Month: Aug 2025

Still Alice at The Wharf Theatre Raises Dementia Awareness

Valedictorian graduate of Bates College in Maine, and with a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, neuroscientist Lisa Genova self-published her debut novel, Still Alice in 2007. Acquired for publishing two years later, Still Alice made The New York Times Best Seller list, was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company, and spurred a 2014 movie by Memento Films, winning Julianne Moore an Academy Award. Under the direction of John Winterton, The Wharf Theatre brings this poignant play to Devizesโ€ฆโ€ฆ

It’s lovely to be back at Devizesโ€™ cosy and communal theatre. Ian assigned himself our theatre critic and while his brilliant inside knowledge is gratefully appreciated, I figured I fancy this one, as I have a personal angle on the plot. Alzheimerโ€™s Society suggests โ€œevery 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia,โ€ therefore I imagine many others will find relevance in it too, and if not, might one day.

We found it amusing at the beginning, my Nan in Dad’s car still wearing her slippers for a party, and other trivial mishaps. But the last time I saw her I was saddened to note she didn’t remember me, as she spoke to me of her โ€œhusband,โ€ rather than address him as โ€œgrandad.โ€ My children were young and understandably apprehensive about going into the care home. But when they plucked up courage my boy stood before her and she was delighted to be face-to-face with who she assumed was me. Here was the relieving point; I realised she hadn’t forgotten me, she just didn’t recognise me because thirty-plus years was missing from her memory; thank you genetics!

The journey between these two points in time was arduous for her and our family. For her it went from confusion to frustration and onto an immune state of obviousness. Lisa Genova wrote Still Alice in first person narrative from the point of view of Alice, a university professor at the height of her career who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimerโ€™s disease; it mirrors what we went through, and sheds a fascinating light onto what my Nan must’ve gone through too.

The play honours the narrative perspective by an ingenious method of a personification of Alice’s psyche. With a dual-Alice on stage, the real Alice, played sublimely by Linda Swann, says what she believes she should say, while her conscious shadowing her, equally delivered with skill by a younger version of Alice, Sophie Kerr, offers the audience an insight into what she is thinking. Just as I suggested, with the lost time of my Nanโ€™s mind, Alice perceives herself as being younger, so this age gap works as her sense of reason, until reason runs short in her mind and her consciousness is reduced to the childlike drawing of pictures.

There are many elements to the happenings in the play which anyone who has experienced a loved one going through Alzheimerโ€™s or dementia will recognise, and tears might trickle. There’s periods of thought-provoking awkward silence, intense confrontation at others, when the confusion turns to frustration. There’s poignant reality and touching scenes as the family come to terms with Alice’s deteriorating mind. There’s thought processes from Alice exposed, causing you to identify with her greater than that of her family; a window into the mindset of anyone suffering with this terrible condition.

Overall, akin to a film like Schindler’s List, this is a play you might not want to face, oh, but you must, and you should. 

Still Alice is evoking brilliance, you will leave impelled to discuss the subject further. It raises awareness of this horrifying condition and doesnโ€™t meander from this for any purposes of entertainment. On the impaired particularly, the sentiment is pragmatic, but also in her relationship with her family and their emotions, all poignantly represented and acted with believable precision by John Myles, as the calm under pressure husband, Adam Sturges as the solicitude son, and Kezia Richards as the estranged daughter.

Still Alice raises awareness about Alzheimerโ€™s or dementia in a similar way as Barry Levinsonโ€™s Rain Man raised awareness of autism, but only if we could have seen into the mind of Raymond would it be any more comparable. Thatโ€™s the beauty of theatre, this is a play with the power to change you.ย 

Still Alice runs at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes from September 1st until September 6th 2025, Tickets HERE or at Devizes Books.

World Alzheimerโ€™s Day is Sunday 21st September. You can find more information about local dementia groups at Alzheimerโ€™s Support, and sign up for their Walk to Remember at Wilton House, HERE.

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Delaying the Inevitable with Lou Trigg

Wowzers, it was four years ago since we last mentioned local singer-songwriter and musician Lou Trigg, when we reviewed her single to come out ofโ€ฆ

How High’s The Crammer, Mamma?

A month since the UK came to terms with the consequences of drought, understood the significance of a raindance and why Johnny Cash asked โ€œhowโ€ฆ

How Much is Too Much? Vandals Deface Alton Barnes White Horse

It had to happen eventually, but how much is too much? It seems, at over 200 years old, the second biggest and one of Wiltshireโ€™s most iconic white horses, The Alton Barnes White Horse has been defaced with the St. George’s Crossโ€ฆ.

As the clouds cleared this morning, All Cannings parish clerk noticedย  something different about the hill figure of Milk Hill. It seems it’s unfortunately been a victim of the patriotic media-hyped frenzy of painting the St George’s Cross on any white surface.

Photoshopped images of the cross painted onto the Westbury White Horse appeared on social media at the beginningof this fad, only to be quickly denounced as fake by residents. But, as far as we know at this time, this one is sadly genuine.

The Patriots wanted to fly the flag, and no one minded, most supported the idea despite unveiled evidence many had done so to deliberately upset foreign visitors and immigrants. The irony here being, the only folk this will upset will be locals.

That backfiring,ย  they then took to painting the cross on roundabouts, zebra crossings, and signposts. This aggravated some, calling it vandalism and pointing out the costs to councils to repaint them and possible dangers they might cause. Now, it seems gravestones and other sentimental objects are being targeted as this frenzy competitively builds into mayhem.

But to deface our treasured monuments is surely a step too far, and far from patriotic, don’t you think? If you genuinely love “Englamp” you would surely respect its history and monuments.

Time to crawl back into your cages and declaw. Rainfall washed their pathetic stunt away, so the last laugh is on the culprits!

Recommendations for when Swindon gets Shuffling

Swindon’s annual colossal fundraising event The Shuffle is a testament to local live music, which raises funds for Prospect Hospice. If you’re ever going to spend a weekend in Swindon, believe me, the 11th-14th September is the oneโ€ฆ..

An entirely free stroller festival centred in Old Town; saunter the eight venues at your leisure and discover a wealth of talent, mostly ฤบocally sourced. Pop some cash in the buckets and help raise some funds as Old Town comes alive with the sound of music!

As usual I’m going to be the judge and jury for this piece, and recommend those who I personally know who will deliver great sets to amaze you. But in no way is it an exhaustive list, for there will be many others and sometimes you have to put your little toe into the waters and find acts unbeknown to you, for the surprise element; an event of exploration! Whatever you do discover you can rest assured, every act is cherrypicked by the Shuffle Team, of Ed Dyer, a promoter who knows his stuff, Jamie Hill of Swindon Link, Kelly Adams, Paul โ€˜Pajโ€™ Jellings, Avril Jellings, Linda Gulliford, and Paul Gemmill, all equally as aware of what makes Wiltshire rock.

Thereโ€™s a printed program, online too; I’m working off that. Given the fantasy scenario of having the whole weekend to attend and choose between the huge lineup, hereโ€™s how I would tackle the mammoth task of maximising my experience…….

Without further ado, then, Thursday 11th of September belongs to The Tuppenny on Devizes Road, and the Hop, literally a hop across the road. A clash already, 7:15 at the Hop, Bathโ€™s spacey indie outfit Aqaba kick off proceedings, while Swindon soul singer Chloe Hepburn is at the Tuppenny at half past; tricky disco to begin, but Chloe has been on my must-see list for a while!

8pm at the Hop, Sebastain and Me is a deffo, but youโ€™ve only a quarter of an hour to drink up and catch the amazing Joli Soul at the Tuppenny. Again, I would be wearing out the traffic lights or flipping a coin. Iโ€™m unaware of all the headliners from there at both fantastic venues, yet the Tuppeny seems more funky soul and jazz while the Hop is indie, so it would be whether I packed my jazz hat or not!

Friday 12th September again is at The Hop, The Vic aptly on Victoria Road, and the Castle on Prospect Hill. Easy picking to begin with, itโ€™s our favourite Marlboroughโ€™s goth duo Deadlight Dance, on at 7:15 at the Castle.

In fact, Iโ€™d feel inclined to stay at the Castle unless Iโ€™m feeling like Dora the Explorer (which is surprisingly common for me!) as after a new one on me, Loophole, the amazing mod/new wave/britop cover band, whoโ€™ve just begun recording originals, Static Moves is on at 8:45, followed by Black Hats, new to me but promising something skanking, and SN Dubstation, who as the name suggest is Swindonโ€™s premier contemporary reggae export. The Hop is mostly folk on Friday, the Vic is indie-punk-rock and the Castle is alternative and reggae. If I was to fancy venturing off to The Vic, it would be at 10pm for Viduals, an emerging indie rock band who play it hard!

Saturday 13th then, when reality checks in, for this is the only day Iโ€™m likely to be able to make it up to Swindon for realz! You can get a bus from Devizes, you know, they run late now!

All guns blazing, The Tuppenny and the Pulpit rule the daytime, from 2pm until dinnertime, and The Hop, The Castle and the Beehive on Prospect Hill take the evening shift.

The great Jim Blair starts at the Pulpit, a new venue to me, but hey, Chippenham singer-songwriter Harmony Asia plays at 3:15 and thatโ€™s simply unmissable in my honest opinion. Oh but oh, Iโ€™ve heard so much good stuff about Swindonโ€™s pop star Kate X, who is on at The Tuppenny at 3:30, and seriously recommend her too!

Shedric and David Corringan at the Pulpit are two Iโ€™d love to see, and Swindonโ€™s answer to Dylan, the incredible Jol Rose is a must-see at 5:30, but dammit, at the Tuppenny has Emma Doupe at 5pm, followed by the freshest indie-pop fellow I simply must touch base with, Weather at 5:45pm. Ed Dyer, what are you putting me through here, or has Swindon got free cloning booths on every street corner now? Weโ€™re a little behind the times in Devizes!!

Saturday evening, and right, and Iโ€™ve made my mind up about how to attack this, though itโ€™s always subject to change. Bit of cheese, sir? At the Castle from 7:15 with Calneโ€™s comedy rock band The Real Cheesemakers is tempting, Gromit, but thereโ€™s a young Melksham band called Between the Lines on at 7pm at The Hop. I cannot lie, these winners of Take the Stage I wanted to play the Music Awards, for while they weren’t nominated, they should have been and I wanted folk to know why. Iโ€™m heading that way and will report on my findings, hopefully bring them to Devizes by hook or by crook!

