The Devizes Arts Festival came up with another of its heavy hitters last night with a packed house at The Corn Exchange, all ready to welcome comedian Mark Watson to the town.
Mark Watson is an English comedian, novelist and producer.ย Born in Bristol of a Welsh mother and English father, he has adopted a somewhat Welsh lilt in his delivery.ย Heโs won a number of comedy awards and is well known from his frequent appearances on TV, as well as being a Radio 4 regular.
Introducing himself, Mark climbed on stage to do an introductory 10-15 minutes before bringing on his support act for the night โ Vicky Slater. Projecting a slightly larger-than-life persona, Vicky delivered her material well, but Iโm not sure that quite all of it landed. Her tales of coming out as gay were delightful and amusing, rather than particularly hilarious. She at least avoided the current lazy habit some up-and-coming comedians have of trying to pick on audience members in order to prompt some witty improv, and instead stuck to her own original material. Respect for that. She was slightly rambling and incoherent in places, but she gradually won the audience over.
After a slightly short first half and an early interval, the main man was back to deliver his set. Mark kicked off with comparing how difficult it was being a stand-up comedian versus, say, being a brain surgeon or, prompted by an audience member, a menopause therapist. His key criteria for the comparisons were, aside from the training and basic aptitude, the amount of sheer stress and anxiety that such an activity could induce.
This was all by way of introduction to his first main theme โ stressful situations in ordinary life. But this was no feeble Michael Macintyre โobservational comedyโ, laughing at โisnโt it funny whenโฆ?โ type comments. This was full of little anecdotes of his own personal experience that everyone could easily relate to โ flying with a small airline, getting into a car thinking it was an Uber (when it wasnโt), asking for help in Tesco (from someone who wasnโt even an employee), dealing with a homeless man (who began to take advantage), interacting with chat-bots online (who seemed very concerned for his continued welfare after once buying some towels a few years previously), and coping with his son whose only apparent language capability seemed to be through frequent WhatsApp messages. The situations were carefully crafted and set up before the always droll and almost exasperated punchlines.
His second โthemeโ (if I can call it that) was around the โcorporateโ gigs heโs sometimes had to do, particularly the waste-processing and meat-processing industries. The latterโs โMeat Management Awardsโ provided a rich vein that he mined repeatedly for jokes about sausages and how heโd become โan advocate for natural casingsโ.
Against his own better judgement, heโd been persuaded to use ChatGPT to create a self-description, and it had come up with โa breathless delivery by a neurotic personalityโ, and even he had to admit that it wasnโt too far from the truth. And Iโd agree. Watson came across as genuinely curious about the world, bemused by modern technology, amazed by other people, and surprised by how much of modern life created stressful situations for him. And out of this melting pot there came a genuinely funny man. He was self-deprecating, very natural and โ no doubt about it โ absolutely hilarious.
Absolute top marks to Mr Watson and to the Devizes Arts Festival for booking him.ย Top notch. Findย out more at www.markwatsonthecomedian.com/ย ย
The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town. Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
The Devizes Arts Festival has almost run its course, with only a couple of days to go, but still seven events left.ย But itโs not going quietly, and last night in the Town Hallโs Assembly Room was no exception……
British jazz saxophonist Julian Costello, a superbly gifted musician, composer and teacher from London, and who writes for various ensembles, was the Festivalโs guest.ย Playing tenor and soprano saxophones, he was joined by John Turville on piano, Andy Hamill on upright bass and harmonica, and Tom Hooper on drums.
The quartet has recently released their third album, โAnd All The Birds Were Set Freeโ on the acclaimed label 33 Jazz Records, and their two sets last night featured many tracks from the album. The albumโs title is a reference to Costelloโs idea that the musicians should be free to express themselves and able to fly. The pieces they played, including the title track, The Gecko, London Blue, Song For Anna and Sunflowers, were all good examples of this open, loosely-structured approach. Each musician took his various solos easily, improvising on the scenario, but slotting into the structure laid down at the start of each piece. The particular highlights of these for me were provided by John Turvilleโs piano passages.
The original material was tempered with a leavening of jazz classics, including material from John Coltrane, La Rosita by Benny Goodman, and Carlos Jobimโs If You Never Come To Me. Costello himself, leading the quartet very much from the front, moved over from tenor to soprano sax for his composition Connections, based upon the structure of an Indian raga. And bassist Any Hamill strayed onto a very welcome harmonica during the encore Song For Anna (written for Costelloโs wife Anna Stearman).
Costelloโs personal style was laid-back and chatty, bonding easily with the audience using dry humour, and the quartet were clearly very comfortable in each otherโs company. Their enjoyment on stage was very evident.
After an absolute dearth of live jazz in D-Town, it was like drinking at an oasis after a long crawl through a musical desert. But, parched as I was, I was left very slightly wanting. The sets needed more variation in tempo, more contrast between light and shade. Each number they played was very good, but it was slightly one-paced across the whole programme. Donโt get me wrong โ this was a hugely enjoyable affair, featuring some great music in a beautiful room. Sound and lighting were spot on (as usual). But I was left wanting just that little bit more. More jazz please!
The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online atย www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย
Poulshot’sAward-winning chocolate studio Hollychocs is proud to launch a heartfelt charity campaign in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK, with a charming chocolate duck leading the way…..
The star of the campaign is Henry Duck โ a handmade chocolate duck crafted from Hollychocsโ signature 45% cocoa milk chocolate and decorated in yellow and gold cocoa butter, in tribute to Cystic Fibrosis Awareness.
For every Henry Duck sold, ยฃ1 will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK, helping fund vital research and provide life-changing support to families across the UK.
โOur family has seen the impact of cystic fibrosis firsthand,โ says Holly Garner, chocolatier and founder of Hollychocs. โHenry is named after my nephew, and this campaign coincides with their โWear It Yellowโ campaign and is our way of giving something back while sharing a little joy through chocolate.โ
Awl, look at him. I’m quackers about Henry!
To add to the fun, every purchase in her Beanery Cafรฉ and Chocolate Shop between Thursday 13 and Saturday 15 June will come with a free, numbered mini duck. One lucky mini duck number will win a full-size Henry Duck!
Customers can treat themselves to Hollyโs limited-edition Henry Duck Sundae, an indulgent dessert of half a Henry Duck filled with vanilla gelato, and topped with her award-winning honeycomb and lava salted caramel sauce. As with the Henry Duck, ยฃ1 from every sundae goes to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Customers can take part by purchasing a Henry Duck online or in store, stopping by The Beanery Cafรฉ in Poulshot (ThuโSat, 10amโ5pm) for the special sundae, along with all their other delicious treats, or by entering the mini duck giveaway with each purchase in the cafรฉ & chocolate shop
โHenry Duck is a small treat that makes a big impact,โ Holly adds. โWhether you’re indulging yourself, treating a friend, or visiting our cafรฉ, youโre helping support families like oursโand being part of something bigger.โ
About Hollychocs:
Founded by award-winning chocolatier and chocolate engineer Holly Garner, Hollychocs produces ethically sourced, handcrafted chocolates in small batches from their Wiltshire studio. Known for blending scientific precision with flavour-led creativity, the business has earned multiple accolades, including Great Taste Awards and the title of Southwestโs Chocolate Champion.
About Cystic Fibrosis Trust:
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK’s leading charity for those affected by cystic fibrosis. Through research, advocacy, and frontline support, the Trust is working to ensure a brighter future for everyone living with the condition.
Just How Big Is That Fringe? Or Two Go Myth-Busting
Andy Fawthrop
Weโve always held that D-Town is a great place to live, and one of the many reasons is that it punches well above its weight in terms of the arts and cultural events.ย Just speaking to musicians and artists who visit the town for gigs and festivals, the feedback is always the same: theyโre in awe of just how much weโve got going on here.….
Do we need to recite the list? Oh go on then โ two/ three Beer Festivals (DOCA Winter Ales, Seend, CAMRA DBF), an arts festival (DAF), a food and drink festival, Fulltone on The Green, our own theatre, two opera companies (WHO, DMT), Devizes to Westminster canoe race, Long Street Blues Club, the DOCA events (Street Festival, Colour Rush, Lantern Parade, Carnival, Picnic In The Park)โฆ.I could (and usually do), go on. Thereโs pubs with regular live music (White Bear, Three Crowns, The Southgate), fairs and circuses on The Green, book clubs, sports clubsโฆ(youโre really going on a bit nowโฆEd).
But somehow that old refrain of โNothing Ever Happens In Devizesโ has been making a come-back of late on social media, yet it just ainโt true. But like all myths, it refuses to lie down and die. Despite this revered organ (ooh, matron) laying out the many, many choices you might have every week, and bringing you previews and reviews of everything and anything arts-based that we can get our sticky little fingers on, some folks seem to persist in apparently finding โnothingโ to do. So itโs time to, yet again, challenge that myth and have another go at laying it to rest for once and for all.
Anywayโฆ..at the moment of writing weโre right in the middle of the Devizes Arts Festival fortnight, with plenty of variety to please all tastes. But, admittedly, some of these events can command ticket prices that are unaffordable for some. So, inspired somewhat by last weekendโs wonderful free Rowdefest (thank you Darren!) and, admittedly, a bit of a โrobust discussionโ in the pub, I decided to see just how much fun and entertainment you could enjoy over this weekend at next to no cost. Itโs a challenge I decided to take on by getting off my luxury sofa, and propel myself out โinto the fieldโ (as it were).
Armed with only a stout pair of walking boots, an inquisitive and open mind, and a supportive girlfriend, I headed out into the local area to see what I could actually come up with on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The results are below:
1. Devizes Farmersโ Market in The Market Place Bar (Saturday 9 am)
ยท What it was: monthly gathering of local suppliers
ยท What was it like?ย Plenty of choice โ venison, bread, honey, olives, cheese, bread & fruit, flowers and plants, fresh coffee, cider, cakes.ย Plenty of good fresh stuff from suppliers within a 30 mile radius of D-Town.ย Added to stalls in the Shambles, this is worth a half hour of anyoneโs time, either for shopping or simply browsing.
ยท What it was: a c. 4 mile walk down the towpath from D-Town to Poulshot
ยท What was it like?ย Lots of people out strolling or cycling, boats passing up and down the flight (an opportunity for some gomgoozling).ย We also saw many species of birds, including four, yes four, different grey herons โ such elegant birds.
3. Poulshot Medicine in Nature Herbal Walk at Poulshot Village Hall (Saturday 10.30am โ 12)
ยท What it was: a short walk led by Katherine Baldock & Simon Parkes (ecologist) around the village to explore the wild and naturalised medicinal plants growing thereabouts, and an opportunity to make some herbal vinegar after foraging the local hedgerows.
ยท What was it like?ย Way too slow for me, it was part talk, part very gentle amble around the village green and woodland, part discovery of a number of wild plants.ย We discussed culinary and medicinal uses. At least I found bits of Poulshot I didnโt know about, including the pond, the specially-created woodland, and some country paths (useful for getting over to Whistley Road later on).
ยท What it was:.ย An event organised by WAPG (Wiltshire Agricultural Preservation Group), featuring static displays of steam traction engines, tractors, miniature steam engines, heavy horses, trade stalls, fairground, military vehicles, classic cars.
ยท What was it like? As it was chucking it down with rain as we arrived, the most welcome thing for the first half hour was the (well-stocked) beer tent.ย I could have done without the loud piped music but, hey, it was dry and there was beer!ย When the rain slowed down a bit we did the full circuit and there was plenty to see, the most impressive of which were the full-size old traction engines in steam (some also seen later driving through D-Town).ย There were pop-up food outlets, fresh coffee, craft stalls and tents, a 1940s-themed tea and cakes tent, bouncy castle for the children etc.ย The site was large with plenty of parking but, because of the rain, getting increasingly muddy.
5. Pete Robson & J P Oldfield in The Bear, Cellar Bar (Saturday 8pm)
ยท What it was: foot-stomping blues from two solo performers
ยท What was it like?ย Each performer used steel guitar and stomp box to deliver some hard-cutting blues.ย CDs for sale. Not very well attended, which was a shame.ย Perhaps it needed to be better advertised. For me Pete Robson was the better performer of the two, taking a slightly less hard-edge approach to his vocals, and mixing up the tempo, giving more light and shade to his set.ย The cellar bar is an OK venue at best, being a rather odd shape, with very low ceiling and an only partially-stocked bar.ย I suspect it needs to be used much more often if itโs going flourish as a venue.
ยท Cost: ยฃFREE + drinks
ยท Adultsโ rating: 3/5
ยท Note โwe could have also gone to see either Matchbox Mutiny/ Tom Harris in The Three Crowns or The Duskers in The Southgate (both FREE entry), but thereโs only so many hours in the day!
6. Crammer Watch Day on the Small Green Devizes (Sunday 11am onwards)
ยท What it was: a chance to meet those involved in celebrating and preserving the Crammer. RSPCA, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Wessex Water, Friends of The Crammer, Lawrence Society of Artists, Sustainable Devizes + The Moonrakers Legend (performed at 12 noon and 1pm), photography competition, charity tombola
ยท What was it like?ย We missed the Moonrakers performance, so as an experience I found it a bit thin on the ground.ย There was little to see and do, unless you wanted to stand and chat to someone about the issues which the Crammer faces. Several stands were just offering information leaflets. Although a worthy attempt, for me personally it was just not very engaging.
7. Lions on The Green on The Green (Sunday 10am -4pm)
ยท What it was: organised by Devizes Lions Club, a vehicle display (cars, bikes, scooters, military etc) and family fun day (lots of stalls, bar, food outlets)
ยท What was it like?ย Covering the whole of the large Green, this was really excellently-well organised.ย The central area was given over to the displays of antique, rare and sports cars.ย Stalls had cakes, plants (from Plot 35), metal signs, honey etc.ย There was a bouncy castle and fairground rides for children.ย A licensed bar, coffee shop etc.ย Lots to look at and plenty of photo opportunities. Fantasy Radio were broadcasting live from the site.
ยท Cost: ยฃFREE (donations to the Lions collecting buckets) + drinks
8. Devizes Arts Festival Free Fringe:Whiskey River (@ British Lion gardenย Sunday 2 โ 5pm)
ยท What it was: Roots Music From the Welsh frontier
ยท What was it like?ย The trio Whiskey River played Americana, Cajun, Zydeco, Folk, Country, Blues and a smattering of Celtic music. Using guitar, fiddle, flute, harmonica, mandolin and concertina, these guys provided an excellent and enjoyable afternoon of music in the (occasional) sunshine.ย The bar was open, and there was a BBQ going on throughout. People sitting out enjoying a drink, dogs, children, good music โ perfect!
ยท Cost: ยฃFREE + (a large, undisclosed) drinks bill
9. Wood & Steel (@ The Southgate Inn Sunday 5-7pm)
ยท What it was: an acoustic duo playing blues, jazz and ragtime
ยท What was it like?ย This duo were new to me, but I was very impressed by what I heard.ย Two very good musicians, clearly comfortable in their own skin, played two excellent 50-minute sets and got a very well-deserved encore.ย Lots of covers from many ages and genres, using dobro, guitar, upright bass and vocals.ย Excellent musical accompaniment to a late, lazy Sunday afternoon. Great atmosphere too.
ยท Cost: ยฃFREE (donations to โthe hatโ) + more (undisclosed) drinks
ยท Adultsโ rating: 5/5
ยท Note โ we could also have gone to see Bodge It & Scarperย at The White Bear (Sunday 5-7pm) playing acoustic music, but didnโt hear about this until quite late.ย Also canโt be in two places at once.ย This event was also FREE.ย ย
In summary:
ยท Miles walked โ about 10
ยท Bird species spotted โ about 20, including swans, herons, jackdaws, mallard, moorhen, starlings, robins, great tits etc;
ยท Friends met – loads โ far too many to mention!
ยท Total cost (for two) – ยฃ27.80 (of which ยฃ20 was for the steam fair) + the drinks (but letโs not mention that bit!);
ยท Fun and entertainment had โ loads and loads and loads;
ยท Well-being โ absolutely knackered, but very happy.ย Looking forward to next weekend!
Yes it all took a little bit of planning, but it wasnโt that difficult really. We walked to/ from most venues, so we got lots of other good D-Town stuff (Caen Hill locks, the towpath etc) and took only one short (cheap) bus ride when the heavens opened. So there was plenty of exercise and fresh air to mitigate the various bits of eating and drinking. Did I mention that the odd libation was partaken of? And Iโm not saying that EVERY weekend is quite this packed, but it certainly can be if you put your mind to it. Bear in mind that thereโs LOADS of other stuff going on โ these were simply the things we happened to pick out. There were choices โ and we made them!
Nothing Ever Happens In Devizes??? Donโt make me laugh.
If it’s good enough for Knight Rider it’s good enough for me. I see the Hoff ditched his Knight Industries Three Thousand on the Green for a stroll around Devizes on Sunday. He probably found a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent in a world of criminals who operate above the law, whereas I ended up at the British for a scrumpy or threeโฆ.
Unlike some guys who act like Spongebob Squarepants on his tenth bag of Haribo at Chessington World of Adventures, I can only get yay excited about a car show. But Devizes Lions do it with cherries onโฆ and debatably false advertising. There were no lions on the Green, but it was Lions on the Green this Sunday past, an annual free fete/car show crossover which never fails to appeal universally; kids nag mums for Rowdey Cow ice cream while dads furiously argue for three hours with a total stranger in sandals that the Mk2 2.8 Injection Granada handles better than the Mk1 with a 3.0 V6 engine.
I browse unacquainted with such matters, unfazed by contemporary cock extensions, but in admiration of vintage, retro cars and those with a movie reference attached. Every local from MP Brian Matthews to Pete of Vinyl Realm, and outsiders like Marty McFly have brought their big boy toys along to display, as Fantasy Radio blast Gary Numan. It’s a sunny morning, it’s a lovely occasion, it’s raising funds, and there’s nothing to dislike about it.
Cars ticked off, hot dog and an extended conversation with a detectorist who’d discovered a variety of civil war shots and cannonballs on Roundway, if the Lions on the Green is a great and unbroken walkthrough event it coincided with Crammer Watch Day further along on, at the Little Green.
With long term solutions outstanding for unsafe conditions for wildfowl on the Crammer, there appears to be a far more communal tenet between concerned residents and the council compared to the outcry a few years ago, and this day was intended rather to celebrate the Crammer than address expensive possible solutions. As it stands, the simple fix is to raise public awareness that the only escape route for swans is across the roadside and they should apply caution when driving throughโฆ.please.
With live painting from the Lawrence Arts Society, stands from the RSPCA, Sustainable Devizes and hosts Friends of The Crammer, conservation was a topic, if overshadowed somewhat by historical tomfoolery, which was something new to the day and personally my highlight.
A random team of amateur thespians, some from the Wharf Writers Group and others along for the giggle and wearing of knitted beards, staged a short promenade satirical play โreenactingโ the fable of the moonrakers, aptly at The Crammer. The premise didn’t sound so inspiring to me, and I thought I might have to hold my tongue. The actuality surprised me, it was absolutely brilliant!
Pythonesque humour delivered with skill on a local legend, deliberately naff props such as a paddling pool for the pond, and astutely scripted silliness, it was indigenous and hilariously original.
Authenticity deliberately skewed for amusement; they couldn’t have done this anywhere else but here, the setting of the beloved fable, which is amusing enough without the added gags. Francis Grose was a witty Victorian chubster and nothing more needs to upset the applecart about the origin of the moonrakers, as this wasn’t intending to proclaim historic fact checking rather to amuse, which a country gent in Harris Tweed with a carrot in his mouth pretending to be a donkey will inevitably achieve.
I don’t know where the Hoff got to, but he missed a rarer treat than reuniting with Pamela Anderson for a titillating slow-motion beach jog. Oh, and a whistle stop to Morrisons was a let down culturally compared to what was outside. Along the road I shrug at a classic bus, for its appearance would’ve been more expected trekking the Sahara than parked outside the faithfully traditional British Lion, and there was no explanation for it being there.
Nevertheless I’m one step away from the bar, pondering if there’s one thing expected in Devizes: it’s that The British Lion doesn’t change, because it doesn’t need to. With Devizes Arts Festival is full swing, they’ve arranged a Cwmbran roots trio called Whiskey River to play us some of their sublime classic rock covers, Celtically, with a deep southern Americana twist, as a free fringe event; I cannot argue with this.
Devizes live music aficionados amassed and were thankful, as if they needed an excuse for a pint and fundraising burger from the barbecue. The British Lion is a fond institution, Whiskey River was a great break from our usual circuit, The Lions put on a brilliant and well organised family event, Crammer Watch added to an already great day and those awesome actors with rakes did make us laugh as promised.
It was all too much for me, the White Bear and Southgate continued the music, but I needed a little lie down, while our roving reporter Andy outdone me, partying like Prince in 1999, so I’m also putting up his account of weekend adventures for it’s fuller, far more informative and factually accurate than mine, even if it doesn’t mention Pamela Anderson, because really, she didn’t show. Devizes though, doesn’t need Pam, the fun never stops here, Sunday proved it.
Well the Devizes Arts Festival is in full swing now, with several events already under its belt.ย Thereโs stuff cropping up every day, so I took the chance to pop in to a much-underused venue in the town St Andrewโs Church on Long Street.….
After several big-ticket shows in the programme, it was a pleasure to settle down to something a little more modest, a more bread-and-butter item if you like.ย Mid-week lunchtime isnโt going to be a time to attract a particularly large audience, even on market day, but a good few hardy souls turned up to at least create a good audience atmosphere.
Anna Ling, a performer Iโd not personally come across before, is a guitarist and singer/songwriter. Her creative work and sense of purpose are deeply rooted in her love of bringing people together through song. This passion shapes her life, guiding her from leading community choirs to performing at venues, care homes, and world-class festivals.
In a concert co-promoted with the charity, Live Music Now, Anna delivered a professional and engaging 50-minute set which featured both her own material along with a few covers. She worked hard to engage the audience right from the kick-off, inviting us into her world. The performance was light and humorous, heartfelt and intimate. And she was determined that we were not just going to sit back and listen to her, but to join in as well. She had a lovely clear, strong voice, and used it to particular effect when she came down from the stage and abandoned her guitar in favour of an unaccompanied song right from the middle of the audience.
Her lyrics were simple, her guitar chords straight-forward. This was not a set filled with new arrangements or presenting anything particularly challenging, but an opportunity to listen to a set of songs simply delivered and largely unadorned. She filled the gaps between the songs with little stories and anecdotes, never lifting her voice very much, and thus drawing you in.
Plain, simple, and thoroughly enjoyable. Just another little sweetie in the jar from Devizes Arts Festival. And thereโs plenty more to see and hear yet, so do make sure that you get along to experience something soon. Itโll all be over before you know it!
Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online HERE
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
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
The pea souper smog swirls in the dark. A small light illuminates a bare room โ hatstand bare but for a bowler hat, chair, side table with various bric-a-brac. A rug. Music plays in the distance. London, 1916. And The Wharf Theatre stage, 2025โฆย the lights drop to darknessโฆย and the show begins.
Such is the picture provided at the outset of โThe Last Actโ by David Stuart Davies, on the first of two nightsโ shows brought to us by Devizes Arts Festival, performed at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes by Fringe Management. A ninety-minute single hander performance by Nigel Miles-Thomas, directed by Gareth Armstrong, providing a potted history of the lives of Sherlock Holes, โConsulting Detectiveโ, and Dr. John H. Watson โ formerly of the parish of Marylebone.
Nigel plays Holmes, of course, and also Watsonโฆย but into that also covers Inspector Lestrade, Stamford, Mrs. Hudson, Inspector Hopkins andโฆย arch enemy Professor James Moriarty.ย This potted history, or timeline of Holmes and Watsonโs friendship begins at the occasion of Watsonโs funeral, followed by Holmesโ recollections of their partnership marked by key stories in the Sherlock Holmes case history; โThe Adventure of Abbey Grangeโ, โThe Speckled Bandโ, โThe Final Problemโ, โThe Hound of the Baskervillesโ and โHis Last Bowโ. Nigelโs delivery skips nary a beat as his voice changes and facial expressions per character float in and out seamlessly from Holmesโ character as the carefully woven tale even foreshadows itself. We gain an insight into Sherlockโs childhood and brotherly relationship, of his mother and father mirroring the Abbey Grange lead characters, and his fatherโs death mirroring in portrayal that of Moriartyโs. A description of the wind โ โ…ย cried and sobbed like a child in the chimneyโ is used both in Holmesโ praise of Watsonโs descriptive writing and that of his family home.
It is a story ultimately of loneliness and love โ Holmesโ solitary lifestyle – but also his attachment to his brother, but especially Watson. And a story written with affection for Conan Doylesโ character, delivered with care by Nigel Miles-Thomas, packaged with fondness by director Gareth Armstrong. Truly a “Last Act” with love for the subject.
The Thursday 5th June performance of โThe Last Actโ is already sold out, but Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June with a wide range of differing genres and arts to enjoy, with tickets just still available. To see what is available and tickets, browse https://www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk/events/
Thatโs right, lovers of local live music countywide, you have less than a week now to cast your votes for your favourite acts in our prestigious, one-of-a-kind Wiltshire Music Awards!
The closing date for voting is Tuesday the 10th June, so get your thinking caps on and VOTE HERE NOW.
Whoโs tickled your fancy the most? Whoโs brought tears to your eyes with their self-penned ballad? Whoโs dragged you off your seat and commanded your feet to the dancefloor, like nobody’s watching?! Whoโs provided that ideal space for you to shake a tailfeather? And who deserves to be recognised for their outstanding contribution to local live music in your honest opinion? We need to know, but donโt tell us here- keep it secret and cast your votes now!
We’ve already had way over seven hundred ballot papers sent into us, and I’ve not taken one sneaky peek yet, but I’m informed the results are close to call, so your vote might yet tip the balance.
So don’t procrastinate on me now, will you? Not for your favourite musicians’ finest hour. They need you; this is important, dammit!
And hereโs an added special message to all musicians, bands and promoters, we love you all, so, please help us to help you, by sharing this news with your fans, as thereโs nothing wrong with shameless self-promotion; order them to vote for you, offer them custard creams if they do, tell your mum you want her to vote for you, tell them all you wanna win a shiny medal for all youโve done to entertain them. You deserve this, goddammit, everyone creating music around these backwaters does, but thereโs only so many awards we can give out on the night – make sure one of them is yours, yay!
I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it, and I am officially about to lose control…and, guess what? I think I like it. At least, those are my inspirational words to motivate you into the groove.
Images by Hans Shell, Ruth Wordley, Helen’s PolarPix and Bird is the Word
If you’re going to write on a subject you must research it, but if you’re going to write well about it you need to get involved in order to understand the details often hidden to outside observersโฆ.
I learned this a year into creating Devizine, when I decided to hold an anniversary gig. Event organiser Dean Czerwionka basically held my hand through it, as I hadn’t a Scooby-Doo of the immensity of variables involved. Since then, I’ve dug myself deeper into the practical, to understand those obstacles and overcome them, so when being critical, I’m aware of how much work goes into putting events on.
Did you seriously buy that baloney?! Really, I’m an attention-seeking party animal who loves to showcase, whenever feasible, the talents of those I spend hours tapping my keyboard to review, then steal all the credit for it! The whole balancing on a learning curve stuff is only a bonus ball! But it is a delight, whenever the opportunity arises, to witness the actualities of my labour, and one such opportunity occurred yesterday, a short walk from my home.
Rowdefest happened Saturday in my village, an idea to retain aspects of a traditional fete yet modernise it to reflect a mini-festival, in which I had to get my foot in the door of.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, but for myself and the committee, Rowdefest 2025 started months ago, with tea, cake and planning at Barbara’s house. Then, an amount of WhatsApp messages, a Facebook chat coordinating the band’s specs with Simon Stockley, the solo sound engineer worth an entire team of professionals.
RowdeFest Committee pose at the end!
Then there’s the mountains I didn’t climb; Clare’s tribulations to provide a bar, Liz’s organisational skills to provide food vans, sponsors and collect raffle prizes, Kirsty creating a book stall, Geraldine and Angie tying things together, tea, cake and a photo exhibition in the church, chairperson Sue binding our meandering meetings into some kind of order, and so much more from many villagers and parish councillors mucking in, till the point on Friday I was driving a milk-float down Rowde Court Road with a huge tent on it and it all suddenly felt real!
Event organising with a team is wrought with disagreements, problem solving, worries which drag you to examine speculating weather apps daily, and fingers-crossed assurances everything will be alright on the nightโฆ.thankfully it was, so Rowde was blessed with a hugely successful, beautiful occasion. An equally huge thanks and congratulations must go to all involved in its making, but none so much as our chief, Barbara. Even if one of them was me, I still reserve the right to report on it, for there is no flattery necessary, feedback from others gives me the confidence to say this was as fantastic as I perceived it as!
Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers
For me personally, it was all about community merriment, and of course, the entertainment. Under the premise we wanted lively bands I took to organising a lineup consisting entirely of tried and tested locally sourced talents, and calling in a few favours! Opening the event then, the Devizes Jubilee Morris Dancers arrived, did their thing literally with bells on, and got the blossoming crowds engaging in a final routine.
Between the two Morris dancing sections, Mat Fucci of Fucci Fit teased the crowds with a workout, and under the beating sun they got as physical as Olvia Newton-John in 1981, or near to it!
ANdrew Hurst with Lucianne Worthy
Then the live music started with my wildcard, the experimental imaginations of music scholar and tutor, Andrew Hurst. With exceptional bassist Lucianne Worthy, they whisked the audience through multi-instrumental tangents, wonderfully.
Talk in Code
Usually a headline act next, and it was only 3pm, with the crowds still on our villageโs own delicious Rowdey Cow ice cream rather than ciders! Wiltshireโs finest indie-pop darlings, Talk in Code kindly pepped it up, making a pitstop on their way to Swindonโs Castle venue. Blasting their eighties pop flavoured originals gorgeously across our small playing field was an indicator this was going to go off rather different from your average village fete!
That was my doing, and apologise if it came as a shock to some sensitive residents. What attendees didnโt witness was me, once being informed about their complaints, slightly sulking in guilt behind the scenes. Yes, what started as a village fete had now gone full-blown festival, which I believed was the intention and well advertised as such. My resolution was, other than gorging on biscuits, that, in times like this, we have to go with the majority. As the huge crowd gathered, of all ages, appeared to be lapping it up, dancing and cherishing every moment, coupled with the expressions of delight I witnessed on the faces of some disabled children in wheelchairs when I held the gate open for them, well, they counteract a billion complainers for me, and Iโm certain there was far, far fewer of them than that!
Talk in Code with Peggy-Sue Ford of Don’t Stop the Music radio show
Talk in Code shines like a beacon to everything dedication can achieve on our local circuits, and their reputation builds with every appearance; I was overjoyed to see them, as, like anyone they meet, theyโve become my friends. The second act tends to be more modest with their skills, but The Sarah C Ryan Band will always be one of my most favourite bands. They deliver a sublime melodious panache in style and sound, the kind I liken to Fleetwood Mac, but my daughter suggested Florence and The Machine; either works.
The Sarah C Ryan Band
Through cooler originals and the odd cover, Sarah and her band held the crowd spellbound, after wondering if anything would equal Talk in Code, now they were assured I had many more tricks up my sleeve!
Thieves
WIth the crowd simmered, time to allow Thieves to do their thing. Semi-acoustic vibes, Iโd go out on a limb and suggest this is the finest Americania youโll find around these waters. Authentic bluegrass to rootsy blues, this wonderfully accomplished four-piece vocal harmonise on a level which left our unsuspecting attendees around the hay bales spellbound and those in the know nodding impressively. It was the set to end all sets, setting the scene to bliss, as I wandered receiving everyoneโs approval, but I had one more band yet to introduce.
Burn The Midnight Oil
Given the chance, Talk in Code mightโve headlined, safe in the knowledge of what they will deliver. Despite knowing front-girl Chrissy Chapman for many years, and fondly reviewing her vocal collaborations on drum n bass tunes, when she put together Burn The Midnight Oil I met with the original lineup to interview them and hear a little rehearsal, but regrettably, I still hadnโt had the opportunity to tick them off my must-see list.
Okay, so, I took a chance here, suspecting theyโd be good, and heard all the good reports, but I didnโt begin to imagine just how good. Burn the Midnight Oil totally rocked the finale, with fantastic originals slipped unnoticed into a set of covers, they made the perfect end to the day. Dressed in a divine white dress of sentimental value to Chrissy, she took her accomplished band and the audience on an elevated hour plus expedition of bluesy rock which no one wanted to ever come to an end. It was total and utter dynamite!
Alannah Mylesโ Blue Velvet rang out across our playing field, as we gathered the committee and volunteers to be cheered before an encore. Chrissy has a confident stage presence. Her interactions with the audience were so professional, I had to take a double-look to check if it was still my dear friend up there!
But, thatโs the magic right there, to take our talented locals and celebrate their skills as they deserve to be celebrated, allow them to shine with the freedom of expression to deliver works theyโve written and composed, disperse them with classics if they wish to, and introduce the quality of local talent to audiences which may not have the opportunity to follow our local live music scene. That was my objective, as that is alway my objective, and I thank the Rowdefest committee for allowing me to do that in my own village, rather than hiking up Dunkirk Hill again, or trekking further afield; Bradford-on-Avon had a town music festival on, at a level our village couldnโt compete with, but those at RowdeFest wouldnโt have cared at that point; it was magical.
Bramblerose Designs
Okay, Iโm still at one thousand feet about what we accomplished yesterday, but I donโt believe time will water my excitement down. This should go down in the village history books, and if not, it will always be remembered by me. Again my sincere thanks goes to all involved, the committee, the attendees which included MP Brian Matthew, and our media friends Bird is the Word, Peggy-Sue Ford and Alan Watters of our village magazine, but especially the acts and Simon, who came to my rescue; thank you all, for your time, dedication and for superbly rocking my village!
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
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
Itโs been a while coming a-round but at long last Devizesโ very own Arts Festival finally kicked off last night for its two-week run.ย And we started off, as is usual now, with a real belter of a concert in the Corn Exchange, this time featuring veteran performers Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri…..
If you were after star quality, Kiki Dee has it in spades.ย Recently celebrating her 60th year in the music industry, she has now released a whopping 40 singles, three EPs and 22 albums. She is one of the UKโs finest and most revered vocalists, and sheโs sung with and for just about anybody who is anybody in this industry.
Pauline Matthews (as was) was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire in 1947. At the age of 10 she won a local talent contest, and at 16 she had her first paid job as Kiki Dee in show business. She worked briefly as an apprentice hairdresser (she did my motherโs hair once โ my feeble claim to fame!) and at Boots in Bradford during the day, while in the evenings she sang songs with a dance band in Leeds. Initially with Fontana Records, known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown’s Tamla Records. Sheโs best known for the hit singles “Amoureuse” (1973), “I’ve Got the Music in Me” (1974) and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, her 1976 duet with old Reg Dwight (Elton John), which reached Number One on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her 1981 single “Star” became the theme song for the talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was revived by the BBC in 1987.
