GIG GUIDE: Bumper Easter weekend of live music

There’ll be a whole lot of frolicking being undertaken by us humans, particularly those of us who enjoy live music.

There’s so much of it about this Easter, it’s like we’re doing our own talent show: The Eggs Factor, if you will…

This Sunday, April 20 why not partake in some Tea on the Quay outside the Rendezvous in Weymouth?

It’s the Quayside Festival’s slightly smaller cousin but there’s still an impressive line-up of talent none the less.

Dave Powell gets the ball rolling at midday, you can marvel at the epic beards of the Victorian Barbers at 1pm, and the day pans out as follows: 2pm: Lauren Bannon. 3pm: The Mighty Fine. 4pm: Jack Rats. 5.30pm: Mad Hatters. 7pm; Peacock Suit. 8.30pm: Leggomen. Then the rather awesome Speedway Snails take the party inside from 10pm.

Up on the seafront, the Lazy Lizard is hosting its traditional Hippy Fest, from 3pm until stupid o’clock the next morning, with such luminaries as The Stereoironics, Electric Bucket, Amy Mayes, Tom and Chloe, and Danny Adams on the bill.

Meanwhile, those lovely people at Air 107.2FM are staging their Easter Bunny Ball at their Westfield College home tomorrow, Saturday, April 19.

It’s a fundraiser for Baruga Health Centre in Chagoria, Kenya, so that’s why the event has been named KenyAir. (See what they did there?) Anyways, there’s some of the best musical talent around, plus The Dinnerladies, with Danny Adams, Eloise Budd, Julie and Jack, Lily McMullan, Blazin’ Strings and the fabulous Ukuleleans all doing a turn for a very worthwhile cause.

Family tickets are £25 which includes a free barbecue and the event runs from 1.30pm to 7pm.

And talking of good cause, Sixties specialists The Silhouettes are playing at the Conservative Club in Easton Square, Portland, tonight, Friday, April 18, to raise money for the Children of Chernobyl charity.

The organisation was set up following the nuclear disaster in 1986 and is now helping not only the children but also the grandchildren affected.

Now, we all love a bit of Elton John, although which bit may be up to your personal taste, but the likelihood of him playing in Weymouth is less than slight. However the next best thing has to be Paul Bacon’s Ultimate Elton tribute show.

As you can see from the picture here, he looks uncannily like the legend himself, which is no surprise as Paul has purchased many of Elton’s original stage outfits.

 

 

And you can hear how amazingly like the original he sounds tonight, Friday, April 18, at the Rock in Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, when Paul’s two-hour show meanders through Elton’s glorious ballads and then rips it up with some of his more rockier tunes.

If Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting, it must mean Friday Night’s All Right for Dancing.

Right, that’s it for this week. I’m off to grow a beard, just as they go out of fashion. ‘Till next time...

• HERE’s some pretty exciting news in Dorchester on the live music front.

Room 38 is a new monthly club night based at the vast Trinity Club in Trinity Street and, chase me round and call be Barbara, they’ve only gone and landed Republica for their launch night on Saturday, May 31.

Nineties starlet Saffron and her fabulous band enjoyed their gig at last summer’s Forever Sun festival so much they’re coming back for more of our South Dorset hospitality.

I’ll be writing more about this fabulous event nearer the time but you can get your tickets priced at £20 NOW from mmmnicemusic.com

• IT’S amazing to think that the Sunray Folk Club is celebrating its seventh anniversary this year.

And they’ve lined up another belter for this month’s event with an appearance by The Black Feathers at the Broadmayne village hall next Thursday, April 24.

The duo of Sian Chandler and Ray Hughes mix English folk roots, Irish heritage and a dash of American and bluegrass to make their unique sound.

Tickets for their show are £7 on the door and support comes from Big Al Whittle and Graham Proctor.

