The award-winning film, โThe voice of Hind Rajabโ will be shown for one night only on Monday 18th May at 7pm at Swindon Arts Centre…..
In January 2024, 6 year old Hind was killed along with her cousins, aunt, uncle and two paramedics from The Palestinian Red Crescent who came to their aid after their car was fired on by Israeli forces in Gaza City. Hosted by the Arts Centre and Create Studios, this is your chance to bear witness to the events depicted in this heartbreaking film.
This film, which uses the actual voice of Hind from recordings made of her phone calls, received a 23 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Ticket prices have been kept low at ยฃ3 to encourage people to come along. Itโs important that the voice of Hind is heard. There will be an opportunity on the night to make a donation to support the people living in Gaza via the British Red Cross Gaza appeal.
There will be an introduction before the film by a Swindon based British Red Cross employee, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts after the screening.
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, theyโre lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, weโve returned from a deliciousโฆ
Thereโs a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westburyโs singer-songwriter Serenโs debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she usesโฆ
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves!โฆ
Devizes Music Academy is set to bring joy, energy and a whole lot of sparkle to the stage with its latest musical theatre production,ย Sister Actย laterโฆ
Thimbles on standby, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts are calling all creative craftspeople and makers to their new project, The Makers Exchange. Itโs a new craftโฆ
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, theyโre lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, weโve returned from a delicious and most memorable Sunday lunch at The Water Gypsy, a working longboat pop-up licensed restaurant cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal; itโs the unique and enjoyable experience you really need to sample for yourselfโฆ..
In order to do so you can either check their website or social media for availability and mooring in your area, as they stop at various locations throughout the summer, autumn and Christmas seasonโฆ. but chase them up and book you must! This spring season has started their third year, and its popularity is such it gets booked quickly. Until your lucky occasion, I can only try to express in words just how scrumptious and wonderful our experience of it was, and boy, it was!
Drawn to The Shed at Dulwich social experiment, where pranksters tricked TripAdvisor into ranking their shed #1 restaurant in London, to the โmiddle ageโ scene in Monty Pythonโs Meaning of Life, where Idle and Jones play an American couple dining in a torture chamber, some quirky dining enterprises can be unnecessarily extreme, some exploit desire to discover unique dining experiences rather than conform to parochial restaurant culture. Howbeit, if seeking such experiences you must, The Water Gypsy presents a most honourable, comforting and hospitable repast; Polly and Hank run the show, balance cooking with being perfect hosts, and stop at nothing to ensure youโre fed in finest fettle.
Being theyโre currently moored in Devizes, it was a short appetite-boosting walk along the towpath and we boarded this beautifully decorated and pristine boat, warmed by a log burner, welcomed affectionately and seated on the only communal table set for twelve guests. You could liken the reception, and the whole occasion, more to a dinner party than sitting alone in a restaurant.
Life on the canal may not always be the romantic setting of freedom preconceived, but The Water Gypsy hones on that idyllic image, glimpses into the fantastical.
Drinks are served, and you are not rushed here. Itโs all finest ingredients, homemade and using local produce, which they proudly transform into tapas-style plates that celebrate sharing and connection. A grazing board, chockfull of dips and tapenade arrived, with pesto topped crostini, charcuterie skewers antipastisti with melon, avocado & prawns, Moroccan carrot puff pastry with orange and thyme syrup, and harissa tahini yoghurt, and, and, oh, look Iโm no Jay Rayner, donโt even sport a goatee, Iโm only now aware how my tastebuds will love me forevermore!
Pescatarian and vegan are catered for, but our main courses were beef estofado, a scrummy slow-cooked Peruvian stew, and delicately sliced hasselback potatoes, sticky pork glazed in garlic and ginger, with spicy Asian broccoli, and chicken tikka skewers with tomato saladโฆ.need I say more for clues to the way to my heart? Food heaven in gypsy ornamentation charm, canalside!
A perfectly baked brownie with strawberries and ice cream polished me off, though the other choice was a rather smashing looking cheese board, which Newsquest reporter Jamie opted for, and while tempted to nick his grapes, such was the hospitable atmosphere and such was the gorgeous food so beautifully presented, I thought Iโd best behave!
Herein arrives the time when, in a typical restaurant, youโre encouraged to get your coat, but Iโve already observed a washtub and broomhandle propped up in the corner, and identified their owners; weโre in for some entertainment, and I couldnโt think of anyone more apt for the occasion.
Polly wants Sunday afternoons to have an additional live music finale, and while weโve pondered some alternatives, boaters themselves, Nipper and Jellylegs Johnson drop in to tantalise us audibly the same way and with the same proficiency Polly has done with our palate. Itโs a show you could never tire from, nor find fault with. The Devilโs Doorbell, cheeky, quirky duo passionately recreating jazz and blues roots with homemade instruments, skiffle, bucketloads of charisma and more double entendres than Finbar Saunders remaking the entire backlog of Carry-On films.
There was an encore singalong, and with conversation and wine flowing, the atmosphere was unlike anything youโd find at a restaurant. The Water Gypsy is, by very definition, the most pleasant and divine, not to mention scrummy, dining experience this side of Milliways, Douglas Adams’ Restaurant at the End of the Universe, only this one is a bit closer, just along the towpath!
Whether you’ve a bizarre inclination to meet the Addams Family in the flesh and figure this might be your closest opportunity, you couldn’t think ofโฆ
Itโs a question Iโve asked Chippenham singer-songwriter Harmony Asia on each rare occasion I catch her for a chat; if sheโs planning to capture aโฆ
David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone. Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council used evidence, against a group of Devizes Town councillorsโ more circumstantial landโฆ
Thereโs a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westburyโs singer-songwriter Serenโs debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses a worm analogy to convey shadows of diffidence. Yet, it is a breath of fresh air of resilience, and an exhaustive equilibrium in which to express sorrow and build from a simple honest riff to a sublime and encapsulating stentorianโฆ..
Worm, released today, is impressive. Itโs a richly layered spring-like emerge, a hedgehog poking his nose out of his winter nest. If isolation is a trap, Serenโs uplifting vocals are the escape route, and in this itโs a message to herself which will profoundly convex to others through association; the key to good folk music. Though, it is an urban myth that you can cut an earthworm into two and both parts will live, Seren uses the comparison to the numbness of her mood, not for dividing or multiplying herself, rather to โsee if I feel a thing.โ
A reflection on a burrowing exercise from emotional blunting, then, hiding, and waiting for a storm to emerge; this song should be that onset squall, for whilst it uses classic singer-songwriter folk hinting towards Sandy Denny or Maddy Prior influences, the beauty of Serenโs vocal range melancholically penetrates through the numbness of its subject; the formula of an experienced artist, of how Tammy Wynette could woo an audience. Though Worms equally captures, it depends more on mood observation than the literal narrative of the likes of Wynette.
โI wrote the song when I was sixteen, in October, a few months into starting my first year at college,โ Seren explained, โthe song was linked to struggles with mental health that I have had around that time and before, and how it was making me feel. Itโs a song that was very personal and something that will forever hold meaning for me.โ
So, Iโve not had the pleasure of meeting Seren yet, nor seen her perform. I booked her for our double-bill with M3G for our first evening at the newly opened Fold in The Lamb, Devizes based on the strength of the few social media videos she has posted and M3Gโs recommendation; theyโve worked together before. This song strengthens my faith that this will be an amazing night, for, like M3G, Seren holds a rare skill to encapsulate through honesty and fidelity to her music. You need to listen to Worm, and if you do, Iโll see you on Friday 24th April; yeah you got me, itโs a gig plug, but even if it wasnโt, in writing and acoustic combo, Worm is this prodigious and breathtaking!
Retrieved footage from a stolen drone of the Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs reveals the Beaufont Hunt making a fox kill earlier this month, and itโs undeniableโฆ
Just who is Theodore Thump? A wise pet rabbit? The mysterious sixth Beach Boy? This album newly released from Shedric, Swindon soloist and groovist ofโฆ
Buzzwords, like โturbo,โ or โsonicโ are cliche, overused trends which gain popularity because they sound impressive, even if they are empty of meaning. I avoidโฆ
Itโs always nice to hear when an inaugural local event is successful, especially one as unique and original as Marlborough School of Languagesโ annual Fiesta.โฆ
We are pleased to start 2026 by announcing that this year, we are planning to run the Imberbus service on Saturday 15th August 2026 when several vintage former London Transport Routemaster double deckers (plus a few newer ones) along with some visiting buses from other areas, will again provide a bus service from Warminster Station [โฆ]
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves!
What the actual F are they trying to prove with their negative coverage of an illegal rave, when tax-dodging billionaires ripped a financial hole into the country, politicalย extremists march causing division and spreading hate, yet all seem unscathed from media assaults, and countrymen illegally hunt without concern journalists might pop out of the hedgerow with a waggy finger? That a few kids want to have a party? Really?!
Their laughable problem is, rage-bait backfires and they lose readership. Post comments on their social media shares in support of the ravers, by all means, but don’t rise to the temptation of clicking on these articles, because they couldn’t give a monkey’s arse about your opinion, they only want to feed their advertisers with blossoming stats.ย
The Castlemorton Common Festival in May 1992 was the UK’s largest illegal rave, with an estimated 50,000 attendees, a mere fraction of the hundreds of thousands of folk who regularly ventured out to party their cares away at the peak of rave culture in the nineties. Perhaps there’s some diehards still at it, more organising events, but for the most, they’ve matured, settled into life, yet retain fond, kaleidoscopic memories they don’t want tarnished by negativity about the slim chance of a comeback!
Media platforms pathetically attempt to enrage for clickbait with damning reports about the odd slight bank holiday gathering, when the feedback suggests the reality for a majority is the only annoyance it might cause them, is that they never dusted off their white gloves and whistles, and attended themselves?!
I have to laugh at the audacity, the final irony being, when acid house parties first appeared in the eighties, there were only a handful of Ibiza-returning aficionados partying, until one invited a journalist and the newspapers exploded the scene! At first they encouraged it, tongue-in-cheek, The Sun even sold acid house t-shirts. But once the scene blossomed, out of government control, and t-shirt sales waned, they turned nasty, exploiting it with scare stories for parents to wither in fear their teenagers might be involved. It was more likely they weren’t, until they saw the newspapers, but by then it was on Top of the Pops.
It was as if they did it just to sell newspapers; who’d have flunked it possible?! Crazy to think how the press would be so callous, but now it seems they’re up to it again, and I predict adverse effects, again. The bottom line being it’s no new-fangled trend, and wasn’t back when; for as long as mankind has been on Earth, they gathered tribally to dance to hypnotic beats, and didn’t need TicketSource to do so.
There’s nothing for younger people to do in the cesspit we call โprogress,โ and just as it was back in the nineties, if they want to ensemble, gather freely for enjoyment, make the most of what little freedom they retain building communities, friendships and celebrating their time alive, then so be it. Open your eyes and look around; there’s far worse they could be doing.
So, journalists, get your own life, and quit jumping on their backs for hits โฆ..please share this article if you agree with this hypocrite writer, or give the codger a chewing gum, bottle of water, and send him off to the fantastical utopia of blissful yore swishing in his mindset!!
Devizes Music Academy is set to bring joy, energy and a whole lot of sparkle to the stage with its latest musical theatre production,ย Sister Actย later this week…..ย
Following the outstanding success of previous productionsย SIXย andย Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie, the Academy continues its run of ambitious, high-quality youth theatre with this feel-good favourite, based on the much-loved film.
Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer who is placed in protective custody in a convent after witnessing a crime. What unfolds is a heartwarming and often hilarious journey of friendship, transformation and finding your voice – all set to a vibrant score inspired by disco, gospel and Motown.
Directed by Jemma Brown, with her team Sarah Davies and Teresa Isaacson, the production showcases a cast of talented young performers who have taken on an extraordinary challenge – learning their lines, music and choreography in advance, and bringing the entire show together in just five days. They are performing the show in the round – where the audience surround the stage – itโs a truly exciting project.
Jemma said, โThis show is just full of joy. Itโs bold, uplifting and all about finding your place and your voice, which feels incredibly important for young people. What always amazes me is what this group achieves in such a short space of time – the commitment, the teamwork, the energy. Itโs genuinely quite special to watch it all come together.โ
Ruby Phipps, who plays Deloris and previously appeared inย SIXย andย Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie, said, โIโm absolutely loving being part ofย Sister Act. Deloris is such a fun role to play, and the music is just incredible. What makes it really special though is doing it with this group – everyone works so hard and supports each other, and it all comes together so quickly. Itโs such a great experience.โ
At its heart, Sister Act is a story about community, acceptance and individuality – themes that resonate strongly both on and off the stage.
The production also highlights the powerful role the arts can play in young peopleโs lives, helping to build confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging.
โIn a world where it can sometimes be hard to see the positives, this show is a reminder of what young people can achieve when they are given encouragement, belief and the chance to shine,โ Jemma added.
With a brilliant cast, an infectious soundtrack and a huge sense of fun,ย Sister Actย promises an uplifting night of theatre for audiences of all ages. And the Academy is already looking ahead, with plans to take on the iconicย Les Misรฉrablesย next year.
Sister Act Jnr is at Devizes Corn Exchange on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th April. Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/dma or from Devizes Books.
Right here, right now in Devizes, Palooza spawned and has become the fast-growing house music event brand in Wiltshire. They’ve beenย invited backย to perform atย Fatboy Slimโsโฆ
Featured Image: Helen Polaxpix What has Devizesโ greatest millennial musical export, England rugby player Jodie Ounsley’s ghost writer, some scummy mummies, a professor of biology atโฆ
Hurrah, at last! Only The Brave is the debut song from Burn The Midnight Oilโs revised lineup; something Iโve been anticipating since watching them rehearseโฆ
Four Dauntsey’s Sixth-Formers have been awarded travel scholarships, and plan to cycle all the way from their school to Bonn in Germany, shortly after completingโฆ
Leading Wiltshire digital entrepreneur Natalie Luckham, AI Educator and founder of award-winning Wiltshire social media consultancy Naturally Social is hosting a free โIntroduction to AIโโฆ
Easter 2026: I could speculate The Three Crowns was still the place to be in Devizes, but thought it best to check! I’m not the gathering-shit-from-Facebook type journalist, pal, I’m the milkman who needs an unwinding cider or six on a Saturday. I took matters into my own hands; things I must endure for the cause of investigative journalism!
Three-piece Trowbridge punkers Marty’s Fake Family were second on the new south-facing stage, The Reason rocked it first, on Friday. Landlord Simon explained the sound now projects into the carpark causing it to be less of a neighbourly nuance, but, while the space might be more confined, it gives lift and stance to the performers, and marks a boundary so equipment isn’t at risk. Waddies are spending money on this establishment, there is no reason to wonder why when you attend.
Marty’s Fake Family know which buttons to press; they’ve played here before, and what they do fits like a glove. They kick off as they mean to go on, fiery rock with embers of their metal and punk roots, and giving it 200%. Though, they mellow early for Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, jesting it’s the only ballad they do. If we’re being eased in gently it remains loud and proud, though the crowd is slighter, and older; the age demographic dips at 10pm and the pub fills to bursting point. Millennials and Gen Z are economically conditioned, I guesstimate taking advantage of Spoons’ prices and moving on to where the action is when sufficiently wobbly.
And The Three Crowns know exactly how to play it. A young friend of my family perfectly summarised; “there’s nowhere else to go in Devizes.” Technically there is, yet the Crowns appease them with an efficient cashless bar, and comfort food, appetising burgers and wings. But the central attraction is a lively covers band to which they can sing along to timeless pop classics, loudly, and party surprisingly civilly compared to youths of previous generations. Some take Scissor Sisters’ advice and take their mammas out all night, but age is meaningless for Three Crowns regulars, the vibe fits all.
Marty’s Fake Family absolutely rocked the crowd with bells on. They’ve been doing similarly proficient shows locally for eight years. If you want your venue/event to be a library-esque original music appreciation society, avoid them as theyโre living and loving it in the cover band moment, and Martyโs Fake Family needs 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to operate their flux capacitor; great Scotts, what a night; The Three Crowns can produce the power requirement!
Like Busted and McFly, bassist Dan confirmed their namesake relates to Back to the Future, and explained they started with metal intentions but, tongue in cheek, wanted to do Abba songs. โThe rest of the band thought it was a shit idea, but it stuck,โ he told me… before running off to the loo at breaktime.
Their repertoire spans like the Tardis, anything from any era crowd-pleasingly loud, and they do it with zest and punk passion. So, tunes like American Idiot and Teenage Dirtbag need no adaptation, Blur’s Song Two, All Sit Down by James, and The Cranberries’ Zombie guaranteed to excite, alongside eighties rock, ZZ Top, Sumner of โ69, et al. But they’ve rabbits in their hats as the evening progresses; punky versions of Abba, Eurythmics meld into Noah Kahan’s Stick Season, and return to Sweet Caroline proclaiming to walk 500 miles and every other crowd-pleaser youโve no need to request; there’s even a rock n roll medley finale. They tick every cover band box, stamp their authority, and certainly seal my approval.
Seems the Three Crowns retains their everyday staple entertainment status quo in Devizes, has been top of their game for some time, and show no sign of letting up. Perhaps we need to award at least one more crown to its name for sustaining this dominion; four, five or even six Crowns maybe?!!
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts key into the town’s majority demographic for its first annual event of the year, mature couples, with an affection for samplingโฆ
The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 entered an exciting new era when Stone Circle Music Events announced was as official sponsor and organiser. Backed by theirโฆ
by Ian Diddams images by Chris Watkins media โChicagoโ is a stand out example of the musical theatre genre โ great songs, great characters, greatโฆ
Thimbles on standby, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts are calling all creative craftspeople and makers to their new project, The Makers Exchange. Itโs a new craft market celebrating the South Westโs most skilled makers, and it will take place at the historic Devizes Corn Exchange on the 23rd and 24th Mayโฆ..
The event offers visitors the chance to explore a vibrant marketplace of contemporary craft, meet the makers behind the work, and experience live demonstrations and workshops.
Across the weekend, the Corn Exchange will be filled with beautifully presented stalls featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewellery, clothing, and homewares, all designed and made by the makers themselves.
Highlights include live demonstrations by Marion Wright, renowned for traditional signwriting and decorative painting, and Amy Whittingham, whose bold, chunky glass chains feature separate, moving links, cast individually through a fascinating process.
The weekend begins on Friday 22nd May with The Ideas Exchange, an informative evening gathering for creative people featuring a talk and demonstration by knitwear designer and farmer Katie Allen of Cotmarsh Farm, followed by drinks and conversation.
Visitors will also have the chance to engage in hands-on experiences, including a drop-in cyanotype printing area by Bloemen & Blue, with proceeds supporting the marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage.
On a crafty mission to bring high-quality, community-focused arts to Devizes and the surrounding area, DOCA presents professional indoor and outdoor arts experiences, creating participatory opportunities working with local, national and international artists.ย
The Makers Exchange is a celebration of contemporary craft in the South West, bringing together the regionโs finest designer-makers. The event is designed to connect makers and the public, offering an immersive experience where visitors can see skills in action, try their hand at creative techniques, and take home beautifully made, unique pieces.
Rowde’s printmaker Hannah Cantellow
The makers include, Marlborough knitwear designer Katie Allen, Plymouth glass artist Amy Whittingham, signwriter Marion Wright, Bath Sashiko tutor Jessica Way, Bristol woodworker Geoff Hannis, Bromhamโs cyanotype artist Libby Mornement of Bloemen & Blue, Wiltshire Spinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild, and members of the Guild of Traditional Upholsterers.
But, whoโd thought it, Rowde is the creative cradle, with three makers featured in the event?! Rowde’s printmaker Hannah Cantellow, lampshade maker Aimรฉe Alice Payton, and cabinet maker Thorn Smith. Seriously, I better polish up on my Fuzzy Felts!
The Ideas Exchange on Friday 22nd May runs from 6:30-9pm at The Peppermill Hotel, and is ยฃ10. The Makers Exchange is at Devizes Corn Exchange from the 23rd and the 24th May from 10:30 to 4:30pm, and costs just two pounds, with children going free.
For full details, workshop bookings, and tickets, visit:
Fromeโs Cheese & Grain will host a celebration of the life of local music promoter Phil Moakes, who sadly passed away last July, aged just 66โฆ
Party at the End of the World will be on Sunday 10th May and will be a special event in celebration of Philโs life, alongside his family and friends. The evening features a fantastic line-up, including The Utopia Strong, Arch Garrison, Richard, Chantelle & Amy, Kavus Torabi, Thee Jolly Rotter, Hodmadoddery, and Sara Vian, and will be hosted by Martin Dimery.
Kavus Torabi fronted Gong, one of Philโs favourite bands, The Utopia Strong are from Glastonbury with professional snooker player Steve Davis, and Sara Vian was one of many presenters at Philโs Visual Radio Arts project.
Phil Moakes was a keen musician, and played keys in local bands throughout the seventies and eighties, including The Replacements and Wasted Space. For Frome he would become not only a legendary music promoter and media broadcaster, but a prominent community leader advocating the arts. He served as a Somerset County Councillor, founded Frome FM, and was a former Chair of the Cheese and Grain Board of Trustees.
โPhil played a pivotal role in the development of the Cheese and Grain,โ a spokesperson for the Cheese & Grain said, โand was instrumental in securing the venueโs long-term future during some of its most challenging years. His dedication, leadership, and belief in the venue and its staff helped shape it into the vibrant cultural hub it is today.โ
Phil Moakesโ last vision was a project called Visual Radio Arts, which started as a Frome FM project in 2016, and independently branched out to create promotional gig videos for artists from Fromeโs Old Fire Station. It was in 2021 when I first met Phil, having relocated with his family to Royal Wotton Bassett, he had moved the studio to Bath Road in Devizes.
In the lockdown era musicians took to streaming gigs from their homes, often amateurly and with varying results. Visual Radio Arts offered a professional option, to capture bands live, akin to The Old Grey Whistle Test, and many artists took up the offer to perform.ย
Being new to the area, I think Phil wanted me to suggest local acts who might like to be hosted on Visual Radio Arts. Anyone I namedropped were already on Philโs radar, but it didnโt stop us having a passionate and lengthy chat about the local music scene. Questioning Phil on the financial structure of Visual Radio Arts was all quite vague; it seemed his only motivation was the promotion of the musicians.
โWe remain profoundly grateful for Philโs vision, support,โ The Cheese & Grain continued, โand the lasting legacy he leaves behind, not only within the Cheese and Grain, but across the wider Frome community. In celebration of his life and in honour of this legacy, all funds raised from the event will be donated to support the vital work of Fair Frome.โ
Fair Frome is a foodbank charity offering sustainable services and support, raising awareness of the issues of poverty across Frome.ย
Whether you’ve a bizarre inclination to meet the Addams Family in the flesh and figure this might be your closest opportunity, you couldn’t think of anything worse, or you’ve absolutely no opinion on the matter whatsoever, Devizes Musical Theatre’s Addams Family Musical is a must-see!
Invited to the dress rehearsal yesterday, The Addams Family Musical opens tonight, Wednesday 1st, and runs to Saturday 4th April, at Dauntseyโs School, and I can confirm it’s creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and absolutely brilliant. I left delighted and more charmed than spooked.ย
The Addams Family began as a panel in the New Yorker by Charles Addams, a cartoonist alleged to be nearly as weird as the characters he created, but it was the gothic sitcom of the sixties which most will fondly recall, and Barry Sonnenfeldโs nineties movie adaptations brought them into contemporary culture.
The popularity of a recent television spinoff about the family’s daughter Wednesday fares well with the timeliness of this production, especially being the story of this musical centres around Wednesday coming of age too. Within the beloved setting of the Addams Family franchise, it follows a classic musical plot of forbidden love with a happy ending.
It tells of losing inhibitions and that love is calmly discussing your differences. But, no more spoilers from me! Rest assured you’re in capable hands, because the casting on this is impeccable, and its appearance is the best weโve seen so far from Devizes Musical Theatre; itโs a ghoulish visual feast.
I couldnโt pick a favourite part, they were all exceptional. Gary Robson makes a convincing Gomez, the father, but Dolly May was born for the part of his wife Morticia, it would seem, and the chemistry between them was magnetic. Likewise for Wednesday, played so utterly wonderfully by Grace Sheridan, and the object of her desires, Lucas, in which Oscar Thorley played with superb ease; if Oscar is his name, well, he should win one!
In contrast to the family traits, Lucasโ parents Lucy Burgess and Simon Hoy presented them with professional quality, particularly when their influences are altered by the course of the narrative. Then you have the steadfast extra family members, pouring the comedy into it, such as the Grandma, Debby Wilkinson, whose haunting cackle alone would be plentiful for comic effect, without the need for her grinning smirks and ambling around the stage.
Cameron Williams plays Frankensteinโs Prometheus butler Lurch, who is still amazing, despite having nothing but a growl, because thereโs a twist, at the end, and Iโll say no more. The troubled son Pugsley, played with magic by Georgia Saunders is key to a plot twist, and is so convincing in the relationship with his sister, she may as well be a sibling to Grace.ย
Attending a dress rehearsal has slight differences to the actual show, one thing you wouldnโt see at the show was when, at the interval, Ben Griffiths-Mills, who plays the disturbingly innocent Uncle Fester, came to address the director Lyn Taylor, who happened to be sitting beside me. The Addams Family is more music and fun than spooky, the most shocking part of my evening was not in the show, rather when Ben spoke in his normal voice to Lyn, as I was so utterly convinced by his sublime performance as Fester, I expected him to speak with the quirky high-pitched accent of Fester! And this sums the experience up, so credible it is, I had to remind myself these were actors in character; in that, Thing wasn’t wandering around the school at night, and if forced to pick a favourite, Uncle Ben Fester would probably be it!
Such is the attention to detail, I reveal thereโs not just a random collective of excellent dancers too, but theyโre separate characters of the ghostly ancestors the Addams have venerated, and each dances around their crypts according to their back stories and fate; the program identifies them, and the cast highlight the show.
Iโve mentioned the dubious double-meaning of the word โamateurโ used in the term โamateur dramaticsโ before, being a noun for โunprofessionalโ doesnโt necessarily mean the subject it refers to is โrubbish,โ as second definitions suggest. I did so in a review of a Devizes Musical Theatre production, because, while everyone volunteers, the standard, attention to detail, and production values are so high you could assume youโre at the West End. This notion has never been more relevant than with their latest production, The Addams Family Musical; if youโre going, youโre in for a treatโฆand definitely not a trick.
When people come to see ’em, They really are a scream, The Addams Family may not have the same box office clout as Devizes Musical Theatre producing a Disney fairy-tale; thereโs a few tickets left for a performance which usually sells out. Do not be distracted by the quirky choice of production, as this was DMT at their very best.
After much deliberation, Devizine is to pull out of any further organisation of the Wiltshire Music Awardsโฆ.. It has not been an easy decision, andโฆ
It seems Shrove Tuesday celebrations in Devizes have fallen as flat as aโฆ.well, you get the gagโฆ Traditionally organised by Age Concern Wiltshire, and oftenโฆ
The mighty mighty Minety Music Festival announced The Bluetones as their Sunday headliner at their Eames Laurie Main Stage, and The Dub Pistols on theโฆ
The celebrated Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park announced their headline act for May bank holiday 2026, and being that it’s Bob Vylan, it isโฆ
Drizzly Sundayโฆagain. Iโve just finished designing the poster, so allow me to reveal the lineup for Rowdefest this coming May, might cheer us up aโฆ
Picturedrone, the new owners of the old Palace Cinema in Devizes announced today that the cinema will have a grand reopening as early as May, and media personality turned controversial comedian Katie Hopkins has accepted an invitation to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated establishmentโฆ.
May is set to be an exciting time in Devizes, when the cinema will finally be reopened. We are told the work is near complete and the company plans to reopen in May, though an exact date remains unconfirmed. The townโs only cinema closed in July 2021, with broken promises to reopen under new management. But the new owners, Picturedrone Cinemas, met spiralling costs with the extensive refurbishment. The good news is, The Wiltshire Reform Party has stepped in to help fund the project.
Aiming for a traditional, multi-use, Roman Colosseum styled venue, the cinema will also house the Wiltshire Reform headquarters and provide them with a space to hold popular conferences and rallies. Flagpoles will align the Market Place outside, restoring pride in our country and providing dogs and drunks with somewhere to relieve themselves. They really have thought of everything, even the reintroduction of white dog shit.
Harmless and loved by all, Katie Hopkins is expected to deliver one of her hilarious hate speech comedy routines before she cuts the ribbon and Devizes cinema will be open once again, to patriots and Brexiteers only. Then there will be a screening of โMein Kampf: The Movie,โ an animated cartoon adaptation of Reform’s beloved bible, aimed at children.
โWe’re eternally grateful to the Wiltshire Reform party for their donation,โ a spokesperson for Picturedrone said, โI mean, who needs equality, basic morals, Trowbridge’s Oden, or a health service, when you can stuff hotdogs while watching โ1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Storyโ on the big screen, in the comfort of your own town, yell abusive gibberish and puke Wetherspoons lager into your popcorn?โ
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Reform said, โwe’re making cinema great again. It will be like the good old days of British cinema, Zulu, Dad’s Army and The Black and White Minstrel Show. There will be snogging and fingering in the back row, and chewing gum will be squashed into every chair. Their springs will jut out of the material piercing every bottom; just as uncomfortable as our make-it-up-as-we-go manifesto. And of course, you will be allowed to smoke cigarettes inside, in fact, that’s compulsory.โ
โIf you visit the cinema in Devizes you can rest assured your family will not be exposed to dangerous leftie woke films. They will not be shown. No films of forced diversity, gendered power shifts, anything by Mark Ruffalo, or any containing boats, save perhaps โTitanicโ; just films with good old traditional family values, like โShowgirlsโ and โLolita.โ
The Ivana Trump biopic The Apprentice will be the first film screened at the reopened cinema, and is expected to attract huge interest.
A spokesperson for Devizes Town Council told Devizine they think this is, โa great initiative and an asset to our town.โ They continued to express their delight and said, โI’m looking forward to the cinema reopening and inviting Danny Kruger back to Devizes so I can kiss the hem of his petticoat in the dark. We’re grateful for Reform’s contribution. I think all Devizes Town Councillors should show their gratitude by switching their chosen party affiliation to Reform, and if they don’t, I’ll ban them from my popular Facebook page, or call Donald to carpet bomb the town, thus liberating our people from the oppressive regime of The Devizes Gardens, or Guardians, or whatever stupid name they call themselves.โ
Devizes wet wipe residents active on the Devizes Tissues (but bitter) Facebook group are said to have โshot their loadโ upon hearing the news about โsexyโ Katie Hopkinsโ appearance, as excitement builds for the town’s many gammon flagshaggers. Bert, a local fake profile, deliberately provoking poll maker and anchor with a capital W is said to be โbesides himself,โ likely because no one else would.ย
Hopefully, by next April Fools Day a visit to the cinema in Devizes will be a usual occurrence, and we will all be marching there in Nigel Faragรผhrer football kit uniform. Thank you, Reform, and the Russian oligarchs who are gaslighting your fascist propaganda. I’m so happy about the cinema and its โfree fagsโ policy, and, being as thick as a Hungry Horse’s Big Plate Special slice of gammon with the political awareness of a small pickled egg, I’m voting for you now.
It could be bigger than Diggers! See what I did there? Okay, you youngsters might need Google, but while you’re researching Chippenham’s hedonistic past, aโฆ
There’s no sophomore slump for Monkey Bizzle; prolific in their art, these rural chav-choppers return with a second album, Agricultural Appropriation, only five years andโฆ
Featured Image:@jenimeadephotography Just another rainy Saturday afternoon in Devizes, whereby I watched a profound fellow dramatically sacrifice himself to the devil, then popped to Morrisonsโฆ
Itโs a question Iโve asked Chippenham singer-songwriter Harmony Asia on each rare occasion I catch her for a chat; if sheโs planning to capture a slice of her wonderful performances on record. I guess I will have to find a new request now, but judging by her debut single released today, I Could Do This, it will probably be, when is the next one coming out?!
Yeah, itโs as moreish as Maltesers, deliciously soulful and simply sublime. Whilst I had high expectations it would be no less, the anticipation didnโt falter my delight upon hearing it. The presumption was Harmony Asia can do this, do this with distinction, and she did. I Could Do This is jazzy piano and feathering drum neo soul, and with Harmonyโs soothing vocals causally tingling the coolest feelgood romance theme, itโs commercially viable contemporary pop; top marks from me!
Thereโs technical mastery which seems to come naturally to Harmony; the defined range of emotional depth, and raw passion akin to soul legends, yet retaining the coolness of artists like Sade or Sharon Woolf and Macy Gray. And while this single is on that level too, itโs written with equal skill. Listen to it, youโll hear what I mean and your ears will love you forevermoreโฆ. ย
Itโs a Friday, just polishing off a big boy breakfast at New Society. Got the window seat; I ponder how beautiful Devizes Market Place looks from up here, and how we often take it for granted. Thereโs Ben Reed, Wiltshire Councillor for Devizes North, waving at me from below; heโs coming up for carrot cake, and to chew the fat over the first year with the Liberal Democrats at the helm of Wiltshire Councilโฆ. priorities; not till Iโve finished my sausages!
There was minimal bumps driving here, in comparison to how it has been. The Council are slowly playing catch up with our dilapidated roads, but potholes remains firm on my agenda, because while the main roads are getting TLC, it feels like Devizes is being left out. Despite a lesser public issue visibly, isnโt the spiralling costs of social care more important than potholes, or are the two holistically connected, if these potholes drive us to insanity?! Ben? He starts talking pubs; Iโve made a friend!
Far from being something Ben has researched, โbut,โ he started, โI think thirteen pubs might be the most of any council division in Wiltshire. It’s nice to have places to stop when you’re out and about delivering and canvassing.โ For the record, it was relevant. I was praising the cafรฉ.
It also served as an introduction to Benโs enthusiastic bearing on the area he manages, explaining its diversity he continued, โthere’s quite a lot of social housing, retirement complexes, and all the businesses. So, quite a lot going on.โ
It is through this enthusiasm Iโll acknowledge while the public are keen to pick easy targets, like potholes, thereโs so many other duties to being a Councillor we rarely contemplate. Ben told me he was due to meet an elderly lady straight after this who lives in Long Street and finds it difficult getting around town. โI’m going to try and work out what her routes are,โ he said, โand maybe look at whether there are things I can report on the My Wilts app.โ Pausing to consider pedestrians navigating our wobbly pavements might better take their chances on the dodgy roads, Iโm determined to turn him to the subject of potholes! Is Devizes being left out?!
โIt does feel a bit like that,โ Ben agreed. โfrankly, it’s going to be a problem for a while because the backlog is huge.โ I will, later in our chat, praise Ben for his Councillor Facebook page, where, unlike others, thereโs no negativity bashing the opposition, just feelgood posts, but sometimes fact is fact, the previous Conservative Wiltshire Council seriously neglected road repairs, leaving us in this state and passing the buck.
โI’ll try to steer away from being too tribal,โ Ben affirmed, โbecause I don’t think it’s very helpful, but as I understand it, there was quite a bow wave of funding in the last couple of years as the election approached. I don’t know whether there was a realisation that this was a problem, but if you go back further than that, and this isn’t this isn’t particularly a Wiltshire problem, going back to 2010, when the Conservative government first came in, local authority funding across the board was really slashed. And highways were one of the things that councils chose to take the money away from. So there was a period where we fell behind with those preventative jobs. And now we’re chasing our tails. It’s a never-ending problem, and when you get a winter like we’ve just had with so much rain and then that freezesโฆ.โ
As it being a national issue, Iโve seen better roads in other counties. Yet, we may believe Wiltshire hits the hotlist for the worst roads, probably because we use them regularly. But research suggests Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and others, long before Wiltshire gets a mention.
I could scrutinise the previous Conservative-led Wiltshire Council until suppertime, and Iโm pleased someone else now has a stab at it. But, councillors on the opposition and ex-councillors who lost their seats, are quick to raise issues visible to the public, like the pothole debacle, whereas they wouldโve avoided the subject when The Conservatives were in charge.
In considering the often unmentioned tasks, such as social care costs, exampling the Trowbridge car park fiasco, which I talked to Taylor Wright about, I worry thereโs too much time taken up with political point scoring, and the council is far more disputative and argumentative now that the Tories are on the back foot and Reform makes their impact, against all common sense. To summarise, Iโm gonna ask Ben how a council is supposed to find solutions to important and pressing countywide problems, when they spend months bickering about a carpark!
โYeah,โ Ben nods, Iโm onto something! โI found probably the least enjoyable element so far has been those council meetings. It’s difficult to see some of the tactics as anything other than obstructive, unfortunately. The way funding is and the way policies get brought forward is the council officers look at our manifesto and make suggestions and then the administration says yes, or, can we tweak this, and quite often the things we end up doing are probably the things, to be completely honest, that the Conservatives would have done if they’d if they’d still been in power, and yet they end up opposing what often are, as far as I can see, the most the most sensible measures, and the carpark is a good example, I think.โ
โIt’s a strange situation,โ Ben justifies the carpark fiasco thus, โhaving to provide free parking, and this covenant. But you’ll see this week, NCP, the big carpark developer, have gone into administration. So, if they’re not making money on carparks that they can actually charge people to park in, then you can see what a liability a carpark that we’re not allowed to charge for is. And it’s got to be rebuilt. And it’s going to cost us far more now than it would have been to incentivise the developer to knock it down and, you know, build something nice for Trowbridge.โ
I can play โrealโ journalist, try to gauge Ben for marketable controversy by name-dropping troublesome local political busybodies, but he’s not taking the bait! I’m unconcerned, for that’s never my objective. New to politics, Ben was keen to express he’d never been the opposition, so doesnโt know what it feels like. Though, he comes across as genuine, an earnest and honest guy, tucking into his carrot cake.
There’s a phrase, โa week is a long time in politics,โ maybe it’s the opposite for local politics; it’s early days for this new Wiltshire Council and perhaps, optimistically, we need to be patient to see any fruition at base level.
The carpark was only an example, I was more after dirt on the bickering. Issues regarding waste, reducing the bin collections, and Reformโs pathetic failed bid to end net zero were all hitting points for the opposition, that we discussed later in our chat. I suggested we need some education on how to reduce waste, not just waste being collected, to which he agreed.
Disappointed by the reaction from the opposition and that โthe petition that’s running doesn’t really go into detail,โ Ben was keen to talk bins, and to defend the motion. โYour black bin collections are being reduced from two weekly to three weekly,โ Ben said, but expressed, โalongside that, a weekly food waste collection is being introduced. So if you look at a six week period, people will actually be getting more for their money. There will be more collections over the year, just different collections, and hopefully there should be a lot less in the residual waste when the food waste comes out.โ Besides, he pointed out, it’s a government requirement, โwe have to we have to do it.โ
For the opposition itโs a soundbite, easy to highlight your waste collection wonโt be as regular under the Lib Dems, ย but Ben explained, โit’s just not true. One type of bin collection has been reduced, but you’ve got a new one which is a lot more frequent.Sadly, there is a bit of game playing.โ
On the general bickering, โI do find that very energy-sapping,โ Ben replied. โI try and stay away from it as much as I can. I think for the Conservative group, it’s a real change for them. It’s a period of adjustment. They’ve been in charge of Wiltshire Council pretty much from the outset. And I think, well, I hope they’ll find a bit of a friendlier way of conducting themselves. Because opposition is about fair criticism, it’s about scrutiny. They’re perfectly entitled to raise complaints. The roads, you know, it’s difficult to see how we can be criticised too much on those at the moment. Up until last month, we were working on the old Conservative budget. We’ve allocated some additional capital spend for the next few years. Hopefully we can get away from kind of reactive maintenance.โ
โJanuary, there were 2,700 pothole repairs, which is a record month ever. It’s an unwanted record, but, I think up to mid-March, they did about 5,000. And there’s normally, I think about 15,000 done a year. That’s quite a lot ahead of schedule. They’ll be concentrating on repairs until June and then hopefully they’ll get to a place where they can look at preventative maintenance. Station Road is a case in point. It’s been due for a proper resurfacing, but you can’t do that while Northgate Street is still closed. So as soon as that’s open, I’ll be pushing for Station Road to have its resurfacing, and they’ll come to Northgate Street later.โ
It makes me wonder, that they created a road repair taskforce, if the workers are allowed to think for themselves and bypass the red tape, because thatโs what appears to delay the process. You download the app, report one pothole at a time in a road of thousands, which goes through evaluation processes, paperwork, venturing out to spray-paint a square around it, or pop a cone in there. Whereas a taskforce could deal with it immediately. Because I see a repaired stretch of road, and often thereโs potholes centimetres after it! Are they restricted to deal with what it says on a piece of paperwork, and not permitted to think, โhey, we’ve got a bit of spare tarmac, we could just carry on a wee bit, and cover that trench too?!โ
โI’m told that there is a bit of leeway for that,โ Ben stressed. โPotholes get prioritised, a defect or a pothole gets categorised. So, if it’s in a particularly dangerous area, or of a particular size or depth, then it gets a P1, and it’s supposed to be repaired within 24 hours. If there’s a crew going around doing those, they probably will ignore some smaller ones and just get the ones on their list ticked off. So that’s probably why that arises. But I think in practice, if there’s a massive priority one pothole and then some quite big ones obviously visible nearby, they probably would repair those before they move on, I’d like to think. But it depends how busy they are and what they’ve got on their list for that day.โ
I canโt really argue with that, state of our roads, they must be busy bees! Ben also suggested technical issues with the MyWilts app needs reviewing, that issues raised by the public can be marked as closed even if the issue hasnโt been resolved. โI don’t think they should be closed until they’re repaired,โ he said, โwe’ll see what the review of the app comes up with, in terms of improvements.โ
Itโs not the roads though taking up the budget, annoying as it is to hit a pothole, the bigger picture is knowing vulnerable people are safely cared for. โPeople often don’t realise that the bulk of our funding, whether that’s from government or from council tax payments, is pretty much spent before we even decide what to do with it. And social care takes up a really big chunk of that. So, children’s and adults, vulnerable people’s services is, I forget the exact percentage, but it’s certainly over 60% of all Wiltshire Council’s expenditure.โ
โThat’s an ever-increasing chunk,โ Benjustified, โwhich makes it really difficult to find money for other statutory services, like library services are statutory, highways too, obviously. Once you get beyond that, you’re really having to find pennies to do things. Leisure, for instance, is not a statutory service, but Wiltshire’s managed to keep a reasonable number of leisure centres. I think, compared to some local authorities, we’ve done quite well there, building a new leisure centre in Trowbridge, which is coming on very well.โ
โBut yeah, social care is the headline thing, I think, for councils. And it’s very important to look after people who need help. I’m recently been added to the Children’s Select Committee, which is the main scrutiny committee for all the children’s services. They look at how schools are performing, school attendance, and the leisure and youth services we offer. I’m really enjoying that actually. I don’t have children, so I thought, well, maybe this isn’t the right committee for me. But no, of all the committees I’m on, I think I get most out of that. So yeah, it’s been good.โ
We talked for some time on MPs, praising Brian Matthew, and we agreed switching parties, as Danny Kruger recently did in Marlborough should meet with a by-election. But the focus needed shifting back to council level, so I asked Ben what he thought the biggest changes at Wiltshire Council has been, and how transparent they are.
โWe certainly want it to feel people are closer to their council,โ Ben responded. โThey can ask questions and get answers, and then we will be, transparent with people. Yeah, there’s criticism been levelled about, some meetings go into part two, which is confidential business. And, like the carpark, we were accused of doing things behind closed doors. But this is completely standard stuff that happened under the last administration. If there’s commercial sensitive information, then it doesn’t, or personal; if individuals are being spoken about, that isn’t going to be in the public domain. And that’s the same everywhere.โ
The opposition play on this, and it reflects badly?
โWell, it does,โ Ben agreed. โThere’s no reason why people shouldn’t take what they’re reading from them at face value. But to be honest, I wish more people would tune in to the council meetings on YouTube. Because to me, If you watch a bit of that, then it’s pretty clear, to me at least, who’s trying to get things done, and who’s trying to stop things moving forward.โ
With public engagement, prior to the meeting, Ben stressed surgeries arenโt popular. I said he shouldnโt take it personally, as they often happen during the working day, and supposed many of us, myself guilty too, prefer to have a whinge on Facebook rather than address the councillors in person!
โProbably, yeah,โ he figured.โ I want to make sure if someone does want to get in touch with me, they can. So the more channels and opportunities there are for that, the better. And that’s partly on me to go out to events and knock on people’s doors and sort my focused newsletters out three or four times a year. But, it does need someone to make the effort to drop me a line. It can be a phone call, an e-mail, a Facebook message. They can come and see me at a surgery. I am trying to do the surgeries evenings or weekends, so hopefully a bit friendlier times for people.โ
โI’ll answer comments on Facebook if I think I sensibly can. Sometimes people make comments, and you can understand why, people let off steam, but maybe they donโt know the full facts of what the issue is. And sometimes it’s complex to explain that. So it’s difficult on a Facebook message.โ
And people can take it the wrong way. It’s just words. Herein I raised the Kebab Shop fire as an example, an issue Ben confirmed had been his most pressing, and being such a complex one, has learned not to โover promise.โ He originally said the site will be demolished in February, weโre moving into April. Devizes is a lovely place, but it’s easy to think the town’s in a state, and everything that’s promised is just pie in the sky.
