This was one of those great Oxford shows – a night of surprises pulling together some familiar faces and a bunch of young guns. Tristan & The Troubadours are already getting a bit of a reputation as a band to keep your eye on, not least because they boast Larrikin Love’s frontman Ed Larrikin as their greatest fan. At least one member of the band has even been seen on stage with Larrikin for a spot of Bez-style dancing and maraca shaking. The first thing that strikes you about this Witney-based bunch of hopefuls is that they are very young. That said, once into their stride, they betray a sense of style and pace way beyond their tender years. Frontman Ben Conway and bassist/keys man Joe Electro are the twin dynamos at the heart of the complex TATT machine - which pulls together classical violin interludes with rhythmic Thamesbeat-style percussion and chiming guitars. They gave a spirited performance - particularly on The Day That Rupert Died and their fresh out of the box closing song. But being in a band is not just about knowing how to handle an instrument. They also have swagger, style…and great hair! They are a talented troupe and for those of us with less musical ability, it is by turns tantalising to ponder how much better they are going to get - and depressing to realise that even at this early stage, they are better than most of us can ever hope of being! The Larrikin comparisons are inevitable, but for now at least, that is no bad thing. Time, after all, is a luxury TATT clearly have on their side and while they are an interesting live act now, they promise even greater things to come. Headliners Prohibition Smokers’ Club are, by contrast, a band who are well into their stride. The name may be new, but this Oxford supergroup are no strangers to gig-goers – frontman Lee Christian is the notorious – even controversial – self-destructive force behind Smilex. Lee’s also been influential in helping TATT along their way and after his band’s engaging set he invited the delighted Troubadours back on stage for a massed sing-along to The Doors – nice touch guys! | 
