NOT since Brokeback Mountain have two hairy chaps in cowboy hats had as much fun with a guitar, a bull horn and a saddlebag full of country and western songs.

The Devil’s Prefects are an off-shoot from festival favourites Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs, who have graced many venues round these parts over recent years.

The duo of Johnny ‘Country’ Crow on vocals, CB radio and bull horn, plus Willy ‘The Fury’ Ford on guitar, the Texan Big Beat Stomp Machine and general yee-haws, promise to do for country music what Scooby Doo did for paranormal investigation.

And they would have gotten away too with it if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids… They take country classics and give them a bit of a makeover, with their own, usually downright filthy, lyrics and mix them up with their own material.

Their delightfully titled Shoot ‘Em Dead In The Head, a paean to a zombie apocalypse, was hailed by The Walking Dead’s Facebook page as… ‘sweet’.

They’ve also been caught rustling at a number of UK festivals over the summer, including Glastonbury and Bearded Theory, and will be securing their horses outside Finns in Weymouth next Friday, October 27.

Moving on, the good folk at the Drax Folk Club have landed quite a coup with an appearance from guitar maestro Richard Smith, one of the most accomplished finger-pickin’ fretboard worriers on the planet.

Kent-born Richard, 46, has been based in Nashville for a number of years now, living up to the potential he showed at the age of 11 when he shared a stage with the legend that is Chet Atkins, whom he promptly blew off aforementioned stage.

Chet has commented: “He’s the most amazing guy I know on the guitar. He can play anything I know, only better.”

Richard is the one-time USA Finger Picking Guitar Champion, so clearly knows his way round the axe, but he’ll have to find his way to Briantspuddle village hall (which in itself is no mean feat) for his gig on Tuesday, October 24.

Tickets are £12 from draxfolk.org.uk or 07884 364516.

And finally, I’ll be hosting the Hijacked show for Air 107.2 FM again next Wednesday, October 25, from 8-10pm and, as it’s close to Halloween, I’ll be attempting to put the willies up you (stop guffawing at the back there) with a haunted collection of vintage soul and funk on a supernatural theme.

Now, where’s that extended mix of Ghostbusters….?

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (20)

Dreadzone, Sub Giant (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Cuba Libre (Finns, Weymouth)

Retro (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Sprex Mafia (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Acoustic Dolmen (Park, Weymouth)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Rosie and Jenny (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Hot Bacon (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Operatic Sean (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

The Secrets (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Finnian (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (21)

Rock & Roll Dreams Come True: Meatloaf Show (Weymouth Pavilion)

Jess Upton and the Guilty Pleasures, Vinyl Monkeys (Tithe Barn, Symondsbury)

The Mighty Fine (Finns, Weymouth)

Tripod (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Steve Allen (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Woodchuck (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Verdis Reunion Party (Belvedere, Weymouth) Reunion of the popular Weymouth club, with Future Sound of Weymouth playing tunes from the 80s, 90s and 00s.

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

The Crack (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester)

Party Animalz (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Splinter (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Leggomen (Café Jagos, Dorchester)

Biproxy (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Mi3 (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Marnhull)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn,Preston, Weymouth)

Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Leanne Jackson (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (22)

Roger Mac’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm, followed by

TBC (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Finnian McGurk (Boot, Weymouth) 5pm.

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

Farrago (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 3pm

Ansell and Gretal (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Open Mic with Scots Dan (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 4pm.

Tripod (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-6pm.

MONDAY (23)

Acoustic Jam (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (24)

The South (Weymouth Pavilion)

Richard Smith (Briantspuddle village hall)

Pete Christie (Boot, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Rock, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (25)

Tim Andrews (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 (26)

Georgie Fame (Weymouth Pavilion)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

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

FRIDAY (27)

Devil’s Prefects (Finns, Weymouth)

Martin Maton (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Cuba Libre (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Amy Brown (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Maiden The Park (The early Years 80-88) (Park, Weymouth)

The Mighty Fine (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Elijah Wolf (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad and friends (Pilgrim House, Hope Sq, Weymouth)

Distant Echoes (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Nathan Jon (Illchester Arms, Abbotsbury)

Bad Intention (Golden Lion, Weymouth)