โWhat would be a worry for a town is if there wasn’t these developments happening,โ Ben replied, โif it wasn’t a place where developers wanted to invest and create new facilities and new homes.โ
โDevizes, seems to be moving in the right direction, and I know it’s frustrating with the delays, but I think there’s so much light at the end of the tunnel. Northgate Street, the kebab house, there’s been a perfect storm, but itโs really unfortunate in terms of the location, the type of building and the damage that was done, ended up being propped up like it was.โ
โQuite apart from the human aspect of it and the loss of business and livelihoods, and the neighbouring properties are both quite badly damaged as well. Hopefully they can get on and get it repaired. And it has dragged. If I’d been able to hire a wrecking ball and pitch up there myself, I would have done it!โ
โIt was not the easiest thing to inherit. It was six months after the fire that I won the election, and at that stage, I don’t think the owner had worked through all the insurance issues. But eventually the demolition application went in. They were supposed to do it in February, as you say. They hadn’t finalised the partition wall agreement, because they need to make sure when they knock it down that they don’t do more damage to number one and number three. And then the contractor wasn’t available until April. So we are where we are.โ
Our chat continued onto Station Roadโs resurface and its traffic flow. Ben agreed lessons needed learning between the Highway’s team and Building control team, and he raised other issues, such as the condemned old Royal Oak building.
โThey’re converting it into apartments,โ he said. โIt was a terrible state, but it’s a listed building, so it’s really good to see it getting back into use. Unfortunately, they’re going to need to close half of New Park Street to sort out the water and electricity connections. So, I’ve been talking with the traffic team at Wiltshire Council, about when is a good time; there’s no good time! I think the offer they’ve made to the developer is do it overnight, so there won’t be any closures in the day. So, we’re waiting for that to be scheduled.โ
โItโs only a short closure, but what we don’t want is any overlap with Northgate Street still being closed. So, the highways team are always balancing these things against each other.โ
It was great to meet and chat with Ben, for thereโs many issues which need clarification. Short newspaper articles on a relative single subject cannot provide as much information, and being surgeries arenโt popular and the public tend to need matchsticks to keep their eyes open watching a video of council meetings, it is all too easy to be misinformed about Wiltshire Council! I believe social media posts from the opposition parties should be taken with a pinch of salt, and while criticism is fair game, things are looking positive a year into the newly elected Lib Dem council.
Stone Circle Music Events announced today that all proceeds of CrownFest will be donated to Wiltshire Hope & Harmonyโs Dementia Choir. CrownFest is an all-dayโฆ
If Devizes Scooter Rally has already established its base at Whistley Roadโs Park Farm and Full-Tone are moving to these new pastures, last year theโฆ
Dubiously biased and ruled with an iron fist, the mighty admin of the once popular Devizes Facebook group, Devizes Issues, is using the iconic Greatโฆ
David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone. Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council used evidence, against a group of Devizes Town councillorsโ more circumstantial land grab pitch, at Wiltshire Councilโs Community Governance Review, and just like David, triumphantlyโฆ..
More war of words than any military action, though the latter would’ve made a better scoop for me, the underdogs came up trumps in a surprising result!
Rather than admit it’s for financial reasons, the Devizes Town councillors fluttered around premises such as they were rattled by messages from residentsโ misunderstandings as to what council they came under, plus staking a claim to the Lidl store, in their pitch to the council to transfer areas of the town currently run by Bishops Cannings Parish Council to Devizes Town Council instead.
But the parish council had strong evidence in their arsenal, that theyโre successful in community commitments, and used villagersโ statements to present a more heartfelt plea. They even mentioned football, for what the commendable Bishop’s Cannings FC has done for all ages and abilities with their local grassroots football team supersedes any other local club, and serves the whole community of Devizes and its many other villages.
The Committee voted by 5 votes to 3 to recommend that the semi-urban area and the rural area south of Nurtsteed School should both be retained within the Parish of Bishops Cannings.ย
Though the battle was won, it’s dubious if the war is over, for while this will not be subject to further consultation, it will go to a free vote amongst Wiltshire Councillors, likely in July.
Chair of Bishops Cannings Parish Council, Cllr Darren Bone sent a message to the residents. He said, โCllr Iain Wallis of Devizes Town Council and Simon Williams, the Town Clerk, made a joint presentation in which they tried to persuade the Committee that the only correct result would be the wholesale transfer of the semi-urban area of Bishops Cannings Parish to Devizes. They also sought the transfer of rural land south of Nursteed School. Some of the arguments were new. All were subjective and offered without evidence. They tried to convince the Committee that 1200 homes and the families of over 2000 electors would all be better off under the control of Devizes.โ
โIn response, I introduced Mr Chris Nicholls, whose letter in support of the Parish Council and the retention of the semi-urban area was included in our detailed submission to the Committee. I am indebted to Chris for his honest, passionate statement. It was well-received and carried weight.โ
โI then addressed the Committee in turn, countering the vague notions which had been put forward by representatives of Devizes Town Council. The wealth of verified, tangible evidence presented previously by Bishops Cannings Parish Council in its submission and in person was reiterated. We sought a clear and unambiguous recommendation that the Parishโs boundaries should remain as they currently were. Further agreement was sought for a change of name for the Parish.โ
But the good news for Bishops Cannings Parish Council wasn’t over yet. Unexpectedly, once the committee debated the issue, they voted to consult with both Devizes and Bishops Cannings Councils, and the public on whether two potential transfers should occur, albeit this time from Devizes Town Council to Bishops Cannings Parish. Whoa there, it’s all gone a bit Treaty of Versailles here, if Devizes has to surrender significant territory, guaranteed someone’s knickers are going to get in a twist!
Despite it being a more common occurrence, where land is urbanly adjoined to a town, community governance reviews tend to side with the town, in this case it seems it was not only a loss for the Devizes Town councillors, but a complete backfire!
Cllr Darren Bone continued his message to the people of Bishops Cannings, โToday was a good day for the Parish of Bishops Cannings, for the Council and for its 2,628 electors and their families. The Councilโs transformation, achievements and intent were universally praised by the Committee. Special thanks go to Mr Nicholls and to Cllr Philip Whitehead, our Unitary Councillor, who both spoke powerfully and eloquently.โ
Congratulations to Bishops Cannings Parish Council; treat yourself to a cupcake, while the Devizes Town councillors can have some humble pie!
The first time I heard the name Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours, I presumed their sound might be folk or blues inspired. Judging a book by its cover, because while this Wiltshire collective’s debut single How it Feels might pertain such elements, I was pleasantly surprised to find it also jumping with feelgood soul….
Taken from an upcoming album of the same name, How it Feels is brass-blowing, high energy, sunny side of the street music, and I’d wager we all need a bit of that these days.
Piano-driven rock, gripping onto early Springsteen, or Elton John even, uptempo yet melodic, with an instant and irresistible hook. Yet when I listened, I was filled with imaginations of later new wave mod, when it became the staple pop of the eighties; this wouldn’t look out of place on a Style Council album. I’ll tell you how How itFeels feels; it feels alive and kicking!
Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours are quite the expert collective. Dave Turner is the bluebearded frontman pianist, Helen Robertson plays cello and adds those soulful backing vocals with Phil Cooper, who is also on bass.
All backed by guitarist Rich Godfrey and drummer Coby Franklin-Turner. The brass section knocking the energy into this song is provided by trumpeter and flugel horn player John Hare.
Shame I missed them at 7 Hills last weekend now I’ve heard this cracking single, but made up they’ll be at our newly opened The Fold this Friday, 27th March, at The Lamb in Devizes, with JP Oldfield in support. It’s free, hope to see you there?!
To clear up any confusion, Trowbridgeโs old town hall is no longer the town hall, but The Old Town Hall. I have no idea, nor care to know if there’s a new town hall; that’s irrelevant. Whilst still owned by thecouncil, it was refurbished and reopened as a charity funded arts centre and cultural hub last Octoberโฆ..
I met a great bloke there called Tom, he used to run Bath’s venue Moles, now he’s steering events at this glorious grade II listed building, originally opened in 1889 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. It is an utterly stunning space of Victorian splendour with acoustics from the heavens; nice to note it’s in good hands.
In equal splendour was the reason I’m here, for the 10 Hills Spring Music Festival. Congrats if you spotted the deliberate mistake, there were only ever seven hills; I’m rounding it up as if it’s a score out of ten, perhaps I should add an extra hill or five onto that for good measure!
If forced to find a nick-picking fault with this event, I could suggest a lack of chairs inside the hall, considering the higher end of the age demographic in attendance. But the concentration was on the music, an elaborate concert-festival, and the quality and quantity of this was absolutely mindblowing, if not particularly diverse.
7 Hills regularly organise music events at The Night Jar in Bath, including an annual festival. Chris Hoar of Courting Ghosts explained he, โreached out to them initially to say I was planning a festival in the newly renovated Old Town Hall, just to check it didnโt clash with them, and Matt said letโs do it together in Trowbridge as a spring festival.โ And here we are finally in spring, I’ve been looking forward to this.
Americana, folk-rock was the order of the day, everything uniformed to the influences of Courting Ghosts. So if you wanted to go looking for a dance tent, this wasn’t for you. But the standard of music was sublime throughout the day and into the evening, and that’s what made 7 Hills so spectacular.
Best festival of the year I could jest, because it’s my first, still, I believe I’m going to be hard pressed to find a lineup as good as this, and the craziest element was, while I knew most of the local acts booked for the afternoon, I was in the dark about the later ones, but far from disappointed.
Jess Chivers
Perhaps the only one I saw to deviate from Americana was Jess Chivers, who delivered a great set on an acoustic stage adjacent to the main one, as this had subtle elements of punk. This second stage assured consistent entertainment whilst bands prepped on the main stage. I believe because I needed sustenance I missed Phil Cooper’s set, drafted in due to a cancellation, and a few others before my arrival, but Leander Morales polished off the acoustic stage with an energetic and poignant set.
Thieves
Sadly I missed Fly Yeti Fly, meeting Darren on the stairs as I came in. Love this duo too, they remind me of Christopher Atkins and Brooke Shields in the Blue Lagoon! My arrival, I hoped, would be timed for Concrete Prairie, as it was, lovable bluegrass collective Thieves were doing their wonderful thing on the second stage, while the prairie tuned on the main, under the stained glassed lancet; confirming I’m going to love this event.
Concrete Prairie
Make no mistake, Concrete Prairie was on fire, I expected no less. Undeniably the liveliest set at the festival, they gave us the classics from their 2022 self titled debut album, finishing on their magnum-opus, the incredible crescendo-hugging Devil Dealt The Deck, but between them blessed our ears with some new songs from their forthcoming album. While Joe set no date for its release, the songs came across livelier than the sombre mood of the debut album. Theyโre perfectionists, providing me with faith there will be no sophomore slump.
The band were incomplete too, Phil Cooper taking bass, and original fiddler in the band, Georgia, filling in for her replacement. Still they rocked it, and Iโd have been content if I had to go home straight after them!
Courting Ghosts
Obviously with Chris Hoar at the helm, Courting Ghosts would play, and I could imagine no other following the Prairie, even if their overall mood is more sombre; this is music for the soul. Counting Ghosts surely set the mood for the remaining acts, this smooth Americania with influences from both country folk and jazzy soul. They gifted us a new song, to be the title track of their next EP, Baby, I Bleed for you, and sparks flew.
Orla
Everything chronologically from now on would be new to me, but all of it flying miles above my expectations. A great example came from the acoustic stage immediately after the Ghosts. Orla is a young singer-songwriter from Bath, and clearly one to watch. With crystal vocals she gave us some divine originals, including a particularly poignant one called Mouthwash, and made Crowded Houseโs principal her own.
Matt Owens & The Delusional Vanity Project
Former Noah and the Whale, Matt Owens & The Delusional Vanity Project followed with a dynamite set. As evening set in a professional precedence, I figured this was going to get continuously better. Multiple AMA UK Award winner Hannah White, the best yet, intertwined devout stage presence with a heartfelt singalong, she captivated, projecting her pure lyricism like dripping honey. I especially liked the tune with the reggae offbeat, but overall, I left wondering if, or how it could possibly get any better.
Hannah White
If Iโm now a Hannah White fan, and all presented before us was of a quality so high it would be impossible to fault, it should be no negative reflection in comparison to suggest something here wasnโt entirely my cuppa. No doubt, any Ohio artist signed by Peter Gabriel is going to be of an excellent standard, and soloist and loop pedal god, Joseph Arthur certainly is, it was just the bar was set so high by Hannah it levelled off here somewhat.
Joseph Arthur
So, despite the highest of qualities, I wondered now if, for my personal tastes, anything could possibly top Hannah, and casted a preconceiving critical eye over Our Man in The Field as they set up. They certainly had an impressive ensemble, seven piece with an upright bassist, organist and everything. The lead guitarist had something of a Bill Wyman debonair, while the frontman presented himself as a funky truckstop dweller. Grasping tight to my newfound adoration of Hannah, this would be interesting, if nothing more.
Thatโs when the vibe hits you best, when itโs a surprise! Our Man in The Field has the perfect Americana balance, components of country, but with such soulful jazzy swagger, they had me off-guard and now totally hooked, the first to entrance me wholly. Our Man in The Field is sublimely captivating.
Our Man in The Field
Shit, I realise now I shouldโve put more trust in Chrisโs knowledge! He has presented a lineup which, despite me thinking at numerous intervals, heโs not going to top this, he somehow did! I made up my mind then, I had to witness the final act even if an asteroid hit The Shires shopping centre.
The Delines, self-labelled as โretro country soulโ from Portland, Oregon headlined. With everything previous so hyped in the hamster wheel of my mind, it mattered not if this suited me, I could leave now, more than content. I couldnโt leave. I imagined myself off the lines, driving one of those poetic American roads, planning to stop off to drink my soul away at a roadside bar, but when you walk in a band playing in a back room is so inspiring you figure life is too short as they blissfully cure your blues.
The Delines
This was gorgeous. Utterly brilliantly steady, smooth with no need to fire up, just drifting with narratives akin to Guthrie, jazzy and soulful as Springsteenโs early recordings and the Asbury Park scene, on a Gil Scott-Heron level, and topped with the honest banter of a band in their prime; there was no need for them to apologise for Trump, thereโs two bridges between us, they can break the political one, but cannot ever do the same to the creative arts one. I wished my friend Chrissy could see this, this is what her band Burn the Midnight Oil should attain to, this was blended bliss, American music without borders.
Impossible for me to compare what Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was like at Trowbridge Town Hall with the events now being run at it, but 7 Hills felt like it couldโve matched it, even without cherries cooked in flaming brandy, and the range of community events at the venue breathes positive new light into Trowbridge town centre.
Christmas has come early for foxes and normal humans with any slither of compassion remaining, as the government announced the righteous move to ban trailโฆ
Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward โEโ) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunesโฆ
Wiltshire Music Centre Unveils Star-Studded New Season with BBC Big Band, Ute Lemper, Sir Willard White and comedians Chris Addison and Alistair McGowan revealing theirโฆ
Daphneโs Family & Childhood Connection to Devizes Celebrations of Daphne Oram have been building in London since the beginning of December, for those in theโฆ
Retrieved footage from a stolen drone of the Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs reveals the Beaufont Hunt making a fox kill earlier this month, and itโs undeniable evidence of their despicable crimes against our wildlifeโฆ.
The Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs have exposed The Beaufort Hunt numerous times, recording a kill on the Fosse Way in November 2025, on the Dukeโs Badminton Estate in December, and another at Cranmore Farm, Shipton Moyne, in January this year.
This distressing footage was recorded earlier this month at Commonwood Farm, Luckington. It clearly shows a fox hiding the hedgerow, the hounds doubling to the exact spot where a field rider was waiting, and dragging the terrified fox from the edge of the hedge, tearing it apart. The fox is then killed in front of hunters, who do nothing to stop the attack.
If this sickens you, the next part of the process is utterly terrible; the cover-up. Whilst they bag the remains of the fox, their terrierโmen and hunt supporters surround the drone, waiting for it to land, in an attempt to steal it, while the sabs rush to protect it. This is now common practice added into their โtraditional country sport.โ
The Police were called, and an officer from the Roads Policing Unit took the drone. “He just took it,” The Sabs explained, “he didn’t say what powers and didn’t give a receipt, hence we call it a theft.” Meanwhile, many of the terrier-men, with “registration plates deliberately muddied out,” realising they too were being recorded, fled. Police engaged with the leader, but not with the sabs. A rural crime officer viewed the footage on the drone controller, and another officer from Chippenham Response also attended.
The Rural Police Unit seized the drone containing vital evidence, but did nothing to stop the hunt, or locate the remains of the fox, disposed of in a bin bag, according to the sabs. The drone was returned to Wiltshire Hunt Sabs, following a weekโlong campaign exposing the circumstances of its seizure. The evidence has now been posted to their social media platforms.
This leaves me with little faith the new laws will do anything to stop this, if police do not act on them. Because, there was me thinking the objective of the police is to prevent crime, not just punish after a crime is committed? I asked the Wiltshire Hunt Sabs how they feel about these new rules regarding trial hunts, and if they think it will really make a difference?
โItโs hard to say without knowing what the government will implement,โ a spokesperson told me. โAny improvement is welcomed but this is our only opportunity to get rid of the loopholes – and the government must make sure it doesnโt introduce new ones.โ
โThe Hunt Saboteurs Association has produced a brilliant booklet detailing the key changes needed to ensure an effective ban on hunting wildlife with proper sentencing deterrents. Currently the Hunting Act allows only for a fine, which isnโt a deterrent or punishment for fox hunters with deep pockets. Landowners and hunt management also need to be held accountable more often too; they are supportive of their law-breaking hunt staff. Trail hunting needs to be banned; it isnโt an activity in itself, it simply exists only as a legal defence. Reckless clauses will certainly hurt them as every defence comes down to โooops, it was an accident!โ Itโs nigh on impossible to prove intent – as you canโt hop into anyoneโs mind, even though everyone knows when fox hunters hunt or kill foxes, itโs 100% intentional.โ
The continuous scroll of comments on The Wiltshire Hunt Saboteursโ social media posts show the overwhelming support for the organisation’s attempts to prevent this criminal activity, their anger this continues, and criticisms of the seemingly inactions of the Police. Myself? I call the Beaufont Hunt something which rhymes with hunt.
You can follow Wiltshire Hunt Sabs HERE and support their work HERE.
It was back in October when we revealed CrownFest at The Crown in Bishopโs Cannings was returning this summer, and January when we last mentioned it, because the organisers Stone Circle announced that its proceeds will be donated to Wiltshire Hope & Harmonyโs Dementia Choir. I like to tease you during those cold winter months, and get us looking forward to warmer days coming…..
Now the time is nearly upon us; frosty starts but some glorious sunshine brings a sigh of relief, as spring has sprung. Time to remind ourselves of some of the local festivals on our horizon, but this isnโt about simply regurgitating what weโve already said about CrownFest, because thereโs been a few updates since, worthy of your attentionโฆ..
What is new, is that the music will be presented over two stages rather than the single stage. Acoustic acts will be in the marquee, while bigger bands will be soundchecking and warming up on the main stage. This is great news, for continuous entertainment, and youโd have to wonder otherwise, just how theyโd squeeze so many acts into just one day.
And, before I waffle too far, that one day is the 4th July 2026; closer than you might think!
Tickets available HERE. A standard adult is only ยฃ32, children are ยฃ10, and thereโs a ยฃ75 family bundle option too.
So, what Iโve already told you: Kinishaโs renowned Simply the Best Tina Turner Tribute and Adam & The Ants tribute Ant Trouble headline, closely followed by Wiltshireโs premier indie-pop favourites and winners of six Wiltshire Music Awards, Talk in Code. Purveyors of Irish & Celtic folk The Publicans will also be playing, along with Salisburyโs rock cover band Innovator, rock covers band Tipsy Gypsies, the one and only George Wilding, Mother Ukes, and the blooming marvelous Lucas Hardy.
And if all that isnโt already enough, what you might not have noticed, is some fantastic additional acts recently added. Firstly, the sublime Ruby Darbyshire is now on the lineup, who is worth the ticket price alone! Young Calne singer-songwriter, Braydon Lee, is a name on everyoneโs lips right now, we fondly reviewed his latest single, and heโs coming too. Eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist Dylan Bratley also made the team; a new name to us but Iโve just checked out his rather cool Noah Kahan cover on TikTok, looking forward to hearing him live.
Lastly, is an upcoming Salisbury sixth form band, organiser Eddie Prestidge likened to Nothing Rhymes With Orange, called Five Nights at Adyans. The Salisbury Journal recently mentioned them playing Wiltshire Creativeโs โGlow with the Flowโ event for young musicians at Salisbury Art Centre. They revealed โthe band is composed of four boys, Jasper Hill, Owen Morgan, Thomas Clark, and Toby Allen, who are all currently in Lower Sixth at Bishop Wordsworthโs school, and have been friends since they were in Year Seven. The influence behind their name is a play on the famous video game โFive Nights at Freddyโsโ, combined with the influence from their classmate called Adyan, whom they often bring up on stage.โย
This kind of leaves me wondering what Adyan does, if heโs like a young Bez from the Happy Mondays, and if he will show up at CrownFest! Adyan or no Adyan, CrownFest is getting better and better, the latest poster unusually puts the lesser-known acts above the headliners, showing a real dedication to upcoming performers, and thatโs a great look! All roads lead to Bishops Cannings this coming 4th July…. get on one of them!
The difference between punk and goth is that as a punk you reject society, as a goth society rejects you. Being society lives mostly online today, that’s probably why my spam filter assumes proposals from exiled middle eastern princes to deposit bitcoin into my bank, and machines to extend oneโs manhood are of interest to a regional entertainment blog, but a local goth duo’s new album should be hidden in a spam folder.
Algorithms now pressure me into having to rush this out, despite noting on social media, Deadlight Dance are releasing their third album, Vox Populi tomorrow (Friday 20th March), which they launched at The White Bear in Devizes last Sunday. Have Nick and Tim got in the humph with me?!
They are Eurythmics-covering retro goths after all, who seem to be dealing with the apocalypse with new songs and a spot of gardening. I’ve always been nice about what they do and thought the feeling was mutual! Not at all; seems after a quick Facebook message, the glitch is real, and the email was discovered; and just like the issues Nick and Tim describe, โthe populist rhetoric, the age of the oligarch where the rapid development of A.I. and deepfakery is upending reality, and โstraight-talkingโ chancers who claim to represent the majority are stoking the smouldering embers of fascism,โ these are the depressing first world problems which need addressing, and with them in mind, isnโt it overdue to rekindle the era of the goth spirit?
Recorded as usual at Mooncalf Studio with legendary purple-bearded producer Nick Beere, it feels at times as if Deadlight Dance are canvassing for compassion as humanity gears up to vote for the collapse of civilised society. โItโs dark,โ agrees Nick Fletcher, โbut there is hope there. You donโt talk about these things unless you want to do something about it.โ
โLight and shade,โ says his partner in sound, Tim Emery. โHopefully thereโs something forย everyone. For some people, everything will be for them.โ
With all edgy synths blazing, Gloss opens Vox Populi, dramatically and attacking the beauty industry, its harmful lies and unrealistic standards in an era most pop stars are encouraging them. We reviewed this as a single last October, where I vowed to shave my eyebrows off and draw them back on with a Sharpie. The exploitative nature of the cosmetics industry, the first deep and eerie original song of eight, which speak of algorithmic existences; gaslighting by the elite, the paradox of โhumaneโ food production, identities and the preconceptions that can shape them, the corporatisation of the militaryโฆ and gardening.
โThere are some important horticultural and botanical references,โ says Nick, reassuringly. The poisonous evergreen shrub Daphne odora, being an example, as the second tune, a poignant plodding shoegazer and followed by a surprisingly jocund ballad which gracefully reminds of the playful moments of The Cure.
Red Flags warns of danger, but takes no prisoners, Lachrymal is as dismayed as Fields of the Nephilim, Glass Walls is uptempo, furious and robust by design, an enclosed space frameless and seamless, but perhaps not maximising natural light, for thatโs simply not goth!
The Theatre of Absurd thuds us back into the dark, with anticipatory anxiety and New Order beats. Followed by the first of two cover songs, Eurythmicsโ Sweet Dreams. Deadlight Dance comforts you here with familiarity and reminiscence, but stamp their own authoritative pounce on this, and the second, Princeโs When You Were Mine, both of which feature guest vocalist Sian and drummer Mike Dymond, the latter of whom first played with Nick and Tim when they were sixth formers.
Thereโs an underlying retro sensation with all that Deadlight Dance produces, that not all electronica was lost to Stock Aitken Waterman, and neither will it be with smug grinned Simon Cowell. And something wholly satisfying that post punk artists of yore inspired Nick and Tim to form a band, and, acne replaced by wrinkles, thirty years later, amidst a global pandemic and a growing whirlwind of social and political chaos, they felt that the time was right to continue the journey. But what is more, is that younger punk bands, like those gravitating towards DIY labels like Sketchbook, are continuing the theme, and, I reckon, would take Deadlight Dance with similar respect to the aforementioned post-punk artists who inspired Nick and Tim. At least they should if or when they hear this album.
While there is always a coherent thought process behind them all, their previous releases, 2024โs acoustic covers album The Wiltshire Gothic, and the literature-themed EP Chapter & Verse of the same year, held a running theme more rigidly. The dystopian or unnerving observations of the modern era subjects behind Vox Populi is subtler, and this feels like the fashion of their debut Beyond Reverence, only with the natural progression, experience and diligence of those three years. And it shows, this is a most excellent album, once again.
Vox Populi is released worldwide to stream, and own as a CD, vinyl LP and download,ย through Ray Records on Friday 20th March. Check out details on their website HERE.
Part 1: An Introduction March 1936: newlywed French telecommunications engineer Pierre Schaeffer relocates to Paris from Strasbourg and finds work in radio broadcasting. He embarksโฆ
Yesterday Wiltshire Council published an โupdateโ on the lane closure on Northgate Street in Devizes as the fire which caused it reaches its first anniversary.โฆ
Join the St Johnโs Choir and talented soloists for a heart-warming evening of festive favourites, carols, and candlelit Christmas atmosphere this Friday 12 th Decemberโฆ
This afternoon I find myself contemplating what the future holds for historical discovery and learning for all ages, fun and educational exhibits and events inโฆ
Featured Image: Barbora Mrazkova My apologies, for Marlboroughโs singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโs debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโs moreโฆ
Having to unfortunately miss Devizesโ blues extravaganza on Friday, I crossed the borderline on Saturday to get my prescribed dosage of Talk in Codeโฆwith aโฆ
Youโre young, stars in your eyes, and you live in Swindon; you are not alone, but you are, unfortunately, up against Kate X! Kate is independently producing contemporary pop RnB of international quality, and sheโs riding it. Kate X should, and I hope and strongly predict she will be, a global success storyโฆ..
James Threlfall spins her tunes on BBC Introducing, comparing her with Sabrina Carpenter and Zara Larson, and I respect his professional judgement. Her singles No Tears and Touch have amassed over nine thousand streams on Spotify and her latest, fifth single, For One Night had over a thousand plays in the four days after its recent release.ย ย
Itโs easy to understand why once youโve listened. Every element to a viable contemporary pop song is evident in Kate Xโs tunes. Theyโre sassy without being coarse, her mezzo-soprano vocals perfectly fit pop, and Kate has a natural flair for bringing acute hooks to the bridge. For One Night, in particular, has that driving RnB bassline, but as a collection, all of Kate Xโs singles to date make for an impressive portfolio.
Iโve been hooked on Touch since Peggy-Sue Ford introduced it to me on her Donโt Stop the Music show on Swindon 105.5 last year, and it hasnโt left my head yet! For One Night clearly shows a natural progression, with a familiar and timeless clandestine lover theme, akin to Dusty Springfieldโs popular cover choice Breakfast in Bed, but a contemporary soul feel more Beyonce than Kylie.
She has 670 monthly listeners on Spotify, which for a local indie artist is impressive. She might suggest she can be the object of her desireโs โbest kept secret,โ but in my opinion, she should no longer be secret to mainstream media and a worldwide fanbase.
Okay, so there are occasions, and more often than not, when an aspiring wannabe’s judgement obscures the probable reality that theyโre the needle in the haystack and unlikely to progress to stardom in the competitive music business. And someone has the unfortunate task of tying their feet back to the floor. It’s sad, but a common stipulation, and often manipulated by television talent shows for ratings. But when I listen to Kate X’s tunes, compare them to what the mainstream is putting out, and consider she’s independently creating and marketing, this is clearly not the case here. Kate has something really rather special, which is on par with the mainstream commercial output.
All it takes is for word to spread, and maybe some crossed fingers and toes, but Kate X seems determined, and unquestionably has the potential to be the next big pop star.
Kate, your songs are simply brilliant, remain steadfast to your goal, mentally prepare for setbacks, obviously, but I reckon, judging on this latest single, youโve got it in the pocket girl! And we wish you all best of luck with this positively facing journey.ย Follow her journey on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.
No, I didnโt imagine for a second they would, but upcoming Take the Stage winners, alt-rock emo four-piece, Butane Skies have released their second song, but itโs not a Christmas song, noโฆ. If youโve had enough debating if Die Hard is a Christmas film with the family, when obviously nothing says Christmas like Hanz Gruberโฆ
Featured Image by Giulia Spadafora Ooo, a handclap uncomplicated chorus is the hook in Lady Ladeโs latest offering of soulful pop. Itโs timelessly cool and snappy, but holds a deeper narrativeโฆ.. Released at the end of November, One of Us is an uplifting song of hope against the odds. Raised by her grandparents, Bristolโs sublimeโฆ
On the first day of advent, a time of peace and joy to the world et al, Devizes Police report on a โlarge unlicenced music eventโ at the weekend, (spelling mistake included) in Great Cheverell. Am I the only fifty-something who’s thinking โgreat, let them be?!โ Not according to Facebook commentsโฆ.. UME they called it.โฆ
Just who is Theodore Thump? A wise pet rabbit? The mysterious sixth Beach Boy? This album newly released from Shedric, Swindon soloist and groovist of Thud, reveals nothing, but makes for a diverse and interesting listenโฆ.
The Misadventures of Theodore Thump was unwittingly released unto the cosmos earlier this month, and through title and cover art you might preconceive some psychedelic surreal nonsensical comedy akin to the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and in a way thereโs sombre and subtle nods to this direction, but thereโs more than meets the eye to this masterwork of audio art.
With wailing guitar it opens unexpectedly, plodding cosmic blues fashion. This swaps to a drifting jazzy folk with smooth Nick Drake styled vocals for the second song, and back to cosmic wah-wah for the intro and chorus for the third, while it settles for a jazz piano core. Still, fusions know no bounds here. Immediately Iโve the notion that this melting pot isnโt by chance, and the experimentation is purposeful, played out by a genius of many influences and with the ability to cherry-pick and compose them in such a way you are on the edge of your seat, captivated, intrigued, and thoroughly entertained.
It may all have been done before, but unlike this. Four tunes into this seven track marvel, Rosalie is a two-minute ethereal drumbeat and piano instrumental. Drifting lounge style, Scum is contradictory from subject to sound, whereas Lock & Key drives melodically classic RnB, Robert Palmer, and is likely the most commercially viable on this most excellent album. Thereโs a finale, wonderfully written of feelgood sentiment.
Shedric said, โThe Misadventures of Theodore Thump has taken me an insane amount of time to make. The levels of procrastination have been almost as epic as the hours spent at my kitchen table mixing and tweaking.โ The dedication and effort shows. It has the experimental quality of Sgt Pepper or Pet Sounds, the coolness of Bookends, its jazzy elements range from Blue Note to prototypical Mark’s Keyboard Repair. At times itโs blues, at others itโs folk, but it always leaves you guessing, and certainly is one to dive into, discovering more intricate details you might have previously missed before; marvellous!
Words by Ollie MacKenzie. Featured Image by Barbora Mrazkova.ย The creative process can be a winding, long, and often confusing journey. Seeing a project comeโฆ
Whoโs ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lanternโฆ
One part of Swindon was in perfect harmony last night, and I donโt mean the traffic circumnavigating the Magic Roundabout. Rather The Lost Trades wereโฆ
Buzzwords, like โturbo,โ or โsonicโ are cliche, overused trends which gain popularity because they sound impressive, even if they are empty of meaning. I avoid them, but you cannot call Chandraโs releases just plain indie-pop; theyโre turbo-charged sonic boom spearheaded empowerments of synergy indie-pop songs which prolifically arrive with an explosive boom! And, coincidentally, Boom is the new oneโฆ..
Seriously, thereโs a glorious feelgood summer energy to this. You’d have to be having a really bad day to find fault with it. Love the bongo intro, and the subtle, tongue-in-cheek doowop backing, and the guitar riff bridge sits perfectly amidst the positive vibes the subject evokes in the singer.ย ย
โThis song is a bit of a departure from the norm,โ lovable showman Chandra says, โover the past two and half years we’ve never once written a song about love. We’ve always written about topics such as inclusivity, tolerance, compassion, faith and self confidence, but the one thing that ties it all together is we want to write songs that are upbeat, hopeful and empowering. We hope that this song does exactly that.โ
Observation double underlined, and box triple ticked.
โBoom is a very spiritual song about love,โ Bristolโs power indie-pop virtuoso continues, โsoul-mates and the miracle of finding that special someone in a vast universe full of empty space. It may take a moment; it may take a lifetime, but when you find that special person who makes you whole, the explosion is as powerful as the Big Bang. And yes… sometimes it’s really scary to open yourself up to the possibility of being hurt, especially if you’ve experienced something bad previously; something is coming, everything will be alright.โ
And thatโs about as reassuring as the nature of the song too!ย Boom launches into the universe on Friday 20th March. Thereโs a BOOM Single Launch Party on Saturday 28th March, at The Queen’s Head in Box. Doors 7.30pm.
Find all stuff you need to know about Chandra HERE
Itโs always nice to hear when an inaugural local event is successful, especially one as unique and original as Marlborough School of Languagesโ annual Fiesta. Triple so when being bilingual to me means I can switch between English and gibberish!
Marlborough School of Languages offers a range of services to suit language development at any age and stage, in small groups or one-to-one at their school on Marlborough High Street, and online. With regular Spanish, English, French and Italian lessons, bespoke workshops, exciting conversation, film, food and book clubs and sociable cultural drinks evenings, last year founder Maria Gonzalez decided to create their first language summer festival; conveniently the school abbreviates to SOL,the personification of the Sun in ancient Rome!
โWe are beyond excited to be launching the second edition of our Languages’ Summer School: Fiesta 2026,โ Maria explained. โLast year we wanted to end the summer term with a special event that would inspire our students to continue their learning journey with us in September, and create something appealing for potential new learners.โ
โDespite the heatwave, we delivered 15 hours of Spanish, Italian and EFL lessons, served five wonderful meals at La Bobina, The Marlborough Pub and at our High Street premises, and organised five afternoon activities, including Chinese calligraphy and a wine tasting led by some of the areaโs most talented professionals from Thames Valley Wines.โ
This yearโs Marlborough School of Languages Fiesta will take place on the 6th to 10th of July. Building on last yearโs success, Fiesta 2026 promises another vibrant celebration of language, culture and community.
Guests can look forward to a programme of engaging Spanish, Italian and EFL sessions in the morning, delicious meals shared in great company, at the best Marlborough High Street eateries, and a selection of inspiring afternoon activities led by talented local professionals.
Above all, Fiesta is designed to bring people together in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where learning, conversation and cultural discovery go hand in hand.
Tutors in both Italian, Claudia Marin and Spanish, Maria Gonzalez along with English as a foreign language tutor Matt Gow, will take classes from 9:00 am to 12 pm, followed by lunch, and workshops in the afternoon. Some details still need confirming at this stage, but they anticipate the paella making workshops will be back, and there will be a theatre workshop where the three language groups will each prepare and perform the same short play in their respective languages.
Raging expressions of angered feminist teenage anguish this month, perfectly delivered by Steatopygous via their mindblowing debut album Songs of Salome, I hail as theโฆ
Itโs nice to hear when our features attract attention. Salisburyโs Radio Odstock ย picked up on our interview with Devizes band Burn the Midnight Oil andโฆ
Right here, right now in Devizes, Palooza spawned and has become the fast-growing house music event brand in Wiltshire. They’ve beenย invited backย to perform atย Fatboy Slimโs All Back To Minehead 2026, following a standout appearance at last yearโs event. The highly anticipated festival takes placeย 6โ9 November 2026ย and brings together some of the biggest names in dance music for a full weekend of music, energy and unforgettable moments…..
Joining an exceptional lineup that includesย DJ EZ, Erol Alkan, Horse Meat Disco, Simon Pegg, Sarah Story, Darren Emerson, Eats Everything, Kirollus, Olive F, Woody Cook, Elliot Schooling, Liam Palmer, Krafty Kuts, Dr Banana, Arielle Freeย and many more, Palooza will once again bring its signature blend ofย house, classics, anthems and underground soundsย to the iconic Minehead weekender.
Known for itsย high-energy dancefloors and community-driven atmosphere, Palooza has built a strong reputation on the UKโs underground scene, making its return to All Back To Minehead a significant milestone for the brand. The invitation back to the lineup reflects the impact of last yearโs performance and the growing recognition of Paloozaโs unique sound and vibe.
โWeโre buzzing to be invited back,โ said Greg Spencer from Palooza. โLast year was incredible, and to return alongside such a huge lineup is a real honour. Weโre bringing even more energy this time.โ
All Back To Minehead continues to be one of the UKโs most celebrated dance music weekends, combining world-class DJs with a unique holiday atmosphere and a packed schedule of activities across the resort.
In thanking everyone who supported this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards, Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events revealed his intentions of continuing with the awardsโฆ
Featured Image: Lillie Eiger Frome Festival is launching itsย โ25 for 25โย fundraising campaign with a very special concert featuring three locally based acts:ย Tom Mothย โ best knownโฆ
Iโve got some gorgeous vocal harmonies currently floating into my ears, as The Lost Trades release their first single since the replacement of Tamsin Quinโฆ
Rolling out a Barrelhouse of fun, you can have blues on the run, tomorrow (7th November) when Marlborough’s finest groovy vintage blues virtuosos Barrelhouse releaseโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ben Swann and Ian Diddams Self-appointed โMoroseโ Mark Harrison was once again on totally top form at Komedia last Sunday entertainingโฆ
Wiltshire Council confirmed Blue Badge holders can park freely in council-operated car parks again, following a vote at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 21โฆ
Featured Image Credit: Jamie Carter Special guests Lightning Seeds to Support Forest Live, Forestry Englandโs summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor, has announcedโฆ
Spring is on its way, and we’re looking forward to a season of great live music across the county. You’ve only got to keep your best eye on our ever-updating event calendar to realise the vast and varying options open to you. But here, in Devizes, there’s one particular place I’m personally excited about, the return of The Foldโฆ.
Organised principally by JP Oldfield, the legendary Fold returns with open mic nights on the first Tuesday of each month, Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours headline a freebie with JP in support on Friday 27th March, and the one and only Gaz Brookfield returns to The Fold in a blaze of glory on the 5th June.
But with JPโs reputation spreading like wildfire, he cannot always be at The Fold; I mean, we were just chatting about him supporting Imarhan at Bristolโs The Fleece on Monday, and the many other gigs heโs getting in the area. So, between Bluebeard and Gaz, and not for my ego, well, not entirely, I’m delighted Devizine can be involved with this project.
A Devizine takeover at The Fold, on Friday 24th April, that’s what I’m here to tell you about; bung it your diary now! It’s been too long since we’ve put a gig on. This is happening, the only requirement needed from you is to please support it. In order to encourage your excitement to match my own, we’ve done two things.
Firstly, while we need to fund it somehow, we’re keeping ticket prices as low as possible. Just like it was 1979, this is a pay what you can gig, but I plead that you consider this at the door, that the more you can pay the more we can give you in return, rebuild the Fold, and provide Devizes with some great acts in a comfy, intimate venue and at affordable prices. Please, flash a little cash, not for me, but for our musicians.
My second objective, and I know JP and I are singing off the same songsheet on this even if his singing is ten thousand miles above my own breathtaking shower concertos, is to bring to Devizes the amazing acts we see elsewhere, who haven’t yet made a Devizes debut, or who have rarely played here before. Musicians and bands which I think, โthe good folk in Devizes would love this, they deserve to see this!โ And that’s precisely what we’ve done for our first Fold takeover.
We’re hosting two local upcoming singer-songwriters, firstly Meg, or M3G as she prefers, who I’ve been waffling on about for ages, with deserved praise, and my daughter scribbled a great interview with her some years ago.
M3G is an indie folk singer-songwriter from Chippenham. Her music mixes authentic lyrics with soaring vocals. Recently supporting the likes of Frank Turner, Jools Holland, Gaz Brookfield and The Lottery Winners. A regular at Trowbridgeโs Pump, the venue now run by Kieran J Moore, who created Sheer Music at this very venue, The Fold; small world.
Her bio also says she’s โdescribed as, โBeautiful and Captivatingโ by a local music magazine,โ which I’m suspicious was me! And โshe brings a unique perspective and humour to the stage,โ which sums it perfectly, if I do say so myself! Her recent singles, like โRooksโ , were produced by Phil Cooper, who you should know from The Lost Trades, and also will be at the Fold with Bluebeard on the 27th March; again, small world!
M3G’s style is uniquely wonderful and personal, something I advise you really need to see for yourself; hereโs your chance. I also introduce you to Take the Stage finalist Seren, a Warminster based young folk singer-songwriter with a voice you wonโt forget.ย
Seren performs a mixture of original songs and covers. โMy favourite covers to perform are Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, and Black Star by Radiohead,โ she tells me. โI first started performing in May 2024, and since then I have performed at CorFest 2025, Swinterfest, and have supported Irish folk musicians in Salisbury including The Henry Girls, Daoirรญ Farrell, and Tim Eady and Mike McGoldrick. I am inspired by a mix of artists/musicians and genres such as folk, indie, pop, indie rock, and jazz.โ
Both of a similar age, M3G and Seren have worked together before, supporting each other, and after performing solo, promise to duet in a rare finale session. I canโt wait, I advised MantonFest to book Meg a couple of years ago, but I believe this will be both their Devizes debuts. I hope you can join me in bringing these two sublime performers to town and really give them the warmest of Devizes welcomes, on the 24th April; put it in your diaries now!!
Facebook event thingy, here, let us know you’re coming. If you are coming, I promise not to sing myself. Oh, and give the Facebook page a follow too, for updates there.
What has Devizesโ greatest millennial musical export, England rugby player Jodie Ounsley’s ghost writer, some scummy mummies, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex, and a world poetry slam champion all have in common? Yep, usually not a great deal, but they’re all among a stellar lineup for this year’s Devizes Arts Festival, and it’s their fortieth anniversaryโฆ..
Forty years and Devizes Arts Festival has gone through some changes, yet continues to offer the town a unique and differing variety of world class celebrities, musicians, comedians, artists and all manner of inspiring people. Make no mistake, we LOVE Devizes Arts Festival with big, bold capslock; happy 40th birthday!
This year the festival runs from 29th May till June 24th. The committee have already announced the headliners, and Devizes Retailers and Independents let the cat out of a bag which I promised I’d keep my cake hole shut about; that our very own Nothing Rhymes With Orange will play a homecoming at the Corn Exchange on Saturday 13th June! And thankfully, there’s loads more to reveal about what’s also going down for the town.
I’ve found it excruciating to have kept schtum about Devizesโ greatest musical export since The Hoax, Nothing Rhymes With Orange returning, who, while some years ago produced a phenomenon in the Devizes area I likened to Beatlemania, are now studying at Bristol and have had the same effect nationwide. I think this is a brilliant move for the festival, which often suffers with the public wonky presumption it’s a Saga holiday entertainment venue. Producing the widest variety of arts and entertainment in Devizes, Devizes Arts Festival volunteers work tirelessly through the season, preparing and hosting this extravaganza, and there’s something for everyone here. Examples? Yes, mate, I’m not going to reel off details of the entire program, which will be out soon, but there’s plenty of secrets I can leak, so keep readingโฆ..
So, headliners, be art punnyman off the telebox, Milton Jones, on Friday 12th June; he makes me look sane, but heโs hilarious, Iโm just mildly laughable. I know a certain salsa group who will welcome Londonโs premier salsa orchestra, delivering an irresistible night of Cubanโinspired rhythm and dance; Salseology! I also know many in town will welcome John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett at the Cons Club on Monday 8th June.
Those outrageous Scummy Mummies will make a welcomed return, and Midsomer Murders and Foyleโs War writer and producer Anthony Horowitz pays Devizes a visit on 1st June. But these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Thereโs conservationist, passionate story teller and โhuman swan,โ Sacha Dench, African-American concert pianist Beatrice Nicholas, BBC Sports journalist Becky Grey talks ghostwriting, Patrick Grant is on clothes. Bee specialist Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, Dave Goulson talks on saving our insects.
You can watch Portuguese classical guitarist and lutenist Fรกbio Fernandes, listen to the life of Derek Jarman, and join Wiltshire cameraman Nick Upton for a fascinating account of his life and work capturing wildlife.
Clare Durham and Paul Martin to explore the world of collectors and collecting. Book plugs from television and radio journalist Grahame Lloyd, acclaimed author of six novels, Charlotte Philby, and climate activist and the co-founder of Transition Network, Rob Hopkins. The Wharf Theatre presents The Secret Life of Enid Blyton, and thereโs a world poetry slam champion Harry Baker coming to town.
More music from The Robert Vincent Band, shanty-punk folk with Man The Lifeboats, allโstring jazz quartet Swing from Paris, and organist John Challenger.
Free fringe events are aplenty, John Handby talks on AI, brilliant Bristolโbased songwriter Elly Hopkins is playing Hillworth Park Cafe, Old Baby Mackerel play highโenergy, footโstomping bluegrass at the British Lion, The Rigmarollers with a unique take on the blues, and local writers Vanessa Tanner and Louisa Davison have an open mic for poetry and prose at The Black Swan.
Plenty of inspiring walks as usual, and Have-a-go workshops also make a return, with ones for singalong country, memoir writing, phone photography, and sketching at the wonderful White Chalk Gallery. And Erlestoke Prison presents an art exhibition by the inmates; what more do you want?!
We cannot wait for June, and hope to have a โDevizine Assemble,โ to bring you as much coverage as possible; if you would like to volunteer as a reporter, do drop me a message. Now we await the box office to open; keep in the know by bookmarking their website, HERE.
