IT was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, especially when you look at the banging line-up of live music in Weymouth over the four-day Easter weekend, as Charles Dickens famously wrote in an early unpublished draft version of A Tale of Two Cities.

And the old fellah was not wrong, as there’s an almighty armada of great bands and artists all poised like a coiled cobbler, ready for the rampant ribald shenanigans ahead.

First up, it’s the first Quayside Music festival of the year and it’s a two-day behemoth, starting at noon tomorrow Saturday, March 31 with dynamic duo Minor Fret first up on the stage by the Town Bridge. They’ll be followed by Helena Mace, Milk 7 Two, V8 Hearts, Tequila Mockingbird, Hardcore Troubadours, Under The Carousel, Hustle with disco divas The Mighty Fine bring the day to a close from 8.30pm.

There’s just a few hours to have a bit of a lie down before it all kicks off again, again from noon on Easter Sunday, April 1, with Emma Hardy first up, followed by Afro Ninja, Jukebox Junkies, Howling at the Moon, the brotherhood, The Clementines, Xander and the Quays, Mama Feelgood and the mighty Mad Hatters bringing the curtain down in a ska and reggae-stylee from 830pm.

Meanwhile, over the harbour, there’s a two-day bash at The Boot on Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1.

Saturday’s line-up includes Hamish Jeffcott, Mark Davis and the Stereoironics while Sunday’s menu has Brian Donnelly, Stacey Lou and Identikit for your edification. Both days kick off at 2pm.

But it’s not just all going on in sunny Weymouth.

Up in Dorchester, the long-awaited Jigsaw reunion at the Trinity Club on Saturday, March 31 is now sold out.

So if you were fiddling about umm-ing and aah-ing whether to get a ticket, you’ve missed the chance. You utter muppet.

And over yonder in Bridport the up-and-coming Gravity Drive will be playing songs from their new album The Wildlight at the town’s centre tonight, Friday, March 30.

The duo of Elijah and Ava Wolf have been championed by the music media, with RBBC’s Radio2 and bigging them up, as well as Mojo magazine

Janice Long has hailed them as ‘magnificent’, Dermot O’Leary tagged them as ‘lovely stuff’ and whispering Bob Harris probably called them ‘excellent’, although it was quite difficult to make out what he was saying.

The band have been described ‘a refreshing surprise, raw, at times heavy, then fragile and then anthemic', which, ironically enough, also describes me getting up in the morning.

Tickets for tonight’s show are £8 from the box office on 01308 424204.

And finally, all the very best of luck to Lauren Bannon-Hayes tomorrow night in the semi-final of The Voice UK on ITV.

The sensational singer, who has appeared at countless Quayside festivals and gigs at The Boot, will smash it, won’t she?

Till next time…

NICK HORTON

TONIGHT (30)

Gravity Drive (Bridport Arts Centre)

The Shakespearos (Finns, Weymouth)

Vici Yates (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Lo Numbers (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Hot Bacon (Park, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

The Rock Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Barry Paul as Elvis (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Regulation 9 (Royal Exchange, Portland)

The Intercepteurs (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Johnny Mac (Star, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 8.30pm

Soft Rock Cafe (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (31)

Minor Fret, Helena Mace, Milk & Two, V8 Hearts, Tequila Mockingbird, Hardcore Troubadours, Under The Carousel, Hustle, The Mighty Fine. (Quayside Festival, Town Bridge, Weymouth) From midday.

Dead Man’s Clique (Finns, Weymouth)

Hamish Jeffcott, Mark Davis, Matt Taylor, Surfing Birds, Stereoironics (Boot, Weymouth) From 2pm.

TBA (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Blue Quays (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Jigsaw (Trinity Club, Dorchester) SOLD OUT.

Dave Griff and the Trouser Band (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Maiden The Park VI (Park, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Four Go Mad in Dorset (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Steve Nichols (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Replay (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Sneakers (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Mojo (Punchbowl, Portland)

Peacock Suit (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Greg Agar (Star, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Admiral Hardy, Weymouth)

Dn’D (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 8.30pm

Finninan (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (1)

Emma Hardy, Afro Ninja, Jukebox Junkies, Howling at the Moon, The Brotherhood, The Clementines, Xander and the Quays, Mad Hatters, Mama Feelgood (Quayside Festival, Town Bridge, Weymouth) From midday.

Surfing Birds, Cuba Libre, Meat Sweats, Electric Soup, Toxic Fish, Million Dollar Bash and many, many more (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) Gimme Shelter festival 3. £5 from 1pm in aid of The Lantern Trust.

Brian Donnelly, Stacey Lou, Identikit, Billy & Ollie, Tequila Mockingbird (The Boot, Weymouth) From 2pm.

Leggomen, Powelly, Hamish Jeffcott, Peacock Suit, Identikit (Ayya, Weymouth) From 4pm.

Average Wyke Band (Finns, Weymouth)

Sammie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

TBA (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

My Generation 79 (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester) 4pm.

Stacey Lou (Market House, Weymouth)

Alexander Soul Man (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

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

Brad and Andy (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

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

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland) 4pm.

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

Neil Coad (Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth) 2pm.

Scotsdan Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 6pm

Gut & Steel (Kings Arms, Weymouth) 6pm

Leanne Jackson (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4pm to 6pm

Rocking Rich (Black Dog, Weymouth) 7pm to 9pm

MONDAY (2)

Hannah Robinson (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina) From midday.

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 2-4pm.

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Karen (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 6pm

TUESDAY (3)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Martin Freed’s Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (4)

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)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster) 8.30pm

THURSDAY (5)

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 (6)

End of Days (Finns, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Park, Weymouth)