I Dunno, you don’t hear from someone for the best part of a decade and then he just pops around unannounced without so much as a Bayeaux tapestry and plonks himself on your telly, on your radio, on your iPod, flipping everywhere. CUH!

David Bowie has taken everyone by surprise with a cracking chart-topping album The Next Day and then there’s the exhibition at the V&A in London, which has had tickets flying out the box office like tigers on Vaseline.

Still no word of any live appearances from the Thin White Duke and that’s hardly surprising, so you Bowiephiles will have to make do with YouTube clips or maybe a tribute act of which there are many.

One of the best, however, is Lawrence, who brings his Bowie Experience to The Rock in Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, tomorrow night, Saturday, March 30.

 

 

Lawrence has been touring the country with an eclectic selection from the man’s enormous back catalogue with all the obvious ones (Ziggy, Rebel Rebel, Space Oddity etc) but some of the more obscure tracks only a true Bowie fan would know.

I will, of course, be downthe front and will be shouting for Sense of Doubt (YouTube it, go on!) to really get the party going, followed by a hollering for Bewlay Brothers and anything by Tin Machine.

Anyways up, it’s a bumper weekend of live entertainment this Easter in Weymouth with Hippy Fest at the Lazy Lizard and Quayfest at the Rendezvous on Sunday, March 31, but there’s also some good stuff going down up in Dorchester.

Wrap up warm to catch the always excellent Amy Mayes Band in South Street in the first of the Summer Saturday Live session at 2pm and on Monday, April 1, there’s a veritable supergroup at Tom Brown’s.

The Kilimanjaros (That’s Jack Daniels, Benny Wain, Barney Stevens and Tom Caulfield with many special guests) will be raising money for their attempt to climb the African mountain next January.

Right, that’s it for this week, I’m off to take my protein pills and put my helmet on.

Happy Easter, pop pickers!

THIS WEEK'S LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS

Today (29)

Lo Numbers (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth) Arron King (Britannia, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Replay (Spice Ship, Preston, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Royal Exchange, Weston Rd, Portland)

Neon Leroy (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Karen (Edinburgh House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Hot Bacon (Old Ship, Dorchester)

Under The Carousel (Eight Kings, Portland)

Stress (Chalk and Cheese, Maiden Newton)

All About Gaga (Dorothy, Weymouth)

Amy Mayes (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Danny and the Goosemen (Moby Dick’s Weymouth)

John Sanderson (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell, St, Weymouth

Southbound (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Ansell and Gretel (Café Jagos, High East St, Dorchester)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Arms, Weymouth) Mr Tambourine Man plays a song for you.

Jam Session (The Lounge, School St, Weymouth) Come and have a go from 9pm.

Saturday (30)

Goliath (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) and later…

Surfing Birds (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

All About GaGa (The Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Live It Up (Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

BJ McCabe (Conservative Club, Dorchester Road, Weymouth)

Replay (John Gregory, Southill, Weymouth)

The Bowie Experience (The Rock, Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth)

Amy Mayes Band (South Street, Dorchester) 2pm.

ACBBs (The Lounge, Gt George St, Weymouth)

Skinful (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Howling at the Moon (Bradpole Social Club, Bridport)

Dave V (Edinburgh House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Copycatz (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Smoking Gun (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester)

Johnny Mac (Black Dog, St Mary Street, Weymouth)

Tempo (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth)

The Porcupines (Wellington Arms, Weymouth)

Rich Wilson (Sun Inn, King St, Weymouth)

Howling Matt (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester)

Three-Piece Suite (Dorothy, Weymouth)

The Accidentals (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Nathan and the Unpredictables (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Freak Circus (New Star Inn, Portland)

Gigolo (Bridge Inn, Preston Rd, Weymouth)

Sarah De Warren (Elm Tree, Langton Herring)

Sunday (31)

Hippy Fest (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) Stereoironics, Electric Bucket, Hustle, Mad Hatters, Cosmic Slop, Danny Adams and many more, from 3pm.

Quayfest (Rendezvous, Town Bridge, Weymouth) Tom Caulfield, Pretty Lustful Lauren Bannon, Amy Mayes, Legomen, Dinnerladies and many more. From 3pm.

The Worried Men (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Yes Factor (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell, St, Weymouth) From 2pm.

Billy Solo (The Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (King’s Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Tom Caines (Springhead, Sutton Poyntz) 4pm-8pm.

Replay (Old Red Lion, Hope Square, Weymouth) The first outdoor gig of the year for the band, from 2pm.

Louise Jordan (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland) Georgie Broad and her Velvet Overtones (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 8pm.

Finn (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth) From 7.30pm.

Under The Carousel (South Portland Conservative Club) 4pm.

What Would Scoobie Doo? (New Star Inn, Portland) 6.30pm.

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Portland)

Karen, Brian and Elvis Pete (Old Castle, Weymouth) 7pm.

Sarah De Warren (King’s Arms, Portesham) 3pm.

Andy C (Three Horseshoes, Powerstock) 9pm.

Pete Bunn (Britannia, Portland)

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) The Crack frontman, on his own, from 3pm, followed by...

Ricky Solo (T-Bar, St Edmund St, Weymouth) From 8pm.

Jam Night (Sailor’s Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth) Mark Stacey and friends host this regular Sunday acoustic jam session. Music from 8pm.

Monday (1)

The Kilimanjaros (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester) From 6pm.

Mr Bucket (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth )

Ricky Solo (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 1pm-5pm, followed by..

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth) 7pm.

The Decades (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth) 5pm.

Tuesday (2)

Tom Toomey and Jamie Pinnow (The Boot, Weymouth)

North and South (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Acoustically Acclaimed (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) The weekly unplugged jam session.

Wednesday (3)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Jam with Mark (Wellington Arms, St Alban Street, Weymouth) Mark Stacey hosts this regular acoustic jam session.

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Thursday (4)

Singalong with Di (Edinburgh House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Powelly (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Eclectic Hippy (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth) Acoustic jam night, hosted by Dukane.

Open Mic Night (Aura, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (The Cornwall, Dorchester) Big Al Whittle hosts.

Open Mic Surgery (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester) All backline provided, come on down and have a play.

Steve’s Singalong (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund Street, Weymouth) Steve hosts this session, with guests joining in.

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

Friday (5)

Black Dog, Chronographs (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Steve Wilson Band (Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland)

Dukane (Edinburgh House of Sounds, St Thomas St, Weymouth)

Funkathon (Spice Ship, Preston, Weymouth)

Jack’s Jam Night (Café Jagos, High East St, Dorchester) Jack Daniels hosts.

Billy Solo (Wellington, Arms, Weymouth)

Jam Session (The Lounge, School St, Weymouth) 9pm.