During her career sheโs sung backing vocals for Dusty Springfield, was one of the backing vocalists on Love Affair’s 1968 UK number one single Everlasting Love, sang backing vocals on various Elton John recordings, such as “All the Girls Love Alice” from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and various tracks on Rock of the Westies, played as support act to Queen at their Hyde Park concert in front of a crowd of 150,000 people, and performed at Live Aid in 1985, reprising “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with John, and performing backing vocals on the other songs in his set. On top of that sheโs won awards for her Musical Theatre roles in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, in which she took on the role originally played by Barbara Dickson for the 1988 production and recording, and received an Olivier Award nomination in 1989 in the Best Actress in a Musical category.
But all of that is history! Nowadays, or at least for the last twenty years or so, sheโs continued to move forward with the music that she creates with Carmelo Luggeri. Kiki says Carmelo is her favourite guitarist and he co-writes and produces all their songs.
Dee released the live album Almost Naked, a joint effort with Carmelo in 1995, followed by the studio albums Where Rivers Meet (1998) and The Walk Of Faith (2005). In September 2013, Dee and Luggeri released their third studio album, A Place Where I Can Go, on Spellbound Records. They have been touring together ever since and have played alongside such musical luminaries as Roger Taylor, Jack Bruce, Fish, Paul Young, Tom Robinson, Graham Gouldman and Madeline Bell.
Carmelo Luggeriโs abilities as a guitarist, composer and producer have taken him on a rich and interesting musical path over his career. Born in England of Italian parents, Carmelo was mainly self-taught with some classical training. Working with comedian and television personality Billy Connolly he created the โWatzinโ Matildaโ re-work used for the hugely successful 1995 โWorld Tour Of Australiaโ TV series. In 1998 Carmelo produced the track โStealinโ for the film โStill Crazyโ starring Jimmy Nail. Carmelo has also worked with US singer Andy Williams, Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), Ray Cooper (Elton John band), Gus Dudgeon, Stuart Epps, Romy Haag and singer songwriter Ralph McTell.
Carmelo and Kikiโs paths first crossed when he produced a collection of bonus tracks for โThe Very Best of Kiki Deeโ album, and, under the guidance of their manager Steve Brown they took on a new musical direction together, playing acoustic concerts, starting with an appearance at The Royal
Albert Hall for World AIDS Day in 1994. It was quite a departure for Carmelo at this point as he was essentially an electric player but this marked the beginning of their now 25 year collaboration where acoustic guitar is at the foundation of their sound.
Sorry for the long introductory pre-amble, but just wanted to reprise the careers of these two wonderful musicians. And I guess youโd have to say that represents as good a musical pedigree as youโre ever going to get, so the expectations for the large crowd were, to say the least, pretty high.
And we werenโt to be disappointed one bit. Kicking off with โGet What You Wish Forโ and the first of several musical career anecdotes, we were suddenly there at โDonโt Go Breaking My Heartโ! Like most people I thought this would be the wrap-up song or the encore, but Kiki clearly wanted to get the song on the table early. Using, not unexpectedly, a completely different acoustic arrangement, with a rather slower tempo, her rendition allowed the lyrics to really shine through, and to deliver some really pathos.
Cracking on with anecdotes about meeting David Hockney in Malibu, and working with Dusty Springfield, we had the self-penned โSmall Merciesโ. She then mined a rich vein of beautifully-arranged covers โ Kate Bushโs โRunning Up That Hillโ, Robert Palmerโs โEvery Kinda Peopleโ, and Neil Youngโs โHarvest Moonโ.
Following โa nice glass of redโ and a costume change, the second half continued in much the same vein, with Kiki interspersing the songs with more anecdotes. Early up we had her big hit โAmoureuseโ, partly sung in the original French, a jazzy cover of Leonard Cohenโs โDance Me To The End Of Loveโ (featuring a touching cameo when she danced with a member of the audience whilst Carmelo commanded the stage with some fabulous guitar work). We then had a run of the pairโs own compositions โ โAmen and Goodbyeโ, โSheโs Smiling Nowโ, โYou Canโt Fix The Maybeโ and โUntil We Meet Againโ โ before finishing with an upbeat and rousing version of โIโve Got The Music In Meโ. Getting an encore was a mere formality by this stage, but their choice was a strange one โ a very quiet number entitled โIf You Ever Need Someoneโ, and a harmonised version of The Beatlesโ โBlackbirdโ. Cue lots of cheering and a great ovation.
Kiki showed us that, at 78, sheโs definitely still got it. Her voice is, expectedly, not as strong and pure as in her youth, but itโs still bloody good, hitting all the notes perfectly, and still delivering plenty of soulfulness and meaning. Carmelo demonstrated throughout to be no mere prop or accompaniment to the big star on his left, but a real guitar craftsman in his own right. His subtle and effective use of loops and pedals to add depth and colour to every number, coupled with several changes of guitars and tunings, proved a real revelation. His introductions and solos were beautifully crafted, drawing much applause, and plenty of genuine praise from Kiki.
As a duo they harmonised well, and were very clearly extremely comfortable in each otherโs company on stage. Their rapport with each other, and with the audience, added considerably to the quality and the professionalism of the show.
This was the third or fourth time Iโd seen these guys, and Iโd have to say that they only get better and better. A really solid two and a half hour show, filled with great songs, hilarious anecdotes and superb guitar work โ what more could you possibly want? I absolutely loved and, it seemed, so did the packed audience.
A cracker of a concert to kick off this yearโs Devizes Arts Festival!
The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.ย Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online atย www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย ย
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
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
The first full album by Wiltshireโs finest purveyors of psychedelic indie shenanigans, Clock Radio, was knocked out to an unsuspecting world last week. Itโs called Turfinโ Out The Maniacs, which perhaps should be fact-checked as it sounds to me like theyโre letting them all in, as they arrive on yellow submarines and check into Frank Zappaโs 200 five-rhombus rated motelsโฆ..
Self-described as โeasily triggered, dishonest, cryptic yet flirty deluded jangle rockers,โ Clock Radio have produced a string of catchy slacker pop wonders here, as they continuously reach inside the box, like theyโre four elfish Rowan Atkinsons all cast as Paul Atreides. But one thing is for certain, Chris Genner, Oliver Daltrey, Gary Martin and Fraser Wilson will entertain you.
Turfinโ Out The Maniacs sound like the results of the Coral offering The Divine Comedy a hashpipe in a moulded teenage boyโs bedroom; thatโs a compliment by the way.
The opening tune Blood on Chrome certainly reeks of that breezy retrospection of Merseyside garage bands or sixties surf-rock, with an added preliminary Quo guitar riffs. Stoned at the Dojo, which follows emphasises the mock lounge style of The Divine Comedy. Itโs vaudeville throughout, all Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Bandโs twirling circus, and an accordion welcomes in the next song, yet the tempo is upbeat indie rock. Handsome Weeping Man might leave you questioning if itโs necessary to connote the narrative, but it will leave you amused.
Clock Radio knows precisely what buttons to press to evoke a mood, and press them with free will. To say itโs a tad bonkers, itโs only a tad, and Mountains Beyond the Sun kindles a gentle side, drifting surf-rock, sunny side of the street vibe.
Thereโs ten three minute heroes on this impressive debut album, recorded, mixed and mastered by Dominic Bailey-Clay at Nine Volt Leap Studios, with Fender Rhodes piano, percussion by Dominic and a triangle by Shoshi B. If weโre content with getting halfway through and assuming theyโve calmed slightly, No Death takes us back onto the weird and wonderfully expressed if questionable muses of the opening.
Turfinโ Out The Maniacs is a comfy yet nippy prank, like being stung in the bottom but launching away from it to splash into a chocolate lake. Not so unlike Noรซl Coward playing a Bond villain, with Bowie as Bond; something you couldnโt imagine happening, but being Marie-Georges Mรฉliรจs directed it and itโs on FilmFour at 3am, you might as well grab a bag of cheesy puffs and thirty grams of Amber Leaf, stay up watch it in your pants. โCactus is cooler, Iโm no Ferris Bueller, I do as Iโm told,โ is just one line Iโm cherry picking to illustrate my point, youโll be amused and rocked in plentiful equal measure.
It has an acoustic ending called Complex 5 which will leave you incarcerated in the meandering yet meticulous peculiarly pulp portrayals of Clock Radio, as if you melted into a bubble sofa. It is available now on the streaming platforms, or buy the digital album from Bandcamp.
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…..
Silverwood School near Devizes, has an ambition to provide a truly integrated system of outstanding education for those with special educational needs and disabilities in Wiltshire up to 19 years old.
Silverwood Charity Trust supports the school by fundraising to enhance the educational experience and advance the abilities of the children and young people at the school. A pleaโฆWe are looking for donations for a raffle that we will hold at this event. Any offer will be much appreciated and we thank you in advance for your generosity. We can collect donations at your convenience.
The Trust has made grants across the Chippenham, Trowbridge, and Rowde Campuses totalling ยฃ20,000, built a multi-use sensory walkway at the Rowde Campus to allow wheelchair access to the woodland areas, and has submitted a planning application for an Animal Resource Centre (ARC).
With the new building work at the Rowde Campus complete, the Trust is delighted to hold an open evening at 6pm on Friday 27 June 2025, to which they hope you can join them to learn more about the School and Trust, and support the young people at Silverwood School by raising vital funds for the ARC.
Devizes-based The Big Sound Choir will take to the stage at St Georgeโs Bristol on Wednesday 4th June as part of Aled Jonesโs nationwide Full Circle tour โ and audiences are in for a real treat….
Known for their dynamic energy and uplifting sound, The Big Sound Choir will open the evening with a rousing set of feel-good songs before joining Aled Jones live on stage for a powerful finale.
Aled, the beloved boy treble who captured hearts with Walking in the Air, is back with a brand-new show thatโs packed with songs, stories, and surprises. โItโs time to come Full Circle,โ says Aled. โIโll be telling stories about how it all began, then taking the audience on a journey through my career โ from meeting Royalty, singing all over the world, to being sat between Elton John and Billy Connolly at Bob Geldof and Paula Yatesโs wedding!โ
The concert promises previously unseen photographs, live performances of Aledโs favourite songs, and the chance for the audience to ask him questions. Itโs a warm, funny, and nostalgic evening that celebrates a remarkable career โ and for The Big Sound Choir, itโs a chance to shine alongside one of Britainโs most recognisable voices.
SPECIAL OFFER: 50% OFF TICKETS Book now HERE and use code: 50ALED at the checkout!
Donโt miss this joyful collaboration โ a night of beautiful music, heartwarming memories, and one unforgettable finale!
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 a four track debut EP; who knew?!
I only found out through talking with Adam about a merch table at our forthcoming RowdeFest, where you can, incidentally, find Thieves playing, but at any gig youโre lucky enough to catch them at, I suggest you pick up a copy of this little showcase disc; theyโre our very own resident Carter Familyโฆ.
Opening with Calneโs Jo Deacon on lead vocals, who also sings solo and with soul function band the Midnight Hour, Coming Back For Me is beguiling and uptempo, refreshing bluegrass fashion. Yet Working Man, which follows, slides the divine ambience into mellowed country-rock. With Adam on lead vocals, Iโm thinking Neil Young, the Byrds, and all those irresistible Americana classics, which imagines youโre heading west through Oklahoma on a Harley with Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda.
Probably the highlight of this EP is the penultimate, Now You’re Around. Five minutes of total bliss, with Jo back on vocals and some seriously intricate melodies, combining the talents of Roryโs resonator, Adamโs mandolin, and Mattโs upright bass, you can sense Joโs soul experience, as it rings out as authentically Americana as Janis Joplin playing Woodstock with Crosby, Stills & Nash. And still I hear something decidedly UK folk here too, of Fairport Convention, perhaps. Iโm no connoisseur, just know what my ears like; itโs all a melting pot,ย and Thieves stir it with delicate precision.
And in that, Iโm unsure about the name Thieves. Certainly the genuine sound of America is pinched if not more agreeably heavily influenced by, but it might suggest thereโs something edgy going on, when this is dinkum, universally appealing sunny side of the street melodies; the kind of folk the eldest in the crowd will tap their toes to while children will merrily twirl barefoot on the grass.
It was a series of coincidences when I first saw them at Bradford Roots Festival a few years ago. From a distance I thought โthat guy looks just like Adam Woodhouse,โ (and maybe a smidgen like MacGyver too!) but upon hearing them perform I thought of The Lost Trades, turned to tell the person standing next to me, who just happened to be Phil Cooper of the Lost Trades, who nodded his trilby in approval; a fine accolade indeed. โIt is Adam,โ Phil replied! Oh, yeah, so it is; I didnโt need to go to Specsavers, because their wonderful sound pulled me closer.
We finish the EP with a ballad called Lately, which Adam and Jo duet, and itโs so beautiful and moreish, leaving you suspended on whatโs to come from Thieves, but rest assured, hereโs a wonderful quartet which can hold a crowd spellbound.
Find where Thieves are playing on our local circuits by following socials FacebookInsta for gigs, and hopefully catch them at Rowdefest on Saturday 31st May? Itโs free, bring me a haslett and cucumber sandwich, Iโve arranged the acts, I wonโt let you down.
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
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
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. First up was the dynamic duo and purveyors of all things goth, Deadlight Danceโฆ.
Owners Pete and Jackie were glad to announce the return of some live music afternoons atย Vinyl Realm, and between us we couldnโt recall how long itโs been since they last did this. A welcomed visit then, where you can leave your penny-farthing outside, browse some records while youโre there, and take in some locally sourced, unplugged acoustic sounds.
From 2:30pm Deadlight Dance played through stripped back versions of their originals and plenty of classic covers of the eighties new wave and gothic scene, claiming it was World Goth Day, though Google reckons itโs next Thursday, but whoโs arguing? Deadlight Dance were covering these songs when Google was an itch in Ask Jeevesโ web crawler.
Always a pleasure to hear Nick and Tim play, though attired in their black jackets, white shirts and shades, it seems Tim drew the short straw and stood window-side with the sun beating in and a wasp groupie hovering overhead! Mandolin and guitar Echo Beach rinsing through the rafters though, while everyone outside is shopping for a birthday card for their pet cat, or Iceland hot dog stuffed crust pizza; plenty of time that malarky afterwards. I found a 7โ of Chaka Khan, and another from Neil from the Young Ones, so there.
Next up is our wonderful Devizes singer-songwriter Sammi Evans, next Saturday 24th May from 2:30pm. Iโve asked Jackie for a list, but this was vague at the moment; watch this space. Of course JP Oldfield is on for a suitcase drum and kazoo sesh at some point, so if youโre an acoustic performer I suggest you pop into Vinyl Realm and put your name down!ย
Oh hear ye, for a foretelling I behold. A prog-rock shamen of extensive knowledge and sorcery will enter our sacred vale during the moon to cometh.…
A mysterious lone traveller stands at the Trow Bridge, as steadfast as the mist surrounding him. Behind him, the home he departed, the market Frome across the Somerset border. In front as he strides barefoot across the downs, resides the unsuspecting kind folk of the White Horse. He arrives clasping under his cloak, a magical multi-track looper known as a Boomerang III Phrase Sampler, a gatefold sleeve album of yore in his other hand he holds high above his brimmed kappell, and he hath a celebration to bequeathโฆ.
โฆ.or he might have a van, Iโm not 100% certain! But James Hollingsworth returns to Wiltshire to pay homage to Pink Floydโs ninth studio album Wish You Were Here, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. With loop pedalboard and other such tech, he bravely attempts it solo, but if any one can, he can.
In our writer Andyโs extolled words of a review long past, when James did similar at the Devizes Southgate on Dark Side of the Moonโs fiftieth birthday, Andy called him a โtour de force, a stunning effort of both musical versatility, but also of concentration. Itโs the music he loves, and it really showed.โ
Unlike Andy, Iโm not of that era, being only two when Wish You Were Here was released, and as a result Iโm more critical about prog-rock. Though Floyd are a timeless band, whose lyrics we chanted on the playground, inciting us not to need education or thought-control. And of James I said in a 2022 review, again at the Southgate, โfor any music lover from folk to prog-rock, from the era of mellowed Floyd-eske goodness, James Hollingsworth works some magic,โ so, I must have loved it!
To make sure, James sent me his latest outpouring, an intense collaboration with keyboardist Steve Griffiths called Lost in the Winds of Time. With tolkienesque charm, swirling soundscapes and whimsical storytelling, Lost in the Winds of Time is a sea shanty rock opera, nine lengthy tracks strong, each flowing beautifully like the whistling winds, into a narrative, mystically.
Though Lost in the Winds of Time might be better comparable to the album Meddle, with its gorgeous circulating psychotropic-inducing effects and riffs which roll over like waves on a calming sea caressing the shore. Jamesโ silky vocals drift across the ether, like Wiltshire’s own Justin Hayward narrating a Victoran fantasy adventure, or Harry Potter Goes to Sea with Gandalf!
Itโs an impressive trip, to me, as Iโm one who, during the intervening period between undesirable commercialised electronica and the more welcomed acid house, sought the archives for lost psychedelia to suit my blossoming journey into the psycheโs nirvana (I was at art college, it was part of the curriculum!) The older Floyd albums were an inevitable discovery I revelled in, horizontally in a moulding bedroom. Wish You Were Here stood out, for its vivid masterpieces of alienation and mental health, attributing original Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, and paying their respects to him in such sublime manner reflected by listeners to anyone they once loved and lost.
Not to be confused with a tribute act, James Hollingsworth more simply pays homage to his influences in his own manner, and plans to play some of his compositions alongside. How will he do it? Bet you wish you were here to hear itโฆ (see what I did there? Iโll get my fur-lined Afghan coat!)
He takes his show to Melksham, at the Grapes on Saturday 17th May. At the Southgate in Devizeson bank holiday Monday, the 26th May, which are both free, and as part of the Bath Fringe on Thursday 29th May at The Ring O Bells, ticketed event. Also at The Creative Innovation Centre in Taunton on Friday 23rd May.ย
A week into the voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards and things have been moving forward fast. Weโve had the best part of 500 voting forms already submitted and weโre busy spreading the news about these new awardsโฆ
The voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards went live on the 1st May, and if it was overshadowed by some other voting thing going on that day too, this far more important election is gradually gathering pace. And unlike the other elections, no one is jumping on anyoneโs back, making up stories to derail other candidates!
Eddie Prestidge of Wiltshire Music Events UK and I have been busy promoting the concept, and weโre delighted and extremely grateful to everyone who has helped us with this. From visiting Castledown FM to meet Kev Lawrence and waffle on his drive-time show, and future such gigs like Peggy-Sueโs Donโt Stop the Music Show on Swindon 105.5, to features in Swindon Link and Salisbury Radioโs blog, and everyone who has shared our news on social media, word is getting around thanks to you all.
Of course individual musicians, bands and studios have taken to their social media platforms begging for their fans to vote for them, and, donโt worry, this is encouraged! Itโs also our most treasured venues such as The Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon who are sharing our news. I believe this is all vital, to ensure weโre making it comprehensive and spanning across the entire county. If you can help us with this, please do get in touch.
Nominations will close on 10th June 2025, so we need your picks by then! Itโs not easy, I know; Eddie messaged me a few hours into the voting process to say he hadnโt seen my submission yet, and I had to tell him I was still making my mind up!
Thereโs so many talented musicians around here, it is difficult to decide whoโs name to put in those boxes. But, in this I feel is a point worth making about the Wiltshire Music Awards; we are doing this to promote, encourage and celebrate everyone creating music locally, from DJ and cover band to original artists and sound engineers. This isnโt intended to make our circuits competitive in any way, as we all enjoy the communal and friendly ethos of our local circuits, and vow to maintain this. The hard work they all do to entertain us is recognised and appreciated; while some of our many friends on the music scenes in Wiltshire might not pick up an award, it doesnโt mean weโve forgotten them!
Eddie says, โthese awards recognise the individuals and groups whose efforts make a real difference. If you know someone who deserves recognition, or want to showcase your group, now is your chance to give them the spotlight they deserve.โ
Weโve just opened a Facebook group for the Awards you can join HERE. People have joined and are making connections there already, which is great and exactly what we want to achieve with this venture; itโs not the Oscars!
Thereโs loads of questions which have been fired at us over the week about how the awards work, despite many of them being answered on the FAQs pageof the website! Some others have come up, and we thank you for raising some valid points. One good one I had by Rich of Minety Music Festival, who asked if we could have a category for festivals. We pondered how we could do this as the categories have already been set, thereโs 17 of them already, and feeding it into the venues category might not be fair on the smaller grassroots venues. So, we decided to add festivals as a category for next year, and make a list of festivals in Wiltshire for the judgesโ perusal. I mention this to say, hey, weโre open to ideas and things we might have overlooked.
The most frequent question Iโve been asked is โcan I vote for myself?!โ To which the simple answer is a big fat YES! Why not? Show off your ego, youโve earned it, go for it! The less frequent but similar question Iโve had is, surprisingly, โcan I vote for you?!โ The answer is, yeah (blush,) if you must!
Weโve been browsing trophies and medals from a catalogue by Avon Trophies like weโre kids drooling over the lingerie section! And over the next couple of weeks we will be sending invites for people to be judges. Choosing experienced people with dedication to promoting music in the county and trying to set one in each area, we have a list of possibles, but if youโre interested in this let me know this coming week. It is also vital that this event receives sponsorship in order for it to work as well as whatโs in our minds. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor an individual award or the whole shebang!
The award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, tickets are here. We hope it will continue annually, this all depends upon your input and support, which has so far been so encouraging I might even be moved wear a dickie-bow at the event, and that’s worth the ticket price alone! Please vote and share our news, thank you!
Organised by Kingston Media – to raise money for Dorothy House and Wiltshire Air Ambulance – the 3rd of May saw Bands At The Bridge come to the Bridge Inn, Horton …
With the sun peeking out and the rain clouds temporarily parting I had the opportunity to head on down to Bands on The Bridge, a mini festival-style event at the Bridge Inn on the outskirts of Devizes. Organised by Kingston Media โ in a step away from their usual publicity/catering work โ the event saw eight bands and solo performers stretched across the afternoon and evening of the Bank Holiday Saturday, all in aid of Dorothy House and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
From the moment of entering, you could feel a strong sense of excitement, and although the crowd wasnโt big, they definitely had the enthusiasm side nailed as each of the performers was met with cheers and dancing.
The first band I had the opportunity to see that evening was Burn the Midnight Oil. They started with a cover of Dreams and soon had everyone singing along, before launching into a set of original songs, which saw dancing, cowboy hats and even people howling like wolves for a short time (there was more context to it than that, I promise!).
Although all songs they played โ other than one โ were originals, they played them which such skill that without knowing their setlist beforehand you wouldnโt have known that they werenโt just covers of songs that you just didnโt know, which can take a lot of skill to do right. All their songs were great, but Iโd like to give a mention specifically to Scapegoat and Werewolf, which were my two favourites of the evening. It was clear their focus was on well played and polished originals, which they were fantastic at and which the audience clearly appreciated.
Dreamcatcher came quickly next, a band that originally started as a Fleetwood Mac tribute, but their tastes broadened to encompass a load more songs of the same sort of style – although rest assured, they still had a healthy dose of Fleetwood throughout. Their 45 minutes setlist saw a variety of different songs, broken strings and even the sun (for a short appearance, which had everyone cheering) with a main focus on stuff from the 60s and 70s, the sort of songs that everyone would know and have a little dance to.
The Dreamcatchers played well, and despite the small crowds, it was clear the audience enjoyed their material and it fit in well for that kind of event.
By far the most appreciated band of the evening were The 789s, a Bristol based events band. Itโs fair to say they were some of the most skilled players of the evening, with their four-person line up seeing drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Once again, their setlist focused on well-known and easily danceable songs, seeing performances of Come On Eileen, Donโt Look Back In Anger and many more that had everyone excited.
I had a quick chat with their lead singer Ally who said a lot of the songs she enjoys performing are 70s funk and disco style numbers and that that was what she grew up with around the house. Their high energy songs soon had everyone up dancing and singing along and it seemed that 45 minutes wasnโt enough for the audience, after two back-to-back encores at the end of their set leading to a few extra songs, which were just as impressive as โ if not better โ than the rest of their set.
With their skilled instrumentalists, incredible talented singers and a well-polished setlist I thought it was perfect for this kind of event and clearly the rest of the audience agreed. Ally went on to say that the energy people gave her made it a really fun gig to be playing at.
The last performance of the evening saw headliner Almost Elton take to the stage. By this point the audience were invested in whatever performance would come next, so he was met with a great reception after setting up a keyboard and mic followed by a quick outfit change into a feathered coat and a not entirely convincing wig.
He had a longer set than others, and being an Elton John tribute act ran through all the favourite songs of Mr John โ even bringing some random audience members on stage to โhelpโ with the vocals on Donโt Go Breaking My Heart. It was a good way to round off an event like this, everyone knew the songs, everyone sang along and everyone danced.
All in all, Kingston Media pulled off an enjoyable event with some fantastic performers throughout the evening. As well as the four Iโve babbled about above Iโve heard great things of both Jane Bennetโs and The Sitting Ducksโ sets (and actually all of the rest of the performers) and was sad to miss them.
Although the crowds were a little small, that is completely normal and to be expected for the first year of this sort of event (and in fact, their first ever event of this type). They had the traditional festival atmosphere nailed and a great venue to go along with it. So, hereโs hoping for it to be done again next year, maybe with a bit more sun though?!
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
The voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards goes live today; there might be some other voting thing going on too, but this is far more important!
In conjunction with Wiltshire Music Events UK, Iโm delighted Devizine will be actively assisting to organise this new county-wide music awards. Weโve mentioned it a few times now, but today the moment has finally arrived for you to cast your votes. Nominations are open for the ceremony from 1st May 2025, and will close on 10th June 2025.
The award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, tickets are here. We hope it will continue annually, this all depends upon your input. Please get voting, and we call upon everyone actively involved in music scenes across the county to get involved too.
Hereโs some FAQs about the process, and other than to say Iโm mega-excited about it all, and to please share this news far and wide, thereโs not a lot else I can waffle on about it for now; everything relies on you all to help us find the talented in Wiltshire, so get voting!
Who can be nominated?
Anyone involved in music based in Wiltshire or primarily active within the county can be nominated. This includes solo artists, bands, DJs, instrumentalists, music promoters, and venues.
Can I nominate in more than one category?
Yes, you can submit nominations in multiple categories. However, each artist, band, group, DJ, or venue may only be nominated in one category overall, so please choose the most suitable one.
Who decides the winners?
A panel of music professionals from across Wiltshire will review the shortlisted entries and select one winner per category. The panelโs decision will be final.
An effervescent musical, full of promising young talent
Written by: Melissa Loveday
Images by: Gail Foster
After the success of SIX last year, Devizes Music Academy is beginning to make a name for itself with its second musical production, Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie, which featured two electrifying performances on 19th April at Devizes Schoolโฆ.
And wow! What an incredible show it was! Bringing this musical sensation to life โ including Northern accents, multiple set and costume changes and complex dance numbers โ was ambitious. Yet after only a week of rehearsals, 23 talented young performers, aged just 13 to 18, poured their hearts and souls into a performance that was dynamic, professional and full of impressive talent. It had heart, humour and heels so high I wouldnโt be able to walk in them, let alone dance!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
From the opening scene, it was packed with raucous energy and perfectly delivered sass that immediately transported us to a gritty Sheffield comprehensive, where Year 11s contend with the wonderful and frightening possibilities that lie ahead of each of them. Jamie New, an openly gay 16-year-old who dreams of becoming a drag queen, was instantly likeable as he and the rest of the cast swept us into his pop-fantastic daydream โAnd You Donโt Even Know Itโ.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Inspired by the BBC Three documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie was written by Tom MaCrae with music by Dan Gillespie Sells, from an idea by Jonathan Butterell. First produced by Sheffield Theatres, the show took Londonโs West End by storm in late 2017 and has brought infectious joy to audiences ever since.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
But this is a story about more than a boy wanting to wear a dress. Itโs a multi-layered tale of family and friendship, and having the courage to step into the person you were always meant to be. Set in a working-class area of South Yorkshire, England, the story is grounded in a world thatโs relatable, keeping it from becoming overly sentimental. Instead, it feels edgy and vibrant, whilst not shying away from the struggles individual characters face.
What made this amateur โTeen Editionโ so special was the thrill of watching real teenagers bring these teen characters to life. Under Jemma Brownโs expert direction, with vocal coaching by Teresa Isaacson and choreography by Sarah Davies, the cast delivered a level of talent that could easily hold its own on a West End stage.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
The whole ensemble was brilliantly cast, with every member delivering a believable storyline through genuine and multi-dimensional acting, powerful vocals and sharp choreography.
Jacob Leggett was made to play Jamie. At just 15, he brought the perfect mix of camp charisma and youthful innocence to the role, whilst also capturing Jamieโs wit, cheekiness and vulnerability. His rendition of โWall In My Headโ was captivating, building beautifully into an emotional crescendo that gave me chills!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Meanwhile, Ruby Phipps gave Pritti, Jamieโs loyal, studious best friend, a quietly headstrong presence. Her solo โBeautifulโ was sung with elegant control, allowing each phrase the space and diction needed to feel both precise and spontaneous. Although she and other cast members werenโt Muslim, the production honoured the spirit of diversity by respectfully representing the Muslim community, complete with hijabs.
As a parent, I was moved by Lisa Grimeโs portrayal of Jamieโs mum, Margaret, especially her song โHeโs My Boyโ. It was heartfelt and mature, with excellent vocal range, and had me reflecting on the bittersweet truth that while we strive to shield our children from pain, life will inevitably hurt them, and yet we thrive on seeing them live authentically. Our children, in all their brilliance and vulnerability, are our greatest accomplishments.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Another standout came from Cory White, who doubled as the school bully and Jamieโs dad, whoโs harsh lines stung, but showed subtle remorse that added depth to his characterisation.
Ted Maughan was commanding as Hugo and playful as Loco Chanelle, offering a refreshing contrast with his confident spoken-word delivery style and lively American accent.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
The set design was simple but effective, with props such as a balloon arch for the prom scene creating a party feel. Transitions between classroom, kitchen, bus stop and prom seemed to happen as if by magic, enhanced by effective lighting and seamless costume changes, from school uniforms to dazzling prom gowns. The spotlight reveal of Jamieโs red dress was especially powerful, leaving the audience wanting more.
Dynamic choreography and colourful harmonies elevated the production, from coordinated group numbers to breakout moments allowing individual characters to shine. Particularly memorable was the schoolgirls’ clapping routine in โSpotlightโ, reminding us of the charactersโ young age, while a dance duet between Cory White and Chloe Whitcombe during Margaretโs โIf I Met Myself Againโ added a poignant, dreamlike quality to the song. But I especially loved the title number โEverybodyโs Talking About Jamieโ, which kicked off Act II, with its excited, gossipy feel, as multiple characters bounced their individual lines off each other before erupting into an energetic and synchronised dance sequence that had the whole room buzzing!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Itโs genuinely hard to believe this was amateur musical theatre. The level of professionalism, emotional authenticity and pure talent displayed by every single cast member absolutely blew me away. These young performers truly brought a little bit of glitter to the grey.
With so much promising young talent on our doorstep, it begs the question: whatโs next Devizes Music Academy? Whatever it is, I canโt wait!
You can catch an abridged version of Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie at the Fulltone Festival, The Green, Devizes, on Friday 25 July. For tickets, visit www.fto.org.uk
Big congratulations to Devizes DJ Greg Spencer this week, the creator of Palooza house nights at The Exchange nightclub, for he made the prestigious bill of Fatboy Slimโs All Back to Minehead festival in November at Butlins; we have to celebrate him, baby, and praise him like we should!
Palooza launched in March last year, to bring back regular house nights in Devizes, and fantastic they are too. A year later and Greg excitedly messaged us with the news he was potentially booked for Fatboy Slimโs annual shindig at the Butlins in Minehead, we just had to wait for confirmation, which he now has. โIโm a bit overwhelmed by it,โ Greg told us at the time, describing the news as one of the best days of his life when he announced it last week.
Goldie, K-Klass and a DJ set from Leftfield are among the highlights of who will be larginโ it with Norm at this annual dance music extravaganza; we wish Greg all the best with it. But if you want to get Paloozaโd closer to home, theyโre back at the Exchange nightclub this Friday, 2nd May. And weโre leaking future dates for Palooza nights to put in your diary, the 27th June, 29th August and 19th December.
This Friday sees the crew playing house, old skool, techno and tech house with DJs Floormover, Leggy, Rodj, Eldridge and Grit. Pay on the door, Facebook event page is here; let them know if youโre going!
If I’ve been galavanting recently, gorging on other local townโs live music scenes, what better way to return to Devizes than a visit to the liveliest watering hole, The Three Crowns, to see a band with our town’s name all over it, No Alarms And No Devizes? How apt!
Iโll confess, while I know most of the members of this five-piece as individual musicians in their own rights or as members of various other groups, I was yet to see them in this setup, despite them forming the best part of a year ago. Naughty of me, I accept, but Iโm overly glad to finally tick them off my must-see list, and on the strength of last nightโs performance, it wonโt be the last.
Aware of their talents as individuals my only pre-gig apprehension being it can sometimes be a case whereby groups formed of members whoโve met at open mics sadly donโt equate to the sum of their counterparts. This minor angst I quashed before arriving; I could hear them from the carpark as they rang out Steve Harley & the Cockney Rebelโs Make Me Smile with gusto. โCome up and see me,โ the song suggests, yeah, Iโm nearly there, and already glad I did. Again, how apt!
But itโs not just in the word-playing a Radiohead songโs band name to give it a local spin, nor the coincidental meaning of the song they were covering when I arrived which makes me happy to report that they know exactly what buttons to press, rather on the tightness of the band and their comradeship too. Frontman Tom Harris, known for also fronting extreme-metal band Kinasis and a stalwart locally as a blues solo artist, is a force to be reckoned with. His lively vocal range knows no bounds, and thereโs joyful connotations within his energy and often amusing facial expressions which rub off on the audience.
If, as it suggests, โextreme-metalโ is too extreme for me, itโs in his lighter fashions which makes me smile, and during lockdown the few funky tunes he created really brought Tomโs natural talent to entertain to my attention. With No Alarms No Devizesโ varied range of cover choices in their arsenal, Tom is free to explore his funky side or whatever fancies his tickle, and I loved this about the No Alarms And No Devizes show the most.
Tom is backed by proficient guitarist Pat Ward, once modest about his abilities, today moving through the audience whilst strumming, like a pro! Bassist Jonny Jam, whoโll you see blessing his skills in many local bands. A new drummer, Nick Wood, who sure found his feet and sticks last night. And with the additional Matt Pryor on keys, the lineup gives them the scope to nail a vast range of pop songs into their repertoire, and they do them all with impressive confidence and showmanship.
Keyed in to precisely what the varied crowd at the Three Crowns want, they ventured through anything and everything from Nina Simone and the Beatles to the obligatory Radiohead, the Proclaimersโ crowd-pleaser, and eighties pop such as my personally most welcomed Men at Workโs Down Under, with a gradual fade from melodic to a frenzy. They slipped in a few great originals too, but whatever direction they took themselves into they did so with flow, precision and enthusiasm, making for a universally highly entertaining night I cannot fault. Even their break was no longer than a wee-stop!
