GIG GUIDE: Warren James in Bridport and the return of Mr Tambourine Man Billy Solo

No waiting around for the van while the bassist drops the kids off at his ex’s; no hanging about at the soundcheck with your fingers in your ears waiting for the guitarist to stop that infernal twiddling and Fred Astair-esque tap dancing on a vast collection of pedals; no sitting around reading War and Peace and then colouring it in while the singer struggles to get his or her ego through the door of the venue.

No, it’s just you, your talent and a small PA versus the rest of the world.

If it goes wrong, you’ve only got yourself to blame, but if it goes right, you can take all the credit.

Step forward then Warren James, a young guitarist and banjo player who lives on the road, taking his brand of skiffle, country and blues with him as he goes from town to town.

He’s travelled and played across Europe and America, performing with such artists as Brian May and Joe Brown along the way and regularly knocks up around 200 gigs a year.

So if you enjoyed the rootsy tunes from the films Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Or Twelve Years a Slave and names such as Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie and The Carter Family float your boat and don’t get your goat, you need to check Warren out next Friday, April 4, at the Beach and Barnicott in downtown Bridport.

Moving on, when Bob Dylan wrote those immortal words ‘Hey Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me’ I often wonder what he expected to hear: a bit of banging and scraping and some rattling around... and that’s your lot really.

One guy who has taken the art of tambourine bashing to a new level is Weymouth’s own Billy Solo, who resumes his Friday night residency at the Wellington in St Alban St, Weymouth, tonight, Friday, March 28.

Billy’s gigs there are as much a part of Weymouth legend as the Punch and Judy Show and traffic jams, so it’s good to hear he’s back to full fitness and raring to go.

Right, that’s it for this week, I’m just off to try some of that conscious coupling.

Till next time…

TONIGHT

The Mighty Fine (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

The Decades (Spice Ship, Preston, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

The Chase (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Gypsy Fire (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Louise Day (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Grizzly and the Grasshoppers (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Johnny King (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Amy Mayes Trio (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Royal Exchange, Portland)

ACBBs (Moby Dicks, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Aura, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Punchbowl, Portland)

Shelbys Elbows (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Rockin’ Rich (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Omega Project (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Michael Scorey (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport)

Billy Solo (Wellington Arms, St Alban St, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (29)

Ben Waters, Fat Marrow, C Sharp Blues (Freshwater Centre, Burton Bradstock, Bridport)

Splinter (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

The Crack (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Black Dog, St Mary St, Weymouth)

The Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Jilly Ann (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Hustle (Dusk, Esplanade, Weymouth) From midnight.

ACBBs (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

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

Tim Andrews (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Bob Mallet (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Rival Agents (Victoria, Dorchester)

Amy Mayes Trio (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth)

Nobody’s Heroes (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Skatmandu (The Star, Park St, Weymouth)

Sketchy (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Blue Rock (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester)

Pete O (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth)

Jack and Benny (Chalk and Cheese, Maiden Newton)

The Veterans (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Trouble in Mind (Wyke Regis Social Club, Chamberlaine Rd, Weymouth)

Bluetown Rumble, Stickleback Jack (Goldie’s, Dorchester)

Under The Carousel (RBL Club, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Left Right and Centre (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The Unpredictables (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Tom Caulfield (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (Social Club, Shaftesbury)

SUNDAY

Gut and Steel (George Inn, Portland) From 4pm.

James Hollingsworth (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland) 4.30pm.

Skint Imperials (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 7.30pm.

Sheryle Lee (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Oasis Bistro, Weymouth) 1pm.

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

Karen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Fluke (Three Compasses, Charminster)

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

Jam Night (Sailor’s Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth) Music from 8pm.

MONDAY

Lucy’s Ukulele Night (King’s Arms, Portesham)

TUESDAY

Some music songs (The Boot, Weymouth) Let us know at gigs@dorsetecho.co.uk

WEDNESDAY

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Danny Adams (Oasis Bistro, Weymouth) 7pm.

Jam with Mark (Wellington Arms, St Alban Street, Weymouth)

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

THURSDAY

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) Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland) Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

FRIDAY

Boytits (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

The Breakwater Band (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

TBC (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Double Shot (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Warren James (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport)

The Tatsmiths (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Billy Solo (Wellington Arms, St Alban St, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)