IF YOU’RE into dinosaurs you’ve probably already been to see Dippy at the County Museum in Dorchester.

But if that wasn’t enough and you’d rather see something equally ancient and historic but slightly more mobile, tickets for this summer’s Rolling Stones No Filter tour are still available from around £100 a pop upwards for a seat at the back of a huge venue somewhere.

But if that’s too much to pay for a distant view of Sir Mick, Keef, Ronnie and Charlie, you could do a lot worse than checking out The Rolling Stones Story when it rolls into The Exchange at Sturminster Newton next Friday, May 4.

As tribute acts go, they are pretty much the real deal.

In fact so authentic are they, that ol’ rubber lips himself asked frontman Paul Ashworth to play him in a video ol’ snake hips was directing.

Not only has Paul got the moves like Jagger (whereas myself, I have the moobs like Jabba), he’s got the vocal yelp and drawl down to a T and has appeared all over the world on telly as Sir Mick.

And presumably for a lot less bunce...

Paul and his crack band storm their way through all the biggies from Jumpin’ Jack Flash to Start Me Up, Brown Sugar to Satisfaction et al.

So if a pal says to you Let’s Spend the Night Together, You CAN Always Get What You Want from the box office on 01258 475137.

Moving on, and the rather fab Steamer Ducks make a welcome return to The Boat That Rocks at Portland Marina tomorrow, Saturday, April 28.

As ever, they’ll be fronted by guitar guru Robbie McIntosh, hailed as ‘the guitarist’s guitarist’ by Q magazine, and he’ll be aided and abetted by Steve Burholt on keys, Clive Ashley on sax, Nick Gomer on harp, Stevie Mutter on congas and Ady Millward on drums, with Chris Lonergan flaunting his impressive bottom end.

Incidentally, Robbie’s latest solo album Thanks Chet is available now at all good download outlets. It’s a homage to inspirational guitar pioneer Chet Atkins and includes a delightful take on The Pretenders’ Don’t Get Me Wrong.

And finally, here’s advance warning of the Spice Ship’s ska festival in Weymouth which is now SOOOO humungeously popular it’s been extended over two days.

Well, that e-SKA-lated quickly… So dig our out your pork pie hats and polish up those trusty moonstompin’ Doc Martens for Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27.

As always there’s an impressive line-up of ska and Mod-related bands with the Lo Numbers, Hope & Glory, Offbeat Offensive and King Hammond on the Saturday, and The Mad Hatters, The Decatonics, Special Brew and Toot’n’Skamen (gah, just seen what they did there…) on the Sunday.

Tickets are £12.50 for one day or £20 for the weekend and are available from the pub on Preston Road. But hurry up, they’re flying out the door faster than a chav on a half-inched Lamb chop.

There’ll be a full run-down of all the May bank holiday live music, including the Quayside Festival and Boot Bash, in next Friday’s gig guide. If you’d like your event included, shizzle your bizzle to me at gigs@dorsetecho.co.uk.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (27)

Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers (Weymouth Pavilion)

Fluke (Finns, Weymouth)

Shooter (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Katz (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Emma Lou (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Katz (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Broadband (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Shakespearos (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Finnian (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Karen (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Palooka 5 (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Electric Bazar Co. (Belvedere, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (28)

Special Kinda Madness (Weymouth Pavilion)

Omega Project (Finns, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Market House, Weymouth)

Cherry Pickers (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Riffs (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Replay (Shillingstone village hall)

Speedway Snails (Admiral Hardy, Weymouth)

Andy Grant Trio (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Park, Weymouth)

Steve Nicholas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Bad Edukation (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Compass (Kimberlin Club, Portland)

Cuba Libre (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Robbie McIntosh and the Steamer Ducks (Boat that Rocks, Portland Marina)

John De Barra (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Best Kept Secret (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

BJ McCabe (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Johnny Mac (Star, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Timeless Tunes (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Palooka 5 (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Electric Bazar Co. (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Vinyl Monkeys (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (29)

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

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8.30pm.

Kathy (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) Skint Imperials (George, Portland) 4pm.

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

Freezer (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Johnny Mac (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

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

The Rat Pack (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Wilson (Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth) 3pm.

Monkey Jump (White Hart, Yetminster) From 4pm.

Mutter Slater and Clive Ashley.(Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

Just Rob (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 6pm.

MONDAY (30)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (1)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Quay Stage Folk (Pilgrim House, Hope Sq, Weymouth)

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

WEDNESDAY (2)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (3)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Julie Lewis Jazz Jam (Park, Weymouth)

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

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (4)

The Rolling Stones Story (Exchange, Sturminster Newton)

The Skones (Finns, Weymouth)

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

Cherry Pickers (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Wiggie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Cuba Libre (T Bar, Weymouth)