Jangle-Pop Legends The Popguns Take Over The Jericho Tavern

By Alyssa | WhatsOn music and nightlife writer Alyssa tracks the gigs, festivals, club nights and late-late plans worth leaving the house for.

Walton Street on a Tuesday night usually hums with a quiet, bohemian kind of low-level chatter, but push through the doors of The Jericho Tavern and you hit a wall of anticipatory heat and guitar fuzz. It is the scent of spilled pints, vintage amps, and local music history baked right into the floorboards.

On Tuesday, 18 August, that history gets a fresh coat of classic indie-pop paint when The Popguns take the stage. If you know your C86-era jangle and late-80s indie scene, this mid-week billing is an absolute gift. The Brighton stalwarts are bringing their infectious, melodic urgency to a 300-capacity room that practically demands you press right up against the monitors. It is the kind of intimate, sweat-on-the-ceiling gig that makes you glad you did not just stay in and watch telly.

Jangle-Pop Guitars and Sweaty Ceilings

There is a specific kind of alchemy that happens when proper indie-pop hits a small room. Expect shimmering guitar riffs colliding with a thumping, relentless rhythm section that rattles the pint glasses on the bar. Wendy Morgan’s vocals still pack that undeniable punch—soaring, emotive, and cutting straight through the fuzz. The setlist is bound to be a masterclass in indie endurance, weaving together the frantic energy of their early singles with the polished, harmony-drenched tracks that have kept their cult following fiercely loyal for decades. You aren't just watching a band; you are locked inside a tiny, reverberating soundbox with them.

The Jericho Tavern's Indie Devotees

The crowd at a gig like this is a beautifully mixed bag of lifelong indie purists clutching original pressing vinyls and younger scenesters discovering the roots of British alternative music. There is a communal nod of respect going around the room—after all, you are standing in the exact spot where Oxford’s biggest musical exports, from Radiohead to Supergrass, earned their stripes. Conversations between sets bleed from debating the best B-sides to tipping off friends about the next big grassroots night. It is loud, it is loyal, and it feels entirely removed from the shiny, corporate arena circuits.

Know Before You Go

• Secure your spot: This is a highly intimate venue, and mid-week diehards buy early. Grab advance entry via WeGotTickets to avoid door disappointment.
• Door times matter: Grassroots gigs run tight curfews. Arrive early to catch the support acts and secure a decent sightline near the sound desk.
• Travel smart: Parking around Jericho is notoriously tricky. Walk or cycle if you are local, or use the Gloucester Green car park a ten-minute stroll away.
• Pack light: You will be in a packed room with limited cloakroom space. Stick to a small bag and leave the heavy coats at home.

Make a Weekend of It

While this is a Tuesday night fixture, you can easily stretch the trip if you are heading into town for a couple of days. Start the gig evening with a warm-up pint at The Jericho, an effortlessly cool pub just down the road that pairs exposed brickwork with excellent social eats. If you want something distinctly traditional to line the stomach, grab a hearty steak and ale pie by the fire at The Victoria, an unapologetic anti-gastro pub further along Walton Street. Don't fancy rushing for the last train home after the encore? Book a room at the easyHotel Oxford up in Summertown—it is a short cab ride away and keeps you perfectly positioned to explore the next morning. When Wednesday rolls around, shake off the post-gig ringing in your ears by hitting Westgate Oxford for some retail therapy and top-tier coffee, or lock your gig mates in a puzzle room at Escape Hunt Oxford before heading home.

Catch you down the front by the left speaker stack, Alyssa for What's On Oxford.