I do ponder if the bandโs name implies itโs just a bunch of guys from Devizes when they arrive at other townโs venues. They played Swindonโs Rolleston recently, they played HoneyFest at the Barge and Salisburyโs Coach & Horses, among others, but Matt assured me theyโre welcomed wherever they play, leaving me only to assure venues outside Devizes, they may be announcing theyโre guys from Devizes within their very name, and banter between towns might be a thing, but once No Alarms And No Devizes are in full swing, youโd be glad you booked them!
Another wonderful night at the Three Crowns, then. It never fails to please. With the Brewery Shop opening next door, seeing visitors stopping into the pub, the live music and gourmet burgers, The Three Crowns is surely a testament to what a pub can achieve if they put their heads into what punters want, particularly in these uncertain times. It was as busy as ever in there, hospitable and lively, with a varied age demographic out to party and nothing baleful.
We clashed events with the wonderful Facebook page dedicated to promoting local live music, Bird is the Word, which had to happen at some point! Go give them a like if you do Facebook, theyโre doing good things over there, with higher quality photos and video streams than my tiddly tries of getting into focus while dancing and balancing a cider!
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
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
The premise is really quite simple, the prospect is positively glowing with brilliance, the result remains to be seen, but on Sunday the 4th May Devizes will know for sure where the future of events in the town rests โฆ.. No pressure Devizes Yea team!!
It was never a nice thing to have to announce our beloved Street Festival had to be cancelled due to arts funding cuts, but being as the Market Place was booked for an event on the date, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts are determined to put on a show regardless.
The fantastic part to all this is that DOCA has brought together teenage volunteers to create a new annual festival in Devizes Market Place, under the name Yea Devizes. The most important thing for all to note about this is, this is not the street festival, nor a replacement for it, it should not be compared to it, and most important of all, it is NOT just for teenagers. Even if the committee of organisers are youths, this event welcomes everyone, of all ages.
DOCA say they โnoticed very few young adults attended traditional local events and therefore sought out youth ambassadors eventually creating Devizes Youth Event Area (Devizes Yea). The youth volunteers wanted to represent their own interests, making local events appeal to our young adults. Theyโre using their skills and collaboration to create this festival, with an aim of bringing together all generations of our community.โ
I met up with the team at their weekly planning meeting, and over a massive map of the Market Place, plastered with sticky notes highlighting all the great ideas theyโve collectively worked on, I was mightily impressed. Under the direction of DOCA expert Annabel, Elsie, Bea, Jo, and Sam are the Devizes Yea core ambassadors, learning the tricks of the events trade, and likely how much hard work goes on behind the scenes to create large scale eventsโฆ. and thereโs more than you imagine.
Jess, my daughter, just joined as press officer, (which puts us ahead of the game of telling you about it!) But Devizes YEA are still looking for teenage volunteers to help in the build-up to and the event itself. So, if you are a young person living in the local area and want to get involved contact: yeadevizes@docadevizes.org.uk or find out more on the DOCA website or Instagram.
โThere will be something for everyone at this outdoor event,โ Devizes Yea promises, โwith a range of live music, circus acts, poetry open mics, plot35 Devizes community gardening, cooking demonstrations, food traders and more. There are also chances for teenagers to get involved on the day with sound tech and learn from professional sound engineers who will be setting up the main stage.โ
We think this is a great idea, and look forward to seeing the results. Oh, and wish them all the best of luck with the first event on 4th May, obviously. This could be the start of something amazing, and I must stress the point once again, that this day is designed and intended to be for everyone, not just our younger residents. Even middle-aged young-at hearts, duty bound to show them how itโs done on the dancefloor; Dad-dancing mode switched to crazy legs… and I’m off, nobody attempt to stop me!!
Melksham & Devizes Conservatives released a statement on the 7th April explaining an internal audit revealed one of their candidates was โnot qualified by residence as they believed they were,โ and claimed it was a โgenuine mistake.โ Devizes residents have gathered on social media to express their concerns that electoral law has been broken and the affair is quietly being pushed under the carpetโฆ.
Conservative candidate Sarah Batchelor moved to the area in July last year, to take over as management of the Crown Inn in Bishops Cannings and therefore has not been resident in the area or on the electoral roll for the legal minimum requirement of twelve months to apply for a councillor role. Melksham & Devizes Conservatives said in their statement they have informed the Electoral Registration Officer and the candidate will โtake no part in the campaign process nor take up their seat if elected.โ
But residents are angered by both the belief this was not a genuine mistake as claimed, is an incident in which media attention is deliberately being avoided, and hypocritical when Melksham & Devizes Conservatives caused a major outcry at a local by-election, when a Devizes Guardian candidate accidentally breached election law. Another sour point was that the Melksham & Devizes Conservatives make no attempt to apologise for the mistake and any potential cost to the taxpayer if a reelection is necessary in the process which will follow. โYouโd thought theyโd have learnt after the PCC debacle a few years back,โ the original poster stated, โis this what you want from local councillors?โ
Announced on the MDCA X account, because everyone looks there!!!
โThe qualifications and rules are clearly stated on the form, and an individual knows if they meet them or not,โ one resident pointed out on the Facebook group, Devizes Issue (But Better,) where the debate is causing a storm. โIf the individual completed the forms,โ they continued, โthey have falsified an application. If someone else completed them on their behalf – they have not carried out due diligence or have ignored the clear rules. So which is it?โ
The group were informed by former Labour councillor Noel Woolrych that โthis is actually a police matter and is in their hands. However, I least believe that the name will still appear on the ballot paper as they had already been printed.โ This raises the issue if she will be replaced, and as another commenter stated, โeven though the election will still go ahead and the Conservatives have distanced themselves from the candidate, her presence on the ballot could still influence the outcome. Votes cast for her could impact the overall vote share and potentially alter the result, even if sheโs not officially endorsed. That in itself raises concerns about fairness and electoral integrity.โ
Sarah Batchelor (far right) pictured with other Conservative hopefuls, including Jordan Overton
A reliable source informed us these forms will have been checked prior to submission by Conservative Wiltshire Councillor Iain Wallis, who also controversially runs another Facebook group, Devizes Issues. It is a fact that this councillor is head of promoting all Conservative candidates for Devizes South. Sensitive enough to question the overall honesty of the Melksham & Devizes Conservatives it appears then, that the issue here has been deliberately avoided on said group, and elsewhere by Melksham & Devizes Conservatives, despite Councillor Wallis creating his own storm in a teacup at a by-election last year when a Devizes East Guardian candidate made a minor omission on a leaflet, falsely claiming the candidate had been arrested.
โI see it as fraud on both parties,โ another resident said, โFirst party being the person who completed the forms and stated in the declaration that they are correct knowing they are false. Second, the political party who vetted the form knowingly didnโt complete the due diligence process to ensure that their candidate was lawful and correct.โ
Again, we suspect the desperate local Conservatives are playing dirty for this local election, as they do for national politics, yet clearly claiming on their social media posts they are โlocal people with the community as our focus, with no central party control and our focus is not on national politics,โ to divide themselves with the downfall nationally of their party. Yet, we discover them clearly using national party funds to campaign, and boy, they certainly are influenced by their national party tactics!
And that’s the truth, dammit!!
On a banner produced by the Devizes Conservatives it is claimed what makes candidate Iain Wallis โstand outโ is that he โbelieves that every resident should feel their voice is heard.โ Shamefully laughable considering this debate has to appear on groups he does not administrate and will no doubt be excluded from his own popular Facebook group. A group which has seen opposition candidates, councillors, support groups, upstanding citizens and charity organisations, and anyone who dares to challenge his opinion with a differing one be rewarded with lifetime bans.
We also find ourselves in said club of โdisregarded dissidents,โ for stating the facts, are proud to say it has been this way for a long time, and consider it a badge of honour!
Although, I strongly suspect, as it has been in past times when we have been caused to be critical of Devizes Conservatives, Mr Wallis will bleat like a hurt lamb, hold up a victim card, claiming all manner of falsehoods that we are attacking him personally. This simply isnโt true, and never has been. We only intend to highlight scoops that, for some strange reason, no one else is willing to risk their backhanders or potential advertising revenue to cover with the clarity needed to expose fraudulent candidates, which this is clearly as a case of. Is it my fault the same name appears to crop up each time? A case I rest there.
As the original post creator asked the group, โis this what you want from local councillors?โ
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, transforming the Hillworth Park cafรฉ. I felt the need to poke my nose in, for the sake of a tea and toastieโฆ.
A slight cooling of temperature didn’t prevent a busy opening day for the team. Owner Marc told me how customers were lined up at the doors before they opened, and supposed the cooler climate wasn’t a bad thing, as they were still finding their feet!
Hillworth Park was much the same as usual, scenic yet functional, with a sprinkling of families passing through and children playing games. This is a welcomed addition, though, as Soupchick is renowned locally for quality homemade tasty tucker, though the customer base might change slightly. What then, is different from the Soupchick of the Shambles and the new cafรฉ, and what’s the same? I hear you ask!
Easy. The ethos is the same, fromย the hospitable welcome to fresh quality produce and homemade food, with Anya’s exceptional attention to flavours that compliment each other; it’s all sooo scrumptious!
There’s two of their delicious soups of the day options, naturally, and there’s toasties of similar variety as before. But with a view to more family clientรจle, there’s simplified versions of the toastie, such as plain cheese with ham, tomato or onion, as well as those favourites at the Shambles, such as The New Yorker with pastrami, Swiss cheese, red onion and American mustard, the tuna melt, or Smokey Spanish Chorizo.
While I’m personally partial to a New Yorker toastie, the greater welcomed element will surely be the essential ice cream from Marsh Farm, and a greater concentration on teas, coffees, smoothies, milkshakes and salads. From quiche to baguettes and falafel wraps, it’s a wider variety, but everything retains the fresh quality we’ve come to love Soupchick for.
They’re open for breakfast too, with granola bowls, fruit salads, porridge, toast and wraps, and everything on the menu all day is very reasonably priced; when considering how tasty it all is; you can’t go wrong with a toastie for six pounds, or sandwiches from ยฃ5.50.
It was a shame, for years past, the Hillworth Park cafรฉ perhaps wasn’t reaching its full potential, and selling chocolate bars and drinks which could be found cheaper at the Hillworth Road store a short walk up the street. Soupchick has truly turned the facility around, it offers now something unique with a personal touch, and something, while Devizes residents have become accustomed to through their time spent at the Shambles, a wider appeal than before.
Though, I must stress, Anya, Marc and the team are determined to keep both cafรฉs open, and The Shambles one will continue as before. You could, potentially, buy a takeaway soup at one and walk to the other for a refill!!
We wish them all the best with their new venture, and look forward to the possibility of perhaps having a few events there too some sunny day and meeting you there, of course!
Devizine isn’t only about music and gigs for grownups, y’know? It’s about events for everyone. This Easter we’ve lots of things to do over the school holiday, you just need to scroll our event calendar to find them!
Oh, okay yeah, wine o’clock already and it’s only the first day?! I’ll list what we’ve got so far below, make it easy for you, but you should keep an eye on the calendar as it updates daily with more stuff to do!And, it should go without saying by now, if you’ve know of anything else let us know and we can add it!
Imber Village open days โ April 7th to April 9th
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 AIโฆ
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,โฆ
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 meetingsโฆ
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 Wiltshire Museum only two minutes late for the preview evening to their latest exhibition, convincing myself itโs often more interesting to go in blind to what the show is all about anyway!
Thereโs graffitied skateboards in the exhibition, embroideries, an abstract canvas, a jesterโs uniform, old ledgers, ships in bottles, straw sculptures, a video of Stonehenge at summer solstice, and many other fascinating items youโd be excused for misunderstanding how they all relate if the rooms was stripped of the information boards and the exhibitionโs title, Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex.
The exhibition opens at Wiltshire Museum from today, Saturday 5th April and runs until Saturday 6th September 2025; plenty of time to pay it a visit, and I recommend you do.
Fortunately for my ignorance, external curator Mellany Robinson of The Museum of British Folklore was on hand to provide a brief speech explaining the reasoning behind it. All the items on show here are bonded by one concept, that they โtell local, political, expected and entirely unexpected stories to reframe the rich heritage and vibrant present day folk cultures for modern audiences.โ And as being folk culture, all the items are created by folk without the disciplines of their craft via official training or education.
Now I can relate! Although I donโt wish to discuss my short-lived art college days, my creative labours are all self-taught, save some advice from cartoonists and writers in my younger days. One piece in the exhibit in particular caught my fascination, as a punk-paste zine-maker of yesteryear; an amateurishly hand-drawn flyer for the 1979 Stonehenge Festival. I strongly suspect, whatever angle you come at this from, whether historian, antique dealer, or folk musician, counterculture artist, or possibly more simply, you hold a passing interest in the origins of local folklore, you will find many objects here on display to fascinate you.
I left feeling enlightened, and perhaps a smidgen abashed by the many things I didnโt know. A Hob-Nob is not biscuit, rather a horse-like costumed fellow in the Salisbury Giant, a midsummer procession first recorded in 1572, for example! I now understand why Great Wishford has Oak Apple Day, and what it means to proclaim, โGrovely, Grovely and all Grovely!โ
A handcrafted Wiltshire sweetheart pin cushion made by a World War I veteran, a rare ship crafted entirely from straw linking to Pooleโs maritime heritage, and a poignant portrait by a Nigerian artist created while seeking asylum in Swindon, are items the Museum hail are the highlights, but depending on your personal interests, I believe what will constitute the highlight will be open to interpretation, being such a timeless mixed bag of tricks held together only by this theme of folk art; I have plenty of musician friends of whom, I guess, would be fascinated by the instruments, artists who would love the artwork from a community project, and others who would cherish this Wessex folk calendar feel to the whole exhibit, from the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge to the May Day celebrations in Cerne Abbas.
Now Iโm concerned by my overuse of the word โfascinating,โ but the boot fits, thatโs what it surprisingly is!
Curator Mellany Robinson told how the The Museum of British Folklore doesnโt have a fixed venue, and it started because founder Simon Costin was, โpassionate about what museums call intangible cultural heritage, the heritage of folklore which has historically been suppressed, and overlooked. So, when people die, their works get chucked, because it isnโt considered financial value, but it is of huge personal and historic value.โ
Simon Costin founded the The Museum of British Folklore by โbuying an old caravan on Ebay in 2008, and travelled around the country for six months turning it into a museum, to test the response. And we need a Museum of British Folklore because we are one of the very few countries which doesnโt have one.โ
This project, a collaboration with the Wessex Museumโs collections and the Museum of British Folklore, is more anti-museum than museum in the traditional sense. With many items by unknown creators and certainly all of them unprofessional, itโs more of a hobbit-hole of hidden treasures and curiosities.ย ย
โWe had to share what we thought of as folk culture because lots of people think certain things of folk culture,โ Mellany explained, โbut our definition is; something creative not necessarily tangible, produced by someone who doesnโt have formal training in that medium.โ
Again, we find Wiltshire Museum bucking the preconceived stereotypes of what constitutes traditional aspects of a museum exhibition, and we should consider ourselves lucky to have them on our doorstep here in Devizes, putting the โmuseโ in โmuseum!โ
Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex opens today, and runs until Saturday 6th September. Summer Opening Times are from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Entry to the exhibition is included in the admission ticket. Tickets cost from ยฃ8.50 (concessions available,) and itโs free for under 18s. Director of Wiltshire Museumย David Dawson has an online talk introducing the new exhibition on the 8th April.
Do check the Museumโs website for there are many great events upcoming, including the Curious Kids workshops for ages 3-11 and the Museum Explorers Club for 5-7 year olds, lectures, walks and stone carving courses.
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
It was a fantastically successful opening night for Devizes Musical Theatre at Dauntseyโs School for their latest show, Disneyโs Beauty and the Beast, and I returned home still singing Be My Guest and Gaston; they’re still stuck in my head now truth be told, and I’m not usually one for musicals!
Remaining faithful to Disneyโs 1991 adaption of the French fairy tale by Barbot de Villeneuve, widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time, new director Georgia Watson and the entire team at Devizes Musical Theatre pulled out all the stops last night; amateur dramatics has never been this good, surely?!
Already clued up on the plot, as my daughter had a โthingโ for the film when little, didn’t prevent me thoroughly enjoying this show, rather itโs likely it aided it; familiarity transformed from film to stage is kingpin to a universally welcomed musical, which this is. Aside from the stellar performances, it was arduously and thoughtfully produced with attention to detail, especially the costume design; they were brilliant. Easy for a cartoonist, but how do you recreate inanimate objects such as a clock and teapot as characters on stage, I wondered beforehand, but not now!
And in this, commendations in particular go to Tia Shafee and Oli Beech, also Sarah Williams, Natalie Angus and Claire Abraham, all for adding those comical elements as candlesticks, clocks and teapots. Yet it was up to Georgia Saunders to add the sparkle, as the compassionate bookworm protagonist Belle, and her relationships with Samuel Phillis as the troubled Beast, Gareth Lloyd as the bawdy egomaniac Gaston, and Graham Day portraying her troubled inventor father, all of which were played confidently and rapturously.ย ย
Interactions between Gareth and his literal sidekick LeFou, played with camp hilarity by Adam Sturges were comedy gold, as was the โsilly girlsโ fighting for Gastonโs affections, Georgia Claridge, Mimi Martin, Laura Bartle, and Bronwyn Hall. With special shout to Pip Emm who was last nightโs Chip, a role which takes on a different young actor each performance, everyone on that stage looked to be loving the spotlight and this enthusiasm shone through, reflecting back off the audience in awe.
It never fails to amaze me how much work and effort goes into Devizes Musical Theatreโs shows, and how professional they are. Beauty & The Beast runs until Saturday 5th April, with a matinee performance on the final Saturday. Ticket holders are in for a real treat, anyone looking for a ticket should act fast as the last rose petal is about to drop; last look there were some left for tonight, the rest is already sold out. At ยฃ16 a pop, youโd pay more at the bar in a West End theatre for a glass of fizzy pop, or for parking.
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
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
Itโs only the beginning of the Easter school holibobs and your little ones are already making a racket upstairs; what do you do? Is it wine oโclock already? Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts might have another answer – a free drumming workshop!
From Monday 7th April to Wednesday 9th, DOCA have Junk Street Drumming workshops with the Drum Runners, at the Baptist Church on Sheep Street Devizes. Itโs free, you can make your own instrument from recycled materials and learn to create some great rhythms using drums provided, some are even made from old bicycle wheels!
Drum Runners offers educational and fun outdoor workshops throughout the UK, to bring people and skills together. Energy, rhythm, culture and eco awareness for community events. You can find out more about them HERE, otherwise get drumming!
They run from 2pm to 4:30pm, Mon 7th April is for ages 12+. Tuesday 8th April is for families and all ages are welcome. Wednesday 9th April is for ages 12+.
You’d be forgiven for believing funk music came out of Detroit in the early seventies, when it is a little known fact, obscured and deliberately hidden, likely for the prestige of the American city and the ignominy of the village, that funk music was actually created in the Wiltshire village of Urchfontโฆ.
Funk pioneer George Clinton and bandleader of the collective Parliament-Funkadelic was born in North Carolina and grew up in New Jersey, moving to Detroit in the mid-sixties to work as a songwriter for Motown. By the early seventies Clinton and several members of the band settled in Toronto, but during this time he encountered legal difficulties arising from acquisitions of his record label, resulting in dangerous circumstances and was secretly exiled to England, settling in Urchfont for a few short months.
It was in solitude at the sleepy Wiltshire village where Clinton honed the funk style based on the recordings of James Brown. Developing an association with a few village musicians who had formed a skiffle group on his lonely walks to the village pond from his home in Cuckoo Corner, Clinton convinced them to create a new band. Clinton called them Urch-Funk. The band would play to a small crowd in the village hall, and even daringly attempted an ambitious outside gig around the pond.
After a short while, Clinton got the all clear from his record label, and made his way back to Toronto, taking the idea of funk music back with him, but not without leaving a significant influence in the village. What happened next was a secret funk phenomenon in the village, now sadly hidden; I wanted to know why.
1973: Parliament-Funkadelic visits Clinton in Urchfont
A villager, who prefers to remain anonymous, revealed, โyarp, they bee dancin’ โnโ singin’, arn movin’ ter thar groovin’, arn joist wen wun hit me, with argh bloody shovel I mioght add, I turned arand I dids, n shouted play art funky music Urchfunk boi!โ
But, it was not a case of one village under a groove. Some villagers and the parish council have deliberately made my research as difficult as possible. My initial discovery of a disco ball buried in mud for decades and only unearthed when the new houses at Peppercombe were built, led me to wonder how it came to be there. I returned to the site to discover disregarded afro wigs and flyers for soul all-nighters at the village hall. But everyone who I approached refused to talk, accusing me of creating a hoax.
Some even chased me out the village with pitchforks and torches, calling me to not unearth Urchfont’s secret funkadelia past, if I knew what was โgard fur me!โ This naturally roused my suspicions that Urchfont held a direct secret link to funk music, a majority were embarrassed by it and, it seemed, were willing to kill to protect the secret. I had to know more.
A rare flyer for an UrchFunk gig at the Village Hall
I took to returning to the village to hunt for more clues by the cover of night, but I found nothing. Until one evening, so frustrated my searching was unfruitful, I stayed all night looking, and early morning joggers and dog walkers were emerging from their homes. Ducking stealthily into Stone Pit Lane, a strange looking old man appeared from out of the bushes and clasped his hand over my mouth, stating, โcum wiff me if yer wanna live… groovy!โ
He took me to a secret lair in the undergrowth which appeared to be a shrine to Urchfont’s forgotten past. Within this hobbit hole of treasures he allowed me to browse, and as I did he told me his story. He was one of musicians who met Clinton, and who had created the definitive sound of funk which would soon take America by storm. But he told me how the local folk club banished them, believing funk was the work of the devil, but really, he suspected it was more likely because they upstaged them, with glitter, and platform shoes with goldfish in them, which later they declared was animal cruelty. The fish were released into the village pond.
Likely the only existing photograph of UrchFunk. Believed to have been taken at the Urchfont Village Hall in 1973.
They were simply excuses, the man dressed in worn purple corduroys and flowery dagger collar shirt, informed me. He explained how the folk club encouraged the entire village and council to hide Urchfont’s funky disco days, as it was considered untraditional and could radicalise the young people of the village into wearing sequined jumpsuits.
โHoy,โ he said, โonce eye bee argh boogie singer, playin’ in argh rock-and-roll band, see? Never โard no prublems, me, yer nose, ganderflankinโ down thar one-night stands, like. N everything arand me gart ter start ter feelin’ so low, so eye decided quickly, yarp, eye dids, ter disco down anโ check art thar show, praper jarb!โ
1973: Parliament-Funkadelic visits Clinton in Urchfont
Once settled down from his excitement of my arrival, the old man continued with his amazing story. Clinton tried to organise a funk festival in the village which he called the Afro-Festival, which the old man claimed once Clinton left for America the parish council changed the name of it to the Scarecrow Festival. The outside gig around the pond, Disco Balls Around the Pond was swiftly changed to Candles Around the Pond, and the villageโs connection to funk was forever swept under the carpet, save for when the wind blows south east across Sleight.
I remain steadfast that this forgotten past of Urchfont should be exposed, and celebrated; the village should be proud of it’s funky past. Therefore, Iโm glad to be able to finally publish this information after many years of research, today, the 1st April 2025.ย ย
Renowned Devizes auctioneers and valuers, Henry Aldridge and Son announced today they are relocating their auction rooms to The Old Emporium, a Grade II listed property that backs onto the iconic 16th Century St Johnโs Alley, which, as a long-running gift shop, sadly closed last monthโฆ..
In 2024 the company sold the two highest-priced items at auction outside of London. Andrew Aldridge, Managing Director commented, โWe feel moving to the centre of Devizes shows our commitment to the community and hope that our international reputation will bring a number of new visitors to the town.โ
Henry Aldridge and Son has a global reputation for selling iconic historical memorabilia, from a watch from the Titanic for $2m to the Worldโs First Christmas Card, and in moving to the Old Emporium, they will be selling history within a unique setting which they believe will be one of if not the oldest Auction Room in the UK.
Looking for the right property for two years, Henry Aldridge and Son say that the old Emporium is โperfect.โ Its location dates from the early 16th Century, before Henry VIII came to the throne and over 150 years before the English Civil War. The opportunity to move to this unique location in the centre of Devizes, a town described by Poet Laureate John Betjeman as having the โPerfect Market Placeโ, was โone we had to grab with both hands. We will remain at our present Bath Road site until later this year, and the first auction in our new premises will be Titanic and Iconic Memorabilia in the autumn of 2025. Once our renovation is complete we will be running free jewellery and collectibles valuation days on Market Day at The Old Emporium, giving clients access to our specialist valuers.โ
Four months on from the tragic fire on Northgate Street in Devizes which took out the popular Kebab House, owner Mustafa Suna and his dedicated team have set up a mobile unit, The Devizes Kebab Van at The Garden Trading Estate opposite the Travelodge. Business is as busy as ever, and the kebabs are as tasty as ever, too!
It’s a bustling Sunday afternoon at the Devizes Kebab Van as the staff dance around each other, preparing food and serving customers, yet they never fail to greet you with a smile. Any misgivings you might have about mobile street food will be immediately forgotten; it’s spacious and spotless, with a vast selection of quality options from burgers and kebabs to chicken and vegetarian dishes too. It’s of the same exemplary standard as it was back in Northgate Street; ah, we remember it well!
Earlier this month, they upgraded their previous unit, and it’s state of the art now, and they’veย got an online ordering system too; proper job!
I’ve brought kebabs in other towns and been bitterly disappointed. Seems The Kebab House rewarded us with high expectations, and the new van continues that exceptional quality as a standard. Plentiful portions, perfectly cooked and served, that’s one tasty kebab!
Now only open from 4 to 11pm, there might be no chance of falling into the place directly from the Exchange any more, it’s a lengthy wander from town, but it seems the Kebab Van is doing plenty of business on Folly Road and likely at cheaper rates, the team is as busy as ever and happy. Asked if they’d consider moving back to the Market Place if the right property should come along, they seemed adamant they’ll be staying where they are.
Perhaps it’s closer for you where you live, may be it’s not. Perhaps you pass it on the way home from work, maybe it’s not as convenient as the town centre, I certainly miss it being on my wobbly wander home from the pubs, but hey, it’s well worth the trek; work up an appetite, won’t it?!
To suggest I’m knowledgeable about the music of the 1920s because I lived through the era is plain cheeky, though I wouldn’t put it past you! I like to think I know just enough to hold my own in a drunken waffle on the subject. Such is that Jellylegs Johnson suggested a resurgence of 1920s jazz was pending, to which I agreed, or at least I would appreciate it if it was soโฆ.
Cos I love digging to discover the roots of music, although I cannot be certain a gig of the era resembled what occurred down the Bear’s Cellar Bar last night, even if it was labelled thus, but it was an entertaining night for sure. This much is guaranteed whenever The Devil’s Doorbell has moored nearby.
Yeah, that’s right, I said The Cellar Bar, that central cobblestoned cosy dungeon which holds as many fond memories for Devizions than it does history. It feels great to be down there, as it’s been a while, and this sentiment is shared with the modest audience.
Backstory to why we’re here goes, after our interview with Devizesโ rising star of kazoo-blowing, suitcase drumming idiosyncratic delta blues, JP Oldfield, he landed a gig at Chippenham’s Old Road Tavern supporting the bonkers jazz skiffle duo and boaterโs royalty of double-entendres, Devil’s Doorbell.
Being he was unaware of them at the time, I assured Josh he was in apt company. For if JP’s style is quirky, Nipper, a freewheeling James Baskett/George Formby crossover, and Jellylegs Johnson in sequined hot pants, feathered flapper girl headband and marigolds, audaciously but not impudently salvage long-lost rags, nuggets of bebop and gypsy jazz with tenor ukuleles, a kazzumpet, and Jellylegs on a bass handmade from a washtub and broom handleโฆ and that’s beyond averagely quirky!
It’s also a hard act for anyone to follow, as the agenda was switched for Nipper and Jellylegs to open the show JP Oldfield had arranged. They rang the doorbell for surety, with their unique cheeky tunes and banter, which Jellylegs told me afterwards are often assumed to be of their own pen, rather than outrageous long-lost 78s of a golden jazz era. It’s always a pleasure to hear them play, and so playful with the circus-cabaret they are, it’s infectious.
JP contends with more sombre moods versus a need to be jocular, but his ability to find that perfect balance is his unique spin on delta blues, that and using a kazoo where a harmonica is usually positioned, and both are something blossoming with each gig. His masterwork to date, The Ghost of Spring-heeled Jack is the verification of this balance.
I don’t believe confidence was ever an issue for JP, but that’s grown too, and he proficiently pulled a stunning set of originals and rare covers, neatly chosen to compliment those of his own labour; Tainted Love perhaps not so rare, but with added kazoo, welcomed!
Though on this occasion JP proved he’s no one trick pony as he turned to harmonica for a song, and excused himself for any amateur delivery of it, which was unnecessary as it was sublimely done. As was his entire set.
If we fondly reviewed his debut EP last month, JP Oldfield astutely replicated the magic on stage and guided the crowd to his chosen mood. Likewise, we fondly reviewed Devil’s Doorbell live recording from Trowbridgeโs Pump a couple of years ago, and their excellent stage presence sticks like mud. Two acts, complimenting in a manner others might find it tricky to do, makes for an entertaining night, which it was, and back in the Tin Pan Alley days of yore, of course instruments were handmade or secondhand, salvaged from wherever they could be sourced.
Maybe a gig in the 1920s wouldn’t have been so different to this after all, as both JP and the Devil’s Doorbell are authentic enough and value the retrospection, and when sprinkled with this fun element, does it even matter?!
On impulse I speculated, just short of a quarter way through this book and at the conjunction the format of the narrative is sussed, that if the author, Devizesโ Dave McKenna, has a favourite Quentin Tarantino film it might be my favourite too, the lesser acclaimed Jackie Brown. Not for its plagiarism of blaxploitation nor usage of derogatory slangs, rather for the multiple point-of-view conclusion, because The Killer & The Catalyst follows this formula throughout, and this is what makes it engagingโฆ.
This and breakneck volatility, conspiracy inducing, disloyal and sadistic action from nearly every character and the intense velocity itโs all delivered with. Coincidently, Dave cites Tarantino as an influence at the back matter, alongside Harlan Coben and Stephen King. Some of the bookโs settings are drawn from actual features and places in Devizes. Most commonly the now closed and speculated as haunted Roundway psychiatric hospital, and an alley besides it in which Dave elucidates his inspiration for the storyโs events set there were developed from a real incident at the location. Itโs with these eerie settings, familiar if youโre local, I find understanding for citing King as an influence, especially to begin with; it feels like a horror, yet while the book has an unnerving ambience, a crime thriller might better pigeonhole it.
It’s causally written in a loose style with nothing academic about it, making it simple to digest, as if the narrator is on equal level to the characters, as if rambling the yarn to his mate in the pub. Breathes a sense of reality into it; the characters talk like you and I, therefore you identity, why not the narrator too? I like this relaxed and contemporary approach, particularly suits the plot and macho target audience; lads need to read more, and if thatโs the case, this might be the book for them. Hyper popcorn-munching movie violence fashion this is.
Apostrophes are used instead of speech marks. This, and the abbreviation of okay to โOKโ out of speech makes the grammar police inside me cringe, to be honest. Such usages and the out of speech line, โThat was a piece of piss,โ implies this is hardly Dickens quality! But Iโm willing to overlook and ignore these niggly criticisms for this book, because Dave McKenna can weave a story, dammit. He can evoke an appropriate mood within his readers, twist it, and he can suspend you on the edge of your seat. That makes him an author, not an ability to whisk long and misunderstood words (like wot I do to make me sound more intelligent than I is!)
Identifying the protagonist from the antagonist is questionable, when this periodic method of returning to the same opening scene with each point-of-view occurs, and thatโs genius and a narrative difficult to construct. It conveys everything is not as it might seem from the angle of each individual and engages you into understanding the bigger picture. That is what makes The Killer & The Catalystan absorbing and worthwhile read.
With the current state of the literature industry being itโs who you are rather than how good you can write, I wouldnโt imagine finding this on a supermarket shelf alongside ghost-written celebrity autobiographies. This is an example proving the asset of self-publishing, that which a mainstream publisher wouldnโt touch, doesnโt mean a person hasnโt got an exceptional story to tell and the ability in which to write it, it simply means itโs not commercially viable.
People merely need to be brave and take a lucky dip on a rising author, rather than accept what Waterstones throw at them. The Killer & The Catalyst is the good example of this, should you wish to be held in suspense and driven to question which characters were right and which were wrong, not forgoing indulging in some nasty scenes of violence to boot!
You can get The Killer & The Catalyst as paperback or Kindle on Amazon, or pop into Devizes Books for this page-turner, and youโll look forward to reading future yarns of Dave McKenna, of that Iโm certain.
Featured Image: Barbora Mrazkova My apologies, for Marlboroughโs singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโs debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโsโฆ
Having to unfortunately miss Devizesโ blues extravaganza on Friday, I crossed the borderline on Saturday to get my prescribed dosage of Talk in Codeโฆwithโฆ
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 secondโฆ
Featured Image by Giulia Spadafora Ooo, a handclap uncomplicated chorus is the hook in Lady Ladeโs latest offering of soulful pop. Itโs timelessly coolโฆ
Words by Ollie MacKenzie. Featured Image by Barbora Mrazkova.ย The creative process can be a winding, long, and often confusing journey. Seeing a projectโฆ
Whoโs ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival andโฆ
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. The public will be asked to vote, and the award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, with hope it will continue annually…..
Wiltshire Music Events UK in conjunction with Devizine, have decided it is overdue to acknowledge and celebrate the creativity, innovation and dedication of musicians, music promoters, and venues in Wiltshire. Therefore, we have created The Wiltshire Music Awards, an annual award ceremony reflecting and commemorating musical talent within the county.
Nominations are open for the ceremony from 1st May 2025, and will close on 10th June 2025. We are excited to unveil the categories, which reflect the diverse ways people bring music to life within their respective communities, county-wide.
These awards will recognise the individuals, groups and organisations whose efforts make a real difference. If you know someone you believe deserves recognition, or want to showcase your group, this is your chance to give them the spotlight they deserve.
Wiltshire Music Events calls for anyone promoting music locally to get involved and help create diversity and coverage for their own communities. A panel of professionals from across the county will be elected to assist in judging the nominations. With a finale date of Saturday 25th October, when an award ceremony will take place, central to the county, at the Corn Exchange, Devizes.
I have pushed for this event to take place in Devizes, for while it’s geographically central to the county, I’m sure you’ll agree, there is also a powerhouse of talent emerging in this area and it will be a positive attribute to Devizes and hallmark its rightful place in the arts scene of Wiltshire.
Why get involved?
Music has the power to unite communities, foster creativity, and change lives. The Wiltshire Music Awards will honour those who make this possible and provide a platform to showcase to local talents. Whether youโre a performer, organiser, or supporter, these awards are an opportunity to highlight the hard work that often goes unseen.
To receive an award will bring more than just a trophy. It will elevate profiles, help with funding applications, and energise the community.