The Hop continues with lots worth exploring, Iโ€™ve heard particularly good electronica things about The Crystal Wolf Project, there at 9:15, and Iโ€™ve seen headliners Trunk who will ram the place with devoted fans. But look, The Beehive might be my final Saturday resting place. Dulcet Tones at 8pm, then Bristolโ€™s Hannah-Rose Platt; look, just read my album review HERE and youโ€™ll understand this is without doubt a must. And, double-whammy, she is preceded by one of my all time favourite Swindon bands ever, the dark twisted country of Concrete Prairie. Always a must, especially at the Beehive at 9:30pm; save me a quarter of an inch to squeeze into, somewhere near the Tardis.

After that Iโ€™m anyoneโ€™s cheap date! Maybe Iโ€™d check out the Castle, as itโ€™s downhill and looking like hard rock underfoot with Lucky Number Seven coming the most personally recommended, at 9:30pm and followed by Modern Evils.

Then thereโ€™s Sunday 14th September, doesnโ€™t Swindon Shuffle know when to stop?! Wowzers it gets better; The Pulpit, Tuppenny and Beehive are up for your attention. Daytime, 1pm at the Tuppeny for Plummie Racket, stay there for Sienna Wileman and youโ€™ll be glad you did. But pop across to the Pulpit for 2:15 where Devizes is represented by our most excellent blues crooner and kazoo blasting JP Oldfield. I love this guy; Devizes man-hug!

Itโ€™s a Chippenham takeover from then at The Pulpit, Mexican Dave Iโ€™d recommend at 3pm, but M3G is a must and one of my personal favourite singer-songwriters on the local scene right now. Just prior to M3G though, be very tempted to nip back to the Tuppenny at 3:15 when Richard Wileman and Amy Fry do their thing, and thatโ€™s worth its weight in gold. 

Across to the Beehive for the finale to what looks like another unforgettable Shuffle, 6pm, Canuteโ€™s Plastic Army is unmissable, and so too is Joe Kelly & the Royal Pharmacy at 7:30pm.

No forgoing the fringe events, a Shuffle quiz night at the Beehive on Wednesday 10th, the Shuffle Community Ceilidh with The Cowshed Ceilidh Collective Saturday night at Eastcott Community Centre from 7pm, and open vinyl DJ sessions at The Prospect Hospice Book & Music Shop on Victoria Road, each day midday till 4pm.

Then, youโ€™ve only got to wait until the end of January for the Shuffleโ€™s winter version Swinterfest! Swindon Shuffle is a whoโ€™s who of local music, a convention and an institution, a fundraiser like no other, and you wonโ€™t even have to navigate the Magic Roundabout, pinky promise!

Info about Swindon Shuffle and full line-up HERE

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Flora Fiora Kicking the Tyres

Chedworth, Gloucestershire; proud village soloist, songwriter and model Flora Fiora is kicking the tyres and smashing windows in with a new single, and itโ€™s aboutโ€ฆ

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The Next Season at Devizesโ€™ Long Street Blues Club

The lawn is still frazzled but the apples and leaves are falling; the weather might not know what season itโ€™s supposed to be running, but all is not lost as we look at what Devizes blues appreciation society, Long Street Blues Club has to entertain us throughout the next season, or threeโ€ฆ.

Their season doesnโ€™t end until January, actually making it more like half a year, and weโ€™ll find John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett on stage, kicking off the summer season in June, but thereโ€™s a lot to get through heading up to that, gigs and a number of specials.

Jon Amor & Friends

Firing on all cylinders for a grand start, doors crash open on Saturday 20th September 2025 when Leonardo Guiliani supports homegrown Hoax member Jon Amor at the Conservative Club. A local legend who needs no introduction to Devizes blues aficionados. You can rest assured Jon will be bringing his trio, drum and bass comrades Jerry Soffe and Tom Gilkes, and an abundance of special guests cherrypicked from his vast circle of legendary friends, including John Baggott, pianist for Portishead and Robert Plant, organist Johnny Henderson, Scott McKeon guitarist for Tom Jones, guitarist Will Edmunds, and Craig Crofton on sax.

What a way to begin, but predictably popular, so early booking is advised. Advance Tickets are ยฃ18.00 from usual outlets or book online (online booking fee applies) Tickets ยฃ20.00 on the door. The deal is the same for all Long Street Blues gigs at the Conservative Club, unless otherwise stated.

October sees three entirely different gigs. On Saturday the 4th The Dirt Road Band returns, by overwhelming popular demand. The brainchild of guitar legend Steve Walwyn, mainly known as the longest serving guitar player in Dr Feelgood, The Dirt Road Band recruited the services of Ted Duggan, a professional since the 60s, including stints with Badfinger and world techno giants Banco de Gaia, and bassist Horace Panter, better known as a founding member of The Specials.ย 

Saturday 18th October Ben Poole is back. A young act to watch, Ben Poole and his band return to the club after a sensational night in April. Jeff Beck called them โ€œf***ing amazing,โ€ need we say more?!

Rock & Roll Circus

Observing all health and safety regulations, on Friday 31st October Long Street Blues Club members march girl-boy, girl-boy across to the Corn Exchange for a special trip back to the sixties. Unusual to see tribute acts organised by the club, so while it might be a wildcard, itโ€™s not to be trifled at, because a Rock & Roll Circus is promised; the gig that never happened!ย 

The very best tributes to three British rock giants, The Who, The Beatles and The Stones, namely Who’s Next, The Beatles For Sale and The Rollin Stoned, will surely wriggle you down memory lane!ย 

With the aid of authentic stage wear and instruments, Whoโ€™s Next recreates a magical point in time in the early 1970s when many believed that The Who were the greatest pop and rock group on Earth. Similarly The Beatles For Sale pride themselves on replicating the Fab 4’s onstage image, sparing no expense with their equipment and outfits, with the ultimate intention to recreate the magic of the Beatles in their sixties heyday.

The Rollin Stoned have toured their affectionate tribute to The Rolling Stones for over 27 years, sharing billing with the likes of Dr John, Status Quo, Suzie Quatro and Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Advance Tickets are ยฃ30.00 for this great night out, from usual outlets or book online (online booking fee applies) Tickets ยฃ35.00 on the door.

Into November, no hanging about, as Last Train Smokin’ pulls into the station to support The Ian Parker Band on Saturday 1st November 2025. Another returning favourite.ย 

Aberdeen’s finest are back on Saturday 22nd November, The Gerry Jablonski Band with support from Firekind.ย 

Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse

Then, an early Christmas present. Yes, itโ€™s a California-Devizes crossover, with favourites Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse at The Corn Exchange on Friday 5th December. Hoax member Robin Davey returns to his hometown with Louisiana born and bred, award-winning vocalist Greta Valenti and their band, and itโ€™s something to behold. I strongly suggest you get in quickly with this one if you wish to start winter in style.

Advance Tickets are ยฃ25.00 from usual outlets or book online (online booking fee applies) Tickets ยฃ28.00 on the door.

If that doesnโ€™t warm your winter cockles nothing will, but their Christmas party is actually on Saturday 20th December 2025 when the โ€œperfect band for our Xmas partyโ€ Dino Baptiste & Night Train appear. A highly energetic London soul and boogie-woogie pianist, Dino Baptiste has a smattering of Ray Charles, and will get the club jumping.

And into the new year we find Oregon harmonica player Curtis Salgado, the man who taught John Belushi the blues while on set at the filming of 1977โ€™s Animal House, team up with European multi award-winning blues harmonica virtuoso Giles Robson.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest blues and soul singers to have emerged in the last fifty years, Curtis Salgado is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Long Street Blues is one of only three dates he is playing.

Thatโ€™s Saturday 17th January 2026; work off some Quality Street, because the next gig isnโ€™t until Monday 8th June, with John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett on stage. Yet one thing is for sure, Long Street Blues Club are quenching the thirst for blues in Devizes folk, and they usually have a big appetite for it!!

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Black Rat Monday at The British Lion; Not Just For Lions and Rats!

There was a geographical population imbalance this bank holiday Monday in Devizes which risked the entire town conically sloping into the back of Morrisons; no one seemed the slightest concerned! It’s Black Rat Monday at The British Lion, the stuff of Dorothy House fundraising burgers, potent beverages and contemporary folkloreโ€ฆ.

Recorded here for prosperity, as itโ€™s dubious that other accounts of the event would be recited with much precision when passed through the generations, that once upon a time in ye olde Devizes, natives satirically dubbed their annual street festival โ€˜Black Rat Monday.โ€™

The name derived from a scrumpy brand popular at a bar run by CAMRA award-winning and stalwart Devizes freehouse, The British Lion. Contractual matters one year caused a breakup between the carnival committee and the pub. Being โ€˜Black Rat Mondayโ€™ was a folk eponym, ergo in the public domain, and the committee likely never appreciated it anyway, The British Lion adopted the name for an occasion of their own making, and the rest is history.

It’s a fable of self-reliance, apolitical empowerment, and mass consumption of scrumpy, though other drink options are available! Leading to a meek event of anti-consumerism, save the Black Rat Monday t-shirt and drink, community-driven subversion, and a crowded beer garden full of merriment, whilst it would seem the elaborate original festival has fallen by the wayside due to arts funding cuts.

This particular year saw the event blossom to bursting point, attracting townsfolk en masse, under the simple premise, it’s now as much of a โ€œDevizes thingโ€ as raking barrels of contraband brandy out of the Crammer or annually lobbing confetti at each other in a peculiar frenzy.

Reasoning why roots to the pub itself, because while other taverns change according to trends, else end up as antique shops or housing estates, the simplest of systematics of The British Lion stand firm, equable and imperishable. And Devizions love โ€˜gurtโ€™ tradition. If it’s not brokenโ€ฆ..

But what helps, and always does, is acquiring the most suitable entertainment; usually locally sourced, not this time, but equally as welcomed. Long-standing and living legend landlord Mike Dearing revealed his heuristic thinking was to provide an act weโ€™ve likely not seen before on our circuit.

