I AM THE GOD OF HELL FIRE, and I bring you... one of the most enduring and flamboyant rock icons of all time.

Arthur Brown disturbed a generation of youngsters when he appeared on Top of the Pops in 1968 with his worldwide smash hit Fire.

As a nipper, I can remember watching this crazed loon with his head ablaze from behind our sofa at the time as did, no doubt, did such artists as Alice Cooper, Kiss and Marilyn Manson, all of whom owe him a huge debt.

Not that they were behind our sofa with me, but you know what I mean.

He caused a sensation back in the swinging sixties by performing naked apart from a colander of flaming methanol on his bonce and that look will certainly fit in with the locals when he brings his ZimZamZim tour to the Electric Palace in Bridport next Friday, May 9.

Arthur has become rather a cult figure with his intense and extraordinarily theatrical stage shows and perhaps it’s just as well that the planned strike by the fire services over pay and pensions is this weekend and not next.

 

He has led a fantastic and bizarre life, from getting kicked off a tour with Track label-mate Jimi Hendrix after doing one gig in a suit of sheet metal soaked in lighter fuel and covered in sparklers which made the promoters’ insurance premiums sky rocket.

Now in his early 70s, he has a master’s degree in counselling and writes healing songs for his patients, and has developed a psycho-sonic thought control helmet (not currently available at Argos, yet).

Just out of local interest, during the late sixties and early seventies, Arthur and his crazy gang of scamps and ne’erdo-wells (including my late uncle Richard, funnily enough) could be found holed up in in a studio-cum-squat-cum-commune in a farmhouse at Ilsington Manor, near Puddletown, trying all sorts of funny tea and having quite a bit of cheese before bedtime.

The band America stopped off there while on the road and it was there they wrote their big hit Horse With No Name.

You want me in your quiz team, don’t you? Oh, okay then… Support for next Friday’s Electric Palace date comes from Sienna, a suitably outré Japanese/Norwegian electronica outfit and tickets at £16 are available from the box office on 01308 424901.

Now then, it’s another bank holiday weekend and to guarantee glorious sunny weather, there are three major live music events..... all taking place indoors.

The Rendezvous in Weymouth is moving its traditional Mayfest bash inside this Sunday, May 4.

The fun starts at 1pm with Boytits, followed by The Mighty Fine, Lauren Bannon, Stereoironics, Cosmic Slop, Amy Mayes, Mad Hatters and the Leggomen rounding it all off at around 2am.

Up on the seafront, the Lazy Lizard’s Spring Break starts at 4pm downstairs with Tom Caulfield, followed by Lauren Bannon at 5.15pm, Powelly at 6.30pm, Boytits at 7.45pm, Chloe and Tom at 9pm and Danny Adams at 10.30pm.

And it kicks off upstairs at 6pm with Peacock Suit, followed by The Leggomen at 7.30pm. Electric Bucket at 9.30pm, Hustle at 11pm and The Mad Hatters way past their bedtime at 12.45am.

Just along the seafront, Aura are having quite a day and night of it with Danny Adams at 6pm, Chloe and Tom at 7pm, John Stone at 8pm, The Leggomen at 9pm and the mighty Dolmen at 10.30pm.

Meanwhile, the DA Blues summer season starts off in style next Saturday, May 10, at Dorchester Arts Centre with two of the UK’s finest blues artists.

Dani Wilde and Todd Sharpville have been knocking around the circuit but it’s rare they get together in an acoustic duo format.

Their show, Two Guitars and a One-Eyed Dog, is a must for blues lovers and tickets at £13 are available from the box office on 01305266926.

Right, that’s it for this week, I’m just off to get a fire extinguisher as my hair’s alight. OW! Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (2)

Lo Numbers (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Hustle (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Garry Foley is Elvis (The Rock, Abbotsbury Rd, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (The Tides Inn, King St, Weymouth)

The Transitions (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The Dolmen (Royal Exchange, Portland) Danny Adams (Aura, Weymouth) 11pm, followed by...

