Month: Aug 2026

Hot Juice Project at The Three Crowns

Whoa! What happened last night at the trusty Three Crowns?! What happened last night at the Three Crowns has clearly happened before, and happens most weekends; Devizes folk old and particularly the young come to party….

I’m aware of that much. But if the quality of the party rests in the hands of whoever is at the control tower, I’d not witnessed The Hot Juice Project boiling over the sides of this saucepan before.

All I know is one half of this duo, with the capability of sounding like they’ve doubled-up and are an exceptionally loud four-piece band, Jake Lockhart, as an acoustic singer and a short-lived frontman of local mod covers band, The Roughcut Rebels. In the few occasions I’ve met him, he usually comes across charming but mild-mannered, even slightly diffident. 

The last time I met him was at the private invite opening of The Birdhouse in Trowvegas. He was entertaining acoustically solo, but being the nature of the event was to show off this fabulous new venue, participants were engrossed in conversation, rather than taking much notice of Jake. It was here we had a quick chat, as he shyly told me of The Hot Juice Project he’d created; a duo where he has creative freedom to replicate covers using loop pedals and other techy tricks.

I made a promise to him to check this out, next time he was doing it locally. So, despite my pilgrimage to the Southgate for Talk in Code, I decided to ensure I allot enough time to attend this too; glad I did, as The Three Crowns was having it.

They’d arrived via a multi-act all dayer gig in the Sham, reportedly under-attended due to insufficient advertising. Equally it can often be a slow start here, where the trend for the younger regulars, governed by economics, is to attend the local Spoons, then descend on the Three Crowns like an exodus, once they’ve acquired sufficient intoxication levels. But hey, despite a humble gathering, The Hot Juice Project were loud and proud, knocking out contemporary indie, punky covers with all the desirable force and quality of a full band.

I returned from the Gate suspecting this wonderful pub and the only one of its kind in town would be considerably fuller. I wasn’t mistaken. It was positively booming there, as The Hot Juice Project were in full flight, and their element. Knocking out beloved covers with such gusto, I was surprised to note Jake and his drummer and second vocalist Jack’s insane diversity and ability to absolutely and wholeheartedly rock out!

If, despite his earned accomplishments as a skilled singer and guitarist, Jake has been wrongly typecast in genre and style, possibly in order to cut his teeth on the local circuit, here, where singalong hard rock covers are worshipped, he shines like a beacon in an otherwise blackened seascape. 

The Hot Juice Project selected a repertoire likely to be rejected from the average covers duo, for being too technical, or too hard sounding; such as their grunge finale smelling of Nirvana’s Teen Spirit, and especially those involving raps, such as The Chilli Peppers. But this duo deliver them with fired frenzy, and adroit precision.

It was indeed a sight to see, and for me, a pleasant surprise. I usually take grunge and modern harder-edged rock with a pinch, but the crowd was lapping it up. And it would be impossible for me to deny, if live music was a parcel delivery, The Hot Juice Project is not the courier to dump it in your blue wheelie bin and piss off! They’re the supermarket delivery boy eager for appraisal, who stands and waits until you’ve checked everything off and are satisfied. Perhaps even going overboard and offering to stack it in your fridge for you!

The result is a content crowd at the Three Crowns, and another success for the pub who knows exactly what buttons to press. 

I must say, a few seconds delay with wandering between pubs could’ve hindered my ability to scribe both reviews for them. Two teenagers on a moped revved their hairdryer up the curb of the High Street and rallied full force through the dark walkway between the old Wilkos and redundant Four Seasons pub, only to alert two Devizes bobbies, moments before I would’ve walked through it!

Bored kids showing off I figured, ambiguously excused for their irresponsible and dangerous act, because there’s “nothing to do” in Devizes.

Whereas whatever opinion the curtain-twitchers might make of youngsters drinking in a pub, the Three Crowns strictly age check and take safeguarding as paramount. At least they are contained there, and enjoying themselves. And when they are entertained they are not impelled to cause trouble or act in such a manner. 

There’s never trouble at the Three Crowns. Townsfolk of all ages respect what the team has supplied far too much, and this reflects into a positive atmosphere with every attendance made. I tell landlord Simon, “they’re actually far better behaved than my generation ever was!” Fact!

It is a testament to what can be achieved in an era of financial doubt and questionable management affecting the hospitality industry, and, as it continues to source high quality entertainment, the cover bands are welcomed by the masses. Many come and rock it, the Hot Juice Project made its mark last night to a colossal applause. The town should be proud of what a welcoming and universal establishment and a vital palace for letting your hair down the Three Crowns remains to be.

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Ruby Darbyshire: God is Offline

Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s…

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Talking in Code at The Southgate, Devizes

I’ve got this Jetpack app on my phone which allows me to make adjustments to the site. There’s a new feature on it notifying me of articles published on this day in previous years. It revealed that on this day last year I fondly reviewed Talk in Code’s single launch gig at The Vic in Swindon. Some things never change; last night I dropped into the Southgate where Talk in Code smashed it again…

Some stage banter included drummer Jambo claiming he had a “lot to do back here,” reminded me of the year they played the Fulltone Festival where he temporarily mislaid his drumsticks! 

At the Vic Talk in Code play their homeground, whereas The Southgate is usually affiliated with blues or folk aficionados, and the Fulltone is an orchestral event. Although these three gigs vastly contrast, Talk in Code look equally comfy at either. If they were a creature from the Harry Potter universe they’d surely be the Occamy, a serpentine with choranaptyxic wings, allowing it the magical ability to grow or shrink to fit the exact size of the space it is in.

Just how the Occamy doesn’t change appearance, only size, neither does Talk in Code change their strictly original set, only to fit, yet still manage to thrill any crowd no matter the diversity of their bookings.

The essence of pop is imitable and “catchy,” not to be niche, or these days of sampling, even wholly original. A factor of non-commerciality is to be a cult. Talk in Code balances this with a popular fanbase, “the Talkers” and this unique yet universal synth indie style which, with multi-era influences any age can reflect off, appeals to a wide range. That’s the secret of Talk in Code and it never fails to entertain.

If Talk in Code time travelled back to the eighties, there’s little doubt in my mind they’d be a classic band akin to Duran Duran, Level 42 or perhaps Ah-Ha, and they’d be playing a stadium by now. Such is detrimental changes to the music industry they thrive locally, only sporadically reaching further afield. Amidst their fanbase they are that accomplished, and deserved, as they chant their songs back to them as if they really were pop stars. For in which case quantumly, they are.

Goody bags and Lego sets of the band among their merch suggest prime and strategic marketing, still you’ve got to be in the club to know it’s true; Talk in Code will thrill not just you, but your whole family young and old. I looked around at the people dancing at The Gate, as I often do to settle my appraisal as more than personal opinion, and it proves it, each and every time. And that’s why, yeah, I bash on about Talk in Code a lot, but maybe not too much!

I’ve actually a mission at the popular Three Crowns to highlight an act we’ve not mentioned before; the next review I’ll work on. But I could never allow myself to miss a Talk in Code gig at my local. Live music at The Southgate has been such a staple for so long now, it risks folk taking it for granted, but nights like this prove it still has what it takes to be that squeeze box of quality, especially in hosting original acts like Talk in Code.

The guys took a first half of their earlier and more obscure tunes, still rocking the Gate, and a second half whereby they celebrate this continued dedication to creating danceable indie-pop anthems. Safe in knowledge The Southgate was appeased, and I was so familiar the guys would carry out orders uncompromisingly,  I headed off early to see what was occurring at The Three Crowns. Had I not been on a promise, I’d have stayed with Talk in Code, because pop demands an affliction for the familiar, at least it does when it’s as perfected as Talk in Code.

As for the Southgate, worthy gigs abound there every weekend. Keep in the loop via our event calendar, and pop down there. I endeavour to list them as they come in, though Facebook shares of their chalkboard can be more sporadic these days, and I forget to take a snap of it when I’m there!!  

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JAZZ – Our Local Guide

Andy Fawthrop All That Jazz – Nice! D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene.  It…

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XTC’s Colin Moulding Wants AI Slop, Bad

Swindonite and founder member of XTC Colin Moulding released a new single last week, Want It Bad (The Pep Talks and Playing Fields of Old England). It’s previewing a three-track CD single being released via Burning Shed. This is Moulding’s second single in five years, following 2021’s The Hardest Battle, but is it simply a smooth, rose-tinted specs wishful motivation, or is Colin really making plans for Nigel?!

In this single, Moulding continues to explore the distinctly English pop sensibility trademark of XTC, through qualities of melody, rhythm, variety, idiosyncratic subject matter and a bucketload of nostalgia. It began as a song of sport and camaraderie, but soon took on a broader meaning. Colin explained, “although this song started life as a sporting pep talk, it was clear that it could easily be thought of as a mantra for one’s own life ambitions whatever they may be. If you want something in this life you have to really want it. And if you really want it, you’ll get it; that was my mantra.”

And, like Paul McCartney’s Wings, it is a lovely song of motivation from a mature, experienced professional, seemingly themed ambiguously, with meaning that could be interpreted by the listener. It’s the accompanying video which unfortunately feels like a cringeworthy political allegory, and this causes any imagination the listener might have conjured, to collapse within itself.

Colin was born in Swindon in 1965 to a GWR worker and a laundrette wife and lived in Penhill. They were in every essence working class. Through jam sessions he met Andy Partridge around about 1972, introduced him to Terry Chambers and they formed the band Helium Kidz, which changed name to XTC. Through their angular guitar riffs considered pop in an era of punk and new wave, and an abrupt ending due to contractual disagreements with Virgin, they achieved only sporadic commercial success, but attracted a considerable cult following. 

There’s therefore every reason for Colin to write a song about wanting it bad. But what is it he wants so bad? The video begins with Great British sporting achievements and more randomly, the Moon landing. Yet it wanders off onto some kind of patriotic kickback to an England of yore, with Colin handshaking a wealthy dummy, driving through the fields in a psychedelic dressed Morris Minor, is adorned with images of Lord Kitchener and spitfires, housewives marching village streets wearing gasmasks, and toy soldiers on a bandstand. The irony is, the video might feel like an Orphism collage influenced by Aardman’s Sledgehammer, but appears to be prompted rather than created by Thomas Walsh, who is renowned for using AI slop. This is suspiciously AI, and I cannot abide by that.

I’ve no issue with patriotism, and rose tinted spec nostalgia, provided it’s divisive and supports equality, and the content here, while glorifying war, isn’t suggesting anything more. Except, similar cringeworthy AI creations are predominately used for far-right propaganda, causing the video to feel uneasily related to such politically motivated imagery; which is a shame. Particularly due to XTC’s most known hit “Making Plans for Nigel,” recently being used, for and against, the rise of Reform and fascism in England.

You can want something bad, you could strive to reach that goal, but, I quiver, as a professional musician, should you sacrilegiously destroy any further creativity with AI? And if you do, how in the good name of England’s green and pleasant land is that nostalgic in any shape or form?!

Nice song, shame about the video! Want It Bad is available on CD from the 18th September, exclusively via Burning Shed.

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Devizes Duo Take Dungeons & Dragons Out into the Wilds

by Claire Dunford, Co-Founder and Games Master at Chronicles and Companions Images by Simon Folkard Photography What do you think of when you hear Dungeons & Dragons? For many, it conjures images of cramped living rooms, cluttered tabletop maps, and strange spreadsheets of numbers. But my co-founder Justin Whiting and I set out to completely…

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An Apology to Councillor Wallis

I would like to apologise to Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis for incorrect quotes in a spoof article concerning a BBC Wiltshire video we criticised earlier this week about the Crammer in Devizes drying up… Gail was right in a comment, thank you for bringing it to my attention. Iain did not say that the…

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Henge Frontman Matthew C. Whitaker Solo Tour Comes to Frome

Featured Image: Antony Barkworth-Knight

Despite intentionally making his tricks go wrong, Tommy Cooper was actually a skilled magician and member of The Magic Circle. SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biologist, and Benny Hill really was a milkman. In order to deride an art effectively you must first master it. It therefore stands to reason Matthew C. Whitaker, frontman of the cosplay prog-rave outfit HENGE, also has some highly acclaimed solo material….

