IT’S about time we gave ourselves a collective pat on the back for having such a fertile, exciting and varied music scene down this way.

As well as all the great covers bands, we should be proud of all the young bands who are really making a go of it in the music business.

Take End of Daze, for example. The Weymouth metal outfit have been tearing it up since 2013 and are now really getting somewhere, having just headlined a UK tour which included gigs at the Scala in London, Joiners in Southampton and The Fenton in Leeds.

They’ve got a new music video coming out next month to coincide with their single Tides and album to be released later in the year.

As guitarist Jack Wood tells me: “We’re all at various colleges or universities doing music so being in a band really helps our studying.”

Clearly, they’d all like to make a career in the music industry and they’re certainly going the right way about it.

They’re headlining at Finns in Weymouth tomorrow, Saturday, May 13 and it’s the first time they’ve topped the bill there.

“We don’t normally do that but it’s a friends birthday,” Jack adds.

It’s just £5 on the door tomorrow and there’s a great line up, including Somerset foursome Pretty Little Enemy, who list making loud noises and ‘wanging it’ as their interests, The Disconnect, who like to produce angry sad music from their Southampton home, and riff monsters Endea from Bournemouth.

Promises to be quite a night and doors open at 7pm.

Moving on, and the music department at Weymouth College has been turning out incredible players for decades, with many making a successful career in the music business and gigging regularly.

And the current crop of Level 3 musos will be taking their undoubted talents on the road and showing their chops in a series of pub gigs over the next couple of weeks.

Not only will their Sip and Shout tour showcase their considerable nift on their chosen instruments with exciting sets of covers from artists such as 2 Door Cinema Club to the Foo Fighters, they’ll be learning how to deal with the questions punters always ask a band, such as: “Are you the band?” Do you do any U2?” and “Can I play your drums, mate? It’s easy, anyone can play the drums.”

You can catch the stars of tomorrow next week at the Belvedere in Weymouth on Tuesday, May 16, at the Wyke Smugglers on Thursday, May 18 and at Tom Browns in Dorchester on Friday, May 19 with more gigs to follow the following week.

Finally, it’s high fives and let’s open a mighty large box of woopass all round for Dorchester six-piece Margot Escargot who had the undoubted thrill of hearing their debut single When You Were My Girl as backing music on ITV’s This Morning this week.

Phillip Schofield apparently loves the band’s name and the lovely face of the fragrant Holly Willoughby visibly lit up as she listened to the rocking track which was used for a feature on bargain summer fashions.

I too was impressed with the song but also rather excited by the tangerine jumpsuit available from Matalan at a mere £25 and I’ll probably be wearing it when Margot Escargot play a short set at the Howl Troubadour evening at Tom Browns in Dorchester on Monday, May 29.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (12)

Hawkwind (Weymouth Pavilion)

Mad Hatters (Finns, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Dave Griff (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Rockin’ Ronnie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Side Door Project (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Bad Intention (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Kimberlin Club, Portland)

Finn (The Rock, Weymouth)

Chill (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Catfish (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Toxic Fish (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Southern Sinners (Café Jagos, Dorchester)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Black Dog, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (13)

End of Daze, Pretty Little Enemy, The Disconnect, Endea (Finns, Weymouth)

The Crack (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

The Katz (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Shooter (Punchbowl, Portland)

Dr Robert (Market House, Weymouth)

The Dolmen (Park, Weymouth)

Neil Wale (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Dakota (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Party Animalz (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Goldtraxx Band (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Haze (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Skinful (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

Watkins and Swarbrick Band (Burton Bradstock village hall)

Mandown (Old Ship, Upwey, Weymouth)

Chill (The Rock, Weymouth)

Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Skinful (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Weymouth)

The Tracks Bands (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Restless (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

The Rat Pack (Ship, Weymouth)

Split Pea (New Star Inn, Portland)

Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SUNDAY (14)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Steve Wilson Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) From 3pm, followed by..

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

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

Minor Fret (Boot, Weymouth) 6pm.

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

JD Acoustic (The Closet, Weymouth) 11-1am.

Nathan Jon (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 7pm.

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

Folk, Country and Blues (Old Town Hall, Weymouth) 7pm

MONDAY (15)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (16)

Powelly (Boot, Weymouth)

Sip and Shout (Belvedere, Weymouth) Weymouth College music students showcase.

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (17)

Unplugged Jam (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic (Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

THURSDAY (18)

Sip and Shout (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) Weymouth College music students showcase.

SoapBox (Belvedere, Weymouth)

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 (19)

Surfing Birds (Finns, Weymouth)

Aaron Carter (Park, Weymouth)

Mike Sidaway (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Emma Lou (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Mumbo Machine (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Identikit (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

The Mighty Fine (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Tom and the Clementynes (Ship, Dorchester)

Sip and Shout (Tom Browns, Dorchester)