The singer in Oxford’s greatest lost pop band the Candyskins, Nick Cope has as long a history with Truck as anyone (Robin and Joe still have their copies of Mrs Hoover). After a few years recuperating, he’s returned to the music industry with a new idea, still writing songs but this time aimed at a slightly younger audience. Since then, he’s been running weekly sessions for kids locally, and his album “What Colour Is Your T-Shirt” has been a massive hit with the city’s under-10s.
Founder of Oxford’s Catweazle Club, Matt Sage has since founded sister clubs to the Oxford acoustic club in London, Brighton and New York City, while the Oxford branch remains a vibrant and creative community hub, attracting not only countless local heroes but also diverse universal talents from Foals’ front to man Yannis to 75 year old beat poet Michael Horowitz and thousands in between. Matt comes to play the lunchtime slot in the Tree tent.
Then in the early evening, Police Dog Hogan bring their brand of anglicised Bluegrass to our fair festival, having already wowed crowds at Maverick festival and beyond. A group of musicians that have been playing music together for the best part of three decades, they bring all that experience to bear in their music, with close harmonies, fiddles, sideways-bass, and as much dancing as you could want!
Witney’s own Kora master Jali Fily Cissokho is up next. Born into the famous Cissokho family of hereditary ‘Griots’ (musical families who pass their skills from generation to generation), Fily was taught to play the kora (a 21 string African harp) at the age of 6 by his father Jali Kemo Cissokho and later by his older brother Solo Cissokho. His mother, singer Bintou Konte Cissokho, gave him the historical stories and songs and soon he was performing at local ceremonies in the region. At the age of 13 he formed his own group, Coute Diomboulo (who played at our Harvest Festival in 2008), and later performed as a solo artist throughout southern Senegal.
Since he was first invited to Europe in 2002 to tour with the family group, Jalikunda – winner of the BBC3 World Music Award, 2004. His UK appearances have included the WOMAD, Glastonbury and (our own) Truck Festivals, the Oxford Water Festival (“His music moved people to tears”) and Modern Art Oxford. He has also performed on David Attenborough’s BBC TV Documentary ‘Elephants’ for composer Will Gregory (of ‘Goldfrapp’ fame), and more recently for A R Rahman, composer of the score for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou are a married couple singing in close harmony, erstwhile members of Danny & The Champions of the World, and one of our favourite bands. Since their tour of village halls last year, their star has been steadily in the ascendant.With a new album coming out through Heavenly Records this June, ‘Quality, Last & Forever’ is already being hailed as a quiet masterpiece. Anyone who’s seen them live (in particular their stunning set at the Old Bookbinders this February) will know to expect bright interwoven harmonies and heartbreaking melodies.
The Epstein, a band constantly evolving over the past few years – from the original ‘Epstein-Barr Virus Band’ who played at Truck 2003 through to their latest 3-piece line-up, with guests like Stornoway‘s Ollie Steadman or Joe Bennett on bass – have changed through the years, but have always been captivating live. The kind of band so capable of whipping up a storm that we could only ask them to close the night out at WOOD.