For the universal audience the conventional is best, therefore, primarily a function party band, Bristol’s The 789s made a perfect choice. They were lively, proficient, exceptionally accomplished and seemingly pleased to be there. With a vast repertoire spanning every corner of classic singalong pop, they joyfully delivered them all, for sweaty hours, and until Sweet Caroline finalised the cumulation, by which time the crowds were chanting it back to them and dancing on whatever small patch of sun-bleached grass they could suitably fit into.

A punk cover band planned to follow, which duty-bound as Dad’s taxi, I had to miss unfortunately. But The 789โ€™s had roused the audience to a conclusion that there was little doubt anyone could now falter this year’s Black Rat Monday; I’d go out on a limb to suggest it was the best one to date.

There was Parklife, there was Red, Red, Wine, The Proclaimersโ€™ marching song, I’m Gonna Be, and every crowd-pleaser sublimely covered by both male and female vocalists, but only one of them sporting butterfly sunglasses. I don’t want to get all decimal on you after such a strenuous scrumpy surfeit, but The 789’s truly turned it up to ten, at least. For which they were rewarded a gallant cheer of Devizes-fashioned appreciation as they sauntered through the crowds back to the pub, akin to newlywed couple they had undoubtedly performed for many times before!

This respectful display of gratitude, and the whole shebang in general genuinely makes me honoured to document what happens in our lovely, lovely town. For you can bicker on Facebook pages all you want, you can thrash out the rights or wrongdoings of graffiting flags on mini-roundabouts, or pin the blame on someone for a road closure, but Steve Dewar’s brilliant popup youth cafe had kids enjoying a climbing wall on the Green, the sun was shining, and humble folk in the British Lion were laughing and singing, for we all live under that same sun, and that captures the true Devizes spirit, right here in The British, surely?!

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Tidy: Talk in Code at The Vic with Riviera Arcade and Flora Flora

It was only ever supposed to be a single launch gig but it could’ve been for a gold-crested gatefold triple LP, because Talk in Code were larging it last night at their hometown premier venue, Swindon’s Victoria. The crowd was ecstatic and the atmosphere was highly flammableโ€ฆ..strike a light!

If witnessing a great band on their own turf adds a communal elevation to the thrill of seeing them at all, Talk in Code certainly pulled out all the stops, even if the je-ne-sais quoi of these masters of indie-pop perform with sublime quality anywhere they happen to appear.

If this crossing the friend barrier themed quintessential grower, More Than Friends sits perfectly into their eighties vibe discography, we were leaked forthcoming singles might venture somewhere slightly different, but right here, now, at The Vic, Talk in Code was rewarded equal rapturous praise in throwing it out there as they were marching triumphantly through their beloved anthems.

Tunes which, like the best memorable pop, have universal and timeless appeal. At a Talk in Code gig you could mute the sound and still comprehend that the individual takes what they want from their style by observing the diversity of the demographic present. Here, this tight group of musicians evoke memories of everything gorgeous about eighties pop from Ah-Ha to Simple Minds, for me. One generation younger, especially when they backtracked to Oxygen, might wallow in nineties indie, and likewise youth will recognise their own contemporary influences.

If homeliness provides confidence to experiment, we were treated to something I’ve never seen Talk in Code do before; as the band Twix breaked, dynamic Adidas- sponsored frontman Chris Stevens proved he was no one trick pony, and blessed the Vic with an immaculate acoustic number, an original he called We Remain.

If appreciation was a pair of knickers, Talk in Code would have a visible panty line, as devotee โ€œTalkersโ€ in blue sunglasses and merch amassed between Vic regulars, equally relishing their vibrant, danceable and electric hoedown! And all took home a CD embossed goodie bag akin to a toddler’s birthday party, save a slice of squashed sponge cake!

Yet if there’s an honourable family-fashioned ambience surrounding this band, where Talkers would follow them to the four corners of the globe, else create Lego fan-videos or shower them with deserved fondness, the mood for a quality evening was pre-set by two awesome support acts TiC cherrypicked.

Gloucestershire soloist, songwriter and model Flora Flora opened the gig with acoustic splendour. New to me, I’m now keenly following her socials. Not because she took control of my phone from my intoxicated sausage fingers to ensure I did, though she did, but because I’ve since come to realise there’s subsequent levels to her talent than the perfection of her rocking performance last night!

An inspiring Gen Z Swifty wordsmith, crafting evocative songs praised and played by our hero James Threlfall on BBC Introducing. A new one drops on streaming platforms on 29th August but is available now on Bandcamp, Need to Say; it’s far more ethereal than Flora Flora’s edgier performance, and you’ll be foolish not to bookmark it as a favourite; fill your ankle-length boots.

Penultimate act, Bristol-Swindon longstanding five-piece rockers Riviera Arcade, I must confess, I preconceived to be a fair, hard rock band; they certainly came out like one. It only took near to the completion of the first song for me to come to complex reasoning why they’re punching well above that weight. Multi-layered precision with captivating guitar riffs set me contemplating subtle nods to eighties mod or punk, sometimes skanking, but still, it heralded heavier rock. They’ve a 2022 album Gone By Ten on stream, so you can hear what I’m waffling about.

An interesting and certainly unique style which, while I was thinking The Police or Costello, they finalised their set of beguiling originals with an apt and superbly delivered cover of The Stonesโ€™ Paint it Black, a perfect summary to their ethos. I returned home as a newfound fan, a bit wobbly on my feet and Notra-Dame bells ringing in my ears fan, but deffo a fan!

Talk in Code was officially on the best form I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness, but it was the combination of acts, venue and atmosphere which famed this fantastic night too; The Vic is renowned for doing so, historically. Owner Darren Simons assured me, though the venue is up for grabs, it’s only going to someone prepared to continue in his shoes, so this flagship to Wiltshire live music should thankfully continue to reign; dodge magic roundabouts and onwards to The Shuffle!

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Revealing the Line-Up For The Wiltshire Music Awards 2025

As a result of probably the most productive meeting yet, yesterday, about The Wiltshire Music Awards, we can now reveal the most amazing line-up of local music acts who will be performing between the announcements at our grand ceremony on Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange, and a few other points we should mention tooโ€ฆ..

Easy bit first for our glitzy and glamorous night, there will be professional sound and lighting provided by Brian Mundy and his team at BSM Stage Tech, and a bar, in which you wonโ€™t have to buy me a drink because Iโ€™m hosting and I donโ€™t want to slur my words, word my slurs or anything along those silly lines!ย 

It makes us all very proud to announce this wonderful lineup. Devizes own Burn The Midnight Oil will open the eveningโ€™s entertainment. Theyโ€™ve come so far in such a short space of time with their own brand of breezy blues-rock, weโ€™re excited to see them perform.

Our lovable legend George Wilding is a name most of you should know, and heโ€™s coming to play a few songs, of course he is! Award winning Lucas Hardy is coming too. Loved on the Salisbury circuit, Lucas will delight you, for what will be, I believe, his first time playing in Devizes; I could be wrong!

Ben Borrill and Pat Ward, aka Matchbox Mutiny, will be there, the lively Devizes-based duo who never fail to charm. Then thereโ€™s Salisbury-based Joylon Dixon and Rachel Sinnetta – a duo who raised the roof off the Three Crowns recently, but I knew it was coming as Rachelโ€™s supreme vocal range and Joylonโ€™s professional accompanying will enthral all.

Thereโ€™s a champagne supernova trip back to the nineties with The Britpop Boys, renowned for blasting those sing-a-long anthems across the county and beyond.ย 

And hereโ€™s our last big secret exposed, Devizes homegrown indie-rock phenomenon Nothing Rhymes With Orange will polish off the evening. They created a storm locally a few years ago as a teen sensation, the likes of which I claimed to be the โ€œBeatlemania of Devizes!โ€ Now studying together at Bristol Uni, their popularity has spread nationwide. Back home they have inspired a new generation to form bands, and we welcome them back delighted.

Image: Gail Foster

Make no mistake, all these acts have had a tremendous year, and deserve to be nominated for awards, as are the many other names hiding in our golden envelopes too. Myself, DJ Mark Anthony and possibly a few guest names will be announcing the winners and runners-up, and these wonderful acts will perform just two or three songs each between the announcements; itโ€™s going to be a show!

A show which, we hope, showcases, highlights and celebrates the wealth of musical talent we have here in Wiltshire, in a manner more celebratory than competitive. While many others and not just those performing have high chances of bagging a trophy, by no means is it exhaustive. There are so many others, producing music, promoting, hosting and creating amazing initiatives to fundraise and to teach, we know this, and I intend to highlight as many as I can at the ceremony, because the list is lengthy enough already to cram into one evening, making it comprehensive is a minefield!

The results of the awards was set by public votes and a panel of expert judges, which we genuinely believe to have been a fair system, causing it to be agonising for us to see the entire county trimmed to this much, but if everyone supports this we hope there will be subsequent years of Wiltshire Music Awards to follow. Years in which we will continuously review in order to improve on.

One point, whilst feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive, one niggly raised was tickets. We have to fund this one way or another. We are asking for sponsorships, many have helped and we thank them. In order to make this work, yes, we are asking everyone who wishes to attend, including those nominated, to buy a ticket, of which we have made as reasonably priced as possible. If you have been nominated for an award within our top ten, you are cordially invited to attend, but along with everyone else we do ask you to please purchase a ticket; there is no other expense asked of you other than this.

As much as we would love to see all the winners and runners-up in person, or a representative on your behalf, on the night to be presented with an award, if you cannot make it due to other commitments we understand, and your award will be given to you at a suitable date thereafter. Important point then: You DO NOT need to attend the ceremony to receive the award if you do not wish to, but please consider that we have to fund this, that we have worked hard on getting this off the ground, and would appreciate your support with it. Wiltshire Music Awards has been created by a genuine team dedicated to the local music scene. Allow me to get all Charles & Eddie on your ass at this conjunction, โ€œwould I lie to you, baby?!!โ€

Whoa, back on the positives; thankfully I wonโ€™t be singing but the experts will, this is going to be cracking night, one for the history books, and I hope to see you there! Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange, tickets HERE.