Matthew takes his February album Songs for the Weary on the road solo this October, opening in Belgium and the Netherlands before touring across the UK, including Frome’s Cheese & Grain’s sister venue The Tree House on Wednesday 21st October.

The one and only time I’ve seen Henge was at the Cheese, making haste for the county border after fondly reviewing their album Journey to Voltus B last year, and it was a gig I’d need to be abducted and lobotomised to forget. Matthew’s solo material can be equally as cosmic, as it drifts through gentle pieces for classical guitar, lush string arrangements, and subtle electronics, but it also contrasts vastly, and is a particularly mellower experience than Henge.

There’s cool jazz sax, whistles, fingerpicked guitar and delicate yet quirky observations in these hushed and patient patterns, taking you along with it as it drifts through space. Songs for the Weary has found a home on BBC Radio 6 Music, with singles Lucid Dreamer and Chestnut Tree championed by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie, Craig Charles, and Deb Grant.

The run follows a widely praised set of UK and European dates earlier this year, when Whitaker was joined on stage by the album’s producer and multi-instrumentalist Alan Keary. This time, he takes to the stage completely solo.

Manchester-based musician and composer Matthew sings about losing a train of thought, which is apt, it twinkles through you like Bowie at his most exquisite or Paul’s later work with The Beatles, backed by Peter, Paul and Mary, for an episode of Button Moon.

And before you say it, milkman is an art; it can take years to master the three-bottle-grip whilst being chased by an enraged Yorkshire terrier up a garden path.

More info on Matthew C. Whitaker

The UK tour dates look like this:

11/10/26 – Lancaster Music Festival, Lancaster

13/10/26 – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow

14/10/26 – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh

18/10/26 – Storyhouse, Chester

19/10/26 – The Bullingdon, Oxford

20/10/26 – Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester

21/10/26 – The Tree House, Frome

24/10/26 – The Grand, Clitheroe

26/10/26 – The Hare And Hounds, Birmingham

27/10/26 – Signature Brew, London

29/10/26 – Amped, Huddersfield

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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 Park…

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Jol Rose For Tomorrow

New single from Swindon’s finest Americana singer-songwriter Jol Rose, the kind of artist who’ll finish a song and leave a jammed pub in such awe…

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Ruby Darbyshire: God is Offline

Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s been playing at recent gigs. Here the track has a subtle piano added, and those wonderful brush drum strokes texturing it with that smooth jazzy ambience, yet with poignant narrative too. Give God is Offline a quick whirl, and bless your ears…

Ruby mentioned working on this song when we talked in May. “It was inspired by our recent trip to Egypt,” Ruby explained, “where we narrowly escaped Dubai’s missile attack by a few hours. When we got to our apartment, we could see down on the street. There were loads of prayer mats, because the mosque was so filled, people had to spill out onto the road. And so that inspired it.”

Its deeper meaning, I presumed, was not to seek faith online, but to look either spiritually or in the real world. Ruby elucidated, “more just the fact that everyone is the same, whether they believe in a different God or they are from a different part of the world, they’re all the same. We’re all just trying to live our lives..”

Find Ruby’s LinkTree HERE

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Book Review: Dave McKenna’s Death Wish

It was back in March last year when I last mentioned Devizes author Dave McKenna, reviewing his debut, The Killer & The Catalyst. He’s returned with…

My Reflection on the Fate of Carnivals

It’s Saturday morning on the 13th July 1985, and there’s a dilemma brewing in my household I’m indifferent with. I’m twelve, aware I should do…

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Blood, Sweat and Tears; Burn the Midnight Oil’s New Single

Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizes’ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed a more carefree and commercially viable style to their previously darker themed and rawer material. It was enough for James Threlfall to pick it up for BBC Introducing. With a new single out on Friday 28th August called Blood, Sweat & Tears you might be fooled into assuming by the title they’ve turned back to the sombre moods of before. Think again…..

Though frontgirl Chrissy might’ve elucidated, least hinted something darker might be in the pipeline, for now Blood, Sweat & Tears follows neatly on from Slow Burn with an incredible upbeat driving vibe, verging on Shania Twain sassy, yet retaining the cool rock riff of Fleetwood Mac. It’s immediately compulsive, with a danceable and anthemic combo. I find myself contemplating if it’s better than Slow Burn, or not, but with a hook razor-sharpened, it’s undoubtedly on par, and proves it wasn’t pot luck in July.

With this divine product of Potterne’s Badger Set blessing my ears I also find myself reflecting back to an interview we did with the band last November. Guitarist John Lane spoke of achieving such a hook as these last two singles, and expressed the importance of the sound. “First thing people take in is rhythm,” he suggested, “then melody, last of all, lyrics. So if you hook the first bit, you don’t get the second one, then they come back for the lyrics.”

In this I sensed a healthy division between John and Chrissy’s perspectives. Knowing how much thought and creativity Chrissy loads into her writing, drawing inspiration from personal and often emotional experiences, and exporting them into relatable and poignant lyrics, there was a non-confrontational difference. I supposed of this stalemate at the time, “a good blend of opinion is surely necessary to compose the elements of a song professionally.” And that is precisely what they put in, making this song work; the dynamics of pop, a conscious composition where both arguments meet in harmony.

Chrissy taglines the song thus; “some dreams begin as little more than a whisper, an idea that refuses to let go, a vision that quietly demands more of you until ignoring it is no longer an option.” Ah, yes, I can reflect the notion; any inventive mind will tell, that’s the creative juices flowing and the desire to express them. Blood, Sweat & Tears concerns itself with the acceptance of that call, and the feeling of unlocking your potential. As Chrissy says, “breaking through self-imposed limitations and pursuing a future worth fighting for.”

An expressive tenet full of contemplation and self-analysis, it remains positively angled, like Jimmy Cliff on his hard road to travel, but with steadfast faith he can’t turn back because his mind is set. Chrissy views her theme similarly, as a meaningful journey of courage and determination against odds stacked not in your favour. Such concepts are not so uncommon in music, and an acoustic singer-songwriter will expose similar thoughts abound. But here, with Burn the Midnight Oil the prose is perfectly packaged by the sound of her exceptionally accomplished and unified band, complementing her natural vocal balance, and that harmoniousness is what makes Blood Sweat & Tears so complete and engaging.

Here’s their LinkTree, new single is out next Friday 28th August 2026, but you can pre-save it and listen to the last one. I suggest you do. Perks of the job; this one is stuck in my head already!

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Speed Reduction on Caen Hill to 50mph

Be honest now, who likes to bomb it up and down Caen Hill dual carriageway like they’re Lewis Hamilton on a promise? Who thinks once…

Jamsters Festival at The Southgate

January last year, The Southgate Inn Devizes announced Jamsters, a monthly Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jam sessions…

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Large It Norm, in Trowbridge!

Yes, we’ve got to praise Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall like we should, because Fatboy Slim is going to be right there, but not right now; the 5th November… bugger, it’s a Thursday!

Ian Sawyer wins the Facebook comment section on this post with “That’s my knees buggered for November then!” Which couldn’t reflect on my own predicament more perfectly.

It’s been decades since my mates and I followed Norm like little lost sheep, yelling “Brimful of Asha on the 45” across Brighton to Glastonbury. But it was an era when I was more able-bodied. Then again, if the Fatboy is still tripping, then why confine myself to my nursing home so soon?!

A great booking, Old Town Hall, whose manager whispered he had a secret when I rapped with him at next door’s opening night at The Birdhouse. I didn’t guess it’d be this groundbreaking DJ. Large it!

Emergency Alert: Wessex Water Hosepipe Ban!

Surprised your mobile didn’t sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water’s hosepipe ban?! Then, you’re a gullible idiot!

But being 22,239 voters in one seaside town opted, again, for a fascist criminal ringmaster to lead them, and, similarly as stupid, a man named Bruce shoved nine Creme Eggs up his rectum, perhaps we’ve entered the satirical realm of Mike Judge and Ethan Cohen’s Idiocracy, and, therefore the alarm last week was necessary, even if you jumped so much you knocked over your barbecue.

Let’s clear this up before we rap hosepipes. If you’re subject to domestic violence and own a secret phone, yes, you should switch the alerts off on it. Otherwise you should realise any Conservatives or other climate change denying opposition party members taking to their social media encouraging us to switch the alarm off, on a system they themselves installed, are not doing it for your safety or peace of mind, rather an irresponsible and dangerous attempt to slander the current government.

It was not as the dirty Rees-Dogg yarned uninvited on my Faceache newsfeed; Burnham unnecessarily alerting us that it’s summer. While the usage of the emergency alert could be debated, wildfires are spreading on an unprecedented scale across the UK, due to the now undeniable climate change that the previous governments did absolutely zilch to address, therefore, triggered at the request of overloaded fire and rescue officers, the emergency alert was justified. Unless you, your family and friends wish to burn in hellfire whilst erecting flags on lamposts and painting rural roundabouts, apply some common sense and avoid using disposable barbecues for the time being; big ask!!

Equally, a hosepipe ban is unfortunately understandable if we are to reserve the little water we retain in reservoirs. Though this announcement is far more easily attacked, being Wessex Water has faced intense public and regulatory backlash over widespread raw sewage discharges, environmental damage, large shareholder payouts, and rising executive pay amid mounting network failures, it should be the privatisation of public services under question, rather than if you should, or shouldn’t, water your rhododendrons or wash birdshit off your Tesla. 

It’s hard to take orders from a company Ofwat finalised an £11 million enforcement package against, requiring Wessex Water shareholders to fund local environmental and infrastructure upgrades after the company failed to properly maintain and upgrade its wastewater network. Even worse when the company was criminally convicted and fined £500,000 following a prolonged sewage pumping station failure at Bowerhill Lodge near Melksham, which discharged untreated waste into Clackers Brook and killed over 2,100 fish.

Or, hey there was that time when a backed-up sewer spilled into a River Yeo tributary in Somerset, resulting in a £300,000 payout by the company toward local river and habitat restoration trusts. But who are we to judge their Chief Executive Ruth Jefferson, after she received her pay rise, taking her total package to roughly £791,000?!

Even if the company itself acknowledged it risked breaching sector-wide environmental bonus restrictions on this pay rise, because they clearly cannot be trusted any further than be thrown, the responsibility remains on us, the public, to not only save water during a drought, but vote for a party with core environmental concerns and pledging to renationalise our public services. 

And I say this not because of political sway, but that I consider the extinction of all life on Earth a pretty fundamental concern and “big deal.”

I therefore condemn irresponsible reporting on all environmental issues; that’s relevant, isn’t it? Rather you support your chosen party who backs companies where the utility recorded tens of thousands of sewage spills spanning hundreds of thousands of hours across the south-west of England, if you want to. Free country last time I checked, but tomfoolery on this to sway popular opinion is criminal against no one but ourselves and our future generations, of which we hand them the world in a state similar to what Wayne and Waynetta Slob might leave their council flat. 

Therefore I call out reporters like Neil Shaw of Wiltshire’s gutter press Wiltshire Live, for publishing a story about a consumer expert pointing out “a little-known fact about hosepipe bans – claiming not one person has ever been prosecuted for ignoring the orders.”