Wiltshire country singer-songwriter Kirsty Clinch released a Christmas song only yesterday, raising funds for the Caenhill Countryside Centre near Devizes, and itโs already racing upโฆ
It was never just the fervent ambience created which made me go tingly with excitement about Melkshamโs young indie band Between The Linesโ demo singleโฆ
A second track from local anonymous songwriter Joyrobber has mysteriously appeared online, and heโs bitter about not getting his dream jobโฆ.. If this mysterious dudeโsโฆ
Itโs not Christmas until the choir sings, and Devizes Chamber Choir intend to do precisely this by announcing their Christmas Concert, as they have doneโฆ
If Devizesโ celebrated FullTone Festival is to relocate to Whistley Roadโs Park Farm for next summerโs extravaganza, what better way to give it the rusticโฆ
Hurrah, at last! Only The Brave is the debut song from Burn The Midnight Oilโs revised lineup; something Iโve been anticipating since watching them rehearse at Devizesโ HK Studios, just before last yearโs Awards. But if my expectations of a recording from this new Devizes based phenomenon was perched on the summit of the highest mountain, gaining a sneaky preview before its release on Friday (13th March) far from disappointed, in fact Iโm now soaring above cloudsโฆ.
I know pressing a CD is a financial risk for any upcoming band against bunging it on streaming platforms, but Iโd urge them to go for it. In the relatively short time Burn The Midnight Oil have been gigging under this current format, theyโve become the kind of band youโd see live and make haste for their merch stand in hope to return home grasping a piece of what you just experienced. Based on this first of a few singles coming out of Martin Spencerโs Badger Set Studio in Potterne, a compilation album would be a real keepsake.
Itโs hasty and gearing, a rich and refreshing design on a timeless formula; the folk-rock-blues combo conveying enduring, moreish and matured pop, with that driving beat, with that irresistible rolling guitar riff, and with the smooth-as-velvet female vocals soothing a biting narrative. Causal listening itโs feelgood, but in depth itโs fighting against the odds and rising above adversities.
Itโs the song for the comeback scene of an epic movie. Youโre on the edge of your seat, identifying with the character, either relating your own experiences, or more simply distinguishing their plight is their drive, but you cannot sympathise, because like Tina Turner, Gloria Gaynor, or Natasha Bedingfield, sheโs weaponised it, risen above it regardless, and taken control of her own destiny; Alanis Morissette of Devizes.
Yet the most marvellous thing about Only the Brave is, Chrissy โSteenโ Chapman can equally hold the vocal power of any of the aforementioned female big hitters, kick the meaning behind the song into touch, and her backing band accompanies her with such tight precision, itโs something to behold. In essence, it has the perfect combination for the memorable and relevant tune you wonโt mind having stuck in your head!
I cannot wait to hear the others, but for now, pre-save this beauty HERE. Find them rootin and tootin their thing live by following them on Facebook, HERE.ย Attend CapFest as seen below, for their next Devizes show.
This afternoon sees the inaugural grand ceremony of Stone Circle Music Eventsโ Wiltshire Music Awards taking place at the Devizes Corn Exchange. Itโs a selloutโฆ
In association with PF Events, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts introduces a Young Urban Digitals course in video mapping and projection mapping for sixteen to twentyโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Penny Clegg and Shakespeare Live โAntony & Cleopatraโ is one of Shakespeareโs four โRoman Playsโ, and chronologically is set after โJuliusโฆ
Unlike Buck Rogers, who made it to the 25th century six hundred years early, Devizesโ most modest acoustic virtuoso arrives at the 21st just shortโฆ
If, inspired by the likes of Ed Sheeran and James Arthur, the majority of Gen Z loves a good power ballad, the beginnings of the next generation, Alpha, seem to be following suit. And if thatโs the thing, fifteen-year-old Calne singer-songwriter Braydon Lee was already in the forefront locally, but in my unprofessional opinion, his second single newly released, Endless Summer, provides the truckload of potential necessary to make this a nationwide phenomenonโฆโฆ
Oi kids, we had heartbreakingly emotional roller-coaster power ballads in the eighties too, you know; practically invented โem?! Just with a lot more guitars and hairspray! Yet, Iโve been reconditioned by gigging with my daughter, where Noah Kahan at the O2 impressed me on a Springsteen level, into appreciating these soulful melodic beats, derived, debatably, of folktronica and contemporary RnB. If Iโve acclaimed anyone on the local scene for adopting this in a manner marketable on an international level, it has to be Swindonโs Brandon Clarke, aka Weather. It just so happens, Brandon has produced this track, and together, Braydon and Brandon, their dedication illuminates on this ingenious and poignantly buoyant love song.
This is an absolutely wonderful tune, a hefty guitar riff bassline drifting you along a crestfallen narrative with euphoric backing and Braydonโs eloquent vocals shining through. Braydon has penned a sublime anthem to pluck any heartstring, and he delivers it with the passion and emotion of a professional singer twenty years further down their line.
Itโs this bucketload of unpatronising top marks from me, which though I thought Iโd seen him before, searched my own blog and came up trumps, (I caught the end of his superb appearance at last yearโs FullTone Festival) I predict one day soon, no one will need to search for Braydon Lee; theyโll all know him, love him, and have brought his merch from the O2 shop!
โIt was my YouTube cover of Sam Barber’s Straight and Narrow that started getting me attention,โ Braydon explained. Now, I’m just a two-bit blogger not wishing to put stars in anyone’s eyes, but while running off a quick cover will gain attention, Braydon needs to concentrate on carving an original style, with the noticeable hook, and herein lies the groundbreaking moment, Endless Summer accomplishes this.
You can pen a thousand good songs, but finding that awakening hook is key. An Endless Summer, working outdoors through the night, I like this idea, although this is metaphorically akin to the Summer of โ69 when Bryan wished the season would go on forever, so Braydon might romantically hook his duck, I reckon. And on those levels this works, and will gain more than the attention of his heart’s desire. The first geezer I’m sending this review to will be Mr Threlfeall at BBC Introducing, hoping Braydon is already on his radar.
It comes with a professionally shot video created by Swindon’s 1988 Media, and as a package this has impressed me. I urge you to pay it some attention, or at least pass this message onto your offspring; Braydon is one to watchโฆ.
by Ian Diddamsimages by Chris Watkins Media and Ian Diddams Whilst probably best known for his editorship of โPrivate Eyeโ magazine and thirty-five years asโฆ
I mean, Devizes own contemporary blues throwback, JP is getting bookings, and rightly so. He’s off to Trowbridgeโs Lamb next Saturday for a double-bill withโฆ
As the excitement continues to detonate to an exploding point for our very first Stone Circle Music Events Wiltshire Music Awards on 25th October, weโฆ
Four Dauntsey’s Sixth-Formers have been awarded travel scholarships, and plan to cycle all the way from their school to Bonn in Germany, shortly after completing their A-level exams this summer. Helping at food banks, documenting their journey, and rating chips along the way!
The group, Flo Lee, Willย Fittock, Tom Sharples and Mika Jessel said, โwhile simply a group of friends, we also bringย a very goodย physical ability to the table.ย We have successfully completed our Gold DofE Expeditions together in a group, enjoying our experience together.โย
Both Will and Flo have completed in and won, respectively, the DW race, and won, respectively, the Breconโs challenge together with Tom. Tom is a nationally ranking cross country runner. โWhile all of us enjoy and have done varying amounts of cycling,โ they said, โMika has prior experience in bikepacking through both Europe and Morrocco.โ
Using EuroVelo Cycle Network, they have planned this route themselves. โWhile it is not perfect,โ Flo explains, โit is the best option to find established cycle paths across Europe.โ
The direct route from Devizes to Bonn takes just under 1000km, taking the ferry from Dover to Calais. It will take them through London, the French and Belgian coasts, the Netherlands, and finally, Germany.
The other countries are less of a concern than England. Flo continued, โBelgium and especially the Netherlands are famous for their bike infrastructure and the route we are taking through Germany goes along the Rhein river, which, speaking from experience, is easy cycling.โ
โIf we take two weeks to do this, including two rest days, that comes out to just about 80km a day, with manageable elevation. Judging by previous experience and the fitness of the group, this is easily doable. Keeping this in mind that we will try to keep our daily goals flexible in case this estimate is wrong. However, with both interval and long ride training, we are positive this wonโt be the case.โ
Their aim is to inspire other young people their age to take on ambitious bikepacking challenges, and to show what is possible with determination, planning and teamwork.
Along our route, they will also be volunteering at food banks across England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. โWe are committed to making this journey not only an adventure, but a socially responsible one,โ Flo told me.
This will be happening in summer 2026, thus โbringing Mika homeโ after they finish their A Levels, โwhich will reduce his carbon emissions and let us have one last adventure together as a group,โ Flo said. โIdeally, we will leave a day or two after speech day (6/7th July) and arriving in Bonn two weeks later (19/20th July.)โ
As part of their project, they will be producing two short films; an article documenting the journey, and regular social media content.
โWe are going to document our adventure,โ Flo explained, โusing our phones and my Sony camera to make two short films. The first will be to document our trip for nostalgia and to show our family and friends, however the second will be related to our volunteering. We will interview those people we meet during our volunteering, hopefully both volunteers and those in need, to help spread awareness for those who are unaware to the extent of the poverty and food waste problem throughout Europe.โ
You may remember, Flo has published some articles on Devizine, including youth gig reviews and including interviews, of which we are of course very grateful for. Though she hasnโt so much recently, because Flo has been rightly concentrating on her exams, we will give her a big golden key, access to the platform so she they can publish their adventures along the way!
But why, dare I ask, are they calling their Instagram account called ‘Tour des Frites 2026?!โ โTo follow our progress,โ Flo explained โwe will make a public chip-rating Instagram account. We will showcase ratings online, hopefully gaining traction and potentially showing the highs and lows of our expedition. The idea comes from the fact, that especially the Belgians, are particularly proud of their Fritten!โ
โThe chips will be rated out of fifty, in categories on crispiness, creaminess, cut, coating and colour, character and presentation, with four extra points if it stays crispy when cold and tastes as good as it looks. We think that this can be a fun way of documenting the cultural side of our trip, while enjoying some delicious meals along the way!โ
Camping in local campsites, using lightweight tents and trying to gain sponsorship from different cycling companies, will hopefully keep it in budget. They will be cycling for two weeks straight, which I donโt even want to think about, but we wish them all the best of luck and look forward to hearing about their adventures!
by Mick Brianimages from Lauren Arena-McCann The playwright Tom Stoppard is probably best known for his work โRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Deadโ, his absurdist comedyโฆ
You might think it’s a laryngologist’s dream come true, this Lewis Capaldi-led decade’s penchant for the blue-eyed soul singersโ melismatic strain to cause Mick Hucknallโฆ
Nothing cruel about our George Wilding; with his perfect match and another local legend of local music, Jolyon Dixon, they’re knocking out great singles likeโฆ
Thereโs a new single from Bristol-based Nothing Rhymes With Orange out tomorrow (Saturday 20th September) which takes the band to a whole new level, andโฆ
Leading Wiltshire digital entrepreneur Natalie Luckham, AI Educator and founder of award-winning Wiltshire social media consultancy Naturally Social is hosting a free โIntroduction to AIโ webinar this International Womenโs Day to help women across the county understand artificial intelligence – and ensure they are not left behind as the technology reshapes workplaces and homes….
The webinar event is aimed at women across Wiltshire, from business owners and freelancers to employees, returners to work, and those simply curious about AIโs growing influence in everyday life.
The one-hour online session, taking place at midday on International Womenโs Day (8 March), will offer a practical and accessible introduction to artificial intelligence. Titled around this yearโs International Womenโs Day theme, โGive to Gain,โ the webinar will demystify AI by covering:
ยท What AI actually is (and what it isnโt)
ยท How large language models are built
ยท The risks, bias and ethical considerations
ยท Real-life demonstrations of useful applications at work and home
ยท How to prompt AI tools effectively
ยท Where human judgment remains essential
The session will include live demonstrations and a Q&A, allowing attendees to ask questions in a supportive environment.
Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating across industries, from marketing and finance to healthcare and education. Yet studies continue to show that women are underrepresented in AI development and adoption, raising concerns about a widening gender confidence and skills gap.
Natalie says the webinar is about empowerment, not hype. โSo many women I speak to have experimented with AI but say, โIโve played with it โ I just donโt really get it.โ
“If we donโt understand how these tools work – their strengths, their limitations, their risks – we risk stepping back from the conversation entirely. My goal is simple: to give women the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions, ask better questions, and participate fully in the future of work.โ
The session aims to demonstrate the potential and the pitfalls of AI, helping women approach the technology critically and confidently rather than feeling overwhelmed or excluded.
The timing reflects growing national conversations around AI regulation, workplace transformation and digital skills development.
The webinar has been created in response to increasing local demand for clear, jargon-free guidance on AI. Natalie has spent the past year delivering AI training to businesses and organisations across the Southwest and says the same concern keeps emerging: people are experimenting, but without real understanding.
Registration is free but spaces are limited. Women can reserve their place HERE
If your average Tuesday night in Devizes might feel like The Day The Earth Stood Still, it certainly felt this way for me yesterday; I was at an open mic, down The Foldโฆ..
Yeah, you read that right, the back room of The Lamb which launched Kieranโs Sheer Music a decade or so ago, a Devizes to Trow-Vegas success story many hold fond memories of. Since then it seems itโs been rather dormant up there, so Iโm sure it will come as a delight to many to hear this once popular, intimate space is reopening, because this open mic night is only the beginning.
The open mic will continue, each first Tuesday of the month, and the weekends hopes to see regular affordable ticketed gigs. Iโve got to stop saying โTuesdayโ now, because in my mind Iโm voicing it as Miranda, probably because Iโm a smidgen over-excited to bring you this fantastic news!
The project has been masterminded by Sally at the Lamb, who has renovated the Fold, and Josh Oldfield, who will be running nights there. Furthermore, on occasions when Josh is gigging elsewhere, Devizine is allowed to use it, and in a joint venture, we hope to bring some great gigs to town.
The legend that is Gaz Brookfield returns to The Fold in a blaze of glory on the 5th June, with our faithful JP in support. But the Fold opens earlier; officially on Friday 27th March, when piano-driven pop-rock trio, Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours headline with JP again in support. This one is free, save a tip jar for the acts.
Devizineโs first night hosting there will be Friday 24th April.
Iโm sorting it out now, do not fear! My concept is to bring in some exciting new and original acts to Devizes, or at the very least ones who have rarely played here, despite me bashing on about them within the pages of Devizine! Starting with an acoustic folk night; save the date, for we have two of Chippenhamโs finest young singer-songwriters, Meg and Seren promising to play for us on the 24th April.
Meg, Image by Kiesha
Details on this and other gigs at the Fold will follow. For now letโs just say last night was a great start to reinventing the venue. A humble and hospitable evening, as most open mics are; shame I rarely get to attend any because they usually occur on weekday evenings.
With performers at opposite sides of the timeline, a promising acoustic guitar sporting Billy went first, followed by Ronnie unplugged with an electric. Eyebrows were raised further when young bassist, Meadow, backed Ed Dowdeswell, stepson of Jamie R Hawkins, who, though containing elements of brilliant songwriting and riffs clearly rubbed off from Jamie, is carving a name for himself independently, and quite rightly so.
A smidgen more mature musicians, Jim and Ray, blessed us with some folk-blues covers. And between them and our wonderful Sammi Evans, Sammiโs son Kristian also sang quite wonderfully for the very first time; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Sammi is always a delight to see live, but her set ended abruptly due to guitar string snap, and golden axeman Brian took his place and pumped some gorgeous blues covers our way; Big Mamma Thornton, though, nicely placed sir!
Young Amelia may have been penultimate on the roster, but was the ultimate voice, and known throughout the free world of Devizes, Gordy and Tim polished this fantastic inaugural reopening of The Fold off expertly. I left feeling this will be something very special added to our busy live music circuit here in Devizes, and I hope to see you there soon!
Grand opening with Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours and JP Oldfield will be free on 27th March. The next open mic is due April 2nd. We take over with Meg and Seren on 24th April, Gaz arrives on 5th June, and thereโs more to follow; exciting news!ย Open mics are just nice, aren’t they?!
The Wiltshire Music Awards are delighted to confirm a new headline partnership with Stone Circle Music Events, who will sponsor the Awards for 2025 andโฆ
Following the excitement and success of the first meeting of โYour Partyโ in Swindon, a second meeting has been arranged for 18th September 7.30 -โฆ
It’s been six months since Devizes-based young blues crooner JP Oldfield released his poignant kazoo-blowing debut EP Bouffon. He’s made numerous appearances across the circuitโฆ
There’s something to be said for the function duo route with universal appeal, you could be working somewhere hot! Powerhouse vocal harmony duo Reflections areโฆ
You’re a teenage Tom Cruise, at least you wish you were, but stay with me on this! Your parents are away, you’re home alone with dad’s liquor cabinet. For certain, you’re going to get into some risky business as the movie progresses, but your initial impulse is to dance around the house in a shirt and pants. I’ve no interest in seeing you in your pants, Tom, what makes the scene so iconic is surely the song choice. Because Bob Segar was bang on the money; experimentation in music is good, but the scene wouldn’t have the same impact if he was listening to Jean-Michel Jarre. Sometimes you do need some old time rock n rollโฆ..
Now, imagine Bob never recorded that song; what song would you pick instead? Options, people, options aplenty, but here, take the 49 to Swindon and try Dulcet Tones for size. Since a single from last May, they’ve a debut EP, Back To Bassett; okay, itโs got a few local references including, bizarrely, an Avebury-Chuck Berry link, but it’s old time rock n roll, at least โrockโ if youโre nitpicking, still, the kind of timeless music that soothes the soul.
A bit of delay in mentioning this, apologies to the band, frontman Andrew McLennan, lead guitarist Nick Osman, bassist Darryl Wilks and drummer Rob Cooper, but it makes for perfect air guitar practice from beginning to end! Embellished by wailing guitar riffs to make ZZ Top blush, driving drum rolls, and that archetypal hoarse vocal rebel yell, the opening tune, As I Am, doesnโt wait for you to adjust your funky pants, but being the simple premise is taking them as they are or not at all, the choice is a no brainer; this absolutely rocks!
In essence itโs โgood olโ boyโs music,โ windows down summery driving rock, wind in your beard, and itโs more fun than deeply meaningful. Hold On stomps with elements of Tom Petty, or maybe harder, think Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, but has the on-the-road narrative to mirror what Iโm trying to say, I hope!
Three quid for four solid tunes means weโre driving to the halfway house. Dream Home soothes the tempo, thereโs notions of Guns & Roses at their most sentimental. Oh, this is cool; if dulcet tones implies sweet, melodious, and pleasing, this tune proves theyโve named themselves appropriately.
Title track comes last, does it need saying Back to Bassett has some local references? Not outright slating the town, nor as the concept extends to other local urban areas, like Swindonโs Old Town, rather it suggests theyโd prefer to chill out in a more rural and spiritual setting, an adventure citing our ancient stones and monuments. In subject itโs obviously not going to work well with the Americana of the previous tunes, making this one sound more akin to British psychedelic rock, weighty and significantly Levellers.
Back to Bassett as a track was a pleasant surprise, and proves Dulcet Tones are no one trick pony. Back to Bassett as an EP is loudly and proudly moreish, using the tried and tested formula of classic rock subgenres, like the California sound of Buffalo Springfield or Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and heaps of rock and roll revival, yet with the finale, thereโs adherents of neopagan rock.
Iโve seen their band name listed gigging about the circuit, Swindon Shuffle I think most, but now I need to grow some hair and make a beeline. You could, if you so wished, say I’m old-fashioned, say I’m over the hill. Iโd rebuke it without too much botheration, because I keep myself eclectic through personal want and need in writing this blog, but thereโs many occasions when I contemplate Bobโs words and agree; today’s music ain’t got the same soul, and go for that old-time rock ‘n’ roll. When I do, now thankfully I have Dulcet Tones; you should too, you old rocker!
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts key into the town’s majority demographic for its first annual event of the year, mature couples, with an affection for sampling the widest varieties of beers and ales. In this The Winter of Festive Ales may function parochially, but is not only extremely popular and is revitalising from the torpor of winter, it also raises vital funds for DOCA to stage more family-driven events freely throughout the coming yearโฆ..
Cabaret and music acts usually perform, yet are secondary in importance to the sampling of the booze for the average amateur connoisseur attending; no issue there, because that’s the ethos of the event. In reviewing an event my top priority is awarded if it โdoes what it says on the tin.โ The Winter of Festive Ales at the Corn Exchange received top marks in that department, we tried maple syrup and blueberry stouts, mango cider and plenty of other interesting and delicious fusions selected by Stealth Brewery, The Southgate and The Pour House, and Padfield Porkies pies are undeniably knockout.
With cabaret it can therefore be quirky and perhaps out on a limb, which I’d consider a deliberately lethargic roller-skater, a ragamuffin Basil Brush styled wolf, and a chequered suit bloke putting four ping-pong balls in his mouth is; the drink influences greater belly laughs. But for the music, one might opt for the demographic’s preferred genres, of blues or roots driven prog rock.
Being honest the fact Talk in Code headlined this year surprised but delighted me, with their original eighties-nineties indie-pop fusion, but I didn’t need ponder if this was the best choice, because, yet again, Talk in Code proved they fit into any box, without even having to change their set to suit. They more simply, do what they do, and it’s infectious to all.
Said this before, where Talk in Code can charm a food festival, fete, or anywhere from a Pride festival to a bike meet. They come up trumps at FullTone, supporting an eighties tribute like The Pet Shop Boys Actually, and equally thrill at grassroots venues such as Bradford-on-Avon’s Three Horseshoes. Though I might advise it is best to see Talk in Code in Swindon where their fanbase is largest and the vibes alight most, for every random event across the nation they display their sublime sound, and forthcoming personas at, the positivity in their style rubs off, building to a phenomenon, known only too well by their adoring fanbase, the Talkers.
You can find the Talkers at any Talk in Code gig, they reside at the front attired in merch, encouraging other punters to dance. Else, afterwards they’ll chat with band members like family. Unlike a pop band who might hide in a green room, they mingle. Aside from the hive mind of their fans, though, there’s a dedicated corporate identity, a brand with clever marketing which supports the music. This completes the Talk in Code effect, displayed triumphantly, even here, at the Winter of Festive Ales in Devizes last night.
The event splits into two ticketed sessions, one quieter in the afternoon for the real ale connoisseurs to rap about body, fruitiness and alcohol content, the later evening session more lively and entertaining. Yep, Talk in Code will deliver this with bells on.
For the average punter whose kids have likely fled the nest, the early start time of the evening session might suit as more ale can, and will be consumed. For us with teenagers in need of picking up from Saturday jobs, feeding and watering, it unfortunately meant we missed The Wholesome Soul Duo and some cabaret. And I was looking forward to this soul duo, who often take the early Sunday gig at The Southgate, having yet to cross them off my must-see list. I know a raffle must come towards the end, but if I remain slightlyย dubious about the arrangement of acts, thinking Talk in Code could’ve finalised the evening, rather than winding it down too early, and The Wholesome Soul Duo be pushed to a later slot than 6pm, that’s only due to personal commitments. Itโs a quality, well-organised and enjoyable event with plenty of time for quantities of alcohol consumption, which confirms Devizes is a town of culture; drinking culture at least! Whatever the outcome of an award, residents here know it is.
And this is the just opening, the beginning of a year of seasonal events across the town, either blossoming or established, many of which, with a sprinkling of dedicated volunteers, DOCA will stage, host and gift to, not only the population, but attracting visitors from afar. For this alone, we love and thank everyone who comes together to make DOCA a thing. The Winter of Festive Ales is vital to the funding of it, and remains to be a fantastic, Devizes fashioned occasion worthy of your hard-earned cash.
Formerly known as Judas Goat and the Bellwether, the now renamed band have announced the release of their latest single, โDrill Baby Drillโ (coming outโฆ
Photograph byย Simon Folkard It’s been a rocky road for Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts (DOCA) these last few years, and I didn’t mean the crushed biscuitsโฆ
What, again?! Another article about Talk in Code?! Haven’t they had enough Devizine-styled publicity?! Are their heads swelling?!ย Didn’t that crazy toothless editor catch themโฆ
Valedictorian graduate of Bates College in Maine, and with a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, neuroscientist Lisa Genova self-published her debut novel, Still Alice inโฆ
Well, I admit, the Black Dog Crossroads has reopened with shiny new traffic lights and looks pretty groovy, as far as road junctions look groovy. But I will forever be flabbergasted how the Wiltshire councillor for The Lavingtons, Dominic Muns, who signed off the project, concentrated his announcement of the project with political point-scoring rather than safetyโฆ.
Claiming this โwouldn’t have happenedโ with any other specific party at the helm of Wiltshire Council, particularly spatting The Greens with certain bitterness, was hearsay. The project was signed off prior to the Lib Dem takeover, so we can never be certain if it would or would not have been approved. This was a red light warning, altering me to the notion Dominic Muns enjoys stirring the pot, but whilst I respect that along with his motivation to respond, I remain sceptical the sauce in his pot is spiced with nothing more than bamboozlement.
A few other Wiltshire Councillors have got their knickers in a twist over the new council budget, and would-bes too, like lone ranger Devizes former Reform candidate Malcom Cupis, who loves spreading his verbal faeces on the Devizes Issue (But Bitter) Facebook group, and, reading between his lines of his recent nonsensical rant, seemed to approve fascism provided he could get his bins emptied weekly. But Muns, well, he called in AI and went to town on his Facebook page with a post yesterday which should come with a content warning; it reads like the boy who cried wolf is writing for the Daily Fail.
The question remains, how twisted can one’s knickers get before they ride up the bum crack with a plethora of brown stained untruths, or at the very least, skid-marked exaggerations?!
Omitting mentioning the ยฃ6 billion โsink holeโ the Liberal Democrat led council inherited County Hall with, and all its gubbings from decades of Tory reign, like, say, the worst social care provisions and roads which look like they belonged on a battlefield at the Somme, Muns said โWiltshire deserves better than this,โ and suggested their โalternative budget took on no debt and delivered a ยฃ20m better position over 3 years,โ adding emojis of a bar chart and suitcase for the benefit of, what I can only deem, his followers unable to read, or an imaginary artistic licence.
โCutting spending on our road networkโ and โhiking car parking charges, including a huge increase on Sundays,โ were on his hitlist, โcutting black bin collections to once every 3 weeks, cutting the Parish Steward Scheme,โ and โcutting the Parish Emergency Assistance Schemeโ were others he is disgruntled about.
But whoa there Munster, is it a random hike, or does the 4.99% rise include the 2% adult social care precept, which most councils are using because care costs are rising sharply?
Aren’t the three-weekly black bin collections part of a shift toward higher recycling rates, which many other councils have already adopted?
Is this really as unprecedented or uniquely reckless as you’re suggesting? On highways and the parish schemes, can you point to the specific budget lines showing outright removal rather than reprioritisation or consultation? This might help residents to see the details rather than broad claims.
And you couldn’t get broader than when he added in the cascading comments, โI use the term โIndependentโ loosely since theyโre actually all on the Lib Dem payroll and merely masquerading as independent councillors to win local votes.โ
Ooh, I had to ask for proof to this crazy accusation, with which he returned with, โyou can check the list of SRAs (Special Responsibility Allowances) and see which councillors are receiving additional money for certain roles. Itโs public record.โ
Big Rod Stewart sized butt; receiving a Special Responsibility Allowance as an independent councillor does not put them on a Lib Dem (or any specific party) payroll. SRAs are paid directly by Wiltshire Council based on recommendations from an independent panel for specific roles like committee chairs, regardless of political affiliation.
Another unfortunate visitor to his Facebook page asked on this thread, if he was โsaying my Wiltshire Councillor Ernie Clark – Independent in Hilperton is a LibDem?!โ
The Munster responded, โwe were made aware of a written contract drafted by the Lib Dem administration and Independent councillors which promised paid roles in exchange for support. Independent councillors are currently in those same paid roles. Make of that what you will.โ
Cllr Dominic Muns for The Lavingtons seems to be making quite a lot of “what you will” out of the Council budget, but still, failed to answer the question to his accusation, which comes over just a smidgen slanderous. He says Iโm confused, and โcertain roles are appointed directly by the Lib Dem administration, others by a vote of the committee which is apportioned to mirror overall political balance,โ perhaps heโs right; Iโm confused as to how this puts an independent councillor on a Lib Dem payroll.
If, as he said, the Conservativesโ alternative delivered a ยฃ20m better position over three years with no debt, where is that ยฃ20m coming from, and what assumptions were used, I wonder, but not enough to keep me up at night! For if itโs genuinely stronger, he could show the workings so residents can judge. Budgets are about trade-offs. If weโre going to criticise decisions, letโs do it with the full numbers on the table.
As I patiently wait for the green light at the shiny new Black Dog Crossroads which looks like it belongs in a different county, I think it’s best to wait for peace of mind, and perhaps we should wait for the effects of this budget too, before casting assumptions.
Face it, the only credible thing about his post of yesterday is that โWiltshire deserves better than this,โ yet, poop scooping the doggie doings of the previous council, did anyone expect a welcoming budget?
Yes, buddy, Wiltshire residents deserve better, they deserve transparency from everyone, not just slogans. Cool, you signed off Black Dog, but the campaign for this has taken decades, decades in which the Munster was but a mini-Munster, and The Conservatives had ample opportunity to make this Tory stronghold better, but failed, and that’s why the democratic system showed them the door. You’re a big boy now, so dry your eyes and accept that sometimes you win, sometimes you donโt and that’s the way it goes!
The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 entered an exciting new era when Stone Circle Music Events announced was as official sponsor and organiser. Backed by their Galway, Ireland office, the company continues to grow as a major force in event production in the South West of England.…
Joining them are theย Kingston Group, bringing extensive industry experience within Wiltshire. Together the partnership will build on the success of 2025, and deliver an enhanced awards experience.
This yearโs Wiltshire Music Award ceremony will feature upgraded audio-visual production, large screens, professional camera coverage, an experienced compรจre, and a headline star appearance. A new county-wide marketing campaign will ensure the entire region is engaged.
Committed to rotating locations, The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 ceremony will be held at White Horse View Events Centre, beneath the iconic Westbury White Horse, hosting up to 400 guests seated at tables.
Nominations open on the 1st May, and close 1st June 2026, with the Awards Ceremony due to take place on Saturday 26th September 2026.
Seeking Volunteers
The Wiltshire Music Awards are seeking volunteers, and invite anyone who cares about local artists, live venues, grassroots music, and giving people a platform to shine, to contact them. Together we wish to deliver the countyโs biggest celebration of live music and grassroots talent.
We would truly love to hear from you, whether you have experience in event planning or simply a passion and some time to give, your contribution could help make 2026 our most inclusive and inspiring year yet.
Please get in touch at: hello@wiltshiremusicevents.uk
Perform at the Wiltshire Music Awards Evening
We are now inviting talented artists from across Wiltshire to take the stage at our upcoming Awards Evening. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your music, celebrate the local scene, and perform in front of an engaged live audience.
If you perform anywhere in the county of Wiltshire and would like to be part of this special night, weโd love to hear from you.
To express your interest, please email: patrick@stonecirclemusicevents.uk
I confess my motivation to venture out this winter stagnated, like sludge in a drain. Akin to a hedgehog, I poked my twitching rhinarium out of my nest last Sunday, a mere pint down the Gate with Jon Amor. But what better way to cure my hibernation than a refreshing night at Trowbridgeโs tโrrific grassroots venue, The Pump?
Chatting with Kieran online prior I hoped Melkshamโs upcoming band Between The Lines were on his radar, cos theyโre blooming amazing, to which he replied coincidently they were playing there on Saturday with The Sunnies headlining and Meg also in support. How I missed listing this gig, being I run an event guide, remains a mystery, but it didnโt mean I should miss it physically; viva Trow Vegas!ย
Okay, itโs labelled a โstudent night,โ organised by small Trowbridge label Nova Sounds Records; Iโm young at heart and Gen Z donโt age discriminate. Theyโre there to party, support local acts they adore, none too fussed if a codger hides in the background. Bands invigoratingly fresh and hopeful, supplying a new scene with zest, but also a timeless punk lore of affordable and friendly gigs, which makes The Pump function successfully, bucking a tragic proneness era of grassroots venue closures.ย ย
Nick Harper comes to The Pump this Friday, Jah Wobble did a DJ set at the beginning of the month. These events are bound to sell well. What is more amazing is The Pump will sell out staging three young local acts, and their ethos trends on this. While other music venues strive to host the big names of now and yesteryear, The Pump stages the future ones, with triumphant pride. Itโs the most modest and humble place where dreams come true.
All three acts have presented their wares here before, and been subjects to Kieranโs Future Sound of Trowbridge project. Now they return in the present tense. I noticed in both Meg and Between The Lines, a vitalised sense of confidence in their breathtaking performances. One could rightfully mark this โpractice makes perfect.โ However, after congratulating them, I pondered if playing at The Pump, rather than the other places I last saw them, was also an element making them feel at ease. Describing The Pump like a sacred home, they unanimously agreed it did, and ultimately, how utterly fantastic is that in a largely rural area where most venues are pubs they cannot either play or invite their fanbase?!
As for The Sunnies headlining, I whisked into the end of their set at Bradford Roots Festival some years ago, but have never had the pleasure of witnessing them at full steam. And they were too, totally on fire. If youโre Devizes based itโs best to dub them Melkhamโs answer to Nothing Rhymes With Orange, as both formed as school bands based around a similar time, and both caused a phenomenon in their respective towns. If youโre Melksham based, youโll know, The Sunnies have a loyal teen fanbase, and frontman Jarret Brown loves nothing more than to leap offstage and join them! Youโll also be aware just why they rouse a crowd into a frenzy of joy.
They came out all guns firing, all fiery indie-punk pride, flavoured agreeably with soulful basslines breathing universally acceptable pop vibes. Yet initially it was when they chilled it with ballads of youthful desires I began to consider they were at their best. This is the opposite to the usual indie-punk band, which tends to thrive on the uptempo. Though I had to consider they like to warm up, because the finale saw them turning up the heat once more, sparks flew and encore demanded.
They played their breakthrough song of three years ago, Veridity, with equal gusto as some new tunes, which, returning to my point about these bands feeling comfy here with their fanbase, they pleaded for feedback and were welcomed rapturously.
It helps everyone greatly to be comfy, ergo, if you want to see these young bands at their best, here is where to do it. Between the Lines was the perfect example; loved their set at Swindon Shuffle, if they came across understandably nervy. Slightly younger than the Sunnies they live in their shadow across Melksham, but elusive manly dominance is filtered by the most wonderful female singer and bassist, Belle. Itโs breezier, subtle grunge with an acceptable alt-rock tinge, progressing nicely, and a pleasure to hear, especially their originals. Man, they do a sublime version of Tears for Fearsโ Mad World though, and in this and other covers project a timeless essence of classic rock in their performances.
And what a brilliant performance it was, tricky to rise after Chippenhamโs soloist M3G, with her unique heavenly acoustic style, her songs so personal you can see the claw reaching out to clutch your heartstrings. We love M3G here at Devizine, and as she played through three new songs she has worked with Phil Cooper on, I became eager to review them. Again, she weaved the crowd with audience participation, something she mayโve shied away from previously.ย
It was a pleasure to see both these supporting acts honing their style and abilities, in such an apt and welcoming place,with the bonus of finally appreciating the might of the Sunnies. If they all cut their teeth at Neeldโs Take the Stage, they thrive here at The Pump. And you need to be there to witness them.
Iโm not easy to please, grumpy old sausage that I am, yet twas a great night, but this was just another day at the office for them there lovelies at The Pump! I didnโt meet Simon from Sketchbook Records, which I had hoped to do. I was informed he had a blinder on Friday hosting an event there, and thereโs the thing; from their acoustic nights relished in the Village Pump folk roots of yore, to the Bar-Stewards Sons of Val Doonican and the metal hardcore of Broken Lungs, Avicide and Dead Society next month, thereโs something for you at The Pump, see here.ย
Swindon’s annual colossal fundraising event The Shuffle is a testament to local live music, which raises funds for Prospect Hospice. If you’re ever going toโฆ
There was a geographical population imbalance this bank holiday Monday in Devizes which risked the entire town conically sloping into the back of Morrisons; noโฆ
Whilst dispersing highly flammable hydrocarbon gases into the atmosphere is not advisory, Butane Skies is a name increasingly exploding on local circuits. The young andโฆ
Yes! Wakemansโ Journey To The Centre of Devizes!
by Andy Fawthrop
Rumours are swirling round that D-Town is about to launch a bid to be named the UK Town of Culture, and you have to think that we have to be in with a chance. Letโs face it – any competition that doesnโt use the state of the local roads as one of its yardsticks has to be worth entering….
And, as if by magic, up pops an event that, once again, proves that weโre punching above our weight.ย Weโve already highlighted here in Devizine some of the amazing stuff thatโs coming up over the coming months that will put us in with a shout, but last night at the Corn Exchange just went to prove what we can do here in our little town if we put our mind to it.
Despite relatively little advertising of the event, over 400 people snapped up tickets to see the return of rock legend Rick Wakeman to the stage last night, in a one-off โwarm-upโ gig for his forthcoming US tour, this time accompanied by son Oliver.ย I guess it was a case of โIf You Knew, You Knewโ, and the event was a complete sell-out from weeks ago.ย The room was so packed that the sound guys had to set up shop in the hallโs kitchen area and to work their magic through the hatch.ย It was a bit tight in there, but we were all friends, so that didnโt matter one little bit.
The Wakemans are no strangers to this particular stage.ย Rick appeared here a couple of years back with his outfit KGB (another cracking night that was), and his other son Adam has twice appeared with his band Jazz Sabbath (also highly recommended).ย Looks like Longcroft Productions have got the inside track with the Wakeman family.
Rickman senior breezed onto the stage, belying his 76 years, and proceeded to wow the room with his first piece on the grand piano. He was shortly followed by elder son Oliver, and the two keyboard wizards then proceeded to deliver a two-hour plus show of absolutely stunning musicianship. Moving easily between the five different keyboards on stage, the two men played a wide range of pieces including both relatively recent compositions, as well a goodly smattering of block-busters from the huge back catalogue. And Rick told us that as a โwarm-upโ it was chance for them to experiment a little. โYouโre getting more here than the Americans are going to get. You deserve it more than they do!โ Cue rapturous applause.
Image: Oliver Wakeman
It wasnโt just the music though. Father and son are both born raconteurs, and interspersed the items on the set list with some wonderful anecdotes. We had stories of rescue dogs, marriages and weddings, of the Wakeman parents, of encounters with unwilling pub landlords, and even of previous encounters with our local Moonrakers. Some of which might help explain why โHow Much Is That Doggy In The Window?โ and โSweet Georgia Brownโ made short, yet unsurprising appearances in the set-list. There was a lovely running gag about the exact date of Oliverโs birth, and how old he was at various times in the stories. And it was great to see the obvious warmth and respect between the two men.
And of course there was plenty of time across the two hours (interrupted only by what Rick referred to as โthe Bladder Breakโ) to explore themes from their musical pasts. Both men have featured at various times in the different line-ups of Prog superstars Yes, from the 1970s onwards. So there was a mash-up arrangement named โThe Yes Suiteโ, followed by several of Rickโs solo ventures – โThe Six Wives of Henry VIIIโ, โMyths & Legends of King Arthurโ, and the stunning โJourney To The Centre Of The Earthโ. We also journeyed round some older stuff from The Strawbs and David Bowieโs โLife On Marsโ.
Musically it was an absolute master-class. To say that these guys know their way around a keyboard is to massively understate just how good they were. As a nightโs entertainment it was engrossing. Of course there was plenty of whooping and cheering, and a standing ovation. And of course there was a two-hander encore. Can I give it more than ten out of ten? I would if I could.
And before the Wakemans finally disappear into the night, swirling cloaks and hair about their persons, just a word about the back-room boys. You donโt get fabulous nights out like this without an enormous amount of background work and logistics. So hats off to Paul Chandler of Longcroft Productions for even daring to bring this one off show to D-Town. And hereโs also to the piano suppliers, to the piano-tuner, to the sound and light guys, to Wadworth for sponsoring, to the Corn Exchange staff and to the small army of volunteers. A true team effort to bring together a really amazingly good night. Bravo to all concerned.
The excitement and hope generated by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announcing a new political party has reached Swindonโฆ.. A broad range of people haveโฆ
If I was bowled over backwards by Rubyโs teaser single last week, its title, Crowned Lightbringer, now also belongs to this five-track EP, released today,โฆ
Image: John Kisch Legendary songwriter and original Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell has announced a run of UK dates this November, accompanied by special guests Theโฆ
Atmospherically anthemic and reinforced with that infectious rhythmic groove weโve come to love Talk in Code for, More Than Friends is chockfull of it, andโฆ
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
No one knows why, apparently, but fish are dying in our canal; everyone says wait for the EA report, except for the fish. A town full of road works, burnt out buildings and roads which look like weโve suffered a doodlebug air raid, but thereโs glitch in the Matrix; itโs temporarily stopped chucking it down with a perpetual drizzle of ice rain, and I saw a cold early-rising hedgehog this morning. When I see my first hedgehog I assume spring might yet be on its way; chin up.
The Government (should you wish to call it that) has launched the first ever UK Town of Culture competition, and Devizes Town Council thinks weโre in for a chance here; best of luck with that! Town Councillors are looking to collaborate with local groups, organisations and individuals in putting together an Expression of Interest that showcases our amazing community spirit and the rich story we have to tell as a Town; thereโs work to be done!
Councillors are holding an initial meeting on Thursday 26th February at 6pm in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall and it is open to everyone who is interested in collaborating on this project. A big yes to this, whatever we can do to help …..without having to attend a town council meeting, just ask!
Meanwhile, rather than fix their problems, other town councils, like Melksham’s, are making national news sellotaping pictures of the journalists they donโt like very much onto punchballs for embarrassingly pathetic potshots, namely Joe McCann of Melksham News.
We have a good relationship with Joe at Melksham News here at Devizine; the butt of a seriously pathetic joke at Melksham Town Council simply for doing his job has seriously backfired. Donโt mess with the press, we stand united. Could this become a trend? I wonder who’s face might get onto a punchball at Devizes Town Council?!
Moi? I’d be honoured, mโlord!!
No, look, honest guv, or .gov.uk, Iโm here to help. I don’t want a medal, but think we can PROVE Devizes is actually a great place to live, and deserves to be a Town of Culture. There’s lots going on culturally. Iโm only here to tell you what, donโt give me the third degree simply for doing it in a satirical way, because it only serves a purpose; making this an entertaining read rather than a list of events, which you can find anyway, on our event calendar. Iโm nice, no, really!
So, last week of February: DOCAโs Festival of Winter Ales is at The Corn Exchange on Saturday 28th. Weโve previewed it, read further here and hope to see you there for a beer!
March
March is a bit dry, to be honest. Wiltshire Museum, though, begins the exhibit John Piper in the South Country which opens on Saturday 7th March and runs until the 7th June. I hope to be at the opening ceremony and will report my findings.
Sir Alan Ayckbournโs How the Other Half Loves opens at The Wharf Theatre on Monday 16th March, running until the 21st. Thereโs a comedy night at the Corn Exchange on Friday 20th, and Jimmy Royal & the Regals play Long Street Blues Club on the 21st, so things are starting to look up.
The first โBig Oneโ in Devizes is at the end of March, when Kingston Media host The Bands By The Green, on the Saturday 28th. In support of Julianโs House, they promise a family afternoon of live music from 1:30pm, featuring Charlie Greenwood, Kelly Dale, This Way Up, Simplicity, Crackerjack, and Foo Lizzy. Tickets HERE.
Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race starts at the wharf on Friday 3rd, and someone was recently complaining this doesnโt attract much attention, so weโre mentioning it here, donโt blame me!!
By the 5th itโs Easter, find lots going on from our updating events calendar, but behold, an Easter Egg Hunt at Hillworth Park.
Friday 10th sees Devizes Music Academy present Sister Act at The Corn Exchange, which runs until the 12th.
Tuesday night out, anyone? Long Street Blues Club were instrumental in helping establish King King in their early days and this superb band is now firmly established as one of the premier Blues Rock acts in the country. They return to the Devizes Corn Exchange on Tuesday 21st.
May
The annual Cancer Research Car Boot Sale at Stert Country House starts off May, on Saturday 16th, unless thereโs anything Iโve missed? The event calendar updates, this will not, so please, bookmark it into your favourites and check in regularly, because the further we get into the year, the less events we currently know about. This is a teaser of whatโs to come, do not, I repeat, do not, get your summer dresses and sun hats on just yet!
Saturday 23rd sees two new DOCA events, Out & About, where they look at acts in the Community, and the DOCA Festival of Discovery. More to follow on these, but save the date.
Friday 29th sees The Wharf Acting Coโs Whoโs Play is it Anyway, the show theyโre taking to the Edinburgh Fringe; this is an exclusive sneaky peak. More on this HERE, plus Lou Coxโs Having a Baby and the Sh!t They Donโt Tell You in Books, also appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe, of which you can also catch at the Wharf Theatre on Saturday 30th.
The Devizes Arts Festival kicks off the same weekend, and it is Rowdefest on Saturday 30th; we had a great time with this last year, and this year looks to be just as great if not more. Barrelhouse headline, with the sublime Ruby Darbyshire; handpicked by me personally!
June
Devizes Arts Festival, runs until June 14th; hereโs everything we know so far, well nearly everything; thereโs a surprise Iโve been told to button my lip about. They trust me too much! Monday 1st June Anthony Horowitz: A Life in Murder, Tuesday 2nd, Patrick Grant in Conversation, Thursday 4th, Hot Mess, and Friday 5th sees the Robert Vincent Band, and Milton Jones on Friday 12th June; thatโs all we have for now, watch this space.