Wiltshire Music Awards 2025

Black Rat Monday and More! Live Music This Bank Holiday Weekend in Wiltshire

Never forget, thereโ€™s lots of other events on our calendar, for families and everyone of all ages. But this weekend is a bank holiday, and those local live music hunters will be out on the prowl, so hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found for themโ€ฆ.

Thursday 21st August, Just Parsons plays the Foyer Sessions at Chippenhamโ€™s Neeld Hall, thatโ€™s a freebie. Wild Isles & Plummie Racket are at The Castle, Swindon, free, while The Illegal Eagles are at The Wyvern, ticketed. Thereโ€™s a Fayre on Salisburyโ€™s Market Square with The Kings of Lounge Trio, and thatโ€™s free.

Itโ€™s the Welcome to the free Wildwest Country fringe festival at the Three Horseshoes in Bradford-on-Avon, ongoing throughout this week and weekend with a whole lot of circus and music. The Headrush Brass Band plays a hospitality jamboree there on Thursday 21st.

Friday 22nd, and things are really rolling, thereโ€™s even a Music for Miniatures at St Andrewโ€™s Church, Devizes, 10:30am, for the under fours!

Staying in Devizes for anyone over the age of four, try out Brogan Pearce singing covers at The Condado Lounge, or  a โ€œHaze Sessionโ€ with Marcus Boll at The Three Crowns. HoneyFest kicks off at The Barge on Honeystreet, camp up for that one all weekend, ticketed, for theyโ€™ve The Undercover Hippy, RSVP and The Scribes headlining; sweet as mate.

Zack Linton plays The Lamb on the Strand, with new Zia Pizza company and organised by Bird is the Word. The Free Spirits Band at The Royal Oak, Hawkeridge, a Red Hot Chilli Peppers Tribute at The Wheatsheaf, Calne, and The Blue Moon Band at The Rising Sun, Christian Malford, near Chippenham.

Not Quite Bob at Aldbourne Sports & Social Club. Itโ€™s the E-Fest Music Festival in Swindon, and Supersonic Queen at Town Gardens Bowl. A Summer Beer Gin & Rum Festival at The Hop Chapel, but weโ€™re heading into Swindon for a Talk in Code single launch at The Vic, with Riviera Arcade and Flora Fiora in support; bang tidy thatโ€™ll be!

Trips out for Devizes-based acts this weekend: No Alarms and No Devizes are not in Devizes, theyโ€™re at the Boathouse in Bradford-on-Avon, Jon Amor Trio are at The Royal Oak in Bath. The Vintage Explosion plays Komedia, Bath, but theyโ€™re not from around here, I was just running off the Bath paragraph, not to avoid any confusion!

P!nk tribute Vicky Jackson at the Cheese & Grain, Frome. Little Joe at the Coach and Horses, in Salisbury. Fayre on the Square continues at the Market Place in Salisbury with 

Rock The Boat DJs. Lonely Road Band at the Wig and Quill, Summer Beer Festival at the Old Mill with Lucas Hardy, and Jetback and Wilton Voices at The Bear.

Donโ€™t forget Flock Steady Beats festie at The Music Baa near Salisbury, ticketed, hurry up, Buster Shuffle and The Dub Pistols headline, with a host of offbeat goodies, including Captain Accident over the course of the weekend; mint sauce me up!

Tuckerโ€™s Cider & Music Festival at Tuckerโ€™s Grave in Faulkland, El Toro headline Saturday, with Russ Barnes, 41 Fords, The Usual Suspects, Call the Shots, more on Sunday too!

Saturday then, the 23rd August 2025; Bone Chapel at The Southgate, Devizes, and Jambon Chapeau at The Pelican. The Sylvertones at The Duke in Bratton.

Humdinger at The Cooperโ€™s Arms, Pewsey. Sophie Henderson at the Crown, Aldbourne.

Room 101 play The Lamb, Trowbridge, whilst The Twelve Bells have a Punk Picnic. Tex & The Troubadours at Melksham Rock n Roll Clubโ€™s monthly dance.

Bradford-on-Avon, you groovy lot! With the Welcome to the free Wildwest Country fringe festival at the Three Horseshoes still going down, thereโ€™s CastleFest at the Castle, with a great lineup too.

Thomas Arnold Hall in Warminster has an Ultimate 80โ€™s Revival Disco. Ex Stiff Little Finger XSLF at The Vic in Swindon. Total Rex, a Marc Bolan & T Rex Tribute at Chapel Arts, Bath, and the Big Disco at Komedia.

Forwards Festival over Clifton Downs, Bristol, and weโ€™re heading south, the Tin Shack Band are at The Ram in Tidworth. Jolyon Dixon & Rachel Sinnetta make a welcome return to The Kings Arms, Amesbury.

Sleepwalker at the Fayre on the Market Square in Salisbury. Slingshot at Qudos. Jon Bailey at The Royal George. Hop Back Blues Band at The Duke of York. Timespan at The Horse & Groom. Salisbury Live has a Summer Beer Festival, with Black Iris at The Old Mill and The Bear Inn has an August Bank Holiday Beer Festival with Break Cover, Bob Primmer and Ben Vuckovic.

Sunday 24th, then, the fun never stops! 30+ Daytime Clubbing at The Exchange, Devizes. 

Eddie Martin will be at The Southgate around 5pm, and the Roughcut Rebels have got The Three Crowns covered. Potterne Cricket Clubโ€™s ever popular Potterne Festival is likely sold out, but you never know your luck!

Talbot-Fest at the Talbot in Calne, then; Dorothy House fundraiser, all free, see the poster, wicked lineup, Talboterrians!!

The Sylvertones are at The Crown in Westbury. Unpredictables at the Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon. Rorkeโ€™s Drift at The Vic Swindon.

Johnny G at The Bell, Bath, Kenyan musician Vonj at Komedia.

Coach & Horses Sunday Session in Salisbury has our homegrown marvel, JP Oldfield.  Fayre on the Square continues in the Market Place Salisbury with Park Island, as does the Old Millโ€™s Summer Beer Festival: with Route 3. Salisbury Live are at The Horse & Groom with The Norfolks, Lucas Hardy and The Late Starters. August Bank Holiday Beer Festival continues at The Bear Inn with Slingshot, Above Board, The Reel Deal. Pudenski Bros at The Goat, and a Picnic in the Park at Redlynch Sports & Social Club with the Woodfalls Band.

The Hammervillesโ€™ Bank Holiday Beach Party at the Cheese & Grain, Frome. 

Bank Holiday Monday; yay!! Drew Bryant is at The Three Crowns, Devizes from 3pm, and of course, itโ€™s Black Rat Monday at The British Lion, an annual outdoor Bank Holiday Monday extravaganza, all free, local live bands, they wonโ€™t tell us who, a charity BBQ raising funds for Dorothy House. 

Get in! Black Rat Monday!

Box Rocks is of course the other stalwart of August bank holiday, at The Queenโ€™s Head, Box, theyโ€™ve got a fantastic lineup including our good friend Chandra; nice one!

The Americania Boatfest is another damn fine option, at the Boat House in Bradford-on-Avon; too many bands to mention, but Iโ€™m told our Burn The Midnight Oil will be there, and thatโ€™s worth the trip over alone! Staying in Bradford, The Lamb Yard are celebrating 25 years, with Talk in Code headlining, Fly Yeti Fly and The Trapdoor Spiders. Itโ€™s all free in Bradford!

Bath, and thereโ€™s another free community fest at Komedia, Rusty Shackle, True Strays, and Concrete Prairie, with added Courting Ghosts and Barney Kenny. Barrel House Vipers are at The Bell.

Salisbury, and Pete Donnelly is at The Duke of York, and thereโ€™s the last day of the Old Millโ€™s Summer Beer Festival with SO Uncool.

Thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve foundโ€ฆโ€ฆ.so farโ€ฆ.folks, summer is OVER!! Iโ€™m sure many will jump on the bandwagon and make me add more to our event calendar really soon!! There’s only one link you need to keep up to date, and its HERE! Have a great weekend!

A Busy Week For Lunch Box Buddy!

It was great to bump into Lunch Box Buddy in Devizes today. Last week was hectic for him; first BBC Wiltshire stopped by his stand in the Brittox, which was busy dishing out free lunches for children during the summer holidays, as is Buddyโ€™s mission. Then came an appearance on Points West, and even Jamie Oliver shared his social media postsโ€ฆ..

Has the media exposure gone to his head?! He modestly agreed with me, that it was nice, โ€œit shows Iโ€™m being acknowledged,โ€ he smiled, and continued to help children decide what sandwiches they fancied. And therein lies the magic, there was never a feeling in meeting Buddy that he was here for prestige. 

โ€œHeโ€™s not doing it for media attention,โ€ Buddyโ€™s mum Emily clarified, โ€œin fact he finds that quite overwhelming. Heโ€™s doing it because thereโ€™s families who need it, and thatโ€™s the reality of it. And if he can help those families to make it a little easier then thatโ€™s all he wants to do.โ€

There were sandwiches with various fillings, crisps, biscuits and fruit, even some toys. Folk gathered, no questions asked, no condescending notions, just a brilliant idea being put into motion by a teenager and his family. I asked Buddy if it was his idea, and how he came up with it. 

โ€œIt was my idea,โ€ he replied, still handing out apples, โ€œand it originated from seeing some friends who were on free school meals, needing that extra help during the holidays too.โ€

Buddy and his family began funding it themselves and now it relies on sponsors and private donations. There may be a few charity-led organisations doing similar in other areas, but Buddy is the first person weโ€™ve heard of individually taking this gesture of goodwill on themselves. I asked Buddy, not if he wanted to head a national charity doing this, for we joked he might end up sitting in an office! Rather if he feels he has, or will, inspire others to do likewise in other areas.

โ€œYeah, I could inspire some people, I hope so,โ€ Buddy told me. โ€œIโ€™m doing it as an individual. Iโ€™m here three times a week, every week for the summer holidays, and thereโ€™s a thought I could do it at Christmas time.โ€

โ€œIt would be lovely if he did inspire other people,โ€ Emily explained, โ€œbut his primary goal is to make sure that anyone who needs food in Devizes has food.โ€

In these trying times, I forever find myself shocked at rising supermarket prices. Accepted, I cleaned my rose-tinted specs declaring how big Wagon Wheels once were, and how they were ten pence, but this inflation issue is not showing evidence of slowing anytime soon. โ€œYes,โ€ Emily agreed, โ€œsome schools and councils do provide ten pounds for the school holiday, but you cannot buy much for ten pounds, so what Buddy is doing really does make a difference.โ€

It really does. I left with a lump to the throat, and somewhat lost for words; rare for me, I know!! What a thoroughly decent, philanthropic and selfless way for a fourteen-year-old to spend their summer holiday. What an absolute legend, Buddy! Thank you.

