GIG GUIDE: Bluesman Matt Woosey at Dorchester DA Blues night

Turned on the radio to catch the newsy but instead heard the wailing blues of Matt Woosey.

And there, in a nutshell, is why I’ll never be a songwriter and why you should give your ears a treat and listen to the tunes of the much-travelled Matt, hailed by some as “the best British bluesman since Rory Gallagher”.

No faint praise there then.

Over the past three years, Matt has been averaging a gig a day, with tours across the UK, Europe, South Africa and Australia and is a firm favourite of both Radio 2’s Paul Jones on his blues show and Tom Robinson on his Radio 6 programme.

Funnily enough, he’s touring the country at the moment and stops off at Dorchester Arts Centre tomorrow night, Saturday September 20, before having a fortnight off and then heading back on the road again on his mammoth Wildest Dreams tour.

Matt’s refreshing style combines country, blues, folk and rock and such is his stage presence and ABSOLUTELY BOOMING voice, he often performs without amplification.

Well, when you’re playing as many dates as he does, that makes for a lot less gear to lump about.

Tickets for tomorrow, the opening night of the new DA Blues season, are £13 from the box office on 01305 266926.

Now then, we’re in for a bit of a first next Friday, September 26 when an artist with a name unsuitable for a family newspaper such as this makes his debut at Finn’s in Weymouth.

His catalogue of nasty, juvenile and frankly lowbrow so-called comedy songs are unsurprisingly a huge hit on the ye olde innernette, with his Youtube clips getting millions and millions of hits worldwide. Let’s just call him K and the Gang, ok?

K is arguably Basildon’s most famous export, after Depeche Mode and Denise van Outen, obviously, and has played sell-out shows at the Edinburgh, Adelaide and Melbourne fringe festivals, won Album Title of The Year from the NME (you’ll have to Google it to find out, sorry), has received death threats from irate Michael Jackson fans, been ex-communicated by the Catholic church and, worst of all, been banned for life from Butlins.

No wonder the esteemed TV writer Charlie Brooker was moved to opine in The Guardian: “Life-affirmingly puerile stuff, set to an infectious and upbeat melody.”

On a serious note, it’s a memorial evening for the sadly missed Finn’s regular Aidan Williams-Martin who tragically passed away a year ago at the age of just 24.

There’s a great line-up of bands on the bill too, with Fissure of Riddles, Without Consent, Silly Band, and, ladies and gentlemen, The Urinal all doing a turn to remember a top fella taken far too soon.

And finally, we all love a drink and we all love a bit of live music and there’ll be plenty of next weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 26, 27 and 28 when The Clifton on Portland hosts its annual beer festival.

There’s a great line-up with Loop and the Speedway Snails playing on the Friday, Wynter, The Dinnerladies, The Skones and C Sharp Blues on Saturday and Bitter and Twisted, Skinful, WOB and The Red Crow on the Sunday.

Right, that’s it for this week, I’m off to vote NO. What was the question again?

Till next time…

TONIGHT (19)

Ulysses (The George, Reforne, Portland)

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

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Shooter (Royal Exchange, Portland)

The Silhouettes (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Tom Clements (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

From The Jam (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Grizzly and The Grasshoppers (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

James Baker (Old Castle, Weymouth)

Charlie (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Converse (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Weymouth)

Stompin’ Dave and Friends (Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis)

Surfing Birds (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Kathy (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

ACBBs (Moby Dick’s, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Under The Carousel (Britannia, Portland)

Nina Garcia (Café Jagos, Dorchester)

Lucy’s Piano Singalong (Kings Arms, Portesham)

SATURDAY (20)

Matt Woosey (Arts Centre, Dorchester)

Jolly Boys Outing (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

The Mighty Fine (Sailor’s Return, Nicholas St, Weymouth)

The Lanterns (Sydney Arms, Dorchester)

Suckerpunch (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Skatmandu (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

Billy Solo (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Nick Sellars (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Blue Room Baboons (Ropemakers, Bridport)

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

Bob Mallett (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Helena Mace (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Weymouth)

Tom Caulfield (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Finnian (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Marnhull)

Tempo (RBL Club, Fortuneswell, Portland)

The Unpredictables (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Bit of Rough (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (No 10, Bridport) 12 to 2pm.

Under The Carousel (George Inn, Reforne, Portland)

Old Dogz New Trix (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Cuba Libre, Small Town Echoes (The Factory, Maiden St, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (21)

Lo Numbers (Park Hotel, Weymouth) 6pm.

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.

Martin Freed (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm to 5pm.

Duke and the Broad (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 5pm.

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Jack Daniels and Jamie Parker (Kings Arms, Portesham) 4pm.

Blazing Strings (Belvedere, Weymouth) 8pm.

The Doodlebugs (Spitfire Club, Crossways) It’s George and Rob out of Pondlife.

MONDAY (22)

Boytits, Leggomen (Rendezvous, Weymouth) 10pm.

TUESDAY (23)

Open Mic Night (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8pm.

WEDNESDAY (24)

Finn (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) Dave P’s Open Mic Night (Rendezvous, Weymouth) From 8pm.

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 (25)

Jack Daniels So-Low (Durnovaria, Dorchester)

Tom Lewis, Derek Burgess, Kitty Vernon (Sunray Folk Club, Broadmayne village hall)

Martin Freed (Edinburgh House of Sounds, 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) Strum on down from 8pm.

FRIDAY (26)

K and the Gang, Fissure of Riddles, Silly Band, The Urinals (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Left Right and Centre (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

The Transitions (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The Unpredictables (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Bit of Rough (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Darren H and the Kopykatz (Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

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

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Neon (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)