Opening of the Carling Academy Oxford

Last night I attended the official opening night of the Carling Academy Oxford - previously the Zodiac. After many months of Oxford's best music venue being closed, it reopened in a big way with The Magic Numbers playing and the champagne flowing copiously. I was always a fan of the Zodiac, but mostly in theory, less in practice. I liked the idea of it being there, I liked the quality of the bands the venue attracted, but every time I went, I was let down by the venue itself. It was smoky, dirty and cramped, with one small bar fighting to serve everyone, and absolutely no seating. And lord help you if you had to use the bathroom.

So what happens when the Zodiac gets bought by the Carling Academy, who pours £2M into a refurbishment? Are there massive improvements? The short answer is - kind of. The main venue where The Magic Numbers played was more spacious than it used to be. There were three bars, which meant much less wait for a drink. There were tv screens at the bars and behind the sound system booth (which is in the middle of the floor) so that those not directly in front of the stage can still see what's going on. Plus, you can read the all important warnings about No Crowd Surfing while waiting for your drink. There is also a necessary Cloak Room and several bathrooms, which is a welcome addition. But let me digress for a moment and speak about the bathroom... They obviously fit as many stalls as possible in the Ladies Room, which is considerate of them, but the stalls are so tiny that the toilet paper is on the back of the wall (which means you have to turn around to reach it - drip drip), and there is no hook to hang your bag or coat on, which can get tricky. And they could have splashed out on automatic sinks, but maybe that's a bit picky.

There were a few hiccups with the sound system last night, with Romeo from The Magic Numbers complaining persistently about feedback, and the sound seemed a bit 'muddy' to me. They'll probably work that out however, because they certainly look well equipped and have a lot of technicians on hand. My ears are still ringing this morning after last night's very loud show - who knew The Magic Numbers were such rockers! And another quick digression - whoever picked the music that was played between the opening and main acts has great taste in music. It was surprising to hear an obscure Dennis Wilson bootleg track.

After the show I took a quick peek at the upstairs, smaller venue called the Zodiac Room. It was much nicer than I expected, and I was digging the grooviness and slickness of it. There were a few places to sit, which was also a nice addition, but as the seats were all taken I figured it was time to leave. I had been on my feet for 4 hours which isn't so easy to do in cute shoes.

Overall, I think the Carling Academy is better than the former Zodiac. Now that smoking is outlawed, it was great to come home after the night without having to put my clothes in a bin bag until laundry day to keep from smelling up the whole house. The venue is spacious and will accomplish everything it needs to accomplish. If they stick a couple of hooks in the girls bathroom and add some places to sit for those of us who don't really enjoy standing for hours, then I'm sure to return often.

One last note about The Magic Numbers - they put on a fantastic show and were obviously enthused by the Oxford crowd. They were charismatic, funny, and sound as good, if not better, than they do on their cd's.

Welcome back, Zodiac - er, Carling Academy. I missed you.