The Catweazle Club

The Catweazle Club is Oxford’s longest-running performance space for music, poetry, story and song & all manner of acoustic artistry. 

 

An intimate and magical space for musicians, singers, poets, storytellers and performance artists of every imaginable hue, who grace the stage every week. A chance to sit, to listen, to connect, to inspire and to be inspired …

 

It was founded in 1994 by song writer and musician Matt Sage, after he escaped from London, with nothing to his name but a heartful of songs, and moved onto a boat on the Oxford Canal.  Having musically learned his craft at The Troubadour Club in Earl's Court - at a weekly Wednesday night acoustic space run by Roddie and Julia from the band Miro - upon arrival, Matt immediately set about searching for a similar scene in which to call home.

 

However, back at the beginning of the '90s, there was absolutely no acoustic or intimate music scene in Oxford,  and so, within 3 weeks of arriving, in the Autumn of 1994, Matt took over the snug of the Victoria Arms in Jericho, put up a few posters (using a home made spell-paste imbued with herbs, oils and whispered intentions for the nascent endeavour) and turned up to meet whomever might show. 

 

That first cozy, candelit session created the template for each one that followed over the next 30+ years: musicians, singers and poets in search of an attentive audience, and anyone else who simply wanted to have an entrancing and soulful inspiring night out. No mic, no stage: just a spotlight and a chair, with the audience hanging on the every word and note of the performer.  Just like we humans have gathered forever. 

 

It didn’t take long for the room to pack out, forcing a move to the larger upstairs room.

 

An intense and often otherworldly atmosphere soon developed, and still more people came to gather round the flame, responding to that integral part of themselves which had hitherto remained malnourished by the bigger, better, faster world that seemed to be sinking its teeth into every aspect of modern life in the middle of the nineteen nineties.

 

Another move saw the Catweazle Club commence what was to become a three-year residency at Jude The Obscure in Walton Street. People met, fell in love, had babies, joined bands, jammed into the wee hours, all care of wonderful landlord Noel Reilly’s Irish “hospitality”.

 

This was also the time of the Newbury Bypass road protest movement, when Catweazle became something of a hub and telegraph post for the various campaigns and actions, with news of planned mischief and who had been nicked/released/evicted from the trees. It was a time when many previously unconnected groups swirling around Oxford began to connect up, circles upon circles upon circles conjoining.  It was the end of the analogue era, and a wonderful time to be alive.

 

When the walls of Jericho could no longer contain the multitude, the whole circus upped sticks and moved to Northgate Hall in St. Michael’s Street, where we spent seven fantastic years before finally crossing Magdalen Bridge and over onto the East Side of Town, where we took up residence for the following 15 years at the old East Oxford Community Centre.

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In 2010, The Catweazle Club was the subject of a half hour feature documentary on BBC Radio 4

 

Becoming ever more deep and rooted and strong, until Old Man Covid came a-calling.  We have been itinerant in Oxford ever since, popping up here or there for a few months at a time, before moving on again.  Always, alive, always surprising. Join the mailing list to find where we'll be next. 

 

Matt, in the meantime, moved to Bristol in search of further inspiration, and ​in October 2025, launched a new monthly Catweazle Club night at Cafe Kino, in Stokes Croft, on the first Wednesday of the month.  Taking an ember from the well-established Oxford fire, the night proved an instant sellout success.

 

Over the past 30 years we have pretty much seen it all, and had the profound privilege of witnessing  literally thousands of performances – from nervous first-timers, to seasoned pros - grace our stage, share their spendlours and make us all feel like we belong to something meaningful, if only for the night...

 

Long may catWEazle continue.

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Here are just a few of the things other people say about The Catweazle Club:

 

“Britain’s most intimate performance space” - The Times

 

“One of five essential cultural interludes in Oxford” – The Guardian

 

“Magical” - BBC Radio 4

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* * * * * - Tripadvisor

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Isis Magazine

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The Oxford Student Magazine

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The Cherwell 1

 

The Cherwell 2

 

"Catweazle - no trickery, just pure heart and soul wisdom for ears that hear the bells of angels, even when they don't." – Core Luminous

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"Catweazle encompasses community love. The atmosphere is elusive where real raw talent meets the magical ambience shining through sound, music, poetry and story-telling."

Sacha Mokenen

 

"The CatweazleClub is Oxford's longest-running Acoustic evening where songwriters,players,bards,storytellers and miscellaneous trobadours can make their manifold musings manifest in a respectful and electrickery-free space. The password is love." – Simon Davies

 

"Stripped-down acoustic music served in the simplest and most honest manner to a hushed and appreciative audience. In other words - a songwriter's dream venue!" – Luke Jackson

 

"Catweazle reminds me of some great graffiti I kept gratefully seeing on the way to Port Meadow: 'Resistance is Fertile.' It keeps hope alive, it also fertilises and cross-pollinates art, humour breaks out, and good will abounds. And the mixture of all ages & all cultures is so enjoyable, and so healthy."- Patti Dale, poet

 

"Catweazle: It’s a purposefully homespun experience….under the naive spell of performing it pulls the heart strings and spells ones cynicism away it’s utterly charming" – Marcus Hirsh

 

"Vampires, jugglers, angels, ghosts,
Wood, wire, words, fire,
Dancing hip cats of the now,
Burning with visions of high heaven/sweet hell
And this wonderful dangerous in-between, our good green mother.
CATWEAZLE: not for the faint of art."- Joe Martin Ricke

 

"The ultimate in social mobility- anyone may occupy the hallowed glittering chair and sermon the people at their feet, through speech or song. "– Tom Swinburne

 

"Catweazle is brilliantly hosted. Candlelit. Glamourous. Mercurial. Quality performances and quality listening as no amplification. Friendly and egalitarian space encouraging to all participants" – Pauline Sewards

 

"Organic wonky basement of sharp talent amuses many a person through minty eyes of Music, Poetry, dancing and Singing with arms of chairs and the body of a cushion" – Eliot Vanderhyde