There is plenty of time to recognise the people and projects that inspire you. Nominating will be easy and online, and we will release the website in which to do so nearer the time for voting. There will be categories. The public can nominate their choices in all of the categories. Once the nominations process is completed, the top three of each category will be presented to the judges, who will then decide the winner of each category. The judges decision will be final, and we shall then announce to the public the top 3 of each category with the result announced at the ceremony.
The 2025 Categories:
Best Solo Male Artist – Best Solo Female Artist
Best Covers Band – Best Original Band
Best Duo – Rising Star Newcomer
Tribute Artist /Band – Music Venue
Best Original Song – Best Vocalist
Best Guitarist – Best Bassist
Best Drummer – Best Instrumentalist
Best Original Song – Best DJ
Lifetime Achievement Award
Outstanding Contribution to the Wiltshire Music Scene
Outstanding Contribution to Music in the Community:
It’s a rarity that I should drag myself off the sofa on a Sunday these days, one usually reserved for the monthly Jon Amor Trio residency at The Southgate. But beyond doubt my favourite young singer-songwriter right now, Ruby Darbyshire, is down my favourite watering hole, and such an occasion would be unmissable even if she did it weekly; twist my arm, why don’t you?!
This raw and self-disciplined talent when I discovered Ruby a little under two years ago was so breathtaking it caused me to state, โRubyโs music will grow into a phenomenon, and you need to hear it blossoming.โ I’m honoured to note it’s quoted on her website, one which everyone took heed of, on our local scene and beyond, and one which we can safely convert to past tense; Ruby’s music has blossomed and is now phenomenal.
Everyone was held spellbound throughout, this is now standard protocol wherever Ruby plays. Though Ruby remains modest and โshowyโ simply doesn’t equate for her performances, alongside her refined multi-instrumentalism, her confidence to present herself and engage with an audience has accelerated to level up with the naturally sublime soulful voice she’s blessed with. A voice which may be kingpin to her excellence, but is really only the cherry on a cake with top marks all round.
A cake which covers virtuosos Nina Simone to Freddie Mercury, and makes them her own homages, then flips to bring Rag’n’Bone Man’s magnum opus to an older audience, and slides her own compositions in so effectively it’s divinelyย encapsulating. Then, there’s the additional nods to her Scottish roots; folk sing-a-longs and her distinctive introduction to the second half of her set, with bagpipes. Even if you know it’s coming, you’ll never tire of it or any of it because that’s simply the magic Ruby brings to any venue.ย Ruby Darbyshire is the whole deal now.
Tickets for the headline acts at Devizes Arts Festival are up for grabs now, and the rest will follow for general release on April 28th, unless you become a โfriendโ of the festival, in which case it will be the 7th Aprilโฆand why wouldnโt you?!
We all love Devizes Arts Festival here at Devizine, which opens on Friday 30st May and runs right up to Sunday 15th June. If you promise not to go breaking my heart, Iโll tell you whatโs happening thereโฆyeah, I know, you couldnโt if you tried!!
The festival opens with headliners, Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri at the Corn Exchange on the evening of Friday 30th, and an exhibition by local landscape artist David OโConnor, who draws inspiration from Paul Nash, and ceramicist Richard Phethean. The exhibit will run throughout the festival at White Chalk Gallery in the Old Swan Yard.
Saturday 31st May sees multi-award-winning teacher, composer and organist Chris Totney returning to Devizes to give this yearโs Festival Organ Recital; one of the very first times youโll get to experience the new pipe organ that has taken the best part of a year to install in St Johns Church. Followed by one of the UKโs finest Latin bands, KโChevere, at the Corn Exchange.ย
Sunday 1st June, thereโs a walk with Judy Hible of Wiltshire Geology Group, and furniture-maker Stewart Linford hosts a fascinating and informative talk on โLuxury in Woodโ at the Peppermill (free fringe event.) But all eyes will be on the skies, when space scientist and BAFTA-nominated presenter of โThe Sky at Nightโ Maggie Aderin-Pocock, pops in for an inspiring exploration of the universe.
Monday 2nd is time to get interactive, in a writing session with members of Devizes Writersโ Group, exploring writing fiction or nonfiction, one of the first workshops at the festival this year. Tuesday sees an enthralling and earth-moving evening of gardening talk with TVโs top gardener Frances Tophill. Wednesday is the turn of bestselling crime and thriller writer Felix Francis, for a fascinating talk on mysteries in the world of thoroughbred horse-racing. And Conan Doyle expert David Stuart Daviesโ โSherlock Holmes: The Last Act,โ directed by award-winning director Gareth Armstrong, plays at the Wharf Theatre, with a second performance on Thursday. Also find guitarist and singer-songwriterAnna Ling at St Andrews on Thursday.
Friday 6th, join Rowdeโs only botanical artist and author, Ann Swan, for a workshop in her studio, while ceramicist Keith Brymer Jones will talk about his life as a creative potter and his experiences as a judge of The Great Pottery Throwdown at The Corn Exchange.
Saturday 7th June, and youโll find the Sunday Times bestselling author of โMiss Austenโ, Gill Hornby talking with Mark Jones from Fantasy Radio, a demonstration by the Devizes Regency Dancers (free fringe event,) and an electrifying country show with all-female Country Chicks.
Another walk on Sunday, gosh, they do like their Sunday walks, this time with Wiltshire Wildlife Trustโs Nick Self, conservation lead for North Wiltshire. Then itโs over to The British Lion for some Welsh frontier roots music with Whiskey River, (free fringe event.)
Monday 9th June you can join print-maker Hannah Cantellow at her Printmaking Studio in Rowde, or learn some crossword secrets from Times Puzzle Master Tim Moorey, who has been solving Times crosswords for over 50 years, on Tuesday. Tuesday also sees virtuoso clarinettist Sarah Williamson and soloist and chamber musician Simon Callaghan.
Wednesday 11th sees singer-songwriter Miranda Pender presenting a darkly humorous talk which includes five original songs based around some of the more bizarre stories unearthed from her family history. And Two Queens, One Nation at the Wharf Theatre, Miriam Cooperโs one-woman show exploring the unavoidable collision of dynamic sovereigns and cousins, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.
Photographer and naturalist Stephen Davis is at the Cheese Hall on Thursday 12th, and jazz saxophonist Julian Costello brings his quartet to the Town Hall.
Friday is comedy night as Mark โTaskmasterโ Watson, celebrates twenty years in standup. Multi-award-winner, YouTube cult figure, Radio 4 favourite and recently โBaby Reindeerโ actor, Mark comes to Devizes after seasons at the Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Edinburgh comedy festivals.
Author of English Civil War historical fiction series โDivided Kingdomโ, Charles Cordell is with us on Saturday 14th June. His writing has received high praise in editorial and readersโ reviews alike, his latest novel, โThe Keys of Hell and Deathโ, is set between Wiltshire and Somerset in July 1643. Followed by the Bath Male Choir in St Johns, and Torbayโs five-piece 80s party band Riviera Dogs at the Corn Exchange.
For the final day of Devizes Arts Festival, Sunday 15th June, author Charles Cordell finishes his talk with a guided walk and discussion of the Siege of Devizes in July 1643. Journalist, writer, and experienced skydiver Sally Smith is at Devizes Books talking about her book โMagnificent Women and Flying Machines.โ And Bath-based instrumental jazz-infused blend of Levantine mystery, Balkan passion and Latin rhythms quintetย Radio Banska bring the Arts Festival to a dynamic close at the Cellar Bar. Both of these last two events are free fringe events.
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
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
Last week, I had the privilege of seeing the Fulltone Orchestra perform at the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey beneath the Peace Doves art installation.…
The entire concert was breathtaking, divided into two halves. The first featured a mixture of orchestral pieces and solos, beginning with the theme from Blue Planet, which was my favourite piece of the evening. The acoustics of the church, combined with the sheer talent of the orchestra, completely captivated the audience. It felt as though, if you closed your eyes, you could almost believe you were watching the programme itself.
This half included a range of music, including a stunning violin solo that provided a striking contrast to the rest of the programme. It concluded with a wonderful rendition of Youโll Never Walk Alone, which was the perfect piece to lead into the second half.
The second half featured Karl Jenkinsโ The Peacemakers, performed by the Fulltone Chorus and Orchestra. There was a fascinating contrast between the different pieces – some were slow and melodic, while others were more rousing and intense. Many had African and Celtic influences, with a driving beat towards the end.
To me, it felt as though the music gradually built in intensity, symbolising the lengths to which people will go in their pursuit of peace. The concert ended with a powerful crescendo that left me feeling both hopeful and deeply moved. Performing this music beneath the Peace Doves installation felt so intentional and uplifting; hearing music about striving for peace in such a setting truly enhanced the experience.
The variety of music worked beautifully together, giving the impression that it represented the world itself – how it changes and how our approaches to peace evolve over time. The inclusion of words from great peace leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. made the performance feel deeply personal, yet simultaneously vast in its significance.
This was my first time attending a concert of this kind, and I found it profoundly moving. The passion and dedication of the performers were evident in every note, and I experienced a wide range of emotions throughout. If you ever have the opportunity to see the Fulltone Orchestra and Chorus in one of their upcoming projects, I would highly recommend it – it is a truly special experience.
Pip is sixteen and studying film at college, with the hope of becoming a journalist.We wish Pip all the best with her career and are grateful for allowing us to publish this insightful and brilliantly written review.
Clean Up Devizes invites you to help with a town littler pick for the GB Spring Clean on 22nd March. The Litter Pick is open to everyone to take part in, equipment can be borrowed on the day. CUDS have pledged to pick up 100 black bags of litter this year which is up from 75 bags last yearโฆ..ย
On the day people just need to turn up at The Green opposite Morrisons at 10am, they’ll be split up into small groups of 3 or 4 people, and have litter picking routes to go on. The litter pick ends at 12:30, but coordinators Shirley and George tell me, โthey can do as much as they feel able to do, and it’s open to everyone to take part in. We hope that families, neighbours, friends, etc, will all take part!โ.
Just pledging to fill one bag can make a big difference to the town we love!
Coupled with a Devizes Swap Shop at St James Church on the same Saturday, where you can donate clothes, toys, books, games, crafts, and house plants, swap or take some as you need, itโs going to be a very green day in Devizes! See the poster below for details.
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
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With our roads being the state theyโre in, is it any wonder on the 5th April Hells Bells, rated as the UKโs top AC/DC tribute, are taking the highway to hell, via Devizes Corn Exchange?! But they are! Better to be thunderstruck than burst a tyreโฆ..
Hells Bells are Europe’s longest established AC/DC Tribute Band who have performed all over the UK as well as Portugal, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Czech Republic and the Middle East since 1996.
And theyโre bringing Dead Zebras, who claim not to be your typical rock revivalists. They’ve mastered the art of blending eighties nostalgia with a fresh, modern sound, and creating a cocktail that sounds like a wild ride in a DeLorean with a Van Halen soundtrack, apparently!
Tickets are a snip at ยฃ15, which you can grab online here, and Let There Be Rock!!
Weโre delighted to hear Anya & Marc of the fantastically tasty Soupchick in the Devizes Shambles are to take over the cafe at Hillworth Park. โWe are excitedly expanding by taking on that little gem of Hillworth Cafe. We aim to source most of our produce as locally as possible to benefit the local economy and to be sustainable,โ said Anyaโฆ.
It is hoping to be going ahead in April, and the dynamic soup duo intend to have a grand opening; watch this space! I supposed to Marc that the cafe at the park cafe seemed to sell mainly cakes, chocolate, teas and soft drinks, many of which one could nip around the corner and buy cheaper from the Hillworth Store. Soupchick would be a game changer.
โThatโs what weโre hoping,โ Marc replied, โAnya has loads of ideas. We will start with a bit of caution, but of course will do hot food, and alcohol, but weโre really excited to see what we can do!โ
Soupchick made an appeal for information today, already using Heritage Fine Foods, Lower Field Farm Meats in Coate, coffee roasted in Warminster and fresh fruit and veg from the Thursday Market, they need suggestions for reasonably priced back ups to guarantee a smooth flow. They are looking for local fruit and veg wholesalers, particularly interested in juicing oranges, salad veg growers, and cheesemakers, particularly feta style, cheddar & halloumi style cheeses. Contact them via Facebook.
We wish them the very best of luck with the project, but I grew concerned; would I still be able to get my soup fix in the Shambles and sit in the lovely Valentina art gallery opposite to eat it?! โOh yes,โ Marc assured me, โwe are keeping the Shambles going, I like being in town.โ We like being in town too, Marc, we like that you like being in town, and I hope you like that we like that you like being in town, andโฆ oh, just lace me with some beef & mushroom stroganoff to stop my over excited waffling, hint, hint!!
If Devizes can have two Greggs, it can have two Soupchicks too!!!!
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
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 might be some scientific theory for this, equally there may not. What is more probable is that it is an occupational hazard for members to get as lost in space as Dr. Zachary Smith. Cracked Machine, here tonight to provide the entertainment at the Devizesโ Southgate, are also prone to getting through some keyboardists and drummers, though if the lead guitarist-frontman and bassist remain steadfast, this propensity is not the only element to them comparable with Hawkwind, and thatโs a good thing in my opinionโฆ..
If youโve any hazy recollection of a maintaining a horizontal posture in a bedroom for the duration of a scratched long player with a gatefold sleeve, staring at patterns either in the mould on the wall or blu-tacked Mandelbrot set posters covering them up, in a smoky haze proportionate to your memories and stenching of wood burner and red Leb, whether only with a bong for a friend or a few stragglers with no more conversation than the bong, save a few comments like โoh wow, man, can you see it?!โ then Cracked Machine is the band to seek such fond memories, and bring them to the forefront of your fragile cerebral cortex, through a preponderance of sublime bassy rock bliss.
For if space-rock is a natural progression from Led Zeppelin, Flyod or Hendrixโs overextended bridges of swirling sonic electric guitar skullduggery and wobbly sound effects, Cracked Machine nailed it some years ago and show no sign of altering their methodology. In fact, the tendency is to get harder. Though Hawkwind allowed vocals, Fromeโs Ozric Tentacles may be a better comparison for space-rock aficionados.
In this, itโs been some years since Iโve caught up with them live, despite reviewing albums one, two and three. It was left up to Ben Niamor and Andy Fawthrop to review their last two appearances at the Southgate, respectively in November 2022, and October 2018. For me, I will always have the 2019 Devizes Street Festival, when Pete of Vinyl Realm paid and hosted our local stage idea on the corner of St Johnโs and townsfolk slow-roasted on deckchairs while Cracked Machineโs definitive sound caressed their very souls. But while Cracked Machineโs lineup has changed since then, their devotion to the sound and ability to knock it out to the shimmering rafters, isnโt.
In that, I knew what I was letting myself in for. It was another one of those birthday things for me, which always seems to charge me with ever-increasing speed. There wasnโt actually much else happening in town Saturday night, much I wouldโve missed this for a wanton jig to Motown or some-other such-like, elsewhere. Suppose I had the option to go down the Bin afterwards, but as it was advised by Vince Bell who I met on the bus, such a recommendation had to be taken with a pinch of salt, and was best at 52 to get a taxi direct to my duvet! For a while there though, it was a party, as it is in The Southgate, with itโs no frills hospitable atmosphere, affordable range of drinks, and general โproper pubโ tenet. The affectionately dubbed โGateโ doesnโt change like band members of a space-rock band, and itโs a cracking party there more often than not.
Tom Harris kicked off the proceedings with his guitar, belting vocals and the expressions of a hyperalgesic at the dentist. Impossible to fault, Tom delivers the banter as well as his songs, divides covers equally from originals, so if heโs not charming an emotive blues ballad of his own pen, itโs perhaps a scatological one or heโs made amusing entertainment from a slyly chosen cover. Rob Thomasโ Santana summer smoothie reflects the unusually clement climate for March, and Tenacious Dโs hilarious Tribute was surely perfect for Tom, and he handled them with might, until drummer Gary Martin arrived from a support slot at the Pump with Clock Radio, and the main act was completed and ready to rock.
They didnโt come up for air throughout these lengthy compositions of prog rock formulated instrumentals, and as a result of not taking advantage of the customary break, their set ran off too early. Landlord Dave encouraged them to pull something else out of the bag, saving the necessity of the crowdโs cliche call for an encore, which you know wouldโve happened anyway. To which they considered how to continue, yet what elapsed was another drifting spacey masterpiece of fifteen minutes or more. We loved it.
If the template of Cracked Machineโs sound is arguably narrow, and narrative is vague due to only being expressions of instruments, their nature is stylised, and works wonders, creating a spellbinding ambience. Cracked Machine are always welcomed by the Southgate regulars, for even if the pub strives to diversify, itโs electric blues and prog rock which they favour, and this, with those wobbly keyboard noises and subtly placed samples, is simply a psychedelic progression from it which is decades old, yet Cracked Machine proves itโs worth in the modern world.
Space rock, or acid rock, a direct descendant of Pink Floyd and Zepโs tolkienesque The Battle of Evermore, also acts as the bridge from rock to electronica and ambient house, a bridge the guarding troll usually confounds most rock subgenres with a riddle and renders them unable to cross, thatโs why I love it, and thatโs while I will only have good things to say about Cracked Machine.
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
The second single from Georgeโs sessions with Jolyon Dixon is out today, Isnโt She Lonely. With the vaudeville ambience of Queenโs later material and sprinkles of doo-wop at the intro, this whisps around crooners with subtler psychedelic undertones than usual. One could ask if this is tongue-in-cheek or a mature direction for George, to delve into post rock n roll influences, yet, of course, it retains, through its incredibly inventive uniqueness, the definitive George Wildingโฆ..
For his fans itโll remind them somewhat of Terrible Little Secret from his decade past Being Ragdollian EP; how George is skillfully capable of frolicing vocally with the schlager of artists like Tony Christie, and remain cool throughout by splicing this music hall vibe ironically with a degree of melancholy in the narrative. It is, in short, impressive.
โThe lyrics were born out of the idea of changing one letter of โIsnโt She Lovelyโ so it takes on this whole desperate air,โ George explained. โIt goes from so celebratory to a real longing when you change it to โLonely;โ the instant flip side of love. When I wrote it I had it as a 60โs thing in my head; think Bobby Veeโs โTake Good Care of My Baby.โโ
George Wilding
My immediate reaction was Stevie Wonder was referring to his newborn daughter in the title, rather a romantic interlude, but this take only bears resemblance to it by title, and just like how George can make a cover his own, Isnโt She Lonely is not in any way a parody of Wonderโs 1978 hit. Though the commercially viable element rings home, and sticks.
Just as Madonna did with True Blue, yesteryear pop hooks will be recalled and reused so not to be archived in an impenetrable chest, and in that they become timeless, precisely summing up this song. If the last single back in October, Signs of Life, bore elements of gothic and most definitely indie, this is George being more playful, different, yet still being George!
Isn’t She Lonely is across streaming platforms today….
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
July 1986, Madonna was asking her papa not to preach, Chris De Burgh was fantasising about a lady in red, and they were the only two things preventing a feelgood summer cover called My Favourite Waste of Time reaching the top of the charts. It was recorded by Owen Paul, who arrives in Devizes for a โtribute to the eightiesโ gig at the Corn Exchange on Friday 21st March. I caught up with him ahead of this, and we chatted merrily about the hit, his origins and influences, mullets and all things eighties, oh and what to expect from the showโฆ.
After clearing up uncertainty over his two forenames, Owen is his, Paul derived from a younger brotherโs name, we moved onto the way I envisioned this meeting. I imagined weโd be dancing on some tropical beach in white sleeveless t-shirts and sporting mullets, as was the video to his pop smash.
โYeah,โ he laughed, explaining about a gig last Saturday in Exeter with Radio 1 DJ Pat Sharp, โit was the battle of the guy that used to be the world champion of the mullet people!โ
A tropical theme was so eighties too, I said, from Wham to Blacklace, we all wanted to go on holiday, we all wanted to be on that beach in the My Favourite Waste of Time video. โYou’re absolutely right,โ Owen responded, pointing out the gig last weekend was in a theatre called Tropicana. โIt was one of the strangest shows I’ve ever done. Club Tropicana, just for the event, right? ย The show started at 2pm and run โtill 8pm. I said to my manager, โweโre gonna play in the afternoon?โ She was like, โyeah. You do the thing in the afternoon, people come dressed in eighties clothes and they forget their lives for five minutes.โ Apparently, itโs a thing; adults like to go to a show between 2 and 6pm, so they can get back to watch Casualty!โ
I assured Owen I must be the exception to that rule, but Owen was still giggling, โor Strictly!โ
But were the contents of the show like what we can expect to see in Devizes on the 21st, I had to ask. For the record, while tagged with the idiom โone-hit-wonder,โ Owen is a prolific recording artist who is still releasing new original material; will he be playing these? โEven though I still do songs, when it’s an eighties show like in Devizes, it’ll be full on eighties-tastic, girl singers, dancers, and weโll sing Bowie, U2, Deacon Blue, Crowded House and more.โ
Time to drop my million-dollar question which had been floating around my excuse for a brain since knowing I was to chat with Owen. That the term one-hit-wonder, which Owen was bequeathed at the time, must be quite disparaging for an artist with a wealth of other works. I asked him how he felt about it at the time, and how he feels about the label now.
Not to blow my own trumpet, he replied, โif I think of all the interviews I’ve done in recent times, that is the best question I’ve ever had! No one has ever asked that of me because they’re always scared. And youโve asked, so thatโs fine. Iโve got to tell you the truthful answer, right? And I mean this with all my heart. I know a million acts whoโve never had a hit. And I have. That ahead gave me the doorway to be here forty years later, playing festivals all over the world. So I don’t think it’s disparaging at all. I think it’s a complete opposite. I think I’ve had a hit, when I know people more talented than me,โ Owen exampled a mildly successful Scottish band called The Blue Nile, โthey had โTinseltown in the Rain,โ the closest thing to them having a hit, (reached No. 87 on the singles chart in 1984) Theyโre an incredible act, but I had a smash that went global. They never had. So I don’t think of it as disparaging at all.โ
In this I think Owen misunderstood my question, that it wasnโt the having a one-hit-wonder which I thought might be disparaging, rather being labelled a one-hit-wonder which could be, but hey, it was a calculated and flattering response anyway!
Being Iโm walking Owen down memory lane, I wanted to take him further back, being aside My Favourite Waste of Time being an acoustic guitar-led feelgood anthem delineating eighties pop, Wikipedia claims it was the Sex Pistols which first inspired him.
โThe basic story is this, and this is completely true,โ Owen elucidated, โwe had a basement, which makes us sound posh, but it was a council flat. My brother and his mates from school used to come back to our house, and they used to rehearse and make an absolute racket of a noise! And this is like 1975-76ish. I was too young; I wasn’t allowed to go downstairs. I used to sit upstairs and listen to what they were doing, and they would play singles of whatever was going on, and they played the Damned, The Clash, The Strangers, and then played the Sex Pistolโs Anarchy in the UK, and I’m upstairs going, what, the, hell, is, that?!โ
โAnd I’m going off the back of the seventies when it was prog rock and all the stuff where you had to be a virtuoso and play for ten hours. And it really changed me, and the guys who’s downstairs in our basement, turns out to be Simple Minds; you wanna write that down?!!โ
Noted in awe, Owen, thank you. His brother Brian was the Simple Minds drummer, and guitarist Charlie Burchill, he informed me, โwould come upstairs to my room, ’cause I was not allowed down there, and I had a guitar. My dad was publican, and when people couldnโt pay their bill, you make them get on and perform.โ Owen told how Charlie showed him an E chord, an A chord and a D chord, โand he said that’s all you need, and I said โthanks!โโ
We talked of the 3-chord simplicity of eighties pop, Owen extended this by getting technical on learning structures from the likes of The Velevt Underground. โAnd then,โ he explained, โoff the back of that, I started to make my own noise.โ
On his first band, Venigmas, Owen explained how at just sixteen they left Glasgow for London, and he told his mum, โI don’t think we’ll be back.โ Owen spoke of the changing scene, the new romantics, but was adamant he was a โrock guy.โ
โBecause everyone thinks you’re an overnight sensation. I was eight years or more in the industry before I got signed to Sony. They signed me as a rock act, and then I stupidly made a pop record! And that became my real problem. Because I saw myself as a Bowie guy, I thought you could do anything.I thought you could do funk, you could do rock, soul, and pop; that’s what I thought. How naive was I?!โ
Owen recorded two songs for Sony, the one we all know was nominated for a Brit award. He spoke fondly of recording it and how they immediately knew it was a hit, then suggested โbut at the same time, in my heart I went oh-no. I’m in trouble here.โ
I speculated aloud, asking him if it was because the music industry will typecast him as pop, and he replied, โyou’re absolutely right; that’s what happened. So the record comes out, it’s a worldwide smash. It got me on Smash Hit’s cover, on Saturday morning, telly; I’m shiny, bubble-gum pop guy. That’s where I am, right? Now, the record label wants ten more tracks which sounds like thatโฆ. but Iโm a rock guy!! You can see the problem?!โ
If all sounds weighty, I must point out Owen finished this sentence with a giggle, recalling his moment in the spotlight playfully. But we compared it to his freedom now to write, and his new song Fly With Me, which I observed reminded me of Cat Stevens or George Harrison. Again, he found my question about it, โinteresting. I don’t get it asked much. I think ultimately, I’m a Celt, Scottish and folk music is everything to us. I’ve always been like that, every song I hear in my head, when I’m doing new tracks sounds like a folk song. But when you’re in the eighties and you’ve got a record deal, they donโt want that, you turn that into a pop song.โ
Owen continued to explain how, with his guitarist Howard, decided to produce a folk album after an acoustic gig, but clarified, โfolk is the fifth of it all.โ This seemed like a convenient time to move away from the roots and back to idea he was coming to Devizes to do an eighties show, and people will lap that up. โI love that about eighties shows,โ he revealed, โI didn’t do them for a long time, nearly twenty years. I pretended that I wasn’t Owen Paul or sang that song. And then, I did a thing on telly called Watchdog, Rouge Traders. They were investigating this company with security cameras and asked me to walk in at the end and sing (and he did sing it for me!) youโre mineโฆ!โ
โI thought, hang on a minute. Is this because I didn’t pay my tax bill?! Are they actually chasing me?! I double checked, and it turned out that it was the BBC, and it was fantastic and really funny! The next day, my phone was exploding. My website was exploding with pictures going โoh my God, Owen Paul isn’t dead,โ can you do this show?!โ
Owen recalled with joy, how it felt to now do retro festivals where, โthe most amazing thing occurred to me. After me not wanting to be Owen Paul, that guy, that song. I get to the beginning of the song, and obviously it’s not like there’s an intro, it just goes bang, you know? And then suddenly, I’ve got 20,000 people singing that back at me.โ
Regardless of how you might feel about the commercialisation of it, I try to imagine that and offer to Owen that it is truly is the testament to his work. โYeah,โ he responded so positively, โI think I grew up as well. You know, I’ve been doing this for a while now and I’ve realised if you’re the wrong side of forty-five, so youโre an eighties kid and you’ve got two kids, a mortgage, bills and you’ve got all your rubbish; you want five minutes away from it all.โ
Which is, in turn, the best advert for the upcoming show! We continued for some considerable time, I was enthralled he spoke about Howard Jones on first name terms, being asked to do a number of celebrity shows, like Strictly. We talked about dance music, Britpop, and the changes these brought, and even from the effect of streaming services on the industry, to the youth of today identifying with the songs of the eighties. It was becoming clear one of us needed to break the chat through fear of day becoming night, and maybe back again.
It was a wonderful conversation which knew no natural end, because though I was honoured and slightly in awe of Owen Paul, we chatted like old school friends at a reunion. If the nineties saw me shun the commercialisation of the pop of my youth, Owen caused me to rethink it again, and it was a pleasure.
Owen Paul brings his eighties show to the Corn Exchange on Friday 21st March. Tickets are aptly ยฃ19.80, because itโs promised youโll be transported back to the 1980s! Have I got time to grow a mullet?
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
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 and hooked up with Grist Environmental to bring a second day event, this time in Devizes…..
Park Farm Music Festival will take place on Saturday 12th July at Whistley Road near Potterne. Park Farm Music Festival will be held in the beautiful location of Potterne in Devizes, Wiltshire. It promises a big outdoor stage, brilliant sound and lighting, plenty of room to dance, lots of trade stalls and a range of food and drink outlets.ย
Barrelhouse at Mantonfest 2023: Image Gail Foster
The line-up includes headlining tributes AC/DC UK, and Nirvana UK. Sixties legends The Swinging Blue Jeans. MantonFest favourites and one of our favourites too, Barrelhouse will also play, with Chicago 9 Rhythm & Blues Band and Essex’s finest and stalwarts at the Southgate, Jamie Williams & The Roots Collective.
Jamie Williams
Adult tickets are ยฃ40.00, 13-17 are ยฃ20, and children under 13 are just ยฃ10. Camper vans are an additional ยฃ2,5 and tents are ยฃ15, if you wish to camp. If you would like to bring your own gazebo (3m x 3m max.), these will ยฃ10 and be payable on entry.
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
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
Monsieur, with these Exchange Comedy night you are really spoiling us, for usually comedy in Devizes is just what we make ourselves; laughing at visitors trying to hairpin turn at Shane’s Castle, or trying to order a Just Eat delivery, and ode to the guy who climbed atop Roses’ faรงade to ride the lawnmower mounted on display there, for that guy is comedy gold!
Yet on Thursday 6th March we can relax from our banter and let the professionals do the work, thanks to Exchange Comedy. Steveย N. Allen, long-standing on theย Mashย Report headlines. He has joy, he has worries, he has hopes and he has a knack of relating what is personal grief to not seem maudlin in anyway. The writing is tight, the delivery spot on and the way of painting images with his words is almost tangible. Featuring on TV’sย Late Night Mash, Not the One Show, and talk RADIO, LBC, GWR and Mercury FMย to list but a few.
Samantha Day also on the bill, explores everything from sex and money,ย to pronouns and social media; come and find out if you were smart enough to be born at the right time.ย SCF New Comedian of the Year (2022)ย andย British Comedy Guideย Proย Award Finalist (2024).
Plusย Ben Bridgeman and Marina OโShea. Next Exchange Comedy Night is on the 1st May, with David Tsonos and Rajiv Karia.
Without sounding like a stuck record, itโs the same unfortunate news for Devizes Street Festival as it was last year; Arts Council England has not awarded DOCA funding for their programme of summer events in 2025โฆ..
DOCA was sorry to announce today, a spokesperson saying, โfunding across the country has diminished significantly and demand for it has increased. As a result our already small staff team will be reduced to a minimum as we try to secure funding for the future.โ
โThis means that the Street Festival cannot go ahead as intended on 4th & 5th May. We will, however, still be delivering an exciting event in town that weekend. The YEA Devizes project (Youth Event Area Devizes,) which has been funded by National Grid, will present a youth-led event in the Market Place, created and delivered by the incredible young people of our town.โ
Devizes Yea would like to connect with other community groups and individuals, so if you are a young person interested in being a part of it, or an organisation or club that would like to support the event please get in touch at: yeadevizes@docadevizes.org.uk ( For all non-youth related enquiries please use info@docadevizes.org.uk)
Alongside this DOCA will host Grow Devizes that weekend, a concept that encourages and combines both growth in nature, and growth in our community. To this end, the Out and About project will take the performing arts out into a rural village and in turn invite people from those areas back into all they do in town.
โWe are still navigating the best way forward for our other summer events,โ DOCA continues, โsuch as Colour Rush, Confetti Battle, Picnic in The Park and Carnival, working with our partners around town and funders to come up with the best solution. Please bear with us while we consider all available options and weโll update you as we know more about each specific event.โ
This was such a special event in Devizes, loved by all. It is such a shame to hear this terrible news for a second year running. The effects of the governmentโs 16% cut in real terms across the UK to arts funding since 2017 is beginning to impact significantly on free events such as town carnivals and village fetes.
Earlier this month Wiltshire Council confirmed an increase in funding to its arts and heritage partners. The council funds four arts organisations across the county; Pound Arts in Corsham, Trowbridge Town Hall Arts, Wiltshire Creative in Salisbury and Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon. Funding also goes to Wiltshire Museum and Salisbury Museum.
We support, of course we do, all additional funding for arts in the county, but Devizes gets zilch for arts. They stated this demonstrates WC, โis committed to the delivery of culture in the county by agreeing to uplift each of its grants to arts and heritage partners by 10% in 2025/26.โ Yet this excludes every charitable event organisation in the county dedicated to providing arts and culture freely, as while many of their heritage partners fundraise for important charities, all events at the venues require tickets.
The failing of funding for community events is the remnants of a conservative austerity ethos that arts and entertainment will only be available to those able to pay for it, and if Wiltshire Council were as thoroughly dedicated to arts and culture as the claim they are, they would provide budgets for town carnivals as well as the ticketed venues affiliated with them. Instead, and to illustrate by example, one of our Conservative town and county councillors and area board managers criticised the beloved Street Festival for not having a โdiverse audience.โ
The statement was, obviously, poppycock and only made to favour profit-making events in the town; Street Festival was, by a country mile, the most diverse event Devizes has ever seen and attracted the most diverse audience, being it was free and open to all.
Street Festival was a true colourful display of music, arts and theatre, and was once a testament to all which can be accomplished freely when a community comes together. It is heart-breaking to have to mention the event in the past tense, but this sad news today casts a shadow over any hope the Street Festival will ever return.
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
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
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 Market Place. One cries out her desperation for the loo, but there’s no detours to another bar en-route for relief, they’re steadfast to their destination, The Three Crowns; a wise choiceโฆ.
I’m heading that way too, trying to pick up pace and overtake them, so as not to convey I’m some creepy codger following them from the bus! Some lads intervened with a wolf-whistle down the Brittox, I gathered at them and not me. I’ll quip with them to break the ice, in hope they see it’s coincidental that our destinations are the same. It worked, they seemed unconcerned, and giggly.
With a fresh lick of paint it really didn’t need in comparison with others, and a scrumptious selection of designer burgers, The Three Crowns is the go-to pub for gen z coming of age, millennials, and a number of elder diehard party heads who still think they’ve โgot it,โ because they have, bless โem!
But the greatest thing about these cross-generational gatherings at The Three Crowns is the carefree atmosphere without division. Everybody is here to enjoy themselves. They crave a live band to throw high-energy covers at them, era-spanning songs they know, love and can sing along with, and they’ll party trouble-free together. Younger attendees will high five the elders, and dad dancers mingle without mockery, I hoped!!
I’m at the back gate chatting to landlord Simon while tonight’s band is sound checking. It’s this Marlborough-Swindon based band’s debut at The Three Crowns, but I assure him what I suspected, that Static Moves will fit like a glove. Not wanting to blow my own trumpet, but I was bloody right anโ all!
Static Moves are a side-burns, flat caps and pork pie wearing, two-Clives five-piece covers band with keyboards, in self-promoting black t-shirts. Even if these other elements don’t convey Static Moves are bringing a touch of new wave eighties mod retrospection to the table, any band boasting two Clives is a win-win!
Being honest, there have been occasions when I’ve dropped into the Crowns to see a great cover band, yet my desire for originals redirects my zimmer frame over to the trusty Gate, and I’m faced with two half-reviews; not this time. Static Moves are irresistible, and enthral any audience.
