Local Happenings for October 2021

Unlike the enviably of the weather, events don’t seem to be cooling down this fall. There’s lots of great things happening over the month of October, find something local, and save fighting for petrol, so much going on around and about, remember to keep checking Devizine’s event calendar, as it’s constantly updating, but here’s some highlights. 

The month kicks off on a Friday, when Humdinger play The Barge Inn, Honey Street for a Woodborough Primary School Fundraiser. It’ll be an evening of Irish folk down Devizes’ Southgate, where The Celtic Roots Collective will be, and Saints of Sin play Swindon’s Vic.

Saturday 2^nd, our superheroine Carmela Chillery-Watson’s mum, Lucy has written a children’s book staring her daughter and pet dog Tinker, with all proceeds going to Muscular Dystrophy UK. They’ll be signing at Devizes Books from 10:30am. Carmela is making a big splash in the celeb world, winning awards, TV appearances and meeting royalty and of course, David Beckham too! We can all be inspired by her zest, fundraise towards muscular dystrophy, and have fun too, I will talk more about this when a bit further down, when we get to the appropriate, exciting weekend.  

October at The Post-Modern Gallery, on Swindon’s Theatre Square, sees an irresistible exhibition for punks, general music or art aficionados, and devotees of the curious and unusual, The Great Rock N Roll Swindon. Running from the 2nd – 10^th.

Meanwhile, at The Wharf Theatre, James Hurn brings to life three classic epis, odes from the much-loved radio series, The Navy Lark, which ran for 1959-1977 which originally featured Leslie Phillips, Dennis Price, Ronnie Barker and Jon Pertwee.

Devizes Long Street Blues Club have Jimmy Carpenter, Half Way House play Seend Community Centre. Catfish Creek with support from Finley Trusler & Mark Jones play the Coate Mini Music Festival at The New Inn, Coate, and Tool Shed play Swindon’s Vic.

And if that’s not enough for one weekend, Jon Amor plays with King Street Turnaround at the Bell in Bath from 1pm, promising to make it home to the Southgate by 5pm on Sunday 3^rd.

The second week in is Marlborough Mop Fair, starting Friday 8^th, and again the following weekend, as is the tradition. The Lonely Road Band & Hamsters from Hell are live at The Vic on the Friday. Saturday 9^th sees Retrospective Vol 2 @ MECA, an old skool RnB night with Mr M at the Exchange in Devizes, staying there I’d thoroughly recommend Strange Folk at The Southgate, and tickets are already flying off the shelf for the first Devizes Scooter Club night at the Cons Club with The Killertones.

Around and about, got to recommend the wonderful indie-popper, Longcoats, with a free gig at Bath’s Devonshire Arms, on the Saturday, and Led in Zeppelin at Swindon’s Vic, which I think explains itself! Yet, while we’re on the fabulous Vic, the brilliant dub project of Erin Bardwell, Subject A will be live, with DJs in support on Sunday 10^th, and this will be amazing.

During the week, find The Waterboys playing Swindon’s MECA on Wednesday 13^th, and a welcomed return of Marlborough Folk Roots club, who have While and Matthews. Thursday 14^th sees the Sultans of Swingers at The Dumb Post in Bremhill.

Another Marlborough Mop Fair weekend upon us, Friday 15^th is a lot about Sheer Music, who present Jon Gomm at Emmanuel’s Yard, Trowbridge with support from the lovely Lost Trades. Ian Rayney is at Seend Community Centre, An Evening with Froch & Groves at MECA, and Abstraction Engine with Lunatics Lost are live at The Vic, Swindon.

Saturday 16^th is filled with wonderful choice, The Full Tone Orchestra give a classical fireworks concert at Marlborough College, there’s Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show at The Wharf Devizes, and Asa Murphy returns to the Corn Exchange with a variety show including comedian Lennie Anderson and singer Sandy Collins.

General silliness abounds, and in a hip-hop style, at The Old Road Tavern in Chippenham, where local comedy musicians The Real Cheesemakers go head-to-head with Brighton’s chap-hop star Professor Elemental, hosted by Chippenham’s own Edinburgh Fringe favourite, Will Hodgson; this will be a great crack.

Sheer Music Presents moves over to Swindon, to present outrageous punker girl band, Salem at the Vic.

But I will be in the Sham for sure, where the all-female supergroup, Female of the Species give their annual, unmissable fundraising gig. Something of a local legend this event, receiving a community Civic Award and raising so much money, having a great laugh with a seriously awesome line-up of singers from a plethora of local bands, and this year, as I hinted at prior, is raising money for another hero friend of mine, Carmela Chillery-Watson.

Swindon’s MECA has Raver Tots on Sunday 17^th, where you take your child raving! But for want of a quieter event, there’s an illustrated talk by Tim Craven at Marlborough Town Hall about cartoonist Norman Thelwell on Wednesday.

Saturday 23^rd, then, three band extravaganza Bradford-on-Avon’s Three Horseshoes with Pussycat, The Dirty Johnson’s and Kiss me, Killer. The Civic in Trowbridge have Mercury, the Queen Tribute but overall, all seems much quieter than last weekend. Of course, gigs will come flooding in soon I’m sure, so check into our event calendar for updates. You can be sure of those dependable venues, such as The Southgate, The Vic, Horseshoes, Pound Arts and Trowbridge Town Hall will be adding events as we go along, or maybe I’ve got some serious updating to do!

Monday 25^th sees the opening of Glorious! The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes which runs until 30th October. Friday 29^th From The Jam play MECA, and White Horse Opera are back in full force with A Night at The Ops at Devizes Town Hall.

Saturday 30^th sees Devizes Lions Autumn Fair at the Corn Exchange. Billy Bremner’s Rockfile at the Long Street Blues Club, and being Halloween, there’s sure to be some spooky parties going on, try the Three Horseshoes in Bradford-on-Avon, where Strange Folk offer a Halloween Extravaganza, or Swindon’s Swiss Chalet which has Train to Skaville, The DayBreakers and The Hip Replacements.

Have a great Octoberfest, don’t let the bastards grind you down, if you need fuel, just post on your local Facebook group that some other nearby petrol station has fuel, and your path to the pump will be free! Oh, last Sunday of the month, check below, Devizes Town Band at the Corn Exchange, so much to do, it never stops!

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