Saturday June 13th sees the Wiltshire Steam & Vintage Rally returning to Park Farm near Devizes. Sunday 14th is the Devizes Lions family funday and car show, Lions on The Green.
July
Ooh, got a big one here for you! July kicks off Saturday 4th with the awaited return of CrownFest at The Crown in Bishopโs Cannings, and this one looks unmissable, with more artists being added all the time. The current poster weโve got needs updating, I believe Ruby is coming and a host of others. Iโm looking forward to Ant Trouble, because I picked this one, Stand and Deliver, your ticket money or your life!!
But the month is jam-packed; Town of Culture, box ticked! Saturday 11th and it is the most unique festival around these parts; FullTone. If a sixty piece orchestra playing out of their new location on Park Farm doesnโt quite tempt you enough, The Wurzels and Jason Donovan might! Preview HERE; gorgeous, darling!
Friday 17th sees the Classic Ibiza thang at Bowood House. Saturday 18th and youโll find Devizes Vegan Market, aptly in the Market Place. Sunday 19th and abracadabra; DOCA will transform Hillworth Park into a Magic Garden.
But, hey, this one is going to be big and needs your attention! Park Farm Festival returns for it’s second year on Saturday 18th. Lovely as this was last time, it needs you. More universal and family appeal than last year, Jon Amor Trio is playing, with well, look at the poster, look, and read our preview!
Friday 24th, and itโs the legendary Devizes Scooter Rally– all weekend! A fantastic event, you donโt need a scooter, but some dancing shoes are essential footwear. You will love All That Soulโs sublime Motown makeovers, and thereโs a Blondie tribute, a separate venue for those talc dusters and lots of good time reggae and ska.
August
As I said earlier, weโve lots more to add and lots more to find out about, so keep this frequency clear, and love Devizine. You can go to a meeting to etch out a plan to make Devizes a town of culture, but itโs me here, on me tod, typing this out for your attention; donโt you forget about us!
So, letโs rush through what little we know about the later months; Saturday 29th August is Confetti Battle & Colour Rush. Monday 31st will, of course, be Black Rat Monday at The British Lion in which you are duty-bound to attend!
September
Saturday 5th is Devizes Carnival.
Devizes Food and Drink Festival is on from Saturday September 19th to Sunday Sept 27th. The festival is run and managed locally, entirely by volunteers and will offer 20+ original food and drink experiences, kicking off with an Artisan Producer Market in the Market Place on the 19th and finishing with the World Food Tasting Experience on Sunday 27th in the Corn Exchange.
The rest of our event calendar is looking blank. Help me fill them in as we go, and hereโs looking to a fantastic 2026, town of culture award, or not, we strive on, we know Devizes is great!
After much deliberation, Devizine is to pull out of any further organisation of the Wiltshire Music Awardsโฆ..
It has not been an easy decision, and I remain super-proud of what Ed and I achieved last year, getting this special occasion off the ground. The Wiltshire Music Awards takes complex organisation. Therefore, I feel I cannot commit to the workload involved this year effectively enough for what the event deserves whilst continuing to run Devizine too.
Obviously, I’m still dedicated to supporting and promoting the Wiltshire Music Awards through Devizine for this and subsequent years. I also still believe it’s a very worthy cause, highlighting what a fantastic live music scene we have in Wiltshire and rewarding those who continue to contribute to it.
Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events said, โwe want to publicly thank Darren for the time, effort, and genuine passion he has poured into the awards and into the wider Wiltshire music scene. The spirit of collaboration and encouragement heโs brought has helped shape what this event stands for; celebrating local talent, lifting one another up, and strengthening our creative community.โ
Nominations for this yearโs Wiltshire Music Awards will open on 1st May. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Eddie, who has been a pleasure and an inspiration to work with, as I am certain we will maintain the same good working relationship for the future awards and many other events. And to wish all the best for the future of the Wiltshire Music Awards.
It seems Shrove Tuesday celebrations in Devizes have fallen as flat as aโฆ.well, you get the gagโฆ
Traditionally organised by Age Concern Wiltshire, and often supported by local partners like the Black Swan Hotel, which provided the pancakes, and the Devizes Rotary Club, pancake races in Devizes were an annual occasion, aptly on Pancake Day.
Originally held in the Market Place and shifted over to Hillworth Park in later years, you may have fond memories of trying to win a running race, giggling whilst tossing pancakes in frying pans, but these days it all seems to be lost; correct me if I’m wrong, you usually do!
What happened to pancake races in Devizes? Was it stopped during the lockdown? Seems not, the last one I can find evidence of was in 2015, and appeared on a now archived blog called Devizes Days.
Was it stopped because of health and safety reasons? Sounds possible, but other towns, such as Bradford-on-Avon, continue the tradition. Why not Devizes?
I mean, hey, if you want to get technical, the indulgence of Pancake Day is that final day of feasting before fasting for Lent, and being everyone stuffs pancakes but no one actually fasts, maybe the powers that be got a bit over zealous with punishment for our sins?!
Or, perhaps, and most likely, it’s just because everyone has too much to do in their daily rat race to organise a pancake race, which is a sad sign of the times. You know, kids don’t know how to play conkers anymore? Could pancake races be just as obsolete? Or could we revive it? I’d be happy to help, provided there’s sugar and lemon juice.
I feel sorry for the kids today; “No, you can’t have social media!”
“Can we run around tossing pancakes then?”
“Absolutely no chance!!”
I mean, we’d probably have to have frying pans made from foam and a soft landing surface. Pancakes would probably need to be dairy free, and disclaimers would need parent signatures, and failing to find a location to do this might result in the whole thing being played out in Minecraft, but still, it’s a thought. Do let me know yoursโฆ..who stopped pancake races, and why?!
The mighty mighty Minety Music Festival announced The Bluetones as their Sunday headliner at their Eames Laurie Main Stage, and The Dub Pistols on the Saturday…..
It’s not unspoken, weLOVE Minety Music Festival here at Devizine and don’t care who knows! It never fails to attract with some superb renowned names, and then throws in a plethora of local acts either established or upcoming, and in doing so creates a marvellous atmosphere where local music is supported via the followings of international headliners.
Formed in London in 1996 byย Barry Ashworth, the Dub Pistols are a renowned British collective fusing dub, reggae, ska, hip-hop, and electronic music, and the party rockers will be headlining the Saturday.
“We’re super excited and have wanted to bring The Dub Pistols to Minety for around three years,” chief organiser Rich Swatton tells us, “and this time, the stars have finally aligned. If you know, you know, and if you don’t know… speak to someone who knows. You’re going to love this!”
The Bluetones first came to prominence in 1995, when their debut release โAre You Blue Or Are You Blind?โ broke into the top 40. The single proved to be the launching pad for a run that saw 14 hit singles and 6 albums follow on from it. They headline Sunday.
The Bluetones, formed in Hounslow, are made up of brothers Mark & Scott Morriss, alongside Adam Devlin and Eds Chesters, enjoyed considerable UK and Ireland successes, extending out across into Europe and Japan, before taking a hiatus in 2011 that lasted for 4 years. Since then they have re-established themselves as one of the UKโs most consistently entertaining live acts, regularly touring their extensive catalogue to their army of devoted fans.
2024 saw the release of the first new Bluetones material in 14 years; a renaissance that saw the four original band members take in the summer festivals, before a full UK tour in the autumn/winter of 2024.
The release of ‘London Weekend Television’ in 2025 saw them reaffirm themselves as indie-pop royalty, and 2026 sees the band celebrate the 30th anniversary of Platinum selling album โExpecting To Flyโ, famed for hit singles, such as โBluetonicโ, โSlight Returnโ and Cut Some Rugโ.
“We can’t wait to welcome them to Minety Music Festival, for the very first time,” Rich said, “you’re in for a real treat!”
Minety is near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, and is happening from 2nd-5th July 2026. Tickets only available from: www.minetyfestival.co.uk/buy-tickets
The celebrated Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park announced their headline act for May bank holiday 2026, and being that it’s Bob Vylan, it is bound to open debateโฆ.
London based grime rappers Bob Vylan are no strangers to controversy through their criticisms of the establishment and calling out inequalities. Whilst they were one of many acts at last year’s Glastonbury to make statements condemning the genocide in Palestine, they seemed to take the brunt of the rightwing media assault.
Online opinions from Shindig’s announcement are already strongly divided, but mostly positive from the devoted regular attendees of this marvellous festival. Some suggest it will be great to see them live and away from media exposure, others state otherwise. One said it’s an โembarrassing choice. Heโll make it political and a hate filled performance.โ But hey, who wants to party with those in support of such barbarism?
Another suggests there’s plenty of other things they could be doing at the festival, and they need not attend this particular performance if they disagree with the social statements the band make; now there’s an idea!
The Shindig team said they are โvery excited to announce one of the most vital, fearless and electrifying live acts in the UK right now. Expect high-energy, sharp lyricism and a reputation for using music as a force for conversation and change. We believe art should challenge as well as unite.โย
I find myself wondering what would become of punk if it suddenly stopped campaigning for righteousness, or what these triggered objectors would say if it was the seventies and John Lennon or Bob Marley was booked, for music has always had political or social motivations, and to censor it for the purposes of propaganda or ignorance would be sacrilegious. Well done, Shindig pose, it’s a seriously important booking.
Now, you know when you see a fundraising advert and think, I’d like to raise some wonga for this or that cause, but further reading reveals you’re expected to take on an extreme mission like trekking the Great Wall on a unicycle made from coat hangers, or scaling Everest in just clogs and your wife’s undercrackers? Well, this one is a smidgen easier, and it’s something Devizions take great pride in accomplishingโฆ..
Yes, the end of February is nigh, when Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts asks the good folk of Devizes to raise some needed funds, which they inevitably pump back into a system supplying said good folk with a year of free events such as carnival and the Winter Festival, so it’s for their own benefit. And all they need to do to help is drink fine ale and enjoy some quality entertainment. Throw down the gauntlet, why don’t you DOCA, and roll out the barrel, for this is a challenge I’m confident both you and I can really get behind!
This happens annually at The Corn Exchange, and this year’s is on Saturday 28th February. I’m told a fair amount of tickets are still up for grabs, so after reading this don’t vegetate playing Royal Match on your phone, put it to good use and buy yourself a pass to The Festival of Winter Ales. And here’s seven darn good (or at least reasonable) reasons why I think you should:
As usual the event is divided into two sessions, one of quieter reflection for the true ale connoisseur in the afternoon, and the evening more lively session, for the party people; how amicable and considerate.
Equifinal, though, is pies, and the extensive range of booze, from the dark ales experts of The Southgate and Stealth Brew Co, to IPAs, American pale ales, ciders, perry, and, if you donโt mind handing your hard-earned cash to TVโs tax-avoiding billionaire gammon, Clarkson, the Pour House brings Hawkstone Lager!
Also predetermined whatever session you rock up to, is a raffle, and Social Club Cabaret starring puppeteer and self-acclaimed all-round nutter Dik Downey, some aerialโfusion salsa with Amy G, and The Amazing Malcolm, who may or may not be the same amazing Malcolm who runs Stealth Brewery, but if it is, I want at least half of my money back; bless him!
Everyone’s favourites, and who certainly gets my seal of approval, Talk in Code are headlining the evening session, with their unique take on indie-pop originals, although I’m informed they recently took vow of beverage abstinence and said I could drink all their beer.
Those immortalised in Lego lads, Talk in Code are supported by The Wholesome Soul Trio, regulars at The Southgate, and though Iโve yet to tick them off my must-see list, Iโve heard nothing but good things about their classic playlist of soul and funk with improvised solos.
Even the afternoon session looks intriguing, as Iโve not heard of either act, but singer Amy Irvine is accompanied by local legend John E. Wright, so must be doing something Wright! And A Call from Tomorrow are a young indie covers duo from Wiltshire we wish the very best of luck.
And the last good reason is that physical tickets are available to purchase at Devizes Books; so you could treat yourself to a copy of my outrageous murder-mystery whodunnit-whocares novel while youโre there!!
A gameshow unlike any other is set to take local actors to the world stage. The Wharf Theatre is proud to present the debut of a brand-new show, “Whose Play is it Anyway?”
Set to enjoy a week-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 from August 17th to the 22nd, this innovative original production offers a fresh perspective on contemporary storytelling, using a gameshow format to explore a range of devised, scripted and improvised pieces, many created by the talented cast themselves. As part of the game, each performance order will be left to chance, creating a unique experience every time.
Join your host, Barry Ruffles and his glamorous assistant, Jenny Flannel as they present 18 pieces of theatre in 50 minutes; all you have to do is guess the genre, playwright or year to win a speedboat, cuddly toy or a holiday for two on the Isle of Fernando!
Prior to the Fringe, the show will preview at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, running from 29th to the 30th May, Bristolโs Alma Tavern and the Shaftesbury Art Centre; giving West Country audiences an opportunity to experience the production ahead of its official festival run.
Whether youโre a seasoned Fringe attendee or a first-time visitor, Whose Play Is It Anyway promises to entertain. The show will be performed at the SpaceUK, located at the heart of Edinburghโs bustling festival district. Tickets are available from [Ticket Provider] and can be purchased online or at the venue box office.
Lou Cox, director of The Wharf Acting Company, who perform & devised this show, is also taking her solo show, Having a Baby and The Sh!t They Donโt Tell You in Books, for a week at the Edinburgh Fringe. Inspired by the loss of her baby girl, Lou described the play as a โcomedic and brutally honest one-woman show which gifts audiences an emotional, and at times highly entertaining, whirlwind of witty anecdotes and graphic storytelling, with an ending no mother could ever imagine.โ And this one too will be performed at The Wharf Theatre, also running from 29th to the 30th May, of which the previous run was reviewed by Helen, HERE.
We don’t like many thieves here at Devizine, but we do love Thieves the band! Well, those Thieves have an interesting next gig it’s worthwhile mentioningโฆ..
The first time I saw these Thieves it was a paradox of coincidences. I was hiding in the back of the Wild & Wooley room of Bradford Roots Festival at The Wiltshire Music Centre, and I was suitably wowed by their Americana/UK folk harmonies. I likened them to The Lost Trades at the time, and told the person next to me, only to realise it was Phil Cooper, one third of the Lost Trades! I then proceeded to vocalise my observation that the guy on the banjo looked uncannily like soloist Adam Woodhouse, only for Phil to sigh, โit is Adam Woodhouse!โ Should have gone to Specsavers.
Since, the collective of Adam with Rory Coleman-Smith, Jo Deacon and Matt Hughes have gone from strength to strength, regularly gigging, you might have seen them; consider yourself lucky. They gained me enormous kudos when they played so beautifully at Rowdefest last year, it was uplifting and toe-tapping goodness. Oh, and, we fondly reviewed their debut EP.
They’reย excited to announce a headline appearance at Brokerswood’s Tin Church, near Westbury, on the 28th February, with support from the amazing Feral Beryl. Though the Thieves explained, โwe were lucky enough to perform in this wonderful venue last year as a supporting act,โ it’s the first I’ve heard of a gig there, ‘cos no one tells me nuthin’, but I do recall sitting with the kids on the miniature train!
As an outdoor pursuit area, Brokerswood has been a popular attraction for families and campers since 1968, now in an effort to preserve the land, it’s converted into a holiday park.
With no electricity, The Tin Church is a beautifully unique venue where the musicians are lit solely by candlelight and the original paraffin lamps and perform completely unplugged, taking advantage of the wonderful acoustics of the space. The band say, โitโs an experience like no other and an evening of music not to be missed!โ
Sounds good to me; who needs electricity when youโve got beautiful music?! Priced at ยฃ18, it gets even better because it includes canapรฉs, with tickets available from The Cheese & Gain website. But, if you happen to miss this, as it’s a busy weekend what with The Festival of Winter Ales in Devizes and much more, Thieves will be playing this spring festival in March at Trowbridge Town Hall.
Drizzly Sundayโฆagain. Iโve just finished designing the poster, so allow me to reveal the lineup for Rowdefest this coming May, might cheer us up a bit!ย
It was a hugely successful Rowdefest last year, and was lots of fun for all the family. We cordially invite you to do it all again this year! The wonderful committee is still hard at work, planning the day, and some work needs doing. But, weโve set a date, Saturday 30th May, and kept the same times, from 1pm until 7pm.
Itโs free, and itโs at the same location, the Small Playing Field in Rowde. There will be food and drink, lots of side stalls, tea, coffee and cakes in St Matthews Church. Our villageโs famous ice cream parlour, The Rowdey Cow will be there, and you are welcome to bring deckchairs but the haystacks will be back too.
We really crammed in some fantastic music acts last year; this time we want you to explore the side stalls and have some fun before getting comfy around the main stage, but we will be opening the day with some music. A bit of a disco I reckon, some loved pop classics for all. Iโm thinking eighties, the committee might knock me back a couple of decades, weโll have to wait and see! I want to see some dancers though, and maybe there will be best dancers prizes, so get up and shake your thang!
The Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers were brilliant last year, so weโve invited them back again. Interactive by the end, more dancing required!
Iโm delighted to say we have the sublime Ruby Darbyshire playing for us, who many of you will already know, and, I promise, will leave you in awe.
Headliner this year is Barrelhouse, Marlboroughโs finest purveyors of vintage blues with a groove. You are going to love these guys, and you will be up dancing, again!
Mantonfest 2023
Thatโs all Iโve got, less is more. Just pop it in your diary and I hope to see you there!
Are you sitting down, as this may come as a shock? Residents of the Springfield Road estate in Rowde should be feeling rather privileged at the moment, as bucking the countywide trend of having roads which look like Mars has suffered a doodlebug air-raid, it’s actually been resurfaced!
Not all of them seem satisfied they’ve the only road in the county which is, comparatively, as smooth as a baby’s botty though, and have taken to their local Facebook group, Rowde all About it, to whinge about the inconvenience of waiting an extra day before work could commence due to poor weather, as they probably would’ve whinged about the state of the road beforehand! Awl, that’s Facebook for you; an adult’s playground for venting Karen’s petty fury.
The operation has run just as smooth, with jolly-faced roadworkers jumping at the opportunity to move some cones and allow residents access; it breaks up the monotonous teabreaks. One resident lightened the mood on the Facebook group by suggesting offering them tea and chocolate digestives was key to their friendly attitude, though we’ve no proof of this because I’m keeping all my biscuits for myself.
It is, though, quite a delight to drive on a road in Wiltshire without worrying for your wheel alignment and suspension, if a smidgen eerie. And, of course, once you’ve got to the main road it’s back to the usual sensation of cycling a penny-farthing over a lunar landscape, but hey, for a moment there it’s driving heaven.
Okay, so a few motorist residents didn’t read the social media posts nor see the cones and massive signs stating no parking for the duration of the repair, leaving sweeping gaps untreated, but they finally caught on, moved them, and the roadworkers are rubbing their hands together for a Sunday bonus; all is well.
Residents are advised to drive slowly across the new tarmac, to delay in its inevitable dilapidation. It’s a flipping housing estate, for crying out loud! An estate with the rare blessing in modern times, whereby children can still play relatively safely outside, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to drive through it with caution in the first bloody place!
Bearing in mind this is a busy estate, where some residents are in the habit of parking wherever the hell they fancy, despite the inconvenience it may cause for other residents, and those headless chicken non-residents swerving through, using it as a short cut to avoid Marsh Lane.
Thereโs an ever- increasing population using Springfield Road, accumulating by the questionable requirements of gradually extending the estate with further Lego houses, when it would’ve been far better to accept the expansion was inevitable years ago, and build it a new access road from the other side of the school; but planning is for other counties.
Not forgoing the colossal construction traffic used to bring these part-built monstrosities past the school gates and playpark without pavements, and through the already busy estate, leaving people wondering how the area obtained such dilapidated roads in the first place!
But not only is the road smooth, for a moment in time, there’s the additional Facebook group story of a rogue โcarerโ who apparently โdrives like a maniac,โ revealing their misdoings by apparently telling the road workers to โf-off,โ which kind of makes it all worthwhile being in the group, and should remain as a stern message to all roadworkers not to piss off carers, because theyโve got caring to do, god dammit, and if anyone gets in their way of caring, wellโฆ.
It could be bigger than Diggers! See what I did there? Okay, you youngsters might need Google, but while you’re researching Chippenham’s hedonistic past, a new music venue and studio is preparing to open its doors at the end of Februaryโฆ..
The Ruze on Union Road opens on Friday, 27th February. It’s a daring era to be opening a new venue, but this looks rather special. I believe it’s captured a gap in the market, and we wish them the very best of luck.
James Humphrys, Mac Lloyd, and Beth Thornton kick off the proceedings on Friday night, while Saturday the 27th sees The Showhawk Duo perform their unique take on club classics, acoustically.
These guys remain toppermost on my must-see list. I should’ve known better to question festival organiser and Boot Hill All Star Flounder Murray when he spoke of โacoustic raveโ some years ago. โAcoustic rave?โ I responded, โhow does that work then?โ
โVery well,โ was his reply, with a mindblowing Showhawk Duo video attached; I’m still at odds comprehending how these guys manage to pull off such a stunt, to recreate those floorfillers with just two guitars.
Supporting the duo are Lucca Mae, John Fairhurst, Kane Pollastrone, and Seren. Other than the brilliant Mac Lloyd, these are all new names to me; looks like The Ruze has a quality vetting process with an ethos lending to supporting upcoming local acts, and I like that in a venue!
If daytime clubbing is a thing now, Sunday March 1st from 3-8pm, The Ruze turns into Club Kudo, with some dance anthems and Ibiza classics, finalising their grand opening weekend.
Tickets for all nights are limited, and go on sale at 6pm today, Friday 6th Feb. HERE.
Yay! We made it to Feb, in one piece, just! I might even be persuaded to break out of hibernation. If youโve been hibernating too, maybe itโs time to throw caution to the wind, poke your twitching snout from your cubbyhole and have a nose about. If you do, hereโs some special recommendations of things to engage you, shake you up, and possibly warm you up for spring, but there will be much more on our ever-updating event calendar, so keep it on your browser, you lovely little hedgehogsโฆ..
Get your shoes on, because as we speak, Sunday 1st, it’s the Jon Amor Trio monthly residency at the Southgate, with guest Gary Cain.
Monday 2nd has the regular Book Club from 7pm at The Pour House; great books, great chat, great people!
Wednesday 4th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.
Thursday 5th, please note the Supporting Menโs Mental Health group now meet in Sidmouth Street. Devizes Film Club is at The Wharf Theatre, presenting Limbo, a stirring drama, laced with deadpan humour, about Syrian refugees, stuck on a remote Scottish island while they await the results of their asylum claims.
The Mayor’s Charity Ball is at The Corn Exchange, with a delicious three-course meal, dancing to live entertainment, raffle, and your formal photograph taken by a professional photographer to remember the evening, supporting three wonderful local charities: Devizes Opendoors, Devizes Foodbank, and the Devizes & District MS Society. Oh, and there’s a Bingo and Adult Cabaret in Potterne.
Oooh, Friday 13th and everyone over the age of 55 can dance the day away at a Wiltshire Age UK Daytime Disco at the Devizes Corn Exchange, a fun, friendly afternoon filled with classic hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s, Or choc-out with The Rocher Experience at Hollychocs in Poulshot!
Find the wonderful voice of Kate at the Pelican, of whom I’ve likened to Alison Moyet in the past.
Saturday 14th, find a Half Term Chocolate Experience for one adult & child or teenat Hollychocs in Poulshot. Menopause Cafe at The Pour House from 10.30am – coffee & chat about all things menopause.
Funked Up are getting, well, funked up for Valentines at The Three Crowns, and Doctor Doctor plays The Southgate. Del-Boy sings his heart out for a Valentines special at the Pelican. Aaron Garrett as seen on The Voice comes to Devizes Conservative Club for a night of Soul in Motion, and they’ll be Painting Get Together in Urchfont.
Sunday 15th finds Will Edmunds from 5pm at The Southgate.
Tuesday 17th and Potterne Pantomime opens Sleeping Beauty at Potterne Village Hall, which runs up to Saturday 21st.
Wednesday 18th and it’s Acoustic Jam night at The Southgate.
The Wharf Theatre has Chicago – Teen Edition, a dazzling adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical tailored for teenage performers, which runs a matinee and evening performance on Saturday too.
Roll over Beethoven, because the greatest tribute to Jeff Lynneโs Electric Light Orchestra is at Devizes Corn Exchange; Blue Sky Tour present ELO Encounter.
Oh, and please find the amazing Vince Bell at the Crown, Bishop’s Cannings.
Saturday 21st sees Sad Dad Club making their debut at The Three Crowns, should be good, Last Train Smokinโ plays The Southgate and John E Wright is at the Pelican.
For the first time ever, Rick Wakeman will tour with his son, Oliver, in their brand-new WAKEMAN & SON show! Although the pair have shared the stage on special occasionsโincluding the unforgettable Myths And Legends of King Arthur performance at Londonโs O2โthey have never toured togetherโฆ until now……
Saturday 28th and what a finale to the month; DOCA’s Devizes Festival of Winter Ales is at the C0rn Exchange. In collaboration with The Pourhouse, The Southgate Inn and Stealth Brewery, expect a huge selection of wintery ales, craft beer and ciders from the countryโs best independent breweries. DOCA adds great music and cabaret into the mix, with โA Call from Tomorrowโ, โWholesome Trioโ and โTalk in Codeโ already confirmed. With a quieter session in the afternoon and something a little more upbeat in the evening, you can choose either a relaxed or more lively experience.
Festival of Winter Ales is a key fundraising event, supporting DOCAโs free programme of events. Come along and support us, snap up a fantastic raffle prize and have some quality time with friends.
The event will run in two sessions across the day: Early (11am-5pm) and Late (5:30-11pm), with a tasty selection of hot pies and savouries provided by local suppliers. Physical tickets available to purchase at Devizes Books.
And that’s all we’ve found for February in Devizes, so far. But updates will happen on our event calendar, so keep your best eye on that. And if you’re not in Devizes, our event calendar covers all Wiltshire from Bath to Marlborough and Swindon to Salisbury, so check in with us too, but I’m sorry I can’t do all this for every town; Don’t cha wish your gig guide was hot like ours? Don’t cha wish your gig guide was a freak like ours?! Don’t cha? Don’t cha?!
Do you live in Devizes? Are you sure? Sure sure? Sure sure sure?! You could actually be living under the oppressive regime of Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council and not even know about it! But fear not blinkered comrades, an elite task force from Devizes Town Council is coming to liberate you!
The border between Devizes and Bishop’s Cannings extends the Cannings side into the parts of the north-east of the town. Other than historic squabbles over who owns the Moonrakers fable, it has been pretty much alright and no one really gave a toss about it since it was first established around 1080, when Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, built the castle.
Suddenly, nine hundred and forty-six years later, it’s not, apparently. Devizes Town councillors are so furious about redirecting emails sent to them from folk unaware they come under Bishopโs Cannings Parish Council, like copy and paste was never invented, they’re plotting to invade and conquer the Devizes area of Bishop’s Canningsโ parish, best guess, for national security! If, bizarrely, it sounds textbook Trump, perhaps it is, perhaps it’s not, and that all depends on who you talk to; sort it out, Osmund!
Needless to suggest, Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council are unhappy, and say no, you can take our ScrewFix but you’ll never take our Lidl! So, if you live in North Fields, Cannings Hill, Corn Croft, Laywood, Wellington Drive or Marlborough Close, you could be moving to either North Fields, Cannings Hill, Corn Croft, Laywood, Wellington Drive or Marlborough Close soon whilst remaining exactly where you currently are, whether you like it or not; breaking news!
It may seem like a storm in a teacup, a petty spaff between councils, but what does it really mean for the residents of those areas? Again, this largely depends on who you speak to about it.
Community Governance Review, happens every five years or so, apparently, whereby a town or parish council can whimper like Oliver Twist to Wiltshire Council, requesting they shift a border to better financially aid themselves, and I’m sorry to Devizes Town Council, for the want to remain impartial, but it does look this way from where I’m standing. Even the trusty Gazelle and Herod reported it as an โunsolicited and brazen land grab.โ
Those residents on Facebook are being told by the Devizes Town Council task force, that it’s nothing to worry about, it happens all the time. But hang on a cotton-picking minute, the moving of this particular boundary has not happened before, has it? Not since 1080! And, if you’re not in a certain Facebook group with a bad habit of banning folk, youโve probably been left totally in the dark about the whole shebang.
Even the Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council themselves were NOT informed, until one councillor happened to stumble across it on Facebook, apparently. A spokesperson for the parish council told me, โwe saw this agenda on Facebook at Thursday lunchtime. Thank the lord I looked otherwise we still wouldn’t know. Devizes Town Council met with Wiltshire Council on the 10th December. They’ve had plenty of time to chat to us about their intentions. They formed their task group on the 8th January, releasing a four page report on Thursday.โ
You’d have thought it would be basic etiquette and good manners to have at least dropped them a line, though a spokesperson from Devizes Town Council, not involved with the task force, was surprised to hear they had not been informed. They assured me no malice is intended and they’d support a good working relationship, but Devizes Town Council voted to ask Wiltshire Council to redraw the boundaries on Tuesday, an emergency meeting of Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council was held Thursday; it’s all up in the air and reactions appear quite understandably handbags raised at dawn.
Wiltshire Times reporting the issue, at least I think this was the right post!!
The task force, we are told, consists of two Conservative councillors; Iain Wallis, who as he is desperately holding onto a Devizes North seat, would benefit from the extra residencies, especially being geographically the further the border is moved outward from town the more affluent residents tend to be, and more likely to vote Conservative. And Richard Oliver, no stranger to landgrabs; taking over Roundway in the 2017 Community Governance Review, where Roundway civil parish was abolished and became a ward of Devizes parish. Thereโs a third councillor on the task force, Guardian, Andy Geddes, maybe just there to even up the parties, who knows?!
โIt makes sense for this urbanised part of the parish of Bishops Cannings to be in Devizes,โ Iain is reported to have said, and there’s reasoning in this, I believe, I mean, these aforementioned areas are in Devizes town, after all, just. He continued to say โthey also access services in the town centre, such as the Leisure Centre, which is subsidised by Devizes Town Council rate payers.โ And, whamo! There it is!
These areas have been fortunate enough to pay a lower council tax rate, but still have access to the services of the town. Yet, for the Leisure Centre, for example, weโre all paying customers, arenโt we? And able to access this facility even if we live under a parish council outside of town, or are those from Potterne, Rowde, Chirton or the many other villages surrounding Devizes going to be taken over, otherwise they cannot dip a little toe in the Devizes pool?! Living on the outskirts of town, in these areas mentioned, youโre not much closer to town then if you live in Rowde or Poulshot.
โYou cannot use the increase in council tax as a reason not to move the boundary. It all has to be around governance and how being with Devizes Town Council will improve the lives of the residents,” my Bishopโs Cannings Parish Council spokesperson laughed, exampling a Band D rate under Devizes Town Council would be ยฃ228, whereas the same band under Bishopโs Cannings would only be ยฃ67. โI’d want to see a ton of improvements for that increase!โ
They pointed out playparks, telling me Bishopโs Cannings Parish Council has invested over ยฃ50K in Le Marchant Park, but Devizes Town Council, โclosed Brickley Park for over a year.โ Thereโs also been much discussion over catchment areas for schools, and that residents in those areas could find it more difficult to obtain places at schools such as Lavington. Our spokesperson for Devizes Town Council deflected this as false; again, โdepending on who you talk toโ is the running theme throughout the early stages of this proposal, but we are certain their council tax will be upped considerably, for questionably the same services.
โBishops Cannings Parish Council would strongly oppose such an attempt,โ they told the Gazette. โIn our view, this would be a retrograde step, with adverse implications for all residents living within those areas.โ
So, the jury is out on the implications for the residents, and while Iโm trying to piece this together impartially, I cannot help think it was irresponsible for the village council not to be informed, and the lack of communication between these two councils. But the bottom line is, if the implications for the residents of these areas are to be as adverse as the parish council suggest they will, surely those residents should have their say by the way of a referendum? Or are Devizes Town Council going to storm militarily into Bishopโs Cannings with a Devizes ICE, “De-Ice” squad, and kidnap the parish clerk?! Then we really have a story!!
There’s no sophomore slump for Monkey Bizzle; prolific in their art, these rural chav-choppers return with a second album, Agricultural Appropriation, only five years and a kazillion bongs after their debut, Idiot Music, and it be gurt lush, shaggerโฆ.
Not on the guesstimate I’ve passed a thousand plays of Oi Mate, their tune from Idiot Music about the ultimate scrounger, and figured these guys know a blagger when they see one, rather on the grounds I laughed out loud more times at the opening tune than I’ve laughed at any comedy song, ever, possibly combined, I brought this album rather than requested a review copy; it’s going in my personal collection, even if you can’t skin up on an mp3.
Legend has it Malmesbury’s Corky coined the term agricultural hip hop. Brilliant though he is at penning and acoustically delivering an original, his showstoppers are usually parodies of hip hop classics; think gangster’s paradise and change to Ginsters, for example. Questioning if we’re in the same ballpark here, because Monkey Bizzle are 100% original and, save the odd spoken sample or dodgy scratch, they’re backed by a bone fide band. It’s more than rap with a capital C. Not much more but definitely more.
Monkey Bizzle, ready for court!
So, if the term is founded, we could debate the boundaries of agricultural hip hop till the cows come home, literally; ie, if you’re producing hip hop and live rurally, does it automatically class your output as agricultural hip hop? The opening title track therefore either ponders if they’re guilty of โagricultural appropriationโ being, while dwelling rurally, they’re not farmers, as is the common misinterpreted stereotype in urban areas where hip hop trends, or, more likely, it’s just a self-deprecating exercise with hilarious consequences, as it is with many of the their songs.
In 1985 Derek Showard, or GrandMixer DXT said โthe Bronx is the home of hip hop,โ not Bridgwater, but we’ve come this far from NY hommies, and a melting pot of west country banter, folk and scrumpy, is fine, if slightly polluted. Monkey Bizzle dived in, and the result is as funny as it is accomplished. For while they’re more Grandmaster Smelly Mel than Melle, and more whole mouth than tongue-in-cheek, still they manage to rock a rhyme that’s right on time, and that’s not just tricky, it’s tr-tr-tr-tricky, trrrrrrrrrrricky, apparently. One certainty, Monkey Bizzle keeps it realz on a geographical level close to us, and with West Country banter as twisted as it generally is, this is as raw as it could be. This album is dope in more ways than one, and exceptionally well produced.
It’s backed sometimes by a ska offbeat, others the wailing guitar riffs of much of Caucasian hip hop-rock crossover, and boom bap, though they’d probably titter if you plural it to โbaps.โ It’s as if Viz creator Chris Donald joined A Tribe Called Quest at Glastonbury, as the absolute filth knows no bounds, but is waxed lyrical with definite perfection. They couldn’t even hold back for the customary ballad; needless to say any song with lines like โyou’ve got nits in your bits but I don’t give a shit,โ and โI’m never gonna stop licking around your welly-topโ is not the song I would advise you to play in a romantic setting. But, laugh, you will.
There’s separate odes to getting high and the fateful just popping out for a pint after work scenario. There’s one tune about a guy called Bubbles, who makes The Shaman’s Ebenezer Goode look like Cliff Richard, another appears to be a homage to shopping at Lidl, with the genius rhyming of โLidlโ with โmiddle,โ and one about a technophobe trying to operate the camera on their phone, questioning the worth of it all.
The disambiguation of the ironic slang โillโ in hip hop as a positive is switched far too literally. There’s an overload of bravado as the genre requires and quips aplenty dissing their rivals, The Skimmity Hitchers, where any turf war doesn’t get dirtier than accusations of shagging badgers.ย
But if there’s any likeliness of west country rural hip hop as a contender, convincing and earning respect from city hip hop aficionados, rather than ever remaining just a comical displacement, it’s the final tune, The Cypher. Without topic it’s a nine-minute freestyle collaboration with a host of rappers, none stating their rural or urban environment; Dr. Syntax, Cecil McFarrell Aka Mr Vocab, Chiman 101, Ez Dickens, Samantics, Finn Kinnara, Tatty MC & Fake Dave, all of whom I must research, and our favourite Bristol boom bappers The Scribes. Perhaps this flips the agricultural appropriation concept on its head, asking provided they had fun entertaining, which I couldn’t imagine them not, if it matters at all and if anyone gives two fucks where a rapper resides, town or country.
Of course, there will always be a renounced Welsh rapping clan, UK comedy hip hop acts will always be likened to, but who’s zooming who in a world where comedy has been evident in hip hop since its inception? Think the Treacherous Three’s Santa Rap in Beat Street, along with a young Doug E. Fresh, and the plethora of carefree lyrics from De La Soul to English reggae’s legendary fast-styler Smiley Culture.
The jury is out, perhaps Agricultural Appropriation has a hidden philosophy, perhaps it lays down the possibility rural hip hop can be accepted by city folk, perhaps it’s even the album to break those boundaries, but definitely and more simply, it’s a hilarious riot, a mixture of off-colour deadpan and comedy rap, and a damn entertaining listen; I pissed me pants giggling while in backspin and sprayed the crowd like Charlie Dimmockโs garden sprinkler, mate.
by Mick Brian With Sandcastles Productions marking its debut production with Charlie McGuireโs original play Glass House, the cast and crew behind this production are clearlyโฆ
Wiltshire Music announces a new season for Autumn Winter: and the first under the new leadership of Daniel Clark, Artistic Director and Sarah Robertson, Executiveโฆ
If youโve seen Jess Self performing at the Wharf Theatre, singing at the FullTone Festival or elsewhere Iโm certain youโll agree with us; Jess hasโฆ
It’s been a wonderful summer’s weekend, in which I endeavoured to at least poke my nose into the fabulous FullTone Festival, despite being invited toโฆ
Just another rainy Saturday afternoon in Devizes, whereby I watched a profound fellow dramatically sacrifice himself to the devil, then popped to Morrisons for a Toblerone! The supermarket felt insignificant and plastic after the epic conclusion of Doctor Faustus at the Wharf Theatre, which opens on Monday 26th and runs until Saturday 31st Januaryโฆ..
Treated to the final dress rehearsal, as our regular theatrical scribe Ian Diddams is stuffing a bucketload of Rice Krispies in this one, of which one couldnโt fail to notice! Marvellous as it is to pay Devizesโ one and only cosy theatre a visit, it leaves me in the dilemma that Iโve not the extensive theatre knowledge which Ian has, therefore, you have to make do with me simply saying what I like, or donโt.
Image @jenimeadephotography
In this case itโs the former. My mind is, with its lack of education for classic theatre, still contemplating exactly how fantastic director Liz Seabourne and her team has presented this astounding play, and the more it boggles the greater the levels of fantastic I unearth, converting me to thespian; hand me some white tights! Even though the character Dr Faustus is damned, this is another damn fine production from our wonderful theatre, rich in lighting effects, amazing costumes and makeup, and a sublime original soundtrack from our master of electronica, Moray McDonald.
Image @jenimeadephotography
Born Catholic, English sixteenth century playwright Christopher โKitโ Marlowe, of whom scholars suggest greatly influenced Shakespeare, was reputed to be an atheist and thereโs a lot in the content of Dr Faustus which implies this. Whilst it doesnโt criticise religion outright in the modern sense, it certainly lampoons it, with the Pope getting a kick up the backside, for example.
Dr John Faustus condemns the academics of the science and philosophy of his era and justifies turning his hand to the dark arts, but religion he cannot escape from. Played with certain perfection by Pete Wallis, Faustus is tricky to relate to, a Renaissance egotistical Germanic tyrant, characteristics usually reserved for an antagonist; I wondered if Trump might identify with him better than I. Yet, there’s something humble about his yearning, in his curious nature for the unorthodox, to fulfil a quest of celebrity status, like a sixteenth century Vanilla Ice. Still, I couldnโt help feeling the ponce made his bedโฆ.
Image @jenimeadephotography
Bit dodgy, he summons a human-despising conceited demon, Mephistopheles, played with absolute magnificence by Charlotte Howard. Mephistopheles acts as a kind of Cruella de Vil agent to the devil, who encourages Faustus to sign a contract with his blood; his soul for unlimited magic, which he treks the known world with, entertaining Kings and Emperors like Paul Daniels discovered voodoo. Though Mephistopheles is no Debbie McGee. Without too many spoilers, it doesn’t end well for Faustus, who learns thereโs only one way out, once his twenty-four year contract with the devil expires, and itโs not a gold watch.ย
Image @jenimeadephotography
If this Elizabethan forbidden thrill-seeker, overloaded with as many theatrical tricks as devils and demons, sounds seriously dark and gothic, it certainly is, but not without hilariously timeless comedy, brilliantly diluting the tragedy. Thereโs occasions when itโs virtually pantomime, when the devil, played with radiant vaudeville evilness by Oli Beech, a far cry from the panto dameโs sidekick at Christmas, personifies the seven deadly sins as a circus cabaret to tempt the Doc, and upon the thievery of one of Faustusโ spell books by two commoners, played side-splittingly like stereotypical moonrakers by Jessica Phillips and Ian Diddams. It is these elements which brings the archaic seriousness down a peg and makes this play equally suitable for those, like me, not so clued up on classic plays.
Image: Mij Hazel
As the many earthbound or spiritual side-characters come and go with pace, the thirteen strong performers cover various parts, and those unmentioned so far, Chris Smith, Alison Andre, Emma Comfort, Cathay Chappell, Julie Baker, Paul Snook, Sam Burrows and Amy Chappelle also require the highest of praise; there is so much work put into this, the mind, as I stated earlier, is still boggling. It entertained me, and I strongly suspect it will be some significant time before my mind stops boggling about it, way past the lifespan of the Toblerone!
Bag yourself some tickets for this HERE, unless you’re a demon!
Devizes annual orchestral festival, FullTone got underway yesterday afternoon with a showcase of local talent from Devizes Music Academy,ย and finalised Friday night with theirโฆ
A feast of Salisbury musicians have recorded the single Edge of Reason, a powerful tribute to the irreplaceable ThomโฏBelk, a champion of Salisburyโs music sceneโฆ
Devizes Food & Drink Festival launched their 2025 programme of events today. Running from Saturday 20th to the 28th September, the Box Office opens onlineโฆ
With your standard festivals two-to-a-penny, some consisting of not much more than a bloke with a guitar in a pub selling undercooked and overpriced hotdogs,โฆ
Contemplated headlining this โClash of the Titans,โ but that evokes the idea of a dramatic power struggle with fierce consequences rather than proof Devizes canโฆ
Popular award-winning artisan chocolate business Hollychocs has announced that its Beanery Cafรฉ will close on Saturday 23rd August, marking exactly two years since its openingโฆ
Being a singer in a tribute or covers band is nerve-wracking. Though tributes can hide behind a mask, a cover band frontperson can be reassured only by the notion that friends are backing them; blame the drummer! But a soloist, singing their mind acoustically is in another ballpark. Stripped back, alone, exposing your innermost thoughts, desires or even personal issues to an audience takes some bottle. It’s a test of courage for the most egotistical, the mental equivalent of standing naked. Yet a majority of those who do, I find, are actually modest and reserved.
In an interview with Peggy-Sue Ford last year, Aberystwyth born now Devizes-based singer-songwriter, Sammi Evans, expressed both her excitement and terror at playing live on the show, opened up about her troubled childhood, ADHD, and being a self-certified โscatter-brain,โ and in doing so created one of the most interesting and touching of Peggy’s Don’t Stop The Music shows on Swindon 105.5.ย
The last time I met Sammi she was showing me the artwork of her upcoming debut single, explaining how the purple background and gothic font gave it a sense of corporate identity, as well, holding her phone with a subtle tremble, telling me how anxious she was about releasing it. That single, TheShadow, came out a couple of days ago, and thus, Sammi has traversed the local open mic nights, jams at the Southgate, and pub gig circuit, to a recording artist; that thought alone would goosebump the least nervous!
The song’s subject reflects this anxiety, it drags you into a dark closet, and hauntingly honest, questions the listener if they experience similar ghostly fears. Sammiโs vocals are academia aesthetic, rich with a focused ethereal and melancholic soundscape. But it is through an impressive arrangement by Martin Spencer of Potterne’s Badger Set studio, which adds to the other-worldly ambience, with a tinkering piano breathing a touch of gothic horror film score, even subtle classical crossover about the otherwise poignant acoustic guitar marvel.ย
Hey look, Iโve been to art college and know about light and shadow. If the shadow depicted in this song is metaphorically actualising foreboding as shadows and monsters lurking within them, the quality of the song contravenes its subject, upon its release. It might have felt that way in Sammiโs mind at the time of writing it, but releasing it mightโve been that face your fear moment of diving off the top board into the pool. And now itโs out there, perhaps more art for artโs sake and prosperity than fame and fortune, she should consider it an exhilaration of accomplishment, because it’s really rather wonderful.
It should then act as the opposite to shadow. This debut single is a light source, beaming directly above Sammi Evans, which casts only a minimal shadow at her footprint, if at all, and, I hope, reduces any seeds of doubt that she can write thought-provoking lyrics and compose them into songs with illuminating results. I look forward to hearing more, Sammi! x
Usually I just write what I think, but if I had a point-scoring system this new single from Bristol-based indie-pop outfit Chandra would tick every box. Itโs called Heaven on Earth; if Belinda Carlise made it, Chandra rocked it!
Punchy, tick. Find that perfect hook, tick. Subtly righteous narrative, tick. Balance pithy narrative with equal amount of carefree fun, tick. Rock out, double-tick! Itโs got the no worries in the face of adversity attitude of Three Little Birds, the youthful carefree tenet of Supergrassโs Alright, the drive of Crash by The Primitives, and the punch of The Beastie Boys fighting for their right to party. Yet, itโs august, styled, and definitively Chandra.
Weโve not heard from Chandra since 2024 when we fondly reviewed his debut EP Lifted, so itโs great to feature him again, as thereโs nothing to criticise about this cracking single, which means my work here is done! Itโs raining outside, who cares, plug this blast of indie-punk-pop onto your playlist and cease your worrying!
