【英语听和读】牛津的音乐天才

 Jackie: Hello, welcome to Entertainment, I'm Jackie Dalton, and today we travel to

the English town of Oxford 1. Most famous, perhaps, for its University, but it's
not only academic talent that the city has produced. Among the many other
things, it's the birthplace of some very successful music groups and some
great music venues 3 – music venues - places where musicians and bands play.
This week, our reporter Tim Bearder has got on his bicycle and is going to
take us on a tour of some of the best places to see live music in Oxford…
starting with The Jericho Tavern 4, which was the birthplace of Oxford’s
modern indie-rock music scene. As you listen to Tim, try to catch the names
of two famous groups who started out there:
Tim
So here I am at The Jericho Tavern in the wealthy bohemian area of central Oxford. It's
where it was all going on in the early 90’s. On a Friday, the band, which later became
Radiohead, played their first gig here in September 1986. Jonny Greenwood, the now
internationally renowned 5 lead guitarist for the band, played harmonica back then. Oh, and
Supergrass also played their first gig here.
Jackie: Did you catch them? Radiohead and Supergrass both played their first gigs
there. A 'gig' – spelt g-i-g is a live music performance. Tim is going to take
us inside the tavern to meet Adrienne, who organises gigs there. As you listen
to her, try to answer this question: Which words does Adrienne use to
describe the venue 2?
Tim and Adrienne
Weekender © BBC Learning English
Page 2 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com
- Downstairs is a large pub area and upstairs here we go into the legendary 6 back venue and
hopefully Adrienne should be here. Adrienne, hello there!
- Hi there!
- This is the birthplace of Radiohead and Supergrass.
- Yeah, it is. It’s a lovely, lovely venue it's got a great vibe, it's got a great atmosphere.
Jackie: Adrienne says it's got a great vibe, a great atmosphere: it feels good to be
there. So, if upcoming local bands today want to perform on the same stage
as Radiohead and Supergrass, can they call up Adrienne and ask her to let
them play? What does she say to this?
Tim and Adrienne
- It's got a great vibe, it's got a great atmosphere.
- So if a local band wanted to take the same hallowed stage that Radiohead and Supergrass
had taken, they could contact you and…
- They've got to be good enough, I'm very picky. It's got a great reputation of having great
bands, you know, and that's what I'm trying to get going again.
Jackie: Well, just being a local band isn't quite enough – they have to be good.
Adrienne says she is picky - picky, which means she won't just accept anyone
she's very fussy 7 about who she chooses to perform and they have to be good.
Next Tim is getting on his bicycle and taking us to another venue – this one is
called the Zodiac. Tim says the Zodiac is an important venue in Oxford –
why?
Tim
The venue is easily the most important place for new music in Oxford. It has two separate
rooms; the downstairs room has a capacity of 350 and the upstairs 450. Oxford's most
famous band, Radiohead, also have a strong association with this venue - as well having
shot the video for Creep here they have also contributed in the past to its upkeep. 
Weekender © BBC Learning English
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com
Jackie: Did you get the answer? Tim says it's the most important venue for new
music in Oxford. New bands play there. He also mentions that Radio Head
performed in the Zodiac and shot a video there – to 'shoot a video' means to
film it. So where is Tim taking us next?
Tim
So we've done the most historically important, the most currently influential 8 - it's right that
we visit the biggest.
Jackie: Tim is taking us to Brook 9 Student Union, the biggest venue in Oxford. He
talks to a girl who is going to watch the group – the Lemonheads play there.
What kinds of bands does she say tend to play in Brook Student Union?
Tim
- OK, so I've ended up now, on my little tour of Oxford, I've come to probably the biggest
venue we've got here, at Brook Student Union and I've caught up with two guys here who
are about to watch the Lemonheads – you've been here before you say?
- I have, a couple of times, yeah. What where the last ones you watched?
- I came to see Spiritual Eyes, then I came to see Super Furry 10 Animals.
- So quite big bands, sort of, UK touring bands…
- Yeah, I do think this venue tends to be the place where the big bands play in Oxford.
Jackie: Did you get the answer? She says it's the place where the big bands - the
well-known bands - play. Well, thanks to Tim for taking us on such an
interesting tour of Oxford's music venues and thanks also to Oxford band the
Foxes, for kindly 11 donating their music to this programme.