AT THE height of their ‘The Filth and The Fury’ notoriety, The Sex Pistols were forced to play unconventional venues.

Strip clubs, sex cinemas, art galleries, prisons, Thames riverboats, anywhere would do as the more orthodox venues shied away from the band for fear of invoking the pitchfork-waving great unwashed, protesting at the baby-eating spawn of Satan coming to their little town.

But despite the impressive list, some brief online research reveals it’s safe to say they never played at a curry house.

Which is where one of their most accomplished and impressive tribute acts, The Sex Pistols Experience, will have one over on them when they play at The Spice Centre in Dorchester next Saturday night, October 10.

The fab four of Johnny Rotter, Steve Clones, Kid Vicious and Paul Crook (gah, I just saw what they did there. Very good.) have performed some 2,000 shows since getting together in 2001 and quite rightly claim to be the world’s greatest tribute to the punk iconoclasts.

The look, the clothes, the sound, the gear, the swagger, probably even the mucus, are all unerringly accurate and it’s not just me who thinks so.

 

Even the Pistols themselves are well impressed: “Jolly good luck with it,” opined John Lydon, “My word, they ARE the Pistols. Splendid,” ventured Steve Jones, “Cheeky blighters,” added Glen Matlock, although perhaps with more industrial language. Sadly, Sid wasn’t available for comment.

Tickets for the gig are £10 and available from Rude Not To in Weymouth or the venue itself and there will a very limited amount on the door on the night.

A punk rock gig in an Indian restaurant… What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

And staying on a punk theme, tonight’s it’s The Clash tribute band London Calling at Finns and Weymouth athletics coach Don Whistance has been in touch to say he was at school and college with Mick Jones in London back in the 1970s.

Don is a long-time fan and friend of the band and fellow Clash aficionados will be amazed at his incredible website www.theclash.org.uk which covers every aspect of the band from their very early days. It’s quite brilliant and well worth a look.

Moving on, there’s nothing wrong with covers bands but it’s always a refreshing change to see local musos doing their own stuff.

Chris Taylor is a guitarist of some considerable nift and has been playing round these parts, usually with The Tin Cats, The Decades, The Sparks or backing Amy Mayes with The Change, for a number of years.

 

And next Thursday, October 8, Chris will be launching his album Heaven’s Smile at the Old Town Hall in Weymouth.

He’ll be joined by long-time collaborators drummer Michael Keane, bassist Dan Fraser-Betts and guitarist Steve Rossant as they perform the cool and well-crafted songs from the album, which was recorded at Mike Hallett’s Octopia studio.

 

“I’m really inspired and influenced by artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Peter Frampton, and that’s the kind of feel I was going for on the album,” Chris tells me.

And having heard some of the tracks, notably on the song I’ll Find My Way, which features guest slide guitar from Robbie McIntosh, he’s only been and gone and done that, and some.

It promises to be great evening next Thursday at the Old Town Hall which is just perfect for this sort of occasion. Doors open at 6.45 and the show starts at 7.30.

Right, that’s it for this week. Till next time…

TONIGHT (2)

Bay City Rollers (Weymouth Pavilion) The tartan-clad teenybop legends themselves. Tickets £20.50.

Hucklebuck, Ian Jennings, Ian Briggs (Electric Palace, Bridport) London Calling (Finns, Weymouth) Clash tribute. £6.

Subversion, Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Bob Mallett (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Transitions (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

The Riffs (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (George, Dorchester)

Stevie P (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Wilson (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Compass (Park, Weymouth)

Kathy (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Slipstream (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

TBC (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

Mother Ukers (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SATURDAY (3)

The Christians, Andrew Roachford (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

Blazing Strings (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Gale Force 4 (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Steve Nicholas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Live Wired (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Elvis 56 (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The SIlhouettes (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

The DInnerladies (George, Portland)

Compass (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Replay (RBL Club, Portland)

BJ McCabe (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Highly Likely (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Jonathan Cotton (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Kathy (Park, Weymouth)

Slipstream (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs, Skeg, Son of Richard, Gris De Lin, Sharon Lazybird, William Harper (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SUNDAY (4)

Psycroptic, Scarred, Fissure of Riddles, Atonement (Finns, Weymouth) Four-piece death metal band all the way from Tasmania, plus support.

Matt Taylor (Royal Oak, Weymouth) 3pm.

Arnie Cotterell (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 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.

Open Mic Surgery (George, Dorchester)

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland) 4pm.

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

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Karen (Royal Oak, Weymouth) 3pm.

Georgie Broad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

MONDAY (5)

Blazing Strings, Powelly (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (6)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) Open mic night

WEDNESDAY (7)

Billy Hutchinson (Rendezvous, Weymouth) From 8pm.

Danx’s Open Mic Night (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Open Mic Night (Little Ship, Portland)

THURSDAY (8)

Chris Taylor Band (Old Town Hall, Weymouth)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (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)

FRIDAY (9)

Rockin’ Ronnie (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Skinful (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Diva Lea (Park, Weymouth) Leggomen (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (The Snug, Weymouth)

Skatmandu (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Ropemakers, Bridport)