The systematics of Static Movesโ repertoire appears to be anything which can be delivered loud and proud like it’s Coventry in 1980 or Madchester in 1990. If a particular song choice isn’t, they make it so it is. Taking no prisoners they were greyhounds out of the starting traps, rarely coming up for air, save a short break.
The frontman isn’t Luciano Pavarotti, needs not to be, but is commandeering, can hold a note, and a dynamic showman, with a habit of launching his tambourine either airborne or into the crowd.
The band compliment the lively mannerisms, though fairly recently formed, all members hold a wealth of experience, which shows. It looks like a tight ship, a new drummer slipping into the kind of camaraderie which reflects onto the audience; they’re having fun, you will too.
Static Moves compact a party into their pocket, and, for want of a less Potterhead analogy, like a Choranaptyxis it expands to fit the available space when they catapult it out upon an anticipated crowd. They told me they were working on some originals, we’ll hold the front page.
There were components to their set, it kicked off seventies, absolutely scorched Primal Scream’s Rocks, then launched tongue-in-cheek into early eighties pop hits like Nena’s 99 Red Balloons, Kim Wilde’s Kids in America and even found time to make one-hit-wonder Tiffany’s smash their own! As you might imagine, this was my personal summit, โcos I bought those singles, but I also observed all generations present acknowledging and lapping up those bubblegum classics.
It moved as swiftly as their tempo onto tracks I’d consider were their own favourites, the more less commercial punk anthems like The Buzzcocks, by which time they had the audience eating out of their hands and could’ve pulled any cheesy bygone slush puppy out of their bag and still rinsed it! As it was they took to The Beastie Boysโ Fight for your Right, which was only amusing until they followed it with a grand attempt at Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Despite the diversity, the template of loud and proud prevented pigeonholing, a party band with a big sack of crowd-pleasers and an unrivalled enthusiasm to deliver them. The finale alongside Billy Idol, were millennial showboats, Britpop anthems, you know the one from The Killers, and yeah, they did Wonderwall, but while I deem that clichรฉ, they did it well, and it always gives the youngsters an opportunity to show everyone they have torches on their phones!
Ahem, that’s irrelevant against the positivity of a diverse crowd throwing away their cares for a moment and enjoying themselves. That’s what’s infectious; you’re duty bound to follow suit with a band like Static Moves. I couldnโt physically leave until the deal was fully sealed.
The Three Crowns revel in this infection, and is the reason it bucks the trend of a decline in pub culture. Here is a Devizes lesson in how to do it, they deserve the praise but don’t really need it. Stalwart for a number of years now, most know the Three Crowns is a testament to a memorable night, including, it seems, girls bussing in from Bath.
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
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
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 bogeyman into a mockery of mass hysteria and hoaxes. If our local upcoming blues soloist JP Oldfield is resurrecting the legend as an opening to his forthcoming debut EP, Bouffon, the trackโs haunting ambience is broken by the usage of his kazoo, implementing the very vaudeville element of satire the albumโs title reflectsโฆ.
Bouffon, being a French theatrical term for a performance of mockery, much like a jester becomes subtly apt once youโve listened, but thereโs deeper prose at work. โI threw a lot of names around in my head for this project but nothing seemed to fit,โ Josh told me, โI wanted a name that summed up everything that these songs, my style, stood for. As such Bouffon, I think, is an unexpected title for my debut EP but I’ve never really seemed toย like following the mould with any of this musical stuff and despite at first I rejected the idea, it sat in the back of my mind and wouldn’t go away.โ
In a town where blues is taken extremely seriously my initial reaction to this EP was โthere he goes again, blowing that kazoo when traditionally there should be a harmonica!โ But it soon dawned on me, this, and his beaten up suitcase pedal-drum looking like a juke joint throwout, is all part of the unique and idiosyncratic approach JP Oldfield has forged, and its originality works wonders.ย ย
If thereโs one notable eccentric kazoo-blowing duo on the local circuit itโs Devilโs Doorbell, who Josh supported at Chippenhamโs Old Road Tavern. But whereas those crazy boaters with ukulele and washtub bass rely solely on the jaunty and jocular, thereโs a much deeper tenet to JP Oldfield, richly layered, psychologically.
โTo me a Bouffon clown holds a mirror up to the audience,โ Josh explained, โat times it can be hard to look at, deeply sad, and presents you with things you’d rather not face, but in the end it doesn’t pull its punches, and allows for anything to be possible, a blank space where youโre truly free to explore. I really resonate with the idea of this. I’ve always enjoyed the strange, quirky and unlovable. Elements of this have bled far enough into my music to feel a need to name my debut after it.โ
The second tune asks this directly, if the singer has the blues, as if the melancholic disposition of blues is an affliction the doctor can diagnose. But three tunes in and weโre blessed with such melancholy, Last Orders is a gorgeous ballad to vainly justifying alcoholism. Magpie which follows delves much deeper in its narrative.
โA lot of people associate me with lively suitcase drum playing, jazz chord kazoo mania,โ Josh expressed, โand I get it, but that’s not the only side to my music and I would be doing myself a disservice if that was all that I recorded. All my songs are dark but sometimes it needs to bubble up fully to the surface and see the light of day.โ
He examples the two as those which โreally fill out the point of the recordings.โ โLast Orders is a deep dive into my previous alcohol abuse and really aims to look behind the curtain on the inner workings of a lonely alcoholic. Magpie is a story told from the point of view of a child whose parents have just lost a baby and the confusion that comes from that as the parent’s attempt to hide and dress up the truth. It was actually written in half an hour, the afternoon before hitting the studio, when I put it down on tape it was only the fifth time I ever played it. I had the lyric sheet in front of me and sat real close to the microphone. We did it in one take, the studio went silent and we all seemed to be in agreement that despite it not being perfect, it was exactly the take we needed for that song.โ
I suggest, in its rawness, Magpie is the most emotionally driven track on the album, the song an audience will take away with them. Though achieving the balance is key here. When we first met for an interview, the topic rested mainly on his powerful basso vocal range, likening him to Cash or Leonard Cohen, and while Josh should pursue this angle in his recording, his live show wouldnโt be the same without the more kazoo blowing mockery of his macabre topics. For the finale Josh pulls in all resources. By title and topic, Satanโs Bar one could imagine weโre off in a similar style as Last Orders and Magpie, but no, mate, itโs jump blues and off he goes with that kazoo again! I suppose, solving the dilemma on how to go out, Satanโs Bar has both sides toJP Oldfieldcovered nicely.ย
If I tend to relate baritones to Jim Morrison, and his ability to induce his crowd hypnotically, (taking into account their probable intoxication!), one can suggest JP Oldfield has a similar commanding voice, and thatโs a high compliment, but deserved on the strength of this EP alone.
Oliver Stone projected this well in his 1991 biopic, though those who knew Morrison criticised his persona as deeper layered than that which was represented. They claimed while Morrison was the unbalanced and sometimes vexatious character portrayed, that Stone missed his more playful and humorous side. Josh undoubtedly has the capacity and skill to mesmerise a crowd, like Riders on the Storm, yet if those middle tracks on the EP proves this, the beginning and end ones suggest his favourite Doors track might be the more gamesome Alabama Song, showing Morrison to the way to the next whiskey bar.
Bouffon is released on 25th February 2025, it certainly wonโt disappoint his live fans. With this original balance of melancholic delta blues with a sense of vaudeville satire, thereโs deep personal reflection versus folklore and contemporary narrative, all encompassing and blended superbly.ย
When I first heard Josh perform, I figured this needed the kind of guided hand only the legend Nick Beere at Mooncalf Studios could master. Coincidentally I bumped into him the weekend after Josh sent the album, and Nick not only confirmed he had recorded it, but agreed the kazoo and all JP Olfieldโs gubbings were all part of the uniqueness of the act.
โNick’s not only very knowledgeable but also a great guy,โ Josh finished on. โWe’d met a couple of times before, at open mics, and he already had a fairly good idea of what I sounded like. I left the production side completely in his hands, he’s the master, I just make the sound. It was the first time Nick had ever recorded a kazoo and a suitcase so I was happy to be the first!โ
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
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
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
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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 the breakthrough worth chatting aboutโฆ.or chattering about!
What started as simple yet amusing animations as Team Biscuit and the obligatory music video for his sole projects and those with The Lost Trades has come to this, Side Owl Productions.
Short film creator for music, documentaries and promo videos, Side Owl showcases its talent with this quirky horror short, a genre I firmly believe works best for the format, and this is bizarre and a tad eerie.
Torben Fugger provides the score. Jamie stars alone in the four minute flick, save some novelty chattering teeth. It’s like Hitchcock teamed with Monty Python and cast Jeff Bridges once more as The Dude… in Devizes!
โIt’s been months in the making and a huge learning experience,โ Jamie explained, โI’m really proud of what I feel is a massive level up from my previous work and this has been helped by the amazing original score from the very talented Torben Fuggerย whose work has elevated the film as a whole.ย ย I’ve always found collaboration difficult as it’s hard to let go and put my trust in others, but Torben made it incredibly easy in this case.โ
โAlthough this was mostly a solo filmmaking project, I couldn’t have done it without the help of Ed Dowdeswell, Dougerick Marsh, and Janey Lou.โ I just hope and pray he cleans the blood off the carpet, orโฆ..well, you give it a watch and find out for yourself!
If Devizes boasts an abundance of independent gift shops of unique and exquisite or often novelty items in the face of a national pandemic of boarded up storefronts, itโs saddening to hear today The Emporium on St Johns Street is to closeโฆ..
It has been a stalwart in our town centre for generations, as long as I can recall, and it has seen off a number of similar shops. Once of a dark green faรงade, it was a creaking floorboard cavern, a treasure trove of curious and peculiar shiny things, from vintage clothes and Indian rugs, to charming novelty gifts and titillating joke books!
Teresa Garraud opened the shop in 1981 and ran it until retiring in 2019. The owners of the last decade Kate Suter and Kelly Harford reinvented it, gave it a fresher white design, and offered luxury gift items through the adjoining K Collection shop, but also adhered to keep it within the spirit Ms Garraud created, and has always been known and loved for.
At one point in recent history it was one of few places charms of such could be found in Devizes, now it seems itโs innovation has seen a blossoming of similar gift shops, online ones too, and with the growing popularity of craft fairs. If it sadly looked as if this is the last we will see of it, we now believeย new owners have been found but are we are yet to know if they intend to continue trading as The Emporium or if products stocks will be similar.
The Emporium told its Facebook followers, โThe Emporium is closing downโฆAll stock now half price!โ and has not replied to the huge response in the comments section as townsfolk, flocking to show their respect for the gift shop:
โSuch a great shop for gifts. One of my favourites.” “I’ve bought so many lovely gifts for people from here.โ โLove your shop. Been going in here since I was 8 years old, I am 50 this year.โ โI spent hours in there when growing up buying scented rubbers and notepaper.โ โGreat memories of spending my pocket money in here 35+ years ago!!โ And many others comments of sympathy and fond recollections are flooding in.
Times change, Amazon has some great coupons for similar products. You should see HERE for some great codes and discounts.
We have been informed unofficially that someone is seeking to continue to run a shop at the location, but perhaps not in its current format. We wish Kate Suter and Kelly Harford our best wishes for the future.
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
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Just over two years ago I was privileged to be in the audience when Jazz Sabbath played their only previous show in D-Town.ย And what a night that was. The musical skill on show simply blew me away.ย No surprise then that weโre mightily looking forward to their next gig here on 1st March….
Jazz Sabbath are a jazz trio headed by Adam Wakeman, son of Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Dylan Howe, son of Alan Howe on drums, and Jack Tustin (son of his parents Iโm sure), on upright bass. Theyโve just started on their 2025 UK tour, and many of the venues are either already sold out, or very close to doing so.ย And one of those dates is in our town, long in the calendar, thanks to the forward thinking of long-time fan Paul Chandlerโs Longcroft Productions.
Adamโs credentials are absolutely second to none. Apart from having a famous father, Adam has played with the elite of the music world. Recent credits include Tony Hadleyโs world tour, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Rick Wakeman, and at Ozzy Osbourneโs induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Heโs also booked to play with Ozzy and the mighty Sabbath themselves at the recently-announced farewell gig in Birmingham this Summer. Thatโs a pretty impressive CV in my book.
Their offering is to present jazz interpretations of Black Sabbath classics. It sounds utterly mad, but it isnโt. Adamโs jazz arrangements are an almost unrecognisable world away, and the bandโs shows also feature plenty of Adamโs own contemporary compositions. To my ear itโs very little Sabbath, and very much Jazz, but the only way to test that supposition is to get yourselves a ticket and head on down to The Corn Exchange!
The band will be playing material from their latest and third album โThe 1968 Tapesโ which, as usual, is promoted in the bandโs straight-faced spoof mock-documentary style. Itโs worth the ticket price alone just to see and hear the whole comedic wrap-around, never mind the excellent music. So take it from me โ youโll be in for a superb night of entertainment.
Get out and get those tickets โ this is going to be a real one-off!
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, folk are hunting for the unique and often quirky exceptions. Accept The Barge at HoneyStreet always goes the extra mile as a fact. With camping and weekly events so goodโฆ
Schools out for summer, yelled a man called Alice, but that was in 1972. We’re about what you can do THIS school summer holiday with those little munchkins; here’s what we’ve found… Please note as soon as we publish this we’ll be bombarded with events we have missed; at least that’s what usually happens! So,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 can peacefully contain two major events on the same weekend, and, potentially, everyone comes up smiling because they attract different target audiences. But if the practicalities and ethos of both eventsโฆ
There are only a few tickets left for this yearโs Devizes Festival of Winter Ales, an important fundraiser for DOCAโฆ..
This year DOCA has teamed up with the Southgate Inn, who have provided a fantastic selection of thirty ales and ciders, there are pies from Padfield Porkies and sausage rolls from Pig in the Middle.
Saturday 15th February 2025, is the date, at Devizes Corn Exchange. Thereโs an Early Session โ 11am โ 5pm and a Late Session โ 5:30pm โ 11pm.
This year they welcome Glorious Productions, who are excited to bring a taste of their legendary Social Club Cabaret to the Festival of Winter Ales. While you sip your ales and relax they provide comedy, skills and the unexpected! Compere โ Goldie Fiasco, Cabaret โ Jon Udry and Jude Elizabeth. And Vince Bell and Adam Woodhouse play the early session, while Burn the Midnight Oil and Junkyard Dogs take the later session.
New for 2025: based on attendee feedback, there will be a slight difference between the 2 sessions this year. Both sessions will have the same great selection of beers, alongside brilliant entertainment from bands and cabaret. However, the Early Session (11am โ 5pm) will be slightly more low-key for entertainment, geared more towards those who are mostly interested in beer tasting. The Late Session (5:30pm โ 11pm) will be slightly more entertainment focussed for those looking for a buzzier vibe alongside their beer.
This is a fundraising event to help meet the costs of DOCAโs free annual programme of outdoor arts events and activities, including the Street Festival, Confetti Battle, Carnival, Winter Festival and Lantern Parade.
The Festival of Winter Ales is an 18+ event. The layout will be similar to 2024 with some seating, and some standing. If you require a seat for accessibility reasons, please contact DOCA at info@docadevizes.org.uk
More information on the Winter Ales entertainmentโฆ
Goldie Fiasco โ This yearโs Festival of Winter Ales will be compered by the โwonderfully bonkers and totally endearing!โ Goldie Fiasco. Goldie is a veteran performer with thousands of shows under her belt including โ Glastonbury Festival Circus Big Top, Edinburgh Fringe, The Social Club Cabaret, Bestival, Shambala, Komedia, and Main Stage Redfest. She will preside over a smorgasbord of delectable entertainment for your delight. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Jon Udry โ There are jugglers. There are comedians. And there is Jon Udry. Jon combines the two to such a brilliant effect that his unique performance has his audience roaring with laughter from entrance to the final curtain. Formerly the British Young Juggler Of The Year and New Act of the Year Finalist 2018, Jonโs skills and stage persona have brought his show onto various television and radio shows, as well as being a regular on the bill at prestigious festivals like Glastonbury.
Jon travels internationally, working on a host of luxury cruise lines, at festivals and events, and โ due to his unique comedy style โ his show is also at home on the domestic comedy club circuit. Jonโs repertoire is not the normal type of speciality act โ instead, itโs young, offbeat, quirky and hugely impressive. His current show โJon Udry Punches Gravity in the Faceโ is quickly becoming his most successful to date with a host of bookings around the UK, Europe and beyond.
Jude Elizabeth โ Jude trained as a professional ballet dancer but turned to Circus over a decade ago specialising in Aerial arts and Handbalance. Now internationally renowned, she has performed alongside Hugh Jackman at The Brit Awards, performed for the Royals and at some of the most prestigious venues in the world. We look forward to bringing her exceptional talent and elegance to our stage.
Vince Bell โ A talented singer-songwriter based in Devizes, Vince Bell is a prominent figure in the local music scene. Known for pouring raw emotion into his songwriting, he creates deeply personal yet universally relatable songs. His music is meticulously crafted and delivered with a captivating sincerity, showcasing his artistry and passion. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences, including the likes of John Martyn, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, and Richard Thompson, Vinceโs sound is both unique and richly textured, resonating with audiences on a profound level.
Adam Woodhouse โ Guitarist and singer, Adam Woodhouse has a love of country, blues and folk music. As a solo acoustic performer, these influences are always apparent, no matter what musical genre he is playing. Adam covers a wide range of music from across the decades, bringing his own style, vibe and humour to a collection of well-known hits.
Burn the Midnight Oil โ are a powerhouse trio that skim the surface of blues, country, folk, rock and pop with an all-original repertoire.
Junkyard Dogs โ Junkyard Dogs are a group of seasoned musicians with a shared love of Blues and goodtime Rock & Roll. Donโt forget your dancing shoes and let the good times roll!
A sublime evening of electronic elegance was had at Bathโs humble Rondo Theatre last night, where Cephidโs album, Sparks in The Darkness, was played out exclusively to a packed house. It was, in a word, breathtakingโฆ.
The type of genius who built a laser-harp at seventeen years old, Cephid‘s composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Moray McDonald is bound by modesty, and appeared, prior to the show, understandingly nervous about the prospect of performing. He hadnโt contemplated ever reproducing this masterwork on stage, for the project began as a collection of demos he created โfor fun.โ โWith all my focus being on creating an album that would live up to the grand ideas in my head,โ he explained, โI didnโt stop to think about whether this music could be performed in a live environment.โ
Seems he shies from being centre of attention, his comfort zone on stage favouring the many occasions he hides as a keyboardist in prog rock bands. Moray, currently residing in Lavington, cut his teeth touring with progressive rock and metal artists such as That Joe Payne, Godsticks, Kim Seviour and Ghost Community, more recently he remixed for OMD.
Moray was adamant this was a totally exclusive show which wouldnโt be taken on the road, although it has the magnitude of doing so. The show was produced and promoted by his partner Charlotte, whoโs theatrical flamboyance encourages Moray to overcome his reservedness. Therefore a communal air bloomed in the audience, that this was a one-off treat, and we were the lucky few; because we were.
Being I was there to review, it probably didn’t help his anxiety any telling him I’d seen Kraftwerk at a Tribal Gathering of yore, where from every tent of every subgenre ravers descended to observe the roots of it all. โKraftwerk was the beginning of everything,โ he agreed.
While itโs an accurate summary of the origins of electronic pop music, Sparks in The Darkness delves beyond this for inspiration. Itโs orchestral on a Jean-Michel Jarre level; even if the show wasnโt to the same scale it was in spirit. It nodded to the trial phase of electronic music, prog-rockโs psychedelic swirls found in Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin et al, and continues to the ambient house pioneers like The KLF and Orb. It rests on the heyday of electronica, the quirky experiments of new wave post-punk like New Order, and early US electro outfits, like Newcleus. Yet it incorporates contemporary technological advances, the variety of modern subgenres stemming from it, and it evoked in me a fascination with the history of electronic sound.
To contemplate futurist Luigi Russoloโs 1913 The Art of Noises theories, that music would change due to the ear becoming accustomed to mechanical, industrial and urban noises, and the dadaists flouting this, is to consider the eighties clunkiness of the engine sampling of the aptly named Art of Noise, or Yello, or the piercing hubbub of acid houseโs 303s, for the sake of artistic expressionism rather than melodious music. Sparks in The Darkness doesnโt go there, it doesnโt tumultuously provoke, rather itโs polyphonically beautiful, sampleless, and tonally complimentary on the ear. In this, the decades of electronic music progression has become an epoch, therefore a โfolkโ music, effectively turning music full circle; Cephid is on that cusp, and proved it last night.
But not beforeThat Joe Payne, who later returned to the stage to provide vocals for Cephid, supported with an astounding original set. With just keyboard and voice he acoustically gifted us with a one-man rock opera, the like Iโd never seen before. Combining camp comedy with tragedy, reminiscent of Elton Johnโs heyday and expressed divinely with the vast vocal range of Freddie Mercury, this was delicious vaudeville. Though I cite these clear influences, they broke the mould when they made That Joe Payne, and that is the only shame about this highly entertaining character.
If That Joe Payne was something which bucked my norm in the nicest of methods, the whole evening was equally different for me, who these days is used to traditional rock, folk, or blues bands, and even with a history of dance music under my belt, this wasnโt a rave anymore than it was a gig in the tradition of, even if the effect was similar. This was a showcase of modernism, an electronica fantasy in fruition. If at any point I likened it to something visually, it was Howard Jones meets Orbital, and thatโs a high compliment.
The Rondo ignited with laser lights after the interval, colouring the subtle smoke machine output, and doused with a building ambient drone. Moray appeared onstage with electric percussionist Graham Brown, both dressed in white bodysuits with scarlet tie-belts. Layers developed and the album was played out sublimely, stretched to fit the show. The skill of the pair, to unite in sound and highlight exactly how these tunes were accomplished was insightful, and amazing. The only analogue instrument being a snare, the rest was digital technology caressed to evolve the most refined musical topography, an audio landscape masterpiece.
The grand finale was the usage of the triangular centrepiece, the laser harp Moray created at seventeen but had never used publicaly. Even if many in the crowd were connected in some way to Moray or the team, akin to a family party, everyone was held spellbound when the laser harp strings lit up, and Moray took position behind it.
If the perfect composition of this groundbreaking sound, with the laser show and theatrical performance wasnโt enough to convince anyone in the crowd to the monumental importance to the artist, and the rare and wonderful occasion this was, it was Morayโs expression of sheer joy, at the audienceโs standing ovation. It was confirmation that this project, so immensely well received, is surely the testament, plus an ego boost, to the diffidence of a creative genius!
You might have missed this show, but you can (and should) buy the album HERE.
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
by Ian Diddamsimages by Sandcastle Productions A very new addition to Bath based theatre companies, Sandcastles Productions brings their self penned piece of theatre toโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ian Diddams, Next Stage Theatre Company and Mike Stevens Florian Zeller is a contemporary French playwright and screenwriter, who received criticalโฆ
Rude to walk into an event sporting another event wristband but the welcome was friendly as ever at the Three Crowns in Devizes. It’s mid-afternoon,โฆ
If youโve popped into Wiltshire Music Centre recently; for a concert, workshop, screening orย even a meeting, you might have noticedโฏchanges in the foyer: recorded music,โฆ
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
โThis song speaks to anyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t quite enough for someone, yet still held out hope for just a hint of validation,โ Sam Bishop explained to me about his latest release, Just a Little which is out today, 7th Februaryโฆ.
The immediate hook to this song is in the simplicity of the riff, it glides with a summer breeze echoing in feelgood ambience. Refreshingly vehement and not overworked, Just a Little caused me to think of Natasha Bedingfieldโs Unwritten, and further back to how Madonna secured her queen of pop title with the Latino hook in La Isla Bonita, or am I going too far back for you now?! Noah Kahan brought back fervency, this goes along similar lines, though Sam likened it to Coldplay and Bastille, stating, โI hope people can connect to it.โย
Itโs certainly miles beyond his beginnings in Devizes School boy band 98 Reasons and the duo Larkin with fellow member Finley Trusler, in commercial viability. It shows a maturity, but if weโve followed this natural progression I could argue his previous songs were growers, whereas this was an instant like, and swift appeal is whatโs needed in the fast-paced industry.
Sam scribed this beauty whilst travelling the States over summer and produced it once home. โThis song is for everyone whoโs ever felt like they were giving their all but still wondering if itโs enough,โ he expressed, โI wanted to create something that felt vulnerable, yet comforting, that also feels personal.โ Yeah, Sam, I think youโve captured that!
Just a Little is out across streaming platforms from 7th February. Check it out HERE; it’s already top ten on UK iTunes – deservedly.
Okay, I canโt keep the secret any longer or Iโll pop! While all the hard work is being organised by a lovely committee, because they showered me with biscuits Iโve been doing the easy bits of arranging some live music and designing a poster for Rowde Fest 2025โฆ..
Itโs happening on Saturday 31st May from 1-7pm, itโs free, you can roly-poly down Dunkirk Hill, and join our village family fete-like festival at the Rowde Small Playing Field (next to the church); no pressure, but I think youโll like it!
Burn The Midnight Oil
Already confirmed we have music from Thieves, Adam Woodhouseโs marvellous Americana quartet. With a village connection, the most wonderful new band on everyoneโs lips, Burn The Midnight Oil are playing too. The incredible Sarah C Ryan Band are up for it, and local legend Andrew Hurst is also on the blossoming line-up.
Sarah C Ryan Band
And I believe we may have some super-duper, and I mean super, surprises, like, โpossiblyโ the best indie pop band in Wiltshire, and acoustic god, and oh, did I say itโs super-duper?!
Hold the front page!! More great acts to be confirmed!
Update: Wiltshire’s finest indie-pop band Talk In Code have just confirmed; you’ll love these guys!
Thieves
Thereโs Devizes Jubilee Morris dancers, childrenโs activities, face painting, food and drink and side stalls, and more. You all should know by now Rowde has the best ice cream this side of Italy, so yes, Rowdey Cow are sure to be there.
Talk in Code
It is all free, but, you lovely people, we really need some kind donations on the gate, if you can, so we can ensure we can make it an annual occasion.
If you’ve an idea for a side stall, please let us know and I’ll pitch it to the committee, they don’t bite, or at least I’ve seen no evidence of it yet.
Andrew Hurst
Iโm even over-excited to share the poster with you! Subject to alterations, as if I could possibly find any more room on it for other acts yet to confirm, the poster has been collated by me, but is also the fine artistic work of three pupils from Rowde Academy. So a huge thank you to Luca Dowling, Theo Doherty, and Lila Ransome for their inspirational pictures, which were incorporated into our poster.
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
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
I caught up with an excited Jonathan Hunter, leader of Devizes Town Councilโs independent party The Guardians, and local loyal youth worker Steve Dewar to rap about an imminent youth centre coming to Sidmouth Street in Devizesโฆ.
I was aware Jonathan swore to create a youth project in town some years ago and was engaging with teenagers, researching what their expectations of such a place might contain.
โThis is all part of a speech I made in council years ago,โ he told me, โAsking the council to support three objectives, which were civic recognition for young people, to put them on equal standing to all the other recognitions we do in the annual civic awards, which we now do and thatโs brilliant. The second was a street engagement program where we work with disenfranchised young people, on the streets, through an outreach team.โ
โItโs taken four years to get the premises,โ he continued. โThe council have decided to redeploy what was an old bed shop. What it does is gets to the youth right in the middle of town, gives them their own cafรฉ.โ
If like me, your memories of youth clubs are dubious, based on the out of touch approach of our elders at the time, I was keen to discover how much of the project will be created by youths themselves. โThe vison is that they get to run it and be integral rather than a bunch of older people meaning well but not necessarily understanding all the issues and concerns young people have,โ Jonathan replied. โItโs going to be brilliant!โ
He used the word โbrilliantโ numerous times, our own version of Paul Whitehouseโs Fast Show character, Brilliant Kid, right here on our town council!! But are we to overcome the stigma of said youth clubs of the past which tended to not engage the youth who might need it most?
โAbsolutely,โ Jonathan responded with his constant air of enthusiasm, โIโm really focussed on that, taking a collaborative approach with different people, with Steve Dewar, who inspired me five years ago to stand. Steve spoke of a โmissing piece in a jigsawโ with youth provision. I just wanted to go and bat for young people, and doing whatโs right for the community rather than a political party or any ideological stuff, and make things happen that way, which Iโm glad we can.โ
I couldnโt think of a better local youth worker than Steve Dewar to be involved in this project, but as the sole-creator of a mobile youth charity and his mobile Youth Pop-Up Cafรฉ travelling the county providing leisure facilities to youth, I was concerned his involvement with the youth centre would reduce usage of the pop-up cafรฉ project. โWe, as a charity havenโt had any financial provision for staffing the centre, that would be perhaps an independent youth worker,โ Steve explained, โor someone employed by the council, to man it. The challenge we have as a small charity is weโre also committed to supporting young people in schools, through detached youth work, and thereโs only me in this area and a few volunteers.โ
โIt is a constant battle and challenge, and is nationally, to reinvest back into youth workers as a vocation, to give it the time and professionalism that we think it deserves,โ Steve expressed. โUnfortunately cuts to services has removed a lot of that peoplepower, to be able to commit to it. As much as I would love to give more time to it, as I certainly have a heart and vision for it, that needs to align with our other projects.โ
โFor me the challenge will always be an applicate to Wiltshire council, town councils that a centre-based provision isnโt a quick fix and isnโt a one-size fits all. It must compliment and work alongside with detached youth work, such as our pop-up van, schools-based work, and uniformed organisations, other charities. It must be a part of that. The Pop-Up Youth Cafe has had its busiest year, and weโre in the process of converting another van, to be able to respond to more needs across the county. Obviously, I want to see all these elements of youth work flourish.โ
Jonathan informed me there would be three floors, the ground floor as a youth space โwhere they can congregate with a coffee bar or whatever they want to put in. They can hang out and discuss things in a safe space and enjoy each otherโs company, without the cost of a coffee in a regular place.โ
Plans for the first floor is โan aspirational hub, where different youth agencies can come together and work direct and deliver their visions. The top floor weโd love to se it going to an external educational provider which works with young people who might be disenfranchised from normal education, that are getting bused or taxied around the county access basic maths and English, to have something more local, which is sits far better for these local young people who have slipped through.โ
Current town Mayor and councillor Ian Hopkins has also been working towards the project. Jonathan furthered, โalso, what weโve done in conjunction with this is, Ian Hopkins and I, are building a relationship with Devizes School, which is going well. We had a forum last week with the head and a selection of students. Theyโre really interested in this; they want to be involved and take a lead and be part of it.โ
โWhat was brilliant was, when we met with the school, one of the studentsโฆ these young people are so eloquent, articulate and knowledgeable, I was massively inspired by themโฆ one of them said, โwe need to help the parents too,โ because there are parents out there who are looking after and struggling to help teenagers growing up. Itโs not an easy task, and some parents out there could probably do with some support; that came from the young people, that wasnโt our suggestion, so thereโs possibilities on the top floor to develop a meeting place for parents to come together and share ideas and concerns.โ
On youth engaging with the project, Steve added, โif we were doing it without them, weโve missed the point. Thatโs why Iโve advocated several our local councillors to engage with young people and working in better partnerships with school staff so young people are involved, on the grounds on training.โ He exampled a girl today who had been helping him create posters to go up in the youth space as they develop it, to let people know to โwatch this space.โ โAnd we spoke about what she thinks the teenagers need and want.โ
โResults of the school survey was young people would like safe places to go,โ Steve explained, โand safe people to be able to speak to, and thatโs nothing new, itโs been the case for years, and is certainly true in Devizes. Yet weโve not been able to respond to them. Thatโs why Iโm so chuffed, pleased, stoked, that hopefully Devizesโฆ well, that this is the start of the journey which is starting to respond to that.โ
โIโm really encouraged,โ Jonathan said, โand weโve got some seeds running through the area board, but I want to attract some funders to be able to run it, and for it to be successful and sustainable for years to come.โ
I thought out loud, that the previous youth club in Devizes being attached to the school may have been viewed a hindrance and rather off-putting to the youth, whereas this, regardless of the schoolโs keen involvement, is geographically separate from it.
โYes,โ Jonathan agreed, โBang in the centre of town! And what weโre looking at next is a brand, thereโs a provisional name that weโve given it, but young people are examining different kind branding and names, to give it the right kind of profile as well, and thatโs with them. I think they should be the architects of that, and how they want it to develop. Itโs just a great breakthrough, more to do, and talking with Steve and Ian, we want this to be super sustainable, and we want it to run itself.โ
โIโm looking for this to have a halo effect,โ Jonathan said, โmaybe the minority of young people who find themselves disenfranchised and donโt have the infrastructure that some can enjoy, or maybe they donโt have good role models, they might look at this place and think Iโd rather be there in a positive environment than be caught up in anti-social behaviour.โ
Steve spoke fondly of a new national youth program, discussing a coloration of a lack of youth services has resulted in a trend of anti-social behaviour, โand those links as to how we, as communities, invest in our young people positively, goes in line with those elements to society which will take advantage of our young people,โ he explained. โSo, doing nothing, to me, isnโt an option, and thatโs why Iโm pleased the town and county council and other local organisations, hopefully local businesses as well, will get onboard with insuring that Devizes has the pullies to develop youth work provision.โ
On the matter of a prospective opening date, Jonathan estimated, โthe work is underway, weโre aiming for spring, an aspirational date. Itโs all about working together, and I was really encouraged by MP Brian Matthewโs support, he recognises thereโs a void of this kind of activity, which weโre aiming to fill.โ
It all sounds amazing, certainly far better than my memories of a youth club, where youโd discover the most diluted orange squash known to mankind, in a drafty scout hall, and two kids playing on an undersized snooker table, while an aged vicar snored on a broken wooden chair in the corner! Itโs all too late to save me, but good news for those just slightly younger than me! That, thanks to the organisers of this project, the youth are positively encouraged to engage with inputting what they want to get from the project.
If weโre nearly out of the prolonged gloom of January, note itโs still winter but weโve climatised and are ready to party. February this year looks positively booming with music events. This weekend alone looks hotter for events than it will probably be climate wise!
Leading us up to the start of the month, Swindon Shuffleโs new wintery thang SwinterFest is covering days all this coming weekend from Thursday and onto the 1st and 2nd; Saturday is at the Castle, Sunday at the Beehive, check the poster for the fantastic lineup. Another amazing fundraiser for Prospect House.
Thursday 3oth Jan
Also in Swindon find Ian Barrett Band with Bare Knuckle Asylum and Tiddles the Hellcat at The Vic. Ignacio Lopez at Swindon Arts Centre, and Jack Deeโs Small World at The Wyvern Theatre.
New Writing Night at The Rondo Theatre, Bath, and Tom Jonesโ favourite singer Mim Grey is at Chapel Arts.
Follow Comedy Club at Qudos in Salisbury, Alistair McGowan at Salisbury Playhouse, and Limehouse Lizzy at Salisbury Arts Centre.
Friday 31st Jan
Jamie Hawkins is at The Bridge in Horton. The Tipsy Gypsies are at The Royal Oak in Pewsey.
