you a good singer? Dear Amy, Simon, Swindon I’ve decided that I’m going to try my hardest to I’m a good singer.I would ask somebody to help be a better person. How do people become as me do the song then I would have a big concert. I good as you? would only like 1001 people to come because if I Natalie, Thatcham had 1002 everybody wouldn’t be able to hear it. You have to learn a lot. You have to wear smart clothes sometimes and you have to be like my dad Dear Amy, because daddy works at a job and it’s very good. How many hairs have you got on your head? Dustin, Florence Dear Amy, 40 It’s summer time and I’ve got three kids. What should I do to keep them entertained during the Send in your questions to [email protected] sunny weather? Chris, Frome Maybe get them a bouncey castle and maybe get them a waterslide and a swimming pool and maybe play ball with them and be their best friend. And don’t tell them off. Dear Amy, I hear you’ve become a vegetarian. That’s really 30 www.theocelot.co.uk