THAT’S the thing with nostalgia these days: It’s never as good as it used to be back in the day.

But a good choon is a good choon, no matter what year it’s from and the Cornwall-based Stone Faced Wellers have a bottomless pit of good choons for their set list because, as the more Sherlock Holmes-ian of you may have deduced, theirs is based on the wondrous works of Paul Weller.

That includes all the classics from The Jam, obvs, plus tracks from the Style Council and the Bard of Woking’s marvellous solo material.

And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite and wet your Sta-Press trews, the five-piece outfit also promise (as their name suggests) songs from the artists who inspired Weller to sup up his beer and collect his fags and pick up his guitar and play.

So that’s the Stones, The Faces (of both Small and the later, regular-sized, variety), The ‘orrible ‘Ooo and other assorted belters from the Mod era.

And as guitarist Jon Norris tells me: “We’ve been together about a year and have gone down well, not just with die-hard Mods, but also with a mixed age range, particular younger music fans who now realise there was great stuff around before The X Factor.”

The SFWs have a packed diary for 2018 with gigs all over the south west and also a trip oop north to Manchester later in the year for a date with The Style Councillors, who are a tribute band to... hold on, let me guess…

And they’re also getting on their Vespas and Lambrettas and hitching up the trailer for their gear when they set their sat navs for the mystic east next Sunday, February 25 for a gig at the Bull’s Head in Fordington, Dorchester.

It’s all kicking off from 4pm, so get there early as it’ll be, wait for it... Jam-packed. (Here all week etc).

And talking of things retro, two bands make their debuts tomorrow night, Saturday, February 17, with set lists very much selected from a certain era and genre.

First up is Electric Soup who unleash their storming set of 90s rockers on the unsuspecting lugholes of the punters at the Golden Lion in Weymouth.

The band of Tom Bill, Grant Day, Steve Rossant, Phil Evans-Jones and Leon Harvey promise delights from such artists as Pearl Jam, Supergrass, Kula Shaker, Ash, Weezer and the like.

And around 20 miles down the coast at the Ropemakers in Bridport, and some 20 years previous musically, The Glass Spiders pop their collective sequin-clad cherries.

They’re a glam rock Frankenstein, surgically assembled and enhanced with spare parts from The Dinnerladies and Freak Circus, two bands who called it a day last year, and feature material from Bowie, T Rex, Roxy, Velvet Underground, New York Dolls and the like.

And as Spiders’ drummer Woody Wouldn’t-he tells me: “It’ll be well worth digging out the feather boa and satin hot pants for. And the ladies are invited to dress up too.”

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (16)

Shields, As Flames Rise, In Fear They Follow, 7eventh Sea (Finns, Weymouth)

Liam Holland and The Truthseekers (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Maiden The Park VII (Park, Weymouth)

Roger Mac (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Samantha Maybee (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Rapport (Ship Inn, Wool)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Karen Kay (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Farrago (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Jim Etherington (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Britannia, Portland)

Dakota (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (17)

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

The Mighty Fine (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Sticky Jam Band (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Glass Spiders (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Sheryl Lee Valentines Special (Park, Weymouth)

Replay (Portland Social Club)

Average Wyke Band (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Electric Soup (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Old Dogz New Trix (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Farrago (White Hart, Weymouth)

Stars in their Eyes with Lance (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Bud Martin (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Weymouth)

Stress (Crown, Bridport)

Splinter (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Hawkmen (Belvedere, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (18)

my Hopwood (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Mad Hatters (Park, Weymouth) 5pm.

Stompin’ Dave (Anchor Inn, Burton Bradstock) 3pm.

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3.30pm, followed by..

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

Georgie Broad (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) 7pm.

Mark Davis (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Scots Dan’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 6pm.

Stress (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Folk, Country and Blues Night (Old Town Hall, Weymouth) From 7pm.

MONDAY (19)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (20)

Mark Davis (Boot, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (21)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

THURSDAY (22)

Roger’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (23)

Average Wyke Band (Finns, Weymouth)

Lewis Craven Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Charlie Hodds (Park, Weymouth)

Stealing Whisky (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Mojo (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)