How insanely irresponsible, despite evidence, it is to encourage rebellious acts against protecting our water supply, for clickbait. For if you continue to ignore the warning, it is akin to acknowledging an absence of police and speed cameras implies you can accelerate to your heart’s desire, only to rundown a child. 

Oh, quick, BBC Wiltshire, the Crammer in Devizes has dried up, what should we do?

Send down a reporter who looks like Borat to interview a Conservative town councillor about the Moonrakers folklore! 

This is not a novel by Frank Herbert, yet, but, like Lemmings, we strive on with the madness, councillor Maria Hoult for Devizes South complaining that the “Town Council are no longer permitted to water the floral displays and trees.” And good folk perhaps need an emergency alert as they gather online to rage at Wessex Water, throbbing the very backbone out of the water guzzling data centres spreading their message. When the real message should surely be, just because our water companies, politicians and media can’t act responsibly it doesn’t mean you have to follow their example.

The hosepipe ban comes into place on Tuesday the 18th August and lasts forty days, coincidentally the same time period Jesus fasted in the desert with the devil on his back, before they nailed him to a cross, for asking people to be nice to each other. Obviously they didn’t have Facebook back then; is this going to happen every fifty years? It’s an attack on my civil liberties!!

Stray Chords of Salisbury; How Jolyon Dixon was Reunited with Childhood Guitar

Turned around in just a day, a team of guitar “heir hunters” from Macclesfield called The Stray Chord have reunited Salisbury’s musician Jolyon Dixon with his childhood guitar, with a truly fascinating story…..

Jordan, Sarah, and Damian are a family team behind Stray Chord, who’ve spent years rescuing lost guitars from auctions, marketplace listings, trades and house clearances, in order to restore and rehome them. This has developed into a project reuniting the guitars with their original owners, and discovering the histories behind them.

They hope to create a music hub built around this unique idea, creating a space for people to connect through music and creativity. “Once we’ve raised enough, we would love to open a community-minded space with rehearsal rooms, a workshop, and a coffee and comics area,” Sarah explained. Sarah does aesthetic restoration, her husband Jordan handles technical restoration, and their son Damian runs their social media and is the “Mini Moshers” ambassador.

Stray Chord team; Sarah, Damian and Jordan

“We only started up six weeks ago, so it’s early days! In that time though, we’ve rehomed over twenty restored stray guitars, and we’re on our second Mini Moshers Promise giveaway, which is where we restore and set up a guitar and equipment bundle that we give to a child that may not otherwise be able to start their musical journey.”

On Thursday the team posted a picture on their Facebook page, of a rescued 1979 Hondo II HDLP-2WI custom-style guitar, dressed in a wine red finish, hereafter called Merlot! “While dismantling Merlot for his rehabilitation,” they revealed, “we discovered a little address label. Then another. Then another. Then a fourth. A label in every cavity!”

With a redundant Salisbury telephone number, their hunt began with just a name, and they requested for information, purely for the love of discovering the story behind the instrument. The following day they received a message from Jolyon, who recognised the guitar. His parents bought him the guitar second-hand in Salisbury in 1985, when he was 11. It was his second guitar, but loved and cherished it, and used it with his first band with school friends. He passed the guitar onto his bandmate, Jamie.

“It has been a really fun few weeks so far,” Sarah said, “and very rewarding. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do in the next six months, but being able to find Jolyon, and the history of an almost 50 year old guitar has genuinely been a real highlight.”

John and Jolyon as Illingworth

Jolyon is the most modest local music legend I’ve met. You might have seen him backing singer Rachel Sinnetta, as part of the Illingworth duo with John Smith, at the control tower of CrownFest and other Stone Circle festivals, and he produces for the likes of George Wilding. He sent them a photograph of himself, his bandmates, and the same guitar sitting dismantled on the Stray Chord’s workbench. “At this point,” they expressed, “we were already emotional because we’re hugely sentimental people. It’s a large part of why The Stray Chord exists in the first place.”

Jolyon relayed his story to the team, from this school band to his professional career, in which he played in numerous bands and recordings, including The Who’s Endless Wire album. He told us he was quite emotional about the discovery, and explained how Jamie put the address labels in when he passed it to him. “Jamie has had a great music career,” he told us, “partly out in Australia, and is a brilliant guitarist.”

The other guitarist in the photo is John Wakefield, of whom Jolyon is still in touch with, and still owns his guitar! “John and I stayed band mates all the way through secondary school,” Jolyon told us, “and on through playing with Toyah Willcox, and then as backing for girl duo Scarlet in 1995, so we did get to do Top of the Pops together a few times, which was great!”

The story caused the Stray Chord to consider their Mini Moshers project, “because this photograph could almost have been taken to explain why we started it. Someone put a second-hand guitar into the hands of an 11-year-old. That kid formed a band. He kept playing, and more than four decades later, he’s still making music professionally and touring the world. We’re not suggesting that every Mini Mosher we give a guitar to is going to end up playing with The Who, that’s not the point! But, maybe they’ll become a professional musician, maybe they’ll form a clumsy teenage garage band with their best friends.”

Jolyon was “flabbergasted” to see his old guitar, and told the Stray Chord he often thought of the guitar and where it might have gone. Though he plans a trip up to Macclesfield to visit it, and the Stray Chord gang, he feels, “it’d be best for someone new to take the guitar into its next chapter; I’ve got too many now!!”

“I’m really happy to see that the guitar is still alive and well,” Jolyon stated, “and I hope the next owner enjoys it as much as 11 year old me did!”

As for the Stray Chord’s Mini Moshers, the promise is “if there’s a young person in your life who dreams about playing guitar, please go and nominate them. We rescue guitars because we’re sentimental. We restore them because we think their stories are worth continuing. We rehome them because somewhere out there is another pair of hands ready to write their next chapter.”

Trending….

Could We Be Hearing Talk in Code Songs on TV and Films?!

Congratulations are due to Wiltshire’s indie-pop sensation Talk in Code, for sealing a second sync representation agreement, this time with Play Equals Sync, a music licensing company that helps place independent songs and instrumental tracks into television shows, advertisements, films, and video games. Could you be hearing Talk in Code songs on the telebox? We hope so!

The band said, “after some great, positive discussion, never before have we received such detailed and fantastic feedback for our recorded music and we feel like we are in great hands! We hope it’s the start of a long and fruitful relationship.”

The lads met the company when playing Brighton’s premier venue The Grand Central, but you can find them more locally at The Southgate, Devizes, on Saturday 22nd August, at Swindon Shuffle’s Street Food takeover on the 30th, at the Ruze in Chippenham on 11th September, and a new single launch show at The Vic, Swindon on the 17th Sept, when they also play an instore at Swindon’s HMV.

The 7th November see them at The Royal Oak in Pewsey, on the 14th they play at Wiltshire Music Awards in Melksham, and 12th December finds them at The Castle for a Christmas party. Now that’s something to Talk about!

Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall Introduces Youth Open Mic

Are you a budding musician aged between 13 and 18? Well, I tick neither box, but, as Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall is to introduce youth open mic sessions, I reckon it’s a brilliant incentive….

Of course, most open mics have no age restrictions, but you know how it can go sometimes, when there’s an aging hippy who wants to recite Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, or slots for the youngest are shoved onto the graveyard shift! 

Open mics are about networking, and making like-minded friends, where age groups tend to pair off better. Plus, the nervousness of starting off could be greatly increased if you’re in a room full of more experienced musicians.

So Oli & Stan present their first Youth Open Mic Night at The Old Town Hall on Wednesday 26th August, from 7:00 to 9:30pm. 

It’s free entry, and if you’d like to perform, please contact Oli at revilomagician@outlook.com

Both ticket holders and performers must be aged 13 to 18. Performers can add an accompanying adult to their guest list. Please speak to Oli when booking your performance slot to find out more.

Hats off to The Old Town Hall, a charity run multi-purpose venue in the heart of Trowbridge, not linked to the town council. It’s become a community arts centre, with lots of regular clubs and events. 

There’s lots of stuff for youngsters, especially during school holidays. They include graffiti, animation, acting and samba workshops, Lego building club, story times, even a recycling fashion workshop. While adults can enjoy family clubbercise, zumba, yoga and there’s singing groups for all ages.

With film screenings, art exhibitions, live music, and open deck nights, Trowbridge Old Town Hall has got something for everyone… except me… hold on though, there’s a Pipe & Slippers rave on the 12th September; I’d better dust off my white gloves and whistle!

The Killing Fields of Wiltshire; Sabs Uncover Gamebirds Burned in Bonfires

Andy Burnham has urged shops to stop selling disposable barbecues amid the increase of wildfire risk. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs uncover horrific scenes of burnt gamebirds on bonfires at the Stockton Shoot. Why isn’t anyone talking about this?

Our sabs investigated this in July, when they were alerted to illegal practises at the Stockton Shoot in Wiltshire, discovering and capturing on film an industrial sized operation of charred gamebirds. The video and more information can be found here, but be warned, the scenes are disturbing.

If proponents justify pheasant shooting for the provision of game meat, the scale of the birds  which have fallen short of the dinner plate is enormous. Wiltshire Hunt Sabs said “many thousands of pheasants and partridges are held within their rearing pens.This bonfire had clearly been used for some time, possibly thousands of birds ended up here.”

Advocates also commonly cite the maintenance of hedgerows, the planting of new woods, and habitat management to benefit other wildlife. The Sabs said, “Historic Google Earth imagery indicates that these pens have been used for many years and have expanded significantly over time, with little evidence that the release areas have been moved to allow environmental recovery.”

They explain, “the environmental impacts of intensive pheasant releases are well documented. High densities of released gamebirds can alter woodland ecosystems, damage sensitive ground flora, enrich soils with excessive nutrients and cause long-term degradation around release pens.”

If the shoot and 500 metres of rearing pens bordering Stockton Wood and Down, a Site of Special Scientific Interest isn’t enough for you to digest, the Sab’s original report also showed the Stockton Shoot’s LPG gas store, dangerously situated one hedge behind the bonfire area!

I was thinking of a fun comment to lighten the mood, but there isn’t one. Let’s be clear on the law; the burial or burning of fallen birds on farms is forbidden. Fallen birds that have died other than by slaughter are classified as Category 2 animal by-products. They must be collected without undue delay, stored securely in sealed, leak-proof containers, and kept away from other animals before collection. Disposal must take place through licensed routes, such as approved rendering plants, incinerators, maggot farms or collection schemes operated through the National Fallen Stock Company.

Please support Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs, HERE.

Paws Charity Dog Show for Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance and Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust

Calling all dog-lovers, come and join the Paws Charity Dog Show! A fantastic day out for families and four-legged friends….

Paws Charity Dog Show is in aid of Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance and the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust. Held amid the splendid grounds of Rainscombe Park at Oare, near Marlborough, on Sunday, 13th September, from 10am- 4 pm,this charity day promises something for everyone.

What’s on?

There is K9 Aqua Sports, the exciting Aqua Sport of dog diving, all about having fun with your canine friend; any breed, size and ability (over 6 months) can come and join in the fun. 

Watch the incredible Paws For Thought Dog Display Team, who will be showing off their agility and intelligence with tricks and fun races. There will even be plenty of chances for the audience to get involved – if they are brave enough! There will be an opportunity to join the team in some ‘Have-a-go’ Flyball.

Wessex K9 Dancers have a variety of amazing dogs ranging from Starters to Advanced dogs. They will be dancing with their lovely owners who have demonstrated Heelwork to Music and competed at Crufts.

Every dog will have its day in the 12 Fun Family Dog Show classes that are open to all dogs six months and over. Why not show off your beloved pet in the Waggiest Tail competition or Dog The Judge Most Wants To Take Home and be in with a chance of a rosette and goodie bag?!

Entries to Paws Charity Dog Show

Entries open 10.15am, with the first class commencing at 11.00am.

