THEY say old anarcho-punks never die, they just always smell a bit like that.
And that’s very much the case with Radical Dance Faction who have been a key part, in one form or another, of the anarcho-punk, protest and free festival movement since 1986. Chris Bowsher is the only original member of a band that has seen more line-up changes than Trigger’s broom and have more recently been on the festival circuit with appearances at Bearded Theory, Glastonbury, Boomtown and Rebellion bashes.
Chris and his current band specialise in punk, ska and agit-pop and are getting the battered old ambulance back on the road with a UK tour which heads this way with a gig at the Old Ship in Dorchester next Saturday, November 3.


They’ll be joined by fellow ska-dub crusties Back to the Planet, who formed while squatting together in Peckham in the early Nineties.
Incidentally, ‘squatting together’ is the unauthorised occupation of an otherwise vacant property and not going to the same yoga class, I’m reliably informed.
Also on the bill next Saturday are Culture Shock, fellow veterans of the punk-protest scene from the Eighties.
The event is hosted by Convoy Cabaret and Fuelled By Cider and tickets are flying out the door faster than Swampy nipping down a rabbit hole so get yours for a mere £10 from fuelledbycider.com
Moving on, and you can never have enough dulcimer and dobro guitar in your life, which is handy as UK folk duo Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage are at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester tonight, Friday October 26.
They’ll no doubt be playing tracks from their latest album Awake, which has had the critics purring and stroking their collective beards, with The Guardian hailing it as ‘flawless’ and the R2 Magazine gushing ‘an exquisite soundscape’.


The pair’s Americana sound has earned them swooning comparisons with Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons so they’re well worth checking out tonight.
Tickets are £13 from the box office on 01305 266926.
And staying in a folkie theme, Bristol’s Celtic folksters Faeland are at the Electric Palace in Bridport tomorrow night, Saturday October 27.
They’re currently touring their debut album All My Swim, which has received rave reviews from Uncut and Radio 6.
As the band’s Jacob Morrison explains: “We are named after Failand, a countryside village near us that connects us with the land around our home and our favourite woodland.”
Tickets for tomorrow night are £8 from the box office on 01308 424901 and support comes from John ‘The Woodlouse’ Butler, who sings songs about zombies and moustaches. He’s from Bridport apparently…
Till next time…

TONIGHT (26)
Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage (Dorchester Arts centre)
TBC (Finns, Weymouth)
Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Y&Ys, Brewery Sq, Dorchester)
Elvis 56 (Spice Ship, Weymouth)
Rockin’ Ronnie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)
Liam Holland and the Truthseekers (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)
Elijah Wolf (Gloucester, Weymouth)
Shooter (Bulls Head, Fordington, Dorchester)
Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)
Mojo (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)
Bad Intention (Golden Lion, Weymouth)
The Shakespearos (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)
The Silhouettes (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)
Electric Shakes (Ropemakers, Bridport)
Sheryl Lee (RAFA Club, Weymouth) 2.30-6pm.
Martin Freed (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)
Strings and Reeds (Black Dog, Weymouth)
Matt Black (George, Portland)
Gut and Steel (Swan, Stalbridge)
TOMORROW (27)
Faeland, John Butler (Electric Palace, Bridport)
Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)
The Crack (Sailors Return, Weymouth)
Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
V8 Hearts (Hardy’s Tavern, Dorchester)
Replay (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)
Regulation 9 (Market House Tavern, Weymouth)
The Decatonics (Gloucester, Weymouth)
Steve Nicholas (Conservative Club, Weymouth)
Ironed Maiden (Park, Weymouth)
4 Go Mad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)
Speedway Snails (Golden Lion, Weymouth)
Rob Davis (Boot, Weymouth)
Best Kept Secrets (Centenary Club, Weymouth)
Speedway Snails (Golden Lion, Weymouth)
Rob Davis (Boot, Weymouth)
Surfing Birds (Belvedere, Weymouth)
Davy Malone and the Longtails (Ropemakers, Bridport)
Karen (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)
Total Madness (Black Dog, Weymouth)
James Baker (Sly Fox, Osmington, Weymouth)
Retro (Centenary Club, Weymouth)
Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)
Monkey Jump (George, Portland)
Mark Davis (Kings Arms, Weymouth) 8-10pm
SUNDAY (28)
Max Plays (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)
Replay (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 2pm.
Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm
Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8pm
Lo Numbers (Park, Weymouth) 3pm.
Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth) From 3pm.
Chris Webb (Ropemakers, Bridport)
Scots Dan’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)
Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.
Andy Grant (Vinny@6, Dorchester) 4pm.
Rat Pack (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)
Monkey Jump (White Hart, Yetminster) 4pm.
Bandeoke (Golden Lion, Weymouth) Hosted by the Speedway Snails.
Dakota (Hope and Anchor, Bridport) 4.30-7pm
MONDAY (29)
Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)
TUESDAY (30)
Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Martin Freed’s Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)
WEDNESDAY (31)
Show of Hands (Electric Palace, Bridport)
Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.
Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)
Karen (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)
THURSDAY (1)
Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)
Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)
Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.
FRIDAY (2)
Boot Led Zeppelin (Weymouth Pavilion)
Cloudbusting: 40 Years of Kate Bush (Dorchester Arts Centre)
Fluke (Finns, Weymouth)
4 Go Mad (Golden Lion, Weymouth)
Paul Henshore (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)
Dave Griff’s Open Mic (Gloucester, Weymouth)
Streetlife (Gloucester, Weymouth)
Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)
The Silhouettes (Centenary Club, Weymouth) Weldmar fundraiser.
Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)
Vanilla Radio (Ropemakers, Bridport)
Tripod (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)
The Catz (Fat Badger, Weymouth)