Peter Gabriel – โLive At WOMAD 1982โ will be released on 8th May 2026.It was a simple idea; to create a festival out of all the brilliant music and art made all over the world, stuff made outside of the mainstream โ music that wasnโt getting on the radio and was even harder to find in record storesโฆ
The very first WOMAD Festival took place at the 240-acre Bath and West Showground, Somerset over the weekend of 16โ18 July, 1982. With the dream โnot to sprinkle world music around a rock festival, but to prove that these great artists could be headliners in their own rightโ,ย the three days and five stages played host to 60 bands from over 20 countries; a line-up that included The Drummers of Burundi, Pigbag, Salsa de Hoy, Simple Minds, Musicians of the Nile, Echo and the Bunnymen, Prince Nico Mbarga, Rip, Rig and Panic, The Beat and many more.
โI remember this gig well,โ says Peter Gabriel. โWe played a mix of old and brand-new material. I would normally be very nervous about playing some of this stuff for the first time, however my mind was very preoccupied with the running of our very first WOMAD festival and the potential financial disaster that it was heading towards.
Because WOMAD was unique in its focus on music and art from around the world, and mixing it up with rock and jazz, no-one knew how many people might turn up and we had seriously overestimated our appeal. But those that had decided to check out WOMAD and its weird and wonderful lineup were open-minded, bold and curious – a great audience.
It was a landmark and edgy gig for me both personally and musically and brings back lots of memories.โ
Across the three days โan evening concert seriesโ took place in the Showering Pavilion on the festival site. On the Friday night that concert featured Tian Jin (a song and dance troupe from China), Simple Minds and, with a โspecial festival set of non-album materialโ, Peter Gabriel.
Live at WOMAD 1982 is a recording of that Friday night concert. The non-album material in question are seven of the eight songs that would make up the album Peter Gabriel 4. An album that wouldnโt be released for a further two months.
On-stage, Peter is joined by David Rhodes (guitar), John Giblin (bass), Larry Fast (synthesisers). Jerry Marotta (drums), Peter Hammill (vocals) and โthe wonderful Bristol-based drum and dance group,โ Ekomรฉ (drums, percussion).
โWe wanted to show that wherever you were born, whatever colour or language, whatever religious or sexual persuasion, powerful passionate and joyful work would have a warm welcome in WOMAD.
At the beginning, most music industry professionals told us that we had no chance of making this dream work, we had all the wonderful naรฏve misguided optimism of the young, and were convinced that we would prove all the cynics wrong.However, at the end of the first festival, it was clear we had an artistic success, but not a financial oneโฆ but thatโs for another story.โ
Peter Gabrielโsย Live a WOMAD 1982ย takes us back to not only the birth of a festival โ one that has now hosted more than 160 editions in 27 countries – but also to the premiere of an album with songs, like The Rhythm of the Heat, San Jacinto and Shock the Monkey, that have become central to the Gabriel canon. More than just a live album,ย Live at WOMAD 1982ย is a pivotal moment, available now for the very first time as a double LP 180g black vinyl, in gatefold jacket with Side D etching and high-res download code, or a single CD in mini-vinyl style gatefold packaging.
Now in its seventh year, and at its new and better venue, Park Farm on the edge of Devizes, itโs full steam ahead for The Fulltone Festival โ26. From the 11thโ12th July Fulltone is set to ignite Wiltshire with an epic weekend of live musicโฆ..
Promising a โspectacular, joy-filled weekend of live music which brings together orchestral power, iconic artists and a true summer festival atmosphere in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside,โ The Fulltone Festival is a uniquely magnificent show. Presented by The Fulltone Orchestra, the festival features a fifty-piece live orchestra, major guest performers, celebrated tribute acts and genre-spanning concerts, from cinematic classical masterpieces and symphonic rock to dance anthems, Motown classics and sing-along crowd favourites.
Designed as a family-friendly, inclusive festival, Fulltone โ26 offers free entry for children under 14, accessible ticket pricing, on-site camping and a relaxed, welcoming environment that encourages audiences of all ages to experience live music together. The event arena is packed full of great food and drink stalls, as well as allowing picnics. Thereโsย parking on site and a shuttle bus taking people from the town to the event. Itโs exceptionally well organised, with Event Director Tanya Earley at the helm of the eventโs operations again.
Image: Gail Foster
The weekend begins for campers on Friday evening with a campsite DJ warming them up. Saturday and Sunday are packed with unmissable performances across the weekend. Audiences can enjoy an electrifying programme including orchestral performances of Holstโs The Planets paired with the Star Wars Suite and Symphonic Queen, featuring Ricardo Afonso who is back by popular demand, as featured in The Voice.
The guests this year are particularly special. West Country legends The Wurzels gives Fulltone the key to their combine harvester, and Jemma virtually yelped down the phone at me at the thought international pop icon Jason Donovan headlining a huge Sunday night eighties spectacular finale; thereโs going to be too many broken hearts in Devizes that weekend (okay, youโve got to be of a certain age to get that gag!)
Thereโs also some ska madness with nutty boys tribute Mainly Madness, and Seriously Collins, celebrating the music of Phil Collins and Genesis. Special guests are expected with a Best of Motown show, and everybody will officially be free to feel good when Devizesโ very own BBC Introducing DJ James Threlfall teams with nineties singer Rozalla, for some dance anthem floorfillers. Even the poster has more colourful zap and zest to it than ever before, and conveys Fulltone 26 will be one youโll never forget!
Conductor and founder Anthony Brown said, โFulltone is all about the thrill of live music and the magic that happens when people experience it together. For 2026, weโre bringing an extraordinary mix of sounds and styles to Park Farm, from breathtaking orchestralย moments to songs people know and love. Our aim is simple: for everyone who comes to feel uplifted, connected and part of something special.โ
Tickets are on sale now. Early Bird tickets are available until 28 February 2026. Weekend and day tickets are on sale now, with under-14s attending free when accompanied by a paying adult. Weekend passes offer the best value.
You can find full details and tickets here: www.fto.org.uk/events and theyโre Especially for You; see what I did there?!
Stone Circle Music Events announced today that all proceeds of CrownFest will be donated to Wiltshire Hope & Harmonyโs Dementia Choir. CrownFest is an all-day family festival, happening on 4th July 2026 at The Crown, Bishops Cannings, Devizes…..
Due to perform over two stages will be Kinishaโs renowned Simply the Best Tina Turner Tribute, Adam & The Ants tribute Ant Trouble, Wiltshireโs premier indie-pop favourites and winners of six Wiltshire Music Awards , Talk in Code, purveyors of Irish & Celtic folk The Publicans, Salisburyโs rock cover band Innovator, rock covers band Tipsy Gypsies, George Wilding, Ruby Darbyshire, Mother Ukes, and Lucas Hardy, with more acts to be confirmed.
Stone Circle Music Events connects the timeless energy of live music with the rich landscapes of Wiltshire and Galway, and specialise in events which feel local, authentic, and unforgettable. There will be a selection of food, stalls, and camping is provided for an additional ยฃ15. Early bird tickets are already available for purchase.
Founder of Stone Circle Music Events, Patrick OโSullivan said, โwe are delighted to announce the proceeds of CrownFest will go towards Wiltshire Hope and Harmony. The charity won a special award at the Wiltshire Music Awards, and we continue to support them.โ
Devizine is so happy to see the return of this marvellous local festival, but even more excited to see it grow through Stone Circle’s expertise, and this announcement is surely the icing on the cake. So many families are affected by dementia, Wiltshire Hope and Harmony is such a great and worthy cause.
Wiltshire Hope and Harmony is a community-focused organisation in Wiltshire which uses the power of music therapy to bring people together and improve wellbeing. Their work centres on inclusive, therapeutic music-based groups and activities designed to support individuals and families from various backgrounds.ย Their passion and commitment drive their mission, to create a harmonious environment for All Together, and they inspire change and hope in our community.
Their Community Music Therapy Groups run free, therapeutic music sessions led by registered and trained music therapists, supported by volunteers.
Tunes Chill and Chat sessions are stay-and-play groups aimed at families with babies or children who have special educational needs (SEN) or additional needs.
The Dementia Choir & Cafรฉ is a weekly choir and social cafรฉ designed for people living with dementia, along with their carers, families, and support staff; helping participants connect and express themselves through song.
Founder member of Wiltshire Hope and Harmony, Lisa Williams was fortunate to discover firsthand the transformational power of music therapy whilst training for her Masterโs Degree in Music Therapy in 2018. Lisa was privileged to train with the visionary team at the University of the West of England and their Aphasia Choir. Determined to form a local choir and cafรฉ, Lisa founded The Royal Wootton Bassett Dementia Choir & Cafรฉ after her graduation in 2020. ย
The Covid pandemic slowed the project, but in 2023 the Royal Wootton Bassett Dementia Choir and Cafe was formed. The Choir has since worked with hundreds of people living with dementia and associated conditions, and currently meets weekly, either at their ‘home’ in St Bartholomewโs Church hall, or else on ‘tour’ visiting local care homes, community venues and churches.
Wiltshire Hope and Harmony also supply support for other groups, tailoring them for people with various needs, including sensory impairments or English as an additional language. They offer volunteering and engagement opportunities, from musicians and singers, to support roles and trustees, helping expand their reach and impact in the community.
Out of my comfort zone on this one; being aging punk-ish, emo is a subgenre post my better days. Though the ever-reliable Wikipedia suggests, as a term, it was coined in the late eighties. It either travelled leisurely by airship across the pond, or Iโve had my head up my arseโฆ.
If Iโm probably best left in a dark corner, crying about my lack of knowledge on the subject, that creates many reasons for me not to like Sketchbook Records latest cassette or digital download release, which is an EP by Chasing Dolls. It begs me to don my flatcap and yell red-faced at youngsters about the volume of this noise, and many other age-defining protestations, but they can all be cancelled out by the more straightforward observation, it absolutely rocks!
My adventures with hardcore punk, blowing eardrums to bands like The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Bad Brains and Butthole Surfers was adolescent and relatively short-lived. Yet if emo is a shortening for โemotive,โ Iโd squabble that all music should evoke emotion, otherwise itโs elevator muzak.
The thrash of hardcore debatably constitutes the least emotional genre of pop, only championed perhaps, by techno. Perhaps emo adds the element back into the rock melting pot. In which case, how does it differ from goth or grunge, for theyโre both filled with emotion? These Chasing Dolls songs are massively better composed, with the rising and falling of emotion, than the aforementioned hardcore bands of yore, by a country mile, yet equal to the goth and grunge subgenres Iโve acquired to appreciate through the local bands producing it, like I See Orange and The Belladonna Treatment.
But this EP is growing on me as fast as bacteria multiplies; Iโd be more complimentary if I reviewed this in a week, but I wanted to get it out there. From first impressions, its raw energy, a sublime cry of woe, and it fits.
What also fascinates me about Chasing Dolls, is that thereโs no uniform, each tune holds its own, and differs in style and ambience. Cobweb and Blood Moon are the standout tunes, and with a slash make the title of the album. Cobweb comes in first with heavy guitar after a delicately placed riff, as Iโd expect, and itโs certainly rinsed with emotion, as described by its pigeonhole.
Blood Moon is more me, of greater ambience and mood, it drifts in layers like oil finding its way down a congregated surface. The howls of emotion, the sublimely placed breaks. Iโm none too fussed by pigeonholing, if only to describe something to you, if they say itโs emo, then Iโm converted, feels like a natural punk progression through gothic and grunge. I may not be an expert on this, but I know what I like.
Step on My Shadow has a sprinkle of more universal indie-pop with an irresistible drum roll, and in part Iโd imagine our favourite lads Nothing Rhymes With Orange might feel comfortable putting something out like this. Then thereโs this live track, yet if Closest Thing to Heaven sounds like theyโre going to get slushy, Hell is in brackets to ensure thereโs controversy in the romantic topic, and it comes over a smidgen shoegaze. Love, it hurts most punk genres, emo takes no exceptions, in fact, going on this, exemplifies the anguish and pain of it, rolls it into a dramatic outpouring without boundaries, and for this, I now love Chasing Dolls.
Chasing Dolls are Hayden, Munch, Theo, Will and Jasmin, and long may they continue. As with many upcoming bands, thereโs a notion in the ether theyโve yet to make that magnum opus, but this EP suggests theyโre aching for it and will accomplish something progressively superior. For now though, Cobweb/Blood Moon throws everything you wanted to hate in your face, and turns it into something thorough, bold and challenging; top marks for that.
Thank you Sketchbook Records, you are opening an old manโs eyes to emerging local artists with an alternative edge, and now Iโm hooked! Oh, and you can find Chasing Dolls at Swinterfest, headlining the Saturday (31st Jan) at The Castle.
If Devizes Scooter Rally has already established its base at Whistley Roadโs Park Farm and Full-Tone are moving to these new pastures, last year the site saw a superb inaugural festival of its own making, Park Farm Music Festival, with the expert knowledge of the good folk who brought us Mantonfest. Itโs happening again this year and looks set to be even better than last year; I kid you not! Early bird tickets went on sale today, and the lineup has been revealed; letโs poke our noses in and pretend summer is on its way, shall we?!
Starter for ten, Mantonfest is a longstanding cherished gem on Marlborough’s event calendar, a family friendly festival which has stood the test of time, and folk return annually like itโs a pilgrimage; you can rest assured youโre in good hands. I hailed Mantonfest as โthe friendliest festival youโre ever likely to attend.โย
While Park Farm Music Festival may yet have to establish itself to the same level of excellence, last yearโs first time was an absolute blinder, bringing a taste of Mantonfest to Devizes and leaving folk hanging on the hope this would become a regular extravaganza.
This year the stage is set again for Mantonfestโs house band, the awesome groovy vintage blues boys, Barrelhouse, but in essence the organisers are keen not to present something completely Marlborough; weโre in Devizes now, mucker, if weโre going to have blues we NEED Jon Amor to come along too! And theyโve answered this call, The Jon Amor Trio need no introduction to Devizes; Iโm glad to see their name on the lineup, Iโm certain all of the town will be too.
Onto the headliners, yes, it is tribute act top heavy, which works a treat for Mantonfest. In this you should note, the organisers do not skip on quality when it comes to tributes, all are tried and tested. Iโve bore witness to most of them, and will bet my pet budgerigarโs life that youโre in for a wonderful day. Last year there was an emphasis on hard rock, with astounding AC/DC and Nirvana tributes, while this year looks to have more universal appeal.
If Queen tributes are two to a penny, despite being a tricky act to replicate, and some Iโve seen were great, One Vision played Mantonfest two years ago, and, just, wow, Iโve never seen it done with such quality, attention to detail and finesse as this one. I could definitely call this the best Queen tribute Iโve seen, perhaps in my top five of all the tributes Iโve seen.
Inferno, an Abba tribute Iโve not seen before, but itโs Abba, what could possibly go wrong? As I said, the organisers take no compromise when it comes to booking only the very best tributes, so, dancing queens, have no concern. The next two I have seen, Madness and Bad Manners tribute, Badness, and Slyde, as you might’ve guessed, a tribute to Slade, are both brilliant, for precisely similar reasons.
Slyde played a Christmas do at Marlborough College Memorial Hall, where support Barrelhouse were on fire, and Sylde polished off the evening with a plethora of, not only Slade hits but just about every seventies singalong pop hit I could imagine, with the sprinkling of glam only Noddy Holder couldโve brought to each classic. And it was Christmas, so he aptly called it, and yes, it was something to behold. If One Vision is on my top five, Slyde must also be.
Now, Badness, ironic name, thereโs nothing bad about the performance, but only, perhaps in the way they will totally and utterly rule the audience with a spellbinding show of their own. They do not attempt to mimic Madness, like Slyde they offer a repertoire of classic hits from the era their homage was in their prime, only this time itโs obviously Two-Tone ska and new wave, and you will be skanking. Furthermore, youโll be under no illusion Badness are attempting to precisely mimic Madness, they only pay homage to them, and are uniquely themselves, add their own spin to it, particularly with the most hilarious stage banter youโre ever likely to witness.
Has that tempted you? Because Iโm getting excited just typing this recommendation! Theyโll have a big outdoor stage, brilliant sound and lighting, plenty of room to dance, lots of trade stalls, a range of food and drink outlets and showers for those camping. Theyโll be running a FREE shuttle bus to and from the The Bear Hotel hourly, gazebos and picnics are welcome, so too are campervans, caravans, and tents.
Early bird tickets are up for grabs: Adults – ยฃ30. Youth (Age 13-17) – ยฃ20. Child (Age 7-12) – ยฃ10. Under 7’s – Free. Campervans/Caravans – ยฃ30. Camping – ยฃ20. Itโs on Saturday 18th July. Book HERE.
Swindonโs finest Chicago and Texas blues covers band Last Train Smokinโ are also on the fantastic roster, along with rock covers band Strange Horizons. Is it summer yet?!
by Ian Diddamsimages by Sandcastle Productions A very new addition to Bath based theatre companies, Sandcastles Productions brings their self penned piece of theatreโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ian Diddams, Next Stage Theatre Company and Mike Stevens Florian Zeller is a contemporary French playwright and screenwriter, who receivedโฆ
If youโve popped into Wiltshire Music Centre recently; for a concert, workshop, screening orย even a meeting, you might have noticedโฏchanges in the foyer: recordedโฆ
Dubiously biased and ruled with an iron fist, the mighty admin of the once popular Devizes Facebook group, Devizes Issues, is using the iconic Great War โLord Kitchener Wants Youโ recruitment poster by Alfred Leete to plead for volunteer moderators; jump to it, comrades!
Why? Wouldnโt a picture of some Care Bears, or an AI image of some mugs with frustrated expressions be more suitable? Meanwhile, admins of the alternative group, Devizes Issues (but bitter) are asking, โerm, any1 no like what is, a, like, moderator?โย
Tragically, it’s estimated 900,000 British lives were lost during the first world war, and the poster played its part in convincing young people to sign their own death warrants. To pastiche it for such a petty purpose is disturbing, or at least extremely dark humour. Though it proves either the admin hasnโt lost his unsettling sense of humour under all the pressure, or heโs flipped on a Trump level and intends to invade the Potterne Pages Facebook page for reasons of national security!
You might think youโre only signing up to delete the occasional lefty meme, but youโll be handed a tin hat and rifle, and be ordered to march towards The Patch, just you wait and see!
Coincidently the town councillor admin of Devizes Issues has banned a similar number, simply for having a differing opinion on a subject, or using vulgar words, like poo, Gary Lineker, or Devizine. Face it, your king, country and local Facebook group needs youโฆ.to ban your besties; do your duty and enlist now!
I’ve been banned, you’ve been banned, we’ve all been triggered by the obsessive Conservative propaganda on the group at least once, which resulted in the chip on the shoulder unashamedly displayed herein, and a lifetime ban; he thrives on the power trip like General Ludendorff inhaling his super-strength gas in the Wonder Woman movie. Haven’t seen it yet? Thatโs because you spend too much time sucking up to admin on local Facebook groups, you fascist booklicker!
Occasionally, it’s an urban myth that someone will hand him a little bag of Haribo, he’ll cheer up for a whole three seconds and invite the odd Facebook user back in; โvewy well. I shall welease… Wodewick!โ If you’ve been bestowed this honour you’ll know how exciting it feels to be suddenly wanted again. I congratulate you, suggest you’re ideal for the important role, though I fear there’s little chance of it ever happening to me; ashamed I hold my head in my hands, cry here in my own little corner of freedom.
But I don’t envy him for running a group akin to a Devizes GB News, it canโt be an easy task, bless his cotton socks. If it were me I’d be sorry I started the fiasco now, do the right thing and archive the virulent exercise. Especially being the group isn’t as labelled. It’s not a local issues group at all, rather the prime issue in Devizes itself, a not very cleverly disguised conflict of interests and only a platform for Conservative campaigning. Perhaps if it labelled itself appropriately people wouldnโt mock it so, and he might not need recruits to moderate it; vicious circle, but the best laugh today on an otherwise toxic social media platform.
Poor Joyrobber, got his car broken into, on his birthday too, but avenged them in song! Requiem for my Car Window is this mysterious characterโs third single to date. I loved the first couple for some strange reason, no point in changing my mind nowโฆ..
โHave you ever had a really terrible birthday?โ Joyrobber asks, presuming none could be as catastrophic as his 25th, in which the back window of his Ford KA was smashed in, and all his possessions taken. In the song he includes the itinerary; chocolates, birthday cake and cards, and the thug even popped his birthday balloon; who does that? Heโs the joy robber, Joyrobber, not you!
Or maybe you too, as by the finale, despite it hiking up his insurance, he wagers they have loads in common. Itโs this dry sense of self-deprecating humour which throttles Joyrobber and drives him to the edge of sanity within the simple grievances, and provides it with originality, like The Divine Comedy went sour.
Personally, Iโd say Iโve had my car broken into, and had some pretty rubbish birthdays, but never together. And if I had and felt driven to scribe a song about it, it wouldnโt be the ultimate power-ballad of towering rock we have here, blessed with twinkling pianos, a huge chorus and some crunchy Weezeresque. The kind of anti-birthday song to make Clare Grogan shudder, upset and vengeful where he rightfully hopes when the culprit needs the toilet, there’s a massive queue!
With production by Sugarpill Productions and the vocal engineering skills of Jolyon Dixon once more, weโve still not unmasked Joyrobberโs alter ego, but would we reveal his true identity if we did?!
Probably not, ruin the mystery, wouldnโt it? But clues are building with each new song, heโs Pewsey based, has an abhor for Jeremy Kyle, with poor interview skills, and now we know he drives a Ka, all of which stand to reason! Cool song, though; fun in tragedy, and original, keep the unfortunate incidents coming, Joyrobber, hereโs wishing you inconveniences for the new year, that you might pen some more marvellous reactions to!!
โIt’s not all that glitter is gold,โ Bob Marley sung, โhalf the story has never been told.โ Okay, he was referring to 400 years of institutionalised slave trading on an international and industrial scale, whereas weโre on about a Trowbridge multistorey carparkโฆ..
And anyway, the story is there for all to see; Wiltshire Council meetings are videoed and published on YouTube. If youโve not the time to lodge two matchsticks into your eyes and strain for an epic four hours, you might rely on wonky social media opinion, where Iโd favour itโs not really about a carpark, rather political point-scoring from some still bitter that they lost their control of County Hall.
If we were positively peddling towards fresh notions from a LibDem headed Wiltshire Council, a full council meeting on Tuesday 7th January jabbed a stick into the spokes. Despite both Conservatives and Reform nationally criticising each other, when they locally gang up they can sway the vote. The meeting took on two major issues, the first was increasing council tax on second homes, where Conservative and Reform councillors voted against, and, in his oversized suit, ex-Wiltshire Council leader Richard Clewer contemptuously scoffed at the poor on a Marie Antoinette level.
Using the analogy, โif youโve got one car, and you buy another, should you pay extra tax because youโve got two cars?โ Councillor Clewer arrogantly justified voting it down. Not in a financially stable economy, no, but our reality differs, and whoโs fault is that?!
If you want a car analogy, Richard, try this sucker for size; โif I buy a car from a mate I thought was trustworthy, and it broke down three miles down the road, should he pay for the repair?!โ Fourteen years of Conservative austerity focussed entirely on the working class; they did this, they caused the deficit, and refuse to contribute to fix it.
Taylor Wright, Wiltshire Councillor for Devizes East called the meeting โa deeply disappointing moment for Wiltshire.โ I love this guy- not like that, you filthy sort; heโs a young family man with fresh ideas of equality! In voting it down, Taylor stated, โthey chose to prioritise, in their own words, โthe 0.5% of householdsโ in Wiltshire who can afford a second property over the needs of the remaining 99.5% of residents.โ
Taylor mentioned struggling families, the cost of living, โyoung people locked out of the housing market,โ and โcommunities crying out for investment in services,โ hailing the decision swayed by this Conservative and Reform swarming โa missed opportunity to make a small but meaningful step towards fairness.โ Tempting me to originally concentrate on this issue rather than the second major issue raised, the future of a dilapidating Trowbridge carpark, because that felt like a storm in a teacup, I needed a bath, and whatโs that got do with Devizes anyway?!
Cue Devizes town councillor and ex-Wiltshire one, Iain Wallis, who posted on his dubiously bias Facebook group Devizes Issues that โLib Dem administration plan to gift a developer and carpark and ยฃ2.5m of our money defeated,โ in glorious jubilation. In it he stated โthis overturns the cabinetโs wishes which were largely discussed in secret and once again prioritises us in the rest of Wiltshire rather than subsiding Trowbridge.โ
While deliberately newspeak, itโs not entirely false, save it being far from a โgift,โ and I donโt get how it was all secret if videos are published, but again, Taylor Wright explained โplainlyโ why he voted in favour of disposing of the asset, even though, he said, โI know the headline figure of ยฃ2.5 million sounds shocking at first glance.โ Through this source we see how misleading Mr Wallisโs post is; bearing in mind he lost his county council seat, itโs a shame thereโs a bitterness projected in his tone, persuading him to miss half the story.
โThe car park itself is in serious disrepair. Independent assessments show that within the next ten years it is highly likely to require full demolition and rebuild. The estimated cost of that work is up to ยฃ8 million,โ Taylor fills in the gaps. โIf Wiltshire Council keeps the car park, that ยฃ8 million bill will fall on all Wiltshire taxpayers โ including residents in Devizes, who gain no benefit from free parking in Trowbridge.โ
So yeah, the price tag to solve this might be ยฃ2.5m, but the option suggested by the Cons and Reform would be significantly higher, something Mr Wallis omitted from his post. I think a chat with Taylor is as overdue as my bathโฆโฆ
Our chat didnโt dwell on Mr Wallisโs post, it only serves to illustrate how bending the truth to suit a narrative is misleading. I wanted to discover the options presented to the councillors, and why some favoured dishing out ยฃ8million of taxpayerโs dosh to save a dysfunctional and dilapidated carpark. โI cannot believe itโs as controversial as it is,โ Taylor agreed, and with a heavy sigh explained how Iain had posted again, accusing him of lying.
I put this concept to Taylor, that rather than it being about a carpark, it was bitterness or even a punishment for the change in control of the council. โYeah, thereโs a lot of that,โ he concurred. You may recall a day when St Stephenโs free carpark fed into a busy shopping centre, but that era is sadly all gone. โBecause of a legal covenant tied to the shopping centre, parking must remain free. That means the site cannot generate any income, now or in the future, no matter who owns it,โ Taylor explained.
โitโs dilapidated,โ he said, โso the benefits of having free parking for it are slim. I think people are frustrated, in Trowbridge specifically, of the ability to park free, but that doesnโt benefit anyone in Devizes, unless you occasionally visit Trowbridge, but it shouldnโt come from our council tax. Calne has free parking, but the town council pay that, as do other townโs councils pay for their parking, so if Trowbridge are willing to pay to continue that is beside the point. Itโs Trowbridge paying for Trowbridge, and I donโt have a problem with that.โ
โBut my logic on paying the ยฃ2.5 million to dispose of that asset, I understand the headline โCouncillors Giving ย half a million and a carpark to a developerโ sounds horrendous, but when look into the detail, which I donโt believe some of my Conservative colleagues have, theyโve heard Lib Dems are proposing something, letโs oppose it; the building is coming down, itโs crumbling, weโre doing patchwork jobs, including one for half a million recently to try to keep it going for a few more years and for safety concerns, but we need to get rid of this asset, because itโs not an asset, itโs a major liability. Commercial properties can have ย a negative value, in this case itโs been assessed independently, and it has negative value because of the liability. The only value it has to anyone would be the owner of the other half of the covenant, which is the shop centre owner.โ
โThere are other options,โ Taylor expressed, โbut not good ones. The other would be to fully develop the site at a cost, estimated to be in the region of ยฃ8 million. Iโm not suggesting the Conservatives are pushing for that, but if the building gets to a point where itโs so dilapidated weโre instructed to rebuild it, which we could be, that will be the cost. The other option is to find another developer to take on the site and pay us, but theyโd be paying us for a site which is falling apart and in need of a rebuild, and by law cannot make any money. So, why anyone would buy it from usโฆcommercially it makes no sense.โ
On the idea of the council buying the site despite itโs negative value , Taylor explained, โwe did explore the possibility of changeling the convent in court, but were given a 60% chance of success and a highly placed judge in this field recommended we donโt do this, because if we lose the shopping centre owner could counteract us, claiming because itโs in such a shoddy state, we do need to completely rebuild it. So, whilst the initial cost ย for the legal action might be low, what follows from it could be extremely expensive, and us being immediately forced to demolish and rebuild the carpark, hence we saw that option as too high risk.โ
So, once the free parking scheme was an asset, and we all thought we were parking for free, now whimpering itโs unfair for one town to have free parking when others donโt seems superfluous; itโs a burden or curse, weโre paying for in the end. The issue only remaining is how to solve it cost effectively; an issue not caused by the new council, but one they inherited. Leaving me confused still as to the opposition to demolish it.
โIt was their business to pursue the other two options,โ Taylor explained, โthey wanted to seek other developers who might be interested in purchasing the property, but as I said, theyโre going to come with the same caveats, the covenant prevents it making money, and it needs to be rebuilt, so the idea of another developer paying us for something which is a liability is laughable from a commercial sense. They might find a another developer who will take it for the ยฃ2.5 million contribution to redevelopment, but again, theyโll still be subject to the covenant so weโd be paying for it to be redeveloped for a developer whoโs not going to make any money from it. So, again, it doesnโt make commercial sense, but the large proportion of conservative councillors were looking at challenging it in court, and yes, itโs possible it could win, but is unlikely. And also, if we lose we face our costs and the other sideโs too, and, potentially, accountancy on the basis of dilapidation and having to rebuild the whole thing immediately. All options are risky. As much as ยฃ2.5 million is a huge amount, and I take no pleasure in signing off on spending it, for this purpose I think itโs a terrible way to spend money, but, at least to my mind, we donโt have any other sensible option.โ
Not to end this on a sour note, I did joke the Reform councillors probably wanted to keep it to hang flags off of, and Taylor expressed the opinion of one, Chris Brautigam, who has been โreally pushing to hold onto the site, as heโs a Trowbridge councillor, and I can understand his reasoning. Itโs based on wanting to keep the carpark free for the residents of Trowbridge, which is a valid objective, and one of the most respectable reasons to want to hold onto it; heโs doing it for his residents, and has campaigned hard and respectfully for that, and I congratulate him, but I donโt think itโs the right move, for my residents.โ
How what seemed like an open and shut case became such a major issue is concerning evidence petty bitterness and political point-scoring is consuming the council, where time could be better spent on solving issues. โWe were floored when this became controversial,โ Taylor said, โweโd a pre-meeting, where this was one where we said this will be fine, itโs obvious this is right path, and there was no way to disagree with it. There might be a couple of Trowbridge councillors who might disagree, but all in, itโs probably go through quite easily. And then, all of a sudden, Armageddon kicked off! It took us all by surprise.โ
It all left me pondering more generally, on if the objections was driven by traditionalism, that there was hope high street shopping would return in a trend rebelling from internet shopping. โThere was an option to buy the shopping centre,โ Taylor revealed, โwhich as weโve seen with other councils up and down the country,โ and he exampled his hometown of Woking, whoโs council purchased the shopping centre and โare now in a billion pounds worth of debt over the building costs and lack of revenue it generates. I donโt think councils have an business owning shopping centres.โ
The biting reality is that all towns are unfortunately losing shops, but if you visit a town like Devizes, where many will complain weโre losing shops, itโs still relatively busy because the trend has changed and we adopt now a cafรฉ culture where visiting town is a treat; you buy a light lunch or coffee, and browse, less everyday functionally for goods, but more ascetically, and a crumbling seventies Bauhaus carpark, once functional, is not ascetically pleasing, perhaps more an eyesore, and discouraging people to visit.
I thank Taylor Wright for his time, and enlightening us. Itโs best to take social media posts with a pinch of salt, especially when they come with political bias; itโs been reported comments with opinions differing from that given by the admin on the aforementioned Devizes Issues one, have been deleted and persons have faced being banned from the group. We always must dig a little deeper to find the truth.
We are saddened to hear Westbury Town Council had to make the difficult decision to postpone the Westbury White Horse Soap Box Derby this week. Planned for May, the decision follows careful and detailed consideration of public safety, regulatory obligations, and the long-term sustainability of this much-valued community eventโฆ.
Since the first Soap Box Derby in 2022, visitor numbers have increased year on year by approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people. While this growth reflects the eventโs popularity and success, the scale now projected for 2026 has outpaced the capacity of its current location and supporting infrastructure. The existing site, while offering an exceptional setting for the racing itself, presents significant challenges in safely managing pedestrian and visitor access, alongside transport and traffic flow. Protecting the safety of pedestrians, visitors, participants, volunteers, and residents remains paramount for the Council.
Following discussions with the Highways Authority and Wiltshire Police, the Town Council has been advised that a licence for the 2026 event cannot be issued without fundamental changes to address these safety concerns.
Based on this advice, the Council accepts that the Soap Box Derby cannot be delivered safely or lawfully in its current format in 2026. Attempting to proceed under the existing arrangements would create unacceptable levels of risk for the Town Council, volunteers and the wider community.
The Council has therefore designated 2026 as a fallow year. This will provide officers with the necessary time to undertake a full and careful review of alternative options, including potential new locations and revised event management arrangements, to support the planned relaunch of the Soap Box Derby in 2027 in a way that is safe, sustainable, and fit for the future. We hope this is successful and we will see the return of this popular event.
Westbury Town Council remains committed to the Soap Box Derby and the value it brings to the town. Working with partners, stakeholders and the community, the Council will focus over the coming year on ensuring the event is well placed to return in a safe and sustainable manner.
Dry January, anyone? Well, Lady Nade just plunged into an outdoor 4ยฐC eucalyptus sauna for a social media reel. But whilst I’d require a stiff drink to do such, our beloved Somerset soul singer says she’s swapping ice-cold cocktails for ice-cold baths. There must be warmer ways to promote a January single?!
Sober is that apt single, out now, seriously catchy. With the deep vocal range of Nina Simone, this one takes a retro soul style. Not quite a Chiffons level of doo-wop, but more Mary Wells or Betty Everett, in that sultry playful tone of the early Motown sound, with the ability to convey a twist between vulnerability and strength; she’s sober, so taking her chances to proposition a potential lover, presumably without the slurred words of intoxicated passion!
You might have to do your own handclaps, but there’s that rhythmic tambourine, breathing authenticity into this little charmer.
She asked her fans if they’ve ever โbraved an ice-cold shower, swim or plunge?โ And describes it as a โtotal game changer for boosting well-being. I may have screamed fuck as I got in and out ones I had today, but only a few times!โย
Can I not just listen to this wonderful tune cuddling a hot water bottle, please, Lady?!
If past years seem to be racing by me on roller-skates, now theyโre in Formula 1 cars! 2025, in a word, was โaverage,โ though the Devizine annual stats fell for a second year, at 6% lower than 2024; you lot still here?!
Iโm not concerned about that, you filthy traitors; youโve been digesting the clickbait of that Gazelle & Herod again, havenโt you?!! Ah, truth is I have been staying home, hibernating a lot like a lightweight couch potato; probably an age thing, most likely a financial thing too; weโve got hyperinflation to make Robert Mugabe envious. But we keep a stiff upper lip as the world plummets into chaos, our little corner of it remains a pretty nice place to live (if a bit Tory,) where you can block pavements with hoarding or nick a cardboard sheep from a church and get away with it. None of which we are here to highlight, we focus on the best bits, and slag off the worst with a sprinkling of satire; if you donโt like it, you know where to go!
Hits took a hit because I bit my tongue on many local political or social issues this year, to concentrate more on arts and entertainment, but folk love a good shit stir rather than being told about some talented locals doing good. Plus, Iโm sick to the back teeth with any dependence on Facebook shares, itโs become a toxic playground for so-called adults and AI bots pretending to be human to boost propaganda. I think Iโm going to be one of those smiling insanely old men, content to feed the ducks in the park, rather than ranting at anyone younger than me within range, but Iโve the right to change my mind on this!
They also took a hit because Iโve been actively engaged in two fantastic major events, RowdeFest and The Wiltshire Music Awards. The latter in particular used up much of my time, but hey, I think they were worth it. The Awards really brought together a wealth of people involved in the Wiltshire music scene, caused me to wear a suit, and we hope to build on this with future years.
The other contributing factor to the downfall of hits to the website might have been me writing a new book, something I rarely get the time for, but was certain I wanted it published by Christmas. I made that deadline and Murder at the Scribbling Horse is officially out; you read it yet? No, didn’t think so!
But lots more happened in 2025, and those we featured are briefed below; we couldโve done more but I think we put out a lot of content; you have to give me some time to play pointless block puzzle games on my phone. Thank you to all our contributors, Ian, Andy, Lois and the few guest writers who have submitted this year. We always need more writers to make this as comprehensive as possible; it is about as flexible as it can possibly be, you can be a fruitcake, we donโt mind, so do get in touch if you can help.
Please continue to support us, we thank you all for your dedication to Devizine; hereโs to 2026; try best to avoid the fascist division, millionaires triggered by being disallowed to rip wild animals to death, the US or Russian bombs heading our way, the complete disregard for funding environmental projects while they spend billions fighting for the last scraps of oil, any world leader kidnapping, painting roundabouts, and the usage of anti-terror laws to arrest pensioners peacefully campaigning against genocide.
Just follow us instead, enjoying a pint in a pub and listening to live music, played by real people, focus on youth projects rather than fables of hooliganism, focus on talented individuals doing good rather than bitter clickbait and national headlines, and be here, in the warm and truth, with Devizine; we tell it like it is, and donโt purvey bullshit!
January
Just as this year starts with a review of the last, so did 2025, but not before I took a visit to the Swindon Story Shed. Forestry England invited dog walkers to Nightingale Wood, apparently to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month; surely every month is walk your dog month?! The second feature film for director Keith Wilhelm Kopp and writer Laurence Guy, First Christmas entered development. We covered how My Dadโs Bigger Than Your Dad Festival raised ยฃ11,500 for Prospect Hospice, and thereโs moreโฆ.
Jamsters began at Devizes Southgate, an initiative to provide a Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jam sessions each Wednesday. We announced The Beat were to headline Devizes Scooter Rally, that Nick Hodgson formerly of the Kaiser Chiefsโ new band, Everyone Says Hi had an instore at Marlboroughโs Sound Knowledge, and we unfortunately said goodbye to the now disbanded People Like Us; sorely missed.
The original line up of People Like Us
We had new singles from Nothing Rhymes With Orange, a new album from Illingworth, and fuller sessions from Kaya Street. Andy reviewed the first Devizes International Blues Festival, Ian covered Jerusalem at the Mission Theatre, and Veronicaโs Room at The Wharf Theatre.
We previewed OakFest at the Royal Oak in Pewsey, La Belle Hรฉlรจne, White Horse Operaโs Debut at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes Musical Theatreโs Beauty & The Beast, Henge at The Cheese & Grain, and Bradford-on-Avon Green Man Festival which unfortunately this year is in jeopardy, and we welcomed Caffe Vialottie to Devizes, our most popular article of the year.
Februaryย
It may be topical now, but weโve always been supporting the hunting ban, and in February reported how Beaufort Hunters attacked Wiltshire Hunt Sabsโ drone. We sadly confirmed Devizes Street Festival was cancelled for the second year in a row, and The Emporium in Devizes was to close, but Devizes would get a new youth centre.
Previews included, Marlborough School of Languagesโ Summer Fiesta, Jazz Sabbath at the Corn Exchange. We announced The Brand New Heavies were to headline Minety, tickets for DOCAโs Winter Ales were running out, and that I was to organise the music for Rowdefest in May, probably my favourite memory of 2025.
We featured Melkshamโs teen band Between the Lines, reviewed JP Oldfieldโs debut EP Bouffon, Jamie Hawkinsโ short film Teeth, and new singles from I See Orange and Sam Bishop. Swinterfest broke me out of my hibernation, and I also got out to see the fantastic Static Moves at the Three Crowns, plus Cephidโs Sparks in the Darkness at The Rondo, which was mindblowing!
March
We announced that Devizes auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son were relocating to the Old Emporium, Soupchick was to take over The Hillworth Park Cafe, that after the fire in Northgate Street Devizes Kebab Van successfully relocated to Folly Road, that Devizes was to have a new festival, Park Farm Festival, and of course the very first Wiltshire Music Awards.
We featured the Belladonna Treatment, had a wonderful local reflection on the Trump & Zelenskiy meeting from a Ukrainian living in Wiltshire, and it was one of my all-time favourite interviews with eighties legend Owen Paul ahead of a Devizes gig.
We reviewed The Killer & The Catalyst, Devizes author Dave McKennaโs novelette, Geckoโs new album, and singles by Chloe Hepburn and George Wilding.
Previewed Devizes Arts Festival, Exchange Comedy in Devizes, Swindon Palestine Solidarityโs Charity Iftar, CUDSโ Devizes Town Litter Pick for GB Spring Clean, and Hells Bells AC/DC tribute coming to Devizes! We listed the results of Salisbury Music Awards.
I managed to make it out to see The Devilโs Doorbell and JP Oldfield at the Cellar Bar, Ruby Darbyshire at the Southgate, and Cracked Machine with Tom Harris in support, too. Ian gave us Blood Brothers at The Mission Theatre and Flatpack at The Rondo, and Pip Aldridge reviewed our Fulltone Orchestra at Tewkesbury Abbey.
I ranted on the state of the roads, and for fun ran a Take Our Wiltshire Pothole or Moon Crater Quiz Challenge!!
April
Ah, All Fools Day, a golden opportunity for us, in which last year we told the fib that funk godfather George Clinton was exiled to the Wiltshire village of Urchfont, created funk music there and it was covered up by their parish council! You might assume it was hardly viable, but some fell for it, and messaged in their outraged reports of โfake news!โ
We looked into DOCAโs new youth initiative Yea Devizes, and while we published our usual extensive list of Easter holiday activities, we also previewed DOCAโs Junk Street drumming workshop.
I visited The Hillworth Park Cafe, where Soupchick took over, hailed Devizes DJ Greg Spencer, the creator of Palooza house nights, who made the prestigious bill of Fatboy Slimโs All Back to Minehead festival, and reviewed the now sadly defunct No Alarms No Devizes playing at the Three Crowns. Discovered Fran Daisy at Swindonโs Plough, and Henge at the Cheese & Grain was a high contender for my gig of the year; out of this world!
We had a guest review from Melissa Loveday on Devizes Music Academyโs Something About Jamie, which though Iโm sorry to have missed, I did catch them playing it out at FullTone Festival in the summer. I did attend Devizes Musical Theatreโs Beauty & the Beast at Dauntseyโs School and the opening of Un/Common People, Folk Culture in Wessex, a fascinating exhibition at Wiltshire Museum.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Reviewed Hannah Rose Plattโs album Fragile Creatures, probably the best album we covered last year. The website for Wiltshire Music Awards went live and people held on to cast their votes in May.
We exposed Reform candidate Calne Violette Simpson for her Facebook profile picture showing her hunting antelope in South Africa, and Devizes South Conservative candidate Sarah Batchelor, who committed election fraud, up and left with her tail between her legs and almost running Bishops Canningโs Crown into the ground. Thankfully it seems the new owners are turning it around and recreating the village hub it once was.
May
I was honoured and delighted to organise the music for our village fete, which has in the last few years been run by a lovely independent committee, safe from a questionable parish council. It was a wonderful sunny day and the highlight of my year. I called in some favours and presented an amazing lineup for a free fete, featuring, in order of appearance, The Jubilee Morris Dancers, Andrew Hurst who brought bassist Lucianne Worthy with him, Talk in Code, The Sarah C Ryan Band, Thieves, and Burn The Midnight Oil. Being it was the last day of the month, I didnโt write about it until June.
I paid a Sunday afternoon visit to Devizes amazing record shop Vinyl Realm, when Deadlight Dance were attacked by wasps and still managed an amazing unplugged acoustic set. Ben Niamor reviewed Jake Martin at Swindonโs Castle with SOP, and Ian gave us his views on Sweeney Todd at St. Augustineโs Catholic College in Trowbridge, and the Diary of Anne Frank at The Wharf Theatre in Devizes, which was so good I had to go myself. Lois covered newcomers Kingston Mediaโs Bands at the Bridge in Horton.
I previewed the Bradford-on-Avon Live Music Festival, despite it clashing with our Rowdefest! Also, Ruby Darbyshire who performed at Silverwood Schoolโs open evening. Andy provided a preview of Chippenham Folk Festival, and Lois provided us with previews of Australian Folk singer Ernest Aines at Swindonโs Deanery Theatre and David Olusoga at the Cheese & Grain.
Announced the opening of voting for Wiltshire Music Awards, that Devizes-based The Big Sound Choir was to perform with Aled Jones at St Georgeโs in Bristol, and that Bird is The Word were taking over music organisation at Bradford-on-Avonโs Boathouse.
We featured how Lucas Hardy was collaborating with Rosie Jay, and Fromeโs James Hollingsworth, who was bringing his solo recreation of Pink Floydโs Wish You Were Here album to the Devizes Southgate and elsewhere, and reviewed his album with Griffiths, Lost in the Winds of Time.
I reviewed Clock Radioโs album Turfing out the Maniacs, Ruzz Guitarโs Between Two Worlds album, Playing Solitaire; Phil Cooperโs first solo album for five years, Thievesโ debut EP, a new single from George Wilding, and one from Auralcandy featuring vocals from Sienna Wileman. A feature of a Melksham marketing expert launching AI training courses was met with controversy, yeah, I get that!
