What to Do; Weekend Roundup for 16th-19th June

Ah, the Ashes, about the only international sporting event where England can get a second place! It’s gonna be another scorcher weekend, folks, so here’s your sunscreen-advised roundup….

Don’t forget, details and links and stuff like that can be found on the only link you need, our event calendar, and be advised this post is NOT comprehensive, more stuff is added all the time, try to keep up. And if you’re way ahead of us and there’s something we missed all you got to do is tell us about it.

Now, I don’t want to get political, let’s leave whether it’s deliberate or coincidence at the door, just to note everyone’s trying to do their thing over the summer months and perhaps it’s no bad thing to have options. Options, people, options, yeah, there’s three “festivals” happening in the market town of Devizes, incredibly. Ongoing Devizes Arts Festival has been going well, and continues over the next week (more on that as we go through.) Meanwhile over at Devizes Sports Club there’s the welcome return of Saddleback. Yes, it’s back, Ruzz Guitar, Jon Amor and plenty of others will be there, with an added “LottieFest,” meaning some seriously top-notch DJs will take you through the night. We’ve previewed this one already, which is HERE.

Now, if anyone can organise a piss-up in a brewery, Wadworth is your safest bet around these parts, and they’ve a free festival ingeniously titled “WadFest” on Saturday from midday, in the brewery tap shop carpark. The Woodland Pizza Kitchen and Wiltshire Hog Roast are serving, and if you join the “Waddies Waddle” as soon as possible, you’ll receive a free t-shirt and entry in the free raffle to win a pair of tickets to an Autumn international rugby game in Cardiff.

Acoustic folk opens the show at midday, with the wonderful Susan Harding. Jamie R Hawkins takes over at 1pm, Vince Bell follows at 2pm, and Ben Borrill at 3. Then Wadworth’s own RockHoppaz are the first band, on at 4pm, The RoughCut Rebels headline from 6pm till an early close at 8. There is not one single act playing this that I wouldn’t thoroughly recommend, and I praise Wadworth’s for their local circuit support on this one.

Ongoing this week….

But whoa there, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Let’s build this weekend up with a drumroll of ongoing stuff. Have you been to Chippenham yet, to check out the Art Heist exhibit of alternative art? I suggest you do, it’s running until 21^st June, review HERE.

For the kids, The Wyvern has an ongoing interactive family Jurassic adventure, Dinosaur World Live runs up till tomorrow, Wednesday, so be quick on this. Also, running Wednesday till Friday, Darkroom Theatre Company are at The Wyvern with a play called Cougar, while there’s a Western Players domestic comedy a comedy by Eric Chappell and directed by Karen Evans at Swindon Arts Centre, called Haywire, running until Saturday.

Wednesday 15th

Wednesday then, and a solo show for Devizes Arts Festival, Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope has toured the UK ever since it was first previewed in Edinburgh in 2014. Quentin surveys a lifetime of degradation and rejection for being flamboyantly gay, from his filthy Chelsea flat, to a transition in NY where Quentin is finally embraced by society. Naked Hope is a glorious, truthful and uplifting celebration of a genuinely unique human being, and of the urgent necessity to be yourself.

On a similar note, well done to Melksham Proud, who raised £1782 with their first Pride in Melksham on Sunday, we didn’t hear about this until late, please keep Devizine in the loop, guys.

Patron of Autistic Inclusive Meets London, professional author and five-star Edinburgh Fringe act, Aida H Dee is at Pound Arts’ The Green Sky Festival in Corsham, reading her own children’s LGBT books.

Thursday 16th

Two Devizes Arts Festival events today, Borealis Saxophone Quartet at St Andrews Church, midday, and The Scummy Mummies Show at the Corn Exchange in the evening; break out the wine, mums, that will go off like a nappy change.

Then, okay, I did tell you about George Ezra, but now, if you want a ticket you’ll have to resort to murder; it is a terrible time to be alive if you’re prone to overthinking and under planning anyway. Courtesy of Sound Knowledge, Marlborough, he plays The Civic, Trowbridge, the only venue big enough around here for him, in a matinee and an evening CD-flogging exercise where you’ll be lucky to be riding shotgun for a mere half-hour set. For an easier evening, join the Playgroup Open Mic sessions at the Bell in Bath.

Friday 17^th

The Yate & Sodbury Scooter Club “Back to Bedrock” Scooter Rally begins, while there’s an alt-country revival with The Homing, part of Devizes Arts Festival, at Devizes Conservative Club on Friday, meanwhile happy anniversary to Debs, landlady at Market Lavington’s Green Dragon, they’ve got People Like Us playing.

Rock covers done in style, with @59 at Marlborough’s Green Dragon, while Mollys Chambers is recommended at The Rose & Crown, Warminster. All Trowbridge eyes on the Pump, where Sheer have Hit Like a Girl, support from I Feel Fine and Start the Sirens. We like Start the Sirens, but if you need a heavy cover instead, Metallica Reloaded at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

A Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde play maybe at Neeld, Chippenham, but for the little children, try Catch That Beast at the Corsham Almshouses; FREE, a magical, deliciously silly show exploring how we interact with wild things. It’s full of offbeat humour, live music, inventive puppetry, and audience participation. Staying in Corsham, Ellie Gowers plays Pound Arts.

Saturday 18^th

Happy anniversary to Trowbridge Museum, they’ve got free cake, music, crafts & demos during the afternoon, when they launch of their summer exhibition. Or stroll through the streets of Chippenham town centre at your leisure and find local art in local venues, yes, Chippenham Art Trail is on Saturday.

If Devizes folk can recall the fantastic Buddy Holly Lives show from a few years back, a tribute to Bruce Hopkins, they’ll be aware of how fantastic Asa Murphy is, and he’s ferrying across the Mersey to return to town, as part of Devizes Arts Festival; expect a night of swing with his The Song-Writing Years at The Corn Exchange. Then there’s our aforementioned Saddleback Music Festival and Wadfest happening Saturday. If you can’t pick or choose, the brilliant Hip Route frontman Jim Blair is at The Southgate.Sharon Lazibird plays the Pump, and the Boot Hill All Stars boot up The Three Horseshoes in Bradford-on-Avon. Papa Shango at The Vic, Swindon, Good Times at The Queen’s Tap.

Whitney Houston tribute I’m Every Whitney at Neeld, Chippenham, and Pound Arts in Corsham continue their Green Sky Festival with a Southampton Ukulele Jam, Corsham Windband, a Silent Disco and comedy from Sarah Smout & Natalie Holmes.

Check this out though, are you ready? Eighties two-tone The Beat play the Cheese & Grain, Frome; Full Stop!

Sunday 19th

Devizes Arts Festival go for a walk, then onto Three Crowns for a free fringe event, Florian Felcitta; what a way to end the weekend.

Tell Tale Twit with Gav Cross at Pound Arts, Connor McLeod plays the Grapes in Bath, but never to be missed, Strange Folk are at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Then it’s Monday, back to work!

There are more Arts Festival events ongoing through the week, An Audience with Adam Frost on Monday, Simon Calder on Tuesday, Darius Brubeck Quartet on Wednesday.

Our “where everyone matters” county council have already been aggressively unaccommodating to the disabled and alternative tourism, arriving at Avebury for Tuesday’s solstice, by blocking every byway and carpark to campervans, and if you’re going to Glastonbury, you need not read on.

Things to book, The World under the Wood starts at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, Thursday, runs until Sunday. Bromham Carnival’s Teddy Bear Trail starts next Saturday, and it is Manton-Fest time in Marlborough, get your tickets for that. Also coming soon, check the posters, always check the posters! And have yourself a great weekend.