Throughout the day, there is also the chance to work with your dog in this fun environment, including ‘have-a-go’ sessions in agility, heelwork to music, and perhaps the most challenging ‘Temptation Alley’.   

As well as all the fun and competition for your furry friend, they will have a children’s activity section with lots to do.

Tickets:

Bought in advance = £8

Bought on the day = £10

Carer tickets receive a 50% discount: £4 in advance or £5 on the day

Children ages 12 years and under = entry is free

Book HERE

Hillbilly Hootenanny – not just for Hillbillies!

by Ben Niamor & Victoria Stanley

Owing to a hectic life, a slightly belated review and celebration of an amazing weekend….

The Music Baa, run three key events a year, a friend went to the folk one earlier in the year for one evening and gave some feedback that was shared by the team, on their socials and it was deservedly complimentary, and he goes to a great many more festivals this size and smaller than the author does!

It was music to my ears as we already had tickets! My other half and I have not been to a festival for years, for various reasons, but spurred on by familiar friends on the bill, and some new names to us that we would be assured we would enjoy!

We arrived to an already bustling campsite a couple hours into access to camping, and found a happy, well-organised team all well laid out, nice and simple.

As you can see on their page the site is limited to 500 tickets, and everything is really close to hand.

The single bar and stage under a huge tent, with gaps in the bill sufficient to get out the heat under our shade canopy, read, chat to the neighbours.. just a true chance to relax, which is what we had anticipated and chosen the event an hour away from home for.

So let’s start with the usual festival opinions I can recall being the same when in another lifetime, it feels like I was going to Glastonbury, Guilfest etc.. let’s just quickly round them up..?

Toilets and showers – eco toilets, wood shavings if you poo, apparently not for everyone but I welcomed the fresh air in those surrounding’s in such hot conditions, privacy no issue, but air movement certainly designed in. My take really simply…a portaloo in summer is deathly horrible thing, so with green credentials ensured, and them being well serviced and wash hand facilities alongside.. good solutions. the showers were spacious and similarly thoughtful of space and readily accessible. Basic but functional.

The Baa (sorry Bar) – I heard some dissenting comments but you can’t please all the people all time.. for me and her, our opinion was happy to pay significantly less than festival prices we have heard about.. for quality choices. If people drink generic pales or lager at home or in Wetherspoons then real-world pricing will always be a bit of an uphill struggle for them. I gathered a good few people don’t go out like I do week in, week out, they prefer festivals. No criticism, good for them, but not a wider view.

So any niggles about pricing are mute, they are not the ones keeping venues open and understanding the economics of providing chilled, perfectly wonderful beverages, in this case in a field in a heatwave. To those present who regularly frequent venues and events, this place are knocking it out of the park, which is no surprise as talking to Anna briefly they are no strangers to festivals, so they choose to do what they need to do and everything they can to be fair.

It’s actually very easy to pay somewhat more for the same or similar in high street locations.

We enjoyed beer, cider, cocktails all served well, with a smile from great staff.

The offer was local across beers and ciders, the cup on a deposit first purchase, there was happy hours throughout the day.. so if like us you take in all the hard work on setup, signage, art etc.

Then you might have the sense to engage with that structure and buy a beer before the next band are on for instance, during happy hour…! Literally can’t fault them, on what is among the most common things people talk or moan about with any event.. please don’t change a thing I will hope it’s the same when I next come to a festival.

Food – sufficient offer to keep us fed, some food and catering breakfast in our van but we certainly enjoyed the amazing catering plenty too over the three days, again sensible offers of excellent quality food. Snacks and dinner for us of the kind you enjoy at a festival, mega tasty, and again hats off to black tented catering heroes, as if a kitchen wasn’t hot enough at any given moment.. you worked miracles in a heatwave.

There had been some small changes, talking to those who had been last year, well-considered changes or developments had happened this year reflective of issues across the UK owing to climate and sometimes lack of common sense, so for those concerned about fire and accidents witnessed elsewhere, there were checks politely and supportively to ensure space between pitches, safe cooking for campers, more provision of fire buckets and water .. simple but thoughtful common sense that was well received.

So there’s the site and team and environment covered? We liked it, we enjoyed staying with The Baa, we are definitely interested in the folk and blues events next year and happy to share our experience enthusiastically to the music community.

So to the bands..!

There are too many to many to mention individually.. so some special mentions from my take, in no particular order.

Jon Amor Trio-

The gateway band to investigating this event was for me, I am a committed superfan I will admit, but a chance to see them in a different setting was well rewarded, a classic set from them but with room to boogie, classic Amor material, and Trio songs mixed.

But the tent jumping to crowd pleasing anthems such as Juggernaut, as many had not experienced the band before, and that’s a big part of what a festival should be about, finding new music..?

James Oliver Band-

Rocking the blues as always, Norman Watt Roy on bass a rare treat for me.. with James irreverent banter as always making their set a joy. His band and him play so incredibly well, its bemusing to see him latch on to willing audience members as a comedian might.. all part of an ‘old skool’ raconteur style that is part of the experience alongside the excellent band and the ludicrously wide-ranging material he plays so well.

Pete Robson-

A one-man delight, real roots talent. Songs well sung and the wonderful sound of steel guitar exploited to make this a treat, the kind of focused traditional narrative and sound that makes you sit up and pay attention. A new name for me, but one I shall remember and seek out if I can.

Vince Lee and Sophie Lord-

 True to my impressions.. when investigating the lineup ahead of getting tickets, I saw a press pic, and with the whole image tight and the amazing looking (50’s original in stunning original condition I later discovered) double bass, I looked no further. So, hearing them for the first time on the day, I was delighted to find the respectful and beautifully accomplished sound was reflective of my thoughts that they would not look so very much the part and play such stunning instruments of they were not the embodiment of that kind of foot stomping blues. Came away with the CD, again definitely happy to travel to see them again, composed, well-chosen songs, and superb musicianship.

Grizzly and the Grasshoppers –

I’ve seen Grizzly many times solo, we are blessed he plays our nearest venue The Southgate Inn, but I had never enjoyed a band show. I expected it would be faster, louder but every bit the driven and fun show you get if he’s on his own.

I was in for a treat, it was not so much faster for the most part, but layered and complimentary, fun in a different way, I struggle to describe adequately.. perhaps informed by his own enjoyment of playing with a band at a festival during the sunny summer season rather in his element, which is slightly different to playing a pub solo? It was a raucous riot including him adding himself as a second drummer several times! Absolutely perfect fit festival band.

DSB-

New to me and I’ve no idea why..?! Local to venue, played all over but I had not the pleasure.

Amazing band whether playing their own stuff or absolutely smashing some Hendrix for a happy audience demanding an encore mid-afternoon.. there’s a theme here but a band I will be looking out for, and bending the ear of promotor friends about.

Ian Siegal Band –

I’ve seen this amazing bluesman before many times, with different bands, solo.. guesting with Jon Amor.. always an uncompromising performer.

Ian has written and recorded with an array of artists the world over and it shows, a confidence.. a sort of self-assured ego, almost in knowing his many awards, as a result of well-travelled career meaning he can deliver his own songs and some of the hardest hitting blues from the likes of his favourites Muddy Waters , and Howling Wolf at will. Playing his own Revelator, or back door man by Wolf.. you are transfixed with his immersive delivery that demands your attention. As always, an absolute delight. As was the way he deals with anyone whose own conversations at the front distracting him or those more immersed such as myself, in his own well-known style he makes his displeasure at loud ill-considered audience members known so we can all get on with his performance, another trick learned of a bluesman’s journey well lived I guess?!

North Drive-

A more bluegrass offering here, the sound befitting the hats and stomping feet, a great sound with southern bluegrass flavour, storytelling and folk song.. another new name not too distant from the area who were exactly as described and really good.

The Duskers-

I’ve known The Duskers some little while, another name I am fortunate enough to thank my local for, as they come up to us regularly in the year. In trying to spread the word about this excellent band, I always open with ‘do you like the Byrds?’ This group of wonderful musicians and wonderful humans I am pleased to know, they have an enveloping sound, and for me at least (sorry Tim but I know you will understand?!) Melinda on pedal steel guitar is the piece de resistance.

The haunting and yet enchanting sounds of this instrument played so well adds a layer to the band’s sound that takes all the other superb musicianship to a distinctive next level for your ears.

As you may have gathered, I love them anyway, but truly that’s the best analogy I can summon, if you like the Byrds version of blues/country then you would love everything they do. Great to see them with room to reach out and stretch their legs physically as well as musically as they normally look a little crammed into our local!

The Cinelli brothers-

We have been advised by many including many of my favourite artists, which I am fortunate enough to call friends that I would love and should see this band, it was actually a part of the drive to try a festival after such a gap.

They did not disappoint! I was around whilst the soundcheck was going on, and observed a high level of detail and attention from the band, which often means they will rip through a set, they want everything spot on so they give there all.. which is what they did!

An amazing band, they certainly know how to hold a crowd…this was a superbly fitting close out band, a high note of a current blues scene, a first time for many of us, and a winning vote for me to end the weekend on.

I’ve not covered everyone, I didn’t catch everyone, we had a lot of sociable time with friends new and old, some of the musicians again those new to me and those dear to me for many years… just a really great level of it being achievable, no multiple stages miles apart, no trudge forever for the campsite, the bog etc.. all close by allowing you to relax, and feel like you have not missed anything, which is something I always suffered from in huge scale events such as Glastonbury despite that too bringing lots of music to my life. That was over twenty years ago, and this was so different.

Just as when I worked loading and hospitality for our sadly long-gone Saddleback festival, the chance to meet and chat to people, among them some of the heavy hitters in the soundtrack to my life, to learn something of the journeys of musicians or other music fans like myself is an incredible experience.

Some of these bands are totally new to my ears, and local enough that’s surprising, which does show that sometimes you don’t have to look too far for new fantastic bands to see the rest of the year?

I’ve come back and spreading the word a little in the hopes some of these musicians may play venues we frequent week in week out.

I think the only observation, and I say observation as it’s not a criticism, is if I look at last year’s bill, there are many familiar names who have now played two years. They are excellent, I know some of them extremely well ..but from a festival perspective keeping the bill refreshed each year, is I think really important.

In my efforts to help advertise a blues festival in my own town, I found I was regularly rebuffed as after the first two years (all different and some incredible timing meaning we had up and coming and very established names mixed into the lineup…) the booking changed and too much was recycled for a second or third year, and people who aren’t out every week like me simply told me ‘it’s the same bands as last year’ for me, I keenly await the announcements and hopefully some new names and well caught headliners will entice a return visit for me and the other half next year.

This a reflection or opinion the increasingly fickle nature of a society who for too long have viewed and experienced music as free. It’s the biggest thing I feel butted up against when doing every small thing I can to encourage people to get involved with live music.

There are certainly a good many local bands that would be an amazing fit for the Baa in our regular gig itinerary, who knows maybe some of them will feature in future years and we will see some more of the amazing south Wiltshire and Hampshire talent showcased at the Hootenanny in our venues keeping live music live ready for the summers fun? Overall, an amazing, and enjoyable weekend, I did make sure I caught Anna from the team but to all of you, what a cracking job. Thank you from a very happy couple in Devizes.

Editor’s Note: Next up at The Music Baa near Salisbury is dedicated to reggae, Flock Steady Bleats from 21st to 23rd August: Find out more HERE.

JAZZ – Our Local Guide

Andy Fawthrop

All That Jazz – Nice!

