View source for O2 Academy Oxford

{{Short description|Music venue in Oxford, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
[[File:O2 Academy Oxford.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The O2 Academy in Oxford.]]
The '''O2 Academy Oxford''' is a night club and live music venue in [[Oxford]], England, operated by [[Academy Music Group]].<ref name="oxfordmail-2008">{{cite news|last=Hughes|first=Tim|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/3834959.Now_it_s_the_O2_Academy/|title=Now it's the O2 Academy|date=10 November 2008|publisher=oxfordmail.co.uk|access-date=8 November 2012}}</ref>

Its previous names include the Coop Hall, the Oxford Venue, the Zodiac and the Carling Academy Oxford.<ref>{{cite web|title=The history of The Zodiac|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2007/05/18/zodiac_history.shtml|website=BBC Oxford|publisher=BBC|access-date=17 July 2017|date=18 May 2007}}</ref>

==History==
===Oxford Co-operative Society (1907–1990)===
The red brick building at 190–196 [[Cowley Road]] in southeast Oxford was designed by [[Harry Wilkinson Moore]] and built in 1907 for the Oxford Co-operative Society. It consisted of a large hall above three shop units. The hall was used for dances, political meetings of the [[Co-operative Party]] and live music.<ref>{{cite web |title=Oxford Heritage Asset Register - Cowley Road No 190, The O2 Academy (former Co-operative buildings) |url=https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory_record/1396/cowley_road_no_190_the_o2_academy_former_co-operative_buildings |website=Oxford City Council |access-date=11 August 2020 |archive-date=28 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428193249/https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory_record/1396/cowley_road_no_190_the_o2_academy_former_co-operative_buildings |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Co-operative arcade of shops, top floor was a dance hall |url=https://www.oxforduniversityimages.com/results.asp?image=OHC002567-01 |website=Oxford University Images |publisher=University of Oxford |access-date=11 August 2020 |archive-date=28 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428193249/https://www.oxforduniversityimages.com/results.asp?image=OHC002567-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>
{{cite book |title=Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey |first=James |last=Attlee |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |year=2008 |isbn= 9780226030951|page=152 |access-date=8 November 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEHNHYMNOSYC&pg=PA152}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Oxford Spawns Big Acts Despite Lack of 'Scene' |magazine=Billboard|year=1995 |page=116 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Skinner |first1=Annie |title=Cowley Road: A History |date=2005 |publisher=Signal Books |isbn=9781904955108 |pages=79–81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PERizR8zleIC&pg=PA79 |access-date=17 August 2020}}</ref> The year of construction is visible as a [[datestone]] on the front central [[gable]].

===The Oxford Venue (1990–1995)===
The hall was sold in 1990 and converted into the Oxford Venue.<ref>Melody Maker and NME magazines gig lists</ref> Oxford band [[Radiohead]] played there and the video for their 1992 hit ''[[Creep (Radiohead song)|Creep]]'' was shot there.<ref>{{cite web |title=Radiohead, Foals and 25 years of discovering Oxford music |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-33176717 |website=BBC News |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=13 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenwood |first1=Colin |title=Radiohead's Top 5 independent venues |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/30/colin-greenwood-radiohead-top-5-independent-venues |website=The Guardian |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=30 January 2014}}</ref>

===The Zodiac (1995–2007)===
In November 1995 it was refurbished and reopened as The Zodiac under new owners Adrian Hicks and Nick Moorbath, both formerly sound engineers and promoters working at the Oxford Venue.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vetta |first1=Sylvia |title=Castaway: A man and his music |url=http://www.sylviavetta.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Nic-Moorbath.pdf |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=Oxfordshire Limited Edition magazine |issue=March |date=2012 |pages=8–13}}</ref> Moorbath was also a session keyboardist who played with [[Ride (band)|Ride]] and [[Hurricane No. 1|Hurricane #1]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Tim |title=Profile: Nick Moorbath - the Mr Big of Oxford's music scene |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10090309.profile-nick-moorbath---mr-big-oxfords-music-scene/ |website=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=5 December 2012}}</ref> The refit was partly funded by Radiohead and [[Supergrass]]. Moorbath was also involved in organising Radiohead's homecoming performance in [[South Park, Oxford]] in July 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title=Travis and Coldplay linked to South Park gig|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6581158.display/|website=Oxford Mail|publisher=Newsquest (Midlands South) Ltd|access-date=17 July 2017|date=18 January 2003}}</ref> In November 2006 it was announced that Moorbath and Hicks had agreed to sell the club to the Academy Music Group.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Koranteng |first1=Juliana |title=AMG Acquires The Zodiac |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1348222/amg-acquires-the-zodiac |magazine=Billboard|access-date=11 August 2020 |date=2 November 2006}}</ref> The Zodiac's last night on 17 May 2007 featured several Oxford bands, including ones that reformed for the night, including [[The Candyskins]] and [[Unbelievable Truth]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Tim |title=Emotional end to Zodiac era |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/1411732.emotional-end-to-zodiac-era/ |website=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=19 May 2007}}</ref> The commercial takeover of the city's largest independent music venue inspired ''[[Anyone Can Play Guitar (film)|Anyone Can Play Guitar]]'', a documentary film about the Oxford music scene.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Dominic |title=Anyone Can Play Guitar |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/leisure/events/9608306.anyone-can-play-guitar/ |website=The Argus |publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=31 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Lisa |title=Anyone Can Play Guitar – Interview with the Director |url=https://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/anyone-can-play-guitar-interview-with-the-director/ |website=More Than The Music |date=10 November 2011 |access-date=11 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Keira |title=Anyone Can Play Guitar Tonight at BFI |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/07324-oxford-film-anyone-can-play-guitar |website=The Quietus |access-date=11 August 2020 |date=4 November 2011}}</ref>

===Academy Oxford (since 2007)===
Academy Music Group refurbished the site over several months, increasing its capacity from 750 to 1,150 people and reopening as the Carling Academy Oxford.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Paine|first=Andre|location=London|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1324983/amg-invests-4m-into-zodiac-venue|title=AMG Invests $4M into Zodiac Venue|date=11 April 2007|magazine=Billboard|access-date=8 November 2012}}</ref> The sponsorship of the Academy Music Group by the [[Carling Brewery|Carling]] beer brand was succeeded by an agreement with telecommunications firm [[O2 (UK)|O2]]. The venue was rebranded as the O2 Academy Oxford with effect from 1 January 2009.<ref name="oxfordmail-2008" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|http://www.o2academyoxford.co.uk/}}

{{Academy Music Group venues}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord |51.7471|-1.2352|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}

[[Category:1995 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Music in Oxford]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Oxford]]
[[Category:Music venues in Oxfordshire]]
[[Category:O2 (UK)|Academy Oxford]]