IN THE words of Alice Cooper, School’s Out for summer, and I can’t think of a word to rhyme.

So what are you going to do with the little horrors, sorry, darlings? Well, there’s veritable shed-load of stuff going on to keep the fruit of your lions happy this summer so get out and enjoy, starting this weekend with the mahoosive Camp Bestival down the road at Lulworth Castle.

This family-friendly festival has grown and grown over the past few years bit still retains the charms of a rather eccentric village fete, albeit a very large village.

And there’s an impressive line-up of music with Rick Astley topping the bill tonight, Friday, July 27, electro-classical collective Clean Bandit headlining tomorrow, July 28 and rock behemoths Simple Minds the big name on Sunday, July 29.

And with acts such as the Dub Pistols, The Undertones, Shed Seven and many, many more all performing, it’s a big old weekend of shenanigans.

Full details and ticket prices etc at campbestival.net Closer to home and it’s the WARM Festival this Sunday, July 29 at the Borough Gardens in Dorchester.

It’s a free event but please feel free to donate to the Steve Charles Help a Friend fund when you see a collector wandering around shaking a bucket.

It all goes towards helping people cover their expenses should they find them seriously poorly and is named after Dorchester musician Steve who passed away back in 2010.

There’s a varied line-up on offer in the bandstand, starting with the Cherry Pickers at 12.30pm, followed by Trip Wizard, Neil Coad, Kipper and Aqila rounding it all off from 6pm.

And staying on the festival theme, Weymouth’s Modern Drum Academy is staging its Junior Festival next Friday, August 3, at Redlands in Weymouth, from midday to 6pm.

It’s free entry to see some of the up and coming bands of young musicians who maybe one day will find themselves playing at Camp Bestival.

Headlining are Weymouth College band Zero Effect, and they’ll be appearances from The Undecided, The Will, Junior Beats, Flamethrowers, Dorset Monkeys and a whole host of DJs, rappers and dancers. What a talented lot, eh?

And finally, it’s hats off and high fives all round to the scores of musicians who took part and the hundreds of punters who donated at last Saturday’s Weymouth Big Busk.

As organiser Iain Weetman tells me: “I was a bit nervous at the start but it all went very well and we managed to raise £1,345 for Weldmar Hospicecare. So a huge thank you to everyone. There was a lot of interest and support from the public and all the musicians, so I reckon we could do it all again next year,” says Weety.

Top job all round, I say.

Till next time...

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (27)

Rick Astley and many more (Camp Bestival, Lulworth)

Richard Digance and Eric Sedge (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Absolute Bowie (Weymouth Pavilion)

Lucy Watkins (Portland Museum) £4 on the door from 6pm. Fundraiser for the museum.

Devil’s Prefects (Finns, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Roy Charles (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Suited and Booted (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Nigel Turner (Park, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Milk and Two (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Darren H (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

Milk & Two (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Haze (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Leanne Jackson (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (28)

Clean Bandit and many more (Camp Bestival, Lulworth)

Alaw, Oka Vanga (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Worried Men (Finns, Weymouth)

Dakota (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Rossano and Gemma (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Johnny King as Elvis (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Drive By Jamming (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf Trio (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Tracks Band (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Park, Weymouth)

Tequila Mockingbird (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Lost Revellers (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Hamish (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Dale Fender Band (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Pelle Van Smith (Convivial Rabbit, Dorchester)

Regulation 9 (Market House Tavern, Weymouth)

Komakino (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Never Mind The Bongoes (Star, Weymouth)

Farrago (RAFA Club, Weymouth)

Howling at the Moon (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

The Crack (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Rhiannon (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (29)

Simple Minds and many more (Camp Bestival, Lulworth)

Cherry Pickers, Trip Wizard, Neil Coad, Kipper, Prize Draw (Great band…), Aqila (WARM festival, Borough Gardens, Dorchester) From midday, in aid of the Steve Charles Help a Friend fund.

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

UK Pink Floyd Experience (Weymouth Pavilion)

John Ramon (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

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

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

Danny Adams (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

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

Leanne Jackson (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Gut and Steel (Crown, Bridport) 4pm.

MONDAY (30)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (New Vic, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (31)

Martin Maton (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Nina Garcia (New Vic, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (1)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (New Vic, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (2)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (3)

Zero Effect, Dorset Monkeys, Kinmont, The Undecided, Junior Beats, The Will and many, more (Drum Academy Junior festival, Redlands, Weymouth) 12-6pm.

Dead man’s Clique (Finns, Weymouth)

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

Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Southern Sinners (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Paul Williams (Weymouth Workies)