Two things remain: firstly to any family in need, Lunch Box Buddy is outside Haine & Smith, next to Cafe Nero, in Devizes town centre, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for the duration of the summer holidays, from 11:30-12:30. Follow him HERE for updates, Facebook HERE.

Secondly, to Devizes Town Council; you know I love you all, (wink!) this lad deserves a Civic Award, imho!

Trending….

DOCA Awarded National Lottery Grant

Congratulations to Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts, who announced yesterday that they’ve been awarded a substantial National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council Englandโ€ฆ. This isโ€ฆ

For A Lifetime, Luke Gittins

Newlywed, what lengths would you want your partner to go to with their wedding speech and gift? A six track EP of the most beautifullyโ€ฆ

We Were Ready for Some Flocksteady Beats!

By Ben Romain. Images: ยฉAlice Rose Photography Following a stand out long weekend of blues and americana at the Hillbilly Hootenanny, Victoria and I managedโ€ฆ

What to Do? September in Wiltshire

Nearly September, time to sew those name tags onto school uniforms. Still, loads to entertain you throughout the month. Iโ€™ve exhausted our ever-updating event calendar,โ€ฆ

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Wither; Debut Single From Butane Skies

Whilst dispersing highly flammable hydrocarbon gases into the atmosphere is not advisory,  Butane Skies is a name increasingly exploding on local circuits. The young and aspiring Frome โ€œa little bit emo, a little bit notโ€ four-piece released a debut single Wither last month (while I was on my jollies.) So, even though this mention of it might be belated, itโ€™s worthy of your attention, as I predict Butane Skies is a name youโ€™ll be hearing a lot more ofโ€ฆ..

If the name suggests an all-out fireball of frenzied rock you should note itโ€™s taken from a line in the My Chemical Romance song Skylines & Turnstiles, and akin to their emo influence thereโ€™s delicate rising and falling sections of emotive outpouring in Wither. With a dystopian themed desperation, perhaps metaphoric, this is intense yet melodic, as exquisitely composed as Evanescence, and as genius as Frank Turner.

Thereโ€™s an intricate piano, blessing it with a sense of optimism above the emo melancholy of the subtly placed fuzzbox riff and the powerful vox harmonies of a double-Alanis Morissette. Iโ€™m thinking Iโ€™ve not heard local emo quite as good as this since Life in Mono, but not to typecast within the emo pigeonhole, thereโ€™s something more universally indie about them too, Muse-fashion.

Such high accolades deserved, Wither firmly places them on the first runner of the local recording artist ladder, and while an impressive kick start, itโ€™s moreish and patent theyโ€™ve more tricks up their sleeves. Butane Skies established themselves in 2022 after school duo Amaya and Ash collaborated at just 14 years old, and bassist Mia and drummer Alex joined. Theyโ€™ve notched numerous gigs and festivals since Future Sound of Trowbridge at the Pump, and winning Riverbankโ€™s Take The Stage in 2024 with the prize to perform at Minety Music Festival.ย 

Other appearances at Festival on the Farm, Figglefest, Bradford Roots, Corrfest, Chippenham Pride and Sounds at the Ground, and at venues such as The Boathouse, The Neeld, Fromeโ€™s Tree House and a number of local stages at Glastonbury sees them Bristol-bound for The Louisiana and Komedia Bathโ€™s Electric Bar soon. They are nominated for our Wiltshire Music Awards, and now top of never-ending must-see list!

Hereโ€™s a band with a track you must listen to, but the ambience feels something wonderful is blossoming; Butane Skies are yet to hit their magnum-opus, be there when they do.  

LinkTree

Corbyn and Sultana’s Your Party Launch Swindon Presence

The excitement and hope generated by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announcing a new political party has reached Swindonโ€ฆ..

A broad range of people have been keenly messaging and talking to each other and have decided to work together with everyone who supports this new party, to have a marked and positive presence in the Swindon community.

Local activists, charity workers, union members and individuals have announced a meeting to be held at Broadgreen Community Centre on Thursday 28th August 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Jamie, a local charity worker said โ€˜We are building a movement embedded in our community. We want to hear from everyone; what are your main concerns, do you wantย  our NHS to be properly funded, do you want energy, mail, rail, water, and other infrastructure nationalised, do you want to see council houses being built? Come along to our meeting, where everyone will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas.โ€™

Nationally, over 700,000 people have signed up to the party with no name! At present, the working name is โ€˜Your Partyโ€™ but the permanent name will be decided by people at the inaugural conference later in the year.

A statement on the Your Party website says, โ€˜Itโ€™s time for a new kind of political party. One that belongs to you. The system is rigged. The system is rigged when 4.5 million children live in poverty in the sixth richest country in the world. The system is rigged when giant corporations make a fortune from rising bills. The system is rigged when this government says there is no money for the poor, but billions for war. We cannot accept these injustices โ€“ and neither should you. We will only fix the crises in our society with mass redistribution of wealth and power. That means taxing the very richest in our society. That means an NHS free of privatisation and bringing energy, water, rail and mail into public ownership. That means investing in a massive council-house building programme. That means standing up to fossil fuel giants putting their profits before our planet. Meanwhile, millions of people are horrified by the governmentโ€™s shameful complicity in genocide. We believe in the radical idea that all human life has equal value. That is why we defend the right to protest for Palestine. That is why we demand an end to all arms sales to Israel. And that is why we will carry on campaigning for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine.โ€™

In an interview with Tribune Magazine, Jeremy Corbyn said, โ€˜By the end of the year we want to come together at an inaugural conference to decide the direction of our party and what it stands for, but this conference will not come out of the blue. It will be the product of a series of deliberative meetings up and down the country. More than just rallies, these meetings will be an opportunity for communities, social movements, and trade unions to come together to discuss the key questions facing the future of our party and our country. These meetings will generate fierce debates, Iโ€™m sure, and thatโ€™s good. Thatโ€™s what democracy is for.โ€™

Jamie said, โ€˜Letโ€™s reignite the hope, energy and socialist dialogue that we had in 2017 when thousands of people, especially young people, flocked to hear Jeremy Corbyn speak about the things that really matter to us!ย  After all, itโ€™s predominantly the younger generation who are suffering from the catastrophic decisions made by politicians for years, although people with disabilities, pensioners, WASPI women, asylum seekers, migrants and minority groups are feeling the brunt too. If youโ€™re interested in getting involved, want to help build this community movement that addresses our day to day concerns, and make a positive difference to so many people, come along to the meeting, join our Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Meet others who are interested and have your say!โ€™

From a Cage to a Ballroom – J.P. Oldfield at the Bear Hotel, Devizes August 9th 2025


So it came to pass that Josh (aka J.P.) Oldfield wanted to promote a gig in Devizes, home town etc. And in so doing realised somebody else would have just released a new album, so invited them along โ€“ and that person said โ€œyesโ€ ๐Ÿ™‚ And so it was bornโ€ฆ a double header in the cellar bar at The Bear Hotel, Devizes was born. However, entry tokens soon sold out and the gig was moved to the Ballroom with its extended (crown noise Wooo-OOOOO-oooo) capacity. And it was created. And we say it was good.

by Ian Diddams
images by Ian Diddams

So step into the limelight Josh aka J.P. Oldfield dead on time, guitar in hand, standard waist-coated, open shirt and hat attired. And it was hot. Very hot. And he did perspire with much dampness with no towel, having rejected the advice from his fellow troubadour. And it was sweaty.

VERY sweaty.


J.P. is fairly new on the scene in mid-Wiltshire but he is already cutting his own swathe through the local music scene with gigs in the area and a slot recently at Trowbridge Festival. His delivery is a Johnny Cash style โ€“ deep voice, slightly countrified acoustic folk. Playing a mix of covers and his own thoughtful pieces he commands the stage โ€“ being about six feet tall tends to help!

The set list this time has no Cash โ€ฆ but does have interesting covers; now there are covers, and there are covers. Some are of the tribute band variety, pub sing-a-long, easy crowd pleasers variety, and others are take-a-song-and-put-an-own-twist on it. J.P.โ€™s covers are very much in the latter ilk, where sometimes you are well into a song before you recognise its origins. This takes skill and no little panache to pull it off. Other originals in a similar vein sometimes hint at maybe an homage to a well known song โ€ฆ although not in this set, listen to J.P.โ€™s โ€œLast Ordersโ€ from his EP โ€œBouffonโ€ and you may well be wondering if its a Billy Joel โ€œPiano Manโ€ cover ๐Ÿ™‚


Josh opened with โ€œRed Right Handโ€ โ€“ very much a Nick Cave rendition as J.P.โ€™s voice fits the growling delivery so well. There is only one other cover in this set, โ€œHouse of the Rising Sunโ€ and that is very much a J.P. tweak. Otherwise everything is self penned originals โ€“ and we are the luckier for it too as his own slightly darker interpretation of the world shines forth.

In a town (Devizes) that is a beacon for lovers of independent live music, Joshโ€™s arrival is a very welcome addition to an already existing cornucopia of delights. He describes his music as โ€œSouthern Gothicโ€ and strives to encompass some dark humour and homages to classic literature and music in the process. Listen to the lyrics and it starts to stand out… and its possibly the first time you will hear a kazoo used in a “serious”, non comedy song to boot!

Joshโ€™s set was as a support the right length, but nonetheless left me wanting more โ€“ catch him soon somewhere as a headliner.


