I DON’T want to alarm you but it could be time to loosen the top button of your sou’westers and pack away your brollies as it looks as though summer’s here, at least for the weekend.

But let’s hope Clement Weather and his Little Rays of Sunshine stay for a bit longer, as it’s the third annual Ska Fest next Saturday, June 13, at the Spice Ship in Preston, Weymouth.

The last two festivals have been absolute belters and next weekend’s jamboree is likely to be more of the same at this popular boozeria.

There’s a terrific line up of ska/mod bands, with the ever-fab Lo Numbers, the Los Palmas duo of Total Madness, ska-pop-reggae experts Operation Mad Hatters, Southampton-based modsters Butterfly Collective, Total Jam (presumably a tribute to traffic co-ordinators everywhere) and the quite awesome ten-piece ska/bluebeat/Northern Soul conglomerate The Decatonics.

It promises to be quite a day and it’s predicted a fair quantity of apple juice will be consumed, but only as part of your five-a-day diet.

The non-stop skanking (Ooh, look away, matron!) and moonstomping starts at midday and goes on till the large hours, there will be a ‘ska-b-q’ (Gah, just saw what they did there) and no doubt the ‘ska park’ out the back will be packed too. (Sheez, this stuff writes itself...) Tickets are £7 and available from the pub, but look sharp as they’re flying out the door faster than a cheetah on a pimped-up Vespa.

Moving on, and The DA Blues sessions in Dorchester are moving on to bigger and better things with their first gig at the Corn Exchange next Saturday, June 13.

And they couldn’t hope for a better start at their new venue with an appearance from Belfast blues belter Kaz Hawkins and her Band O’ Men.

Kaz is quite simply fantastic with a hatful of blues and soul awards to her credit in her so-far brief career.

With an absolute howlin’ foghorn of a voice and more sass than you can shake a sassy stick at, Kaz has worked with Van Morrison, Nanci Griffiths and Chris Farlowe and has won some quality plaudits, comparing her to Etta James, Mavis Staples and Janis Joplin.

Yes. Seriously.

 

 

Don’t believe me? Check out the video on the online version of this page or pop along to the Corn Exchange next Saturday.

Tickets are £13 from the box office on 01305 266926.

And finally, this weekend marks the start of the Plush Festival, and never has a festival been more appropriately named because it is, well, proper plush.

Running throughout June, July and August, there’s jazz, classical and film screenings which is all rather highbrow for you oiks.

However, there’s an appearance tomorrow night, Saturday, June 6, by one of the country’s jazz legends tenor and soprano sax maestro Andy Sheppard and his quartet.

Tickets for this prestige event are £20 and are available from the festival website at plushfestival.com

Right, that’s it for this week.

I’m off for my tennis lesson at FIFA’s HQ. Seems I need some work on my back-handers.

Till next time...

TONIGHT (5)

Sumer, Embodiment, Oakhaart (Finns, Weymouth) A night of metal.

Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Skimmity Hitchers (Goldies, Dorchester)

Finn McGurk (Little Ship, Portland)

The Remedy (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Chill (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Converse (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Koast (Ropemakers, Bridport)

B Town Soul Cats (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Brothers Grimm (The George, Dorchester)

The Katz (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Kathy (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Blue Moon Hillbillies (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Chickerell, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (6)

Andy Sheppard Quartet (St John’s, Plush Festival, Plush)

Splinter (Finns, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

Gale Force 4 (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Peacock Suit (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Surfing Turnips, Scrumpy Swillers (Goldies, Dorchester)

The Shakespearos (Royal Standard, Upwey)

Average Wyke Band (The Star, Weymouth)

Dr Robert (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Jilly Ann (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Steve Nicholas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Left Right and Centre (RBL Club, Portland)

The Katz (Wyke Regis Workies, Weymouth)

The Unpredictables (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Under The Carousel (Eight Kings, Portland)

BJ McCabe (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Outrage (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (New Star Inn, Portland)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (George, Portland)

Kathy’s D-Day Special (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Tom Toomey (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

SUNDAY (7)

The Duke and The Broad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 3pm

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

Jam Night (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth) Mark Stacey and friends host this regular Sunday acoustic jam session. Music from 8pm.

Sunday Session (Sydney Arms, Dorchester)

Jack Daniels (Royal Exchange, Portland) 2pm.

Gut and Steel (Old Ship, Upwey) 2.30pm

Finn (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Aaron Carter (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3.30pm

James’ Acoustic Jam (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 5-7pm

The Skones (Three Compasses, Charminster)

MONDAY (8)

Powelly, Mat Black, Chris Payne (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (9)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper’s Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (10)

Billy Hutchinson’s Open Mic Night (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Rocking Rich (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Open Mic with Danx (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (11)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Surgery (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester)

Steve’s Singalong (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (12)

Hot Bacon (Finns, Weymouth)

The Chase (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Little Ship, Portland)

Chas Roberts (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)