AS we hurtle headlong into November, the heady and glorious days of the long-gone summer’s festivals seem light years away.

But there’s a chance to bring those happy times back with a gig next Saturday, November 9 at Dorchester Arts Centre from one of the festival circuit’s hardest-working and popular bands.

The Undercover Hippy, featuring mainman Billy Rowan, have performed at most of the big festivals, including Glastonbury, Boomtown, Secret Garden and Shambala, and have clocked up hundreds of miles as they constantly tour the UK and Europe.

They’ve also clocked up an impressive THREE MILLION streams on Spotify, no doubt earning them enough for half a lager and packet of pork scratchings between them.

Billy is no ordinary singer-songwriter with BBC Radio 6 presenter Tom Robinson hailing him as ‘the love child of Steel Pulse, Kate Tempest and the Sleaford Mods’.

And arts centre supremo Mark Tattersall adds: ‘They combine intelligent, provocative lyrics with dangerously catchy hooks and a feel good groove. This is music for the thinking person to shake their bottom to. Think Natty Dread meets Eminem, on a protest march, at the Edinburgh Fringe.’ Yeah, okay…

Tickets are £14 from the box office on 01305 266926.

Moving on and if you’ve got a heart of darkness, a keen sense of the macabre, the blood-thirsty and bizarre, you’ll be in good company tonight and tomorrow, Friday and Saturday November 1 and 2, at Portland’s delightful Royal Manor Theatre.

Taloch Jameson, frontman and driving force of The Dolmen, is the monstrous master of ceremonies as he presents the Infernal Theatre’s gruesome tale of Victor Vassago, a notorious London gangster who steals souls for his own amusement.

Anxious to evade the authorities, wanted man Vassago disappears from the capital only to emerge on the Isle of Wytches (or Portland, as we locals do like to call it…), surrounded by the demented denizens of his twisted mind.

It all sounds a terrific romp for Hallowe’en with a brilliant soundtrack from The Dolmen and there are still a few tickets at £10 a pop available from thedolmen.com

Be aware though, this psychological horror is for over 16s only and contains very strong language and nudity, so I’ll see you there, okay?

And finally, as all is safely gathered in from the harvest festival, why not spend a cosy evening tonight, Friday, November 1 at Osmington village hall in the company of folkie Jim Causley?

Jim will be celebrating the onset of winter with a feast of West Country songs and secular carols from around the British Isles. Oh, and there will be mulled cider and apple cake, okay?

Tickets are £10 from 07816 832554 but hurry up as it’s tonight!

Till next time…

FRIDAY 1

Blood Red Throne, This Is Endless, Deception, Perdisian (Finns, Weymouth)

The Infernal Theatre, featuring The Dolmen (Royal Manor Theatre, Portland)

Wiggie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Rob Brown (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Truthseekers (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Jim Causley (Osmington village hall)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Portesham Village Hall) Tickets £10 from 07717 194081 in aid of Bowel Cancer UK and scout hall fund.

Open Mic Showcase (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Barry Paul as Elvis (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Buffo’s Wake (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland)

Vinyl Monkeys (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Hustle (King’s Arms, Portesham)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Finnian (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Darren H Presley (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Du Kane (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SATURDAY 2

The Infernal Theatre, featuring The Dolmen (Royal Manor Theatre, Portland)

TBC (Finns, Weymouth)

Retro (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Compass (Punchbowl, Portland)

Kelly Lorraine (Little Ship, Portland)

Dakota (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Rockwaves (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Sixteen String Jack (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Nathan Jon (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Regulation 9 (Market House, Weymouth)

A Perfect Storm (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Mojo (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 2pm.

Johnny King as Elvis (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Matt Wallis (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Wendy Barrett (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

The Crack (Black Dog, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

The Undecided (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

Leggomen Duo (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Karen (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SUNDAY 3

Owen Lister (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Garry Slide Guy Smith (Ropemakers, Bridport)

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

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8pm.

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

Gut and Steel (George, Portland) 4pm.

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

Blues Jam with Paul Sharod and friends (Belvedere, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Rob Davis (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Di’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 7pm.

MONDAY 4

Tim Andrews  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Slow Americana Jam (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

TUESDAY 5

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY 6

Tim Andrews  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dave Bowen’s Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

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

Open Mic Night (Ship Inn, Wool)

THURSDAY 7

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return,  Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

FRIDAY 8

Rough Cuts (Finns, Weymouth)

Mispelt Yoof (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Rachel Scott (Waterloo, Weymouth)

Martin Maton (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Stacey Lou (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Rapport (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Behind Closed Doors (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Total Madness (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

4 Go Mad (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Bring Me the Pistols (Belvedere, Weymouth)