Thrilled to host an early Sunday evening of rock at the Library, with Barcelona’s Cranc., London’s Hot Wife and Oxford’s Junk Whale bringing us sonic treats covering every genre from disco-punk to grunge, shoegaze to alternative rock and egg-punk to lad rock anthems.

Described by one punter as like a racially ambiguous Mark E Smith fronting Talking Heads, Barcelona’s Cranc. fuse noise-pop energy with ‘70s post-punk edginess. Oscillating between heartfelt anthems and witty commentary, their lyrics are inspired by frontman Darren Loucaides’ years as a reporter covering far-right conspiratorial groups, his second-gen immigrant London background – and the end times. At Cranc.’s feral gigs, the melodic dynamism of Guillem Bonet (guitar), infectious rhythms of Rodrigo Vázquez-Mellado (bass) and Max Gayler (drums), compel Loucaides to metamorphose from office drone to sweat-soaked man-possessed writhing on the floor. With a DIY ethos and organic following, the band are ready to present their spiky debut LP Study For A Portrait, packed with the band’s irreverent blend of disco-punk, shoegaze, alternative rock and egg-punk.

Supporting we’ll have Hot Wife, who have played for us in London before but will be making their Oxford debut! The band started as a few pints at a south London pub between two girls with a mutual passion for 90s alt-rock and pop culture heroines. Tired of the city's male-dominated music scene, they set out to write their own kind of songs. Pairing big riffs with tongue in cheek lyrics, they provide a soundtrack for sacrificing your boyfriend or kissing your friends.

And opening will be our fave local lad rockers Junk Whale.

FYI this show will run a little early - with doors at 6 and then timings roughly:

6:30 - Junk Whale 7:20 - Hot Wife 8:10 - Cranc.

Done and dusted by 9 most likely.

FYI - the gig is 18+ and the venue has several small flights of stairs.

Junk Whale

Tickets & tour dates

April