I WAS chatting to a friend of mine the other day and he’d just returned to Weymouth after spending the best part of a year travelling around Europe.

He’d spent the previous ten months, busking, jamming in bars, picking up gig here and there, all the way through France, Spain, Portugal Italy, Holland, Germany.

He and his other half had a marvellous time, going from town to town in their camper van.

“So why come back here?” I ventured.

“Honestly, mate, there is nowhere else like it for music,” he replied.

And looking at the listings on this page today, it would be hard to disagree with him, wouldn’t it?

It’s the first big holiday weekend of the year and south Dorset, true to form, is all tuned up and ready to rock visitors and locals alike for the Easter weekend.

Weymouth, as ever, is leading the way with a number of venues putting on one or two-day multi- band bashes.

The Boot are kicking things off on Saturday, April 15, with Logan Carter, Jukebox Junkies, Nathan Jon, Milk and Two, Total Madness on the stage outside from 3pm, and doing it all again on Easter Sunday, April 16, with Big Heavy, Gut and Steel, Barney Newman, Southern Sinners, Peacock Suit, again all starting at 3pm.

And over the Town Bridge, it’s the first Tea on the Quay of the year at the recently refurbished Rendezvous in Weymouth on Sunday, April 16, with another crowd-pleasing line-up from midday of Powelly, Milk and Two, Drive By Jamming, Identikit, The Brotherhood, Southern Sinners, Peacock Suit and the Mad Hatters, with The Chase taking the party indoors at The Anchor from 10pm.

The Brotherhood, as some of you may recall are a red-hot party band from South Wales who went down a storm last time and are coming back for more.

And up on the seafront on Easter Sunday April 16, at the New Vic, The Kings of Oblivion are getting together to celebrate the music of David Bowie with Another Evening of Sound and Vision.

Musicians from some of the region’s most popular bands, including Freezer, Freak Circus, Vanilla Radio, Dr Robert, The Dinnerladies and The Mighty Fine, are re-uniting to take on some of Bowie’s most iconic and classic songs and also raise money for Weldmar Hospicecare.

It’s just £5 on the door at the New Vic, from 7.30pm. Last year’s gig was a sell-out so don’t be late!

And heading ooop north, there’s two days of live entertainment in Dorchester’s Brewery Square, starting today from 11am with Mr Bloom, Nina Garcia, Dorchester Performance Arts, Weymouth Ukulele Orchestra and the Mill Street Jazz Band.

The fun continues tomorrow, Saturday, April 15, with Ansell & Gretal, Lauren Bannon, Jess Upton and Steve Wilson and Hustle keeping the shoppers and eaters happy from 3pm.

As my mate quite rightly says, there ain’t nowhere else like it, so get out and enjoy it and have a Happy Easter.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (14)

Mr Bloom, Nina Garcia, Dorchester Performance Arts, Weymouth Ukulele Orchestra, Mill Street Jazz Band (Brewery Square, Dorchester) From 11am.

Dirtbox (Finns, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers (Market House, Weymouth)

Freak Circus (Park, Weymouth)

The Surprise Guests (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Retro (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Replay (Admiral Hardy, Weymouth)

Mark Sidaway (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Rat Pack (Rock, Weymouth)

Revolution (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Old Rooms, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Behind Closed Doors (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Billy Boy Miskimmin (Star, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (15)

Ferocious Dog, Blackwater County (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Logan Carter, Jukebox Junkies, Nathan Jon, Milk and Two, Total Madness (Boot, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Ansell & Gretal, Lauren Bannon, Jess Upton and Steve Wilson, Hustle (Brewery Square, Dorchester) From noon.

The Worried Men (Finns, Weymouth)

Bad Intention (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Steve Allen (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Mr North (Park, Weymouth)

Surfin’ Birds (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Nite Lite (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Defibrillators (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Haze (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (The Rock, Weymouth)

Compass (George, Dorchester)

Hardcore Troubadors (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Nathan Jon (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Diamonds (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Jack Scrumpy and the Moonshiners (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Fretworks (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Truthseekers (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

EASTER SUNDAY (16)

Bowie: Another Evening of Sound and Vision with The Kings of Oblivion (New Vic, Weymouth) £5 on door in aid of Weldmar Hospicecare. From 7.30pm.

Powelly, Milk and Two, Drive By Jamming, Identikit, The Brotherhood, Southern Sinners, Peacock Suit, Mad Hatters (Tea on the Quay, Rendezvous, Weymouth) From noon to 10pm.

Big Heavy, Gut and Steel, Barney Newman, Southern Sinners, Peacock Suit (Boot, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Hippy Fest (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Toby De Kretser, Powelly, Leggomen, Danny Adams, Side Door Project (Ayya, Weymouth) from 4pm.

Easter Jammin’ (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Dave Howes (Weymouth Wokies)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Colin Solo (The Rock, Weymouth)

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

Stacey Lou (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Micky Biggs Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Replay (Red Lion, Hope Sq, Weymouth) 2pm.

Hustle (Nook, Weymouth) 10pm.

Chris Taylor Band (King’s Arms, Portesham)

Martin Freed (Royal Exchange, Portland) 4pm.

Nina Garcia (Victoria, Dorchester) 6-8pm

Saxuality (Spice Ship, Weymouth) 8-10pm

Karen Kay (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4pm.

Folk, Country and Blues Evening (Old Town Hall, Weymouth) 7pm

Lonesome (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Ghouls (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

EASTER MONDAY (17)

Sean McGowan, White Hart, Tom Aylott (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Rob Davis and Nina Garcia, plus Acoustic Jam Session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4pm.

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth) 8pm.

TUESDAY (18)

Du Kane (Boot, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (19)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic (Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

THURSDAY (20)

Soapbox (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic (George, Dorchester)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (21)

Stereoironics (Finns, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Park, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Restless (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh., Weymouth)

Dirtbox (The Rock, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Remedy (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Gut and Steel (Anchor, Burton Bradstock)

Dakota (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)