June
If we were all busy with the Devizes Arts Festival, we were previwing summer events like a new festival for Devizes, Park Farm, clashing with an amazing day at the Three Crowns for an air ambulance fundraiser, and I finalyy got over my hangover and ego, and gave coverage of Rowdefest; highlight of my year!ย
Andy reviewed White Horse Operaโs Cosi Fan Tutte and The Lost Trades at the Piggybank, Ian did The Mikado at the Mission, The Taming of the Shrew at the Rondo, and of course we all did our bit for the Devizes Arts Festival. Andy also covered an extensive weekend when The Lions were on the Green in Devizes, we had Crammer Watch Day too, and Devizes Arts Festival did a fringe gig at the British Lion; summer lovinโ. The highlight of this had to be Whereโs the Cat, the Wharf Theatreโs writing groupโs hilarious reenactment of the Moonrakers fable at the Crammer, which I felt obliged to cover too.
Eddie and I were guests on Peggy-Sueโs Donโt Stop the Music show on Swindon 105.5, chatting about the awards. We met Henry the chocolate duck raising funds for cystic fibrosis at HollyChocs, previewed Supergrass headlining Frome Festival, a genderqueered Shakespearean performance at Bathโs Rondo, and Swindon Palestine Solidarity events. Lois did Idles at Bristolโs Block Party.
I reviewed The Hotcakes of Wildfireโs album Shoes & Acid, ranted on vocal minorities triggered by events of cultural diversity, and did a No Surprises column promising to return the feature, but promises are made to be broken! Thereโs simply too much to whinge about, and for my health, I need to see the glass half-full.
Bands at The Bridge
Thatโs all for now, folks. Do not fear, itโs still summer in our minds, and weโll kick off in July for the second part. I know, our goldfish attention spans cannot take in a whole year in one article, what with so much brilliant stuff which happened over the year, so come back when Iโve officially emptied the Quality Street tin and completed the last half of this review of 2025; but I must say, I think the first half was better!!
Ah, let’s talk about Talk in Code one more time this year, because we’re secret Talkers here, and everything has been awesome this year for them, but now they’re being immortalised as Lego minifigures!
Surely, the piece of resistance of local merch, it doesn’t get better than this! Lego minifigures have become something of a collectors item over the years, and the finest local indie popsters have a Lego inspired fan reward scheme they’re calling TICBRIX; genuine awesomeness!
Now open, all you’ve got to do is attend their gigs, which is a pleasure in itself, collect stamps on a loyalty card, and collect the band figures. Pick up the cards at the merch desk at any show, get it stamped, and after every two Talk in Code shows, you can claim your FREE minifigure and badge from the merch desk.
With four members in the band, it’s going to take you eight shows to complete your collection, but thatโs not all. At the halfway point, youโll be eligible for a bespoke, Lego stage set for them to all play on, complete with a bass guitar, extra guitar, drumsticks and even a Sneddsโ luxury beard upgrade!
Personally, I feel inclined to hotfoot it up the loft to find my bricks and build a spaceship for them to gig on because they’re out of this world! Spaceship!!!!
Some early 2026 performances from the guys include 17th Jan at The Kings Arms in Amesbury and also at Devizes Winter of Festive Ales at The Corn Exchange on 28th February. On the 28th of March, there’s a Talkers Show by personal invite only at The Hop in Swindon. Join the Talkers WhatsApp group to get in on that and be in the know of other gigs by texting โadd meโ with your first name to 07725 138077. All welcome unless you’re from the planet Duplo!
Oramics and its Place in the Progression of Electronic Music
In 1997 I was a 24 year-old factory worker, keen to learn all tasks on the production line to work my way up, but suddenly the run of the ladder was pulled too high for me to reach. Shift managers who had were axed, were replaced by โteam leaders,โ that of precisely the same duties and responsibilities, though you needed a diploma to apply.
The government tried to thwart my only other life objective three years past, to party; they had failed. I worked in the factory now for one reason, to fund this escapism. Once free, the Criminal Justice Bill ensured someone profited from our jollity, as rave culture was pushed into nightclubs and legal paid events.
If The Prodigy were right, this was music for the jilted generation, perhaps so too was Luigi Russolo in his 1913 futurist manifesto L’arte dei Rumori (The Art of Noises,) when he argued that the ear would become accustomed to a new sonic palette of industrial soundscapes, and musicians would require a new approach to instrumentation and composition. Though Iโd not have contemplated the noises of the factory manipulating my music perceptions at the time, I was aware of how Kraftwerk were influenced by the sounds of traffic for Autobahn.
Neither would I have given much thought to the development of electronic music; my time with analogue pop of punk and Two-Tone was short-lived. Through new wave post-punk and electronica to American hip hop and electro, and the rebellion from the hit factories exploiting it; rave culture, I had grown up with electronics as a staple to music and knew no different.
Pre-internet research on the subject wouldโve been a needle in a haystack, even if Iโd the motivation to study it. In my naivety I assumed one thing, that Kraftwerk created electronic music, because Iโd seen a clip of them on the BBC program Tomorrow’s World. Though the show made no claim to this, I was only two on the 25th September 1975, when it originally aired.
Ralf Hรผtter and Florian Schneiderโs Kraftwerk were certainly pioneers who popularised the krautrock genre worldwide. The industrial links between Dusseldorf and Detroit and creative ones between Berlin and New York were influences reflected, which turned the cogs of hip hop and house. And now, here I was, in a meadow near Luton, at Universeโs Tribal Gathering, where I figured weโd come full circle.
Kraftwerk played their one and only festival, it was monumental. The once monocultured rave phenomenon had divided into copious subgenres, Universe were the first to fully embrace this with a tent dedicated to each division. Yet from each tent masses united at the main stage, some DJs refusing to play their set because theyโd miss this performance. Reflecting back on it now, I cannot deny it was something to behold, but Iโve since discovered they wasnโt the complete roots to electronic music I assumed they were. Its complex international evolution includes too many names to mention, but this fascinating insight has been encouraged by my study into one important innovator largely uncredited, born here in Devizes, Daphne Oram.
We outlined her work briefly in the introduction to this series of articles, and with help from Daphneโs niece, Carolyn Scales, we delved into her upbringing in Devizes, and how influences in engineering meshed with her love of music. Now we need to fit her role into this vast evolution of electronic music, by looking at Oramics, discovering how that influenced the progression, and why it is not as well documented and I believe it should be.
Once Daphne left the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1959, she coined the term Oramics, a name for her studio in Tower Folly, a converted oast house at Fairseat in Kent, her technique for creating graphical sound, and the Oramics Machine which spawned from it.
Carolyn described The Oramics Machine as, โan early synthesiser,โ but as with Russian engineer Evgeny Murzin who created photoelectronic instrument the ANS synthesizer, historical records rarely reference them. The first commercial synthesizer is credited to American engineer Robert Moog a few years later in 1964. Precursors to Moog mentions Harald Bode who laid the groundwork for separate sound-modifying modules used in the Moog design, the Hammond Organ Companyโs Novachord in the late 1930s, Canadian engineer Hugh Le Caineโs Electronic Sackbut, Herbert Belar and Harry Olsonโs RCA Mark I and II Sound Synthesizers, and some cite Thaddeus Cahillโs Telharmonium, an electromechanical sound generator from 1897, which weighed in over two-hundred tons.
The original Oramics Machine was the size of an office photocopier, so was also too cumbersome for the average musician. By its definition, itโs a synthesiser but worked differently; the composer/musician drew onto a set of 35mm film strips which ran past a series of photo-electric cells, generating electrical signals to control amplitude, timbre, frequency and duration.
The reason for the omission, Carolyn suggested, was because The Oramics Machine was lost after her passing. โDr Mick Griersonโs team tracked it down to France in 2008. Working with the Science Museum. Griersonโs study provided the first full contextualisation of the machine, an assessment of its historical importance, and a detailed description of its workings. The machine became a central part of the Science Museum exhibition Oramics to Electronica, originally planned to run for six months in 2011. The showโs press and public uptake saw it extended a further four years.โ
Perhaps inspired by Moogโs development of the Minimoog, Daphne worked on a Mini-Oramics, but never completed a prototype. Goldsmiths’ PhD student Tom Richards, who pored over the unfinished project and built it over forty years later, suggested โthere were a lot of reasons why she didnโt launch Mini-Oramics. She was working on her own, and wasnโt affiliated to a large organisation or university.ย She had ups and downs in her life, and at the time she was working on Mini-Oramics, she also worried that her approach to musical research was out of fashion when compared to chance-based and computerised techniques. She was unable to secure the further funding she needed and she eventually moved on to other research.โ
If funding and the ferocity of music technologyโs progression at this time surpassed Daphne, both her music and written works were visionary. If you thought Pete Tongโs Heritage Orchestra was pushing new boundaries in 2004, Carolyn noted, โin 1948, Daphne created a piece for double orchestra, turntable and live electronics called Still Point, long thought of as the earliest composition to include real-time electronic transformation of instrumental sounds.โ Again, Still Point was never performed and was considered lost. โDr James Bulley found fragments in the Oram archive,โ she continued, โand working collaboratively with Dr Shiva Feshareki, began a reconstruction, later finding the full score in the belongings of composer Hugh Davies.โ
โA performance was commissioned by BBC Proms and performed by turntablist Shiva Feshareki, Bulley, and the London Contemporary Orchestra in 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall, reaching a substantial audience live and via BBC Radio 3,โ Carolyn explained. โThe reaction was one of awe, with the piece described as โthrillingโ. Critical responses suggested that this realisation of Oramโs previously untested ideas represented a challenge to electronic musicโs received history.โ
The more I research the more I find examples suggesting Daphneโs work was so avant-garde, abstract or insistent on anthropological creativity against trending dehumanised mathematical methods, she was set apart from the contemporary canon of self-generating computer music, positioning her work in a kind of unique scientific-spiritual space, combining technical rigor with a romantic model of artistic expression. This would frustrate her, when projects were either underfunded or too radical for others to follow, and they were consequently lost in time.
In 1971 she authored a book titled An Individual Note of Music, Sound and Electronics, wherein lies a quote often cited in discussions about music technology: โWe will be entering a strange world where composers will be mingling with capacitors, computers will be controlling crotchets and, maybe, memory, music and magnetism will lead us towards metaphysics.โ
Daphne visiting her parents in Devizes
It was also her dedication to authorial control, while cybernetic-influenced composers embraced self-generating systems with indeterminacy, which caused Oram’s approach to differ from the era’s prevailing trends, despite this cybernetic orientation. Exemplifying the generosity of her father, James, Mayor of Devizes, Daphne actively supported composersโ rights to royalties while she was a Trustee of The Performing Rights Society in the 1970s.
Daphne Oram suffered two strokes during the nineties, and passed away in Maidstone on the 5th January 2003. Yet on Daphneโs centenary, where much of the world remains dubious about the ethics of artificial intelligence, we must debate her legacy, for my final part of the series.
Oh, and if you were wondering, all I saw of Kraftwerk at Tribal Gathering was the fluorescent outlines of their boilersuits!
Ah, I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas, now it’s time for New Year’s Eve, and here’s what we’ve found to do. Wishing everyone a happy New Year and all the best for 2026. Don’t forget our event calendar lists much more and everything going on this weekend, into January and beyond!
Christmas has come early for foxes and normal humans with any slither of compassion remaining, as the government announced the righteous move to ban trail hunts. As an impartial media outlet, we sayโฆ.let’s laugh at those saddened hunters wallowing in their own self-pity, right through Christmas and beyond!
Keir Starmer’s cabinet, a far cry from the ideal government, but the best we’ve had after fourteen long years of that Conservative clown school of thieves, occasionally wakes up and realises they’re supposed to be leftwing, and this was one such bizarre occasion where they delivered a popular promise off their manifesto; miracles do happen at Christmas, pass the overpriced Quality Street and celebrate!
Prepare for a minority of elitists though, the barbaric scum remaining in support of the incongruous pageant, and those too stupid to go against what the leaders of the fascist uprising tell them to think, to really blow off some steam. โWhaaah! We can’t kill innocent animals anymore!!โ Cue the tiniest violin.
Laugh at their flabby flushed faces, angered social media posts, and inane rants, in a pathetic attempt to convince you the government are communists, or even more degrading piffle and pointless propaganda. Starmer did good today. Give him a star sticker. I’m as equally as shocked as them!
Best advice I could give? Laugh at them! Laugh at them hysterically until they blow a fuse. Though it’s a dubious time to announce the ban, and I dread to think what Boxing Day might bring as they gather with even more anger than usual, that this might be the last showdown. What level of slaughter can we expect to see in this last stance?
We rely on and thank all the fantastic hunt sabs to see this fight to its triumphant end.
Bottom line is, if you were the headteacher of a primary school where the children were firing catapults in the playground, so you put all the catapults on a high shelf but the children used fishing nets to get them down, pretending they were using the nets for fishing, you would have to ban the nets too, wouldn’t you? And you’d consider that it was the children’s fault for using the nets to continue firing catapults when they were told not to.
Therefore, because the Hunting Act allowed hunters to trail hunt, but it’s proven that many used it as a smokescreen to continue hunting foxes, then they’ve no one to blame but themselves. If any of them genuinely followed the trail hunt rules and didn’t use it as a disguise to continue illegally hunting foxes, or took measures to call off the hounds if a fox was to be caught up in the puerile activity, then they should be pointing the finger of blame at those who clearly did abuse the rules.
But it’s doubtful they will, either in a show of solidarity, or because they’re a type which doesn’t really exist at all. No, they’ll be united in throwing their teddies out of their prams, yelling blame at the government, but really, hunters did this to themselves and deserve everything they get.
โThe hounds will be homeless,โ we’ve heard. Is this a threat to release hounds into the wild?! If you cannot provide the basics and house your dog then you shouldn’t have a dog, and the law should intervene and arrest you for animal cruelty, finally.ย
โAll the horses and hounds will have to be shot!โ Only aย bloodthirsty sadist would think this. They were looked after before, why not now? They bred them knowing this was happening, ergo it is their responsibility to ensure their welfare is continued and they are looked after.
But this is the most bizarre one, literally convicting themselves: โthe fox population will increase!โ Hold on a cotton-picking minute. They claimed they were trial hunting, using only a rag with the scent of a fox, so how could it possibly increase the fox population? Unless, oh, proof they lied and were actually illegally killing foxes; who knew?!! Otherwise, there might be a few rags going spare, but that’s about it.
โJobs will be lost,โ is another. Awl, shame. Get a new job, one not connected to barbarism. Nigel Faragรผhrer is already on that case, politicising it for the apparent good of the common man, saying it’s against English tradition, yet last week supported a foreign president’s attempts to bring down the BBC at the expense of the British taxpayers; how patriotic, how concerned for job loses he must be!
The only benefit of his recent outrages is that the common rightwing thinkers will see it as proof he’s not really in for them, as many I know personally also do not support hunting either; I wish them a Merry Christmas. It’s surely then just a case of relevance; if it doesn’t affect them personally, it seems it rarely makes a priority in their decision-making. It’s not really relevant to me either, personally, but I have this thing called โempathy.โ Quick, Reformers, write to Santa while there’s still time, ask him for some compassion and empathy, and join us in protecting our wildlife for future generations to appreciate too.
Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward โEโ) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunes on hold for a moment, because this is a beautiful, epic journeyโฆ.
M3Gโs seventh release, Rooks, poignantly pulls on the heartstrings when presented by the rise and fall of a romance, rooks often being a slang for cheating someone. It runs into six minutes, and reflecting the heartbreak of the subject, the song rises and falls accordingly. It creates a spellbinding ambience of both hope and worry equally, and is of magical vocal and acoustic guitar composition, with a gentle cajon drum subtly placed.
Inspired by the likes of Florence Welch and AURORA, Meg was open about her autism in our interview from 2023, and claimed it as the backbone to her creativity. In this, what she creates is completely original, unique, and unequivocally personal. Meg doesnโt just sing, she projects her innermost thoughts and expresses them, angelically. In Rooks, you can literally feel the characterโs heart breaking, causing yours to inevitably go with it.
The hyphen in the term singer-songwriter has never been so apt with another. Sure, I hear lots of brilliant expressive singers and lots of songwriters who can pen a marvel, but no one merges them so seamlessly and forgoes any fear theyโre exposing too much of their innermost thoughts, dreams or desires. You only need to venture ten seconds into Rooks to observe what I mean, and if Meg constantly strives for improvement, causing me to say this is her best song yet each time, here we go again; this is awe-inspiring, her magnum opus to date.
Recorded and mixed by Phil Cooper, his genius registers on it, yet still, itโs Just M3G; layering her backing chants over her main vocals like choral had a singular tense, and who even designed the cover. She says working with Phil is โa massive step above my other releases. I am so proud of it.โ It is on a next level, Iโm uncertain what she could do to top it, but assured she will, and Iโm certain Rooks will appease her fans and make her find new ones.
Photo credit: David Leigh Dodd Pioneers of the indie-rock sound which would lead us into the nineties, Transvision Vamp lead singer Wendy James has announcedโฆ
By Ian DiddamsImages by Luke Ashley Tame of Acadia Creative Around 2 million women are victims of violence perpetrated by men every year, thatโs 3,000โฆ
Family run premier auctioneers of antiques and collector’s items, Henry Aldridge and Son announced a move into The Old Town Hall on Wine Street, Devizes;โฆ
By Ian DiddamsImages by Ian Diddams and Shakespeare Live Is it post watershed? Then I shall beginโฆ The etymology of the word โNothingโ is quiteโฆ โฆ
Amidst another packed summer weekend’s schedule laid that lovable large village Pewseyโs turn to shine; always a law unto itself, things went off; if itโsโฆ
Britpop icons Supergrass will headline Frome Festival as a fundraising event for grassroots community action group โPeople for Packsaddleโ who are fighting to save aโฆ
Wiltshire Music Centre Unveils Star-Studded New Season with BBC Big Band, Ute Lemper, Sir Willard White and comedians Chris Addison and Alistair McGowan revealing their classical music talents…..
Wiltshire Music Centre announces new Spring season with some extraordinary listening experiences on offer in the new year.Wiltshire Music Centre is a unique and contemporary 300-seated concert hall in Bradford on Avon.ย In the heart of rural Wiltshire, the venue’s built an enviable reputation over the years as a professional concert hall of exceptional quality, rooted in community participation and involvement.ย The Centre also provides a permanent home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups, and works extensively with young people locally through a vibrant and varied Creative Learning Programme in Wiltshire and beyond.
Since first opening in 1997, Wiltshire Music Centre has been a musical hub, bringing the best in live performances to the area as well as providing a home for local orchestras, choirs and music groups. Recently appointed Executive Director, Sarah Robertson and Artistic Director, Daniel Clark have a renewed commitment to creating a space for people to gather and connect through a shared love of music โ a space to celebrate the past, present and future of music-making and to nurture a spirit of musical curiosity.
Audiences can look forward to an exceptional lineup of artists, including first-ever WMC appearances by leading pianist Angela Hewitt (30 Jan 2026), opera virtuoso Sir Willard White performing with WMC favourites The Brodsky Quartet (20 Mar 2026), BBC Big Band (17 Apr 2026) showcasing the musical genius of George Gershwin, international cabaret star Ute Lemper (8 Mar 2026), blues legend Eric Bibb (27 Mar 2026) touring his new album, and a WMC debut by the Neil Cowley Trio (11 Apr 2026) who bring their inventive show inspired by Baroque genius, J.S Bach, to the Centre. Meanwhile, Jamie Woon (8 Apr 2026), British R & B and electronica singer/producer returns to the stage after a 10-year break.
Classical and jazz season highlights include โtrumpeter extraordinaireโ (BBC Music Magazine) Matilda Lloyd performing with the Goldmund Quartet (7 Feb 2026); Nikki Iles and Claire Martinโs new project IG4 (7 Mar 2026); evocative choral works from The Gesualdo Six (28 Mar 2026); stunning vocals from the Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 (26 Apr 2026); and exciting new jazz sounds from Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year Mark Kavuma (28 Mar 2026) and London-based saxophonist Camilla George (22 May 2026), whose music blends Afrofuturism, hip-hop, and jazz.
For blues, folk, and roots fans, thereโs a packed programme of must-see gigs featuring both established and emerging favourites, including the powerful fatherโdaughter duo Martin and Eliza Carthy (3 Apr 2026), much-loved folk singer Cara Dillon (8 May 2026), Jon Bodenโs project The Remnant Kings (15 May 2026), and Josienne Clarkeโs homage to Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention (6 Mar 2026).
Families can look forward to a musical retelling of Benji Daviesโs childrenโs book The Storm Whale with Music in the Round (14 Feb 2026), and the film classic Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers on the big screen with live music performed by WMCโs flagship West of England Youth Orchestra (10 Apr 2026).
The eclectic programming extends beyond the music alone. Former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch (15 Mar 2026) comes to the Centre with Notes to Self, an evening of music and conservation, while master impressionist Alistair McGowan (12 Apr 2026) and sharp-witted comedian Chris Addison (14 Feb 2026) bring comedy and music with their respective shows. There will also be a series of monthly screenings with the newly launched Adventurers Film Club, featuring Becoming Led Zeppelin (28 Jan 2026), Set the Piano Stool on Fire (25 Feb 2026) โ the acclaimed documentary about legendary pianist Alfred Brendel and his protรฉgรฉ Kit Armstrongโand more.
Introducing the new season, Daniel Clark says โHere youโll find a wide-ranging series of concerts from some of the most exciting voices of the past, present and future of music. From great legends of music-making to rising stars, weโre committed to bringing the best music we can to our special venue, and hope youโll find something that will transport, inspire and delight you.โ
Highlights:
Angela Hewitt: one of the worldโs greatest living interpreters of Bachโs music and recipient of the City of Leipzig Bach Medal in 2020 will make her WMC debut. (30 Jan 2026)
Angela Hewitt
London 2016
Chris Addisonโs Incomplete Guide to Chamber Music: Chris Addison brings to life the rich, vibrant โ and sometimes bizarre โ history of classical chamber music. A musical journey from baroque courts and European revolutions to todayโs contemporary composers with some of the UKโs finest musicians and Chrisโ brilliant and original facts and insight. (14 Feb 2026)
Eric Bibb: Three-time Grammy nominee and blues legend with a career spanning over five decades tours brand new album, One Mississippi blending blues, folk, soul, and Americana. (27 Mar 2026)
Ute Lemper: International cabaret star brings her show telling the story of Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich through songs and stories: from the Berlin Cabaret years to her Burt Bacharach collaborations. (8 Mar 2026)
Lau Noah: Beautiful, innovative and evocative vocal and guitar harmonies from self-taught Catalan composer and songwriter who has supported Chris Thile, Ben Folds and Jacob Collier on tour over the past two years. (3 May 2026)
Another Triumph for WHO Andy Fawthrop Following the excellent recent production of La Belle Helene at Devizesโ Wharf Theatre back in March (see here), Whiteโฆ
Five Have An Out-of-town Experience You canโt always get that live music experience you crave by simply staying within the walls of D-Town.ย Sometimes, andโฆ
By Ian DiddamsImages by Josie Mae-Ross and Charlotte Emily Shakespeare wrote several plays that were termed in the late nineteenth century โProblem Playsโ. These wereโฆ
Together in Electric Dreamsโฆ. at The Corn Exchange Fashionably late for Devizes Arts Festival, I’d like to thank Andy and Ian for informative coverage ofโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ian Diddams, Play on Words Theatre, and Devizes Arts Festival Who was paying attention in history at school when they coveredโฆ
Daphneโs Family & Childhood Connection to Devizes
Celebrations of Daphne Oram have been building in London since the beginning of December, for those in the sphere of electronic music and music technology. On the first Thursday of the month The Barbican held a concert commemorating Daphne’s centenary, where sound and music fair access partner, Nonclassical, in partnership with The Oram Trust and Oram Awards played commissioned reimagined works from various contemporary electronic artists, inspired from tapes in Daphne’s archive. This has been released as the album, Vari/ations: An Ode To Oram.
London university Goldsmiths acquired Daphneโs archive in 2006, bringing her work into the wider public domain, after decades of relative obscurity. In the male dominated realm of electronic music, this has presented a better understanding of Daphne as a visionary in the early development of the genre, and in turn inspired female musicians and producers.
But our story begins rather differently, in the late nineteen-twenties, at Belle Vue House, Devizes, where a much younger Daphne is caught trying to climb inside the family piano! Daphne’s niece Carolyn Scales explained, โshe was asked โwhy are you doing that?โ and Daphne replied, she wanted the piano to make a sound between the notes on the keyboard.โ
Daphne with brother John
Iโm grateful to Carolyn for providing some fascinating background into Daphneโs family and childhood in Devizes, something overlooked by the insurmountable information available regarding her work.
โAll the siblings enjoyed listening to classical music but only Daphne had the ability to create music,โ she told me. โIdaโs sisters often joined her to play trios and quartets at Belle Vue House while James did learn to play the cello but was happy to stand aside for more competent players. In his defence Jamesโs fatherโs diaries only mention one musical instrument at their home, a piano declared by a piano tuner as not worthy of tuning. Maybe we underestimate the strength of our Oram artistic genes.โ
Daphne at five months, with mother, Ida, brothers Arthur and John
Daphne Blake Oram was born on the 31st December 1925, to James Oram (1890-1964) and Ida nee Talbot (1887-1972.) โIda ,โ Carolyn explained, โwho at heart seems to have been a natural party goer, was plagued by ill health. Daphne was born in Ivy House Nursing Home not because of a fear of losing Daphne but because of Idaโs problems with her legs. In the first photograph of Daphne she is being held by Ida who is sitting in a wicker bath chair with Arthur and John in front of their new home of Belle Vue House.โ
โIda was born in Braintree, Essex into a family of drapers,โ Carolyn said, โwho soon moved to a shop on Maryport Street, Devizes, opposite the top of The Brittox, which they ran from 1888 until 1914. Unfortunately Idaโs father Alfred died in 1896 leaving her mother Alice nee Blake to run the business.โ She continued to describe Aliceโs six children helping at the shop, and its failure, though Ida was in charge of the millinery department, and how later there was a room in Belle Vue House devoted to her hats. Carolyn told of Idaโs painting hobby, in watercolours, oils and other mediums.
Talbot family with parents. Ida on swing with her twin
Daphneโs father, James, was known in Devizes as โJimโ or โJimmy.โ He was not Irish but proud of his upbringing off the coast of County Mayo, and โnever lost his soft Irish brogue.โ His father Arthur Oram was a farmer and land agent in one of the most deprived parts of rural Ireland, hit hard by the famines of the early 1800s, and as such it was a natural breeding ground for agrarian discontent, later producing some prominent members of the IRA. This caused James to be keenly aware of local injustices.
โIn 1961, when James took us to see where he was born,โ Carolyn expressed, โhe told us he was upset that he was not allowed to go to school with his friends. They were Catholic and he was a Protestant and to highlight the differences James and his siblings had to travel to school in Newport by pony and trap, rather than walk to the local school.โ
โI feel sure that our father John was correct in saying that if James had stayed in Ireland he would have become a renowned barrister. Unfortunately, just as James left school there was a change in the familyโs fortunes as The Congested Districts Board on behalf of the British Government were, quite rightly buying estates and redistributing the land among farmers living on tenanted, uneconomic smallholdings.โ
Therefore, instead of attending university at sixteen James travelled to Devizes, to help his uncle (by marriage,) Alfred Hinxman, the manager of the Devizes branch of a Salisbury coal merchant. James lived in Devizes for the rest his life, managing the coal merchant until his retirement. Overseeing the distribution of coal in the southwest during the Second World War, James was so horrified by the profiteering he didnโt take a penny for his efforts and received a MBE.
James Oram, Devizes Mayor
โJames soon became a trusted member of the community,โ Carolyn said, โactive in its civic life, as a magistrate and a school governor. This included being Mayor of Devizes during The Abdication and coronation of George VI.โ
โJames also successfully became involved in many businesses including The Devizes Brick and Tile Co. Somehow James also found time for his interest in local history and was a member of various local societies. He could have become wealthy but instead gave away his excess income after ensuring that his family lived in a comfortable style. Every Sunday dinner during the depression of the 1930s they would discuss the families that the brickworks supported, carefully working out if they would have the money to feed their children. The discussion would end by choosing someone who was struggling to hire to cut the Belle Vue House lawn during the following week.โ
The Devizes Brick and Tile Co. Photograph by HR Edmonds
Jamesโ generous nature rubbed off on his children. Daphne actively supported composersโ rights to royalties while she was a Trustee of The Performing Rights Society in the 1970s. โIn particular,โ Carolyn noted, โDaphne helped to set up the PRS Membersโ Fund that continues to support those registered with the PRS and their families when they are in need of financial help. During the 1980s Daphne arranged Christmas hampers for these families.โ
Before Daphne was born the family lived in rooms above the coal merchantโs office at 7 High Street, Devizes. James wanted Belle Vue House, empty at the time but out of his price range, until the state of dilapidation dropped far enough, which was just as Daphne was being born. The house would have been at the end of Belle Vue Road, now replaced by Waiblingen Way housing estate.
Retired designer Paul Bryant, who still resides locally told me he grew up close to Belle Vue House, and recalled her returning to the family home and, โthe excitement that was generated when she was awarded grants from the Gulbenkian Foundation.โ Paul expressed โit is heartening to see the ancient horse chestnut tree, then at the end of the Oram’s garden, still surviving in Waiblingen Way.โ Meanwhile, local musician Peter Easton has written in request for a blue plaque to be erected in Daphneโs honour.
Daphne, with the grass roller at Belle Vue House, Devizes
Carolyn explained how the siblingโs engineering abilities can also be traced to the Oram side of the family. โTheir great uncle John had designed machinery to make barrels for Rockefellerโs oil, and their uncle Arthur oversaw many civil engineering projects in the Indus Valley, now in Pakistan.โ
โArthur, aged 9 and John, aged 5 were to share a bedroom with an adjoining dressing room that James agreed they would turn into a workshop,โ Carolyn said. โThey had already started their own tool kits and Arthur was delighted when James added a foot controlled fret saw.โ
In a letter to John dated April 2003, Arthur wrote it would be the 77th anniversary of their move from the High Street to Belle Vue House: โEvery 20th April was the day of an annual fair on the Green, and Hitlerโs birthday. That one in 1926 was a very special wet Tuesday for us. Our mother was taken the half-mile in a big closed Bath Chair drawn by a man holding the long handle in front, because of her illness with a bad knee. She was helped into their old oak bed in the drawing room, on the right of the door towards the fireplace. In that room there was placed, near the door, the old radio that our mother had bought some years before from proceeds of her Barbola work, with its two bright emitter valves and six volt battery, from which we had news through the general strike of 1926.โ
โLater the workshop became home to Johnโs lathe and of great interest to Daphne. John told me that he was sometimes very mean to Daphne when she came to the workshop. At first she had to stay outside the open door and be silent, if she passed that test she was allowed to stand just inside the door for a while before coming closer to John and even helping when possible. John taught Daphne to use a lathe and she had one of his old lathes at Tower Folly, albeit by then worn and no longer a precision tool. John also admitted to teasing Daphne over his Meccano set that she wanted to play with. Daphne had to watch John make, say a crane ,then he would tighten all the nuts and bolts before walking away leaving Daphne to dismantle his work.โ
Daphne visits her parents in Devizes
Carolyn said, โthere were three main early influences on Arthur, John and Daphne namely their father James, mother Ida and their home which gave them space to both work together and follow their own particular interests.โ
Iโm eternally grateful to Carolyn Scales, Daphne’s niece, for a fascinating insight into Daphneโs early years and family life, and for the photographs too. It seems her curious childhood nature was focused on what makes music, and her engineering skills were honed early, enhanced by her intrigue and not being allowed to assist by her elder brothers. This led her to create the Oramics Machine, her early synthesiser, built in the 1960s, but lost after her death. We should concentrate our efforts on Daphneโs work in the third part, and how it shaped modern music……
All images are taken with permission from the personal collection of Carolyn Scales with thanks. ยฉ2025 Carolyn Scales. Please ask permission before use.
Highest season of goodwill praises must go to Chrissy Chapman today, who raised over ยฃ500 (at the last count) for His Grace Childrenโs Centre in Uganda, with a little help from talented friendsโฆ.
Years back as soloist singer-songwriter One Trick Pony, Chrissy organised annual fundraising gigs at the Southgate around Christmas time, but now tuned up a notch with her incredible Americana band Burn the Midnight Oil behind her it was a high noon lock up and load for a Sunday afternoon hoedown at the Muck and Dunder rum bar in Devizes. The better half, Mrs Devizine, has been asking me to take her somewhere tropical, so given such an opportunity, we bused it to The Brittox.
With Burn The Midnight Oil rightfully grasping the top slot with the same intensity as me holding my pineapple vase of piรฑa colada, all kicked off at half-two with Gary Hewitt-Long performing a rare acoustic set. New to the game, and while I obviously cannot condone a satirical song aimed at a certain rogue local councillor, Gary was unnecessarily bashful, as he acoustically played out some great originals to warm the crowd!
Perhaps it was the crowd which, understandably nerved him; it sure was building, as Martin Rea sauntered through them, sporting a fashionable bum bag and dishing out raffle tickets.
A Wiltshire duo new to me, One Plus One may offer sums even I can handle in name, but their performance was delightful. A proficient and lovable pop cover duo to please any event, One Plus One is guitarist Dave, and Emily on vocals, confident to take on an Amy Winehouse cover or two and come up trumps. Chapel Roan’s Pink Pony Club also got a superb makeover, and they polished it off with the seasonal Fairytale of New York; why not?
Maybe only because our modest local folk legend Vince Bell, who followed, also planned to finalise his sublime set with the UK’s best loved Christmas song, with his wife Lisa as Kirsty MacColl. Though more musical theatre, no stranger to the limelight, Lisa nailed it, and the handsome, pretty, and the queens of New Devizes City crowd never minded the doubled up cover and sang the chorus.
Vince also offered Chrissy the accompanying chair for a spellbinding middle duet they supposed they should record, and they should. But beginning his set with his divine self-penned melancholic earworms, garnished in percussive rhythm guitar mastery akin to flamenco, and raising the spirit with the more spritely Spiderman Pajamas, Vince is a local treasure and never fails to charm.
Exactly a year after we first interviewed the original lineup, Burn The Midnight Oil came bursting on and delivered their awesome set with unified passion and precision, seemingly lapping up every minute. You’d be excused for assuming this band has been playing together for decades despite it being less than a year in the new format.
They appeased the audience with a taste of what they’ve been working on, looked fantabulous, and, most importantly, put 210% into their show. Yet it was arguably the sum of all these parts and the community festive spirit, which made it the wonderful afternoon it was.
March 1936: newlywed French telecommunications engineer Pierre Schaeffer relocates to Paris from Strasbourg and finds work in radio broadcasting. He embarks on early radiophonic experiments. Fifteen years of his research, his inventions of various electronic instruments, and collaborations with Pierre Henry would lead them to found Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrรจte. Musique concrรจte would be the root of the utilisation of modified recorded sound through audio signal processing and tape techniques.
Across the channel, itโs the St. Clementโs Fair in Devizes. The town hall is decorated with a foliage of oranges and lemons, and the โBells of St Clementโsโ was recited with handbells to declare the fair open. Devizes Congregationsts arranged a small eisteddfod, which would be the origins of todayโs Devizes Eisteddfod, founded ten years later to raise funds for the Congregational Church, opposite Wadworthโs Brewery.
The connection? Well, two cups were awarded by the minister Rev. W.S.H Hallett; one for Ruth Mead for a vocal solo, and the second to eleven-year-old Daphne Oram, for a pianoforte solo. The daughter of James and Ida Oram, Daphne was educated at Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, where she was tutored in piano and musical composition.
Daphne Oram as a young girl dressed as Alice in Wonderland with family, for the Devizes Carnival: Source Wiltshire Museum
At seventeen Daphne moved to London, turned down a place at the Royal College of Music, to become a junior sound engineer at the BBC, where she would โshadowโ concerts with a pre-recorded version, allowing the broadcast to continue despite interference or blackouts due to air raids.
Throughout the 1940s Daphne devoted herself to the pioneering of electronic sound, labouring into the night composing various pieces, most far too avant-garde for the traditionalist BBC bosses to consider publishing. Promoted to music studio manager after a decade, she eventually convinced the BBC to the benefits of electronic music and musique concrรฉte for use in programming; particularly for The BBC Third Programme, replaced by BBC Radio 3. By 1957 they caved, and Daphne was appointed the original co-director of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop with Senior Studio Manager Desmond Briscoe.
Their early efforts were for radio: radiophonic poems, effects for prevalent sci-fi serials like Quatermass and The Pit, and comedy sounds for The Goon Show. Yet Daphneโs motivation remained in electronic music production, and she resigned in 1959 to freelance, moving again to Kent.
Daphne Oram was way ahead of her time, a visionary frustrated with the direction The Radiophonic Workshop was heading, because electronic music was still in its infancy, especially the acceptance of it. The workshop continued without her and eventually branched into music, as television took over.
A trainee assistant studio manager called Delia Derbyshire joined the workshop, creating numerous scores and effects for television programmes. Most notably in 1963, when Derbyshire electronically modified Ron Grainerโs Doctor Who theme, hailed as the pinnacle moment in the advancement of electronic music in Britain. Though, BBC bureaucracy as it was, Delia was never credited on-screen for it until twelve years after her passing, in a 2013 fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. Her work has since been acknowledged and revered, whilst Daphne Oram remains a relatively unsung heroine in the development of electronic music.
Image: Daphne Oram
Futurist Luigi Russolo argues in a 1913 letter to composer Francesco Pratella, a manifesto referred to as The Art of Noises, that the ear will become accustomed to noises of urbanisation and industrial soundscapes, and thus mankind will develop a new sonic palette as technology progresses. A fascinating and accurate theory into the evolution of sound, in which Russolo encouraged musicians to listen to city sounds, which will putatively be the cymatics of future music.
I find myself reasoning if this explains why electronic music today is most popular in urban environments rather than rural. Due to music famed promoter Mel Bush, Devizes retains an affection for the blues, using authentic analogue instruments. Producers of electronic music are rare here. If you want dance music, which greater acquires the usage of technology than rock, blues, or folk, you may need to head towards Bristol, Swindon, or Salisbury.
But coming from a more urban background and growing up in the eighties and nineties, personally Iโve never outcasted electronics in music. Even if a musician is using analogue methods to create music, they will at the least use the internet to promote them. With eclectic tastes, I also love electronica, hip hop, dub, and dance music, and I love to explore the origins of it. So, this research project has me fascinated, the life and work of Daphne Oram, and her growing up in Devizes. I wondered how she became involved.
A graphical sound technique where shapes etched into filmstrips are read by photo-electric cells and transformed into for various parameters of sound is called Oramics, after its creator Daphne Oram at her Oramics Studios in Kent. She expressed hope that her work on Oramics would โplant seeds that would mature in the 21st century.โ Her legacy is commemorated in the annual Oram Awards, and the 2022 BBC Masterbrand Sonic, was internally known as “Daphne,” but still in her hometown sheโs not widely known, neither are her early years spent in Devizes well documented.
This month, Daphne would have celebrated her one-hundredth birthday. So, join me in an exploration of her life and work in a series of articles. We will talk with Daphneโs niece, Carolyn Scales, about her early years in Devizes, explore her work further, and talk with a local producer of electronic music about her legacy and the impact her work has on them. Because one thing is certain, without Daphne Oram music today would sound vastly different, at least it would in the UK, and during the boom of pop, as you should be aware, Britain led the way. I believe that it is worth commemorating and honouring her here in her birthplace, Devizes.
Yesterday Wiltshire Council published an โupdateโ on the lane closure on Northgate Street in Devizes as the fire which caused it reaches its first anniversary. Only, it’s more a โreminderโ than an โupdate!โ
It begins, โthe fire, in November 2024, caused significant damage to the Grade II-listed property and since then the council has had to install a single lane closure to keep people safe. The council recognises the inconvenience this is causing and is committed to reopening the road as soon as possible.โย Yeah, knew that bit already.
It continued justifiable, stating โthe council has no legal powers to compel the building owner to take further action.โ Then the Deputy Leader of Wiltshire Council, Mel Jacob, said how frustrating it all was, and how they were โkeen to get the road reopened as soon as we can.โ Knew that bit as well.
Fair enough, red tape and all that baloney I get, but the remainder of the information simply says what an inconvenience it’s been, and its impact on the community; who knew that bit?!
ย It suggests they’re in talks, but pledges โmore positive news on the road early in the new year.โ If the word โupdateโ needs replacing with โreminder,โ the word โmoreโ here should be swapped out for โsome,โ for as of yet it seems there isn’t any news about it at all, let alone โpositiveโ news; just some chatting, possibly over tea and cake. Youโve got a new bus shelter, be happy!
But hey, even if I cannot confirm about the tea and cake, it’s 14 sleeps until Santa, so let’s keep our glasses half-full, and hope he miraculously brings a resolution in his sack. For there’s been a few advantages, such as free town centre parking for the most daring and cheeky!
And think of it this way, the serious risk of turning right into Station Road from the mini-roundabout has been lessened by its more consistent usage; it seems now the occasional driver coming from the town direction acknowledges it as a roundabout, actually observes and obeys that technical hitch in the highway code known to others as โthe right of way!โ
Before all this a right turn there was a white-knuckle ride only for the daredevil stuntman or those on the school run; there were more bumps there than on the road to Potterne.
But one roundabout up into town, immortalised as โThe Brewery Roundabout,โ has been a fascinating study into levels of human kindness in Devizes. As whilst drivers can exit the Market Place there, there’s no traffic crossing the roundabout in which to allow them their right of way. At peak times this can be challenging and a smidgen annoying. My last count of human kindness, as traffic flows at a snail’s pace from the congested New Park Street, was a fantastic new record of eighteen inconsiderate to one thoughtful driver!
Those in the know about levels of human kindness in Devizes will nip down the Station Road junction from the Market Place, if they wish to ever exit the town westward, and being this road is narrow with parking spaces, it’s become a two-way rat run, whereby the 20mph limit is considered only for “snowflakes.”ย
All of which could’ve been avoided if there was a thing called โplanning,โ whereby Station Road couldโve been reduced to one way coming out of the Market Place, and the single lane from the Brewery roundabout was used for coming into the Market Place. But no worries, because Wiltshire Council are talking about it. It’s not progress, is it? It’s more like poking a dead dog with a stick, hoping it might get up and run.
Is it time to start thinking about spring? I think so! Bath music promoters 7 Hills are moving their annual spring festival from the city to Trowbridgeโs Old Town Hall. If youโre already buzzing for the 2026 festival season to arrive, check this March offeringโฆ..
7 Hills regularly organise music events at The Night Jar in Bath, a glorious bar upstairs at the Bath Pizza Company, part of the hip Green Park Brasserie close to the railway station. Many gigs there have a โpay if canโ policy, and present the likes of Luke De-Sciscio, Elles Bailey and Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene. Their festivals are also usually held in Bath, but this coming year a spring one comes to Trowbridge.
Chris Hoar of Courting Ghosts explained he, โreached out to them initially to say I was planning a festival in the newly renovated Old Town Hall, just to check it didn’t clash with them, and Matt said let’s do it together in Trowbridge as a spring festival.โ
Concrete Prairie
Itโs an all day folk-rock festival, happening on Saturday 21st March, tickets are on sale now at ยฃ39.50. Thereโs a number of acts new to me on the lineup, which is good; The Delines, Our Man In The Field, Joseph Arthur, Hannah White, Leander Morales Music, Chris Greenhalgh, Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours and Biff Country. Some to tick off my must see list, like AQABA, and others which I will never tire of witnessing, particularly Concrete Prairie, Thieves, Fly Yeti Fly and Matt Owens, with Chrisโs band Courting Ghosts, of course!
Courting Ghosts
Following an extensive and transformative refurbishment, the historic Old Town Hall will host this inaugural 7 Hills Spring Festival, a landmark cultural event marking a renewed era of artistic ambition for the region. Conceived as a celebration of world-class songwriting and contemporary creative excellence, the festival assembles an exceptional line-up of internationally esteemed performers and compelling new voices.
The Delines headline, widely regarded as one of the most evocative and accomplished bands of their generation. Praised for their cinematic soul, lush arrangements and profoundly humane storytelling, critics have called The Delines โone of the finest Americana acts working todayโ and hailed their work as โexquisite, elegant and utterly transportive.โ Their appearance at 7 Hills Spring Festival promises a rare opportunity to witness a band consistently described as โamong the very best songwriters and performers on either side of the Atlantic.โ
They are joined by Our Man in the Field, whose transatlantic Americana and increasingly acclaimed live performances have captured audiences across Europe and beyond; the distinguished American singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur, celebrated for his poetic intensity; Matt Owens & The DVP, whose dynamic blend of modern folk, rock, and richly crafted lyricism promises one of the nightโs most electrifying sets; and multiple AMA UK Award Winner, Hannah White, widely recognised as one of Britainโs most profound contemporary songwriters. Rounding out the bill are Courting Ghosts, an emerging band whose growing reputation reflects a bold and distinctive artistic voice.
Fly Yeti Fly
Showcasing newly enhanced performance spaces, architectural restoration, and a revitalised artistic vision, the renewed Old Town Hall stands as a major cultural milestone. 7 Hills Spring Festival will not merely highlight the buildingโs transformation, but also usher in a bold new chapter for Trowbridgeโs cultural landscape.
With the absence of Bradford Roots Festival this coming year, usually in Feb at The Wiltshire Music Centre, I think I can pad it out until then; maybe go into hibernation until March!
Poulshot’s Award-winning chocolate studio Hollychocs is proud to launch a heartfelt charity campaign in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK, with a charming chocolateโฆ
Events with diversity, be they ethnic, cultural, or life choices, must be welcomed, encouraged and viewed positively as assets offering variety in our local calendarโฆ
Join the St Johnโs Choir and talented soloists for a heart-warming evening of festive favourites, carols, and candlelit Christmas atmosphere this Friday 12 th December at 7.30pm…..
The spectacular, and oldest church in Devizes, St Johnโs Church has a Christmas Concert on Friday with All proceeds go to Juliaโs House and St John’s Church.
Tickets are ยฃ10 for adults, free for accompanied children. Tickets are available via Ticketsource, Devizes Books, or by scanning the QR code in the poster below.
