The O2 Academy Oxford is a night club and live music venue in Oxford, England, operated by Academy Music Group. [1]
Its previous names include the Coop Hall, the Oxford Venue, the Zodiac and the Carling Academy Oxford. [2]
The red brick building at 190–196 Cowley Road in southeast Oxford was designed by Harry Wilkinson Moore and built in 1907 for the Oxford Co-operative Society. It consisted of a large hall above three shop units. The hall was used for dances, political meetings of the Co-operative Party and live music. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] The year of construction is visible as a datestone on the front central gable.
The hall was sold in 1990 and converted into the Oxford Venue. [8] Oxford band Radiohead played there and the video for their 1992 hit Creep was shot there. [9] [10]
In November 1995 it was refurbished and reopened as The Zodiac under new owners Adrian Hicks and Nick Moorbath, both formerly sound engineers and promoters working at the Oxford Venue. [11] Moorbath was also a session keyboardist who played with Ride and Hurricane #1. [12] The refit was partly funded by Radiohead and Supergrass. Moorbath was also involved in organising Radiohead's homecoming performance in South Park, Oxford in July 2001. [13] In November 2006 it was announced that Moorbath and Hicks had agreed to sell the club to the Academy Music Group. [14] The Zodiac's last night on 17 May 2007 featured several Oxford bands, including ones that reformed for the night, including The Candyskins and Unbelievable Truth. [15] The commercial takeover of the city's largest independent music venue inspired Anyone Can Play Guitar , a documentary film about the Oxford music scene. [16] [17] [18]
Academy Music Group refurbished the site over several months, increasing its capacity from 750 to 1,150 people and reopening as the Carling Academy Oxford. [19] The sponsorship of the Academy Music Group by the Carling beer brand was succeeded by an agreement with telecommunications firm O2. The venue was rebranded as the O2 Academy Oxford with effect from 1 January 2009. [1]
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
Pablo Honey is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April 1993 in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford.
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.
Philip James Selway is an English musician and the drummer of the rock band Radiohead. He combines rock drumming with electronic percussion. Selway was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in 2019.
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South West London, in the Lambeth district of Brixton.
Cowley Road is an arterial road in the city of Oxford, England, running southeast from near the city centre at The Plain near Magdalen Bridge, through the inner city area of East Oxford, and to the industrial suburb of Cowley. The central shopping is at 51.746°N 1.232°W
The O2 Forum Kentish Town is a concert venue in Kentish Town, London, England, owned by Live Nation Entertainment and originally built in 1934.
NX Newcastle, formerly known as the Carling Academy and the O2 Academy Newcastle, is a music venue in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It opened in the former Majestic Ballroom building on 14 October 2005 as the Carling Academy, and was renamed the O2 Academy for sponsorship reasons in 2008. The venue was managed by Academy Music Group until early 2022, when Electric Group took over the operation of the site. Following a complete refurbishment, it reopened as NX Newcastle in September 2022.
Academy Music Group (AMG) is a leading owner-operator of music venues in the United Kingdom. They operate a number of medium-sized venues, the majority of which took the name Carling Academy after their sponsor Carling. Some of these also contain smaller venues used for less well known acts; these typically take the title 'Academy 2'.
St David's Hall is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales.
O2 Academy Bournemouth is a live entertainment venue in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It is a grade-II listed building.
The Newcastle City Hall (currently known as O2 City Hall Newcastle for sponsorship reasons) is a concert hall located in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. The venue is operated by Academy Music Group and named under a group sponsorship agreement with telecoms company O2. It is a Grade II listed building.
The O2 Academy Sheffield (formerly the Carling Academy Sheffield), is a live music venue in the centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is a £3 million refurbishment of the former "Roxy Nightclub" and opened on 11 April 2008.
The O2 Academy Leeds (formerly known as the Town and Country Club) is a music venue situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is run by the Academy Music Group, which has other music venues around the UK. The Academy was nominated for the TPi Awards 2010 for the country's favourite venue.
Brighton Hippodrome is an entertainment venue in Brighton, England. It was built in 1897 and closed in 2007.
Anyone Can Play Guitar is a documentary film made by Jon Spira, examining the music scene in Oxford over the period starting 1978, but focusing on 1984–2007. The film takes its name from the song by Radiohead from their 1993 album Pablo Honey.
Nightshift is a free monthly music magazine in Oxford, England. Distributed via music venues, pubs, and shops, it provides music news, gig listings, and reviews for the city and surrounding area.
Yeallow is a French indie rock band from Strasbourg, Alsace, formed in 2008.
Simon James Moran is a concert promoter in the United Kingdom, managing director of SJM Concerts, director of the Academy Music Group of venues and owner of the Warrington Wolves Rugby League team. He is in charge of major London venues including the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire and O2 Brixton Academy.
The O2 Victoria Warehouse is a live music venue in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The venue is made up of two storage warehouses used during the early to mid-20th century. It was redeveloped as a music venue in 2012 and given its current name in 2018.
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
