IT’s a well known fact that a pint of cider can be counted as part of your five-a-day.

And that’s just as well as there are two fabulous cider and beer festivals this weekend, both featuring some fantastic live music.

Those lovely people at Weymouth and Portland community radio station Air FM 107.2 are launching their own range of refreshments tomorrow at the Spy Glass pub, Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth, from 3pm.

AIR ale and CidAIR (really?) will be no doubt be consumed, in moderation of course, while listening to the groovy tunes of a wide range of artists.

It all starts at 3pm with Bob Kirkpatrick, followed by Ian Sedwell, Ellie O’Kirwin, Robbie McIntosh, Logan Carter, Lauren Bannon all playing, and the fabulous Cuba Libre rounding off what promises to be fantastic family event.

Meanwhile, the Spice Ship on Preston Road in Weymouth is also holding its own beer and cider festival this weekend, starting tonight with music from The Groove Brothers.

The unbridled frivolity and galavanting continues tomorrow afternoon with music from the ubiquitous Leggomen, with The Decatonics providing the choones for the evening session. Bottoms up, I say!

Now then, blues belter Cherry Lee Mewis’ debut performance at a Bluesnight session at the Dorchester Arts Centre in June 2012 was pretty sensational, by all accounts.

Well, she’s back tomorrow night with her red-hot band at the renamed DA Blues, the new monicker for the popular Bluesnight sessions.

 

 

 

You can see why Cherry is rated as one of the top blues shouters on the circuit by snapping up a ticket (£13 in advance, £14 on the door, concessions available) from the arts centre box office on 01305 266926.

And all you folkies out there will be interested to know that Irish legend Andy Irvine will be at the arts centre on Thursday, October 3.

The singer-songwriter, with a 40-year career and a founder member of bands such as Planxty and Mozaik, will be kicking off his 30-date tour in Dorchester next Thursday and tickets are £12 from the box office.

And finally, let me take you down to Paradise City where the girls are green and the grass is pretty.

Well, not so much Paradise City, but Finn’s in Weymouth where Guns Vs Roses, the world’s top GnR tribute, will be doing their thing tomorrow night.

Yep, they are the almost-real deal, but don’t take it from me, here’s what Marc Canter, a personal pal of Axl and Slash and author of Reckless Road, about the making of GnR’s debut album Appetite for Destruction, has to say: “Wow! The best I’ve seen. Nothing to improve, they have it down.”

So, like someone who can’t pronounce the letters F and T, you can’t say fairer than that. Admission at Finn’s tomorrow is £6.

Till next time…

FRIDAY (27)

Lo Numbers (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

The Groove Brothers (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth) The start of the pub’s beer and cider fest.

Speedway Snails (Royal Exchange, Weston Rd, Portland)

100 Days, Kelly’s Heroes (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

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

Jilly Ann (Tom Browns, High East St, Dorchester)

Time Out (Britannia, Portland)

The Dolmen (New Inn, Littlemoor, Weymouth)

Slipped Disc (Aura, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Blue Rock (Moby Dick’s, Esplanade, Weymouth)

The Squires (Cafe Jagos, High East St, Dorchester)

Nick Sellars (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Stuart O’Conner (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport)

Diva Lea (Kings Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell Centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Arms, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (28)

Guns Vs Roses (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth) GnR tribute, pictured above. £6 admission.

Cuba Libre, Lauren Bannon, Robbie McIntosh, and many more (Spy Glass, Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth) Beer and cider festival From 3pm-10pm, hosted by Air FM107.2.

Cherry Lee Mewis (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Stereoironics (Golden Lion, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Chloe and Tom (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Leggomen, Decatonics (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth) The beer fest continues.

Vanilla Radio (Sailors Return, St Nicholas, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Moby Dick’s, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Replay (Black Dog, St Mary St, Weymouth) The Crack (Royal Oak, Milborne St Andrew)

Tripod (Wyke Smugglers, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Mike Walker (Conservative Club, Dorchester Rd, Weymouth)

Offbeat Offensive (Victoria Hotel, Dorchester) Howling at the Moon (Bull Inn, Fordington, Dorchester)

Deep Fried Bananas (Park Hotel, Grange Rd, Weymouth) 8.30pm

Gut and Steel (George, Reforne, Portland)

Antigua Joe (New Vic, Esplanade, Weymouth)

The Hurricanes (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Portland Rd, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials Blues Edition (Duke of Albany, Park St, Weymouth)

Simon Gee (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund St, Weymouth)

Gemma (Kings Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

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

Mat and Max (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth)

Gigolo (Bridge Inn, Preston Rd, Weymouth)

Bob Mallet (Centenary Club, Jubilee Sidings, Weymouth)

Peacock Suit (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (29)

The Kilimanjaros (Spice Ship, Preston Rd, Weymouth) 2pm

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

Jamie Pinnow (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth) 3pm.

Leggomen (New Vic, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Kings Arms, Trinity Rd, Weymouth) 5pm.

Slipped Disc (Crown, Bridport) 9pm.

Pretty Lustful (Belvedere, High West St, Weymouth) 8pm.

Johnny Mac (The Star, Weymouth) 8pm.

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

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

MONDAY (30)

Mr Bucket (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth ) followed by

Peacock Suit (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) From 11pm.

TUESDAY (1)

Julie Lewis (Harbour Bridge, Trinity Rd, Weymouth)

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

Pete Christie (The Boot, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (2)

Funky Jam Night (Lazy lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth) Now fortnightly, with your hosts Cosmic Slop.

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 (3)

Andy Irvine (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Powelly (Lazy Lizard, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Aura, Esplanade, Weymouth)

Di (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm. Bring percussion instruments of your choice.

FRIDAY (4)

Stereoironics (Finn’s, Westham Rd, Weymouth)

Slipped Disc (Weymouth Working Men’s Club, Mitchell St, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Punchbowl, Portland) The FB Pocket Orchestra (Beach and Barnicott, Bridport) Hot jazz, from the 1920s.

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Quayside, Weymouth)

Jam Night (The Lounge, Colwell centre, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Arms, Weymouth)