This afternoon I find myself contemplating what the future holds for historical discovery and learning for all ages, fun and educational exhibits and events in Wiltshire; and it looks positive! Devizes is blessed to have Wiltshire Museum already, but the future looks even better, the future isโฆ. Assizes!
Wiltshire Museum announced today, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded ยฃ8.5 million towards the ยฃ14.8 million Assizes for Devizes project to transform the derelict Assize Court building into a spectacular new home for the Museum. Derelict for decades, the once huge court house of architectural distinction, on the Heritage At Risk register, The Assize Court has been a sour issue for too long, and in its current condition is sadly an eyesore. The project will restore its historic features, and breathe new life into the building; Wiltshire Museum and in turn, Devizes will thrive.
Since 1874 The Wiltshire Museum has been delighting visitors at Long Street in Devizes, and is home to nationally important designated collections, including stunning treasures from the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site landscape. It also hosts many exhibits, educational events and lectures for all ages, childrenโs craft workshops and so much more.
Director of Wiltshire Museum David Dawson said, “we are delighted that the Heritage Fund has demonstrated its confidence in our plans to transform the former Devizes Assize Court into the new home for a reimagined Wiltshire Museum. At last we will be able to give the museumโs internationally significant collections a fitting home, while rescuing an important at-risk listed building and providing a focal point for town centre renewal. We are grateful to National Lottery players, our loyal members and our other funders, existing and future, for their commitment and support.โ
Peter Troughton, CVO CBE, Chair of Devizes Assize Court Trust, which initially saved the building by purchasing it in 2018 with the support of generous donors, said, โthe National Lottery Heritage Fund award to the Wiltshire Museum is fantastic news! It will transform the museum, save the historic Assize Court building and give the people of Devizes a community hub like no other. It will be an enormous help to the campaign to achieve the vision for the award-winning museum, already supported by the town, Wiltshire County Council and leading charitable foundations.โ
My apologies, for Marlboroughโs singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโs debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโs more than worth a quick mentionโฆ..
Gus White is a respected folk musician, record producer, festival organiser, and community maker with a deep love for the rooted and the heartfelt. His production credits are the string that ties together an emerging scene that refers to itself as Third Wave Folk, involving a collective of artists which record with Gus at his Wiltshire studio. This includes microtonal and genre-fluid rising-star Maddie Ashman, folk singer Minna, and UK folk-charting artist Ann Liu Cannon. The latter is our connection, fondly reviewing Ann Liuโs album Clever Rabbits back in July.ย
Though, in the short wintery month this album has been simmering itโs made number twenty-six on the Official Folk Album Charts, making Gus rightfully charting too. An initial listen from yours truly and I can understand why. I do declare it as instant as Douwe Egbertsโ Pure Gold, only in rapture rather than coffee! Itโs chock full of cool vibes, that breezy feelgood Sunday morning acoustic which is too darn soothing itโs impossible to criticise. As for Gusโs barista skills, Iโve no confirmation, but going on his music, I could take a wild guess heโs a tea fellow.
Eleven songs strong, put the kettle on yourself, and allow Gus to get on doing his sublime thing! Thereโs no rise and fall, the melodies flow like the Iguazu Falls. If I pick out individual elements into Gusโs melting pot, like the doo-wop-ish structure of middle-track Terrible Things, the bluesy guitar picking in the following song, Head Held High, or jazz drum percolate in Please, Forgive Me, theyโre all so subtly placed. If Gus defines it Third Wave Folk, thatโs what it is; a composition borrowing from Americana and English folk, but neither whole; a gorgeous cherrypick from both. It has the universal folk-rock feel of Goerge Harrison and Cat Stevens, and is equally as uplifting.
Though some themes are negative, the overall ambience is pessimistic; if youโve a bad day, so what? Watch the rain trickle down the window outside with that lukewarm brew in a slightly stained chipped mug, listen to this and contemplate, life goes on, youโre rising above it.
If the penultimate song on For Now, Anyway, After So Long is rinsed in a dejected romantic memory, Gus carries it as skilled as Tom Petty, and the final song Still Learning lifts the spirit one final time like a contemporary Dr Hook, with that beguiling cheerful chorus. It departs your ears leaving you aching for more; a beautifully and skilled production from someone who comes across as a modest genius tea-drinker. Gus produced, mixed and mastered For Now, Anyway, a defining statement as a songwriter and a prime example of his meticulous production work.
Image: Jeremey Prout
Authentic too; recorded in 2021, with a live band of friends and local musicians, Gus White approached this stunning album like any other project, stating he was โtrying to capture the magic, and the essence, of the song in a single live performance, in the way real instruments and human voices blend when left to their own devices.โ
Gus, also a member of folk band Dead Pages, is co-organiser of Late Spring Folk Festival, which celebrated its third iteration this summer at Dummer Down Brewery near Micheldever, since forming at a Wiltshire pub venue. This yearโs is Saturday 23rd May. If he showcases this album there itโs worth the reasonable ticket stub alone.
For Now, Anyway is out now on Man Made Tigers. Available to buy on CD & vinyl exclusively from Sound Knowledge in Marlborough and is available across streaming platforms. Donโt procrastinate like me, as Iโm sorry I did now Iโve heard it.
I want Devizine to be primarily about arts and entertainment, but Iโm often pathetically persuaded by bickering political factions to pass opinion on localโฆ
Photo credit: ยฉ Rondo Theatre Company / Jazz Hazelwood A gender-queered production of William Shakespeareโs classic play, โThe Taming of the Shrewโ, will beโฆ
The first full album by Wiltshireโs finest purveyors of psychedelic indie shenanigans, Clock Radio, was knocked out to an unsuspecting world last week. Itโsโฆ
Bradford-on-Avon Town Councilโs annual festival, aptly titled The Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival is back this weekend, championing local talent with an eclecticโฆ
Having to unfortunately miss Devizesโ blues extravaganza on Friday, I crossed the borderline on Saturday to get my prescribed dosage of Talk in Codeโฆwith a Pet Shop Boys tribute thrown in for good measureโฆ..
Two classic tracks into their set at Frome’s little sister venue to the Cheese & Grain, The Tree House, Pet Shop Boys, Actually from Shropshire hailed their support act as better than them. Self-deprecating isn’t unheard of, rare for music acts, but the bottom line is, I’ve heard far worse tributes than The Pet Shop Boys, Actually, actually.ย
For Talk in Code, though, it was an accolade fully deserved, as they did what they do as fantastic as ever, and thrilled more than their fanbase at the modest venue. The other attendees, there for classic pop they cherish, found Talk in Code fitted like a glove, despite their songs being original, because they have a timeless universal appeal, and their uniqueย synth-pop spin on indie provides it with a defining eighties feel.
Itโs an ideal opportunity to reopen the perpetual debate I have with myself over the worth of tribute acts, even cover bands too, against those producing original music. Like any tribute act, the value of their performance hinges predominantly on the individual and their association with the act theyโre attributing. Whether a tribute act is good is far more subjective than an original act; based upon personal reflection. โItโs comfort music,โ Talk in Code guitarist Snedds expressed to me outside the venue; agreed, personally Iโm impartial to The Pet Shop Boys, therefore passably comforted.
They broke through in the middle of electronica. I brought and loved my 7โ of West End Girls in 85, others did too as it hit number one, and the duo walked away with awards. Though the Pet Shop Boys created their own take on electronica, much like Madness did with Two-Tone, were hugely successful with it, and again like Madness, they continued the template way past the trend fizzling the competition out. Such a practice causes division, you attain a fan following, whereas mild observers tend to consider if the uniformed style gets repetitive, especially over decades. Iโm of that mindset, hence my impartiality.
So here at this rather snazzy tree house, carpeted and significantly more congenial, hospitable than the big cheese, but smaller and rather more conventional than Fromeโs hipster and counterculture reputation, being situated within a housing estate fashioned sports bar, The Vine Tree, a fair crowd of Pet Shop Boys diehards gathered amidst regulars and โTalkersโ for a cracking night in a nice, welcoming and universal pub.
Often to miss the support act is unfortunate, for this gig it wouldโve been sacrilege. Talk in Code were on fire as ever, blasting out their cheerful tunes, frontman Chris wiggling moves in his Adidas uniform and rightfully boasting of their success at The Wiltshire Music Awards, outside our county! Itโs a lively show I will never tire of, and if I have to witness tribute acts too, if by some miracle I make eighty, will someone please wheel me over to a tribute act show to Talk in Code?!
As for The Pet Shop Boys, Actually, prior I considered if The Pet Shop Boys is quite a simple act to make a tribute from, compared to other eighties acts; call up a proficient keyboardist, buy him a BOY cap, don a tuxedo and white scarf and play musical statues! Although they tended to lightheartedly play their accomplishment down, they made a brilliant job out of it. As those pop classics came through adept and nimble, I paused to consider if my opinion of the Pet Shop Boys isnโt a smidgen harsh; through the splendour of this tribute I saw them in a refined light, and that is a true sign of a proficient tribute act, and their worth.
Interestingly, they adopted a female singer too, to soften the vocals to match Neil Tennantโs camp tones, and to play the incredibly tricky part of Dusty Springfield for What Have I Done to Deserve This? Likely the trickiest part of the show. To my approval, Pet Shop Boys, Actually covered a Beloved track too, a kind of raverโs answer to The Pet Shop Boys, and they thumped out the newer, technologically progressed tunes after a workout of eighties classics, and returned to the hits for an outstanding finale; someone get me one of those jackets that looks like I got stuck in a carwash!
If you go to see a tribute act with expectations of precisely recreating the magnitude of the original act, youโre an idiot and will be let down in most cases! If you go to see a tribute act open-mindedly, with your priority on having fun, nine times out of ten you will, especially if you hold a passion for the act being attributed. Use your noddle, donโt see Pet Shop Boys Actually if you’re hoping for a tribute to Slipknot, but do if you like The Pet Shop Boys, and youโll find theyโre really rather good!
by Ian Diddamsimages by Chris Watkins Performing Sondheim isnโt the simplest of tasks. Or, rather, singing Sondheim isnโt the simplest of tasks. With his dissonantโฆ
The phenomenally talented Ruby Darbyshire is performing at Silverwood School in Rowde on 27th June. Ruby has kindly offered to support Silverwood Schoolโs open evening…..โฆ
Adam Woodhouse, Rory Coleman-Smith, Jo Deacon and Matt Hughes, aka Thieves, the wonderful local folk vocal harmony quartet of uplifting bluegrass into country-blues has aโฆ
This summer David is returning with a brand-new show “Historyโs Missing Chapters”, a show made to uncover why, throughout history, some people and events haveโฆ
No, I didnโt imagine for a second they would, but upcoming Take the Stage winners, alt-rock emo four-piece, Butane Skies have released their second song, but itโs not a Christmas song, noโฆ.
If youโve had enough debating if Die Hard is a Christmas film with the family, when obviously nothing says Christmas like Hanz Gruber falling from the Nakatomi Plaza, maybe try this stocking filler for size; Not a Christmas Song isnโt a Christmas song, not a jingle bell or a Noddy Holder to hear here. I didnโt ask Santa for a Christmas song anyway.
It is, though, marvellously negative about the commercialisation and the absence of snow, wrapped wonderfully in a theme of seasonal romantic disruption. Oh, but it has the subtlest hints of Yule in reference; folky and in the odd twinkling piano riff, so not entirely a thrashed punk anti-Christmas feel neither. As ironically as Alanis Morissette, and as proficient as her too.
If The Pouges & Kirstyโs seasonal offering was subtle but pimped somewhere along the lines by commercial radio, Butane Skies takes the disguised holly and mistletoe to another level. You could listen to this in June without being told off; clever concept, but then, the composition of the song is equally a stroke of genius and it rolls out all rather wonderfully. Take a listen, thereโs no partridges in pear trees yet.
Under the new management, live music will be making a triumphant return to The Boathouse in Bradford-on-Avon and that Cracking Pair, Claire and Chloe ofโฆ
Always a happy place, our traditional record shop Vinyl Realm in Northgate Street Devizes is back in the game of hosting some live music afternoons.โฆ
One of Wiltshireโs Best by Andy Fawthrop Looking for something to do next weekend? One of Wiltshireโs biggest festivals is happening just up the roadโฆ
Ooo, a handclap uncomplicated chorus is the hook in Lady Ladeโs latest offering of soulful pop. Itโs timelessly cool and snappy, but holds a deeper narrativeโฆ..
Released at the end of November, One of Us is an uplifting song of hope against the odds. Raised by her grandparents, Bristolโs sublime songstress Lady Nade often references losing them in her songwriting. Speaking about after their passing, she explained, “at times these years felt more like survival trying to navigate chaos. โOne Of Usโ was written from that time when I didnโt always feel safe. I was trying to make sense of grief, and find what it meant to belong.โ
โOne of Us is about trying to free myself from the toxic cycles and patterns that I now know only encouraged me to feel negative emotions and in turn held me back from trying to become a better version of myself,โ Lady Nade continued. But its beauty lies, not in the personal reflection, but the interpersonal effect, the value of others identifying with the words. โThis is not just my anthem song,โ she said, โit is for anyone who has ever had to rebuild themselves from the inside out, or is still on that journey of aiming to become the best version of themselves.โ
I donโt exaggerate nor flatter, even if she did give me a wonderful hug when she played at the Devizes Arts Festival! Lady Nade isnโt comparable to other singers on the southwest circuit, her extraordinarily deep vocal range rather puts her on par with Nina Simone, of whom she often pays a respectable homage to. She takes this soulful new single around the UK, then is debuting it in Kansas and Canada; we wish her luck, but on the strength of this single, I think itโs in the pocket!ย
If weโve had a keen eye on Swindonโs Sienna Wilemanโs natural progression as an upcoming singer-songwriter since being introduced to her self-penned songs via herโฆ
One of Salisburyโs most celebrated acoustic folk-rock singer-songwriters Lucas Hardy teams up with the Wiltshire cityโs upcoming talent who’s name is on everyoneโs lips, Rosieโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages byย Chris Watkins Media One could argue that Anne Frank is possibly the most well-known civilian of the WW2 years, and certainly ofโฆ
On the first day of advent, a time of peace and joy to the world et al, Devizes Police report on a โlarge unlicenced music eventโ at the weekend, (spelling mistake included) in Great Cheverell. Am I the only fifty-something who’s thinking โgreat, let them be?!โ Not according to Facebook commentsโฆ..
UME they called it. UME? It was a rave, wasn’t it?! Perish the thought calling it a rave might encourage a resurgence of nineties skullduggery, when we partied without a care in the fields of England. Freedom of expression and the need to take a moment to enjoy life I favour to deem it, during an era of hyperinflation, playing the blame game after committing financial suicide, with media promoting a facist uprising, and a government labelling anyone who campaigns against genocide a terrorist. Can we let our hair down here, mate? Not on your Nelly, I’m confiscating your hi-fi!
โOfficers were called to reports of the event at approximately 12.50am on November 30th,โ they said. In other words, some comfortable living, curtain-twitching huckmucker got their knickers in a twist that they might not be able to hear a pin drop in their chocolate box village, for one lone night out of a kazillion.ย
โThere were approximately 100-150 people present and a moderately advanced set up with generators, large speakers and stage area,โ the Devizes Police report informed Facebook users,ย and G&H reporter Jason jumped the bandwagon for further hopeful outcry and clickbait. Hold on a cotton-picking minute;ย didn’t they call it โlarge?โ At the summit of the rave era in 1992, 40,000 revellers attended Castlemorton; let’s keep this in perspective, eh? It wasn’t a rave or a โlarge UME,โ it was some friends throwing a party, wasn’t it?! You can fit more people into the Devizes Conservative Club!
Sensationalism continued upon the announcement, โthree people have been arrested for drug related offences.โ Hold the front page. Police could make more arrests for drugs on a single night in any of our town centres, and you know this.
Though it is with great respect for the police, we gratefully hear externally that they turned up three times but the event was allowed to continue. โDue to the event taking place on MOD land, officers liaised with the military, and an effective plan was put in place to minimise the disruption to the local community and address the illegal gathering,โ the Police continued.
And that’s the correct action to take in my honest and experienced opinion. Police providing a presence is usually welcomed for the need of safety and advice. No one really wants to piss off the neighbours, they just want to party.
โOn this occasion, we seized a large amount of sound equipment and generators from the site,โ they also said, which is a shame, because such equipment is expensive and it undermines the motivation to put such events on. Do police confiscate the horns and hounds of the Beaufort Hunt as they rampage across the countryside slaughtering wildlife for kicks?
I raved through acid house and into jungle, and no matter how many years rack up between those happy daze and now, I can never comprehend how or why the authorities concluded we were doing as much harm as they claimed we were. Sure, it was rebellious, it was unlicensed, and uncontrolled, but we policed ourselves, we tided up afterwards, we respected the land and the residents too.
It was only later, post Castlemorton, when the government clamped down, restricted us, and forcibly closed down parties that anarchy and anger against the system ensued, just as did in the early eighties with the free festival scene. Let’s learn from our mistakes and prevent history repeating, again.
The trick surely is then, to call a compromise, accept that people want to party and not all can afford festival tickets, and allow these events some leeway. For there’s a lot worse they could be doing. Judging by the positive comments on these reportsโ shares on Facebook, I’m not alone in that notion.
Being honest with myself though, I’m unsure if I’m more hacked off with police confiscating the equipment or the fact I didn’t go myself, but really, who needs an Uncle Albert in the corner, reciting his memories of parties of yore?!!ย
Ohโฆa slice of onion from my bratwurst plopped into my mulled wine; where does one go to complain about this?! Other than that, Devizes Town Council and DOCA’s Winter Festival was the best one for many years, officially opening yuletide in Devizesโฆ..
Over time the simple premise of switching the Christmas tree lights on has become a large-scale event which differs in traditions from town to town, possibly competitive even. Some here envy the Sham’s monstrosity of an electronic tree sculpture, others favour our real tree. Wotton Bassett hosts great lively rock bands, like Barrelhouse this year. But while I love those guys, nothing says Christmas to me more than Devizes Town Band brassing off the seasonal Shakin Stevens classic. And, face it, Trowbridgeโs lantern parade was an idea they nicked from us, which we may/may not have pinched from Chinese New Year, but who’s splitting hairs?!
In the modern era I’ve no experience of other town’s shenanigans in which to compare Devizesโ efforts with. I just know and am more than content with the spectacular show we stage here. A massive well done and thanks to all involved, it was a magnificent occasion, much better than last and other previous years.
To start at the end, fireworks were welcomed back after last year’s dubious light show replacement. Despite them being dubbed โsilent fireworksโ the effect was near equally impressive. Perhaps Fantasy Radio blasting out the decibels made up for the lack of explosions, and everyone’s dogs could join in the fun. I thought the radio couldโve been turned down a notch, during intervals of the Devizes Town Band playing, to enhance them when they did, but thereโs no telling radio DJs!
And as for light shows, St John’s looked absolutely magnificent. It’s one thing to project images onto a wall, it’s another to use it to compliment a 900 year old beautiful church, where children and PTAs usually just collect their lanterns and wait in relative darkness!
The Market Place was also transformed into a visual feast, a bustling market with plenty of food and drink options. Devizes Town Band proudly showcased on a grand stage was a new great idea, and excited faces of all ages gathered to watch the lantern parade. It is a wonderful, popular family occasion, this year being one of the very best.
The town came out to play. Folk gathered at the end of the lantern parade by The Corn Exchange, though, were unfenced and naturally pushed forward so Santa’s sleigh on a trailer was forced to stop there and let the lantern bearers pass behind it, rather than park sensibly by the stage. This was the only technical error, as their view of the lanterns were now obscured by Father Christmas and the Mayor offloading with a stepladder! But Devizes is Devizes, and we retain our astute sense of humour regardless. As Santa dismounted and the lanterns passed behind, folk shouted in jest, โget out of the way Santa!โ โYou can’t park there!โ and โit’s not all about you!!โ
And from the basic children’s lanterns to the regular spaceman, chickens and even the odd Minecraft Ghast, the parade swept through the Market Place gloriously, and we cheered Father Christmas as we counted down the moment the tree lights would glitter and Christmas in Devizes begins for another year.
But it’s not just about wandering through the stalls, deciding what food and drink to treat yourself to and perhaps buying fudge, or auntie a jar of chilli jam, because while you did, entertaining street theatre and glittery ladies on stilts (who I failed to pick up the phone numbers of) bustled through.
The best had to be those giant stockings moving around and charming the kids with puppet bears chatting; that was a stroke of genius. I know if I was five and saw that I’d probably have wet myself with excitement, but now I’m fifty-somethingโฆwell, best check for a wet patch just to be certain!! No, that was a mulled wine spillage as a piece of onion plopped into it; thought I’d told you that?!
I did bump into Santa though who was off-duty and, at the time, mysteriously carrying a stepladder. Being as I’ve been good-ish all year, I acted like I’d met Mick Jagger and posed for a photo with him; a quality occurrence which made my night!
But it wasn’t any one element of the event which made it, it was the colossal show they staged, all the elements so well coordinated and coming together in unity which caused this to be so magical. The expressions of joy on children and drunkโs faces was priceless and from the maker’s market to the teacup rides, everyone seemed to be having fun, even the weather was agreeable!
If I was triggered in the week by Facebook whingers witch-hunting DOCA, the newspaper reporting it, or anyone else they could blame, (like, bizarrely, Americans) for their own agitations at the name of this event, for not, apparently, being religious enough, and I said I hope they donโt come if they were only to wine-hole, Iโve changed my mind. I wish they did come now. Theyโd have seen for themselves the evening had plenty of Christmas spirit and Christmassy elements to it, whilst embracing many other aspects of winter too, and nobody really gave thought or the slightest botheration to its name, they just wanted to enjoy the moment. And they did.
The work that went into this by all involved, mostly volunteers, was absolutely incredible, and I hope it will pave the way for a new chapter in the work of DOCA, of which Devizes should be grateful and proud.
So, until next year weโll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree, letting the Christmas spirit ring, having pumpkin pie, later, and possibly doing some caroling; if thatโs still not Christmassy enough for disgruntled keyboard warriors next year Iโll dress up as the Archangel Gabriel, if they so wish, so they can winch me up and suspend me across the Market Place where everyone below will see my Grinch boxersโฆ.donโt tempt me!!
Trowbridge singer-songwriter and one third of The Lost Trades, Phil Cooper has actually been doing more than playing solitaire, heโs released a new soloโฆ
An effervescent musical, full of promising young talent Written by: Melissa Loveday Images by: Gail Foster After the success of SIX last year, Devizesโฆ
A photo is circulating on X of Calne’s Reform UK candidate Violette Simpson, which for some reason doesn’t appear on her election campaign….I wonderโฆ
Big congratulations to Devizes DJ Greg Spencer this week, the creator of Palooza house nights at The Exchange nightclub, for he made the prestigiousโฆ
This is why I love you, my readers, see?! At the beginning of the week I put out an article highlighting DOCAโs Winter Festival, and included everything else going on in town this coming weekend, as side attractions. It was as well received as ever and no one on its social media shares thought to question the eventโs name. Today Gazette & Herald reporter Jason Hughes followed suit, but its shares received a barrel load of terribly misinformed and exasperating comments from keyboard warriors who wouldnโt know the true meaning of Christmas if it slapped them in the chilling wintery chops; which, maybe it should!
Bag of coal for those ranting that it should be called a โChristmas Festival.โ Why not just go, enjoy it, make of it what you wish, call it whatever you wish, and not worry what other people want to call it?!
Foremost, I feel a smidgen sorry for Jason, if he reads the Facebook piffle on his articles, as the paper is slammed there for calling it โWinter Festival.โ Someone plucked Americans from the sky and blamed them, one even ingeniously used an emoji of a bell and wrote โendโ next to it; is there no limit to that guyโs wit?! Jason is working from a brief, you spanners! The organisers, DOCA, are calling it Winter Festival, as they have rightfully done for years, not the newspaper.
Maybe they choose to do so because it’s too early for Christmas. Perhaps to make it open and inviting to all. Which, I’m sorry to the keyboard warriors, but I thought that’s what the season was all about?! Or are you all more clued up about Christianity than the Gospel of Luke, who told of angels chanting “peace and goodwill to all men” at the birth of Jesus?
Father Christmas will be there, a Christmas tree, and lots of other representations of Christmas too; not that they have anything to actually do with the birth of Jesus, and more to do with what was there before it. There was a midwinter festival for hundreds of years before its Christianisation. No one really knows when Jesus was born, or if he was at all. Yuletide, or winter solstice was a convenient time for Christianity to adopt, and claim it as the birth of Christ, because folk celebrated around that time already. Nearly everything in traditional Christmas symbolism represents the ancient folk festival, from trees, mistletoe, even Father Christmas himself!
But the bottom line and most important point is, atheists and people of other religions have absolutely no gripe, issue or even the slightest complaint about Christmas! They embrace it, many celebrate it too, across the entire globe. The idea that someone is attempting to โtake Christmas away,โ or ban it, is only a rhetoric invented by those wanting to spread hate and prejudice; is that the Christmas message you wish to purvey to others? What happened to joy to the world?!
Bar Humbug, itโs all complete hogwash, but likely the reason for the bitingly bitter comments added to the Gazette’s social media shares; Facebook is a toxic playground for so-called adults. The organisers want to call it the Winter Festival, for whatever reason, and that is their prerogative. No one is stopping you, or are even suggesting stopping you from referring to it as a Christmas Festival, if thatโs what you wish to do.
And lastly, no one is forcing you to attend! Probably best you donโt if youโre going to walk around it as grumpy as the Grinch; or this just your Facebook persona? If so, it doesn’t look good on you, nor is it in spirit of the season. Here’s hoping three ghosts will visit you on Christmas Eve!
The creative process can be a winding, long, and often confusing journey. Seeing a project come to fruition from scrappy origin to a packaged, marketable, and well-rounded piece of work can feel daunting – or even impossible. It took Gus White six years of honing his production skills, amassing an arsenal of musical machinery, and developing a community of talented musicians to bring his album โFor Now, Anywayโ into existence….
At its core, itโs a breakup album, which could feel strange to complete and release so far after the original โbreakโ, but speaking to Gus it appears the space has allowed him to finish the album at a much more present and content time in his life. Heโs settled into a different existence โ heโs in a new relationship, heโs a dog owner, and has played a large role in building a thriving music scene across the venues, pubs, and houses of Wiltshire.
This brings us to the Smithy Art Forgery in Burbage, a kooky yet loveable cultural venue operating out of a 375-year-old house that currently operates as a jeweller. Located on the side of a quiet village road, itโs adorned with nondescript street parking, burgers served off a BBQ, and vegetable curry to order made in the ownerโs kitchen.ย
Itโs these types of places that are few and far between according to Gus โ a true grassroots venue for musicians, a haven from playing dusty forgotten corners of pubs where the landlord and patrons donโt even really want you there anyway. It was why it was there on the 14th of September that Gus hosted his album release party.
Taking place in the back garden of the venue, attendees were seated under a marquee packed with various sofas, stools, and garden furniture that faced onto an embankment where the stage was set. Copious instruments lay there waiting, tucked underneath an array of tarpaulin and teepees to shield them and the musicians from the bipolar weather conditions of the changing season.
The atmosphere was intimate โ maybe fewer than 100 in attendance โ but one that felt lively and far from empty. Friends of friends of friends made happy introductions and chats to one another, waiting for the music to start. Two support acts opened the day. First, a solo and entrancing guitar performance from Grace Elizabeth Harvey, followed by a sort of double act from Ann Liu Cannon and Esmรฉ White, the two swapping between lead vocal spots all the while backed by a mandolin player โ the first of many off-kilter instruments to litter the performances.ย
Then it was Gusโs turn to play. The performance brought about the live, interactive feel of the album, with a high range of instruments on display โ trombones, sublime guitar passages, the double bass, a kazoo solo, and even a set of pots and pans, just to name a few. The music felt sonically based in the past, a careful homage to folk and rock formats from americana, country and indie, exhibiting a range of influence from the 50s all the way to the 70s. Despite its seemingly traditional backdrop, the performance was unmistakably modern, with the lyrics carrying the music firmly into the present. Packed with new-age irony and technological references, Gusโs dry, irreverent humour was centre stage throughout the performance, both in the songs and in his preambles โ though this didnโt disguise the sincerity of the music or the performer. Balanced amongst the tongue-in-cheek lyrics were very straight to the point personal accounts of his former relationship, that through their intense and biographical nature revealed a relatability that would be shrouded behind overt poeticism. Though typically robust and amusing, Gusโs songwriting shows a capability of reaching into the elegiac also. The solo encore of โJosephineโ makes the case for Gusโs well-roundedness as a song smith; a poetry laden tribute to his partner that drew much of its effect from its earnestness and folk-style imagery.
Gus closed the concert with a rendition of โPlease Forgive Meโ, a rousing finish that allowed each band member their moment to show off, before the crowd sung the concert to a finish. It felt an appropriate end, where Gus, the producer, allowed others to have their moment through his handiwork, sitting back and revelling in the fun of it all. For a set of songs about breaking up, Gus seemed married to the moment, an artist revealing himself at a perfect time to a welcoming group of friends and strangers alike.
Melksham & Devizes Conservatives released a statement on the 7th April explaining an internal audit revealed one of their candidates was โnot qualified by residenceโฆ
Last month we were pleased to announce our involvement with the new Wiltshire Music Awards in conjunction with Wiltshire Events UK, details of which areโฆ
And there was me thinking nothing good comes out of a Monday! Today local bistro Soupchick, popular in the Devizesโ Shambles opened their second branch,โฆ
Stuffed my dinner, scanned the brief, headlonged out the door, forgot about the road diversion into the Market Place, made a u-turn, arrived at Wiltshireโฆ
It was a fantastically successful opening night for Devizes Musical Theatre at Dauntseyโs School for their latest show, Disneyโs Beauty and the Beast, and Iโฆ
Whoโs ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lantern Parade opens in the Market Place; excited?! Well, I say magically, it actually takes a lot of hard work to put on; thank you to DOCA and all the volunteers. A spokesperson for DOCA was confident things were all good last week, and was only worried about the weather forecastโฆ..
At present my thoroughly unreliable weather app suggests a 43% chance of rain, but keep your glass of mulled wine half full at least, thatโs considerably less than 50%, and going on current climate, the rain is sporadic and light. DOCA promises the festival to be โour most enchanting yet, with a full day and evening of festivities, creative workshops, stunning street performances, and a mesmerizing lantern parade.โ Looking into it with a bit more detail and including everything else going on might yet put me on the good list!
The grand finale, the Lantern Parade & Fireworks details firstly. Father Christmas will be making a special appearance at St. Johnโs Churchyard from 5:30pm to 6:10pm. At 6pm the parade gathers at St. Johnโs Church Gate. 6:15pm the parade starts, winding through the town centre. 7pm is the Light Switch-On at The Market Place. 7:05pm there will be silent fireworks, best viewed from The Market Place; Iโve not seen silent fireworks before, certainly not heard them!
As is tradition, Devizes Town Band will entertain while the Market Place will be alive with market stalls, tasty tucker and drinks, and shopping opportunities. The Makery Market will be showcasing unique, handmade treasures from local crafters and makers from 12 noon to 8:30pm Friday, and from 11am to 6pm on Saturday, at the Corn Exchange.
The beloved winter warmer, DOCAโs famous mulled wine stall will be running on Friday only, from noon to 8:30pm. Of course, lots of our shops, cafes and bars will remain open. Someone did post a request for a list of shops staying open on local Facebook groups, like they canโt do this without Google Maps! You got legs? Use them! Be like Dora and explore! But hey, hereโs what we knowโฆ..
The Shambles is a magical place at Christmas, with projections by Young Urban Digitals & PF Events, a specially created animated light artwork made by local young people. Savannah Sweets, Biddles, SoupChick and Sunabody Care pottery and bodycare will be open. Cositas Bonitas, The Healthy Life and many other shops will stay open late across town. Cafes too, including the new beauty salon come cafe, Velvet & Bloom, and hot rum totty outside The Muck and Dunder.
Thereโs a mystery โlive bandโ outside The Pour House, and a choir concert at St Andrewโs Church. The Unpredictables at The Three Crowns comes highly recommended, DJ Random at The Southgate too, and a Lantern Parade Disco Party at The Pelican Inn. Snow White is the running panto at The Wharf Theatre, and itโs brilliant!
From 5pm onwards, find some spectacular street performances around the Market Place. Bristolโs infamous roaming band, The Ambling Band will bring infectious energy with their blend of pink and brass. The Glitter Belles are dazzling high-rise performers with sculptural creations straight from the 1970s disco era. Keep your eyes peeled for Stockings Up, a pair of gigantic Christmas stockings bursting with presents and magically strolling around town, two women on stilts covered head to toe in glitter ball costumes and silver glitter, a woman in a red coat talking to a puppet bear in a larger than life sized Christmas stocking and The Flying Buttresses, an illuminated tree with books that light up attached.
From 4 to 8:30pm find, at St. Johnโs Churchyard, an Illuminated Garden, an enchanted world of light and magic with stunning lanterns created by DOCA community workshops. Another light installation will be Chirp & Drift by Kathy Hinde, a mesmerizing installation where illuminated instruments chatter in Morse code messages, accompanied by gentle harmonies from accordion reeds hidden within. After a few glasses of mulled wine you might also be chattering in Morse code!
Also look out for an old piano also by Kathy Hinde, a kinetic sound sculpture with videos of birds projected onto the strings, and Emergency Exit Artsโ Giant butterflies; but remember, a giant butterfly is for life, not just for Christmas.
Creative Workshops also feature. Wellard & Wild Botanical Workshops on Friday 28th at various times. From Kokedama to terrariums, epiphytes to festive wreaths, learn traditional methods to create beautiful botanical designs. Contemporary Wreath Making on Friday 28th from 2pm to 5pm at The Ceres Hall of the Corn Exchange, where you can create your own stunning, brightly-coloured wreath using repurposed plastics, berries, and sequins. Learn millinery flower-making techniques with accomplished maker Nancy Rose Stott. And there is Tin Can Brooch Making on Sunday 30th from 2pm to 5pm, at The Southgate Inn, where you can design and sew a unique brooch using reclaimed materials.
Donโt forget the Window Wanderland Trail, running from Friday 28th November to Monday 1st December. For more info on all this and to book workshops, check out DOCA website. For everything else going on locally, keep this frequency clear and love Devizine!
Other stuff going on: Saturday thereโs a jumble sale in St Andrewโs Church. A clothes swap in The Shambles. Lights Switch On in Waiblingen Way. Innes Sibun is at The Southgate, the Buzzing Fridges at The Three Crowns, and The Liverpool Echoes at The Conservative Club.
Letโs get Christmassy; cue the Shakinโ Stevens, children playing, having fun, it’s the season, love and understanding, but not too much snow falling please, Shaky!
One part of Swindon was in perfect harmony last night, and I donโt mean the traffic circumnavigating the Magic Roundabout. Rather The Lost Trades were at the Hop in Old Town, honouring a postponed gig from Septemberโฆ..
SoP Live, who run a regular Thursday night music club at The Castle, plenty of other gigs, and coordinate the Swindon Shuffle and Swinterfest, arranged this eveningโs entertainment at The Hop, the largest of pubs on the Devizes Road area of Old Town with the perfect upstairs function room to turn into a temporary folk club.
A slight music appreciation collective gathered, seated and respectfully keen to value live music of this calibre. On previous occasions when the Lost Trades played here, organiser Ed Dyer explained, โwere packed out,โ and factors of the lesser crowd were discussed; it couldโve been because it was rescheduled. While free pub gigs thrive equally to overpriced pop star concerts, add even the smallest price to less mainstream acts, as this gig did, sadly seems can reduce its attraction. What we all need to be mindful of is the safety net; dedicated and erudite promoters like SoP guarantee tried and tested acts, ergo paying a small ticket stub is worthwhile for a better class of live music than a pub throwing any old band in for peanuts. Ah, you get what you pay for, but to disregard this notion is to lose venues and promoters. The saddest thing is, that is happeningโฆ.now. Support them, or become a skint Swifty, your choice.
Whilst Jamie R Hawkins and Phil Cooper of The Lost Trades are no strangers to playing a pub gig solo, the key to the Lost Trades works best at folk festivals and clubs, and arts centres. It is fantastic to think this local export is nationwide now, and judging on their performance last night, something Iโve not caught for what seems like an age, itโs thoroughly deserved. Thereโs a sense of elevation in their delivery of these soothing vocal harmonies, a consistent strive of improvement, which if it isnโt at its peak now, the summit would be on an angelic level.
Such a while it has been, Tamsin Quin left the trio and has been replaced by Jess Vincent, and I was yet to see that working live, despite fondly mentioning their latest single, Float Me On Your River. As well as performing some other new songs, they opened with this, and notwithstanding Tamsin has a distinguishable voice, Jess makes the quintessential substitution, an exemplar to the ethos of The Lost Trades. Her wonderful vocal range and proficient percussion complement Phil and Jamieโs expressions on equal terms as Tamsinโs, and so The Lost Trades are once again at the top of their game.
And a sublime performance it was, but not before a support act new to me played a divine set of fiddle, guitar and occasional loop pedal folk covers. Half of One is a Swindon duo, fiddler Geoff Roberts and guitarist Neil Mercer, and theyโve played together in folk band SGO who recently disbanded, and who Iโm well aware of, and dance band Cowshed Ceilidh Collective. We were treated to some gorgeous English folk pieces, others from the likes of Sam Sweeny, Show of Handsโ Steve Knightly, and a wonderfully delivered Great War song for Remembrance I missed the name of and cannot find online! It was a spellbinding support, which couldโve been the headline for any folk club.
As folk, The Lost Trades have always stated itโs โmodern folk,โ and with electric guitars and some subject matter I see this, but thereโs something uniquely captivating about them which makes it timeless and conjures images of The Carter Family. I may not have been lucky enough to have seen The Everley Brothers or Simon & Garfunkel, but The Lost Trades are vocal harmony perfection to me!
Available at Devizes Books, or message Devizine for a copy!
Renowned Devizes auctioneers and valuers, Henry Aldridge and Son announced today they are relocating their auction rooms to The Old Emporium, a Grade IIโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ann Ellison. What can possibly be better than watching a performance of โBlood Brothersโ by Willy Russell? Watching TWO performancesโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Josie Mae Ross and Richard Fletcher John Hodge is well known for his screenwriting of โShallow Graveโ, โThe Beachโ, โAโฆ
Treated to a sneaky dress rehearsal of this year’s pantomime at Devizesโ one and only Wharf Theatre last night, if forced to sum it up in a word, the word would be โdelightfulโฆ..โ
With Ian dedicated to all things theatrical here on Devizine, panto is reserved for my tuppence; that has become as much a Christmas tradition as Brussel sprouts! Snow White is the choice to loosely base the crazy and fun shenanigans around this time, and while I usually attend just to announce what a treat you’ll miss out on unless you’ve a ticket, this time the Wharf has doubled the run to a fortnight, so it’s not sold out … .yet. The question remains, is it worth your while?
The answer is not hiding behind you. Oh, yes it is! Of course it’s worthwhile, silly!
The time, dedication and professionalism which goes into each and every pantomime at the Wharf is something the team behind them should be proud of. This year sees some unity with various local theatre groups, and their talents bless the show. โThis year we see people coming from Stagecoach, Potterne Panto, Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatics Society, Centre Stage Dance Academy, Devizes Musical Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, and Melksham Music and Drama,โ director and chairman of The Wharf Theatre, Pete Winterton informed, and with additional scriptwriting from Helen Pritchard, Pete wrote and directed this yearโs panto.
Helen plays the face of the magic mirror, brutally honest yet cheeky with the Evil Queen, played with passion and skill by Georgina Watson, from PVADS and who undoubtedly performs the best solo. Yet a truly magnificent antagonist is never a thing without a trusty sidekick, and, no stranger to the Wharf and Stagecoach, twelve-year-old Gigi Underwood takes that role superbly.
Georgina Claridge, perfect to play Snow White, choreographed the show, which, even at the dress rehearsal stage, looked polished. Archer Lee plays the prince, Rory Lee is his chaperone Dandy. Thereโs a delightful team of seven young dancing villagers, Kira Drezanics, Maisie Lee, Bea Stacey, Myrah Williams, Madeleine Newman, Phoebe Newman, and Coco Fuller, ranging from nine years to thirteen years old and bubbling with talent.
Of course thereโs also seven, only slightly smaller people, a running copyright infringement gag, which mysteriously fades after time, and theyโre returned to being called dwarfs without explanation, or hopefully, lawsuit, but does a panto need explaining?! If the show is loosely based on Snow White, the seven โassociatesโ of Snow White are a unit of parodies, the most bizarre being Corrin Bishop, who plays a politician version, wittily just waving and shaking hands with the audience akin to a silent film star. Jessica Bone as Nurse seems the natural leader, but Jenni Prescott and Ben Byran add humour with roles called Misery and Snorey, respectively. Kelly Williams and Cameron Williams are either shy and throaty, but the icing on this cake is the youngest and smallest, Smiley, played by Stagecoach student Ella Cook, whose natural flair for dramatics charms.
Then, even more important than any plot, for there is a basic runoff narrative from Uncle Waltโs adaptation of the Brothers Grimmโs Sneewittchen, is the comical Dame and their sidekick. There can be no other team better chosen from these wild woods than Adam Sturges, who dons the drag so divinely, to play Dolly, and his partner Oli Beech to play their son James. Oli and Adam are stalwarts at the Wharf, playing apart they both shine but as a duo they are comical genius, naturally proficient at improv and breaking the fourth wall to take these essential roles, delivering them with hilarity, and binding the panto with joyful audience participation.
If panto at the Wharf follows its own methods which bucks traditions of pantomime, Snow White is no exception, and that is what makes it unexpectedly fun. Nitpicking, I thought it unorthodox to not end the first half with a song, though they right this wrong with such a fantastic musical finale it makes up for it. But, Iโm left wondering if slapstick is a thing of the past. Because, cliche or perhaps not politically correct, there was a lack of visual humour in this show; is it too risque for modern kids to see a custard pie in the face?!
Though little ones will not tire of this, itโs fantastic, yet summarised, and doesnโt extend to unnecessary proportions. The humour rests majorly on gags, many of local direction; mocking neighbouring towns, etc. But there are the customary encouraged singalongs, games, and fun pop song adaptations for all ages to love. Thereโs amusing treats, like the mysterious characters appearing from the woods, and the ingeniously adapted charactersโ traits.
Pantomime is the golden opportunity to introduce young people to the theatre, and is the one occasion when those not regular theatre-goers will take a chance. Snow White is a delight, an enjoyable family treat; go see it and start Christmas. The children will be delighted; I was and Iโm a 52 and three quarters-year old kid!
Snow White opens on Tuesday 25th November and runs until Saturday 6th December. Curtains at 7:30pm, two matiness at 2:30pm on the Saturdays. Tickets HERE or at Devizes Books.
Itโs beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Rowdey Cow cafe and ice cream parlour; their Christmas Tree Light Switch On is this Friday, the 21st Novemberโฆ..
If you thought an ice cream parlour was restricted to summertime, think again! Itโs the first time the Rowdey Cow near Devizes has held a Christmas light switch on event, and we wish them all the best with it. The fun begins at 5:30pm, and the lights will sparkle at 6pm.
Ice cream might only be for the daring, but theyโve marshmallow toasting and festive food & drinks, plus gift stalls, Christmas crafts, and a cozy Christmas film of which theyโre asking children to vote for their favourite on their Facebook page; Iโm voting Arthur Christmas, hands down!
Free mince pies and mulled wine if you turn up before the big light switch on at 6pm. They promise a very special guest too. I think I might be able to guess who it might be, and Iโve been good all year, well, good-ish!
And if you cannot make it, there’s lots of chances to have Breakfast with Santa at various dates in December, see HERE.
Raging expressions of angered feminist teenage anguish this month, perfectly delivered by Steatopygous via their mindblowing debut album Songs of Salome, I hail as the pinnacle of Sketchbook Records to date. But it’s only been a year since Simon formed the label. It’s DIY, a contemporary local counterculture ethos; welcome to the Wiltshire underground of the now; there’s more to discoverโฆ.
There was me, showing my age, assuming Gen Z required Google to know โcassette tape!โ But, due to the expense of pressing vinyl and burning CDs, Sketchbook’s Simon looks towards this affordable format, with digital downloads also, to showcase the upcoming talents he finds working at Trowbridgeโs Pump.
December marks the labelโs first year. A demo by Steatopygous was put onto hand-designed cassettes to punt to Pump visitors last year, but Simon has taken on other bands to feature. Yes, we must praise Steatopygousโ album, but we must also highlight the others too, as theyโre released onto Bandcamp for all to access….and buy, people, buy!
โVinyl has gotten way too expensive and takes way too long to manufacture to make it feasible for short runs,โ he explained when chatting about the Steatopygous demo. โFor this release, Kieran recorded the band for free, it cost less than ยฃ80 for the blanks which I’ve dubbed at home myself. Eliza’s making the inlays by hand and we’ve been able to turn it around in 3 weeks. A 7″ would be, like, ยฃ800 for 100 copies and take months to arrive. A cassette means I can just give the band twenty or so tapes to sell themselves, knowing I can make the money back on the rest, and even if I don’t, it’s been such a fun thing to do that it really doesn’t matter. And that’s punk rock, right?!โ
Take it from someone who contributed to more punk zines than I care to recall, that is precisely punk! The trading of tapes was the pre-internet equivalent of file sharing, and similarly with photocopied zines, with good intentions variably more sharing or swapping, their distributors sucked it up as a labour of love. I know I did, but Iโve a cathedral of tapes, vinyl, zines and comix, which hold sentimental value, mostly from swapsies.
It may seem surprising to note the DIY ethos remains today, and Iโm glad to hear of it. In reviewing them I take into consideration these are produced on shoestrings, that theyโre young upcoming acts, and itโs going to sound raw. But just like Ol’ Dirty Bastard in more ways than one, I like it raw!!
Working backwards through the discography thenโฆ..
