The eclectic nature of Gappy Tooth Industry’s monthly music night at the Wheatsheaf was made clear to me right at the beginning with their lucky dip CD bag at the door. My plus one and I were lucky enough to both draw out a couple of pretty niche old Irish comedy albums. My drivetime listening will never be the same again. Gappy Tooth Industries was formed in 2002 with the intention of promoting artists and encouraging creativity, stating on their website ‘Anything is up for consideration providing it falls within boundaries of time, space and the law!' The cohesion of this folk-themed night was actually quite rare for them, but the three bands worked perfectly together to create a chilled-out and uplifting evening… even given the overriding themes of unrequited love, murder, and ex-boyfriend hatred.
The night began with one part of the trio A Different Thread, fresh off a European tour. Young singer-songwriter Robert Jackson plays a kind of bluesy Americana. He has one of those beautiful time-defying voices, belonging to a different age. A highlight of the evening was his rendition of ‘The Gallows Tree’, a plea from the mouth of a young man about to step onto the gallows, and one of the oldest ever recorded folk songs. This is what I love about folk: regardless of the age and theme of the song, the music manages to update the emotional landscape of the past into the present day. Robert should be back in Oxford in the summer with the rest of the band, so make sure to check him out!
KIVA’s powerful harmonising and rhythms were an upbeat addition to the evening. If the carpet in the Wheatsheaf wasn’t so darn soft and the glasses of wine so darn large I’d have been on my feet and dancing. One of the singers was absolutely the woman I want to be when I’m older. Super cool. Heck, I want to be her right now. The headline act was the Oxfordshire-based band Little Red. I got really into Little Red when I was a student, so it was lovely to see where they’re at now. The band’s songwriting is beautifully sharp and each song they played that evening was filled with unexpectedly striking and haunting lyrics.
I’d highly recommend Gappy Tooth Industries for a night out. I can’t wait for their next night on the 28th April, which promises a heady mix of punk, death metal and doom. You might even be as lucky as me and leave with your Irish musical comedy CD collection up by two hundred percent.