Suddenly it's March now, Reading is no longer a frozen wasteland and I don't need to construct a survival suit just to walk out of the house to the local anymore. The weather ain't getting warm any time quick, but we're approaching a general election and we still live in hard times, so don't expect it to get warmer. High unemployment, the tightening of draconian copyright laws, and the BBC publically mutilating itself to the commercial satisfaction of dying breeds of advertising executives, insane newspaper tycoons clutching every word and law suit with their cold dead hands, and a possible future government. That's a big possible. Think carefully about which liars and crooks you want to run the country. Meanwhile public broadcasting services like youtube and the BBC are seriously under threat from glorified advertising interests. Don't trust anything that demands your attention just to sell you something.

It's not all doom and gloom though. BBC 6 Music may not last the year, but there's plenty of ways to experience new music that isn't designed to sell you a multimedia device you don't need. March is a month of gigs in Reading.

Oxjam

Tomorrow night (that's Friday 5th November), £5 entry and doors open at 7.30pm. An ethereal and electronica spectacular. All proceeds go to Oxfam.

This is purely a charity gig, and local favourites Amy's Ghost playing. Oxjam is organised by the lovely folks at Oxfam Music who have recently helped Pixadelica distribute some zines. I put some in there last Saturday, and have no idea if there are any left. You should go and have a look just in case there are, if not say Hi to the people who run the place anyway and pick yourself up a record or a comic.

String Theory

String Theory is a new night in Reading, an evening of acoustic bliss. Music in it's purest, oldest form. Friday 12th March FREE at South Street. It's refreshing to see a new alternative breaking onto the Reading scene, something with a real idea and a genuine need for something beautiful powering it.

Tiger Mendoza - Electronic duo from Oxford that mix the melodicism of The Postal Service with the soundscapes of James Lavelle's Unkle. For the first time ever they will be presenting their music in an acoustic context.

Stuart Clark - Alternative folk singer songwriter from Reading. Mixing the fingerstyle guitar decorum of Devendra Banhart with a voice reminiscent of a young Robert Wyatt.

Orshy Pataki - Classical guitarist from Hungary living in the UK since 2003. Now teaching with the Berkshire Maestros and playing with various chamber groups as well as doing solo performances. Her programme contains Latin-American pieces by Barrios, M. D. Pujol and Jorge Morel.

Ed Lofstedt - Reading singer-songwriter comparable to Tom McRae and Billy Bragg. Expect epic ballads and emotionally charged energetic folk.

There's going to be some great things at this night, and if you don't like the line up then you don't have a soul.

Pixadelica

Pixadelica Vol. 8 is at the Facebar again this month. Another eclectic line up of  sonic artistry and awesome tunes.

Pixadelica flyer artwork by Flee Lees 

Like a bastard hybrid of Fugazi and They Might Be Giants, from the Midlands we have SPIN SPIN THE DOGS

If you like Jaga Jazzist, Neu and LCD Soundsystem then you will be sure to fall in love with the music of Oxfords critically lauded SPACE HEROES OF THE PEOPLE

Currently on tour with shoegaze legends THE TELESCOPES. We are honoured to have London's answer to The Black Angels. For the first time in Reading we have the wonderful ONE UNIQUE SIGNAL:

Plus one more to be confirmed, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it in this or any other gig, including a myspace profile or something I can listen to.

You're tuned in to Pixadelica.

Happy Birthday to Sharon at our favourite Reading venue, hope you have a great day and many more. We're Pixadelica, above are only three good reasons to keep your faith in humanity in these trying and difficult times. It still isn't enough though. Publish a podcast, put on your own night, start a zine, make pretty pictures and sell them in The Oakford on a Sunday afternoon. Make something and marvel at the sheer brilliance of being a creative human being and then This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it