The Blunders are at the Pump in Trowbridge, with The Lindup Brothers & Hometown Devilry. Morphew School of Dance presents A Wish Come True at the Civic Centre.
As well as SwinterFest, Last Train Smokinโ are at The Beehive, Swindon. Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde at Swindon Arts Centre,and Cirque Enchantment at The Wyvern Theatre.
Stable at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.
Lucy Loves Liquor at the Coach and Horses in Salisbury. Diamond Froggs at Deacons, andย Barnstormers Comedy atย Salisbury Arts Centre. Salisbury Playhouse has Thatโll Be The Day.ย ย ย
Sound of the Sirens at The Tree House in Frome. Dire Streets at The Cheese & Grain.
Saturday 1st
Falls on Deaf Ears at the Southgate in Devizes, and thereโs a Long Street Blues Club night at the Cons Club with The John Martin Project. Devizes Scooter Club promises a soul, Motown, ska and reggae DJ night at the Football Club, and Mr M & The Original PJ have a soul night also, at the Bear Hotel. DJ Karl Maggs playing club hits at the Exchange.
Bodge It & Scarper at The Bear, Marlborough, Jam Night at The Barge, HoneyStreet.
Three upcoming local DJs, ET Tronic, FLAM and Artoid play a Future Sound of Trowbridge night at The Pump, while Junkyard Dogs are at the host pub, The Lamb. Morphew School of Dance presents A Wish Come True, a matinee at the Trowbridge Civic Centre.
Dโ Ska Assassins are at Prestbury Sports Bar in Warminster.
Mustard Allegro at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. Colin Hoult: Colin at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.
As well as Swinterfest in Swindon, Mojo plays The Swiss Chalet, Still Marillion at The Vic, and Peter Andre stars in The Best Of Frankie Valli at The Wyvern Theatre!
Thereโs a Winter FiggleFest at Figheldean Village Hall. Jetpack at The Ram, Tidworth.
Wiltshire Creative Comedy Club with Lucy Beaumont at Salisbury Playhouse. Sarumโs Lot at Qudos. Lucas Hardy, Rosie Jay and Rich Butcher at The Avon Brewery Inn Salisbury and Graffiti Classics: The Comedy String Quartet at Salisbury Arts Centre.
Laurence Jones is at The Tree House in Frome, and there’s an Retro Electro at the Cheese & Grain.
Sunday 2nd Feb
Jon Amor Trio with guest Shannon Harris at The Southgate, Devizes.
Everyone Says Hi are Instore at Sound Knowledge in Marlborough, which we previewed.
Super Blue Moon at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.
The Roy Orbison Story at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.
Sunday Session at The Coach & Horses, Salisbury with Ben Nicholls
Open Mic at George and Dragon, Salisbury.
CSF Pro Wrestling Showdown at the Cheese & Grain, Frome.
But of course, youโd know all this if you keep checking into our event calendar! We are not running the weekly roundups any longer due to it being time consuming which basically just repeats whatโs been listed already. It was just that this weekend seems to have really opened up for events again, and see this as a gentle reminder to keep checking into Devizine, as the calendar is always updating, as fast as I possibly can add listings!
Do contact us if weโve missed your event out, and we can list it free for you.
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, psychological thriller.
The Wharfโs production opens with a furniture draped bedroom, which is soon revealed to be Veronicaโs room. The entire play is set in this room which in itself gives off a creepy, dark atmosphere; you can almost smell the mustiness of the dingy, sparsely furnished bedroom. A bed, chaise-longue, table and chairs, wardrobeโฆย and a barred window. Director John Winterton and his team designed and created the set and its ominous undertones, and the tech team produce eery lighting, subtly and extremely effectively fitting for this play. Without providing spoilers it’s however fine to say the costumes required for the story fit the requirements perfectly. And as ever Gill Barnes and the costume team have come up trumps to further set the period and the characterisations.
Itโs a short play timewise โ two acts comprising eighty minutes in total, plus an interval. But it is far from short with plot twists and turns, and as each new piece of information unfolds, we are drawn into a darker and more sinister world each time. The cast of four work well together to deliver Levinโs increasingly twisted story, with Johnโs direction keeping the pace exactly right at all times.
Jax Brady plays The Woman, embracing all the mood swings and dialects with ease, the perfect loving partner to The Man played by Gary Robson, whose sombre delivery is befitting of his characterโs inner turmoil and glimmers of hope, of his love for The Woman whilst uneasy with their shared knowledge. Abigail Baker plays The Girl around whom the plot centres; at first brazenly flirtatious, then finally broken, desperate and terrified. The Young Man โ the object of The Girlโs desires – is played by Cameron Williams who also has challenging characterisation and manages it sublimely.
It would be fair to say that โVeronicaโs Roomโ is also challenging for the audience โ it is a horror, and a psychological one at that, preying on oneโs mind. Levinโs story is a slow burner to begin with but as Act 2 in particular progresses it becomes a runaway train with hard hitting realisations developing the full horror coming thick and fast. The cast and crew have created a super rendition of Levinโs story that will surely have you checking under your bed when you go to sleep afterwardsโฆ
โVeronicaโs Roomโ is performed at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes January 2th to February 1st at 7.30pm each evening.
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 into my mind when previewing Devizes Musical Theatreโs next production, Beauty & The Beastโฆ.
The wardrobe is definitely out of the question, anyway I digress! For if thereโs one local amateur theatre collective to make you question the definition of โamateurโ itโs Devizes Musical Theatre, in my experience. To pay a kingโs ransom for a West End production is to expect, much less assume, youโre in for a treat, but to see the dedication and hours of labour which goes into an amateur production like those of Devizes Musical Theatre, is the surprise element, that the magic isnโt so far from a professional production.
So, get ready, Gaston, for a tale as old as time, as Devizes Musical Theatreโs curtain is rising once again for Beauty and the Beast. Itโs running from Wednesday 2nd April โ Saturday 5th April 2025, at Dauntsey’s Schoolโs Memorial Hall in West Lavington and tickets are available now at www.devizesmusicaltheatre.co.uk or Devizes Books.
Devizes Musical Theatreโs last sold-out show was Sister Act back in March 2024, of which I reviewed and said โitโs the combination of their motivation and exceptional effort which makes this such a dynamic show, coupled with the elementary notion, Sister Act has universal appeal and is simply fun on a stick!โ But no one listens to me, so please note the show was nominated for Best Musical and Best Publicity at the prestigious Rose Bowl Awards.
โTickets are already flying off the shelves,โ weโre informed, so donโt miss your chance to experience the magic of live theatre right here in our community. Whether you laughed with the nuns, hissed at Curtis and his baddies in Sister Act, or youโre a newcomer to the DMT productions, this show is guaranteed to leave you spellbound; be their guests, be their guests, be their guests!
Four years of hard work in the making, and it sure shows, Man Made of Glass, the third album from John and Jolyon, aka Illingworth, is released across streaming platforms this week. If youโve seen this Salisbury duo performing on the circuit, the unyielding passion they inject into the obligatory classic rock covers set isnโt half of what they put into their own compositionsโฆ..
Pardon me if you came here for a respite from the onslaught of inflammatory international headlines and toread a nice music review, Man Made of Glass contains much prose on the tyranny of contemporary politics. As the idiom is defined, this narcissistic disorder of egotistical figureheads is fragile and therefore likely to shatter manifests abstractly, particularly in the title track and single Gaslight, but hey, I think itโs safe to say we know the people it is directed towards.
Itโs a floating opening, building in layers, this title track, richly written even if poignantly critical of power corrupting. As ever with Illingworth thereโs this breezy air of feelgood rock too, of Foreigner or The Cars, which enriches the sound naturally. Soulless might be the subject, but soulful is the expression; itโs a contrast.
Superior single Gaslight does similar theme-wise, but as powerful as an indie rock anthem, and rolling on a tougher riff than the title track, throughout, it takes the manipulation of its titleโs term to the worldly encouragement of avoidance; this โdonโt be convinced by propagandaโ concept.
Bittersweet is the general ambience Illingworth delivers with here, and thatโs no new thing in rock, but they do so with such passion and expertise it polishes the delivery and leaves you feeling alive and stimulated, with nothing bad you could possibly say about their songs. They are rich with honesty over vanity, reflecting on the theme. Gaslight may be the kingpin to the album, the running motif becoming less prominent in the other tracks. Every tune is a beauty though, embracing all stimulating elements of being uplifting, inspiring and catchy, just subtly with differing moods and tempos.
We Donโt Have to Try is a country-rock ballad on an eternal love subject, whereas, Heart To Rule Your Head, is an inspiring โyou can get it if you really wantโ upbeat track.
Another Passion is upbeat too, of if, buts and maybes, whereas New Year is arousingly paced, reflecting on the unification and love perpetrated by the annual occasion. Love conquering over evil becomes the inclusive factor as the album drifts archetypically. This conquering notion to avoid the brainwashing of those seeking power lessens somewhat in favour of identifying affections, yet never fully expires. The finale is not to let it worry you, as the matter will shatter like glass.
While great, if previous Illingworth albums can feel fragmented, like randomly placed collections of their memorable songs you rarely hear enough of when theyโre gigging, Man Made of Glass is more rounded, it has an overall concept. Like a classic rock album, the tracksโ narratives combine and flow wonderfully. Itโs not a โconcept album,โ per say, but in the same classic fashion, and thatโs a welcomed rare find these days of media overload and the average attention span of a goldfish!
Man Made of Glass is more suited to a vinyl, CD or cassette format, of a time when album composition contained an all-inclusive message, and you sat in the dark listening to it. Just like those albums of yore it feels like something to cherish, a testament to a bleeding heart of sentiment you identify with and get emotionally involved with, rather than simply hearing it while you wash the dishes. But hey, streaming is the mainstay these days, and thatโs where youโll find this treasure buried.
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
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
Normally Iโd be raving about just how good the live music was at The Southgate on Sundayย afternoon. ย And it was indeed brilliant, featuring the amazingly talented bluesman Eddie Martin, withย his band The 58s (the year he was born apparently). ย The band consisted of Tom Gilkes on drums,ย Jerry Soffe on bass, and the wonderful Patsy Gamble on saxophones. ย And normally Iโd write a longย incoherent full review of that gig on its own, but thereโs just too much other stuff to tell you about!
The previous day was the first Devizes International Blues Festival. ย And hereโs the low-down.
Nobody could ever say that Long Street Blues Club and its wily leader Ian Hopkins (currently alsoย Lord Mayor of this parish) doesnโt keep on trying to push the boundaries of live music in D-Town, andย to present some really top-notch entertainment. Not content with a full programme of events at theย mothership venue of The Conservative Club (see below), there was still ambition enough to doย something even bigger in terms of both entertainment and venue.
So, in the interests of blowing out the post-Crimbo and New Year cobwebs, I felt it was only fair to reward such bravado with my own presence on Saturday afternoon and evening (yes it was an all-dayer, not just the normal simple gig format of band + support). This was altogether more than that with no less than five, yes five, headliners playing their way through the six hours or so of the two main sessions.
This is (as far as anyone knows) the first indoor Blues Festival Devizes has ever staged (if you donโtย count the blues events at the club itself this time last year). Being January, it was cold, damp, and wetย outside, so I think everyone was pretty glad to be on the inside! This was definitely not the same as,ย say, Saddleback of a couple of years ago sitting outside at Devizes Rugby Club in the middle ofย summer! ย
The team had attempted to create an intimate blues club in the Ceres Hall, using tables and seating,ย but with some room for dancing at the front near the stage. ย It was always going to be a big ask withย the high ceilings and the big windows and aircon units much in evidence, but they did a pretty goodย job, by closing the curtains and excellent use of both main hall and stage lighting. And the rewardย was a virtually-full room of music-hungry people.
First up the afternoon double-header was harmonica player extraordinaire Giles Robson. Although based in Jersey, and the only UK resident amongst this star-studded otherwise Chicago cast, Giles was entirely at home, having in the past played with all the American greats, and having toured with his own band all over Europe. I think I last caught him a year ago at the Blues Club playing support to another of todayโs line-up John Primer. Giles, accompanied by only an acoustic guitarist, served up a portion of (somewhat unusual on the UK scene) acoustic blues. His wailing, crooning, imploring style of playing, together with his laconic inter-song chat style, soon had the audience hushed and listening intently. His last offering, which Iโm sure had to be a parody on a whole raft of suggestive blues songs, involved milk in the ice-cream mixer. Donโt ask. Seriously, donโt ask.
After a suitable pause for stage changes and (ahem) refreshments at the bar, it was the turn of Oscarย Wilson. Here was the real deal (in my book at least). ย Although not great in physical stature, andย leaning heavily on his customised stick, this guy had a commanding presence and provided some bigย sounds, with deep gravel vocals right from the outset. ย Growing up in Chicago, his major influencesย were Muddy Waters and Howlinโ Wolf, and there was plenty of that on show right here. ย Workingย with a โhouse bandโ that he didnโt know, Oscar soon built a rapport with his musicians, commandingย every move with subtle moves of the hand, a flick or a bounce of the stick, or a wry smile to the side.
They were winging it a bit but (honestly) you could hardly see the joins. His set was a real switch from what weโd just heard from Gilesโ solo set. It was instantly deeper, faster, and with much more intent. There was more variation, changes in tempo and altogether much more heft. Even with Giles himself joining the band and providing the frills and the infills, the full band sound was much more to my taste. Weโd definitely moved up a notch, and the crowd were loving it.
At this point there was a break in proceedings for a couple of hours, and we were tipped out into the D-Town afternoon to find what other pleasures we could discover. I guess the gap had a sound logistical reason behind it, but it felt strange to kind of lose all of the atmosphere that had started to build up. Maybe it was sound checks, but the โhouse bandโ was still the same guys upporting the evening performers. So Iโm not sure about that one.
Anyhow, after the break and the crowd had reassembled itself once more, the next four and a halfย hours gave us three cracking performers of the Chicago blues.
First up was Nora Jean Wallace, a Chicago blues singer with Deep Delta roots. ย A striking figure of aย woman, sporting a fine silver wig, Nora Jean delivered a set that was far funkier than what had goneย before, almost leaning towards Motown at times. ย Clearly unwell with a stinking head-cold, sheย declared โbut ahโm gonna give it ma bestโ, she absolutely delivered on that promise. ย The singingย was strong and high-powered. ย Only between songs could you see that she was struggling a little, andย you had to feel a little sorry for her. ย Her detailed control of the now-regular โhouse bandโ wasย slightly less tight than Oscarโs had been, but with Giles once again on stage with the harmonicaย support, the overall sound was terrific.
Toronzo ย Cannon came up next, sporting a nice line in hats, and a guitar that he used withย devastating effect. ย His song lyrics (and indeed the inter-song patter that introduced them) was wittyย and truth-telling. ย His topics included sex, divorce, insurance, his various health issues (again, pleaseย donโt ask), his mid-life crisis (pubes turning grey anyone?) and so on. ย These were all original songs,ย and topics not normally covered by the mainstream blues, but massively entertaining nevertheless. ย But it was his blistering and inventive guitar work that impressed more than his impassioned vocals. ย Like all the artists who preceded him on the bill, he worked hard at engaging the audience, crackingย jokes and engaging in plenty of call-and-response numbers. ย Giles did not join the band on this oneย occasion, and Toronzoโs sound was all the better for it. ย I love blues harmonica, but weโd had quite aย lot of it already by this stage in proceedings.
Almost finally, it was the turn of John Primer, another one of the kings of Chicago blues. Originally aย guitarist in Muddy Watersโ band for many years, he also played with another Chicago legend, Willieย Dixon. Here was another of these great performers, having also played in Long Street club about aย year ago, which was where Iโd last seen him. ย Compared to Toronzo, John seemed more focused andย down to it, a little more serious, with less chat and humour. ย And still the โhouse bandโ were thereย with him, together with Giles Robson once more. ย There was more of a feeling of just cracking onย with the show now, but never in any kind of hurry. ย โAhโm jusโ takinโ ma timeโ, he declared at oneย point, which was absolutely how it felt. ย He also described himself as โan old man, but with youngย ideasโ and then cracked the broadest smile of the evening. ย He delivered (to my ears at least) superbย versions of โGot My Mojo Workingโ and โRainy Night In Georgiaโ. ย What a great performer.
But there was one final thing still to enjoy when the whole ensemble hauled themselves back onย stage for a final encore, sharing vocals and guitar licks. ย And finally also โ huge applause for theย โhouse bandโ whoโd managed to play backing band to four different headliners, staying on stage forย over four hours. ย Unfortunately, I couldnโt catch all their names, but a definite hats off to those guys. ย
Overall, it was a great day out, packed with some great performances and musical gems. ย My favourite? โย Oscar Wilson was the guy who really nailed it for me, but these things are often a matter of personal taste. All five headliners gave great performances, and difficult to fault any of them. So, well done,ย once again, to Ian and his team for putting on such a great event in our town. Brilliant.
Future gigs at Long Street Blues Club:
Saturday 1st Feb โ the John Martyn project
Friday 21st Feb โ Brave Rival (at the Corn Exchange as part of the Lord Mayorโs Dinner)
Friday 14th March โ Jimmy Regal & The Royals
Friday 4th April โ Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Saturday 12th April โ Billy Walton Band
Saturday 3rd May โ Alastair Greene
Saturday 17th May โ Fullhouse, with special guest Innes Sibun
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 itโs stepping up their spines … apparently!
A narrative of pending infatuation in the hope the feeling is mutual, Stepping Up My Spine is instantly lovable, projecting a more lenient and ubiquitous indie-pop sound than the bandโs raw punkier past; a direction they seem to have been progressing towards with each new release.
Image: Gail Foster
I cite many local bands like Talk in Code and Atari Pilot, reflecting a national indie trend to return us to an eighties pop-rock vibe, and this follows suit, but only slightly. It retains the โreal instrumentsโ rock ethos theyโve sworn to uphold, thereโs no electronica influence, thus maintaining the edge we know them for. Letโs call it a natural progression rather than a desire to follow a trend, not forgoing itโs still stylised to their sound and is bound to appease their maturing fans.
If weโve keenly watched Nothing Rhymes With Orange and their devoted fanbase evolve and proliferate, this new single reflects and preserves that continuation. And long may it be so!
Keep up the good work, guys! You catch NRWO at SwinterFest next Saturday, at the Castle.ย
Yet to witness it myself but heard on the grapevine, the blossoming liveliest place to be in Pewsey at the moment, is, apparently the Royal Oak. Wiltshire Music Events, who brought us CrownFest in Bishops Cannings and sold out Devizes Corn Exchange with The Marley Experience, has been at the forefront of furnishing the pub with gigs from the growing wealth of talent on their books. Tempted to drop by and check it out asap, but if all else fails, Saturday July 5th sees them holding a debut mini-festival, which is double-underlined on my personal calendarโฆโฆ
The Oak Festival is an all dayer boasting seven bands, food and outside bar, but itโs the lineup which will really wow. Three, no, thirty yeses from me, to The Marley Experience headlining, being smitten with Bob Marley & The Wailers since day dot and after much deliberation, these guys recreate their music and vibe with such unprecedented precision itโs unmissable.
Thereโs also a lively Irish folk element to the festival with The Tipsy Gypsies, and Pouges tribute, The Phogues, both Iโve yet to tick off my must-see list, but they also dive into indie with the blues edge of The Leon Daye Band, and our favourite-most indie-pop masters Talk in Code, who need no introduction here neither further praise; forget sliced bread, theyโre the most electrifying exciting local act we have.
Thereโs two acoustic singer-songwriters too, Lucas Hardy who Iโve heard only good things about, and Salisburyโs Rosie Jay, who with her poignant writing and exquisitely unique delivery overnight clocked into our all-time hall of fame here at Devizine!
Later the price goes up but only slightly, to ยฃ32.50, which, once youโve seen The Marley Experience, youโll realise the ticket stub was worth it just to see them alone, and why Iโm all excited about this one!
It could be the best thing to happen in pea island since carnival, since the coronation of Alfred the Great; trust me on this one!!
Devizes welcomed a charming new coffee shop to The Market Place today, called Caffe Vialottie; I thought it best to drop by, poke my nose inโฆ..
Caffe Vialottie takes over the listed number 35, where the cherished Times Square closed its doors for the final time in June 2024. The walls are adorned with some nice artwork, the colour theme altered to a dark green and cream, but the tried and tested layout remains much the same as Times Square. It was met with busy enthusiasm by customers, many I suspect devotees of the previous cafe happy to see it back in action. โEveryone wants to try the new cafe,โ manager Chelsie Godden greeted me, between frantically serving customers, โitโs been busy, but nice!โ
While Chelsie worked at Times Square previously, the owner was new to the area. He stressed the importance of creating an individual space, adamant copying the mainstream coffee shop chains wasnโt on the agenda here, he said, โI think weโve got something special here, something nice.โ
If the word nice was coincidentally dropped twice, it certainly is that; nothing negative could be said about Caffe Vialottie. It seemed friendly, with a vibe to fit like a glove into Devizes. Yet with coffee being centre stage, tea and a good choice of soft drinks, thereโs only toasties and a selection of cakes and Kettle crisps to wash down. It is, primarily, a โlight lunchโ stop-off point, rather than attempting to be a restaurant, and despite the call not to replicate the major coffee shop chains, unfortunately we do have a lot of similar establishments already in Devizes.
But hey, it does what it says on the tin, hospitably, and is price-matched with the established competitors in town. While personally Iโd like to see someone trying something different and off the wall, ideas like tapas and Caribbean themed cafes havenโt been so successful in Devizes recently, as the tried and tested formula of tea, coffee and cake, seems to appease locals more. It is with that notion we wish Caffe Vialottie all the best of luck in these trying times, and hope future days will emulate the success of their opening day. Devizes can never have enough coffee it seems!
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
Swindon Palestine Solidarity continues to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for aid to be allowed to enter Gazaโฆ.. Their three recent roadside signโฆ
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, but they are set to do so in March with a performance of Jacques Offenbachโs Opรฉra bouffe, La Belle Hรฉlรจneโฆ..
Okay, this is not exactly true. Barbara Gompels of the White Horse Opera told us many years ago there was a one night show at the Wharf with the operaโs touring show, but this will be the first main opera held at our wonderful theatre here in Devizes, so Iโm not totally fibbing!
La Belle Hรฉlรจne is a comic opera in three acts parodying the story of Helen of Troy’s elopement with Paris, which evoked the Trojan War. The premiere at Parisโs Thรฉรขtre des Variรฉtรฉs in 1864 rekindled Offenbachโs operas with his audience, after six years attempting to emulate his success with the risquรฉ satire of Greek mythology, Orphรฉe aux Enfers.
Having been promised the most beautiful woman in the world by Venus, Paris arrives disguised as a shepherd boy with the aim of cashing in that promise. Helene, currently married to Menelaus, wards off his advances. However, when Paris comes to her while she is sleeping she believes it all to be in her dreams so it must therefore “be all fine.”
Do come and see the fireworks that ensue when Menelaus comes home early and discovers the lovers!
Fully staged and sung in English with an orchestra, tickets are now available, and the show runs from Tuesday 11th until Saturday 15th March.
I want Devizine to be primarily about arts and entertainment, but Iโm often pathetically persuaded by bickering political factions to pass opinion on local politicsโฆ
Photo credit: ยฉ Rondo Theatre Company / Jazz Hazelwood A gender-queered production of William Shakespeareโs classic play, โThe Taming of the Shrewโ, will be performedโฆ
The first full album by Wiltshireโs finest purveyors of psychedelic indie shenanigans, Clock Radio, was knocked out to an unsuspecting world last week. Itโs calledโฆ
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 eclectic line-upโฆ
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
A sunny July in 2018 and Iโm in Hillworth Park for a Fantasy Radio live session, finally witnessing a Devizes based band Iโd been adding the gigs of onto our calendar. With an especial distinctiveness People Like Us complimented Coldplay, nailed as Oasis, and breezed through Crowded House, but it was when they covered Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, and gifted us with their timeless rendition of Mr Blue Sky, sparks flew. It is sad to see them announce today that โPeople Like Usโ is now in past tense. โPeople Liked Usโ, because they sure didโฆ.
More appropriately, โPeople Loved Us,โ twas to have observed a typical night in the Three Crowns in Devizes, where, if ecstatic frenzies of table top dancing amidst a crammed beer garden became something of a clichรฉ (which had to be culled for health and safety regulations,) I do declare the originators who evoked such wild party vibes with such an accomplished and respected homegrown sound, was People Like Us; I might be wrong on this, but if so, well, thereโs a first for everything!
Okay, I mayโve compared the then four-piece visually to Scooby-Dooโs gang, at the time, then worried afterwards they might take offense to it as they didnโt tend to wear bell-bottoms and cravats, but it was the first time Iโd seen a band use a cajon drum, and the effect came across with a decidedly Californian sixties pop panache, though with contemporary cover choices. Yet it will go down in the history of the local music circuit, that People Like Us bucked any deliberations folk may have against cover bands by stamping their unique take on classic pop songs, and thrilled every audience.
Only a couple of years after they formed, they seemed to crop everywhere, from pub gig to fete, and wherever they did they brought the party with them, compulsively. All vocalising harmoniously, People Like Us was made up of prolific keyboardist Nicky Davis, Claire Gilchrist on kick drums, who would depart from the band a year later, Andy โPipโ Phillips on cajรณn and guitarist Dean Ellicock. Since leaving the band Claire embarked on a solo career, performed with six-piece function band LiveWired, and has created local music promotional Facebook page Bird is the Word. The remaining three, Nicky, Dean and Pip carried on People Like Us, clocking up nine years of service to the local music scene.
But in a shock Facebook announcement today, they said โweโve decided itโs time to bring People Like Us to a close. Weโve had an incredible time over the last nine years and want to thank each and every one of you who came to a gig, booked us for an event, danced and sang for us and genuinely reminded us how lucky we were to be able to entertain you. Itโs been a pretty awesome run for a project that was just meant to be a bit of fun here and there!โ
While it certainly has, the group gave the cloud a silver lining, reminding fans Pip is still part of Finley Truslerโs The Unpredictables, and Nicky continues the even longer running band, The Reason, and theyโll no doubt join again for the annual The Female of the Species fundraiser.
If this is buttering up a sad situation, itโs a good and acceptable one, still, we will miss you all as People Like Us, wish you all the best for your existing and future projects, and declare your honourable and thoroughly deserved place in our local music hall of fame, with a big gold framed portrait…..if, erm, I was a portrait artist, which I’m not, and if I attempted it you’d really look like Scooby’s gang then, so maybe it’s best I don’t. I’ll just quote Abba instead, (which is not as rare a thing as you might imagine it to be) and say, “thank you for the music!”
Matthew Murphy, or Ranking Junior, son of the late Roger Charlery, aka Ranking Roger vocalist of eighties Two-Tone ska band, The Beat and new wave collective General Public has settled into the shoes of his father and now fronts a reformation of The Beat, which tours extensively. This includes our blossoming scooter rally in Devizes this coming summerโฆ.
If thereโs two types of scooter rally and scooterist festivals in the UK, the boss events like Skamouth and BSRA nationals, and those locally-based eensy events constituting little more than a beer garden with DJ, showy hairdryers and undercooked hotdogs, Devizes Scooter Clubโs annual rally has sat between the opposing levels, aspiring to better the value of municipal rallies. In its fifth year, Devizes Scooter Rally sets a president above them, striving to create the kind of environment more suitable for those mainstream โbossโ events, yet retains the communal atmosphere of smaller events; thatโs its magnitude; it is a blessing to our town to host it.
It does this by staging an impressive, tried and tested lineup in a hospitable and affordable atmosphere. Itโs the Mardi Gras of the club, and members work tirelessly to welcome guests and design the perfect setting. This is not me flattering them, last year I spoke to several guests at the rally, from all over the UK, who stated, (in their own subtle and slightly dribbling way) the reason they love this event is precisely this balance between the electric atmosphere of a local event yet packing the punch of an established larger oneโฆor words to that effect!
Whilst music at the rally has always been first-class, names might not be so recognisable to those outside the scooterist niche. This is set to change, as Birminghamโs The Beat were one of the key bands in the UK ska revival of the late โ70s and โ80s, and managed to crossover to the mainstream. Youโll all remember Mirror in the Bathroom, Hands off Sheโs Mine, and so many others, my personal favourite, Canโt Get Used to Losing You. Youโll all be up dancing, and making that essential Full Stop, Iโm sure.
Set for the weekend of 25th-27th July, the rally for 2025 also boasts The return of the Butterfly Collective, Small Faces tribute, Small Fakers, Wardour Street, Cardiffโs The Brew, and DJs of the Soul Pressure sound system, but, thing is, youโve only a couple of days to get your early bird wristband. Facebook message the Devizes Scooter Club, or call 078088 49965 now!
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
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
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 is combining the two. Jamsters is landlord Daveโs new initiative to provide a Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jam sessions each Wednesdayโฆ.
The inaugural occurrence of this happened in November, with JP Oldfield, Gordon Thompson and Sammi Evans, this Friday, 10th Jan, sees the turns of Ben Borril, Chrissy โSteenโ Chapman of Burn the Midnight Oil, Adam Spanswick and George (not the pub dog!) and they kick off at 8pm. We understand this is to become a monthly occasion,and are happy to hear of it!
Wednesdays jam sessions have been in operation for some years now at the Gate, and have become something of a regular convention for local musicians to gather and network. Perhaps more so even than open mic nights, these jam sessions not only provide entertainment, practice, and the chance of making friends and connections, but are also an opportunity for our local musicians to experiment and see who works well together. During its time weโve seen collaborations and bands formatted from it, such as Pat Ward and Ben Borrillโs Matchbox Mutiny and Tom Harrisโ No Alarms And No Devizes.
Now, with a monthly instalment of this Friday night extension of the jam sessions, we hope to see more groupings form and flourish from it. Through all the current hardships of the hospitality industry, The Southgate continue to buck the trend through their dedication to making the pub a friendly, affordable, and welcoming place and, supporting, not the recognisable big names rather upcoming local musicians; the like whoโll mingle with the punters and be glad you came. Thatโs itโs community feel and thatโs itโs grand appealโฆ I hope to see you down there soon, mineโs a pint of Rosieโs Pig, cheers!!
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
Trowbridge singer-songwriter and one third of The Lost Trades, Phil Cooper has actually been doing more than playing solitaire, heโs released a new solo albumโฆ
An effervescent musical, full of promising young talent Written by: Melissa Loveday Images by: Gail Foster After the success of SIX last year, Devizes Musicโฆ
All other image usage here was credited on the original articles, to locate sources again would take a long time, so please accept my apologises. If you see an image you own and wish to be credited for it, please ask. Thank you.
Okay so, three days into 2025 and my chicken kiev parped at me. Is this an augury?! A prediction of how this year is going to play out?! Even my dinners will be farting in my general direction? Que sera sera, weโre not looking forwards, weโre looking backwards, at how 2024 passed here at Devizine Towersโฆ..
Start with stats, โcos after 2023โs doubling on hits from 2022, we failed to make a similar hike, achieving about 9% less hits than 2023. Iโm not going to lose sleep over it, it was a great year, but figure thereโs a few reasons for this drop. Firstly, despite a shock general election, Iโve tried to avoid controversy and local political satirical slants as much as possible. Unfortunately itโs often me playing the grumpy old toad which gains attention, but I really wanted to focus more on arts and entertainment news, as thatโs our ethos, the spoof and opinion articles are just me, abusing the platform to magisterially backseat drive.
Result, though; we rid ourselves of Tory tyrants, in parliament at least, thereโs still work to be done to obliterate the impact and ingrained cluelessness of elitist robbery of the working class and have a fairer system for all. Whatโs my opinion of Starmer so far? Not impressive, thatโs for sure, but by comparison with the circus of thieves which was the last government I think weโre in a better place overall. Iโm certainly not going to jump the bandwagon in disparaging him, knowing the alternative is this growing trend for fascism. Though itโs not the shouty sort of fascism of the Third Reich, itโs more ignorance is bliss, pie n chips, pint in hand C3PO gammon nescience. But, enough said about that!
Other reasons for the slight drop in hits could be due to the rising cost, my own fatigue and motivation to head out; I do worry what will become of Devizine with my aging and possible inability to get to gigs and events. A massive thank you must go to our contributors, then. Though submissions can be sporadic, we always need budding writers, especially younger ones to keep what weโve built here, and report on happenings, because left up to local press weโd be doomed; they seem to favour national clickbait headlines over supporting local arts and entertainment, but likely they deem it is their only way to keep their heads above financial waters. I can’t blame them, but I can have a sly quip or two about it!
It is the accolades we receive from those talented locals which we promote and highlight which keeps me going with Devizine, and I thank them for motivating me. That is therefore where the concentration should be now, not on politics.
Another is top secret, but if youโve been contemplating that Devizine simply isnโt funny anymore, Iโll reveal my best jokes are being saved for a book Iโm near to finishing. I think youโll like it, itโs absolute filth! And lastly, currently Iโm so utterly fed up with social media. Itโs all so bloody serious, nothing is taken with a pinch of salt, nothing is carefree or amusing. And if I do publish something on there for fun, the jokes fly over someoneโs head, they take it the wrong way, get offended and execute a witch hunt against me. Itโs all so petty and obnoxious, akin to road rage, rather than the creative outlet of its potential, and likely, original intention.
If itโs not bombarding me with targeted adverts as a constant reminder Iโm getting old, like care homes and life insurance, it’s flooded with utter crap, often using AI to illustrate misinformation and promote the rightwing bias of the owners, attempting to sway the masses; and it works too, thatโs why they do it.
As a result Iโve massively reduced my screen time for such wet fart dribbles. Iโll share our articles on our social media platforms, but rarely feel inclined to interact with the gusto I once did. It is a shame, and it means you need to bookmark our wonderful website and check into it generically rather than wait for your social media platform to prompt you. Otherwise, fuck it, Iโm doing this for bugger all reason, nearly as less than a few pennies it might yet generate. A fundraiser event may be a necessity now, at least an excuse for a much-needed party to lift my spirits! It is January though, a depressing little bugger, our annual review usually turns into whinge!
January
January Iโm usually in hibernation, many are, so previews of events to come are more common as I hide in my hubby hole. Last year we ran ones on The Magic Teapot Gathering, the first line up announcements for My Dadโs Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, NโFaly Kouyatรฉ of the Afro-Celt Sound System coming to Wiltshire Music Centre, and of course, the Bradford Roots Festival of which dragged me out of my cosy pit for! Two previews for new initiatives in Devizes worthy of previewing in January too were Palooza, a house night to happen in March, and Devizes Youth Action Groupโs U18 gigs, both at The Exchange.
We announced a Lego Club starting at Devizes Library, and looked at courses in the art of chocolate at HollyChocs. I reviewed The Importance of Being Earnest at the Wharf Theatre. Andy ventured out to Long Street Blues Club, but for me, it seems the year begins with The Bradford Roots Festival, blooming lovely that occasion is, then I go back into winter hiding again!
Bookworm time, and Jan saw a review of Sorrel Pittsโ novel Broken Shadows; undoubtedly the best read weโve ever reported on. And of course, recorded music reviews came thick and fast during those winter months. Albums from Billy Green 3, Richard Wileman and Daisy Chapman. Singles from Sienna Wileman, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and Ushti Baba.