J.P Oldfieldโ€™s E.P. Bouffon is available to buy from him directly (https://www.facebook.com/profile/61566328311883/)
or to stream (https://open.spotify.com/album/723T6qMJLpqOuyDR8Ly4WF)

Bear Hotel Setlist
1) Red Right Hand
2) The Preacherโ€™s Noose
3) The Ghost of Spring Heeled Jack
https://open.spotify.com/track/3zGmZUsb1nM6ScRQkyTtLj
4) Wrong side of the Road
5) Speak in a Sunday Voice
6) House of the Rising Sun
7) Further From Heaven
8) No Rest






Crowned Lightbringer: New EP From Ruby Darbyshire

If I was bowled over backwards by Rubyโ€™s teaser single last week, its title, Crowned Lightbringer, now also belongs to this five-track EP, released today, and as you might guess, youโ€™re in for a treatโ€ฆ..

Thereโ€™s so much incredible time, effort and adroitness pouring out of this itโ€™s actually scary how talented Ruby Darbyshire is at such a young age, and in pondering the journey her music will take her. Youโ€™re left numb to what to listen to next, in awe, and spellbound by its harmonic perfection. Thereโ€™s also a general theme of journey, often rinsed in ingenious metaphors, which connects you to Rubyโ€™s world and imaginings, the hallmark of a musician who knows what buttons to press to engage an audience and leave them spellbound.

Rubyโ€™s Scottish roots are displayed in a bagpipe instrumental bonus track, The Spirit of Jenny Whittle, the rest relies on her accomplished acoustic mood-setters, and the ambience is as ever, hauntingly choral, layered with dedication, folk emotive and saturninely uplifting soulfully, edifying a matured Ruby, compared to her debut EP. But if Crowned Lightbringer displays a whole new level for her music, what comes next will be anyoneโ€™s guess. It is, in my humble opinion, an EP which needs to be in everyoneโ€™s life.

Vocally itโ€™s faultless too, profoundly as guiding as Nina Simone, as variable and soulful as Billie Holiday; comparisons of such high accolades, I know, I donโ€™t know where else to go to balance her sublime vocal range. Lady Nade and Mayyadda the only contemporary likenesses I could fairly credit. Opening with Timekeeper, as deeply emotive as Crowned Lightbringer, chilling and as distant as an autumn zephyr. With a rustic vinyl crackle, Calling Hades captures a timeless acoustic goodness of underworldly Greek gods, with a romantically liberating hopefulness as its theme.

Black Dog has a deeper blues feel, yet sprinkled with northern celtic, spiritually-guiding us away from the omen of solitary, the Gytrash. Ruby is folk, primarily rooted and understanding of it. Thereโ€™s much to unpick from her beautiful music tapestry here, Iโ€™ve only had a quick listen, couldnโ€™t wait for a complete analysis before telling you how fantastic this EP is, but I believe, in time, this might be my personal fave! But hey, the title track follows, and weโ€™ve mentioned this last week, itโ€™s a metaphoric shanty which depicts perfectly where Rubyโ€™s music is taking her and all the demons which might lurk on her journey.

All I know is this should put Ruby not a local circuit map, but on an international stage; I donโ€™t flatter, and if you donโ€™t take note more fool yourself. Listen, just, listen! 

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Trending……

Find Out The Winners of Wiltshire Music Awards

Results of the public vote have been put to our expert panel of seven judges in our inaugural Wiltshire Music Awards, and now the judges have decided. I bet you’re wondering who has won and who the runners-up are, aren’t you?

Well, I’m not going to tell youโ€ฆ.yet! Ah, clickbait of ye gods; beat that Newsquest (who havenโ€™t even bothered mentioning this crucial local extravaganza, I might add!) Truth is, I don’t know the results any more than you do, as I kindly requested to remain in the dark for the genuine element of surprise on the night, and itโ€™s the night I want to remind you of!! Because, if you want to find out the winners you need to grab yourself a ticket to the presentation ceremony, the Awards Evening on Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange; proper job!

Thereโ€™s table tickets as groups, and single tickets available for our gurt lush Wiltshire Music Awards, the first of its kind. A night of music, celebration, and unforgettable moments. Bring your family, friends, and supporters! Weโ€™ve some top local acts confirmed, all performing a song or three, with intervals where I and special guests will be announcing the winners. Thereโ€™s seventeen categories to get through, wine to drink and partying to be done in honour of all the amazing musical talent weโ€™ve got hiding in our rural county; please, help us to achieve this.

Ticket and info HERE, I look forward to seeing you on the night.

Musicians: please use our top ten to see if you’re nominated, and good luck to all!

REVIEW โ€“ The Pump Acoustic Club @ The Lamb, Trowbridge โ€“ Friday 8th August 2025

Pump Acoustic Nights Are Back!ย 

Andy Fawthrop

For those weird enough among us to be of an acoustic bent, particularly on the folkie side, the time since the Covid lockdowns has been a bit of a desert.ย  Several local clubs which once thrived before 2020, never actually opened again โ€“ Devizes Folk Club, Corshamโ€™s Acoustic Oak, Bradford Folk Club and Trowbridgeโ€™s Village Pump being amongst them.ย  Last year the Bradford club finally stuttered into life again, first at the now-closed Swan Hotel, then at other venues, but only as a very low-key weekly sing-around.ย  The proper full fat Open Mic nights and Guest Nights seemed to have disappeared from the local scene completely.ย  Some of this was due to the โ€œretirementโ€ of the previous hosts, and some of it (unfortunately) due to the passing of their once-leading lights.ย 

The venue itself, known as the Village Pump, at the rear of Wadworthโ€™s The Lamb in Trowbridge, and the mothership of the hugely popular Village Pump and Trowbridge Festivals, recently found a new entrepreneur in our good friend and music promoter Kieran J Moore.ย  Kieran has performed wonders in re-opening the venue, in overhauling its sound and lighting infrastructure, and in attracting a whole new range of artists over the past couple of years.ย  Audiences have grown, drawn by the inventive programming, and the support for many local up-and-coming new indie bands.ย 

And now, at last, a light has re-emerged from the gloom for the folkies with the start of The Pump Acoustic Club as a new pop-up venture at the venue.  Running every second Friday of the month, the club promises a welcoming night whether you want to come and play or just rock up and listen.  The format is pretty similar to the old VP folk club:  the first half is dedicated to acoustic-only (unplugged) floor spots, and the second half to a booked guest.  For the Open Mic part, you have to sign up in advance (first come, first served via comments on their Facebook page), and you get time to sing two or three songs each.  The running order allows for about ten or eleven acts.  Then, following the break, and the inevitable raffle, the second half is a 45-60 PA-supported slot dedicated to a booked artist.   

Last month, on the first outing for the Club, we were treated to a great set by local duo Lorna and Darren, playing as Fly Yeti Fly.  Anyone there would agree it was a great night and a fabulous start to this new venture.   

Last night, for Augustโ€™s booking we had Wings and Whispers, an all-female duo from Bristol. Both classically trained, both admitted to preferring the folkier side of things.  Using harp, guitar, whistle and voices, the pair played some fascinating, ethereal music based in folk legends and myths and in the natural world.  They wove original compositions together with re-arranged folk classics and covers into a mesmerising set. Superb stuff. 

The new Club, set up by Bradford-on-Avonโ€™s Simon Taylor (lately of Water Thieves Trio and Dr. Zeboโ€™s Wheezy Club) and Matt Cook, looks as if itโ€™s hit just the right formula.  Both last monthโ€™s affair and last night were pretty busy, with most seats taken both upstairs and down. Itโ€™s ยฃ4 to get in, and ยฃ1 for a strip of raffle tickets, so youโ€™re all done and dusted for a great night out for a fiver โ€“ what more could you want? Letโ€™s hope that now itโ€™s back, folks will continue to support it and make it into the success it surely deserves to be. 

Future gigs, as stated, will be the second Friday of each month.ย  See their Facebook page for individual events, but hereโ€™s a preview:ย 

Friday 12th September Andy Skellam 

Friday 10th October Lorikeet 

Friday 14th November Brian Stone & The Masters Of None 

Friday 12th December Dr. Zeboโ€™s Wheezy Club 

Swindon Palestine Solidarity Host Summer Fete

Swindon Palestine Solidarity will be hosting a summer fete on Saturday 23rd August, at 12.30pm – 3.30pm. They need volunteers from 11am – 4 pm. at The Broadgreen Community Centre, Salisbury St, Swindon SN1 2AN….

Bring the family to float a boat for Gaza, send a postcard to Gaza, or play ring toss, ball toss, or knock down alley, knocking down injustice one throw at a time! There will be food, Palestinian embroidery, Arabic calligraphy, face painting, and henna. Have a go at tumbling the apartheid wall or on the watermelon shy!ย 

Funds are being raised to send Swindon Palestine Solidarity delegate Liaquth Ali as a volunteer, joining the A thousand Madleens to Gaza flotilla.

In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ongoing illegal siege imposed by Israel, a historical global initiative – The 1000 Flotilla: Call to break the siege – is being launched to mobilise an unprecedented international civil fleet to challenge the maritime blockade and deliver life-saving aid directly to the besieged people of Gaza.

This initiative calls upon civil society, humanitarian organisations, trade unions, faith-based movements, maritime workers and peace loving individuals from every continent to contribute ships, crews, medical supplies, food and solidarity.

The aim is to assemble a thousand vessels, symbolic of the global unity and determination, to peacefully defy the blockade and demand an immediate end to the collective punishment of over two million Palestinians.

Liaquth Ali said, “Iโ€™ve decided to join the flotilla because I believe this could be Gaza’s last chance at survival. If we donโ€™t act boldly and urgently, the suffering will only spread, and the West Bank could be next. I canโ€™t sit back while children are bombed and starved, but I’ve also seen hope, our Swindon community and people across the UK rising with courage and solidarity. The world is waking up. Now is the time for action. Every bit of support matters.”

A recent protest by Doctors Against Genocide said, “We are living through a catastrophe unlike any in history. 90% of Gazaโ€™s population has now reached stage 5 malnutrition, the most severe and deadly level. At this stage many cannot be saved.”

