Just hang on in there, it’s January 58th but in just a few weeks it’ll soon be over.

It feels like it’s been this bleak and barren month since, ooh, I don’t know, since last year at least but there’s a light shining at the end of the tunnel in the shape of a few live music events that will warm the cockles of your heart and no doubt the mussels too.

It may be a couple of weeks away but fans of ska and rockabilly are polishing up the moonstomping DMs and getting their flat tops and quiffs all spic and span for the visit of Roddy Radiation and the Skabilly Rebels.

Roddy is of course, Roddy Byers who was lead guitarist in with The Specials throughout the Two Tone explosion of the late 70s and early 80s.

While Jerry Dammers claimed most of the songwriting spoils, Roddy was up there too, penning such Specials faves as Rat Race, Concrete Jungle and Hey Little Rich Girl, covered by Amy Winehouse during her flirtation with all things ska.

The Skabillys’ combination of that ska backbeat and shuffle plus the twangy rockabilly guitars is pretty irresistible and a sure-fire dance floor filler and you can bust your moves when they visit the Electric Palace in Bridport on Friday, February 15.

Tickets are £15.50 from the box office on 01308 424901.

Moving on, and the James Taylor Quartet have been one if not THE coolest outfit out there with their Hammond-driven jazz-funk and retro kitsch sounds.

Organ guru James himself has worked with the likes of Tom Jones, The Manics, U2 and many more and his funky keys.

Their renowned re-workings of 60s and 70s TV themes and film scores, such as Blow Up and Starsky and Hutch, are just too funky for words, but you can hear for yourselves, if you’re unfamiliar with them, with a gig at Weymouth Pavilion Ocean Rooms on Saturday February 23.

Tickets are £21 from the box office on 01305 783225.

And finally, is it just me or is there an 80s thing going on at the moment with every other advert on the telly featuring music from the decade that taste forgot (or was that the 70s? Or the 90s? I’m never sure…) Anyways, one of the most popular bands of that era are out on the road and heading this way.

Clare Grogan’s Altered Images had mahoosive hits in the early 80s with tunes such as Happy Birthday, Don’t Talk to me About Love, I Could be Happy and, oh, that other one.

They’ll be playing the Exchange at Sturminster Newton on Saturday, March 23 which is ages away but does give you time to dig out your old ra-ra skirts and legwarmers and backcomb what’s left of your hair while the ladies look for something to wear as well.

Tickets are £21.50 from the box office on 01258 475137.

Till next time…

FRI 25

End of Daze, Jack the Envious, The Disconnect, Barriers, Hollow Horizons (Finns, Weymouth) Tickets £5. £6 on the door from 7.30pm.

Glass Spiders (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Furious Pussies (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Wiggie (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Y&Ys, Brewery Sq, Dorchester)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Banana High (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Dakota (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Hamish Jeffcott (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Leanne (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Darren H (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SAT JAN 26

Waterloo: The Best of ABBA (Weymouth Pavilion)

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

Fluke (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Replay (Moonfleet Bowls Club, Weymouth) SOLD OUT!

Ashley Day (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Rob Davis (Market House, Weymouth)

Steve Nicholas (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Prairie Dogs (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf (Little Ship, Portland)

Ambassadors Big Band (Weymouth Bay Methodist Church) Tickets £8 from 01305 812637. £9 on door from 7.30pm.

The Katz (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

No Country for Old Men (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Revolution (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Hardys Tavern, Dorchester)

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

The Silhouettes (RBL Club, Marnhull)

Moondog (Rock Hotel, Weymouth)

Chill (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester)

Farrago (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

SUN 27

All Souled Out (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 4pm.

Replay (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 2pm.

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

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8.30pm.

Andrew Hurst (Ropemakers, Bridport)

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

Billy and Matt (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

Rob Davis (Gamekeeper, Charminster) 5.30pm

Gut and Steel (Royal Oak, Weymouth) 5-7pm.

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

MONDAY 28

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY 29

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

WEDS 30

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

THURSDAY 31

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 FEB 1

Dave Griff (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Louise Day (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

The George Hall Trio (Tom Browns, Dorchester)