THE Teddy Rocks festival in Blandford has grown and grown since its inception in 2011 to one of the biggest, most popular and must-go-to events in the south.

Last year’s three-day spectacular raised an astounding £76,000 which goes to fighting cancer in children and is a huge achievement by the event’s main man HRH Sir Tom Newton, Lord of Blandford St Mary, who started the whole thing rolling after losing his younger brother Ted to a very rare bone cancer at just ten years old.

So far, the festivals have raised around £167,000 for the Teddy 20 charity, which supports children and their families.

This year’s blast takes place over the early May bank holiday from May 4-6 and headline acts include Feeder, Ash, Mallory Knox, The Magic Numbers and many, many more over four stages.

Now, I know this has probably got you running for your wellies and tents and heading for Charisworth Farm, but hold your horses, as there’s a Teddy Rocks warm-up and fundraiser next Friday, April 20 at Finns in Weymouth.

And four of the bands who will on stage at Teddy Rocks next month will be cranking it all the way up to 11 next Friday with Brighton’s rather fabulous Rocket Dolls headlining.

The riff-rocking trio of guitarist Nikki Smash, drummer Benji Knopfler (yep, Mark’s nipper…) and bassist Joe Constable have been tearing roofs of venues since 2010, are regulars on the metal circuit and are currently touring the UK with their latest release DeadHead.

They’ll be joined at Finns by Laika, Poole’s grungy Emo three-piece who promise alt-rock with small doses of emotional problems, Weymouth’s foremost foursome Tate, who have reformed for the sheer joy of playing at Teddy Rocks, and also our very own one man band, the people’s poet and plumber extraordinaire Edd Bleach.

Tickets are just £3 from uprisingbookings.bigcartel.com with proceeds going to the Teddy Rocks fund.

Moving on, and every time I see a picture of Michael Eavis I think: Blimey, he’s just woken up and put his head on upside down again.

But the Glastonbury supremo clearly knows his music, so when he describes Arcadia Roots as ‘a great little band’, you’re inclined to believe him.

The Worcestershire outfit appeared at last year’s Glastonbury Festival Pilton Party alongside Bastille and Declan McKenna as well as headlining the BBC stage at Lakefest 2017 and are playing at venues throughout the UK this year on their Spread the Word tour.

Their blend of rock, reggae and world music has been hailed as earthy and psychedelic, but then so has my cooking, and they’re down this way with a gig at The Ropemakers in Bridport tomorrow, Saturday, April 14.

Don’t forget, kids, if you want your live music event included in the Echo gig guide, spill your beans all over an email to gigs@dorsetecho.co.uk Till next time…

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (13)

Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion (Finns, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Park, Weymouth)

Kelly Lorraine (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Green Shutters, Portland)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dirtbox (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Little Joe (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Steve Payne Trio (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Karen (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Drive By Jammin’ (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Loose Connections (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Toxic Fish (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Johnny Mac (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Seabass (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (14)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Evershot village Hall)

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

TBC (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Psychedelic Fridge Project (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Lo Numbers (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Chris Woodchuck (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Strings and Reeds (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Tracks Band (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

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

Arcadia Roots (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Danny Adams (Ship, Weymouth)

Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Steve Nicholas (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Fridge (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (15)

Coldplace: Coldplay tribute (Weymouth Pavilion)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dolmen Acoustic (Park, Weymouth) 5pm.

Greg Agar (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Mark Penfold and the RnB All Stars (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester) From 4pm.

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

Strings and Reeds (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

Bandeokea (Golden Lion, Weymouth) 8-10pm.

Danny Adams (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4-6pm.

Danny Adams and Stacey Lou (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 6.30pm

Kipper (Vinny@6, Dorchester) 4-6pm.

Folk, Country and Blues Evening (Old Town Hall, Weymouth) 7pm.

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

MONDAY (16)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (17)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Skint Imperials (Boot, Weymouth)

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

WEDNESDAY (18)

Glass Spiders (Dolphin, Blandford)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (19)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Julie Lewis Jazz Jam (Park, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

SoapBox Night (Belvedere, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (20)

Rocket Dolls, Tate, Laika, Edd Bleach (Finns, Weymouth)

Skimmity Hitchers, Imprints (Corn Exchange, Dorchester)

The Remedy, Owen Lister (Tom Browns, Dorchester) Fundraiser for Dunkirk Refugees.

Matt Black (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Jurassic Black (Park, Weymouth)

Matt Wallis (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Intercity Smugglers (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

The Big Heavy (Nook, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Dakota (Golden Lion, Weymouth)