D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene.  It seems that just about every taste is catered for, whether it be blues/ rock (regular gigs at Long Street Blues Club), covers bands (Three Crowns), indie/ blues/ rock/ prog/ folk (Southgate), to say nothing of regular singer/ songwriter gigs at The White Bear (Sunday afternoons) , and The Pelican  (Saturday afternoons).  New, regular gigs are promised at The Fold (in The Lamb) on Friday nights. We’ve got two opera companies (White Horse Opera and Devizes Musical Theatre), to say nothing of musical theatre productions. Whatever floats yer boat, it’s all there for you….

Well, I say everything, but I’ve moaned on here several times (don’t we know it! – Ed) before that the one thing that’s missing is something for the jazz-lovers amongst us.  Apart from occasional (like once or twice a year) special concerts as part of Devizes Arts Festival (Swing From Paris was this year’s only jazz-related offering), and a one-night pop-up at The Wharf (Pete Allen’s Big Jazz Band) there’s no regular venue or club in town to feed our little musical habit.

So, as a service to Devizine readers, we set out a little further afield to see what’s on offer reasonably nearby.  Welcome to our guide – All That Jazz – to lead you towards something a little different.  Here’s what we found:

Bradford-on-Avon

  • Mount Pleasant:
    • Second Sunday Jazz (every second Sunday afternoon @ 2.30pm);
    • There’s a house band to support a range of solo and small group Jazz artists. This new approach allows them to offer a wide range of Jazz styles and performers at affordable cost by limiting the transport needs of visiting acts.  Many of the players in the house band are familiar to local Jazz followers from other bands.
    • £10 entry fee;
    • Licensed bar/ tea & coffee/ cake & snacks;
  • Wiltshire Music Centre:
    • Not a regular jazz session, but bookable jazz concerts on specific dates;
    • See their website for visiting jazz artists  www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk/whats-on/
    • E.g. recently there was Samara Joy (6th July) and Gretchen Parlato Quartet (12th July)
    • ££ tickets
  • The George @ Woolley:
    • Every third Thursday @ 7pm featuring Jazz Factory (a rolling roster of regular local jazz musicians);
    • Free entry + drinks at the bar;
    • Tables for meals are bookable (and the menu looks great);

Bath

  • The Bell:
    • Not dedicated to jazz – there are lots of other music genres too, but occasional jazz artists;
    • Free entry/ voluntary contributions to “the hat”;
    • See their Facebook page and website for latest information on gigs throughout the month;
  • Chapel Arts Centre:
    • Lots of other music genres too, but occasional jazz artists;
    • ££ for tickets, usually seated with shared tables, but some gigs all standing;
    • See their Facebook page and website for latest information on gigs:
  • Green Park Brasserie:
    • Live jazz every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 6.30 to 9.30pm;
    • Free entry but it’s really a restaurant, so you need to book a table to eat;

Old Town, Swindon

  • The Royal Oak:
    • Every Tuesday night @ 8pm (Jazz On The Corner), featuring regular top-notch visiting jazz artists;
    • Free entry + drinks at the bar;
    • Tables bookable for dinner (two courses £18, three courses £22 for set meals, but there’s also a good range of pizzas and other bar meals);

Trowbridge

Corsham

  • Pound Arts Centre:
    • Has occasional jazz gigs, which are bookable for ££ and are all-seated concerts;

Bristol – too far, too hard, so go and look for yourself!

The bottom line is that if you need a regular drip-feed of jazz music, you need to look to Bradford, Bath or Swindon’s Old Town. Everywhere else it’s a matter of keeping your eyes skinned for individual bookable concerts at the various normal music venues in our region. Your other alternative is to make a weekend of it somewhere nice, and visit one of the UK’s many Jazz Festivals. I’ve been to two this year, Cheltenham in May (lots of free stuff, interspersed with individual expensive bookable concerts), and Swanage in June (weekend “stroller” ticket covers you for absolutely everything).  I can highly recommend both of these, but there’s many others available throughout the year.

Nice!

Trending……

Brian on FullTone Festival

Our regular historian and Visiting Research Fellow of The Regional History Centre, UWE Bristol, Brian Edwards takes some time to sketch the FullTone Orchestra ahead…

Keep reading

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Something Evil Is Waiting at The Wharf Theatre…

Isoceles Theatre Company Brings a Spine-Chilling Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde to The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Saturday 29th August…..

Devizes, Wiltshire | Saturday 29 August 2026 | 7.30pm

The door is locked.

The room is empty.

And yet, somewhere in the darkness, something is breathing.

On Saturday 29 August 2026, audiences at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, will be invited into a world where respectability masks horror, science unleashes nightmares, and the line between man and monster disappears forever. Isoceles Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde arrives for one unforgettable night, bringing Robert Louis Stevenson’s immortal tale vividly and terrifyingly to life.

Adapted by Patrick Prior and performed by Pat Abernethy and Dave Marsden, this gripping production has enthralled audiences across Britain and Ireland since its first performance in 2006, earning praise for its intensity, imagination and dramatic power.

At first, Dr Henry Jekyll appears to have everything a man could desire: wealth, reputation and the admiration of society. Yet behind closed doors he is consumed by a dangerous question.

Can good and evil be separated?

Can darkness be extracted from the human soul?

His experiment succeeds.

And that is where the nightmare begins.

From the fog-filled streets of Victorian London emerges Edward Hyde, a creature of cruelty, violence and unrestrained wickedness. As Hyde grows stronger, a city is gripped by fear. Witnesses vanish into silence. Respectable citizens lock their doors. Rumours spread through the night. And Dr Jekyll discovers that some doors, once opened, can never be closed. 

Critics have hailed the production’s emotional force and atmospheric storytelling. The Scotsman called it “a good, vivid, popular version of a great story, told with notable passion,” while the Glasgow Herald praised its ability to keep audiences utterly absorbed in its dark and disturbing world. 

The intimate surroundings of The Wharf Theatre will place audiences uncomfortably close to the unfolding horror. Every footstep, every whispered confession and every chilling revelation will feel just a heartbeat away. 

But perhaps the most frightening aspect of Stevenson’s masterpiece is not the monster himself.

It is the possibility that Hyde is not a stranger.

That he is not a beast lurking in the shadows.

That he is waiting inside all of us.

And as the final moments approach, one question remains unanswered:

When Dr Jekyll opens the door for the last time, who will be standing on the other side?

The doctor?

The monster?

Or something far worse…

‘Impressive…fine style….the result is a good, vivid, popular version of a great story, told with notable passion…As Jekyll and Hyde adaptations go, Patrick Prior’s 70 minute two-hander is short, to the point and rewritten in brisk everyday language.’

                                                                                THE SCOTSMAN

‘Stylistic…forensic examination of man’s addiction to playing the bad lad….Abernethy and Marsden make a great stab at Prior’s gradually unfolding text. Every emotional nuance is wrung out of it, and a packed audience sit rapt at such conversely dark materials.’

                                                                   THE GLASGOW HERALD

Event Details

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Presented by: Isoceles Theatre Company
Venue: The Wharf Theatre, Devizes
Date: Saturday 29 August 2026
Time: 7.30pm 

Tickets and information are available from The Wharf Theatre

Half-a job-Bob Asks Devizes, “Anyways, How Do You Like Your New Yard of Resurfaced Road?!”

Guest written by Half-a job-Bob

Hey-ho, Half-a-job-Bob here! Yeah, I’m a real Highways operative, and not just a puerile attempt at humour by a Conservative town councillor out for any old cheap shot he can aim to slander the majority opposition on our town council, despite the plain fact our roads are governed by Wiltshire Council and isn’t actually anything to do with our town council anyway; dunno why they’re squabbling about it really….

Still, every slice of misinformation and national party pointscoring works, I suppose, even if it’s a load-a tosh. If it convinces the good folk to vote Conservative again that’s alright with me; the party for working class folk, the Daily Mail told me, so it must be true.

It’s not like the Conservative-led Wiltshire Council neglected road repairs for two decades and is the entire reason they’re in the state they are; that’s technicalities, and oh, an extended teabreak for me while the Liberals play catch up. Pass me my lunchbox, I’ve got cheese and pickle sandwiches today.

Anyways, people of Devizes, how do you like your new yard of resurfaced road?! I did it all by myself with no help from my mum! Though, truth be told, she did make the sandwich, if truth comes into any of this!

Smooth as a baby’s botty that are stretch of road be, pal; just as long as the stretch of your imagination you’d require to acknowledge falsehoods in what the Conservative town councillor said on his Faceache page!

Course, everything around it is so dilapidated you risk breaking your neck getting to it, but it makes it look better than it actually is. Better than a kick in the teeth, eh? Which is, incidentally, a verbal version of what any town councillor is going to get if they dare to call it “progress!”

Apparently, right, when Devizes Guardians say in a Facebook post, “progress with the road surface repairs along Sidmouth Street and Maryport Street,” and that they’ve “passed on some feedback ahead of that meeting, including the section that is incomplete,” plus, “Sidmouth Street and Maryport Street are now significantly better than they were,” actually means those Guardians are “singing praises.” I dunno much about singing praises myself, like, but if that Conservative town councillor said it is, then that’s what it be, innit?!

Yeah, he did say this, mate; saw him on a video, sitting around the Ruth Pierce monument, making about as much sense as the others who usually loiter there. Naturally those Guardians have hit back with a few facts. Who needs facts when you’ve got good ol’ prevarication?! Much more exciting that way.

So Devizine asked me, right, to write a piece about the fiasco for them, and I was like, alright, but the guy said I had to include the facts. Apparently, they “like” facts, even if they water down the sensationalism surrounding the whole shebang and make it a bit, well boring, like!  

Much as you might like the cobbles, I was asked to tarmac them. The Guardians point out that, “these works followed representations made to the Highways Officer team, on behalf of the local community, and the subsequent engagement and collaboration helped ensure that residents’ concerns were at the heart of the project, including the removal of the cobbles, as they were deemed unsafe and an obstacle for those with disabilities.”

See? I told you; boring!! Health and safety for people with disabilities, whatever next? It’s really not good enough; they should have replaced the cobblestones with diamonds, they should have paved the road with gold; Devizes, it deserves that much, dammit!!

Here’s the boring bit, then, as told by those Devizes Guardians:

1. A meeting was organised by Devizes Guardians with Highways officers in the spring to discuss the condition of Maryport and Sidmouth Street. All Devizes unitary councillors were invited.

2. Resident concerns were put directly to Highways officers.

3. A plan was agreed, including a timetable for the works.

4. Sidmouth Street and Maryport Street have now received significant repairs and improvements.

Then, right, they go on about how they “believe that residents should remain at the heart of local decisions.” And that “local representation should be about listening, working together and delivering for our communities, rather than national political point scoring or individual ambitions coming before the community.” Ha! No chance, pal!

“There is a post-works review with the Highways team tomorrow,” they said, but I thought I was having a half day, to sit around the Market Place, perhaps make a video. “We have already passed on some feedback ahead of that meeting, including the section that is incomplete,” they said.

Excuse me, I’ve got to go. I need a wet wipe. I’ve only gone and got pickle running all down my high viz vest. Know of any wet wipes around here?!!

Devizes Duo Take Dungeons & Dragons Out into the Wilds

by Claire Dunford, Co-Founder and Games Master at Chronicles and Companions

Images by Simon Folkard Photography

What do you think of when you hear Dungeons & Dragons? For many, it conjures images of cramped living rooms, cluttered tabletop maps, and strange spreadsheets of numbers. But my co-founder Justin Whiting and I set out to completely change that image – as two Devizes locals, we are on a mission to transform the Wiltshire D&D scene by taking the world’s most famous roleplaying game out into the wilds, and the local response has been nothing short of legendary…

Under our banner, Chronicles and Companions, Justin and I recently hosted our inaugural independent event: D&D in the Woods. Held under the leafy canopy at Found Outdoors in Great Cheverell, our debut session completely sold out, bringing together seasoned dice-rollers and total newcomers for a unique afternoon of offline fantasy storytelling.