Mad Hatters (Aura, Weymouth) From 1am.

Howling at the Moon (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

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

Boytits (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Double Shots (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

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

Big Al Whittle (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester) JoJo (Weymouth

Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Pyrates (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Ike Leo (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport)

Bitter and Twisted (Clifton, Portland)

SATURDAY (3)

Splinter (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Fluke (Sailors Return, Nicholas St, Weymouth)

Phoenix (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Dr Robert (Market House Tavern, Weymouth)

Laurence (The Rock, Abbotsbury Rd, Weymouth) Brilliant David Bowie tribute.

Xander and the Keys (Dorothy, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (John Gregory, Southill, Weymouth) 9-11pm, and later…

Danny Adams (Dusk, Esplanade, Weymouth) 1am.

The Dolmen (New Inn, Littlemoor, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Tanners, Bridport) David Powell (Aura, Weymouth) 10pm.

Peacock Suit (Rendezvous, Weymouth) 10.30pm

Elvis 56 (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Old Dogz New Trix (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Brian Donne (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Martin Freed (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Souled Out South, Alexis (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth) from 5pm.

Tom Caulfield (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jimmy Hillbillies (Victoria, Dorchester)

Billy Solo (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Gale Force Four (Wyke Regis Social Club, Chamberlaine Rd, Weymouth)

The Skones (Old Ship, Dorchester)

Freak Circus (Crown Inn, Bridport)

Under The Carousel (New Star Inn, Portland)

Sharpies (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

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

The Veterans (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Jilly Ann (Eight Kings, Portland)

Nina Garcia (Sydney Arms, Dorchester)

Boot Hill All Stars (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Persuaders (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth)

BJ McCabe (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Tempo (RBL, Fortuneswell, Portland)

DuKane (White Hart, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (4)

Boytits, Mighty Fine, Lauren Bannon, Stereoironics, Cosmic Slop, Amy Mayes, Mad Hatters, Leggomen (Rendezvous, Town Bridge, Weymouth) It’s Mayfest, from 1pm onwards.

Tom Caulfield, Lauren Bannon, Powelly, Boytits, Chloe and Tom, Danny Adams, Electric Bucket, Peacock Suit, Leggomen, Hustle, Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) It’s Spring Break, from 4pm.

Danny Adams, Chloe and Tom, John Stone, Leggomen, The Dolmen (Aura, Weymouth) From 6pm.

Stereoironics (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

The Crack (King’s Arms, Portesham) 9.30pm

Tripod (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

ACBBs (Park Hotel, Weymouth) 6pm

Sea Bass and The Fellas (Boho, Weymouth) 5pm.

Matt Lock (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth) 4pm.

Vanilla Radio (Blue Vinney, Puddletown) 6pm-8pm, and later...

Vanilla Radio with Jack Daniels (Café Jagos, Dorchester) 10pm.

Danny Adams (Turk’s Head, Chickerell, Weymouth) 3.30pm.

Johnny Mac and Frankie Finn (The Star, Weymouth) 7pm.

Jack and Benny (Fox Inn, Corscombe) 6pm.

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

Jukebox Junkies (New Vic, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Ain’t Nothing But The Blues Jam (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

Replay (Old Red Lion, Weymouth) 2pm.

Amy Mayes Trio (The Nook, Weymouth) 10.30pm

Gut and Steel (Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth) 2.30pm

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 (5)

Dorset Wrecks (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth) 2.30pm.

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

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

TUESDAY (6)

Loop (The Boot, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (7)

Rocking Rich (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

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, here every Wednesday.

THURSDAY (8)

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 (9)

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Hustle (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

The Veterans (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Aura, Weymouth) 11pm, followed by...

Slipstream (Aura, Weymouth) From 1am.

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh, House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Tony England (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

No Country For Old Men (Ropemakers, Bridport)