Steatopygous: Songs of Salome
Recorded and mixed in summer 2025 at Nine Volt Leap Studios with Dominic Bailey-Clay, and released this month, Songs of Salome, is a brave and stupendous collection of six outrageous riot grrrl screamo punk tracks, from a Devizes-based female-fronted young band named after the state of having substantial levels of tissue on the buttocks and thighs! Implying, not only a running theme on the psychoanalysis of body image and societyโs expectations, but also that they donโt give a flying fuck if you think they create nothing more than a โscreamy noise,โ will twist any such misdemeaning negatives into positives, and post them as stories on their social media; just one of the two-fingers up at the status quo aspects I love about Steatopygous!
Yet itโs not only the idea if theyโre not pissing someone off theyโre not doing it properly which makes them punk, thereโs solid riffs of what I shouldnโt describe as โtraditional punk,โ because thatโs surely an oxymoron to be spat at; nothing about punk was ever traditional, but I guess what I mean is, it reflects punkโs origins honourably, while still pushing the anger it conveyed to future generations. And in this, I cannot compare them to another of the same subgenre and ask them to excuse my ignorance of nineties riot grrl bands, like Bikini Kill or Bratmobile, though theyโve inspired me to listen to them now, and my finding is, if Steatopygous strives to be an English equivalent, theyโre not just on the right road, they make them look tame by comparison.
No one I know of is expressing their poetic frustrations quite like Steatopygous, these six songs prove it. If you identify, if you rethink, itโs in your face if you want it or not. Wall Plug Slug is self-harm themed, depressing in ballad, but still easing us in gently. Cassowary takes no prisoners of patriarchy and sexual relationships, something which rings throughout the album. Marieโs Wedding Song takes us to riffs and themes The Slits might have, but Little Boy is the most poignantly contemporaryโฆ. and screamy, making grunge sound like easy listening!
Sceptic really raised an eyebrow when I reviewed it earlier this month, Female CD simply thrashes out till the end of this monster; itโs breathtaking, doesnโt come up for air, and overall, Steatopygous are provocateurs against whatโs acceptable, and Songs of Salome launches it back at you in a desirable frenzy, and I donโt believe they care.
Itโs an outstanding debut of which I encourage them to drive more in the same direction, avoiding any requests to sell it out.
Until the Last Sunflower: Between Maturity
If mainstream labels require a textbook style artists are contracted to adhere to, the beauty of counterculture is there are no barriers. Until The Last Sunflower is Trowbridgeโs Joshua Allen. Between Maturity wasrecorded in a bedroom early 2025, released in May, and is so vastly different from Songs of Salome itโs at the opposite side of the scale.ย
It includes tags unfamiliar to me, but โsadcoreโ and โslowcoreโ speak for themselves. Lo-fi ambient rock, Iโd best pigeonhole it; poignant shards of thoughts and observations from a young eye, dubbed with basslines, piano or acoustic guitar, sometimes building layers, harking back to Spiritized or even the mellowed nu-cool of Bristolโs nineties trip hop scene at its jazzier moments.
Yet its eight tracks literally require horizontal listening. With the deep prose of Syd Barrett being dumped at sixteen years old, I’d have to have had a really shit day to totally appreciate this, but shit days aplenty and Morrisey is a prick anyway; this is melancholy done smoothly!
The lengthy lowercase track names attend to the curious: perks of being a wallflower, please let me forget this memory; just this one, i miss my selfish and ignorant youth, and particularly, cupid vs disgusting men who take advantage of little children. And it certainly takes a gulp of melancholic dejection in an ambience more provoking than chilling. For this, it bucks positivity like raindrops, happy to watch them dribble down a window pane; sombre, emotive, mindful music, I like, on a particular day.
Hurts Worse: Love is Death and Death is all that’s Left
Released last April, Hurts Worse are Mikey and Emma, from Nebraska. A not so sober Simon messaged them to ask if they wanted to do a tape, โand somehow they said yes,โ he explained!
This is a collection of eight from their various singles and EPs. Again, dark slowcore, you might gather from the title. Death, graves, bleeding hearts and the one tune most commercially viable called โif you love me please check yes next to the skull carved in my desk,โ give an overall of morose subject matters, but it rolls so smoothly, gloomy and angry but not bad tempered in sound. Itโs romance at its most bitter, Coldplay gone sour, and for such itโs unique and moreish.
Kurt Alexander: I stepped out into the world and it no longer exists and all was good.
Also released in April, this is a compilation of two albums, originally released late in 2024. Again, best pigeonholed as slowcore punk, though thereโs moments upping the tempo, akin to folktronica. Itโs dreamer than the others and breaks for some refined bridges of funky bass guitar, electronica and voice samples of poetry or recordings of phone calls.
Itโs seventeen tracks strong, often short, experimental in that one blip is the previous tune backwards, and in production I get vibes of Money Markโs Keyboard Repair. Though I think the downtempo Bristol nineties scene also takes an influence, probably why Iโd favour it over the previous two mentioned, personally. But thereโs rock here too, crashing metal guitars and acoustic guitar tunes over violin, but so subtly dubbed, it really is an interesting melting pot. If thereโs emotive prose like the past couple mentioned itโs done soulfully, and less bitter. Think; Tricky was an indie kid.
Nobody’s Dad: Mixtape
โNot a dad?โ this band asks on their Insta account, โdon’t worry, neither are we,โ leaving no explanation what to do if you are, but you still love this band! I reserve my right to play this mixtape on the school run in dadโs taxi; see how they like that!! The thing is, age is only a state of mind, I absolutely love this, so does my son!
Released in January, this is undoubtedly the most universal and commercially viable of Sketchbookโs back catalogue. That enthral shoegaze sound, female-fronted, drifting and dreamy with hints of grunge. Angel opens the four tracks, with a kick, and Iโm contemplating The Cranberries as a comparison. Margo is a please return to me ballad, and is sublime.
You Donโt Communicate, and Youโre all I Ever Wanna Be rock it back out, smoothly with those gorgeous grunge layers, akin to I See Orange, and leaving you aching for more. I think Iโve found a new favourite thing. Nobodyโs Dad deserves a renowned producer to refine this, as itโs yeah, raw, but booming with so much potential, and thatโs the nature of a DIY label like Sketchbook, opening eyes to upcoming talent without the professional angle of โhow can I make money from this?โ Nobody’s Dad, huh?! Topping this dad’s playlist now.
Kurt Alexanderโs cassette covers are individually unique hand-dubbed with green or orange paint and they used a typewriter for the text. Eliza from Steatopygous hand designs their covers and a number of others too. Thereโs a timeless and individual charm about DIY punk culture which Sketchbook embraces, and in days of AI this is wonderfully personal, genuine, and uncommercially dedicated to a fashion of yore.
I look forward to hearing whatโs next, and of course, Sketchbook presents gigs at The Pump, the next is a Christmas party with Nobodyโs Dad, Parkii and Kurt Alexander on Saturday 13th December; the kids are alright.
One of Swindon’s premier grunge pop-punkers, The Belladonna Treatment released their debut single, Bits of Elation, with London-based SODEH Records earlier this month. I spokeโฆ
A second single from Swindon Diva Chloe Hepburn, Situationships was released this week. With a deep rolling bassline, finger-click rhythm and silky soulful vocals, thisโฆ
I’m delighted to announce Devizine will be actively assisting to organise a new county-wide music awards administration, in conjunction with Wiltshire Music Events UK. Theโฆ
Can You Find The Wiltshire Potholes From The Moon Craters?! Now, at Devizine Towers we are far too mature and sensible to mock Wiltshire Councilโsโฆ
Review by Pip Aldridge Last week, I had the privilege of seeing the Fulltone Orchestra perform at the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey beneath the Peace Dovesโฆ
Local reporter of the month award, if I had a local reporter of the month award, which I don’t, but based on this, perhaps I should have a local reporter of the month award, goes to Newsquest senior reporter Sarah Dalton, whether she wants the award or not, not that there even is one!!
Credit where it’s due, even if we do take the occasional satirical stab in the dark at Newsquest, this week Sarah wrote a brilliant piece in The Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, challenging claims by the Mail on Sunday and other national newspapers that there are plans to send migrants to six military camps across the UK, including Knook Camp near Warminster. It is not true.
โThe Wiltshire Times has put these claims to the Home Office,โ she wrote, โwhich has stated that military bases are being explored as housing options for migrants. The Home Office confirmed that Knook Camp in Wiltshire is not currently being used for this purpose, nor are there any plans to use it to house migrants.โ
On social media the share didn’t receive the traction I think it deserved. It sadly seems people would rather believe their own fake narrative, fed to them by rightwing media. It did get a substantial collection of those dubious critters, the angry emoji. Iโm left confused as to why; are they angry because migrants are not being housed in Knook Camp, are they angry because theyโve been lied to by the national press, or perhaps they home in on the word โmigrant,โ donโt even bother to read the article, and it angers them?!
Maybe it suggests precisely why we’re in this disgraceful trend of hatred towards migrants. Word of the lies has been spread on social media as taken as fact. For if those who added the angered emoji actually read it, I would have thought they’d surely send it a smiling one instead. Cheer up, you spanners!
Sarah contacted the Home Office who said there were no plans for military bases in Wiltshire to be used for housing migrants. It doesnโt matter what your opinions on the base being used are, it matters that misinformation is being spread, and she captured it with its pants down; well done, Sarah. While she must be subtle, we don’t enforce such equitability, and will call out the Mail on Sunday for publishing bollocks, and spreading misinformation to propagate and exaggerate the immigration issue, at least in Wiltshire. But you should note, we think you’re as thick as mince for believing it!
If many space-rock acts have more band member changes than most other musicians change their socks, Hawkwind are the exemplar of the tendency. There mightโฆ
The second single from Georgeโs sessions with Jolyon Dixon is out today, Isnโt She Lonely. With the vaudeville ambience of Queenโs later material and sprinklesโฆ
The only good to have come from Wiltshire having a Police Crime Commissioner was proof The Conservatives used their power to reward their elite bum chums and family with overpaid, high power and often completely unnecessary penpushing jobsโฆ.
A Devizes Conservative town councillor once told me if I โget the chance to interview Philip (Wilkinson) you should take it. He is a good man and has huge respect for Mike (Rees) and sympathy that he has had to refinance due to the previous election.โ
I never had the chance, neither did I want the chance or chase it up, worrying it wouldn’t end well. I did once chat online with the predecessor candidate, Jonathan Seed, and that was enough talking to selfish entitled Tories for one lifetime.
Seedy revealed,โnobody has wanted to talk about hunting other than trolls online.โ This opened a closet of unfortunate skeletons for him, which began with the speculation as a convicted illegal huntsmaster he only wanted the position to encourage police to turn a blind eye to hunting, and ended with the national press unearthing lots of other unpleasant facts about his past, such as his drink driving offences.
The fact that despite the controversy he still won the election was proof at the time that if you put a blue rosette on Satan’s pet pig they’d have won. His post-election disqualification caused the Wiltshire taxpayers four million pounds for a re-election, yet still didn’t upset the blind Tory voters; second time unlucky, his Conservative assessor Phillip Wilkinson won too. This was my reasoning, alongside the cascade of national scandals like Partygate, for not wishing to platform another Conservative. I believe and stand by my thought that it’s justifiable on those terms.
The fact others drew Phillip into question on his thoughts around hunting, and despite not admittedly hunting himself, he supported hunting, attended hunt balls, and set about unfairly lambasting anti-hunt organisations caused not only the brushing under the carpet of allegations police officers were turning a blind eye to hunter’s violent attacks on protesters at the Boxing Day hunt in Lacock, and furthermore, other officers proved to be active members of hunt organisations, but also reasoning for my suspicions he was not the โgood manโ the councillor suggested he was. Entitled, yes, good, I’m afraid not.
โPhilip should have been the candidate last time and wasnโt, itโs a mistake but it canโt be changed. We have to move on and make sure people get a fair choice,โ reckoned the Councillor who banned anyone merely uttering the name Mike Rees, the independent candidate for the PCC, on the Facebook group he admins. Though, Mike suffered much further from the propaganda machine, excluding him from volunteering to administer lateral flow Covid tests because it was believed to be political point-scoring, when Mike runs a boxing club to engage youths, a charity for children with cancer, and while Seedy was throwing out campaign leaflets funded by the Conservative Party, Mike was delivering food packages for homeless charity Devizes OpenDoors.
Hum, we do not โhaveโ to move on at all in my opinion. The Councillor mightโve wished to, so these suspicious affairs could be archived into a filing cabinet in a dark backroom, bulging with other inconsistencies and matters of outrageous behaviour from the circus of thieves he backs. Rather we should rather dwell on the notion that it cost us four million quid, only for the end result being not so far from the original outcome, and now itโs to be scrapped anyway. What a terrible misuse of public spending.
An ex-military man, Phillip Wilkinsonโs entire aptitude and ethos was unsuitably hostile for a civil role which surely requires creating a bond between police and the public, and initialising trust in the force with the public. His reactionary replies to criticism on his Facebook page led him to lie about other candidates, silence the critics, claim absurd notions as facts, such as the time he stated unemployment was a choice, and at one point he even boasted about shooting people; the latter, while in the official line of duty, still isnโt a good look for the civil service.
False!
His angle on the PCC role was to marginalise us, attack groups he took a personal dislike to, and militarise the force; noted as failures by the communities he was supposed to have served. Mikeโs vision for the role was hands-on, telling me, โIf youโve got a demoralised police force, it doesnโt matter what policies and procedures people are coming up with, nothingโs going to work. Youโve got to sort your workforce out first, and get them to follow you, be inspired by you.โ
Liberal Democrat candidate Liz Webster said Mike was โgoing for the wrong job!โ And if Phillipโs interpretation of the role matched the job description, it was a political position rather than being active in the police, she was perhaps right. Philip served to be an overpaid government puppet, rock up to formal occasions, state the obvious, ramble on about how something had to be done about an issue, and retired to the kind of salary officers like PC Nicola Crabbe, who disarmed a knife-wielding attacker and dived into the canal to rescue a person in distress, could only imagine. A medal of bravery doesnโt put caviar on the table, Wilko!
Talking many times to Mike, I couldn’t imagine sympathy was what he wanted or needed. In fact he was adamant the PCC role was not needed and their salary could be better spent elsewhere in the force. Something the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has realised, and motioned to scrap the position, freeing up an extra ยฃ20m to fund front-line policing. If we had a government which knew the difference between a protester and a terrorist, I might have faith the money would be distributed to the appropriate channels. Fingerโs crossed.
But Phillip went bleating to Tory-biased BBC Wiltshire, crying, “It’s going to mean a less effective, less efficient and more politicised police force.” If his paradoxical belief taking away a political role in the police force would somehow politicise it isn’t proof he was clutching at straws, there’s a taste of irony in his consistent splatters about how much he required a higher budget to police Wiltshire, when Rees contradicted this with the notion it’s not about what’s budgeted but how it is spent. And unnecessarily spending a whooping chunk of it for a bloke to wander around the county like royalty, idly vowing to solve this problem or that, surely would have the opposite effect?!
Much ado about nothing. So, cheerio Wilko.
It’s no great revelation that his bygone strategies failed in the past, ergo, held no clout nowadays either. Seeking to punish individual drug dealers, for example, only leaves a gap in their turf another will step into, and isn’t really solving the bigger issue of getting drugs off our streets. We could debate if more radical moves need taking, but he was too stuck in the mud to ever take heed. Wilko was out of touch, whereas officers are on our streets witnessing and dealing with crime, and their opinions should count.
His attacks on youths tarnished them with the same brush, when that simply isnโt true, is counterproductive, and matches the troubles we were victimised for when we were younger. Then, hypocritically, he grabbed a photo opportunity last week at the newly opened Devizes Area Youth Lounge, where he immediately accentuated youth crime, suggesting anti-social behaviour was done only by youths and this would prevent them โhanging around the streets and getting into trouble.โ Far from the actual notion the centre was created to give all youths a space to socialise for the sake of their wellbeing and mental health.
With polarised views from people like him at the top of the hierarchy, at a time of financial instability and hyperinflation, conveniently caused by the party he backs, rebellious attitudes and crime will surely only worsen, by people of any age.
Youth programs will attract only those who wish to pursue them, and they tend not to be those troublemakers he cited. You cannot stop them, but you can reduce the peer-pressure and turn their petty crimes away from being a spectator sport, by providing safe spaces for those affected by them. Youths are not only the criminals but more often than not the victims of them too, and that was something sadly overlooked in Wilkinsonโs wonky thought process, and the reason I salute the notion to rid ourselves of these unnecessary and pompous roles of Police Crime Commissioners.
Does that make sense to you?! I wish Wilko well, and say cheerio. Iโm certain his pension will not see him walking those dangerous streets paved with wayward youths, and heโll still be able to enjoy luxurious banquets with his fox-hunting chums.
And so it begins, the build-up, the tension; come all ye faithful round yon virgins and three kings of orient are, spreading joy to the world while shepherds wash their socks and Batman smells. In which, in order to spread warm emotions of peace and unity for the one day, itโs obligatory to rush around like headless chickens for two months, verbally abuse drivers in traffic jams, inevitably cause accidents because weโre too consumed by what little Johnny wants this year to concentrate on our driving!
Or, how weโre still hungover from the work-do where we accidentally got off with the agency temp in sales who puked down her blouse before half four, and Gary fancied her, and now heโs going to be pissed with you. And ram B&M on black Friday, fight to the death anyone who might grab the last Labubu doll, and Grannyโs ditched us for some โgentleman friend,โ whoโs whisked her off to The Maldives, and well, if mum undercooks the pigs in blankets again Iโm off down the pub, where did they put the batteries, and who lost the end to the bloody sellotape?!
A pastiche of the RSPCA slogan about puppies as pressies, Bristol-based vocalist, musician and producer, Hannah Collins has nailed it in her new Christmas song with a spin, Love is for Life (Not Only for Christmas Time.) The simple premise; if we can be nice to each other on Christmas Day, why canโt we for the rest of the year? How smug, bar humbug, great song, though!!
For if it sounds like the basis of a bitter anti-Christmas punk song, itโs subtle, ironically uplifting, and contains a simple piano riff with seasonal jingly bells.ย Released on the 28th of November, Hannah says, โin a materialistic world, love is the greatest gift we can give.โ
Produced and mixed by Tim Oliver (Sinead OโConnor/Robert Plant) at Peter Gabrielโs Realworld Studios in Box, Wiltshire, featuring John Baggot (Massive Attack/Portishead/Robert Plant) on keys, and Eric Okafo on bass, it has a Motown lite sound and is reminiscent of a Mariah Carey singalongโฆ..argh, Iโm caught by the catchy hook, and Iโm putting my decorations up now!!
It will be available to stream on all platforms from 28th November 2025. There will also be an original music video released on YouTube on 21st November, created by Olivia Kennedy from OK! Animations.
Hannah is new to us, but tis said her, โinquisitive mind, creative spirit and interest in philosophy are overarching themes in her work; a golden thread flowing through her art, which is particularly resonant with the message of peace and goodwill at Christmas.โ The press release asks, โcan we keep the peace, love and charity going all year long, and not just at Christmas time?!โ Have they not heard of dry January, winters of discontent, and seasonal affective disorder, damn your spritely song, Hannah?!!
โI will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach,โ Dickens wrote, โfeel the magic in the atmosphere, I wonder why itโs only this time of year,โ Hannah wrote similarly, and maybe her song has a lesson too, a seasonal catchy pop lesson I happen to love!
A new music festival is coming to Devizes this July. Organisers of the long-running Marlborough based festival MantonFest are shifting west across the downs andโฆ
All images: ยฉ๏ธ JS Terry Photography An awards ceremony to celebrate the outstanding musical talent within the city, aptly titled The 2024 Salisbury Music Awards,โฆ
Monsieur, with these Exchange Comedy night you are really spoiling us, for usually comedy in Devizes is just what we make ourselves; laughing at visitorsโฆ
A drone operated by Wiltshire Hunt Sabs was attacked by a second drone, twice, while surveying The Beaufort Hunt, after it recorded them illegally huntingโฆ
Without sounding like a stuck record, itโs the same unfortunate news for Devizes Street Festival as it was last year; Arts Council England has notโฆ
If you need a reason to understand why I was so excited about The Sarah C Ryan Band coming to RowdeFest back in May, you wasn’t there!! And if you wasn’t, well, I’m not going to pick on you, just leave said example below and let you decide…..
My Radio Silence, recorded for a session at Crescent Records Studio in Swindon, back in July 2024, has recently been published on YouTube for prosperity, and shows precisely why I so absolutely, totally 100% love this band! It’s so breezy and cool…. I’m going to shut my cake hole and let you enjoy the video…..
Bussing into Devizes Saturday evening, a gaggle (I believe is the appropriate collective noun) of twenty-something girls from Bath already on-board, disembark at The Marketโฆ
Once the demonic entity Spring-Heeled Jack entered folklore it became subject to many books and plays, diluting the once real threat of this Victorian bogeymanโฆ
Devizes singer-songwriter Jamie Hawkins, famed for poignant narrative in his songs and one-third Lost Trade, has always had a passion for filmmaking; Teeth is theโฆ
There are only a few tickets left for this yearโs Devizes Festival of Winter Ales, an important fundraiser for DOCAโฆ.. This year DOCA has teamedโฆ
Itโs nice to hear when our features attract attention. Salisburyโs Radio Odstock ย picked up on our interview with Devizes band Burn the Midnight Oil and they gained air time, but the interview was published short of year ago now, and the band have had significant changes to the lineup and their style. So, I the time is nigh to poke my bulbous nose in and interrupt their rehearsal againโฆ..
Formerly a trio, bassist Chris Lane remains with Chrissy Chapman up front,ย but guitarist Andy Jacobs sadly passed away this year. โAndy was an amazing musician and really helped carve out our initial sonic signature,โ Chrissy told me. โWeโve always wanted to acknowledge his creative contributions, given that music ran through him like the letters in a stick of rock. However, for reasons I canโt discuss out of respect for everyone involved, the band collectively decided that it was no longer suitable for Andy to remain involved. Weโve made every attempt to show him grace since that decision but there was a negative backlash. Regardless, we were all very sad to hear he passed away shortly after, and our sympathies remain with his family and loved ones. Weโre committed to remembering him in the best light.โ
โThere was definitely concern about doing the songs justice after we parted ways with Andy,โ Chrissy continued. โEventually, though, we made a conscious effort to develop a new sound that honoured the music while allowing John the creative freedom. The core of our sound now focuses on doing the songs justice rather than trying to replicate what Andy originally brought to the table and embracing the natural evolution of our sound that draws from all of our influences.โ
The Original Trio of Chrissy, Chris and Andy
John Lane joined as guitarist, but was making me a cuppa while I was chatting with Ron Riordan, the new drummer. Theyโve both been instrumental in forging a new direction for the band, literally! John said of Andyโs passing, โas part of getting through that phase the band has grown,โ and Ron added it had โevolved.โ
Turning to Chrissy I jested that when we did the original interview, she had suggested they didn’t need a drummer! โWell,โ she explained, โwe always needed a drummer, but we were able to perform at the time without a drummer because we were percussive enough. And it went down really well. A couple of venues, we did three gigs before we got Ron, a brilliant drummer!โ
Ron stepped in immediately at a crossover period between Andy and John, a proficient drummer who told me he had played in a few ska bands in Swindon, โI started playing drums when I was about nine, in orchestras and learnt to read music, that type of thing.โ I smiled; he looks like he can blast a Two-Tone riff. โThat’s the thing though,โ Chrissy said, โbecause straight away we had DOCAโs Winter of Festive Ales booked. So it was like, everybody had to jump on really, really quickly. And we wanted to use that as an opportunity to do the originals.โ
It was on the strength of the demo I asked them to play RowdeFest, I hadnโt seen them performing before. But the committee was encouraging me to find a covers band. โWe followed your advice about doing the covers,โ Chrissy said, though it wasnโt really advise, rather a way to get them booked! Iโm so glad they did, they were dynamite and feedback was overwhelming. The kind of band youโd think had been on the circuit for years. โI felt that we were at the party at the end of the day!โ John remarked, and they certainly was.
โWhat was nice about that is it the focus was about โlet’s give people a showโ rather than it just being about โlet’s get our songs outโ,โ Chrissy explained. โYour influence was about getting a show to give to people, keeping people up on their feet, so and not allowing those breathers.โ I did encourage them to ensure they blasted some originals out too, though, which they did!
โWe tried to dress it on different levels of the visual,โ John stressed, โwearing the outfits, the recognition of known songs, and the come on, party time!โ
โYeah, it worked, didn’t it?โ I replied, a template to liven up a pub gig, and Burn the Midnight Oil are certainly getting them. The Queenโs Tap in Swindon and Kings Arms in Amesbury their recent outings, but how do they feel about how far theyโve come?
โGiven that the new face of us being coming up a four piece with Andy’s departure in January, to get that in the space of a year, well, less than a year,โ Chrissy said, โas a new lineup, I think it’s quite incredible.โ
Itโs the added drums which changes it, I supposed, surely essential for a harder rock feel.
โIt changes the scale of the presentation,โ John added. โIt’s now got drive and rhythm rather than being listening for the lyric. It’s actually motivated, it hooks into people’s natural sense of rhythm, and you can’t help it. First thing people take in is rhythm, 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. So we’re attacking it from the best angle.โ
Here was were I felt a healthy division between John and Chrissyโs perspective, as she began to speak on where she drew inspiration from in the writing and a change in direction from intrapersonal to interpersonal. She drew from personal relationships and her faith, implying her writing was key, but the difference was never confrontational and a good blend of opinion is surely necessary to compose the elements of a song professionally.
โI had a tsunami of a creative spell, and wrote twenty songs in as many days. So we’re now, everybody’s having to play catch up, trying to get them polished!โ Chrissy explained. She labelled her past songs as an โangsty teenage phase,โ and felt her songwriting about โgood guy/scumbagsโ had evolved and matured into โsomething more universal. It’s not so much like a diary, it’s definitely becoming more cryptic. It’s pulling in a different kind of imagery and symbolism. And then, because I’m faith-based as well, I’ve given a lot of inspiration taking verses from the Bible that have really helped me through difficult times. I’m weaving them, not to be preachy, but just to be like, this is my story.โ
โWeโd like the two songs we did at the award ceremony, to polish it up more, get a scratch track done, and then we’re going to go back to Matt Millerโs Dusty Shed, who did the original three.โ
โWe can’t really use the original EP anymore. And also, it’s fair to say with John’s influences, and the way that we’re allowing space for his creative flow to come into it, it just sounds different.โ
John pointed out his mixer was adequate when I pondered if they needed a producer. Chrissy replied while it would be โfantastic,โ she crunched numbers and said they, โreally want to get onto the festival circuit, and that means having tracks done ASAP.โ
Captivating to listen to Chrissy delving deeper into the inspiration behind her songwriting and the maturity she felt it levelling to, in which she exclaimed with much delight, โit’s definitely been refreshing having John’s influence, him sharing how he sees it as a viewer. Because you write what you know, and unfortunately, I’ve been exposed to quite a lot of things that I don’t think many people would ever want to be exposed to. And being able to find hope and joy in some of the songs and being able to write happier songs. For the first time ever, I’ve written two love songs! I’ve never written love songs before! So, there definitely seems to be more universal themes.โ
Yet as fascinating as it is, hearing Chrissyโs writing motivations, John revealing the technical side to their development, Ron adding splices of drummer-fashioned wit, and together them trying to summarise their change in direction whether it be a more rock-blues or dark-country, only to finally decide it unnecessary to pigeonhole it anyway, it makes for a laborious read, so I thought I’d inject a light-hearted, more physical observation with Chris, who otherwise, I suspect, wouldโve remained silent, save occasionally strumming his bass!
It was that I heard Jimi Hendrix had extremely long fingers, I noted so too did Chris, and wondered if he considered it an asset to playing guitar! John jested, โit’s like watching a spider running up and down a hot plate!โ Ron pointed out his stumpy fingers, โI’m a drummer; I’ve just tried to learn the bass guitar and I can’t get my hands anywhere round the neck of the guitar like Chris can!โ
Chris exampled pianistsโ tendency to have stumpy fingers. โYou look at Elton Joh or Les Dawson, theyโve all short fingers, but they can play like crazy! I can get away with some stuff, but some of it’s more, arguably, bad habit than good! But I can get away with having long fingers rather than good habits!โ
A fellow of far fewer words than the front girl, evidently, but when he does its witty self-mocking is worth itโs weight in gold and sparked a humorous angle to the interview in which, while Chrissy justified his dexterity and nimbleness, Ron favoured to joke about Chrisโs dancing on stage, โwhich is brilliant. I love it!โ
John praised the firmness of Chrisโ bass, โyou’re methodical, you’re listening. I’m done wondering if he’s bored to death as I explain something to him, as heโs sitting there taking it in. It’s not till you go and think he’s got it.โ
They all seemed content with each other, and John effectively โkeeping them in line,โ and this brought up the subject that they abstained from drinking while performing. โOne rule I was pretty adamant about,โ John explained while Chrissy and Ron laughed about being โhyper,โ โis drink and music don’t mix. If you’re going to load it up, don’t expect to be any good at the music.Because we’re there to make the party for everybody else.โ
โYeah,โ Chrissy joshed, โso I’m not allowed to have a pre-shot of tequila, which is really good because I definitely noticed a habit where I needed the Dutch courage in order to get up and I started realising, this is a bad habit that I don’t want to become dependent on. So itโs two-wayed. You were definitely enforcing it. And I tried to be more mindful of it and just get up despite feeling nervous. And I get nervous every single time still.โ
Aside the notion everyone gets butterflies, we moved between passionate subjects like the local circuits and venues and getting further afield, and we ventured back into songwriting inspirations, but I wanted them to nail it into a summary. โIn a nutshell,โ Chrissy said, โweโre focusing on rhythm and melody so that the lyrics can shine through. And we’re drawing inspiration from real life. Trying to make them more universal and a punchy sound. Rocky, bluesy, layers musically and lyrically; say that, Darren!โ
Okay, I will! And if you want to hear this band progressing, follow their socials for gig updates. Theyโll be in Devizes on Sunday 14th December, at that tropical holiday resort in the Brittox, The Muck & Dunder, with a fundraiser for Ugandan orphanage His Grace Children Centre Bugiri, which theyโve organised themselves.
In true Christian spirit Chrissy annually organises a fundraiser around the yuletide, which she did as a soloist ironically titled One Trick Pony. Ironic because, she lent her vocals to drum n bass tracks, returned to town to learn guitar and perform acoustically, ย and now thereโs Burn the Midnight Oil; a proficient four-piece who, merging experiences in varied genres, refuse to ย pigeonhole their developing style, and has an angelic vocalist with a penchant undaunted to delve deep into her psyche and faith for inspiration, and oh yeah, a bassist with long fingers!
A sublime evening of electronic elegance was had at Bathโs humble Rondo Theatre last night, where Cephidโs album, Sparks in The Darkness, was played outโฆ
I caught up with an excited Jonathan Hunter, leader of Devizes Town Councilโs independent party The Guardians, and local loyal youth worker Steve Dewar toโฆ
Experience the Bradford on Avon Green Man Festival, a vibrant, family-friendly community gathering featuring traditional dance, music, song, and folklore throughout the town centre onโฆ
If Iโm considering reviewing worldwide music again, why stop with this planet?! Though Iโve reasoned two tenacious links to mention this madcap Scottish interstellar outfit;โฆ
Devizine can reveal how a new book by a local author might possibly be the reason why Devizine isn’t as funny as it used to beโฆ.
Devizine, it used to be funny, but sadly it seems it’s not so much anymore. Who took the banana skin from under its flip-flop? Who failed to give it a raspberry on the bouncy belly? Editor and creator of Devizine, Darren Worrow might have discovered why.
He said, โIt’s a disgrace. This so-called author Darren Worrow has channelled all his pathetic attempts at humour into his new book Murder at the Scribbling Horse, and hardly bothered sharing anything the slightest bit amusing here on Devizine, as he once did; typical liberties from a loony leftie! And now he expects me to blow my own trumpet and sing his praises; what a pretentious twat! Shamelessly plugging his own book on his own website is surely proof.โ
โSet in the fictional Wiltshire market town of Slapam-on-the-Fye, which is nothing like any real Wiltshire market town you might know of, it claims to be a murder-mystery, but the only true thing it murders is English literature.โ
โNeither is there any subtlety in it either, like there is with Devizine,โ Worrow waffled on sorrowfully wallowing. โWorrow takes no prisoners, has gone all out and created an absolute work of filth; an offensive joke book with a sham narrative, just so he can say disgusting things about various celebrities, politicians and anyone else he doesnโt like, despite the good honest work they’re doing to keep Britain free from logic and empathy.โ
โWith the mouth of a sailor, it downright disregards any level of intelligence locals might possess, and paints them all as so utterly idiotic the narration of the story has to be conveyed through the point of view of the pub dog; I donโt think thatโs funny at all. The dog is a depressing nihilist, who uses the opportunity to put the human world to rights, rather than getting on with telling the story, thatโs why it stacks up over 500 pages. 500 plus pages of meandering woke filth, I might add.โ
โUsing a facade of a murder mystery, in which the frontman to a tribute act is murdered in the pub whilst they organise a fundraising music festival, as the plot thickens like moulded yogurt around his genitalia, it goes as far as disgracefully making a mockery out of petty local politics too. It’s the biggest crime against pop since David Bowie and Mick Jaggerโs cover of Dancing in the Street. I’d rather lick that yogurt off than buy this book, but that’s probably what this sick perverted tyrant wants us to do.โ
โYou’re not going to enjoy reading it, as tea can scold you if dropped in your lap through laughing too much. Therefore I call upon Steer Karma and the government to ban this book for health and safety reasons.โ
โThis thing wouldnโt have been published under Farage, you know? And thousands of flagpoles will now have to be erected to counteract the unpatriotic damage done, at the taxpayer’s expense too.โ
The author of the book, Darren Worrow, rebukes comments made by the Devizine editor, Darren Worrow. โThat guy is as thick as a Boxing Day turd and pissing into the wind,โ he said. โOther than the fact I have released a new book, the rest is slanderous lies and Devizine will be hearing from my lawyers. Murder at the Scribbling Horse is a fascinating psychological study and critique of the modern world, questioning our nonacceptance of aging and the social and political issues it raises; with added knob jokes.โ
The author became irate, claiming, โfor eight long years I’ve been tirelessly promoting everyone else for peanuts. I’ve not even had the opportunity of taking a bath since, and I look like a Yeti past its sell by date. It’s about time I thought about myself for a change, and everyone can bloody well return the favour by buying my book!โ
Eighties post-punk sensations Johnny Bunion and the Verrucasโ most successful album, The Legend of Castle Grey Scholl, 1981.
Whatever happened to Johnny Bunion? His legend burnt out long before his candle ever did.
But the more pressing question must be, was it connected to the murder at the Scribbling Horse public house in the narrow-minded Wiltshire market town of Slapam-on-the-Fye, some forty plus years later? And if so, how?
To answer this you’ll need to research, and my book, Murder at the Scribbling Horse will be the only way to do that.
If there’s ever any proceeds from the book, they will go to a much needed new Lynx Africa deodorant set, and a Brazilian back, sack and crack wax for the obnoxious author; the twat needs it, he looks like Posie from the Flumpsโ rustic vajazzle.
Seriously though, being funny is the only thing I’m serious about. If you laughed at any part of this internal press release you’re a bit weird, and the ideal target audience for my book! You’re going to laugh a kazillion times (thatโs a zillion zillions) more with a copy Murder at the Scribbling Horse in your grubby mitts. And even if youโve no sense of humour, you know a good Christmas present idea when you see one!
You can buy the paperback online here. And the e-book here. It’s out for global distribution but buying direct from Lulu cuts out the middle man and gives the best royalties to the authors.ย
Not for sale to children or the over sensitive, though; as if I needed to say!
Murder at the Scribbling Horse is available at Devizes Books for a reduced price of ยฃ20, and next Saturday 22nd November, I’ll be in the shop praying to the Norse god of biscuits someone might stop by and purchase a signed copy at the super reduced price of ยฃ20!
If you cannot make it, you can message me and I’ll personally deliver you a copy if you live locally. I still need to work out posting & packaging costs, so message me if it needs posting and Iโll let you know about that asap. Happy reading…well, I say that but do I really mean it, I mean, really?!
The team behind popular all-day music extravaganza, My Dadโs Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, can now reveal that nearly ยฃ11,500 was raised for Prospect Hospice following last Summerโs event, bringing the total raised since the festivalโs inception to well over ยฃ40,000….. MDBTYD 2024, organised in association with the South Swindon Parish Council, was held atโฆ
By Ian DiddamsImages by Jeni Meade No aficionado of 1960s and 1970s horror films would have missed seeing โRosemaryโs Babyโ, a story of Satanic pregnancy, based on the book by Ira Levin. Shortly after that bookโs release, Levin write a stage play โVeronicaโs Roomโ which followed โRosemaryโs Babyโ tone of horror with a disturbing, psychologicalโฆ
If I had to be magically turned into a candlestick or a teapot, I believe Iโd rather be a teapot than have a wax candle on fire wedged into the top of my head! Fear not, itโs not a worry Iโm losing any sleep over, rather the kind of bizarre fleeting notion which popped intoโฆ
Next week, MP for Melksham & Devizes Brian Mathew will be taking on Skynet and raising a question in Parliament about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the creative sector. From writers and musicians to designers and artists, he invites local creatives to have their sayโฆ.
Only a few weeks ago a Facebook page which posts material about music legends took a picture from a Devizine review of an Adam & The Ants tribute act, Ant Trouble, at Swindonโs Victoria and, believing it to be the real Adam Ant it used it to illustrate a post about him! You can tell from the mechanical writing style itโs totally AI generated, so, who do I sue? Metal Mickey?!
Iโm not suing anyone, I laugh it off, but thereโs a serious side to all this. Brian explained, โIโve already received a number of emails and messages from constituents who are deeply concerned that AI could undermine creative jobs and that copyrighted material is being used to train AI systems without fair payment or permission.โ
โBefore I take this issue to Westminster, I want to make sure your voices are heard. Please take a few minutes to fill in my short survey. Your input will help shape the questions I put to ministers and ensure that the concerns of our creative community are represented in Parliament. Your voice matters.โ
In November last year I was mightily impressed with Bristol soul-reggae producer Kaya Street, and reviewed their EP The Soul Sessions, read it here forโฆ
Another Stunning Week-End For Live Music Andy Fawthrop Normally Iโd be raving about just how good the live music was at The Southgate on Sundayย afternoon.โฆ
Developed in Devizes, blossoming in Bristol, as well as a snazzy new website, indie-punk phenomenon Nothing Rhymes with Orange released their next single, and itโsโฆ
Seems odd the perfect combination between Devizesโ only theatre, The Wharf, and one of the longest-running performance group, White Horse Opera hasnโt linked before, butโฆ
In thanking everyone who supported this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards, Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events revealed his intentions of continuing with the awards into next yearโฆย
โFirstly, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported and got involved in our very first Wiltshire Music Awards,โ he said. โThe enthusiasm, energy, and community spirit were incredible to see.โ
Reflecting on this year’s inaugural awards, he said, โwe want to be open, honest, and transparent about the journey. Did we get everything right? No, and weโre happy to learn and grow. Did we realise how big this celebration would become? No, your support surpassed all expectations!โ
Looking ahead to 2026 Eddie explained, โwe are excited about continuing the Stone Circle Wiltshire Music Awards into 2026. However, we recognise that this celebration now belongs to the wider community, not just to us.โ
โTo help it grow in the right way, we are exploring bringing together a small group of local volunteers to form a community committee, encouraging fair representation across Wiltshire.โ
If you feel you have something positive to contribute and would like to help shape the 2026 awards, please email Eddie here: hello@stonecirclemusicevents.uk
Patrick O’Sullivan of Stone Circle Music Events said, โwhile we could continue running the awards on our own, this event is a celebration of Wiltshireโs music community โ driven by local voices, talent, and passion. Thatโs why we feel a community-based team would help make 2026 stronger and more exciting. Together we can continue to build the Wiltshire Music Awards in order to recognise and celebrate the amazing talent we haveย in Wiltshire.โ
โThank you for supporting the Wiltshire Music Awards! Weโre so grateful to everyone who got involved. Together, weโre growing something amazing for Wiltshireโs music community!โ
โWeโd really love to hear your feedback, what you enjoyed, and what you think we could improve for next time. Your thoughts willย genuinely help us make next year’s Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 event better.โ
Stone Circle Music Events state feedback should be by email, as they wonโt be responding to feedback posted on Facebook, promising to reply to every email politely and respectfully.
Send your feedback to: patrick@stonecirclemusicevents.uk
Featured Image Credit: Stewart Baxter Riot predictor Nick Hodgson formerly of the Kaiser Chiefs has a new band, the charmingly named Everyone Says Hi, andโฆ
Bob Marley sang โjamminโ โtil the jam is through,โ Jimmy Cricketโs catchphrase was โcomeโere, thereโs more,โ but it looks like The Southgate in Devizes isโฆ
Frome Festival is launching itsย โ25 for 25โย fundraising campaign with a very special concert featuring three locally based acts:ย Tom Mothย โ best known as the harpist for multi-platinum-selling bandย Florence + The Machineย โ alt-folk duoย mฤsa, and brand-new soul/funk collectiveย The Juice.…
The event, taking place at The Tunnels on Saturday 29th November, kicks off Frome Festivalโs ambitious campaign that aims to raise ยฃ25,000 before the start of next yearโs festival in July. Founded in 2001, Frome Festivalโs silver anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate 25 years of creativity while securing the future of this much-loved community arts event for the next generation.
Followingย Tom Mothโsย sold-out Festival performance at Rook Lane Chapel this summer, theย โ25 for 25โย fundraiser provides an additional chance to hear his own original work. Tom explains, โI enjoy crafting sounds using various acoustic and electronic devices, so whilst the harp will be involved, the performance wonโt strictly be a harp recital!โ
Tom is a big supporter of Frome Festival and is carving out some time between a busy international promotional schedule for Florenceโs newly released album,ย Everybody Scream, and their upcoming European/US tour, which starts in February. The lauded harpist moved to Frome a couple of years ago as he felt it was somewhere he could exist happily. He says of the town, โI love that thereโs such a welcoming and proactive creative community. It seems like thereโs always something happening, whether itโs a gig, an exhibition, or community-based activity.โ
Sisters Faron and Merle ofย mฤsaย are returning from a hiatus to support this fundraiser, sharing their beautiful harmony based alt-folk compositions. Merle said, “Weโve lived in Frome for a few years now and really value its creative and independent spirit as a town. This aspect of it seems to be growing and getting even stronger as time passes.” ย mฤsa have played at Frome Festival several times over the years, including a headline slot at the Silk Mill, and have also collaborated on a sonic guided walk of the town, calledย We Are All Sonambulistsย – โThis was a great way to learn about the townโs history and feel inspired by its ghosts and stories”, explained Merle.
Faron added, “We were really pleased to be invited to play at this fundraiser, because itโs so important to keep community driven events that support the arts going. Now more than ever we need creativity and connection to unite us, and keeping Frome Festival alive and kicking is one small way of doing so.”
As to their future plans, mฤsa have recently been recording and plan to release new songs next year.
Ending the night with party vibes is The Juice, a fresh five-piece soul outfit who made their debut with a secret set during Sofar Sounds at Frome Festival in July. Drawing their members from a collective of local musicians, they write tunes which draw on 70s soul, pop and funk, โwith a sprinkling of Juicified coversโ. Members of The Juice have also featured in The Enrichments, Mighty One, Samuel Jack, Twin Falls and Littlemen.
Joe James, The Juice frontman, stated, “As a local band, supporting Frome Festival means a lot to us. We can’t wait to bring The Juice to our hometown and share our new musical project with the people who shaped us”. Bass player, Jack Opie, added, “The community spirit and artsย scene in Frome is a huge reason that it is such a wonderful place to live, and the Festival is obviously a critical part of this – it’s massively important to us all that the Festival keeps on going, and we’re all really excited to be playing our small part in helping its future.”
Sarah Swales, Frome Festival Manager, said, โIโm constantly amazed by the incredible talent we have here in Frome, and Iโm thrilled that these performers are generously donating their time and remarkable skills to support the Festival. Each of the three acts brings a unique musical style, and all are outstanding in their own right.โ She added, โWeโre also hugely grateful to Baz, Josh, and everyone at The Tunnels for hosting the event. In the current climate, itโs more important than ever to support our venues and keep live music thriving.โ
Frome Festivalโs โ25 for 25โ campaign will celebrate a quarter of a century of being at the heart of Fromeโs creative community with special events throughout the year. All monies raised will support growing the organisation, developing an education strand and maintaining the rich programme of free and low-cost activities across Frome Festival.
Supporters can help by attending fundraising concerts and activities in the lead up to Frome Festival 2026, become a Friend of Frome Festival to receive priority Festival booking and exclusive year-round perks, or donate directly to the charity.
Adam Laughton, Festival Director, explained, โIt is remarkable to see how Frome has embraced Frome Festival across the last 25 years โ everyone I speak to has a story to tell about their favourite moments. Across the next year, we aim to capture that spirit and celebrate Fromeโs deep love and support of the arts, looking back at a quarter of a century of amazing work and plotting a course for the next 25 years. Through a campaign like this, we are looking to ensure the next generation can continue to experience the unique benefits of accessible, local live arts.โ
โFrome Festival Fundraiser with Tom Moth / mฤsa / The Juiceโย takes place on Saturday 29 November at The Tunnels, doors 7.30pm.
Advance tickets are ยฃ18 available through the Frome Festival website or ยฃ20 on the door.
The second feature film for director Keith Wilhelm Kopp and writer Laurence Guy, First Christmas enters development, to be produced by Shropshire-based production company, Askโฆ
Image credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright. Forestry England Nightingale Wood invites dog owners to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month this January….. Walk Your Dog Month isโฆ
devizine.com 