For anyone new to the hobby, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a cooperative storytelling game – a cross between improvisational theatre, interactive fiction, and tabletop strategy. One person acts as the narrator (the Dungeon Master, or DM), setting the scene and presenting challenges, while the other players create fictional heroes, make decisions together, and roll dice to see if their daring actions succeed. Once considered a niche hobby, the game has experienced a massive global resurgence, boasting over 50 million players worldwide thanks to pop-culture hits like Stranger Things, live-streamed games like Critical Role, and a growing desire for face-to-face connection away from screens.

Instead of pulling up chairs indoors, the adventurers joining us donned cloaks and left their devices behind for a full day of storytelling and dice rolling in the fresh air.

We welcomed the group to the forest with a relaxed whittling session led by local carver Beck Stubbs. Players were then guided down a winding trail to our specially prepared outdoor gaming tables, where the natural sights, rustic atmosphere, and forest breeze provided the perfect backdrop for their quests.

Across the woodland tables, every party of adventurers was tasked with solving puzzles, defeating monsters, and, hopefully, saving the day. To add extra local flavour, I wove Wiltshire folklore directly into one of the bespoke narratives, throwing that table headfirst into a fantasy-infused Moonraker mystery inspired by one of Devizes’ most iconic stories.

Dungeons & Dragons is fundamentally about shared imagination and adventure, and we wanted to see what would happen if you used the natural atmosphere of our local Wiltshire woods as the backdrop. The response from the community has been incredible, and selling out our first fully independent event proves that people are craving immersive, offline ways to embark on a quest together – and that sentiment was certainly echoed around the gaming tables!

Beyond single events, Justin and I are building a burgeoning local network of fellow adventurers. We’ve cultivated a warm, inclusive, and rapidly growing online community hub aptly named The Tavern—because, as every fantasy fan knows, that’s where the best party members meet. It serves as a welcoming space for locals interested in tabletop roleplaying to connect, make friends, and easily find open tables to join.

For those looking to play in person, we run regular indoor D&D sessions at fabulous game cafes and locations across Wiltshire including at Game Knights in Devizes and Fun and Games in Trowbridge. We also offer a popular ‘Game Master for Hire’ service, bringing custom-run, professionally managed D&D adventures directly to private events like stag and hen dos, birthdays, and corporate team-building days.

Following the success of our sold-out woodland debut, Justin and I are absolutely buzzing! And are already planning our next moves, with even more upcoming local campaigns, community sessions, and special events currently in active development.

If you’re interested in joining future Chronicles and Companions games or want to hire us to DM your next event, connect with us on  Facebook and Instagram 

An Apology to Councillor Wallis

I would like to apologise to Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis for incorrect quotes in a spoof article concerning a BBC Wiltshire video we criticised earlier this week about the Crammer in Devizes drying up…

Gail was right in a comment, thank you for bringing it to my attention. Iain did not say that the water would return because the Crammer is centuries old. It was the reporter who said this. I watched the video with the sound muted and rushed a satirical spoof criticising the absurdity of the thought. It was foolish and wrong of me, and I am sorry to Iain.

I endeavour not to make mistakes in our reporting, even if it is satire, but sometimes, with the speed of social media, it is easy to misinterpretate such a post.

I stand by my notion that it was a non-story for clickbait from BBC Wiltshire, and issues of climate change should not be taken as lightly as the video in question did. But this was out of Iain’s hands, and, of course, he can not possibly be blamed.

I also continue to feel there’s a conservative bias in BBC Wiltshire reporting, which appears to favour sourcing Conservative spokespersons rather than finding alternatives who might be more suitable for the particular subject. Though Iain made the best of it, recounting the legend of the Moonrakers and mentioning the wildlife at The Crammer.

Oh, and I’m still tickled by the fact that the reporter looks like Borat!

But, seriously, the issue is a desperate affair and much bigger than the water levels in the Crammer. On issues such as this, Devizine will be willing to help publish and raise awareness of any information or schemes the public can do to help. But, I fear there’s little we can do, and that is frustrating. My coping method is to attempt to make some people laugh, as I believe laughter is the best medicine. But, if serious reporting is what it might take to get any message out there, let’s work together and do that too.

Thank you for your time, and I sincerely hope the apology will be accepted.

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 Park is scientifically impossible. Killjoys! Don’t waste your time on the obvious….

None of them even touches on the one vital poin; no one cares that no viable dinosaur genetic material remains on Earth because that’s entirely missing the point!

The purpose of sci-fi, fantasy, fairytales, are to entertain, and the very fact they’re illogical and impossible is what makes them so fantastic, as in fantastical, as in fantasy. All you need to know is dinosaurs are coming to Hillworth Park on Saturday, 12th September. Roar!

Don’t be a Malcolm, who said in the film, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should,” just picture this…

It’s a September evening in Hillworth Park. The sun is setting, you’re surrounded by your favourite people, wrapped up under a cosy blanket, with a crisp cold drink in hand, a hot dog or burger to enjoy, and popcorn by your side……and then the roar of dinosaurs echoes beneath the stars, as Jurassic Park comes to life on the big screen.

This is the definitive version, the original Jurassic Park, groundbreaking in CGI, premiering just months before Dolly the sheep was cloned and the world wondered of the possibilities. This film pushed those boundaries to the fantastical and did it in such a way that it thrilled all ages.

“This isn’t just a film night,” Hillworth Park says, “it’s a chance to experience the magic of cinema in the heart of Hillworth Park, under the stars.”

The first Twilight Cinema at Hillworth Park in Devizes took place in 2019, and there has been a total of five screenings to date, with the 2020 and 2025 events unfortunately being cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

Civic & Community Engagement Manager for Devizes Town Council, Cherry-Rosalind Cullen explained how they chose the film. “The public were invited to vote on which film they would like to see, and we had a total of 8 films to choose from. The result was neck and neck between Jurassic Park and Dirty Dancing. As it was tied, we held an additional poll to determine the winner.”

“For our Twilight Cinema events, we have always given the public the opportunity to choose the film.”

A wise choice, public! Sure, I love science, but I love dinosaurs more!! Don’t miss out – tickets are limited! Book HERE!

Oh The Deep; Sarah Tarry’s EP Launch at The Cellar Bar, Devizes

Spent Friday evening at The Cellar Bar in Devizes, doing what Devizine should be about; discovering talented people new to us and near to us. Sarah Tarry has been off the music scene for the best part of twelve years, raising a family I gathered by the gig. Being Devizine has only been around for nearly ten might explain why we’d yet to have touched base. But her EP launch gig told me all I needed to know, and I’m glad we now have….

Though the music was exceptionally accomplished with a full setup of cajon percussion, acoustic guitar, double bass, fiddle and piano, this revival was an intimate gig, with what appeared to be a majority of friends and family, and without any of the live music aficionados I usually rub shoulders with gigging in Devizes. Now I’ve heard Sarah and her band I’m of the opinion that should change; hence why I’m writing this! 

Through the choice of the sprinkling of covers Sarah and her band delivered with precision and their own stamp, you’ll be able to interpret the mood and style. Vance Joy’s Riptide, perhaps being the questionable wildcard, the others were aptly selected. Such is the EP, Oh The Deep, released on Friday. While it opens with an upbeat indie riff praise, Florence and the Machine on fire fashion, He is on the Throne is the exception. The remaining three tracks take the downtempo ambient mood. 

For Sarah’s natural euphoria, U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For was breathtaking, like Where Can I Go from the EP. Where Can I Go sounds more akin to Morcheeba, and in this soulful element brings subtle gospel into the making of the themes; something U2 would use to their advantage.

Ropes is the absolute peak of the EP, it encompasses all Sarah’s influences in a wonderful package, the folk, the ambience edge, and likened to the start of the second half, when they covered Pure Shores; William Orbit elevating girl band, All Saints. This suggested Sarah’s interest in nu-cool ambience, even if this quartet on the night were strictly analogue. 

But the most aligned cover was undoubtedly a sublime version of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, for Sarah knows how to weave an emotive mood and poignant sentiment with timeless folk goodness. This reflects the title track of the EP, a gorgeous, melodious salvation to Christ, with booming theatrical drums to enforce the notion. There’s a slight return of joyous euphoria on the EP too, an epilogue which was presented at the gig as a fuller song. 

With affections for cloud formations and CS Lewis’s Narnia, Sarah presented songs influenced by them and her Christian roots, but this aforesaid mood and sentiment came to its summit through original odes to her children, who were present at the gig.

Passionately describing her inner thoughts, through and after birth, was so utterly beautiful, though her young son could only subtly blush and giggle, her husband was driven to tears with the recollections evoked. That’s the power of music, and Sarah possesses that certain something, that when a subject relates to the listener it touches them, and on such a commonly occurring topic, Sarah could evoke any parent’s oxytocin levels to maximum.

If, in rock music fandom, there’s a misconception where a person needs that rawness verging on the absence of belief in the existence of God, you might take Sarah’s inspiration and the religious connotations with a pinch of salt. Even if I might question it too, I would respond with the notion, you are therefore missing out. This was a wonderful gig, to launch an EP which might yet change your viewpoint. It’s rich and embellished in goodness and adroit compositions, which chill and inspire; take a listen, see for yourself!

Turn Up the Volume: Award-Winning Film DJ Ahmet Screens in Devizes This August

Devizes Film Club is delighted to present the acclaimed coming-of-age drama DJ Ahmet at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Thursday 27 August 2026 at 7.30pm…..

Fresh from international festival success, DJ Ahmet has captured audiences worldwide with its heartwarming blend of music, humour, family drama and youthful rebellion. Written and directed by Georgi M. Unkovski, the film won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, as well as a Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.

Set in a remote rural village in North Macedonia, the film follows 15-year-old Ahmet, a shepherd with a dream of becoming a DJ. Torn between his father’s expectations, the traditions of his conservative community and the excitement of first love, Ahmet finds freedom and self-expression through electronic dance music.

With stunning landscapes, memorable characters and an infectious soundtrack, DJ Ahmet offers a moving and often funny story about finding your own voice. Critics have praised the film’s charm, emotional warmth and universal appeal, describing it as both a crowd-pleaser and an uplifting portrait of youth, music and hope.

Audiences can expect:

  • A feel-good, award-winning international film.
  • A unique glimpse into life in rural North Macedonia.
  • A touching story of friendship, family and first love.
  • Plenty of humour alongside genuine emotional depth.
  • A celebration of music’s power to connect generations and cultures

A spokesperson for Devizes Film Club said: “DJ Ahmet is one of those rare films that leaves audiences smiling. It is funny, moving and full of heart. Whether you’re a film enthusiast, a music lover or simply looking for an enjoyable night out, this is a film not to be missed.”

The screening will take place at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Thursday 27 August 2026 at 7.30pm. Film lovers are encouraged to book early for what promises to be a memorable evening of international cinema.

Tickets £10 including booking fee: Devizes Film Club | DJ Ahmet at Wharf Theatre Devizes event tickets from TicketSource

 Devizes Film Club | DJ Ahmet at Wharf Theatre Devizes event tickets from TicketSource

Or www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-wharf-theatre

Devizes Town Councillor at Crammer Reassuring us against Climate Change!

What did I just watch on the BBC Wiltshire Facebook page? Our friend and Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis at The Crammer, talking to Borat, reassuring us against climate change?!

Important Update: please read.

Move aside Thunberg; the Crammer may be drier than Gandhi’s flip flop at the moment, what with it being a pond without a natural source of water other than oil-saturated petrol-based rainwater running into it from the road, and the entire continent forgetting what rain looks like, Iain tells us not to worry about a thing, it “might take a while,” but every little thing is gonna be alright; the Crammer will fill again. The question is, how does the master of all earthly knowledge know this? Watch till the end of the video, and endure, to find out!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BbVbduYJH/

We know, as a definite fact, according to Iain, it will refill with water, because, and I quote, “the Crammer has been around for centuries.” Holding out for the monsoon season, then; there’s been some serious research happening here!

