GIG GUIDE: Weymouth Carnival line-up,WARM Festival in Dorchester

The carnival queen and her attendants, the endless vibrant, colourful, noisy procession, the marching bands and majorettes, the Red Arrows and other astounding aerial displays, the scores of seafront stalls, and the amazing fireworks at the end of an exciting day: it’s really something the town can justifiably be proud of.

But for many blokes, it’s an annual excuse to parade around the town clinging to the back of a tractor dressed in women’s underwear and waving a bottle of cider.

Or maybe that was just me?

Anyways up, it’s always a fantastic occasion and this year, the fun takes place over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, August 16 and 17.

And as well as all the aforementioned shenanigans, there’s two days of terrific live music on the beach stage from some of the most popular bands around.

So on Tuesday, you’ve got your Neil Coad, Sheryl Lee, Hot Bacon, Danny Adams, Dr Robert, Regulation 9, Drive By Jamming, Southern Sinners and the fabulous Stereoironics to entertain you.

And if you want more, you insatiable slatterns you, on Wednesday, there’s the Odyssey Majorettes, Coyote, Lo Numbers, Leanne Jackson, Under The Carousel, Hustle and then Peacock Suit.

I think you’ll agree that’s a flipping impressive array of local talent which is bound to impress grockles and residents alike. We do do it so well, don’t we?

But if you can’t wait till next Tuesday, you can sate your urge for live entertainment with the WARM festival in Dorchester’s Borough Gardens on Sunday, August 14.

It’s always a fantastic day out for all the family, so bring a picnic and dig deep and chip in to help the Stevie Charles Help a Friend charity which does so much to help so many people locally.

Again, there’s a terrific line-up starting at 1pm with Jilly Ann, followed by, on the hour, The Dinnerladies, WOB, Southern Sinners, and the mighty Tripod finishing off from 6pm.

As I said, a great day out and all for a very noble cause indeed.

And tomorrow night, Saturday, August 13, if you find yourself having a sudden urge for gypsy jazz guitar, filthy synths and saucy 20s beats all fronted up by two ladies for whom the word ‘sass’ was invented, and I know I often do, you’d best get yourself over to The Boat That Rocks at Portland Marina for an appearance by the quite frankly splendid Electric Swing Circus.

A firm favourite at festivals across Europe – they’re at Boomtown the next day, incidentally – it’s a rare treat to catch this up and coming outfit.

Right, that’s it for this week. I’m off to buff up my tractor for the carnival and sort my big drawers out. Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (12)

Rory Indiana, Kutna Hora, Calling Apollo, Edd Bleach (Finns, Weymouth)

Watkins and Swarbrick Band (Charminster Village Hall)

Karen (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

JD Acoustic (Park, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (George, Dorchester)

Lewis and the Sound of the Suburbs (Tides Inn, Weymouth)

Skinful (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Blazing Strings (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Mighty Fine (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (13)

Blind Harvest (Finns, Weymouth)

Electric Swing Circus (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Du Kane (Boot, Weymouth) 2pm.

Hot Bacon (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Steve Allen (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Katz (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Replay (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Bob Mallett (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Cherry Pickers (George, Dorchester)

Regulation 9 (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Dale Fender Band (RBL, Marnhull)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (No 10, Bridport) 12-2pm.

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Danny Adams, Dr Robert (Market House, Weymouth) From 7.30pm.

The Silhouettes (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Outrage (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Katy Saxon (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Katy Perry/ Taylor Swift tribute

Gut and Steel (George, Chideock)

Toxic Fish (Ropemakers, Bridport)

JD Acoustic (Drift Bar, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (14)

Jilly Ann, The Dinnerladies, WOB, Southern Sinners, Tripod (Borough Gardens, Dorchester). From 1pm.

Johnny Mac (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Leanne Jackson (Park, Weymouth) 4pm.

Replay (Red Lion, Hope Sq, Weymouth) 2pm.

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

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 4pm.

Nina Garcia (New Vic, Weymouth) Farrago (Globe, Weymouth) 4.30pm.

Side Door Project (George, Portland) 3pm.

Roger’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 5pm.

MONDAY (15)

Blazing Strings (New Vic, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (16)

Neil Coad, Sheryl Lee, Hot Bacon, Danny Adams, Dr Robert, Regulation 9, Drive By Jamming, Southern Sinners, Stereoironics (Carnival stage, Weymouth beach)

Pete Christie (Boot, Weymouth)

Alan Roberts (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Open Mic (Park, Weymouth)

Side Door Project (New Vic, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (17)

Coyote, Lo Numbers, Leanne Jackson, Under The Carousel, Hustle, Peacock Suit (Carnival stage, Weymouth beach)

Tony England (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Stacie Lou (New Vic, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (18)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic (George, Dorchester) With Elijah Wolf

Open Mic (Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

Open Mic (Drift Bar, Hope Sq, Weymouth)

With Aaron Carter Tripod (New Vic, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth) 8pm.

SoapBox Night (Belvedere, Weymouth) Hosted by DuKane.

FRIDAY (19)

Mad Hatters (Finns, Weymouth)

Wiggie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Remix (Park, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Southern Sinners (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Mighty Fine (Golden Lion, Weymouth)