LIKE that bunch of unruly ne’erdo-wells who keep turning up at your door and taking you out for an disgraceful night of hi-jinx and shenanigans even though you know you’ve got to be up early for work in the morning, you just can’t say no, can you?

Barry Ashworth’s awesome Dub Pistols return to our patch yet again for another night of swaggering electro-ska-reggae-hip-hop-jungle mash-ups (oooh, get me, down wid da kids, blud) with a gig at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester next Saturday, March 17.

Barry and the boys have been tearing it up all over the planet since 1996 and are just about getting the hang of it, as anyone who has witnessed the extraordinary energy and all round good times their shows generate.

Support next Saturday comes from Birmingham’s pop-reggae maestros Kioko and DJ Tickets for the show are available from eventbrite.co.uk and if you’ve still got your dancing pants on, you can swing them over the road to Café Jagos for the after-show party where Mr Ashworth himself will be on the mighty wheels of steel ‘till stupid o’clock in the morning.

Tickets for this are £7 from the same source.

Moving on, and this Sunday, March 11 is Mother’s Day, so you can take your mama out all night, and show her what it’s all about, get her jacked up on some cheap Champagne and let the good times all roll out. Or you can buy her a card and some flowers and take her to church, which is what I’ll probably be doing.

If that doesn’t float your boat, why not take her to see singer-songwriter Reg Meuross for a rather special gig at Osmington Village Hall. Reg has been hailed by no less than Radio 2 Folk Show host Mark Radcliffe as a ‘brilliant singer-songwriter with a social conscience’ and has toured virtually everywhere with his remarkable material.

And he’ll be supported by east Dorset acapella group No Direction (Aah, I see what they did there…) and their rather snug-fitting four-part harmonies.

Tickets, and there are just a few left I gather, are £8 from 07816 832554 or take a chance and pay £10 on the door from 7.30pm.

Next up is an event that’s well worth supporting tomorrow, Saturday March 10, at Dorchester’s Brewery Square.

Sing to Raise is a day-long musical marathon to raise funds for Diverse Abilities, a charity which supports children and adults with disabilities across the county.

There’s a wide range of musical talent to delight tomorrow, kicking off at 11am with Gut and Steel, followed by Dorset for Singing, Dorchester Rock Choir, Gracie Park and Hannah Gough. So please do pop by and dig deep for this worthy and fantastic charity.

And finally, here’s a Get Well Soon to Splinter’s veteran drummer Nigel Paul who was taken a tad poorly this week, which means the popular rock outfit have sadly had to cancel their gig at Finns in Weymouth tomorrow.

There was only one drummer who could have stood in for him at short notice, but sadly Animal out of The Muppets was unavailable.

I hear Nigel has been well looked after in hospital and will hopefully be back in tub-thumping action soon. Best wishes etc.

And The Skones have stepped up to fill the void at Finns tomorrow to play what will be their 100th gig after last week’s show at the Market House Tavern was a victim of the snow.

Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (9)

Jimmy Hillbillies (Finns, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Shaun Marx (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Suited and Booted (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Big Heavy (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Vaughan (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

DnD (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Leggomen (Brewhouse and Kitchen, Dorchester) followed by…

The Leggomen (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

The Undecided (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (9)

Gut and Steel, Dorset for Singing, Rock Choir, Gracie Park, Hannah Gough (Brewery Square, Dorchester) From 11am, in aid of Dorset Abilities

The Skones (Finns, Weymouth)

Dakota (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

The Katz (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Shooter (Market House, Weymouth)

Slipstream (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Glass Spiders (New Star Inn, Portland)

Frank E Finn (Kimberlin Club, Portland)

The Decatonics (Gloucester, Weymouth)

TBC (Park, Weymouth)

Tori Reed Band (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Arron and Karina (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Frank E Finn (Kimberlin Club, Portland)

Skint Imperials (White Hart, Weymouth)

Handle With Care (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Total Madness (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Hot Bacon (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

Stars in the Eyes with Jo Jo (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

The Crack (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Leggomen (Rendezvous, Weymouth) followed by…

The Leggomen (Ayya, Weymouth)

The Surfing Birds (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Skinful (The Knapp, Beaminster)

The Rock Apes (Punchbowl, Portland)

Nite Lite (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

The Riffs (Royal Standard, Upwey, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (11)

Reg Meuross (Osmington Village Hall) 7.30pm

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm and 8pm.

Jim Reynolds (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

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

Darren H (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

Mark Davis (Black Dog, Weymouth) 5-7pm.

The Velvet Doonicans (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

MONDAY (12)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (13)

Gut and Steel (Boot, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper’s Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (14)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

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)

TBA (Finns, Weymouth)

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

The Rock Apes (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Roy Charles (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Leggomen (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Owen Lister (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TBC (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Ship, Wool)

Tweed and Bourbon (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)