Jesus Jones V EMF + BIS : O2 Academy Oxford

Name: Jesus Jones V EMF + BIS : O2 Academy Oxford
Start: 2025-10-18T18:30:00+01:00
Location: O2 Academy Oxford

Schedule

Sat, 18 Oct, 2025 at 06:30 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

O2 Academy Oxford | Oxford, EN

Yes. Right Here, Right Now two of the 90’s most enduring alternative acts are delighted to confirm they will be going toe-to-toe on what’s shaping up to be an Unbelievable run of shows together.
Expressing their excitement for the dates, James and Ian of EMF state: “We are so happy to finally be announcing these very special shows with our long-term friends Jesus Jones, it has been very hard keeping this news a secret! From EMF at these shows you can expect all the old hits with an added couple of bangers from our new album ’The Beauty and the Chaos’”.
Echoing their sentiments Jesus Jones frontman Mike Edwards adds: “People always assume EMF and us were great rivals – nothing could be further from the truth, we’ve been best friends for more than thirty years! Then, the same people always assume we must have been on the same bill, loads of times. Incredibly, it has NEVER happened before, until now. These shows are going to be fantastic – and having Bis on the bill too – it’s a brilliant line-up.”
Sporting 16 X Top 40 hits between them, Jesus Jones & EMF added glorious colour to the charts during a vintage era for indie and alternative-dance music.
Forged in the cross-over crucible of the bubbling Acid House and Indie-Rock scenes of the time, Jesus Jones were formed in Wiltshire in 1988. Landing a Top 40 smash with their acclaimed debut album ‘Liquidizer’ (1989), the quintet would go on to find huge success in the early 1990s with major hits including “Real Real Real”, “Right Here, Right Now”, “International Bright Young Thing”, “The Devil You Know” and many more across the decade. Releasing their most recent studio album ‘Passages’ in 2018, the band celebrated their 35th Anniversary in 2024 with a world-wide tour, with shows across the US, Canada, Australia and these momentous UK co-headline shows this year.
Across the border in Gloucestershire, the stars were also aligning for fellow scenesters EMF. Founded in late 1989 the dance-rock quintet would quickly rise to fame with the release of their platinum certified debut album, ‘Schubert Dip’ just two years later. Shifting over a million copies sold and charting at #3 in the UK (and #12 in the US), it featured the infectious debut single “Unbelievable” a track that conquered the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and remains their calling card to this day. From there, the hit singles kept coming throughout the decade, with their next 7 singles all besieging the Top 40 including “I Believe,” “Children”, “Lies”, “Perfect Day”, “It’s You” and more. Releasing a further 3x Top 40 albums, the band would take an extended hiatus following the release of ‘Cha Cha Cha’ in 1995. Reuniting for special live shows and festivals since then, EMF returned with their acclaimed new album ‘Go Go Sapiens’ in 2022. Continuing their hot-streak of recent years, the band released a brand new album, ’The Beauty And The Chaos’ in 2024. The first single from the album, “Hello People” featured a guest appearance by Stephen Fry and gleaned rave reviews.
Opening up proceedings are Scottish indie pop band Bis who formed in 1994 as a three-piece with Sci-Fi Steven, John Disco and Manda Rin. The band's name, rhyming with 'this', derives from "black iron skyline", a lyric from the song "Twilight of a Champion" by The The.
After releasing numerous EPs and three studio albums, The New Transistor Heroes (1997), Social Dancing (1999), and Return To Central (2001), the band broke up in 2003, but re-formed briefly in 2007 for a series of concerts. In 2009, they re-formed again and released the album data Panik etcetera (2014).
In 2019, the band's lineup returned to the original core three-piece and released the album Slight Disconnects. In 2021, the band self-released Low Level (A Return To Central Travel Companion), a CD consisting of previously unreleased material recorded during the Return To Central sessions. In October 2022, Systems Music For Home Defence was released, which Sci-Fi Steven has described as the band's "rave" album. The band continue to delight audiences with their spikey pop songs and exuberant performances and will get the night of to a very lively start.
Tickets price is £27.50 in advance available in a pre-sale from Ticketmaster on Wednesday 5th February. General sale on SEE from from Friday 7th February.