28/10/2025
Ah yes, it seems like we’re now a part of Oxford history. That poster certainly is, as we were dismissed from that venue a year ago, still without explanation. Ditto the most recent one. A sign of the times, it seems. Undeterred: the body may die, but the spirit lives on!
It’s been an amazing ride, these past 30 years, and it ain’t over yet. Happy to be a part of this project, and hope to be back together with everyone in Oxford soon. No session in November, currently, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted. Bristol Catweazle, meanwhile, is rocking off the hinges, so that’s good (1st Weds at Cafe Kino) x Matt
“In the snug of the Vicky Arms in Jericho, tiny room, we took it over on a Tuesday night in October, it was lovely Autumn vibes”🍂
🎤As part of ‘Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories’, we got to speak with Matt Sage about how he founded The Catweazle Club - Oxford’s unplugged listening and performance space - in 1994.
Coming to Oxford from London’s music scene, Matt told us about how he started up the Catweazle Club because he couldn’t find what he was looking for: “There was an open-mic performance night there with no PA that we used to go to religiously every week, and it was just an incredible scene and a place of great fermenting.
"And when I got to Oxford, I immediately set to look for that because I knew how nurturing that was for me and I didn't know anybody in Oxford I just got here and said, ‘Where's that thing?’ and I looked as hard as I could for about three weeks, and I didn't find it so I started it.”
The Catweazle Club has laid down roots in many venues over the years, breathing a unique cultural and collective experience into many of Oxford’s nooks and crannies.
You can catch Matt’s oral history as part of the ‘Our Oxford’ exhibition in Gallery 1 at the Museum, on display until 3 January 2026 🌈🧵💚
[Image description: A past poster for the Catweazle Club, featuring an upwards shot of a seated man playing a stringed instrument. He is sat in front of a glitzy green curtain. The poster promises 'music...poetry...song' and features information about the time, date and venue, plus quotes from reviews from BBC Radio 4 and The Times.]