Strange Fruit (club) - Origin: Strange Fruit Oxford

Origin: Strange Fruit Oxford

Strange Fruit was started by six Oxford based DJs, namely Paul Haswell, Verity Clarkson, Peter Vickerman, Andy Clyde, Steve Jefferis and Rebecca Shatwell. These DJs were fans of obscure independent and experimental music, and had tired of the samey nature of independent music following the Britpop boom of the mid-1990s.

Naming themselves the "Strange Fruit Collective" (and taking the Strange Fruit name from a Northern Soul compilation owned by Peter, not from the John Peel-founded Strange Fruit Records as many assumed), the DJs started a small club taking place in Oxford every week playing a mix of popular indie at the time, northern soul, but for the most part obscure (and sometimes unlistenable) indie. Favourite bands included Stereolab, The Flaming Lips, Add N to (X) and Quickspace.

Strange Fruit proved more popular than the Strange Fruit Collective expected, and began to develop a following in Oxford's music scene and amongst students. This subsequently attracted guest DJs such as Darren Hayman of Hefner and Add N To (X). The Strange Fruit Collective itself grew, and new DJs such as Ben Mellors and Mira Aroyo (who later joined Ladytron) became regulars.