Popping over to the southern hemisphere, for an example, the Antarctic ice sheet began to freeze roughly 34 million years ago. Our Arctic formed much later, around 2.7 to 2.6 million years ago, but it doesn’t stop them from melting at an ever-increasing rate.

The Arctic sea ice is shrinking at a rate of about 12.2% per decade during the summer minimum. The region has lost more than half of its historic ice volume since satellite records began in 1979, according to NASA.

Now, I’m not one to panic. Who needs NASA when we’ve got this Devizes Town Councillor? I’m sure the Crammer will refill, and Iain, in his favourite sunnies, is bang on the money as well as enjoying his moment in the spotlight. And yes, finding this rather pathetic excuse to poke some fun in his direction, again, isn’t doing much for the climate emergency either. But hey, we need the hits, and I know Iain is a good sport and knows how to take a joke.

The truth is either, I’m just jealous it’s not me with a publicity stunt on your telebox, or I genuinely feel if one is intending to run an environment story in Devizes, they might fare better with a Green candidate or someone from Sustainable Devizes.

We could giggle at the moment Borat says “it’s also home to a local legend,” and our Iain suddenly appears like the shopkeeper from Mr Benn. But the real question remaining in this not-seeing-the bigger-picture non-story must surely be, will it fill back up before next year’s drought? And the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that? Repeat until we reach the Jupiter moon of Europa.

With no solution presented in this video, likely because there isn’t any other than recycling your plastic bottles while countries are bombing other countries to kingdom come, and national political parties like Reform, Labour and the Conservatives (who Iain is backed by,) seem to support this, for the average man-about-town climate denier it’s evidence they require, else they waffle endlessly about 1976.

Unfortunately, the only evidence this video reveals is the Moonrakers either did retrieve the barrels of brandy, or it didn’t really happen. Sch, Bishop’s Cannings clerk will be on my back; but that’s another story for another time!!

Jol Rose For Tomorrow

New single from Swindon’s finest Americana singer-songwriter Jol Rose, the kind of artist who’ll finish a song and leave a jammed pub in such awe you can hear a pin drop. For Tomorrow might be the moment….

Packed with a country-rock band punch rather than his usual acoustic outcry, For Tomorrow still grips poignancy, a genius hook, and Jol’s Dylanesque excellence by the neck. Truth, these days, can be hard to come by, as Jol expresses, but injustices and propaganda aplenty. Yet Jol only suggests this might be the moment you take a stance against them; no pressure!

While you decide to attend or procrastinate as the theme takes, indulge yourself for a little under five minutes, because this song is the dog’s danglies; a passionately delivered fiery response from the passive wordsmith of old Swindon town. Jol isn’t as widely known south of the town. I’m determined to change this one injustice if nothing else; just, listen.

Right, box ticked. I’m off to the march, dammit!

Stream HERE 

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Blockheads, Amor, Wishbone Ash and More; The New Season at Long Street Blues Club

Dare I say it, but the nights are drawing in, apples are falling from trees, and I’m even going to say the C word. Yet, the heatwave continues at Long Street Blues Club, through their autumn-winter season, polishing off with The Blockheads, and Jon Amor as Christmas presents….

This time next month, Lightnin’ Willie and the Poorboys opens the door to our souls by kicking off the new season at Devizes’ supreme blues club, on Saturday 5th September.

Welcomingly returning after a lengthy absence, these favourites from California have a distinctive approach to music. Lightnin’ Willie is a songwriter, singer and guitarist in that order, gone from low down beer joints to become a staple on the international circuit. 

Unless London’s Royal Albert Hall Igniter Series or Willie Nelson’s infamous 4th of July Picnic, where he appeared alongside Paula Nelson, Willie, Bob Dylan, and Leon Russell isn’t a big enough accolade for you?!

Should you expect a compelling, hard swinging brand of blues with a groove, on the 5th September, you can also prepare for some cult British blues-rock on Friday 25th September when Virgil and The Accelerators return, twelve years since they last played the club. Our friends, Devizes-own Burn The Midnight Oil are supporting this one; worth the ticket price alone, imho.

Note, this gig is a replacement for Skinny Molly, originally advertised for this date but which had to be cancelled. But, staying on the positives, as Long Street Blues Club will gift wrap two Christmas presents for us. 

See out the year before the Brussel sprouts, on Saturday 19th December with homegrown legend Jon Amor. I made an effort last year, and this was an outstanding gig, where Jon and his Tom and Gerry backing presented a rotating door of special guests to create one of the most memorable nights I’ve ever had on Long Street.

But not before the blues members go on a field trip to the Corn Exchange, for The Blockheads tour hits Devizes with a rhythm stick… Yes, I said the Blockheads, the late great Ian Dury’s band, still rock n rolling! Friday 11th December for this Christmas showstopper which surely needs no spiel, with Devon’s AQUILLA in support.

Between Virgil and The Accelerators ending September’s offerings from the club and these yuletide presents, we’ve got two months we’ve not even mentioned yet! Edinburgh Fringe regulars, being they formed there, and recently selling out the 100 Club, The Allman’s Project, make their Devizes debut on Saturday 3rd October.

Switching back to the Corn Exchange, blues club regulars will be excited to know, five-decade strong, Wishbone Ash return via Ceres Promotion, on Friday October 16th, with a late 60’s West Coast vibe support from The Honey Pot.

Over to the East Coast, Asbury Park style, with the regular favourite Billy Walton Band on Saturday 17th October. As a longtime fan of the Boss, this New Jersey outfit rocked my world, and Andy’s, and everyone who sees them.

Two more offerings left as we head into November; forget what Andy or I might think, Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager are back by overwhelming popular demand on Friday 20th November, and John Belushi loved these guys!

With fresh Texas prodigal, Bo Diddley protégé Hamilton Loomis finishing off the month on the Saturday of the 21st November, you have to hand it to Long Street Blues Club and put your trust in their knowledge on the subject. This is a fantastic programme, and will keep Devizes as warm as it is now, throughout the autumn and winter months!

So, don’t dust your broom just yet, get your mojo working and check here for tickets.

Oh yeah, and on the way to Amarillo, there’s this too:

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Newsquest Use National Activist to Condemn Wiltshire Council Pride Flag Vote

It shouldn’t be an issue. It should be good news that Wiltshire Council has voted in favour of flying the Pride flag on top of County Hall. But as Newsquest spreads the word, watch local knuckle-draggers gather on social media, competing for the most ingenious objecting comment, which least exposes their homophobia. But, is the local newspaper company encouraging this?

Controversy sells, I understand this. Get yourself a scoop “with legs,” manipulate it to your advantage. It’s what the media is about. But surely there should be someone monitoring Facebook shares and deleting offensive comments? As you can imagine, there’s a fair few on this particular story, completely and utterly uncensored. Some inciting violence, hatred, and even murder, but they seem to stay up there for all to digest and be horrified by; ironically, it’s exactly why we need the Pride they’re so against.

For example, when someone highlights the tragedy at Berlin Pride, this comment is made: “i hope there is many more heros willing to drive the car shame more didnt die.”

Surely, Newsquest, this isn’t the kind of reaction you would support? Surely you should have a smidgen of respect and be able to filter out hate this blatant? I mean, everyone is welcome to an opinion, but incitement to murder?

I’d like to think it’s something they’ve overlooked, but since the article uses an international political activist to quote an objection, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, I have to question if their motives are as homophobic as the comments, and Newsquest are actively encouraging this hate-spreading exercise.

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull is not from Wiltshire. She was born in Somerset, now lives elsewhere and speaks on an international stage. She’s fiercely anti-LGBTQ, who criminal Tommy Robinson sings her praises. Why is she even invited to comment on a county issue unless to deliberately force an agenda? No renowned or celebrity names were invited to speak in favour of the decision.

It’s media bias at its finest. Encouraging all the hatred and division the Pride flag exists to raise awareness of.

In the article, Mrs Keen-Minshull is quoted as saying, “the Progress Pride flag is widely understood to represent a specific political and ideological movement.”  What an absolute crock-of-shit.

The Pride flag is a global symbol of identity, visibility, and hope for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. It has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Last time I checked, no one of the LGBTQ+ community is expected to make any declaration to a political party.

The only time it becomes political is when hateful spokespersons like this get behind objecting to it, and that’s something Newsquest are, if not directly supporting, but certainly are deliberately stirring the pot for clickbait.

Devizes Food & Drink Festival Announce 2026 Program

Devizes Food & Drink Festival announced their program of events last week, and the box office opens at 9am on Monday 10th August. Let’s fill up with what’s on….

As usual the festival opens with a free event, the Street Food & Artisan Market at Devizes Market Place on Saturday 19th September from 10am until 4pm. Lots of street food to snack on, and produce to take home, a Wadworth pop-up pub, and live music from Strungout Ukuleles and Painted by Numbers.

In the evening, it’s Tales and Food of the Caribbean at The Wyvern Club, Church Walk; 7.00pm. Brunch with a View at Wellington Barn on the Sunday, 20th September; a generous Wiltshire-inspired brunch, including mini filled croissants, warm frittata and lardy cake. Sunday also offers Lunch with the Afghan Ladies at The Cheese Hall, Devizes. Wiltshire has a thriving Afghan community, who love to share their cuisine. Enjoy tasty home cooking, including delicately spiced vegetarian or chicken karahi, with kabuli pilau and salad.

Or perhaps a Teddy Bears’ Picnic sounds nicer, at Hillworth Park also on Sunday 20th September at 3pm. It’s only £4 for ten years and under, and boasts games, a storyteller, colouring, songs and a delicious teddy-themed picnic. All children need an accompanying adult and a teddy!

From Monday 21st, there’s Scandinavian inspired food and drink. A Hyggee Lunch; luxurious smorgasbord style lunch in the unique and truly spectacular eco Hyggee House overlooking a beautiful lake near Wellington Barn. And the Great Foodie Quiz at The Literary and Scientific Institute. 

Bonjour Bread! At the Cheese Hall, on Tuesday 22nd September at 12.30pm; exploring the realm of French artisan baking with Gaël Nicolle, Devizes’s own boulanger from Papa’s Bakery. Or Beer and Brownies at The Pour House, matching beer with chocolate, is that wise?! Ah, but brownies are coming from the Gourmet Brownie Kitchen; say no more.

Dining somewhere different begins on Wednesday 23rd September, one at the National Grid offices on Hopton! A presentation over a two course lunch, explaining the decommissioning of the pylons from Rowde to Bishops Cannings. The second, at Erlestoke Prison. A three-course dinner, with choices at each course, cooked and served in HMP Erlestoke by offenders and the prison catering team. 

Or, Everything Stops for Tea, at West Lavington Village Hall, offering traditional afternoon tea, sandwiches, scones and cake in a village hall setting, and big band music, featuring Glenn Miller and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. And Call My Wine Bluff at the Cheese Hall, finishes off Wednesday’s events.

Fresh produce legend Ken Mortimer of Heritage Fine Foods is joining forces with chef Peter Vaughan to share the truth behind your daily veg, plus tips on how to make the most of it, on Thursday 24th September at Vaughan’s Cookery School. Murder on the Dancefloor in the evening, at the Corn Exchange. The DJ is dead, the dancers are dodgy, and the alibis are weak. Spot the clues, count the hidden song titles, decide whodunnit, and win a prize.

Ready, Steady, Cook at Opendoors on Friday 25th September, at 12. Devizes Opendoors provides food and support for homeless and vulnerable people using ingredients that are usually donated or obtained at bargain price. Learn all about the charity and enjoy the dish of the day main course made by one of the Opendoors volunteer cooks, followed by a dessert YOU make in a scratch team from a stock of surprise ingredients.

