GIG GUIDE: Courtney Pine/Omar, Oas-is/Stereoironics

That’s until an underground movement of young upstarts, inspired by the likes of Miles Davis, Chet Baker and the like, stuck an almighty stick of jazz dynamite up the scene’s collective bottom and did for jazz what The Sex Pistols, The Clash et al did for rock.

And pivotal to this new jazz was a young sax player called Courtney Pine and, almost 40 years on, he remains one of this country’s foremost and influential musos.

His most recent album The Black Notes from the Deep was launched with a sell-out concert last year at London’s Barbican and was followed by a hugely successful UK tour.

Your man is very much a legend of jazz and there’s a real treat for fans of the genre as he comes this way with a concert at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange on Friday, July 20.

Courtney will be joined on stage by 90s soul star Omar (You know, There’s Nothing Like This, yes, him…) and tickets at £25 are available from the box office on 01305 266926.

Moving on, and the chances of Oasis and the Stereophonics playing a gig together in Weymouth are about as remote as reigning champions Germany exiting the World Cup at the group.. What? Really?? Oh right… Just don’t mention the VAR.

Obviously, that’s never going to happen now but you can have the very next best thing when two of the country’s top tribute bands come head to head with a gig at the Weymouth Pavilion on Friday, July 13.

Oas-is claim to be definitely, not maybe, THE number one homage to the brothers Gallagher and are so authentic the highlight at any of their gigs is the regular on-stage fisticuffs between Monkey Boy and Our Kid.

Weymouth’s very own Stereoironics, as I’m sure you all know, are the UK’s top tribute to Cwmaman’s finest and have been given the thumbs-up from none other than Kelly Jones himself.

And it was a huge thrill for Ironics’ front man Spencer Hardy to meet up with Kelly and the band for a few sherries after their recent gig in front of 35,000 fans in Cardiff.

“They say you should never meet your idols,” Spencer tells me, “but that’s not the case in my experience. They’re all such lovely guys and they’ve seen what we’ve been doing over the years with the Stereoironics and they love it,” he says.

“In fact, Kelly was so impressed with our version of their Songs for the Summer track, he said: ‘Blimey, you learn my songs quicker than I do!’.”

Tickets are £13 from the box office on 01305 783225.

And finally, I’ll be hosting the Hijacked programme for Air FM 107.2 next Wednesday, July 4, from 8-10pm.

So tune in and turn it up for a choice selection of vintage soul, funk, reggae and ska just made for a balmy summer evening.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (29)

The Meat Loaf Show (Weymouth Pavilion)

Fluke (Finns, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Maiden the Park, Ironed Maiden (Park, Weymouth)

Martin Johnson Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Brian Harris (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Finnian (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Mojo (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Hustle (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Monkey Jump (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Y&Ys, Brewery Sq, Dorchester)

Stacey Lou (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

The Imprints (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Farrago (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (30)

The Story of the Beach Boys (Weymouth Pavilion)

The Edwin Starr Band, with Angelo Starr and Lorraine Silver

(Exchange, Sturminster Newton)

Blind Harvest (Finns, Weymouth)

The Alibi (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou as Amy Winehouse (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Compass (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Outrage (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Highly Likely (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Steve Nicholas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Tequila Mockingbird (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

The Skones (Bull’s Head, Dorchester)

Milk and Two (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Regulation 9 (Market House, Weymouth)

Hardcore Troubadours (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Cuba Libre (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Sticky Jam Band (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Johnny Mac (Star, Weymouth)

The Crack (Crown, Bridport)

Kelly Lorraine (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Harpin’ On (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Restless (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

Bring Me The Pistols (George, Portland)

Suited and Booted (Hardy’s , Dorchester)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Marnhull)

Gut and Steel (Nags Head, Lyme Regis)

SUNDAY (1)

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

Danny Adams, Dave Phillips (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Babylon and On (Britannia, Portland) 4-6pm.

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm & 8pm.

Avid Bowie (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4-6pm.

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

Strings and Reeds (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Sunday Blues Jam (Belvedere, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

MONDAY (2)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (New Vic, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (3)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (4)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (5)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Tripod (New Vic, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (6)

Toxic Fish (Finns, Weymouth)

Mercy Lounge with Billy Boy Miskimmin (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Ashley Day (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Shelby’s Elbows (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)