SO THAT’S that over with for another year, thank you very much.

The decorations are back in the loft, the empty bottles are outside in a shipping container for recycling and the broken Pringles are hoovered up for another year and there’s enough Lynx Africa to spray the entire continent of Africa.

January is notoriously bleak on the live music scene, particularly after the excesses of the festive season but there’s a shining star on the horizon and it’s coming our way.

The word ‘legend’ is chucked about like nobody’s business in the world of pop and rock, but this Sunday, January 4, at the humble settings of The Crown pub in Bridport, we are in the presence of a proper one. Laydeezungennelmen... Mr Chris Spedding.

In a career spanning some five decades, Spedding’s track record is pretty impressive as the go-to session guitarist, having worked with among many others, Harry Nilsson, Elton John, Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, Robert Gordon, Joan Armatrading, Nick Mason, Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey and Tom Waits.

All of this pales in comparison, obviously, with a stint in Mike Batt’s Wombles during the mid-Seventies.

Spedding also featured on Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds extravaganza back in 1976 and has recently toured The New Generation version of this epic spectacle.

 

He’ll be joined at The Crown by Malcolm Bruce, son of the recently departed Jack, on bass and drum monster Chris Page, The Corby Crusher himself, on tub-thumping duties in a gig which is a bit of a warm-up for the band’s date at the 100 Club in London’s Oxford Street the following Saturday, January 10.

 

That’s part of the club’s week-long Resolution Festival, which is celebrating the venue’s role in the early London punk scene of 1975.

In fact, Spedding was there himself some 40 years ago, having produced the Sex Pistols’ early demos of songs such as No Feelings, Pretty Vacant and Problems which helped earn the band their infamously short-lived but rather lucrative deal with EMI.

It’s quite a coup for this West Dorset venue, so I’ll see you pogoing down the mosh pit, okay?

Till next time...

TONIGHT (2)

Regulation 9 (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Paisley (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Lo Numbers (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Allen Howard (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

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

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Rockin Rich (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (3)

The Remedy (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Slipstream (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth)

Tom Caulfield (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Mike Walker (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Retro (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Ska night (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Mi3 (Wyke Regis Social Club, Chamberlaine Rd, Weymouth)

The Riffs (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (4)

Chris Spedding (The Crown, Bridport) 8pm

Steve Page (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Ronnie Sinatra (Park Hotel, Weymouth) 6pm.

Gut and Steel (Old Ship, Upwey) 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.

Sunday Session (Sydney Arms, Dorchester)

Steve Leach (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Finn (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (7)

Open Mic Night (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

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 (8)

Open Mic (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

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 (9)

Southern Sinners (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Finn (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) Tempo (Old Ship, Upwey) Their final gig, in aid of Weldmar.

Retro (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Paul Gibson (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)