Wadworth Brewery Tour, at their new Hopton site, also on Friday, the main sponsors of the event. Guests will receive special presentations from the Head Brewer and Chief Engineer.  Naturally there will be a beer tasting, and there will be cake! The exclusive Come Dine with Us at homes in and around Devizes is the icing on Friday;s cake, so be quick booking this one. 

Saturday 26th September, there’s a Lovely Lunch at St Andrew’s Church from 12pm. Two children from ages 2-12 are free with a paying adult for this collaboration lunch with St Andrew’s Church and Sustainable Devizes. A two-course vegetarian meal, homemade by volunteers, showcasing locally sourced ingredients. Cook Book Writer Joe Woodhouse will be at The Assembly Rooms. Quizzine, also at the Assembly Room; the last word in food quizzes.

And my personal favourite, The World Food Day at the Corn Exchange will be on Sunday 27th September at 12.30. Free entry, £1 per taster. Cooks from Taiwan and Lebanon & Syria  will be there for the first time this year, as well as old favourites, many with new dishes.

Find our more, feast your eyes and b0ok tickets, HERE.

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Recycling Revelation; Devizes Guardians Urges Evidence-Based Approach to HRC Pilot

Ah, here it is then, personally I think, while slightly irking, it’s not the end of the world as we know it, and I’m the most random and sporadic procrastinator I know (it’s taken me a week to get this published!)

Though, the thought of having to book at timeslot at the Recycling Centre has caused social media hysteria. They’re going bonkers about on there. Many suggesting it’s an attack on their civil liberties, others say that no one can possibly live under such draconian punishments, some say the only thing you should have to book is doctors, dentists, and prostitutes, and many suggesting moving to Tel Aviv! So the trusty ol’ Gazelle & Herod splashed it as front page news, and I can’t resist a ranting bandwagon. Off we go with, what I believe is, a storm in a teacup compared with other challenges we must face.

Other county councils have had this ruling since the pandemic, some fining recyclers if they drop so much as an odd sock in the plastics bin. But we should note, this is only a trial, and is the proposal of Wiltshire Council; the town and parish councils have no say, and surprisingly I hear that few were invited to. Leader of the Devizes Guardians, Jonathan Hunter told me, “one of the key concerns is that the proposal was announced before meaningful engagement with town and parish councils, or local communities had taken place. The decision had been made several months earlier, yet local councils first became aware of it through a public press release.”

Therefore it’s Guardian team assemble time, as they welcome a constructive meeting with Ian Thorn, the leader of Wiltshire Council to discuss the proposal. The group presented a delegation pack reflecting concerns raised by residents across Devizes and the surrounding villages. While recognising the Council’s desire to improve services, Devizes Guardians believes any significant change should be supported by robust evidence before permanent decisions are made.

A central recommendation is that Wiltshire Council strengthens its pilot by introducing a control group. Rather than operating every pilot site under a booking system, a number of comparable Household Recycling Centres should continue under the current arrangements. This would enable meaningful comparisons of factors including fly tipping, recycling rates, customer satisfaction, waiting times, operational efficiency and costs.

Devizes Guardians believes this would add greater scientific rigour, credibility and integrity to the pilot process, ensuring any future decision is based on measurable evidence rather than assumption. The group says its campaign is not about resisting change, but about helping Wiltshire Council deliver the best possible outcome for residents through an evidence based, collaborative approach.

Jonathan said, “we’re not arguing against change. We’re arguing for the strongest possible evidence before change becomes permanent. A well designed control group is a straightforward way of giving the pilot greater scientific rigour and ensuring the final decision is based on measurable outcomes rather than assumption.”

“If, through smart reflection, the pilot can be strengthened along the way, that should be seen as good governance. It adds credibility, integrity and public confidence to the whole process.”

Devizes Mayor, Cllr Vanessa Turner added, “residents simply want confidence that any changes have been properly tested and that their everyday experience has been taken into account before permanent decisions are made.”

Cllr Paul Tweedle also spoke about the proposal, “a pilot only delivers its full value if you have something meaningful to compare it against. A control group would provide clearer evidence and ultimately support better decision making.”

And Cllr Graham Martin added, “our role is to represent the views of the community. Residents have told us they value the flexibility and accessibility of the current service and want their experience to be part of the decision making process. We hope this meeting marks the beginning of a more collaborative approach between Wiltshire Council, town councils and local residents whenever significant service changes are proposed.”

Aware MP Brian Matthew has also been vocal on the subject, sending a letter to the council, concerned about a possible increase in flytipping. I’m not so certain about this. I mean, flytippers will do their dirty work whether there’s a timeslot system or not, don’t they? “I think the greater risk is not necessarily increased fly tipping,” Jonathan expressed, “but that some people may simply put recyclable materials into their domestic black bins instead.”

Me? I urge you to think of the positives; you have the advantage of deflecting any nagging to “get that rubbish to the tip” directly onto Wiltshire Council, as in the example I gift to you and urge you to plagiarise, “I would, my darling, but I can’t get a timeslot! Don’t blame me, blame Ian Thorn!”

And other than Ian being the one in the doghouse, therein lies the truth, eh? Until the system is in operation, it’s impossible to know how much of an inconvenience, (or excuse in this case!) it will be. If I book a slot and there’s not one until 2032, that’s an issue I will drag out until the end of the world, but for now, let’s assume it’s going to be a minor irritation.

In another part of the world, parents are writing the name and contact details onto their children’s backs with a marker pen, so their bodies can be identified, but you’re losing your mind about the first world problem of booking a timeslot to dump your grass-cuttings? Really?

Bath Celebrates Ninety Year Anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie’s Stay

May 1936, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I stood with his exiled family on Paddington Station. Before being advised to flee Ethiopia, so he could address The League of Nations, he fought with his poorly equipped armies against Mussolini’s fascist regime, as the invaders launched chemical weapons at the country’s forces. Through Jerusalem to Gibraltar they trekked, but were transferred to a public liner heading for England, sparing the government the cost of a state reception….. 

For the next two months, the family stayed in London, but, it is said, mustard gas wounds to the Emperor’s hands might benefit from the natural springs of Bath. In August Emperor Haile Selassie purchased Fairford House in the city, where he stayed for five years, and afterwards gave the house to the city. Fairford House remains more than a museum to the Emperor, also a bustling centre for multi-cultural events. This August they celebrate ninety years since the Emperor first arrived in the city.

It was, perhaps, Jerusalem which would have been the most symbolic place for Halie Selassie to attend on his exile. The Solomonic Dynasty were descendants of the House of David, Selassie directly descended from Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of ancient Israel. It was this biblical connection which, linked to Jamaican scholar Marcus Garvey’s prophecy for his countrymen to look toward the crowning of an African king before departing for the USA to form the UNIA, would be the root to Rastafari. Citing Halie Selassie, birth-right name Ras (Ethiopian for ‘king’) Ta Fari Makonnen, as the one deity for a blossoming philosophy and religion in Jamaica.

It is crucial then, for Fairford House to, not only be a repository for Bath’s historians and Ethiopian community, but also a shrine to Rastafari. Fairfield House is open on Sundays for historical guided tours and visitor open days, and on various significant occasions, the house is open for events. From 3pm on the first Saturday of each month the house holds a Rastafari Sabbath Observance, for Rastafari worship and community gathering. And wherever there’s Rasta, you’ll also hear the sound of Nyabinghi drumming, and the most poignant soulful music, reggae.

Running from August through November, a citywide commemorative programme will mark the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Royal Family becoming resident in Bath, celebrating a significant chapter in the city’s history and its enduring international connections.  

The programme will bring together partners from across Bath, including cultural organisations, educational institutions, community groups and heritage partners, to present a series of events reflecting on the historic relationship between Ethiopia and the City of Bath. 

The commemorative programme aims not only to recognise a notable moment in the city’s past, but also to explore themes of exile and displacement, WWII, racial justice, faith, heritage, international friendship, cultural exchange and shared history that continue to resonate today.

Fairfield House chairperson, Fisseha Gizaw Combley expressed, “the Ethiopian Royal Family’s presence in Bath forms an important part of the city’s modern story. The special gift to Bath, Fairfield House, the former home of Emperor Haile Selassie I and the Ethiopian Royal Family, is a powerful symbol of resilience, community kindness and the connections that can be forged across nations and cultures.”

The launch party on 22nd August will be held at The Roman Baths, presenting an evening of reggae and Ethiopian Jazz, with Fairfield House community DJs. Part of Summer Lates at The Roman Baths. Keith Bowers offers an Imperial Exile City Tour on 29th August. 

During September there will be a screening of Footsteps of The Emperor at The Little House Theatre on the 6th, and activities day for the Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association held at Fairford House. A Kingdoms in Exile & Human Rights dinner, also at the house, and Enkutatash & Meskel celebrations on the 26th.

October brings an exhibition at The Shoemakers Museum, lantern lectures at Fairford House, banquets, and evensong at Bath Abbey. Novembers sees further lantern lectures, some on the impact of WWII, an anniversary of the Emperor’s Coronation, a Rastafari community celebration, with more announcements to come about this fascinating chapter in the history of Bath.       

Tickets for the Roman Baths event HERE. For more information on the celebrations and Fairford House, HERE.

Book Review: Dave McKenna’s Death Wish

It was back in March last year when I last mentioned Devizes author Dave McKenna, reviewing his debut, The Killer & The Catalyst. He’s returned with another breakneck thriller novelette, Death Wish…

As a writer myself I can be particularly critical of books when reviewing; apologies in advance, though I’ve nothing bad to say about this particular outing! That I’m aware of the struggles of self-publishing levels out the criteria somewhat; it’s a labour of love which deserves praise for being this alone.  

The Killer & The Catalyst is a gripping read, using a technical and difficult multiple point-of-view narrative, which, doubled with flashbacks can muddle the reader’s continuity. While Death Wish builds the suspense using similar flashbacks it rolls along a more convenient single timeline, making it easier to digest. Dave describes it to me as “more linear,” and it’s a major factor to why I was much more deeply engrossed in this one than the first.

No Charles Bronson in this, but the characters in Death Wish are equally better defined and rounded than The Killer & The Catalyst, you identify with them, especially in their differences, and their conversations flow well with biting reality. These coupled meant it had me hooked, and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Death Wish concerns a group of ex-school friends at a reunion, but as well as the natural passing of time, a terrible accident towards the end of their school years and the pact they made to keep schtum about it has caused division in their relationships.

An ex-officer on a case which resulted from said incident, returns half-heartedly under request of the police chief. But as the friends are individually picked off by an unknown serial killer in the most gruesome manner, it’s a whodunnit which will make you question each and every character.

I found myself suspecting various ones, and swapping my conclusions throughout, though I didn’t see the truth coming, as the plot thickened and the twist revealed reasoning; the very fashion of what a good mystery should do. Dave knows precisely what buttons to press to keep you wondering, and for this much if not more, can craft an exceptionally gripping read.

It’s fast-paced pulp fiction, written loosely with contemporary plain English, which again invites casual readers into its forum. Yet in the safe hands of Dave McKenna, it thrills and engages you, and if I dislike the cliche term “page-turner” it best describes the action! 

Here it is on Amazon, and I believe you can pick up a copy in Devizes Books in a week or two, the faithful towards local authors bookstore. I suggest you do, then hold onto your seat, it’s a rollercoaster read. 

I love reading, dammit, but not enough local authors approach us for a review. This isn’t the Amazon marketplace, mate, I don’t bite! Well, not hard. Send use your efforts, for I know it can be a harsh and often lonely world out there for authors; group hug!

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