IT’S QUITE a thought to consider that many of safety-pinned pierced punks who pogo-ed and gobbed their way into the outraged public consciousness some 40-odd years ago are now of retirement age, and several of the more senior of those who have managed to survive life thus far may well be in retirement homes, shuffling around on their Zimmer frames to such tunes as Old Rose, Saga Holidays in the Sun and Sheena is a Septuagenarian.

Turn the clock back another 40 years or so and we’re puttin’ on our top hats, tyin’ up our white ties, brushin’ off our tails and hurtlin’ relentlessly towards a cataclysmic global conflict, dancing away the cares of the Great Depression and the rise of fascism without a care in the world to the filthy jazz and heart-thumping swing of a golden age of popular music.

The sounds and dance crazes of that glorious epoch are re-visited, revived and recreated by The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, who have been getting their Charlestons, Black Bottoms and Shimmies on for your entertainment since 1969.

Suave bandleader Duncan Galloway steers the crack 11-piece orchestra through the smash hits of the time, from Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and the like with very liberal splashes of very English silliness and the whole tuxedo and cocktail-frocked shooting match rolls in to the Corn Exchange in Dorchester tomorrow night, Saturday February 10.

Tickets are £22 from the box office on 01305 266926.

Moving on, and by way of a complete contrast, there’s another night of top quality metal at Finns in Weymouth next Friday, February 16, for those of us who like our internal organs sonically rearranged.

Headlining are London metal outfit Shields who come fresh from a tour supporting Escape the Fate and are promoting their new release It’s Killing Me.

Metal fans and those close to the band will know they have been through an extremely tough time recently and this article is not the place to discuss what is a hugely sad and sensitive situation, but the band’s brave decision to continue the hard work they’ve put in over the past five years or so is to be commended.

Also performing next Friday are local metalcore monsters As Flames Rise, fellow riff merchants In Fear They Follow, who hail from Glastonbury, and Pompey five-piece 7eventh Sea.

It’s just £3 on the door from 7.30 next Friday and, quite frankly, that’s a bargain.

You could pay double that to have your innards turned inside out if you went private.

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (9)

Emily Maguire (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

Jon Storey Band (Finns, Weymouth)

Kent Duchaine and Leadbessie (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

JK Duo (Gloucester, Weymouth)

John Ramon (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Average Wyke Band (Park, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Rock Waves (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Super Novas (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Operatic Sean (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (10)

Pasadena Roof Orchestra (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

Komakino (Finns, Weymouth)

The Steroironics (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Woodchuck (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

TBC (Park, Weymouth)

The Remedy (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Haze (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Simon Gee (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

Sticky Jam Band (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Stompin’ Dave (King’s Head, Bradpole, Bridport)

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

Verdis Reunion (Belvedere, Weymouth) With The Future Sound of Weymouth

Nite Lite (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Skinful (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

Georgie Broad (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Jukebox Junkies (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Cherry Pickers (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Stars in their Eyes with Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany Weymouth)

Davy Malone and the Longtails (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Monkey Jump (George, Portland)

SUNDAY (11)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 4-7pm

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

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

The Rat Pack (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester) 4pm.

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

Jon Storey Band (Belvedere, Weymouth) From 4pm.

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth) 5-8pm.

Scots Dan’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany Weymouth) 6pm.

MONDAY (12)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (13)

Folk open mic night (Boot, Weymouth)

Open Jam (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

Martin Freed’s Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (14)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

THURSDAY (15)

Roger’s Singalong(Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (16)

Shields, As Flames Rise, In Fear They Follow, 7eventh Sea (Finns, Weymouth)

Liam Holland and The Truthseekers (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Maiden The Park VII (Park, Weymouth)

TBC (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Samantha Maybee (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Rapport (Ship Inn, Wool)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)