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT

Goliath (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Hustle (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

The Dinnerladies (King’s Arms, Portesham)

Ultimate Elton (The Rock, Abbotsbury Rd, Weymouth)

Mama Feelgood (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Finn (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

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

Speedway Snails (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Nigel Ray Beck (Springhead, Sutton Poyntz)

Steamer Ducks (The Star, Park St, Weymouth)

Amy Mayes (New Inn, Portland)

The Silhouettes (Conservative Club, Easton, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

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

Replay (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth)

Boytits (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Dorchester Rugby Club) 5pm and later..

Vanilla Radio (No 10, Bridport)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

James Baker (Old Castle, Weymouth)

Jack Daniels (Durnovaria, Dorchester)

Danny Adams (Dolphin, Park St, Weymouth)

Cash Converted (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Blue Rock (Moby Dick’s, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Kipper (King’s Arms, Dorchester)

SATURDAY (19)

Kenyair (Westfield College, Littlemoor Rd, Weymouth)

Shooter (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) and later…

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Xander and the Keys (Sailors Return, Nicholas St, Weymouth)

The Crack (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Blue Rock (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Suckerpunch (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

The Skones (Victoria, Dorchester)

Danny and the Champions of the World (Dusk, Esplanade, Weymouth) From midnight.

Skatmandu (The Star, Park St, Weymouth)

No Fixed Abode (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

Left Right and Centre (Eight Kings, Southwell, Portland)

Bob Mallet (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

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

Replay (Black Dog, St Mary St, Weymouth)

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

Daisy Wardel (115 Club, Bridport)

Tom Caulfield (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Nick Sellars (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Tempo (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth)

The Lanterns (The Gamekeeper, Charminster)

Martin Freed (White Hart, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Paul Gibson (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Paul St Clair (Wyke Regis Social Club, Chamberlaine Rd, Weymouth)

Neon Yellow (New Star Inn, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Gale Force 4 (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Peacock Suit (Market House, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (20)

Tea on the Quay (Rendezvous, Weymouth) Noon-10pm.

Hippy Fest (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) 3pm-5am.

The Dinnerladies (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth) 8.30pm.

The Leggomen (King’s Arms, Portesham) 3.30pm.

The Jack Ratts (Dorothy, Weymouth)

Replay (Red Lion, Hope Sq, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers (Park Hotel, Weymouth) 6pm.

Amy Mayes (The George, Portland) 4pm-6pm. And later…

Amy Mayes (The Nook, Esplanade, Weymouth) 9pm-11pm.

Doozer McDooze (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Ed Bleach (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester) 7pm-9pm.

Tripod (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 7.30pm.

Under the Carousel (Conservative Club, Easton, Portland) 4pm.

Gut and Steel (The Boot, Weymouth) 6pm-8pm.

Jack and Benny (Fiddleford Inn, Fiddleford) 3pm.

Frankie Finn and Johnnie Mac (The Star, Park St, Weymouth)

Six String Steve (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Oasis Bistro, Weymouth) 3pm and later...

Danny Adams (Aura, Esplanade, Weymouth) 5pm

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

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

MONDAY (21)

The Leggomen (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

Robert Brown (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

SunSet Café Stompers (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Decades (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 2.30pm.

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth) Open Mic Night (Old Town Hall, High West St, Weymouth) 8pm.

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

TUESDAY (22)

Gut and Steel (The Boot, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (23)

Coppertongue (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Double Shot (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth) 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)

THURSDAY (24)

The Black Feathers (Sunray Folk Club, village hall, Broadmayne)

Martin Freed (Boho, Weymouth)

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) 8pm.

FRIDAY (25)

Mad Hatters, Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Silly Band (Finns, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

The Dinnerladies (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Stereoironics (Spice Ship, Preston, Weymouth)

Darren H and Stacey Lou (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth) Grease night.

Johnny King (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Peter O (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth)

Barry Paul as Elvis (Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Custers Last Blues Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Weymouth) Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)