Lynn Boylan Member of the European Parliament said “For me, the deep frustration is that the EU has had ample opportunity to do the right thing and they have failed to do that. They have failed to take a single action against Israel. They have a list of actions that they could do, and they are not doing a single one. I hope that they witness, through this flotilla, through the people power, through the mobilisation of people on the streets, that they are on the wrong side of history. They should implement every single item on that list: no trade with Israel, a two way arms embargo, sanctions on the Israeli government, and upholding the ICC arrest warrants.“

To support this cause and help send the Swindon Palestine Solidarity delegate from Swindon, please join Swindon Palestine Solidarity at the fete. If you would like to volunteer on the day, or have any questions, please contact Swindon Palestine Solidarity on Facebook, Insta @swindonpalestinesolidarity or email info@swindonpalestinesolidarity.org

Stranglers Frontman Hugh Cornwell Coming To Cheese & Grain

Image: John Kisch

Legendary songwriter and original Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell has announced a run of UK dates this November, accompanied by special guests The Courettes, and it includes Fromeโ€™s Cheese & Grain on Saturday 15thโ€ฆ..

Golden Brown, Strange Little Girl, Always The Sun… sound familiar? All big hits, all great songs, all penned and performed by Hugh Cornwell, the songwriter behind the legendary early eighties punk band The Stranglers.ย 

 When future historians of music draw up a list of the movers and shakers who changed the modern musical landscape, Hugh Cornwellโ€™s name will no doubt be amongst them. As a pioneering musician, songwriter and performer, his pervasive influence persists in the record collections of music aficionados, across this spinning globeโ€™s radio waves, and on stages around the world. Hughโ€™s presence is unquestionable.

 As the leader of The Stranglers, Hugh was the main songwriter of all of the bandโ€™s most memorable songs across ten stellar albums. After their 1977 debut Rattus Norvegicus, follow-up albums such as No More Heroes and The Raven consolidated Cornwellโ€™s stature as a unique songwriter and musician. His multi-layered lyrics to Golden Brown, from La Folie, remain a songwriting masterclass.

Hugh embarks on his Come And Get Some tour in November, appearing at Fromeโ€™s Cheese & Grain on Saturday 15th. A full band show with Stranglers choice cuts and solo delicates, plus support from The Courettes, an explosive group from Denmark and Brazil. With Flavia Couri on vocals and guitar and Martin on drums, they provide the perfect blend of Wall of Sound, Girl Group Heartbreaks, Motown and R&B. Imagine the Ronettes meeting the Ramones at a wild party in the Hitsville echo chamber, thatโ€™s the Courettes!

โ€œCornwellโ€™s still doing things his way and often with striking results,โ€ said Mojo, โ€œThunderously tribal garage rockโ€ฆ the ex-Strangler not yet gone soft,โ€ Uncut provided. 

Kicking off at Epic Studios in Norwich on 6th November, Hugh Cornwell will be playing favourites from his time with The Stranglers as well as a range of solo material, including his 1979 album โ€˜Nosferatuโ€™ in full. The record saw Cornwell teaming up with Captain Beefheartโ€™s Robert Williams to create a record as gothic as the film it takes its name from.

Throughout November, Cornwell will make stops at beloved venues up and down the country including Hangar 34 in Liverpool, Concorde 2 in Brighton and Islington Assembly in the capital. Heโ€™ll be joined on the road by retro-inspired punk rock duo The Courettes, helming from Denmark and Brazil. 

Tickets are on sale HERE

Hugh Cornwell UK 2025 Live Dates

6th Nov – Norwich, Epic Studios

7th Nov – Holmfirth, Picturedome

8th Nov – Liverpool, Hangar 34

13th Nov – London, Islington Assembly

14th Nov – Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre

15th Nov – Frome, Cheese and Grain

16th Nov – Brighton, Concorde 2

20th Nov – Glasgow, St Lukeโ€™s 

21th Nov – Dunfermline, Carnegie Hall

22nd Nov – Newcastle, Digital

Talk in Code Announces New Single; More Than Friends

Atmospherically anthemic and reinforced with that infectious rhythmic groove weโ€™ve come to love Talk in Code for, More Than Friends is chockfull of it, and itโ€™s their latest single, to be released on Friday 22nd August 2025 via Regent Street Recordsโ€ฆ.

Even if youโ€™re accounted for now, happily married and matured like a fine wine, the recollections of a blossoming relationship and the eagerness versus apprehension it provokes will never be pushed down a dark alley of your memory lane; successful or epic fail, they live inside the mind forever, Iโ€™m afraid! Frontman, Chris Stevens said of the single, โ€œweโ€™ve all been there, in a situation waiting for the other to make the first move, to validate our feelings, or save face!โ€

I could tell you a few stories, but will save you the agony! Especially as the earliest would be set in the eighties, about getting hot under the collar over girls in rah-rah skirts, leg warmers and dippy-boppers! But thatโ€™s the beauty of this songโ€™s simple premise; if youโ€™re older the irresistible eighties feel to the sound assists you in extracting the emotions needed to savour a memory or two, and youโ€™ll stare back up at your Morten Harket or Kim Wilde poster, should the blu-tac not have dried out, praying theyโ€™ll bless you with a cure to your longing!! Billy Joel, you charlatan, it isnโ€™t that easy to tell her about it!

Whereas if youโ€™re younger and, as gen z generally are, far more practical to be praying to Smash Hits pullout posters, you might relate the songโ€™s narrative to a newfound emotion, sharable on TikTok. But the eighties vibe still functions as a mechanism, because, letโ€™s face it, musical innovators of the eighties are the catalysts to contemporary pop. I was careful here not to suggest eighties music was better, though with my rose-tinted specs on, the thought was! 

And thatโ€™s what makes Talk in Code so universally engaging; it bridges a needed gap between eighties new wave electronica and nineties indie pop. In goes the synths, guitars riffs, the immortal choruses and rousing hooks, and what it exhausts is fresh and pumping, modern yet as timeless as Chris’s Adidas jackets, like someone slipped a rocket between the bum cheeks of Tony Hadley, and whip, zoom heโ€™s top of the download chart faster than you could cry Oasis.

For the reflective mood to the bandโ€™s artistry, which this track seems to strengthen, More Than Friends might be considered typical for the bandโ€™s direction, but as ever, they are growers, and after a listen or three youโ€™ll find the quintessential is challenged with each new release, because this band are tight, theyโ€™re professional, and bounded by great PR, management, and a truly loyal fanbase. A base which will be singing this back to them, in blue sunglasses, at their numerous live performances within the next month!

The single’s launch party is at the Vic, Swindon, on Friday 22nd August. Tickets HERE

Another cracker, Talk in Code. For everyone else, pre-save it HERE!

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“Glasshouse” at The Mission Theatre, Bath, July 21st 2025

by Mick Brian

With Sandcastles Productions marking its debut production with Charlie McGuireโ€™s original play Glass House, the cast and crew behind this production are clearly anything but inexperienced as the piece delivers its thrills and emotional beats at every turn.

What Glass Houseย ultimately delivers is a play packed with fascinating questions about the nature of transaction and social transience; questions for which, it would be amiss to neglect, a public bus is not only an apt but a deeply compelling setting. For its sharp 55-minute run time, the audience are held in suspense with the passengers themselves as our collective inaction serves as the playโ€™s crux.

What the perhaps overly wordy synopsis does get right is this: a houseless man, unable to buy a ticket, boards a bus and drags the six others on board into a โ€˜mire of social tensionโ€™. Itโ€™s a simple premise, yet McGuire adeptly and continually reinvents the tension of this idea in a way not dissimilar to Hitchcockโ€™s approach to bottle storytelling; think โ€˜Rear Windowโ€™.

At age 21, this is McGuireโ€™s third original play, having penned and staged his first effort โ€˜Sandcastlesโ€™ (from which his production company naturally gets its name) in 2021 before his sophomore script โ€˜Vignettes from an Inkblot Archipelagoโ€™ was met with critical acclaim (โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… – Varsity, โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… – The Tab) just last year.

Following his work directing a bevy of projects whilst at university in Cambridge, the mercifully compactly-titled Glass House shows a maturity in its consistent empathy, flair and razor-sharp dialogue. It moves from social realism, to political agitation, to a fantasy about love overcoming hate. At other times, it takes on an existential dread, feeling like a timeless, placeless hell, similar to the works of Samuel Beckett, or simply an inescapable trap, as an Alan Bennett character might experience. The play is far more than 7 strangers sat on a bus for an hour.

And about those strangers; the cast were truly excellent across the board, meeting and arguably exceeding the demands of the script. So strong was each performance that it felt impossible to single-out a protagonist, I simply let myself be compelled by each actor to invest deeply โ€“ almost immediately- in either loving or hating their character. Itโ€™s that sort of play.

Sarah, executed with gripping intensity and striking emotional sincerity by Marta Zalicka, certainly has the most to say as she commands the bus with Malcolm Tucker-esque quips and hard-nosed logic. Rising directly to Sarahโ€™s challenge is Freya, brought to life by May Daws, who is routinely the beating heart and moral compass of the bus. Daws plays Freyaโ€™s simmering frustration to perfection and her chemistry with Zalicka was one of the playโ€™s most compelling dynamics.

Freyaโ€™s girlfriend/not girlfriend Natalie brings further tension to the bus with a painfully-apparent urgency for her feelings to be requited, as Madeleine Whitmore skillfully conveys the weight of her emotional exasperation often through a mere micro expression. As the play progresses, Whitmore becomes more involved in the verbal sparring and superbly delivers the plays most biting one-liners.

Similarly quiet yet nowhere near as observant, Harry Lloyd-Yorke’s Calum feels like a character who could easily have slipped towards a Harry Enfield-reminiscent teenage stereotype. Lloyd-Yorke’s portrays apathy, however, with such well-timed line deliveries and poignant stillness that Calum has more of the menace of a Lord of the Flies character than the dullness of an Enfield trope.

Charles Wolrige-Gordon scored many of the playโ€™s laughs with his portrayal of Colin, however prevented Colin from coming off as merely a comic stock character by lacing many of his lines with genuine threat and malice. Far less loathsome was Joe Orrellโ€™s performance as Owen, the bus driver who seems to be stuck in some form of Beckett-esque purgatory. Sporting a flawless Welsh accent, Orrell undergoes a character progression which may not feel earned in the hands of a lesser actor, but was deeply authentic and ultimately heartbreaking.