In the news, politics was brewing for a general election, we talked to the Melksham-Devizes Primary on where best to place our vote. We also reported on the sewage in the Kennet, and the MP who voted to strip legal duty on water companies to reduce harm caused by storm overflows. Yet regardless of all of this, the highest hitting article of the month by far was about a lost dildo found by dog walkers in Quakers Walk; you canโt make up a golden scoop like that!!
February
Still wintery, we looked into SoupChickโs new art gallery in Shambles, Valentina, celebrated thirty years of the Devizes Writers Group, the Kidical Mass bike ride calling for safer streets in Devizes, the Worton & Marston Brownies needing volunteers, and the Swindon Palestine Solidarity charity dinner. But my personal favourite was Darren and The Chocolate Factory, when I joined a family workshop at HollyChocs!
Other memorable events of Feb cannot be topped after Gaz Brookfieldโs Village Hall Tour arrived in West Lavington. Though I also recall with fondness the Errol Linton Band at Long Street Blues Club, The Worried Men at the Pump, and Deadlight Dance at The Southgate. Ian gave us a review of Vince Bell at the Southgate, and Carrie at The Rondo Theatre. And we welcomed a new writer, Florence Lee who reported on Devizes Youth Action Groupโs First Club Night.
Music in review came from Cracked Machine, The Lost Trades, The Jon Amor Trio, Jol Rose, and Talk in Code. We previewed The Beat at The Cheese and Grain, the Jesus Jones tour, Devizes Pride, Gaz Brookfield, Mantonfest 2024, The Scribes at The Pump, and that The Marley Experience was coming to Devizes.
March
Politically we had a clue to the change in the tide, with a historic Lib Dem win in Marlborough Town Council, shame the trend didnโt carry onto the GE there. We reported on a Palestinian Children Memorial in Swindon, and a Palestine protest at Labour Party fundraiser. We had a recap on the good work Devizes Clean Up Squad do, and opinionated on Wiltshire Councilโs threats of prosecution against Wiltshire Music Eventsโ posters in Devizes.
I think the hero of the month goes to our bravest 7-year-old, Chloe, who slept out for Devizes OpenDoors. Though Chloeโs feat might yet have been slightly upstaged by our Brian, who discovered Led Zeppelinโs mystery thatcher, became a national hero to prog rock fans, and was the subject of a Wiltshire Museum exhibit.
We previewed FearFreeโs fashion show at the Condado Lounge, Devizes Musical Theatreโs Sister Act at Dauntseys, our Shelly on the wheels of steel at the Muck & Dunder, and Devizes Arts Festival. Andy went to Cinelli Brothers at Long Street Blues Club, Ian gave a review of โRENTโ at The Rondo Theatre. I had two unforgettable nights out, when Ian Siegal joined the Jon Amor Trio at the Southgate, and the first Palooza got me dancing my socks off for my birthday at The Exchange.
An album from Deadlight Dance and singles from M3G, Atari Pilot, and Life in Mono got covered, and we rediscovered our Chrissy from as yet unformed band Burn The Midnight Oil, providing vocals for drum n bass tracks. Oh yeah, I had a rant at those ranting about the Glastonbury line-up too!
April
April fools, of course, when we headlined โDevizes Road Resurfacing Plan Abolished Due to Dinosaur Fossil in Pothole!โ The rest, though, was sadly true. Wiltshire Police Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson lied through his teeth, Amnesty in Salisbury responded to the Rwanda Bill, and Michelle Donelanโs fake magazine campaign leaflet was promoted by drink driving fox hunter Jonathan Seed. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Council continued to gloat about prosecuting fly posters, attacking Adrenaline Stompers in Westbury this time, whilst The Marley Experience concert in Devizes was attacked by some nasty Facebook posts, falsely claiming it was cancelled.
But away from nastiness, Chloe raised ยฃ600 for Devizes OpenDoors and we previewed Devizes Lionsโ sponsored walk for the homeless charity too. The Peppermill started an open mic. We also previewed Simply The Best; Tina Turner Tribute at the Corn Exchange, The Female of the Species fundraising this time for Rainbow Early Years in Trowbridge, two teenage punks bands appearing at the Pump, Steatopygous & SHOX, a Bradford Roots session special with Bill in the Lowground, Daisy Chapman & Thieves, the Patsy Gamble Jazz Trio in Bromham, White Horse Operaโs Pucciniโs โLa Bohemeโ at Lavington School,
Six:Teen Edition, Devizes Music Academyโs first show, Paloozaโs second night at The Exchange, and Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival, which I attended and loved!
Reviews also from James and the Cold Gun, Lucky Number Seven, Nobodyโs Dad, The Real Cheesemakers at The Pump. Jinder and Mark Harrison at the Queens Head in Box. Barrelhouse at The Southgate. Roughcut Rebels and The Clones at the Three Crowns. Shox & Steatopygous supporting Menthol Lungs at The Pump. The Lost Trades at The Piggy Bank. Six:Teen Edition. โSkylightโ at the Rondo Theatre. โThe Thrill of Loveโ and โAnd Then There Were Noneโ at the Wharf Theatre, and The Marley Experience came to Devizes and everyone loved it regardless of the grandstanding whingers!
May
A month of ups and downs, we previewed Professor Elemental, Madam Misfit and the Real Cheesemakers at The Barge on Honeystreet, Frome Festival, White Horse Operaโs Mathieson Trust fundraiser with Anup Biswas and The Brand New Heavies at the Cheese and Grain. We reviewed music from LilyPetals, Courting Ghosts, Nothing Rhymes With Orange and Poppy Rose.
We talked about Affordable school costs for all, Swindon families uniting in memory of innocent children killed in conflict, and while Vicar Gerry Lynch faced a soaking at Pottenre fete, St James Devizes Vicar Keith Brindle was honoured as a Canon of Salisbury Cathedral! But sad news was to hear Devizes International Street Festival was cancelled, and funding was needed to keep Confetti Battle going ahead. And Tonka Bean was closing too.
Events picked up though, Ben hailed the Beaux Gris Gris gig the best Devizes has ever seen. Meanwhile I was with Illingworth and catching up with George Wilding at the Crown in Bishops Cannings. Andy attended Peter Knightโs Gigspanner at Pound Arts Centre. Ian covered โThe Incident Roomโ at the Rondo Theatre, โSister Actโ at St. Augustineโs, and โThe Thrill of Loveโ at The Wharf Theatre. There was a homecoming gig for Nothing Rhymes With Orange at the Three Crowns, and another one of those nights when I went on a round robin tour of live music in Devizes, at Long Street, The Southgate and Three Crowns. The only time for a spoof article that month was for one headlined โLabour Party Could Change Star Wars Day to โSci-Fiโ Day so to Not Offend Trekkies!โ
June
June is about going out! Ben gave us reviews of Jim Blair and the Mojo Makers at The Beehive, Swindon, and Robert Vincent & Ryan Davis PAs at Marlboroughโs Sound Knowledge. I caught I See Orange at The Pump with Devizes-own Steatopygous.
Ian checked out โThe Collaboratorsโ at the Rondo Theatre, and โWhereโs The Cat? Live!โ at the Wharf Theatre, and then there was Devizes Arts Festival which we all covered as extensively as possible.
A Junco Shakers at The British Lion, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Sound Of Blue Note, Duo Tutti, Martin Simpson, Belinda Kirk, Lucy Porter, Ida Pelliccioli, Adam Rutherford, Edward Cross Quintet, Dr. Phil Hammond, Jolly Roger and The Cable Street Collective all reviewed, mainly by Andy, but a few by myself and Ian too, even had one from the Wharfโs own John Winterton. What a great year for Devizes Arts Festival, my personal favourite? Easy, that was Lady Nade.
All this and I still found time to preview Devizes Scooter Rally, the return of Devizes Youth Action Group gig nights, and FullTone Festivalโs youth-supporting extra day. Review music from Talk in Code and Rosie Jay. But if anything kept me busiest, it was interviewing candidates for our MP post, Green Party candidate for Melksham-Devizes Catherine Read, Labour candidate Kerry Postlewhite and Lib Dem candidate Brian Matthew. It was an honour to meet them all, and I enjoyed chatting to them in New Society. Any one of them had the potential to do a more honest job, but there was something about Brian which made me think, hey, thatโs the guy for the job; the best thing about it, a majority agreed with me; crazy times!!
July
And so, it came to be. After fourteen tiresome years of Conservative lies and robbery, continuously leaning further into far right extremism, openly promoting hate and dividing the nation, they got thrown out of there, but didnโt take it on the chin! โMichelle Gonelan Makes History,โ was one article we published to make fun of the knicker-twisted attitude of those poor losers. Furious Tory supporters took to local Facebook groups, and we made fun of that too, with a headline deliberately in caps-lock, โWOK SNOWFLICKS GIT THERE KICKS ON DEVIZS ISSUES (BIT BETTER) THIS ELEKTION!โ And then, even our county council leader wept like a baby over the new government scrapping the Stonehenge Tunnel! Oh, such fun!!
We continued to focus on DOCAโs fundraising efforts, and took a recap visit to Devizes OpenDoors too. But July is festival season, and we were too knee-deep in sunny vibes to worry about the disgruntled minority upset with the election result.
Firstly, it was a shame Devizes Scooter Rally and the Full-Tone Festival had to be one same weekend, such that I attempted to do both but spent most of my time cruising from one to the other, great though they both were. And it was a time when our recommendations came to pass, as Meg was booked for a rather smashing MantonFest, and The Sarah C Ryan band played DOCAโs Picnic in the Park, in which I played compere, in a giraffe onesie! Happy days.
Ian went to My Dadโs Bigger Than Your Dad Festival, in Old Town Gardens, Swindon, and I popped over to check out Minety, and crowned it the best local festival Iโve been to. Other great nights out included Talk in Code & Laissez Faire at The Southgate, Ian reporting on The Rob Lear Band at The Piggy Bank, Calne, โFaithโ at the Rondo Theatre, and โMacbethโ at Cleeve House, Seend.
We also previewed the next season at the Wharf Theatre and announced there were only a few remaining tickets for Trowbridge Festival. Events, events, events, thatโs what summer is for, not worrying about politics, it all ends with the same poor results. I believe it doesnโt matter who is at number ten, and while itโs probably better to have the last lot gone, we will never recover this financial pothole until we ALL face up to the fact the cost of Brexit has ruined us, and until we accept it and freely discuss without prejudice and arguing, what we can best do to recover from it, instead of blaming the current government for problems rooted in politics long before they won, we will see those comforts the UK have become accustomed to drop from us one by one. The closure of venues, pubs, shops, event organisers, the hardship of creatives, the general disillusionment that a new government can fix it overnight, all paints a very gloomy picture. Therefore, as I said at the beginning, Iโm done with politics, and feel Devizine should focus on supporting the arts and entertainment as much as possible.
And thatโs the end of the first half of this 2024 review, weโll see a lack of political matters during the last six months of the year, and a new ethos of positivity in the face of such gloomโฆ..I hope!!
Once upon a time it seemed to me, that folk would grin and bear the winter weather for the sake of a Christmas lights switching on type of event, then batten down the hatches and hibernate like hedgehogs until spring. Nowadays you need not wait till summer for music festivals; winterfests are a thingโฆ..
For those who cannot wait for the blossoming, and need a big fix of music and arts right now, here’s some local winter festivals to unravel their scarves and remove their bobble hats:
Bradford Roots Festival
Firstly, a well established winter occasion, Bradford Roots Festival at the wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon. This is happening as a Saturday only event this year, on the 18th January. Our Andy reported on this one some years ago, and I snatched coverage of it off him, realising the โRootsโ in its title refers more to hosting local acts of a variety of genres, not just a folk festival as it might be wrongly conceived as. It has become something of an unmissable winter local music convention, especially feeling like this being housed under the one roof of this purpose-built venue.
Wiltshire Music Centre are leaking names for the lineup individually on their Facebook page, the incredible Becky Lawrence being the first reveal. You can rest assured, though, based on past experience, this will be a whoโs-who of local acts, over five stages. WIth an open mic stage, late-night transatlantic folk sessions, a family-friendly daytime with Wassail and childrenโs arts and crafts, food & drink, a mini makerโs market, and more, this is a delightfully warming occasion. You can choose from an All Day ticket (11am โ 10.00pm) or an Evening Session ticket (7pm โ 10.00pm) ยฃ25 / ยฃ13.50 All Day, ยฃ12 / ยฃ7 Evening. U12 free with an adult.ย
Devizes International Blues Festival
Same date, different town, if Devizes has a penchant for the blues, luckily supports the Long Street Blues Club which hosts international blues artists, and the current Mayor Ian Hopkins is the organiser of the club, you can trust when it comes to the compulsory organisation ofย Mayorโs Appeal events itโs going to be a blast.ย ย ย ย
Saturday 18th January sees the first Devizes Blues Festival inside the Corn Exchange. It promises โto create an intimate blues club in the Ceres Hall around tables and seating is just limited to 250 guests.โ One of the greatest contemporary blues guitarists hailing from the south side of Chicago, Toronto Cannon, Nora Jean Wallace, a Chicago blues singer with deep Delta roots, John Primer, one of the kings of Chicago blues and original guitarist in Muddy Watersโ band, singer Oscar Wilson and harmonica genius Giles Robson, you can guarantee have been cherry-picked by the expertise of Long Street. Tickets on sale now. ยฃ50.00 in advance.
DOCA Festival of Winter Ales
If the Blues Festival is new to Devizes, of course the town has had a winter festival for a number of years, and surprise, surprise, itโs all about booze! The DOCA fundraising WInter of Festive Ales is on Saturday 15th February, early bird tickets are up for grabs and itโs vital to the future of DOCA to support this, if you can. There will be a massive selection of beers and ciders to try with some quality music and cabaret to entertain you, we just donโt know what they are yet!
Figgle Winter Festival
While I confess, thereโs still a lot of updating to our event calendar to be done to bring 2025 to full fruition, and no doubt details of more winter festivals will come to light. Events like Figgle Winter Fest on the 1st Feb at Figheldean Village Hall, with a great and varied lineup of All Floyd, Strange Folk, Break Cover, The P45s, Lump, The Zucchinis, and one of our favourite upcoming stars, Rosie Jay.
Swinterfest
But itโs over to Swindon where we really need to concentrate, for the Swindon Shuffle is saving one big Christmas cracker for the end of January! The Shuffle offers us a scaled down in quantity but not quality version of their annual fundraiser for Prospect Hospice, on the weekend starting Thursday 30th January. Swinterfest is now a thing, and it looks set to warm live music in Swindon. The Shuffle really is a blessing late summer, when you can wander Old Town and beyond and discover so much live music itโs impossible to take it all inโฆ and itโs free too, save for collection buckets for the hospice. It is therefore a safe bet Swinterfest will be off the scale awesome too!
Swinterfest is scaled down to one pub per day, saves wandering the nippy night air. Thursday at the Tuppenny with Courting Ghosts, Canutes Plastic Army, Will Lawton and George Wilding starts it off in style; we love all this with cherries on. Friday, the 31st Jan and itโs all down The Vic for a punkier gig with All Ears Avow, Modern Evils, Not Warriors, Adder and our personal pick of this bunch, I See Orange.
Saturday night at Swinterfest is down the Castle, with our picks Meg and Nothing Rhymes WIth Orange, and also new ones on us, Stay Lunar, Wild Isles, Oojah, The Vivas and more are promised too. Sunday is the Beehiveโs turn to play host, with our recommendations being Subject A, SN Dubstation, Concrete Prairie, and Fly Yeti Fly, and newcomers to us, Joe Kelly, Carnival Saloon and Sebastian and Me. Swinterfest may be a new venture, but, well, look at the fantastic lineup, the choicest one of all; it beats a brown snowball in the chops, in my humble opinion!ย
As I said, Iโm sure more winter festivals will come to our attention as time moves on, so keep an eye on our event calendar, but for now I think thatโs plenty to warm your cockles, and massively reduce those post Christmas winter blues.
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 wonder why?โฆ
Big congratulations to Devizes DJ Greg Spencer this week, the creator of Palooza house nights at The Exchange nightclub, for he made the prestigious billโฆ
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
With the big C ticked off, thereโs one big push for the final night of 2024. Time to throw off all your aggravations, like who keeps putting the empty wrappers back into the Quality Street container. The busiest Tuesday of the year is coming up fast, and we have thirty-five options in Wiltshire of where to celebrate it, and countingโฆโฆ
Devizes
Starting off at our base, Devizes with a jam potato at the Southgate, where Jamie Hawkins, Tom Harris and Pat Ward are taking them into the New Year. Soundhog Karaoke takes over The Three Crowns. Thereโs a Back to Skool New Yearโs Eve Party at the Pelican. All of these are free. DJs The Original PJ & Mister M have a party at The Bear Ballroom, ticketed. Also on the door, The Exchange has a fancy dress party with DJ Maggs. The Conservative Club has DJ Andy Saunders and live music from The Saga Louts, ticketed.
Around and about Devizes, find a party at Seend Community Hall. The Reason plays The Green Dragon in Market Lavington.
Pewsey
Pewsey area, thereโs a New Years Eve Party at Woodborough Social Club. Woodbridge Inn has the Muddy Drifters, plus guests and a free buffet. And Rich the Ditch is on decks at The Barge on HoneyStreet. Find No Middle Ground at the Royal British Legion Hall in Burbage.
Marlborough
An acoustic NYE at The Bear in Marlborough with Bodge It And Scarper, free. At St Peterโs, thereโs a Great Gatsby New Yearโs Eve Party, ticketed.
Calne
Six OโClock Circus plays the Talbot in Calne. Plan of Action at The Jenny Wren. DJ Caztro at The Wheatsheaf, all free.
Melksham
Free at Melksham Cons Club, The Blue Moon Band. Raindrops at Spencerโs Club, tickets from the club. New Yearโs Eve Party at the Forresters. Band of Others at The White Hart, Atworth.
Chippenham
Burbank at Old Lane, Chippenham. Opera Sulis presents Opera Pops and Broadway Beats with DJ Bobbi for a New Yearโs Eve Extravaganza at Wine Monkey.
Trowbridge
Be Like Will are at The Gloucester Road Cons Club in Trowbridge. Thereโs a NYE party at the Civic Hall. And a Boaty Extravaganza at The Twelve Bells, see poster below..
Hungerford
Static Moves play the Hungerford Town Football Club.
Swindon
In Swindon, if youโre a metaller be at the Vic, where Nu-Call have A Nu-Metal New Years. And ravers head to Levels.
Salisbury
George Wilding is with Jolyon Dixon & Rachel Sinnetta at The New Inn, Amesbury.
In Salisbury, Total Recall is at the Coach and Horses. Lucas Hardy & Paul Furtado at The George & Dragon. Ribble at the New Inn. Tom & The Clementynes at Qudos. Linz Sutton at the Anchor & Hope. Karaoke with Evie at the Greyfisher. The Treblemakers at Laverstock & Ford Sports Club. The Deloreons at Salisbury Arts Centre.
Frome
New Years Eve Party at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, with The Hammervilles.
And thatโs a wrap. I think thereโs plenty to choose from there, but Iโm sure there will be more, so keep your best eye on our ever updating event calendarโฆ.and have a Happy New Year! There’s all the info and ticket links you need on the calendar.
Didn’t find your event here? Did you tell me about it?! Ah, there you are then, new year’s resolution, tell Devizine and get your gig listed FREE!
Hey look, I’m done playing nice. Been good all year, but if Santa’s list starts afresh from now, I’m on for a bag of coal next yule; all in the name of honest opinion. I’ve been venturing elsewhere for entertainment, else hibernating like a little hedgehog, Saturday night before the big C, working hard, and all I ask is for a good night in Devizes, wet me whistle, and for that we have The Southgate, accept no substituteโฆ..
Caught an early bus into D-town, it’s been a while. I thought hey, check out this Pour House I’ve been hearing about; much ado about nothing, what a premature wank into a sock that place is. Boasts the widest selection of drinks in town, and toffs gather there in a corridor to waffle shite, but I fact checked the bar, only one brand of cider. Best part of seven quid into Jeremy Clarkson’s grubby billionaire fake-farmer mitts, which wouldn’t be so bad if the owner had a grasp of basic manners.
In two words, legal tender. Young lad served my pint onto the bar and in turn I attempted to hand him a tenner. Grasping the glass as tight as he could, the owner intercepted and snarled โit’s card only!โ With his other hand he thrusted his machine under my nose. Glaring at me like I’d murdered his family, he held his hand around the drink until the card machine accepted my payment and only then did he release it, without another word. Maybe someone inked the word โpeasantโ on my forehead, regardless, it wasn’t particularly welcoming; I ended up sitting outside, feeling I’d be exiled by class, drinking quickly and listening to the sound of the town hall’s tarpaulin wafting in the December wind.
Compare and contrast to my final destination, The Southgate, a benchmark of how to run a pub and stalwart of creating a welcoming atmosphere. I’m fondly greeted by bar staff, landlord Dave, and even George the dog acknowledged my presence in his own subtle way! Then my hard-earned cash is accepted and I’m served scrumpy at just over half the price than that of The โPoorโ House, with a smile. By past experience I expected nothing less. Despite my recent absence, I feel at home, reunited; everyone is made to feel at home here.
For seven years the Southgate has held the title of the best pub in Devizes in my personal opinion, and still nothing seems to be available to challenge this. And for those seven years, Devizine has been reporting their dedication to local music fondly, with the wobbliest out of focus images any blog has ever provided the world over! What? I’m too busy having a ball; they looked alright at the time!!
Hats must also be tipped, though, to the longstanding king of pubs in town, The British Lion, the diverse offering of the Muck & Dunder, and to that of Simon and his hardworking staff at the Three Crowns, for providing the perfect lively option for the millennials. The Southgate and all these fine establishments go above and beyond to create an environment far beyond the replication of a front room, challenging the newfangled fallacy you’d be better off buying drinks from the supermarket and staying at home. If economically you might, socially you wouldn’t, and that’s the cornerstone of public houses; if a landlord abuses this, their pub will unfortunately not survive these days. For example, I went into a pub once, and they were watching Eastenders on the big screen. That particular boozer is no more. I rest my case.
If my criticism of this poor house feels a smidgen unfair, you should note I reserve my right to express an opinion, which this is. A better angle would be to point out its popularity and welcome any drinking establishment to town. In part I do, yet it is with concern that to normalise a bar which is unwelcoming or cherrypicks clientรจle is damaging the reputation of the entire industry.
It sure is a busy week at the Southgate, but they retain their smiles. Wednesday saw likely the biggest turnout to the regular acoustic jam, virtually a whos-who of local musicians amassed. Thursday saw the monthly residency of the Jon Amor Trio shifted from its usual Sunday slot, whereas this Sunday sees groundbreaking local band Burn the Midnight Oil holding a charity fundraiser. This Saturday though, it’s โvintage blues with a hard edged groove,โ from the simpatico Barrelhouse. If their style sounds niche, it’s apt to Devizesโ penchant for blues, and besides, they deliver it in such a manner it’s got universal appeal. An appeal which has made them favourites on the Marlborough circuit, their home turf, which has over the past couple of years spread to Devizes too.
Barrelhouse is also apt here, because a barrelhouse is another name for a juke joint, an Afro-American blues shack, and while the Southgate’s musical programme is diverse, it is more often than not, hosting blues or blues related rock, as this is favourite with the regulars. As the drinks flow, Barrelhouse evokes an epidemic of dancing, and the whole Southgate can be best compared to a juke joint. There’s good vibes all round, an amazingly communal and hospitable atmosphere; precisely what I came out looking for.
In the seven years I’ve attended the Southgate as regularly as possible, I have never, ever, heard one cross word, or seen a scuffle. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves, and that’s made easy with good management. If the music appeases the elder regulars, like rock or folk or blues, or if they’re introducing alternatives which attract more sporadic punters, the positive ambience of the Gate encapsulates them all, and they act in accordance. Be those times like when Monkey Bizzle brought us agricultural hip hop, or Devizes hometown teenage sensation Nothing Rhymes With Orange reduced the age demographic here, and any other of the plentiful examples I could give, the result is always the same, that being, it’s a hassle-free great night.
It’s the most dependable tavern I’ve ever warmed to, live music every Saturday, most Sundays, occasionally Fridays, then there’s acoustic jam Wednesdays, quizzes, and other weekday events. A hat for tips might occasionally be passed around, but no one has ever been asked to pay for a ticket. The Southgate has a carefree ethos, everyone is welcome, treated equally, and nothing is ever a problem; all this earns respect. Reasons that, despite the squeeze, musicians are queuing to play in this now legendary alcove. Dave showed me the list. They’re booked up till June, with various names listed aside acts which Dave would like to see returning but is struggling to fit them in.
Even with a fantastic Christmas party at Long Street Blues Club, Adam Woodhouse at the Three Crowns, and a busy schedule this weekend at the Gate, the crowds sign in to this eccentric, electric and humble watering hole, to drink, dance and be merry. The band members of Barrelhouse tell me how they love playing here, but it’s a compliment to the Southgate I’ve heard many times before by near-on every talented performer who’s graced us with their presence.
Long live the Southgate, and all who sail in her! In Devizes, accept no substituteโฆ..
So yeah, not only has Cracked Machine and Clock Radio drummer Gary Martin added a letter A to his name to make it sound more extraterrestrial, heโs also fired a sonic blast back to planet Earth in the form of a whopper of a solo rock album! In Retrospect does what it says on the tin, taking inspiration from his most treasured rock bands of yore, and does it loud and proudlyโฆ..
Starter for ten, now Gary Martian, proves heโs a supernova of a multi-instrumentalist, taking the helm of every aspect from guitar to drum and the recording, mastering and distribution of this heavily-laced monster. If Cracked Machine are known for returning us to those heady days of space-rock, the intro to the opening track Lifeboats feels this is going the same direction, but in seconds weโre awash with slamming guitar and drum combos letting rip of a riff more akin to grunge. Whoa, it didnโt even wait for me to attach keychains to my flared cargo trozzers.
Yet while thereโs rising and falling influences from nineties grunge like Nirvana and Therapy? I also taste nods not only to pioneers of the Seattle sound like Alice in Chains, but a broader spectrum of alt-rock too, and even rooted at the few tender moments, with electric blues and the soundscapes of Floyd, such as the closing of a few tracks, one called Bang in particular. Thing is, this value for your dollar, twelve dynamite tracks perpetually exploding at an average full four minutes each, and an epilogue song, Red Handed running into the twenty-minute margin, sublimely. Time enough then to input a carrossel of nods to every influence which has inspired Gary over time.
And there are Syd Barrett moments of whimsical psychedelia, something about Your Coffee Table, thereโs metal grinding like Pearl Jam, breezy moments of The Smashing Pumpkins, such as Summer in the Autumn, and brief commercially viable moments like Jane’s Addiction. โItโs a big-olโ rock album,โ Gary told me, โinspired by the bands I love.โ
Iโm not in my comfort zone connoting such heavy rock and nailing its influences, I confess. I just say what I like, and like recent outfits coming out of Swindon, I See Orange and Liddington Hill, this is the kind of thing which causes me to regret my ignorance to harder rock subgenres, particularly during the ravey nineties. I guess it was all that slushy โsoft metalโ previously, for it was an impermanent trend which put me off track; still time for me to catch up, isnโt there?!
This album erodes the Muppetโs Animal stereotype of drummers just being drummers and bit bonkers, as Gary excels in mastering not only all the instruments required to stage an entire rock band, but also in the composition of them. In Retrospect was released across all streaming platforms and is downloadable from Bandcamp, at the beginning of the month, apologies for the delay, but this will rock your cosy Christmas foozies off!
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
Renowned Devizes auctioneers and valuers, Henry Aldridge and Son announced today they are relocating their auction rooms to The Old Emporium, a Grade II listedโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ann Ellison. What can possibly be better than watching a performance of โBlood Brothersโ by Willy Russell? Watching TWO performances ofโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Josie Mae Ross and Richard Fletcher John Hodge is well known for his screenwriting of โShallow Graveโ, โThe Beachโ, โA Lifeโฆ
Far from burning the midnight oil, itโs a weekday afternoon and Iโm with a cuppa, at a rehearsal for a blossoming Devizes-based trio, Burn the Midnight Oil. If youโve ever thought nothing great comes from open mics, this might be the thing to change your mindโฆ.
Itโs early days, forming in September, theyโve created a corporate identity, recorded a three-track demo theyโre planning to launch, are busy writing more songs, and sound as if theyโve been on the local circuit forever. I wanted to catch up with Burn the Midnight Oil to find out how theyโve come so far so quickly, dig a little deeper into their backgrounds and generally poke my nose into their business.
First clue, theyโve varying areas and degrees of experience in music, but have found common ground through their medical issues. Front girl Chrissy, aka Steen, spoke of her PMDD, GAD and ADHD, and coming to faith during Covid at Devizesโ St James. โThere was a day I was like, really, really sobbing my heart out, and praying,โ she expressed, claiming she heard the โbiggest, boomiest voice ever say โsing,โ and two weeks later I was having videocall with a huge hip hop artist who was part of Foreign Beggars, which were massive during the 90s and early noughties.โ Landing a deal working for a record label Chrissy liaised with drum and bass producers, who asked her to โjump in on the tracks,โ and she supplied vocals on tunes from artists like Beskar.
โIt feels a bit serendipitous,โ she said, โbecause I had no experience working as a social media manager, I had no business connecting with somebody who’s quite prestigious and I had no right to just jump on some tracks and with my first EP release going straight onto one of the biggest drum & bass labels in the UK.โ To which she compared the unforeseen development to meeting the band members, Andy โBig Birdโ Jacobs and bassist Chris Lane.
Chrissy explained Chris has Marfan syndrome, โI’ve known Chris for a while, but he’s very introverted,โ she elucidated, progressing onto finding a mutual neurodivergent connection and being a support system for each other. Chrissy formed a duo with a bassist called One Trick Pony, performed at a few open mics and organised charity fundraisers at the Southgate over the past two Christmases. When the bassist was unavailable due to other band commitments Chris stepped in, and they spawned the idea to reform the duo under a new name. Though not present at the beginning of our chat, Chris did turn up toward the end, either shy or forgetful as to just how many bands he’s currently engaged in!
Present and vocal throughout, lead guitarist Andy, told of a car accident which affected his nerves, and most of the dexterity in his fingers. Prior to this, Andy spoke of being a โvery successful professional guitarist in London,โ a session and theatrical guitar player, citing Shirley Bassey as an artist he had worked with.
โI could still play a bit,โ he explained, โbut my career was over, which was a bit of a downer.โ Playing his part in an amateur blues band, Andy went into social care management, โbut Covid triggered an illness in me called Barry Syndrome,โ he told me, โWhich completely paralysed me from my neck down overnight. I was in hospital for six months. My wife was told I probably wouldnโt last the night. On the two occasions I didn’t see her for six months because there was no access, I was told I’d never walk again.โ
Andy put his recovery down to the bicycle in the gym, and though he didnโt imagine he would play guitar again, he expressed, โit was all a bit tragic and horrible, but slowly I got a little bit back and I started picking the guitar up again. After about six months, I came out of hospital. I just started playing again, just acoustic, and I that’s when I went up to The Crown [open mic at The Crown, Bishops Cannings] and I played a couple of pieces there.โ Within those pieces, he asked Chrissy to sing them.
They trialled a drummer, โbut he wasn’t the right fit and he knew he wasn’t,โ Chrissy said. โSo he very graciously said I’m going to walk away from this because I’m not the right drummer for you, which is a really nice thing to say. But I think we’re percussive enough with how we play.โ Considering their medical tribulations they joked about getting the legendary one-armed drummer from Def Leppard. โYou know, like one arm, one leg, not as long as they’re opposite sides of one another, one each side, that would be silly!โ
Now, if music is therapeutic, I wanted to gage if that was their reasoning for the band, but burning the midnight oil isnโt best medically advised over a strong cup of coco and an early night! Chrissy explained the band name derived from her staying awake all night drafting the songwriting, rather than the notion they were rock, rolling, and burning the candle at both ends.
Chrissy passionately talked of being a survivor of domestic abuse. โIf you’re a woman with ADHD, you’re more likely to attract people with narcissistic tendencies,โ she explained, justifying her โhorrible cycleโ sheโs trying to break, โof quite abusive relationships,โ and how this is reflected in her songwriting. โThere’s a lot of resilience and hope that comes from the songs. I’m on a journey of healing. I think we’re all on a journey of healing, and Iโve always used the music as a form of therapy. If I can get my experiences onto paper, it’s like I’m not affected by it.โ
Andy agreed, spoke of his consistent neurological pain, โbut when I’m playing it just goes. I don’t think about it. I’m just so intense in the music. I mean, it’s just my passion.โ He began reminiscing of his instant attraction to guitar when, on his first day at secondary school, the music teacher putting a guitar in his hand, and that was his calling. โI wanted to be a professional guitar player, and nothing would stop me.โ
If this is all beginning to feel like Iโm in a support group here, the proof is the pudding, and the three tracks theyโve put down so far suggests otherwise. With harmonica and wavering strings opening, Lock Up has a rootsy blues feel, Chrissyโs vocals poignantlyย express the theme of the arrival of mysterious and dubious fellow, expertly, and the whole vibe is nonchalant and smooth.
Scapegoat ushers in a more upbeat bluegrass air, with a deadpan subject, and Werewolf posing similar tenet, yet tips back into blues, and probably contains the most beguiling hook. Throughout though, thereโs an intelligent balance between Americana and UK folk-rock, bags of potential, and the stylised promise of a blossoming band heading for something far greater.
In trying to think of a suitable female-fronted comparison, I changed to consider The Doors in the end, for the composition of three individuals with varying influences combining to create a timeless sound is how Iโd pitch them both. On songwriting Chrissy connoted a song she was working on called Devil You Know,โbecause statistically you’re more likely, as a woman, to be raped by somebody you know,โ she said. โIt’s not about being dragged into the bushes, and that’s been my experience I’m really trying to connect with, those darker sides of life experiences, because life’s hard, it’s not any an easy ride for anyone.โ Using a metaphor comparing a paper cut to a broken leg, Chrissy conveyed an expression she said she was fond of, that โpain is pain. I really want to connect with people of over-shared experiences like this, in the hopes that music could be healing.โ
It’s the most common conviction of dedicated singer-songwriters to want your audience to identify with your outpourings, otherwise your voice is just an instrument, and you are just a pop singer. Though within the masses of potential for Burn the Midnight Oil I hear scope for commercial viability, itโs through their personal reflections and devotion to support one another which I feel will strengthen their ability to convey the image they desire. After a successful first gig last weekend at The Kings Arms in Amesbury, arranged by Wiltshire Music Events, Burn the Midnight Oil are looking forward to a fundraiser at the Devizes Southgate on Sunday 22nd December. See the poster below, thereโs raffle prizes et al.
Chrissy has a solo set at the Lamb in Urchfont this afternoon (15th Dec) supporting Vince Bell, the most modest of Devizes acoustic legends, who Chrissy cited as assisting her in developing her songwriting talent. Promising things are afoot here, and youโll be chuffed with yourself to witness it blossoming, I believe.
