GIG GUIDE: As Flames Rise hometown metal bash… Kim Wilde leaves garden shed

And if you’ve been a good boy or girl (or non-binary gender fluid: It is the Nineties, after all…) and you put:  ‘Five quality metal bands in one evening, all ready to smack me right in the chops with their epic brilliance’ on your Christmas list, you’re very much in luck.

Yes, Santa and his elves at Uprising Bookings have worked their little socks off to put together a great night of metalic mayhem next Saturday, December 14, at Finns in Weymouth.

Headlining are As Flames Rise, who finish off a remarkable 2019 with their last show of the year in front of their hometown fans.

As frontman Matty Bowdidge tells me:  “We’ve played festivals all over the UK and toured our EP and Weymouth will be our last show of the year as we wanted to party with our friends, family and fans.

“Our EP has reached nearly 200k streams on Spotify and keeps climbing and next for us will be finishing our album and making plans to release that at the end of next year/early 2021 and just keep playing as many shows as we can.

“As for 2020, we’ve got a few festivals lined up but we can’t talk about them yet and we’re working with a new agent to land slots at bigger shows and reach more people,” he adds.

Also on the bill next Saturday are five-piece metalcore monsters Crownless,  prog-metal outfit Theorists, melodic hardcore heroes On Borrowed Time and, bringing up the rear (stop sniggering at the back…)  Dorchester’s very own brutal breakdown beasts Hollow Horizons.

Tickets are a mere £3 in advance from Uprising,  or you could take a chance and get in on the door on the night but don’t come running to me if you’re left outside like a numpty.

Moving on,  if you’d sold more than 30 million records, recorded 14 albums, released some of the most memorable and popular songs of an epoch, and toured Europe with Michael Jackson and David Bowie, you’d be more than entitled to  put your kitten-heeled feet up, slip into some wellies or crocs and retire to your shed for a spot of gardening.

But the lure of the limelight and the smell of the crowd proved too much for the rather lovely Kim Wilde who made a well-received comeback last year with her Here Come the Aliens album and tour.

And the one-time pop goddess, now more well-known for her exploits with a trowel and a trellis,  is out on the road a again and heading this way with a show at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton next Saturday, December 14.

Kim will no doubt be reprising all her biggies, Kids In America, Keep Me Hanging On, Cambodia and many more, plus loads of festive goodies too from a selection box of Christmas favourites.

Tickets are £26 from the box office on 01258 475137.

And finally, it’s always a busy time during the run-up to Christmas out there in gigland, so if you’d like your live music event featured in the Echo gig guide, send your details to echogigguide@outlook.com. Simples, eh?

Till next time…

NICK HORTON

TONIGHT 6

BEN: Michael Jackson show (Weymouth Pavilion)

Annie and the Midnight Shift swing ball (Weymouth Pavilion)

Wille and the Bandits (Dorchester Arts Centre

Roy Wood (Exchange, Sturminster Newton)

Komakino (Finn’s, Weymouth)

4 Go Mad (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Total Madness (John Gregory, Weymouth)

Mojo (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Jumpin’ Jimmy Thunders’ Christmas Party (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Open Mic Showcase (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Louise Day (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Muddy Summers and the Dirty Field Whores (Ropemakers, Bridport)

George Hall Trio (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Chill (Green Shutters, Portland)

Pearl Essence (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Mark Davis (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Leanne Jackson (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SATURDAY 7

Pronghorn, Cuba Libre, Meat Sweats, Komakino, Andy Grant Trio, Vanilla Radio, Tequila Mockingbird, Bebe and Paolo and many more  (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) Fundraiser for Lantern Trust. £6 on door from 1pm.

You Win Again: Bee Gees tribute (Weymouth Pavilion)

Dean Man’s Clique (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Hustle (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Little Ship, Portland)

Chill (Hardy’s, Dorchester) 4pm

Stomping Boondocks (Hardy’s, Dorchester) 9pm

V8 Hearts (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Nite Lite (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Levana Lee Johnson (Gloucester, Weymouth) Whitney Houston tribute

Restless (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Curst Sons (Ropemakers, Bridport)

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

Johnny King (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 9pm.

Karen (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Powelly, Flying Camels (Ayya, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Dakota (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Tequila Mockingbird (Market House Tavern, Weymouth)

SUNDAY 8

Darren H (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 4pm.

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Elfentale (Ropemakers, Bridport)

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

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland) 5-8pm.

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm and 8pm.

Dave Mein (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Sunday Jam Session (Belvedere, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Gut & Steel (George Inn, Portland) 4pm.

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

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

MONDAY  9

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TUESDAY  10

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper’s Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

Songwiters’ Showcase (Belvedere, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY 11

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

THURSDAY  12

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 13

Ironed Maiden (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Flakey Jake(Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Remedy (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Cherry Pickers (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Ollie Coe (John Gregory, Weymouth)

Rob Davis (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

The Crack (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Paul Williams (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Guns of Navarone (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Shakespearos (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Belvedere, Weymouth)