The Bullingdon, Oxford, 8th February 2026
“These guys are the real deal,” someone says barely two songs into Westside Cowboy’s set at Oxford’s Bullingdon. It’s the kind of comment that’s followed them for a while, as they’ve made their way round the first circuit of festival fields and pub basements. On their second headline tour, though, the noise feels justified. No longer resembling hotly-tipped newcomers, Westside Cowboy instead feel like a band warming up for the big stages.
Before they’d even recorded a single, Westside Cowboy had coined their own descriptor: ‘Britainicana’. While the term could read as marketing, onstage, it makes sense. There’s the reach of British indie in their ambition, offset by the plainspoken warmth of American folk and country. Likewise, early backing from Black Country, New Road, followed by a win at Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent competition in 2025, accelerated their ascent. And while the hype came quickly, they carry it remarkably comfortably.
The set opens with a shouted “WESTSIDEEE COWBOYYY!” from guitarist and vocalist Reuben Haycock – part battle cry, part mission statement – before they launch into ‘I’ve Never Met Anyone I thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)’. Despite the loose release of its choruses, it’s played with composure rather than scappiness, with the band matching the studio recording’s detail without fault.
Even the way they’re dressed, in baggy t-shirts and oversized jeans, suggests that becoming larger than-life-rockstars is not high on their list of priorities
If there’s one thing Westside Cowboy understand, however, it’s buildup and release. A track may start one way, but it then ends completely differently as harmonies are added, tempos shift, and arrangements are altered. When ‘Shells’ begins as an airy folk sketch, the ruckus from the previous songs – the punk-leaning ‘Alright Alright Alright’ and power-chord rush of ‘Can’t See’ – means the track has room to breathe. Consequently, when ‘Shells’ crashes into beat-driven disarray, it expands to fill the room. With vocal duties spread across Haycock, bassist Aoife Anson-O’Connell, and guitarist Jimmy Bradbury, the song is pushed to its limit.
The chemistry between the foursome reads as instinctive rather than rehearsed, coming across as friends who happen to be doing what they love together rather than a mishmash of talented musicians. At one point, Haycock runs offstage, returning moments later with a grin: “Sorry, I was about to piss myself. Wouldn’t have made great content. Or maybe it would.” The joke undercuts any grand narrative forming around them. Even the way they’re dressed, in baggy t-shirts and oversized jeans, suggests that becoming larger than-life-rockstars is not high on their list of priorities.
Still, the ambition is obvious, and the momentum is hard to ignore
The real beauty, however, comes towards the end of the set. On ‘Strange Taxidermy’, Anson-O’Connell’s high register cuts clean through the quiet: “Well old Billy, I think I do love you / You’ve mastered the passing of time,” she sings. It’s met with firm restraint from the crowd. Rather than ruining the moment with a singalong, they stay almost silent, instead letting the track’s spectral grace wash over them.
For the finale, ‘In the Morning’, all four members, including drummer Paddy Murphy, take to the front of the stage. Armed with only a guitar and a drum, they gather around one microphone, almost as if it were a campfire, and let their harmonies do the talking instead.
The only real limitation to the show is the size of their catalogue. For all their onstage confidence (and the fact they’ve fully settled into their identity), Westside Cowboy still only have two EPs to their name. Still, the ambition is obvious, and the momentum is hard to ignore. Give it a few years, and it’s easy to picture them topping the bills of the same venues and festivals they’re currently playing their way towards.
Words and photos: Sophie Flint Vázquez, no use without permission.
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