Perhaps most surprising is Rafael Grisoโ€™s performance as Eden, the houseless man who canโ€™t afford a ticket, which soars from invigorating the playโ€™s ecstatic, surrealist moments to a remarkable subtlety. Naturally, there are ethical questions to be raised about performing homelessness on stage, especially within the context of the Edinburgh Fringe, but I was glad to see that this is something the play very much interrogates. Without spoiling the scene, as it really was a great shock to the system, Glass House questions in a troublingly-entertaining way why Eden must give us something in order for us to sympathise with his plight.

Outside of the play itself, the team are evidently aware of the potentially problematic nature of performing a play with a prominent houseless character at a festival quietly-renowned for its displacement of the homeless; the play will partner with a homeless charity in Edinburgh, having charity collection boxes at each show and donating profits of the Fringe run to a local homeless charity.

The play tackles a lot, not only thematically and narratively, but theatrically. Attempting to pull off a fictional documentary angle, where interviews of the characters on stage are used to reconstruct a story that supposedly happened years ago, may have felt overstuffed had the play not benefitted from the expert technical design and execution of Barash Tunahan. Interweaving purposefully homespun-sounding interviews with a forlorn and jazzy soundtrack whilst punctuating the playโ€™s emotional beats with precision โ€“ Tunahan’s work seamlessly builds the world of the play in effortlessly cinematic fashion.

If I were to critique the production, I would say that Glass House perhaps is not the best fit for a space like the Mission Theatre. The Mission, a treasured and historic performance space in Bath, has a scale to it which does not benefit the intimacy which McGuire is evidently shooting for, however I am sure this will be remedied by the venue they will find themselves at in Edinburgh.

Whilst I am eager to see what McGuire and Sandcastles Productions do next, Glass House is without a doubt a brilliant piece of Fringe theatre.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…

Glass House is at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 18th-23rd August at Greenside Venues George Street in the Olive Studio.

Female of the Species Return for the Last Time

โ€œMore deadlier than the maleโ€ is my usual corny pun for this, but if supergroup Female of the Species returns to Melksham this September, it looks like the last time Iโ€™ll be able to use itโ€ฆ.

September 2017, when Devizine had merely eight articles published, I previewed a charity fundraising event in Melksham, The Female of the Species, and Iโ€™ve loved it and supported it since. A supergroup composed of the frontwomen of various local bands, they were already in their second year, but after ten years they announced this one will be their lastโ€ฆ.

Julie Moreton from Trowbridgeโ€™s ska and reggae covers band Train to Skaville, formed the supergroup Female of the Species with Nicky Davis from Warminster-based The Reason, Glastonburyโ€™s Julia Greenland from Soulville Express, Fromeโ€™s Claire Perry from Big Mammaโ€™s Banned, and solo artist Charmaigne Andrews, for an annual fundraiser at the Melksham Assembly Rooms; it became a much-loved institution and has raised over an estimated ยฃ25-30K for various local charities chosen annually.

Itโ€™s an incredible amount, but Julie revealed she wasnโ€™t sure of the grand total over the combined years. โ€œWe’ve never really kept a total of what we’ve raised,โ€ she modestly told me, โ€œwe sang a few songs, and someone’s life got a little better is how we think about it.โ€

Their tenth and final time performing the fundraiser as The Female of the Species will be at The Melksham Assembly Hall on Saturday 13th September 2025, and will be raising for Voices, a Bath-based charity supporting survivors and overcomers of domestic abuse and violence to recover and thrive. Tickets usually sell out quickly, you can grab yours HERE.

And youโ€™ll be glad you did, the accumulation of five talented singers from different bands, coming together for a sizzling melting pot of all popโ€™s subgenres, from rock, soul and reggae, blended with some filthy banter is something to behold, a whole lot of fun and dancing. Thereโ€™s always a quality support act too, the likes of Plan of Action, Becky Lawrence and Dylan Smith have all warmed up the audience in previous years, but the girls have called inย Laura Jayne, their first ever support act, who has carved out her own career as a vocalist.

With only months to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds or face potential closure due to the building it leased being beyond economical repair, in 2024 Female of the Species raised funds for Trowbridge preschool Rainbow Early Years. 2013 was for Alzheimerโ€™s Support, and previous years theyโ€™ve supported Mind, Young Melksham, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and one very close to our hearts here at Devizine, Carmelaโ€™s Stand Up to Muscular Dystrophy.

They received a Civic Award in 2019, a letter from the Queen Consort, and thanks from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. For a couple of years, with a misinformed council, they made the move to Seend Community Hall, but in 2024 they headlined Melkshamโ€™s Christmas light switch on and are now back at the Assembly Hall. Although, where and why did it all begin?

โ€œI started The Female of the Species because I didn’t like the way women were perceived on the local music scene,โ€ Julie Moreton told us. โ€œOut with Train to Skaville, at a couple of local festivals I noticed I was the only female on the stage, so I went into the green room and asked โ€˜anyone got any girls in the band?โ€™ The reply was, โ€˜we don’t have girls in our band because theyโ€™re unreliable, always gotta find a babysitter!โ€™ At another  festival I asked the same question, this time the reply was, ‘we get a few girlie’s in when we want some backing lyrics done!โ€™ It bugged me for about a year, then I decided to do something about it, spoke to my co-founder Julia Greenland, we booked the Civic Hall, without really knowing what we were doing!โ€

They only ever planned the gig as a one-off in 2014, but went on for ten years. Julie concluded, โ€œthe rest is history,โ€ until hilarious force of nature Claire โ€œBig Mammaโ€ Perry had to butt in with her welcomed thoughts too!

โ€œI joined this crazy bunch after their first year of performing,โ€ Claire  informed me, โ€œwith, I have to admit, some apprehension!!โ€ and continued to explain her reasoning; being โ€œbadly burntโ€ by another woman in a band; I didnโ€™t dare delve deeper! 

โ€œBut after Jules and Julia convinced me,โ€ she continued, โ€œI thought Iโ€™d be mad not to, โ€˜cos it’ll be fun!  I have to say….I’ve never looked back, well, maybe once or twice, to tell the drummer he’s too frigginโ€™ loud, or asleep, or pissed!โ€

โ€œIt’s been hard work every year, to get the time needed to rehearse, as all the band have their own commitments be it musically, or with their own families and lives, but what a privilege itโ€™s been every year to raise not only awareness of our chosen charities, but of course the money  that has helped them all, in whatever way they chose to put it to use.โ€ 

โ€œI think, if I may speak on behalf of all of us, what being in the Female of the Species has done for us, is to firmly secure the respect, admiration, and amazing friendships we have made amongst us all. Every year, we come out, smiling, (teeth & tits!!) to our trusty, and loyal audiences, professional to a fault, to put on, what we hope- will be a great show…but often hiding, or certainly masking, our own sometimes sad or heartbreaking dilemmas!โ€

Claire described how every year one of the members had issues in their personal lives, โ€œwhether that be, broken hearts, broken limbs!โ€ and here I recollected the year Nicky Davis hobbled out with a broken leg, and stunned the audience standing for her solo, but Claire reflected back three years past, when she lost her mum the night before the show.

โ€œTen years at the top of our game, we hope we can raise the rafters on this, our big celebration of music, friendship, and helping decent people, working to help others in chronically under funded charities, and get the place bouncing!! For me, itโ€™s been a blast, boosted my confidence and morale, and it’s made me proud of what a bunch of musos from the West can do, when we put our collective skills in the pot. Over the last ten years we have been The Female of the Species band, we have raised somewhere in the region of 30K for some very deserving people. It’s been a slog, it’s been a grin, but most of all…it’s been a pleasure!โ€

The pleasure has been ours, as we turn the final page, The Female of the Species will become an historical landmark on Wiltshireโ€™s music scene, and I still didnโ€™t get any of their phone numbers. For one last time youโ€™re invited to help them raise the roof of the Melksham Assembly Hall on Saturday 13th September 2025, but you need a ticket from HERE.

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JAZZ โ€“ Our Local Guide

Andy Fawthrop All That Jazz โ€“ Nice! D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene.ย  Itโ€ฆ

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Jurassic Hillworth Park!

You know, there’s umpteen articles, studies, and even a six and half minute YouTube video explaining that Steven Spielberg’s 1993 family sci-fi movie Jurassic Parkโ€ฆ

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Crowned Lightbringer; New Single From Ruby Darbyshire

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby! So good the Kaiser Chiefs wrote a song about her, or if not, at least brilliant enough to silence the most rowdy venue into an utter state of jawdropping awe! A video of a new tune, a metaphorical sea shanty, Crowned Lightbringer teasing us for a forthcoming EP, is out todayโ€ฆ..

A diary jam-packed, gigging across the South West to Scotland and beyond, her natural talent is off the scale, and deservedly gaining attention. With youth on her side, raw determination, and a twinkle in her eye, whatever avenue she might choose to take to get there, everything screams future legend about Ruby Darbyshire. I predicted this from day dot, Crowned Lightbringer confirms.

They whisper, โ€œoh, I’ve not heard her play yet,โ€ and not wishing to present them with a spoiler, I reply, as Ruby tunes up, โ€œjust, don’t go anywhere.โ€ Seconds later, another instant Ruby Darbyshire fan has spawned!

For her most treasured song to date, Insomnia, uses the inventively crafted metaphor of a blankie to represent a relatively adult issue, even breaks the solemnity with a comical line, it remains the simple premise of an intelligent childlike product in comparison to Crowned Lightbringer.

A rowing boat in a storm, a race against sea monsters, the lighthouse diverting ships from a bay; this is multi-layered and richer metaphorically than anything we’ve heard from Ruby in the past,ย and projects a maturing sentiment, with a fleshed, lost character and a sombre, inspiring narrative. The mood is chilled in darkness and euphorically hopeful to be guiding towards light.ย  It’s a sublime voyage of discovery, and overlapping looped harmonies echoing Ruby’s soulful vocal range insists you come aboard.

sneaky peek at the forthcoming EP cover

The tempo mellowed to ghostly, the sentiment interwoven into this rich theme of the implications of maturing; blues, in essence, with silk and steel strings? I’m no expert, but I do know the result is breathtaking, perfection on every level. It feels personal yet outwardly reflecting, and leaves you longing for this forthcoming EP.

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Jol Rose For Tomorrow

New single from Swindonโ€™s finest Americana singer-songwriter Jol Rose, the kind of artist whoโ€™ll finish a song and leave a jammed pub in such aweโ€ฆ

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