WELL, here we are again, still recovering from what must have been one of the most successful bank holiday weekends of recent times.

The Quayside Festival, Fayre in the Square, Spring Break and the bash at The Boot in Weymouth, plus shedloads of other gigs, were packed with locals and visitors enjoying great music and having a fantastic time in some glorious weather.

Sun hats off to all the event organisers, all the musicians who rocked their socks off, all the sound teams, bar staff and security and, of course, to all the punters who came along and enjoyed experiencing what this town does best.

I’m pretty confident any other resort would sit back rest on its Laurel and Hardys and take the rest of the year off to recuperate, but, no, not Weymouth. That’s not how we roll, see?

We’re at it again this weekend with the return of the Wessex Folk Festival, which takes places in a host of venues and the streets around the harbour and Hope Square, starting tonight, Friday June 3, and running through Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5.

There’s some big names from the world of folk playing on the main stage in Hope Square over the weekend, including Blackwater County, Bow Legged Skeeter, Million Dollar Bash, Hatful of Rain, Nick Parker and the False Alarm and the delightfully named No Direction.

There’s also scores of solo and duo acts playing in the pubs and cafes along the quayside and out in the street, with talks on folk music history and dance and music workshops.

It’s great fun for all the family and if the kids are really playing up, you can threaten them with a Morris dancing lesson.

It’s all free but PLEASE put a donation in one of the collection buckets, it’ll be much appreciated.

You can find all the details about the event and the bands and artists and timings at wessexfolkfestival.com where you can also download a festival programme.

And if you’re of a folky nature, you’ll be no doubt thrilled to know Show of Hands are at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Sunday AND Monday night, June 5 and 6.

Steve Knightly and Phil Beer will be playing tracks from their The Long Way Home album, which was nominated in the best album category at this year’s Radio 2 Folk awards.

These dates are the ones rescheduled from earlier so the band could be at the Albert Hall for the awards bash which, as excuses go, is not bad, I suppose.

Tickets for the shows are £19 from the box office on 01305 266926.

And staying oop north at the Corn Exchange, tomorrow, Saturday, June 4, sees the return of 24 Pesos, hailed as ‘one of the most exciting young bands in the country’ by Radio 2’s Paul Jones, no less.

Taking their cue from such diverse artists as Sly Stone, Captain Beefheart and The Meters, they really are a must-see and tickets for tomorrow night are £13 from the box office number above.

And finally, it’s coming up to the fourth SkaFest at the Spice Ship in Preston, Weymouth, which takes place next Saturday, June 11.

And if you haven’t got your £10 tickets from the pub, you need to sort your ship out sharpish, sonny!

Once again there’s a tip-top line up of ska bands, including The Mad Hatters, The Mighty Shrimp, Orange Street and many others.

Obviously, there will be a skaBQ outside in the ska park but don’t forget to bring a ska-digan in case it gets a bit chilly later on.

They’ll be a full list of all the runners and riders for SkaFest IV in next week’s gig guide.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (3)

Wessex Folk Festival (Various locations, Weymouth harbourside) See wessexfolkfestival.com for full details

Bad Intention (Finns, Weymouth)

Small Victories (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Suzy Mac (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

The Remedy (Park, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Drift Bar, Weymouth) On the move from the Victoria Inn because of the Wessex Folk festival.

Southern Sinners (Market House, Weymouth)

Compass (George, Dorchester)

Chloe and Tom (New Star Inn, Portland)

Mojo (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Richard Young (The Boat that Rocks, Portland Marina)

Guns of Navarone (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SATURDAY (4)

Wessex Folk Festival (Various locations, Weymouth harbourside) See wessexfolkfestival.com for full details

Peacock Suit (Finns, Weymouth)

24 Pesos (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Tripod (Satan’s Slaves clubhouse, Surrey Close, Granby Industrail Estate, Weymouth) 9pm. This is a public event.

Steve Francis (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Steve M (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Usual Suspects (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Compass (Park, Weymouth)

Bob Mallet (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Regulation 9 (Market House, Weymouth)

Jinder (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Compass (Park, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Martin Burr (Kimberlin Club, Portland)

Sheryl Lee (Rumshack, Weymouth)

Cleyhill Stompers (George, Portland)

BJ McCabe (Bridge Inn, Weymouth)

Restless (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Talisman (The Boat that Rocks, Portland Marina)

Phil Murray’s Diamond Dogz (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SUNDAY (5)

Wessex Folk Festival (Various locations, Weymouth harbourside) See wessexfolkfestival.com for full details

Show of Hands (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

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

Open Mic Surgery (George, Dorchester)

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 4pm.

Gut and Steel (Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth) 2.30-5pm.

Kathy (Black Dog, Weymouth) 7-9pm.

Kipper (Goldies, Dorchester) 4pm.

Plinky Plonky Music Session (Dolphin, Weymouth) 4pm.

JD Acoustic (Sydney Arms, Dorchester) 3-5pm.

MONDAY (6)

Show of Hands (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (7)

Danny Adams (Boot, Weymouth)

Singalong with Nigel (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (8)

Bullriff Stampede (Finns, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth)

Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

THURSDAY (9)

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.

Open Mic (Drift Bar, Hope Sq, Weymouth) With Aaron Carter

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

SoapBox Night (Belvedere, Weymouth) Music, poetry, comedy, whatever.

FRIDAY (10)

James Taylor Story (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

Southern Sinners (Finns, Weymouth)

Steve Whale (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Chill (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester)

Sheryl Lee (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Charlie (Park, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (George, Dorchester)