The Zodiac (club)

The O2 Academy Oxford is a music venue in Oxford, England, which is part of the O2 Academy brand operated by Academy Music Group. From 2007 to 2009, it was known as the Carling Academy Oxford, from 1995 to 2007 as The Zodiac and prior to that as The Venue.

Before becoming a music venue the building on the Cowley Road in southeast Oxford was a Co-operative Party hall. The Co-Op dining hall was used to host live music until converted into 'The Oxford Venue' in the early 1990s. In November 1995 it was refurbished and reopened as night club and live music venue 'The Zodiac', which became known for performances by underrated and up-and-coming bands. The Zodiac was owned by Nick Moorbath, a local keyboardist who has played with Ride and Hurricane #1; in 2006 he sold the venue to the Academy Music Group. In 2007 it was renamed the Carling Academy Oxford. A subsequent rebranding as the O2 Academy Oxford took effect on 1 January 2009.

Although Radiohead rarely played there, the club has had a long history and association with the local band. The 1995 refit was partly funded by Radiohead and the video for their early song "Creep" was shot there. Nick Moorbath was partly responsible for organising Radiohead’s homecoming performance in South Park, Oxford in July 2001.

The atmosphere was described in Nightshift Magazine as:

The Zodiac has also been host to many different club nights, including Source (a drum and bass night), Slide (a house night), Smashdisco (a post-punk indie electronight on Thursdays), Transformation (an indie rock night), Trashy (a Retro Pop night) and also several student nights including Fuzzy Ducks and Pop Ya Cherry.

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