It’s time to grow a bushy beard, pull on your bright yellow waders, slip on a chunky sweater, head down to the harbour and suck on a Fisherman’s Friend – there’s a night of sea shanties ahoy, you landlubbers.

It’s good to go back to your roots sometimes and, as Weymouth is such an historic port, remind ourselves of the marvellous tradition of sea shanties.

So shiver your timbers, splice your mainbrace, scrape the barnacles off your bottom, you scurvy knaves, and head for the Old Town Hall in Weymouth’s High West Street, on Monday night, March 10, where sea shanty revivalists Dorset Wrecks will be taking over the Open Mic Night with their renditions of such classics as Drunken Sailor, Blow The Man Down and If Your Daddy Ain’t Got A Beard, You Got Two Mums.

(I may have made that last one up, okay?)

They cast off at eight bells (8pm), and folk hero Finnian McGurk will also be doing a set of his ribald tunes. There’s free parking at the council car park and bring your own rum, me hearties!

And talking of traditional songs, No Country For Old Men have been gigging around the South West for a couple of years now and tomorrow night, Saturday, March 8, they bring their brand of rootsy Americana blues, folk and good ol’ boot-kicking yee-haww music to Wyke Regis Social Club in Weymouth.

The West Dorset-based quartet of Riffski Tilbury, Pete Holmes, Ian Taylor and Ryan Halsey take the raw sound of such artists as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Gram Parsons and the like and do very much their own thing with it.

Oh, and put on your best cotton-pickin’ stetson and boots, y’hear!

And finally, I know July seems an awful way away but there’s some hot news about this summer’s Forever Sun festival at Came Park near Dorchester.

They’ve only been and gone and landed the Happy Mondays as the headline band on Sunday, July 27.

 

 

They’re on the bill with other such luminaries as The Buzzcocks, Glen Matlock, Toploader and many more.

I’ll be writing more about this fabulous event nearer the time but check out foreversun.co.uk to get your tickets NOW!

Right, that’s it for this week, I’m off to catch some haddock.

TONIGHT (7)

Swanage Blues Festival (Various venues, Swanage) See Swanage-blues.org for details

Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Matt Wallis (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Devil’s Rejects (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Shooter (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Chill (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Victorian Barbers (Chalk and Cheese, Maiden Newton)

Tom Clemments (Tom Brown’s High East St, Dorchester)

Amy Mayes Trio (Cafe Jagos, High East St, Dorchester) 11.30pm.

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell) 8pm.

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Bob Mallet (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

David 9 Lunas (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport)

Mark Stacey (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (8)

Swanage Blues Festival (Various venues, Swanage) See Swanage-blues.org for details

Hustle (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Left Right and Centre (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth)

Fluke (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth) and later…

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers, Peacock Suit (Rendezvous, Town Bridge, Weymouth) from 8.30pm.

Replay (Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

The Dolmen(Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Design (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Ed Hanfrey (115 Club, Bridport)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (No 10, Bridport) 12.30pm-2.30pm. Lunchtime gig.

No Country for Old Men (Wyke Regis Social Club, Chamberlaine Rd, Weymouth)

Howling at the Moon (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester)

CJ (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Radioplay (Clifton, Portland)

Phoenix (RBL Club, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Freak Circus (New Star Inn, Portland)

Elvis 56 (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Double Shot (Belvedere, Weymouth)

ACBBs (the Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

Jilly Ann (Old Ship, Dorchester)

Finn (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Punchbowl, Portland)

Victorian Barbers (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (9)

Swanage Blues Festival (Various venues, Swanage) See Swanage-blues.org for details

Alex Roberts (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland) 4.30pm.

Howling at the Moon (The Crown, Bridport) 4pm.

Gemma (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Bob and Jon (Spitfire Club, Crossways) 3pm.

Tripod (Belvedere, Weymouth) 8.30pm.

Martin Freed (Babylon Bar, Weymouth) 3pm.

Skint Imperials (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Danny Adams (Oasis Bistro, Weymouth) 1pm.

Karen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Nearly Good (Tom Brown’s High East St, Dorchester) 7pm-9pm.

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Jam Night (Sailor’s Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth)

Mark Stacey and friends host this regular Sunday acoustic jam session. Music from 8pm.

MONDAY (10)

Dorset Wrecks, Finnian McGurk (Old Town Hall, High West St, Weymouth) 8pm.

Lucy’s Ukulele Night (King’s Arms, Portesham) 8pm.

TUESDAY (11)

Dougie Cooper Quartet (The Star, Park St, Weymouth)

Jon Stone (The Boot, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (12)

Danny Adams (Oasis Bistro, Weymouth) 7pm.

Jam with Mark (Wellington Arms, St Alban Street, Weymouth) Mark Stacey hosts this regular acoustic jam session.

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth) Acoustic folk.

THURSDAY (13)

Paul Kinvig (115 Club, Bridport)

Open Mic Surgery (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester) All backline provided, come on down and have a play.

Steve’s Singalong (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund Street, Weymouth) Steve hosts this session, with guests joining in.

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

FRIDAY (14)

Mama Feelgood (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Martin Maton (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Andy Grant Trio (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Skint Imperials (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Kent Duchaine (Beach and Barnicott Bridport)

The Mighty Fine (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth) and later…

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)