Adrian Oxaal
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Adrian Oxaal was the lead guitarist in the long existing UK band James until 2002. Long before joining James, Adrian studied music at the University of Sussex in his hometown of Brighton. After leaving Uni, his heart wasn't in the world of classical music, and he chose instead to play in bar bands - a process which led to him being asked to play on a demo for a band named Goat. Oxaal described their music as being "a kind of melodic hard rock" and Goat went to sign a deal with Beggars Banquet, although Oxaal admits that it didn't really amount to much apart from some studio experience.[1]
He then went on to join a somewhat different band to the usual Britpop acts of the time called Sharkboy. His friend Avi recruited him on Guitar and Cello. Sharkboy were signed to Nude and went on to support Suede on their first big UK tour, whose frontman Brett Anderson had become quite a fan of Adrian's band.
Both of their albums were critically well received but sold poorly and Sharkboy folded soon afterwards.
Saul Davies had been a long term friend with Adrian since their childhood, and suggested the band employ him to replace former Lead Guitarist Larry Gott who had just departed towards the end of 1995. Oxaal was given an introduction to James that he regards as "bizarre" in which he was only given a drum loop and a vocal track and was asked to just "Do something". The band members were impressed with Adrian's guitar skills and gave him the job immediately, relieved that they didn't have to go through the great deal of auditions they had already experienced with the search for previous members.
Fans still debate about who was more suited as James lead guitarist, as many preferred Gott's simplistic style and slide playing.
However, drummer Dave Baynton-Power described Adrian in 1997 as being "a really good guitar player....a bit more rocking than Larry, he's got a bit of an edge, which has injected a new spark into the band". This became evident on both the Whiplash and Millionaires albums, as well as in the live environment in which Oxaal isn't afraid to fly into a storming guitar solo from time to time during most concerts - something both Gott and Gilbertson never really attempted in James.
Adrian Oxaal joined James in 1996 and remained as their Lead Guitarist across the Whiplash, Millionaires and Pleased To Meet You albums, straight through to the band's tour in 2001. James have reformed as of January 2007 and their ex-guitarist Larry Gott is one of the members to re-join seemingly ensuring Adrian is no longer needed in the band.
He returned to Brighton and has done a handful of solo bar gigs, seemingly having gone full circle since leaving University.
Adrian previously worked as Course Team Leader for the BTEC National Diploma in Contemporary Music at South East Essex College of Arts and Technology in Southend-on-Sea, Essex he left this post over the summer of 2007 and is now currently working as a music teacher at Bexhill College, East Sussex.
[edit] References
- ^ "Adrian Oxaal profile", KeepMedia, February 1, 2007.
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