I WAS just thinking the other day that we need more whisky-drinking, poker-playing guitar toting lay-deeez round these parts, and knock me down with a feather, you’ll never guess what’s been and gone and happened.

Yep, not just one but two chances to enjoy the sights and sounds of Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Trio, the foot-stompin’ bluegrass and alt-country outfit with added washboard and truck loads of yee-haww sass.

Dana and her girls are hitching up their wagon, heading this way and busting out their banjos with gigs at The Ropemakers in Bridport on Friday, February 24 and then at the Belvedere in Weymouth on Saturday, February 25.

And ‘Busting out their Banjos’ is a thing, these days, okay?

Dana has come a long way since starting out in that well-worn apprenticeship scheme for buskers that is the London Underground.

She’s Oxford-educamacated (Greek, Latin and Philosophy, since you ask) and spent many years trawling the dark corners of the poker circuit, the inspiration for her second album Dotted Lines.

The two Dorset dates are a must for fans of Americana, bluegrass and country and hard-drinkin’ ladies who play cards and the banjo.

Moving on, and Weymouth and the surrounding areas has always had a more than healthy live music scene, ever since the post-Beatles beat boom of the early Sixties.

Violin Shoppe, Hexagon, Back Street Sect, The Soundsmen, Bodysnatchers, Package Deal, Blow Up, all great bands from back in the day.

Sadly many musicians from that era are no longer with us, having gone to that great gig in the sky, but, amazingly, some are still here and even more amazingly-er, some are still getting away with gigging regularly.

There’s a host of nostalgia to be had in the Facebook group recently set up A Reunion for Local Bands around Weymouth in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

And such a reunion is taking place on Thursday, March 2 at the Centenary Club in Weymouth.

Anyone who played in or enjoyed watching bands from that golden era is welcome to come along and reminisce about the gear, the hair and their trousers.

And talking of reunions, one such band who are getting it together for one night only are The New Breed aka The Chosen Ones who formed some 15 or years ago after a few sessions at the jam nights at the old Excise House in Weymouth.

Rob Davis, Matt Carbis, Dan Stockley, Ben Williams and Tom Bill were still busy bunking off school then but are getting the band back together to celebrate Tom’s 30th birthday with a gig at the Wyke Smugglers tonight, Friday, February 17.

As you can see from the picture today, they haven’t aged a bit, have they?

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (17)

Fairport Convention (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Stephen Fearing (Sutton Poyntz village hall, Weymouth)

Kinasis, Thieves by the Code, Embodiment, Between the Void (Finns, Weymouth)

Pelle Van Smith (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Freezer (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Helena Mace (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Charlie (Park, Weymouth)

Andy Grant and Robbie McIntosh (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Drive By Jamming, New Breed (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Bad Intention (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Rock, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Old Rooms, Weymouth)

Phil Jenkins (Brewers Arms, Martinstown)

Karen Kay (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Bad Intention (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Lady Winwood’s Maggot (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Flash Lloyd, Marley Boo (Cafe Jagos, Dorchester)

SATURDAY (18)

Mad Hatters (Finns, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Powelly, Leggomen, Peacock, Suit, Stereoironics (T Bar, Weymouth) From 2pm.

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The Dolmen (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Steve Nicolas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Sub-Version (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Nick Sellars (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Live Wired (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Haze (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dr Robert (Market House, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Under The Carousel (New Star, Portland)

Splinter (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Elvis 56 (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Bad Intention (Crown, Bridport)

The Mighty Fine (George, Portland)

SUNDAY (19)

Owen (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Mr North (Park, Weymouth) 5pm.

Juke Box Junkies (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Market House Jazz Band (Market House, Bridport) 5pm.

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

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 7pm.

Open Mic (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

Dora and George (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Black Dog, Weymouth) 3.30-5-30pm.

JD Acoustic (Rock, Weymouth) 5-7pm.

Tripod (Three Compasses, Charminster)

MONDAY (20)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (21)

Lauren Bannon (Boot, Weymouth)

Julie Lewis Jazz Night (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (22)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic (Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

THURSDAY (23)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic (George, Dorchester)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (24)

Vanilla Radio (Finns, Weymouth)

Rockin’ Richie (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Roy Charles (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

Broadband (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Trio (Ropemakers, Bridport)