GIG GUIDE: Fairport Convention, Jo Harman, Hunter and the Bear

Since getting together back in 1967 and single-handedly inventing British folk-rock, they’ve had an incredible career of amazing highs and tragic lows.

Their life, as Ronan Keating would have it, really has been a roller coaster.

And to mark their golden anniversary, the band are releasing a new CD, fittingly entitled 50:50@50, and they’ll be featuring tracks from that plus all the favourites from their extensive back catalogue when they tour the new album.

The band of Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion, will be heading this way with a date at the Electric Palace in Bridport on Friday, February 17.

Also appearing with them will be vocalist Sally Barker, formerly with The Poozies, who was a big hit with Sir Tom Jones on The Voice talent show on the tellybox.

Tickets for the gig are £26 from 01308 424901.

Moving on, and every now and then a voice will come along that will knock your collective socks off.

As Huey Morgan out of Fun Lovin’ Criminals opined: “Sometimes you hear a voice that leaves you speechless. I am.”

Obviously, Huey expressed his thoughts through the medium of mime after being rendered speechless.

But such a voice belongs to blues and soul minx Jo Harman who is launching the new season of DA Blues sessions at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange next Saturday, February 11.

Jo is touring her debut album People We Become, which was recorded in Nashville and produced by the celebrated Fred Mollin, who has twiddled knobs for such artists as Carol King, Joe Cocker and Carly Simon.

If you enjoy top-drawer emotional blues and soul, with a side dish of heart-melting ballads, tickets are £17 from the box office on 01305 266926.

Every band has to start somewhere, but Hunter and the Bear have come a long way since rehearsing in a rusty metal shipping container in a south London car park.

The hirsute folk-rock four-piece landed the support slot on Eric Clapton’s arena tour of 2014 and have gone on to share a stage with such giants as Simple Minds and Van Morrison.

They’ll be touring the debut album later this year but are doing a few warm-up shows before hitting the road and are at The Boat That Rocks at Portland Marina next Saturday, February 11. Go see, ok?

As I mentioned earlier, every band has to start out somewhere and finding a decent rehearsal space can often be an issue.

However, the good folks at Dorchester Youth Centre have asked me to make all you musos aware that, since becoming a community-led project and no longer under the auspices of the county council, they can offer top-notch rehearsal facilities at their HQ in Kings Road.

Give them a tinkle on 01305 266000 for all the shizzle, okay?

It’s certainly better than an old shipping container in a car park.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (3)

Weatherstate, Tensionhead, Valensole, High Down (Finns, Weymouth) Fundraiser for Teddy Rocks

Freak Circus (Park, Weymouth)

Bog Dogs (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

The Gravy Chain (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Watkins and Swarbrick Band (Upwey Old School Hall)

Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Just Jon and Son (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Sea Bass (Rock, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Shelby’s Elbows (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Nina Garcia (Cafe Jagos, Dorchester)

Surfin’ Birds (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (4)

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

Cherry Pickers (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Jess Upton’s Guilty Pleasures (Crown, Bridport)

Steve Francis (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Steroironics (Boot, Weymouth)

Paul and Taz (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Quinn’s Quinney (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

Mad Hatters (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Hurricanes (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Alan Roberts (Weymouth Workies)

Bad Edukation (Wyke Regis Workies, Weymouth)

Rich Young (Rock, Weymouth)

Freezer (Victoria, Dorchester)

John De Barra (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester)

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

Hot Bacon (Market House, Weymouth)

Sixteen String Jack (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Party in the Park (Park, Weymouth)

Bullitt (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Actors, Weymouth)

Lauren Bannon-Hayes (New Star, Portland)

Diane (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Pronghorn (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

SUNDAY (5)

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

Stupidity (Three Compasses, Charminster)

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

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 7pm.

Danx (Revolution, Trinity Rd, Weymouth) 2pm.

Big Al Whittle (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Three Busketeers (Rock, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Leanne Jackson (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-6pm.

Aaron Carter (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

MONDAY (6)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (7)

19 Crimes (Boot, Weymouth)

Julie Lewis Jazz Night (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (8)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic (Bull, Fordington, Dorchester)

THURSDAY (9)

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)

Soapbox (Belvedere, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (10)

Surfin’ Birds (Finns, Weymouth)

The Darwins (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Lucy Harvey (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Aaron Carter (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Matt Black (Park, Weymouth)