The Beard Museum is a record label, a fortnightly club night, and ultimately a lifestyle choice. We were born in the summer of 2003, when Steve Stevens gathered together a crack team of highly skilled professional layabouts and decided to tear Oxford a new acoustic asshole. A venue was found. Equipment was begged, borrowed and stolen. Drinks were consumed. Fun was had by one and all!
Now, over 2 and a half years later we have gone from strength to strength. We have seen terrific performances from national and international acts such as Merz, Shyler Jansen, Earnest Cox, The Race, Four Star Mary and Roger Tarry plus fantastic local acts. We were the first to have Dive Dive play acoustic, and have also seen excellent performances from Phil McMinn (Fell City Girl) as well as the Beard Museum favourites (Richard Walters, Lagrima and The Family Machine).
For the past two years we have run the acoustic stage at the Charlbury Riverside Festival, which is perhaps the best acoustic tent the world has ever seen.
Come and see us on the second and last Sunday of every month at The Purple Turtle, Oxford. All are welcome!
Check out this review of our compilation 'Beard Museum ..1' from Nightshift :
Beard Museum is one of the Oxford music scene's best kept secrets. A monthly club night at the Purple Turtle, hosted by the Family Machine, it is not an open mic session or an acoustic club, more a celebration of the gentler side of pop. Local stalwarts like Richard Walters, Kate Garrett, Chamfer and Toulouse are regulars and they are among the sixteen acts contributing to this compilation of Beard Museum favourites.The Four Storeys return to action as Nick Kenny and the Pig Improvement Company, with the jaunty 'Friends', the addition of former - Overground front man Anthony Green to their ranks lending them a more country rock feel, although Mungo Jerry would be as close to the truth. Chamfer get soulful in a Beatlesy type way on 'White Stone', While Kate Garrett is similarly steeped in classic sixties pop with her folky sci-fi wobble, 'Coming Home'.Further in there is a gothic slide guitar-led canter from king of the Rumbling Spires; a solemn, reflective piano ballad from Stuey Mitch that treads close to Tim Buckley territory; Banshees-style guitar noise and gothic wordiness from Red Star Cycle and wide mouthed pop exuberance from fast-rising scamps Earnest Cox. Beard Museum hosts the Family Machine steer their languorous countrified pop truck just the right side of silly, while Toulouse are similarly minded in their quest, a Merle Haggard-styled dose of down home barroom country blues. In truth there's not a duff track here, which is rare for these kind of compilations. Beard Museum takes place on the second and last Sundays of every month at the Purple Turtle. You get in free if you've got a beard, although having a beard is not something we'd recommend. We would, however, heartily endorse getting a copy of this album!
Sue Foreman, Nightshift Magazine (Feb 2005)
M
Profile Generator
