Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 3rd-10th August 2022

Bit cloudy, still hot, what have we got, for the coming week, quite a lot! Welcome to August one and all, nights slowly closing in, apples taking an early dive off trees, make the most of summer, though there’s no links, you can find more details and ticket links on our event calendar, plus of course you can skip ahead, early bird and all that; you know how it works by now!

Schools out, but there’s another art session, or play days at the Cause, Chippenham on Wednesday 3^rd. Meanwhile Devizes kids can build their own bird box at Hillworth Park; costs £7.50 but lunch is included at the Café. Older Devizes artists need join The Lawrence Society of Art, who are at Marden, thatching harvest and stooks.

Thursday 4^th and there’s a talk at Chippenham Museum on Robin Tanner & the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Three emerging local indie bands play the Vic in Swindon, Thursday, Kayble, which features Ben Kay, formally of Kaleido Bay, I See Orange and PX.Music; free entry.

And the Outcider Festival 2022 kicks off near Mendip. Still a few tickets, be quick, Dreadnought headline this awesome festie which promotes itself with the slogan “no tribute bands. No X-Factor. No Carling lager. No tossers!” Love it!

Closer to home Purton’s Festival on the Farm begins the next day, Friday 5^th, with Queen tribute Flash headlining, other acts include a generous handful of local acts; Shades of Seattle, Rude Mood, Sebastian and Me, Rave Against the Regime, Get Carter, Groove Club Collective, Blind Lemon Experience. Tickets still up for grabs, an adult weekender is £50.

Meanwhile, Swindon legends, Penfold appear at The Vic, and here’s an artist on my must see hitlist, appearing at the Pump in Trowbridge, Lille Rode, also on Friday.

Marlborough College Summer School presents The Rocket Man: A Tribute to Sir Elton John, and over the Wellington Arms find popular folk acoustic duo, Bodge it and Scarper.

There’s Beatroot Jazz at The Bear, Bradford-on-Avon, and contemporary blues guitarist Aynsley Lister at Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Saturday 6^th August then, there’s tours of Trowbridge Town Hall, and Braeside House, Devizes have a Summer Fair and Family Open Day. And don’t forget I mentioned earlier this week, if you were paying attention! Bromham’s fundraising Family Fun Fete, see here for details.

Salisbury’s, highly recommended by us, Strange Folk return to The Southgate Devizes, while the wonderful People Like Us go up against Smooth at the wonderful Crown in Bishop’s Cannings; just a whole lotta wonderful in that village at the moment!

Editors Pick of the Week!

Best of luck to Marlborough Town Football Club, holding their inaugural festival, Elcot Festival on Saturday, FREE ENTRY, with a great line-up, so good, so free, I’m making it my pick of week, an honour only bestowed to the best!!

Party parody band Kova Me Bad headline, with Marlborough’s finest ironic metallers, Pants. Ska-punkers Slagerij, and punk-indie The Vooz, alt-rock with Meeking, and Navajo Dogs, and Young Vintage. What’s surprising is to see The Dirty Smooth at bottom of the listing, maybe they’re unaware of what a brilliant Malmsbury band they’ve booked, yet, truth be told, there’s some great acts there.

The Barge at HoneyStreet pay homage to popular boater Beatrice, and they’ve Dub The Earth, Drop The Gun and True Earthers.

There’s a “supersonic Saturday” at the Neeld in Chippenham with The Britpop Boys, while the Consti Club clash a little with a Blondie tribute, Call me Blondie.

The Pump in Trowbridge is unusually open Saturday, with Steve Wickham of The Waterboys, and support from Joe Chester, and there’s local grunge at Stallards with The Black Hole Sons.

Spoiled for choice, Swindon, with a female-fronted ska, mod, new wave covers band Reboot at the Queen’s Tap, highly recommended The Worried Men play The Rolleston Arms, and here’s something which sound interesting; Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute Painted Bird at The Vic.

Devizes Fantasy Radio start their first annual Lark in the Park on Sunday 7^th, ongoing for the next three Sundays, free music starts 2pm. A great picnicy afternoon in Devizes, but I do wish Fantasy would tell all about who they’ve booked; it’s pot luck I’m afraid. If you wish to promote and support local live music, you would surely announce the performers so people can earmark them in the future. Sigh, maybe it’s just me on a bad hair day, but I have to question, are the bands even getting paid for this?!

Nevertheless, you can be sure of one thing, the first Sunday of the month will never be the same again. Those who know, know; get down the Southgate at 5pm, for it’s the Jon Amor residency, and he’s bringing Muddy Manninen as guest. This is NOT a recommendation; this is a direct order!!

And that’s your weekend wrapped up, have a good one. In the week you can find some piano concerto with the Graham Dent Trio at il Fiume, Italian restaurant in Bradford-on-Avon on Tuesday 9^th, and the following weekend starts early if you’re off Boomtown on Wednesday. But our list is never stagnant, constantly updating, so please check in regularly.

The coming month is packed, the big events to plan ahead for are Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Friday 12^th, Swindon Pride, Unlock Reset Festival at Chippenham’s Consti Club, and Seend Fete on 13^th. Bath Comic & Gaming Festival on 20^th, and the start of the new season for the Long Street Blues Club, Honey Fest at the Barge from Thursday 25^th, and bank holiday treats such as GoatFest, Reading Festival and of course, our very own Fulltone Music Festival 2022, Great Cheverall Soap Box Derby, Potterne Festival, Chippenham River Festival, and great mini-fests at Calne’s Talbot, and Bradford-on-Avon’s The Lamb. Top up your sunscreen!