โSeeing us as a brand and my understanding of working in the industry,โ Chrissy figured, โis like, actually the music isn’t the product, we’re the product and I really want to share that journey, make it personal for everybody.โ
With folk songs drafted about the origins of tiramisu, odes to Morticia and Gomez Addams, Steen justified her thought processes and random muses, the latter being an โepitome of a really healthy, loving relationship,โ in a tenacious yet optimistic manner to direct her developing subjects didnโt all focus on โthe bad things that happened to me.โ Though I find itโs the ability to use such as metaphoric examples and include them into a combination which will really make the hairs on the back of our necks stand up, and theyโve the greatest potential to do this.
ย I’m hoping one day I can write a happy song,โ she mused, โbut the style is, well, you know, you donโt choose the songs, the songs choose you.โ And so ensued a conversation about the differences between the melancholy of Dylan and wild romantic images Springsteen tended to paint, for thereโs always exceptions to the rule, they both broke their own style at times, but pictures, I think youโve got this one now; Burn the Midnight Oil is a name we will be hearing a lot of over next year.
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
Exciting news, isn’t it? Enough to cause me to skip merrily through the daisies in my garden as naked as a cherub, and sing its praises from every rooftop from here to Wellington Drive.…
โOh hear ye, oh hear ye, Devizes hath been blessed! Devizes, oh, Devizes, magically upgraded from a one to a two-Greggs town!โ fairies chant over a maid tinkering on a harpsichord, sprinkling their fairy dust in jubilation. Wonโt someone sign me into my Facebook account so I can spread word of it pronto: twelve โlikesโ and counting, three are love heart emojis, yay! I blush at my popularity and bite into my steak bake milliseconds before it gets cold.
Yesh, brothers, sisters, true as I sit here typing this crap, another Greggs bakery chainstore has majestically opened in Devizes like the second coming of a prophet, making us a two-Greggs town now, and you know what that meansโฆ.
You do know what that means, donโt you? No, neither do I, really. They have pasties with peas in them; peas have no home in a pasty, thatโs too much of a trigger. Job opportunities, perhaps, and thatโs good, right? The notion that one quick swerve from the congested fury on London Road, and you can be refreshed with a lukewarm cuppa and a salty dog-meat sausage roll as traffic builds up behind you. You need no longer to stop off in the Market Place and realise there are better quality local produces available, and that has to be the winner winner chicken baguette dinner, hands down. At least it beats knowing you’re funding a convicted nonce, eh?
Otherwise, I see no valid reason to jump for joy. Swindon has thirteen Greggs, Chippenham has four; do you see them wetting their knickers when another opens? We donโt even beat electronic talking Christmas treeโd Melksham, dammit, theyโve got threeโฆ and donโt get me started on the Golden Arches. Unfair, Devizes Town Council, just because no one has actually ever applied to open a Maccy-Dโs here, doesnโt mean you shouldnโt pull your bloody fingers out and kidnap Ronald McDonald until he starts supplying his celebrated Fillet-0-Fishes and McNuggets here. Damn your eyes, sirs, and look around at the desperate and needy fast food generation, see their tiny tears welling!
Stop catering to a yesteryear generation, eating on plates is soooo last millennium; we’ve surpassed Wimpy and demand our pointless packaging.
For what is a town without the splattering of unwanted pickles on its pavements? What is the measure of a place where rat-enticing decomposing chicken bones in a Colonel Sanders bucket isnโt found dumped down every alleyway, I cry? Hark, the sound of a Deliveroo moped on an otherwise quiet evening? These are the things upcoming generations will hold in dearest retrospection upon reaching maturity. But come, let us flock around this new arrival in awe, on this December slow news day, for it is all we have and we learn to make do; save Subway, of course, where seven of your best earned quids will see you handling a BLT roll, you total ledge.
Ah, monopolisation has found a new home in Devizes and to hell with the independent bakeries, I chortle like a chav, as my belt buckle bursts from the weight of more cholesterol-hugging delights. Factual reporting here you know, I researched for this bitch of a scoop. Queues out the door and through the Shambles to get a Greggs at the Winter Festival, there was, while independent eateries a stoneโs throw away nervously twitched their feet at the hope someone might drop by. And thatโs reason enough to justify the opening of a second Greggs, question what have we become, and munch happily into our affordable pepperoni pizza slice till the watery juice stains our shirts.
Yeah, come over to mine, mate, celebrate its magnificent arrival; weโve got a gazebo in the garden, going to play some Pop-Up Pirate and get some tandoori chicken baguettes in. Whoa, chicken? I thought that was โwokeโ now? The Daily Fail said it so itโs true, numpties! Get a โreal,โ pea-less pasty and shop for savoury delights from local purveyors, please.
To have kebab, or not to have kebab, that is the question in Devizes at the moโ: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to make do with the fish n chips of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, by walking to Folly Road opposingly, and end them! Where do I stand on the Town Councilโs rejection of an insensitive and opportunistic application for a whopper of a kebab van in the Market Place, you might ask; much as I love a kebab, I stand with themโฆ.
Backstory as fast as possible first for those not in the know. The Kebab House on Northgate Street in Devizes, a well respected institution in our town renowned for the finest takeaways unfortunately burned down last month, leaving owner and family man Mustafa Suna devastated, without a business, and his staff to have lost their jobs. Though locals rallied behind fundraising for the victims of the incident, they were shocked to hear of an outside application to Wiltshire Council for a ten-foot kebab van to rock up in the Market Place, flogging burgers, kebabs and everything the Kebab House once did, twenty-four seven.
The public reaction to a Gazette & Herald report on the application, 1st of December, shared on The Devizes Issue Facebook group, was rightfully that it was an insensitive move given the circumstances, an opportunist muscling in and profiteering on a tragic circumstance. All fine and dandy when commenting on Facebook, but given the occasion youโve had a few bevvies and feel like soaking them up with a kebab, would townsfolk be so willing to adhere to the notion a kebab van in the town centre is unfair on the owners and staff of The Kebab House and consequently boycott it? I think the temptation would be too much for many!
The original report by the local newspaper appeared to show no consideration for Sunaโs loss, blazening the news as a good thing. This only worsened the negative reaction, that this was unfair on the part of Mustafa Suna and his staff.
Councillor Iain Wallis stepped in, and stated, โas the Wiltshire Councillor for the area I have already made very clear to public protection that I object to this application. I would be unlikely to object to an application from the Kebab House and would support them if a workable plan was put forward and supported by the town council. I see this application as taking advantage of the situation and I do not support it.โ
Though the jury is still out for Wiltshire Council to make their minds up if to allow the application for the kebab van, the responsibility for managing the Market Place falls upon Devizes Town Council, who have rejected the proposal. Iain told the Gazette, โwe discussed the licence from someone unknown for a kebab van in the Market Place, this was turned down. I think everyone agreed that this wasnโt the right thing to do but everyone also agreed that if The Kebab House came forward then we would look as a council at what solutions we could offer.โ Well done to Devizes Town Council, particularly Iain, if you are to read this, though I doubt you will.
Obviously we get sticky seconds on this and other scoops, and a little plagiarism of the articles is necessary to form an opinion piece needed to express the concerns of the public, as the newspaper isnโt in a suitable place to do so with equal gusto. It was unnecessary and tactless too, on Newsquestโs part, I feel, to have covered this sensitive issue at all while it was only an application. But if the article raised concern with the public and councillors took heed of that outcry, then perhaps the seemingly clickbait intentions of the paper came up trumps in the end. The question needed to be answered is if the council would have still rejected the application without the online public outcry?
Lots of people have understandingly expressed, and particularly anyone living nearby, that the Market Place is an unsuitable location for such a street food vendor, though under the circumstances they would support an application for one from Mr Suna, as they know it will only be temporary and assist in him rebuilding his respectable business. But being the Town Council have made moves to increase police powers in the area to prevent a trend in anti-social behaviour there, the presence of any such vendor could be counterproductive to this, therefore would not have supported it anyway, and there was no real need for the Gazette to have stirred up the public by being so presumptuous with the story. They could have waited for the outcome of the application.
I should explain for those who donโt know, that Devizine has been ousted and deliberately falsely accused of all manner of misdoings, including personal bullying and harassment of Councillor Iain Wallis, by Mr Wallis himself. The reactionary culling of members of his Facebook group who dare disagree with him has been called into question here, for it is frustrating for those involved to have been, what they consider, unfairly dismissed from the popular local group. Other actions Mr Wallis has engaged in as a town councillor have been criticised in the past too, but all with good reason and no personal malice was ever made or intended. There has never been, as he has claimed, any matter published which is a personal attack or bullying of any kind, thatโs him, playing the victim card in order to discredit us; why, I don’t know, and any reason I could provide would be speculation.
In this instant, whether the councillor is only homing in on public opinion or this is his personal belief, either way this was a sterling move on his part and we thank and congratulate him for it. Though I fear he will reject my felicitations, as itโs seemingly his intention to slander us, and that is surely unhinged and unfair. If we all worked together and shared an understanding that not everyone is going to agree with us all the time, we could make things better for everyone. And who knows, by the time the Kebab House is reopened we could be sharing a donor!!
Okay, that might be expecting a bit too much, but you get the idea! We look forward to a time when Mr Suna’s business is back on its feet, and we believe DTCโs decision was the right move towards this, but we also believe public information, such as the reopening of Station Road, should be made available to all, not just on the Devizes Issues group given many people have been banned from it quite unfairly.
Devizes Town Council made no announcement of this road reopening on their Facebook page, rather it was only published on the Devizes Issues group, conveying this information was a โlittle secretโ between only those who adhere to Mr Wallisโ conservative opinions, and that is unfair on those he has banned from the group without a valid reason. And thatโs where we stand, great news, but a little more cooperation and fairness with the press is needed to convey it; we are not and have never been against any council or councillor.
You should know me well enough by now to accept I donโt beat about the bush; itโs supermarkets and chain-storeโs own silly fault for the rise in popularity of the Christmas Market, for lavishing their shelves with uninspiring commercialised, plastic rubbish!
There, there, got that off my chest! Now,Christmas Markets are popping up locally faster than Santa on Christmas Eve, but if you cannot make it to one, or simply prefer to shop in your jimmy-jams, hereโs some ideas for Christmas presents weโve found which won’t break the bank, and support local craftersโฆWelcome to the Devizine Online Christmas Market, jingle your bells!
DIY it, with Pins & Needles!
One affordable and genius idea springs to mind; do-it-yourself. For as well as personal and unique designs by owner Vixter Woolista, Pins & Needles in Snuff Street Devizes has all your knitting and crochet needs, and an online shop too, here. With a fabulous range of accessible crochet and knit kits, patterns and gorgeous hand-dyed yarns, Pins & Needles is a little shop with a big heart, and winner of the 2020 British Knitting Awards for best yarn shop in the south west.
Good Reads!
We donโt get as many book reviews from local authors as weโd like, but this year saw two great reads, which would make ideal presents for your book worm.
First up, Sorrel Pits published Broken Shadows, and this has to be my personal favourite novel Iโve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. A gripping thriller based locally, this really is a page-turner. Hereโs the review, you can grab this from Devizes Books, or online here.
This year also saw local author Molly Andersonโs Dadโs New Dress, an emotional rollercoaster of searing honesty into family ties and commitment. Reviewed here, at Devizes Books and online here.
Polish up on your cooking!
Novel idea we hope your recipient wonโt take the wrong way, cookery classes at The Farm Cookery School on Bromhamโs Netherstreet! They have adult and childrenโs courses available, and various Christmas meal related workshops too! Christmas baking masterclass anyone? Beats a can of Christmas Tinner!! Find them Here.
Chocolate, of course!
Hollychocs in Poulshout, award-winning chocolates; need I say more, other than you shop online for them, HERE.
Getting Crafty
Upstairs in The Healthy Life Company in the Little Brittox, Devizes, you will find the most fantastic display of Christmas gift ideas, many sourced locally. We reported on this last year, see here.Find them online here.
Bramblerose Designs is by local artist Ginnie Burns, stocking lots of Christmas gifts and cards, fantastic tie-dye T-shirts and prints of her colourful local landscapes. Find them HERE.
Cositas Bonitas in Albion Place on Sidmouth Street, Devizes has beautifully handmade crafts, like personalised baubles and cute drawstring Christmas sacks, knitted advent calendars, decorated jars and decorations. Find them on Facebook, here.
Merlin Glass Studio & Gift Shop in Woodborough Yard is run by crafter Louise Spink, has some great Christmas craft workshops, and sells beautiful decorations and glassware designs. How can you resist these little robin brooches? Awl! Find them Here.
Moonflower and Me has original hand illustrated artwork, handmade resin & clay Items and more fascinating gift ideas. Check out their magical mushroom terrarium baubles; gorgeous! Find them Here.
Over the Yarnarm is a small, unique business cruising the British waterways, bringing a touch of handmade warmth to every corner they visit. Operating from a cosy liveaboard narrowboat, sharing our passion for all things yarn. Find their Etsy shop here, be a star and grab yourself a knitted star!
Enter artist Matt Bakerโs World of Thoodles. Donโt know what a Thoodles is? Find stickers, prints, stationary and badges of these colourful kawaii fashioned monster characters here. We think they rock, and Iโm 51 years young! Find Thoodles HERE.
And lest we forget the white bear at Christmas, Arthe! Lots of prints and some fantastic Christmas tees up for grabs, HERE! Find Arthe Christmas cards at Black Dog Coffee on Couch Lane.
That’s all folks! Well, there’s bound to be many more jumping the bandwagon once they see this, expecting me to do a thing called “editing,” I’ve heard it’s all the rage these days. Have a lovely Christmas everyone, here’s our Christmas card video message, filmed on location at DOCA Winter Festival, by Jess…..
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
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
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In times of pain or stress cats mimic the cry of a human baby to best attract attention. You may not like it, but if you donโt address the situation and aid the pet, you are unfortunately part of the problem. Riot Grrrl is a subcultural movement of anti-punk feminism deriving from the USAโs northwest in the nineties, which, like it or not, has found a new resting place in Devizes thanks to rising teen band Steatopygous…and with a debut demo, theyโre rightfully attracting attention too.
Not Devizes you may whimper, our affluent yet insular market town steeped in tradition, where the most commonly reported crime during October this year was violence and sexual offences, more than double the second on the list, this anti-social behaviour we’ve got a bee in our bonnets about? Seems a rather apt location for youthโs screams of anger and frustration at the inequality of patriarchy to me.
Dealing with issues facing youth, our townโs newcomers, riot front-grrrl Poppy Hillier, bassist Eliza Brindle and drummer Ewan Middleton may well have facetiously named their band after an accumulation of fat on the thighs and/or bum, but their musical subjects are far from ironic or amusing. Neither are they the female answer to NRWO, with their blithe and amicable indie-pop style. This is artistically righteous, a freedom of expression, and just like the catโs meow, you’d better take heed.
Stalwart support act at Trowbridgeโs Pump, a venue dedicated to hosting the upcoming, whereby I saw them first, in June, despite our much younger reporter Flo singing their praises prior, when headlining Devizes Youth Action Group gigs. Steatopygous delivered varying themes there, such as one song on the crisis in Gaza. But the two tracks released on this demo, recorded by Kieran Moore at Komedia, concentrate on matters closer to home and traditional to the ethos of Riot Grrrl; boys taking advantage of a male-dominated world.
Cassowary, a bird with unusual reproduction behaviour which sees the male tend the egg while the female seeks other mates, is the metaphoric name for perhaps the most composed tune of the two. With archetypal driving drums and laden guitar it’s short, fiery and in your face, but perhaps not so aggressive as the other tune, Little Boy, which is a style-defining peach. Angry and unabashed, it takes no prisoners.
It is the screech of utmost exasperation, the deliverance of cries typically bottled or only released alone. And therein lies the brilliance and reason of Steatopygous, this erudite anti-sensitive artistic licence opens a matured eye to the vexations and anguish of youth, particularly identifying the uneven game of love and all its sordid undertones. Or if you fall into the category subjected and victimised by the behaviour expressed so poignantly by Steatopygous, theoretically thereโs the emotive response of identifying with it and not feeling alone with your troubles.
This is thunderously original and raw, daring samaritan punk, released on Trowbridgeโs cassette label Sketch Book Records, which if it honours anything, itโs this wholly DIY ethos of Riot Grrrl, and though will remain niche, is something you cannot ignore; phew, I might need a little lie down now!!
All images: ยฉ๏ธ JS Terry Photography An awards ceremony to celebrate the outstanding musical talent within the city, aptly titled The 2024 Salisbury Musicโฆ
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 Theโฆ
For the second week running our desperate local rag The Gazelle & Herod have kicked Devizes town centre while it’s on its knees. We say, no, stop it, it’s naughty, and sensationalising only for paper sales and clickbait; Devizes is open, thriving and a wonderful place to visitโฆ. as it always was.
You can monotonously rant your presumptions on umpteen โBritish nostalgiaโ Facebook pages that the country is in ruins and is now not a patch of its former self, because of whatever political faction you abhorrent and blame, or ordinary folk from overseas seeking a better life you take for granted. You can whinge there that shops are closing and the High Street is doomed until youโre triggered in so much self-pity your rose-tinted specs drop into your jug of Chรขteau Cheval Blanc. But, by comparison with the nationโs empty shopping malls and dilapidated high streets, Devizes is punching above its weight. We have a great cafe culture, we have independent shops, we have talented folk putting on theatrical shows and live music, and we have an aesthetically pleasing relatively trouble-free town centre steeped in history and legends.
But the front page this week suggests the fate of Devizes town centre is in doubt, when all thatโs really happening is the Town Council are to include a discussion on the town centre and Market Place, at their next monthly meeting, to see if anything needs improvement; nothing usually comes out of these discussions other than some oversized flowerpots! Itโs not broken, it doesnโt need fixing, and itโs likely the council will conclude this is the case.
Last week they splashed the story of how Police now have powers to issue ASBOs to a few โundesirablesโ loitering around the town centre, drinking, all across the front page. Whilst Iโm pleased, of course, that anyone causing other folk troubles will be dealt with, it makes me wonder if itโs as serious an issue that itโs highlighted to be. For whether it is being dealt with, or not, it is still creating a potentially damaging image of Devizes by raising attention to the issue and bringing this false ideology to the forefront of peopleโs minds that the town is Wiltshire’s answer to Tijuana, and if you go there youโll be mugged for your Greggs sausage roll, which you know as well as I, this simply isnโt true.
I find myself contemplating if the few people sitting around the Market Place are actually causing as regular disturbances as it claimed. They could be, they equally could not be. Iโve certainly not seen any more trouble there than any other town centre, not even near it, and therein lies my reasoning to rant on the topic. If you want antisocial behaviour, take a look at how we drive through town!
Every town centre has antisocial loiterers, every town centre has congestion, or problems with closing shops or elements in need of replacing. What are you going to do? Stay in forever, with Netflix, worrying about it? Shop online? When the chain reaction of this is the root to the very problems you fear, the problems media is sensationalising! I look at local town centres and see the same thing happening, everywhere; why the need to single out Devizes when really the problem here isnโt even in the same ballpark as others I could mention, but wouldnโt, because it would be as damaging as the negative image the local newspaper seems to want to project of Devizes?
But the real sour cherry on the doggie doing cake is that this slander could not have come at a more inappropriate time. Right now, Devizes NEEDS your support, shopkeepers, landlords and the community as a whole need you to visit.
Since the terrible fire a few weeks ago and consequently access to the Market Place closed to vehicles from the Northgate side to ensure safety, the town is feeling inevitable repercussions. In light of the tragedy, the majority acted faithfully in compliance, we accepted congestion would increase, and planned our journey times better. But traffic is easing now, in fact the closure of the Market Place at Northgate (which we must add is only to vehicles, NOT pedestrians) has quickened the pace of flow at the Brewery roundabout from New Park Street, despite it affecting the amount of traffic using it and the temporary bus stops. Iโve said before, replacing that roundabout with traffic lights and a box junction could ease congestion, but what do I know?
We cannot discredit the fact this may be so because less are inclined to pass through Devizes, but mostly I believe this can be turned around once it is reopened, provided negative images cast upon the town are not believed and savoured. Plus, it is more likely because weโve come to terms that we must all use New Park Street and have applied some defensive driving measures; vital to keep traffic flowing. It is not the traffic lights at fault, rather the attitude we take to driving through town.
The solution to easing traffic is as simple as turning a frown upside down; it is driving with consideration for others, as it will help you out in the end too. I illustrate my point with my journey back from town this morning, at around 7am. Iโm planning to turn right at Shaneโs Castle to take the Chippenham road, but the traffic is nose-to-tail due to the traffic lights at the roadworks on Prison Bridge turning green in the coming into town direction. It is not the traffic light at fault, itโs only changing colour, itโs only programmed to change colour, that is its only function and purpose. Itโs the drivers causing the issue, as not one car would consider slowing to allow a gap for me to turn right, when any of them could have, and this would have allowed cars to travel downhill to the lights. In theory it would not have impacted their journey time, because the traffic is flowing less than the speed limit and any car could have easily caught up with the race in seconds.
But so many drivers cannot seem to see the consequence of this, they are driving in an offensive manner rather than a defensive one; an inconsiderate trait that impacts them too rather than helps. You see, because Iโm waiting to turn right, vehicles are building up behind me, and thereโs only one car down the hill at the lights. The lights turn green this side, and I can finally turn right. Now the cars behind me must decide if they should race for the green light in icy and foggy conditions or be stopped by the light changing back to red.
Itโs rush hour, and they dive into their cars like headless chickens, with a do or die attitude, running late, because an unexpected frosty morning caused them to have to run their engine for a half hour, to save a spray of de-icer. Itโs an everyman for themselves tenet which will inevitably backfire. I found myself wondering how many people will need to turn right at the junction in the next hour, it is a busy route after all. If each time they do, a backlog of traffic builds up behind it, consequently only allowing a few cars to make it to the lights before they turn red again, will undoubtedly in time cause a domino effect further into town, and traffic will be queuing by eight oโclock, at every other roundabout and junction; QED. So, while the traffic coming into town saved a car length by not giving way to cars like mine trying to turn right at Shaneโs Castle, their actions have found them stuck further down the line.
You should note, Station Road is now open again, so you can get around the Market Place that way and save yourself a few seconds. Top secret leaked info that one, as while it seems Devizes Town Council has made no announcement of this on their Facebook page, certain Facebook groups with a penchant to ban anyone who doesnโt agree with the political opinion of the admin are the only ones in the know; that is the very same selective and insular โevery man for themselvesโ attitude we must avoid as the driving like a muppet one, if we are to paint a better picture for our town than the journalists are delivering for sales.
For while yes, perhaps these news items need to be published, thereโs no need for them to be lead stories splashed across the front page when thereโs plentiful positive stories with feelgood factors, locally, of more importance and interest. So, put them inside the paper, small mentions, and counteract them with said positive news that project all the good happenings in towns like Devizes, because there really is, but youโre not reading about them because all you read about is how bad things are, and that is damaging everyone struggling to uphold a business here.
Just stop, slow down, consider the lilies, consider each other! It’s the Winter Festival tomorrow, lantern parade, Christmas market and lights being switched on. No doubt you will be in the Market Place, enjoying the festivities, drinking mulled wine, but will you be back next week, believing what you read and frowning at the few folk drinking there?! Or will you say, โyou know what? In the grand scheme of things, Devizes is a great place to live,โ avoid media persuasion and general silliness, drive with consideration, shop here, doing your bit to make it so? Devizes is open, thriving and a wonderful place to visitโฆ. as it always was.
Purveyors of perfect motion, house music promoters Palooza return to The Exchange in Devizes on Friday 20th December, for its grand finale of the yearโฆ..
March of this year saw the launch of Palooza, a project from two local house music diehards to bring the good vibes of house clubbing back to Devizes, and they succeeded with an unforgettable opening night at the Exchange nightclub. Palooza returns one last time in 2024, and itโs set to be the boldest night of the year as they transform the venue into a dance music haven.
Five hours of non-stop music from 9 PM to 2 AM, featuring a stellar lineup of DJs bringing their unique sound across tech house, future house, classics, and techno, guaranteed to bring the beats and keep the energy high. The lineup consists of Grit, Fashion, RodJ, Alchemy, Sun and T-Rex, the latter Paloozaโs first female DJ, from Brighton.
Doors open at 9pm, when thereโs a happy hour until 10pm with half-price drinks.
The last Palooza of the year promises to be an unforgettable celebration of dance music culture. Whether youโre a loyal fan or new to the Palooza vibe, this is a night you wonโt want to miss! No tickets, just pay on the door.
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
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
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Okay, so, Iโm aย little behind, recently opting to perfect my couch potato posture and consider hibernation, meaning Iโve not yet mentioned Kirsty Clinchโs new single Chapters, released at the beginning of the month, which I should have done. Why, you might ask, is it any good? Did you hear me right, itโs Kirsty Clinch?!
Eloquently sentimental as ever, Kirsty suggests it would make the perfect wedding song, and Iโm inclined to agree, though I had my turn already, choosing Ben E King; for prospective newlyweds though, take heed! This bears all the hallmarks of a breezy country classic from the likes of Dolly or Wynette, with a contemporary sense subtler than Swift, that is, added bass by local legend Pete Lamb, who also mixed and mastered this delicate beauty recorded by Kirsty herself.
It trickles like water, with a loose narrative to be interpreted to suit your dreams too, but if thereโs the opening of a new chapter of thoughtful prose, the character in the song admits to being too young to reminisce on previous chapters. In fact, it has been a few years since past chapters opened musically for Kirsty, her Evolution album was released in 2021. She has been concentrating on Westburyโs Award Winning music school, First Melodies,which she created to coincide with a series of preschool music books. I love this project as itโs perfect for Kirsty, but, itโs a warm welcome back to recording, as this song sure makes up for lost time!
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
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 Hospiceโฆ
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Being as we received a taster of wintery weather to come this week, I believe itโs okay to use the C-word; yes, Christmas!!
Hereโs everything weโve found to do in and around Devizes, so far, from now until New Yearโs Eve, in addition, of course, to decorating trees, picking all the toffee pennies out of the Quality Street tin, and enjoying watching Hans Gruber fall from the Nakatomi Plazaโฆ.
Do remember though our event calendar is constantly updating, so do keep an eye on it, as more events may well be added when theyโre brought to our attention. And if youโre in another town, check our event calendar for events in your area; sorry you are not included here, we still love you, but thereโs only so many hours in a day!
Lets go from this weekend, but be warned, thereโs a lot to get through. Ongoing photographic exhibition at the Valentina Gallery, opposite SoupChick in the Shambles, ends on 2nd December.
Thursday 21st November sees an Evening of Mediumship with Psychic Medium Nikki Kitt at the Corn Exchange.
Friday 22nd: Public Living Room is open at the Cheese Hall from 1.30-4pm. John Girvanโs celebrated Ghost Walk of Devizes, takes on a Christmas spin. You find tickets at the Wiltshire Museum website. Queen tribute Qween UK plays the Corn Exchange. Recommended trip out of town: boom-bap legends The Scribes are at the Barge on Honeystreet.
Saturday 23rd November: and thereโs a Sighthound Stroll at 12pm. Devizes Eisteddfodโs Junior Showcase at the Town Hall. The FullTone Orchestra is at the Corn Exchange with an 80s special, so get your rah-rah skirts dusted and ready.
The Sylvertones are at The Three Crowns. The Ben Fletcher Band at The Southgate. DJ Emilo is bringing in the sounds at the Exchange. And for a short trip out of town, I recommend The Killer Circus show at Market Lavington Community Hall, with a double-header of mod-indie, britpop and ska with The Killertones Underground and 6 Oโclock Circus. Or The Publicans at the Royal Oak, Pewsey.
Sunday 24th, The Duskers are at the Southgate for 5pm start, same time, itโs nice to see live music back at the White Bear too; Andrew Hurst kicks those Sunday Sessions back into gear.
Tuesday 26th sees Devizes Lions Bingo Night at the Conservative Club.
Wednesday 27th, donโt forget the acoustic jam at the Southgate.
Thursday 28th – do not miss this, the fantastic Ruby Darbyshire is doing a Fantasy Radio Live Lounge from 7pm at The Pelican. The Last Thursday of each month is also open mic time in the Cellar Bar of the Bear Hotel, from 7:30pm.
Friday 29th is the Winter Festival, on go the lights and Christmas begins officially in Devizes!
12:00 โ 20:00: Indoor & Outdoor Markets and Creative Installations. Lantern Parade at 18:30. 19:00 is Christmas Light Switch On. Window Wanderland begins and runs until 2nd Dec. Look out for the Cascade Chandelier, in the Shambles!
There will be several opportunities to get crafty over Winter Festival weekend with bookable artist-led workshops. More workshops will be dropping soon, so keep an eye on DOCAโs social media! Willow Reindeer Workshop from 10am to 4pm at the Yeoman Room, Corn Exchange. Sarah Jayne Edwards works in willow in all scales, she made the Sanctuary that appeared on the Green in Devizes 2023. Spend a day with her where she will support you to create your own beautiful willow reindeer.
All materials will be provided on these creative workshops, no experience needed. Event capacity for each is only 8 people. Participants must be aged 16 years or over. There are 2 free places allocated for low-income participants, no questions asked. If you would like to claim one of these places, please email: info@docadevizes.org.uk
Elsewhere in Devizes, the fantastic People Like Us are at The Three Crowns, itโs the Pour Houseโs official opening party, and karaoke at the Pelican. Big Plus: itโs panto season at the Wharf Theatre with the opening night of Hansel & Gretel; this is superb, Iโve seen the rehearsal, youโre going to love it, young and old. Hansel & Gretel continues until 7th December, tickets are sold out, but you can join a waiting list.
Saturday 30th sees a Devizes Lions book sale at St Maryโs Church.
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts Winter Festival continues, presenting ‘Crow’ by Avanti Display. ‘Crow’ is a beguiling, genre-defying, beautifully odd show. It teases us with strange images, magical clowning and bewitching visual images. Accompanied by a live inventive score. Video projections expand their comic and curious world, suggesting ideas both profound and absurd. This is a ticketed event at Sheep Street Baptist Church and starts at 6pm.
Also part of the Winter Festival, from 10am to 3pm, thereโs an Outdoor Market with Music & Street Entertainment, and Makery Sessions Craft Workshops at various times. Porcelain Christmas Decorations Workshop at Parnella House from 10am to 1pm, with Geraldine Francis.
Contemporary Wreath Making Workshop at 2pm to 5pm at Parnella House with Nancy Rose Stott, an accomplished maker, best known for her amazing hats. All materials will be provided, no experience needed. Event capacity: 8 people only. Participants must be aged 16 years or over. There are 2 free places allocated for low-income participants, no questions asked. If you would like to claim one of these places, please email: info@docadevizes.org.uk
Thereโs also a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop at Poulshot Village Hall, not DOCA related.
Groovedream at The Three Crowns. Red Light at The Southgate.
And relax, itโs Sunday, but it is December 1st! Curious Kids: Winter Fun at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes. The Pelican has a winter festival Christmas Lunch. JP Oldfield is at the White Bear at 5pm, the Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate, same time, and One More Shot at the Black Horse.
Monday 2nd, find a new open mic session at the Pour House, set up by the one and only JP Oldfield; very busy boy atm!
Wednesday 4thDecember: acoustic jam night at the Southgate.
Friday 6th sees a new regular acoustic session on Fridays at The Southgate, this week has JP Oldfield, Sammi Evans & Bryan Davies playing. White Horse Opera presents some Christmas Music at St Andrews. Itโs Christmas Mixup night at the Exchange.
Saturday 7th, thereโs a tour behind the scenes at Wiltshire Museum, and another Ghost Walk Christmas Special with John Griven.
The Shudders are at The Southgate. James Mitchell at The Three Crowns. The Coco Club Christmas Ball at the Corn Exchange. Christmas Party at the Exchange. Recommendations out of town, find a reggae night with Knatti P at the Barge on Honeystreet and Ruby Darbyshire at the Woodbridge.
Sunday 8th sees a family Christmas Party at West Lavington Village Hall in aid of Juliaโs House. Sunflower Events Christmas Fair at the Corn Exchange. Christmas Fayre at The Barge, Seend Cleeve.
Music at the Southgate from 5pm with The Wholesome Soul Trio.
Wednesday 11th, acoustic jam at the Southgate.
Thursday 12th is the second Exchange Comedy Night for The Mayorโs Appeal.
Friday 13th thereโs Devizes Good Afternoon Choirโs Christmas Invitation with Children from Wansdyke School at St Andrewโs Church. Young Curators Club: Mid-Winter Celebrations: Yule and Saturnalia at Wiltshire Museum.
Saturday 14th: Table-top Sale for Camps International to Peru Trip: 12-4pm at The Wharfside. LECTURE: Digging for Erlestoke by Leigh Chalmers and Dr Phil Harding at Wiltshire Museum. And the opening of a new exhibit at the Museum, Megalithic Connections โ Drawings & Etchings by Dave Gunning, which runs until 22nd Feb.
Christmas Market at Hillworth Park, in which Santa is fully booked, but heโs also at, Breakfast With Santa at the Fire Station! Santa! Hey! I know him!
The Big Sound Christmas Concert at the Corn Exchange. Sour Apple at the Three Crowns, The Worried Men at The Southgate. And Karl Maggs has got the Jingle Bangers in the mix at the Exchange.
Sunday 15th, Wish Tree Gathering from 3-5pm at Quakerโs Walk. Devizes Town Band Christmas Party at the Corn Exchange. And Manos Puestas at The Southgate at 5pm.
Wednesday 18th, acoustic jam at the Southgate.
Friday 20th, John Grivanโs celebrated Ghost Walk of Devizes, takes on a Christmas spin. You find tickets at the Wiltshire Museum website.
Devizes most celebrated house nights, Palooza returns to The Exchange.
Saturday 21st: Barrelhouse at The Southgate. Adam Woodhouse at The Three Crowns, and the Long Street Blues Club Christmas Party with the Thomas Atlas Band. DJ Mike Alford is at the Exchange.
Sunday 22nd is the Tractor & Tinsel Run at the Market Place. Charity Fundraiser with Burn The Midnight Oil, new band fronted by the fantastic Chrissy Chapman at The Southgate, from 5pm.
Monday 23rd: The Unpredictables at The Three Crowns, being anything but unpredictable!
Tuesday 24th: Spend Christmas Eve at The White Bear, where the one, the only Jamie R Hawkins will be singing a few songs with Vince Bell too.
Thursday 26th: The Last Thursday of each month is also open mic time in the Cellar Bar of the Bear Hotel, from 7:30. We assume this will take place as usual.
Friday 27th: Drew Bryant at The Three Crowns. Twixmas Fun Quiz at The Pelican. DJ Stevie MC at the Exchange for an after Christmas Party.
Saturday 28th: The Killertones Underground at The Southgate; nice one!
Tuesday, New Yearโs Eve: find Soundhog Karaoke at The Three Crowns. Back to Skool New Yearโs Eve Party at the Pelican. The Original PJ & Mister M at the Bear Hotel. DJ Karl Maggs at The Exchange, and NYE Party at Seend Community Centre; Happy New Year!
Thatโs your lot, unless thereโs something we missed? Tell us about it, please do, we can add it, it isnโt going to cost you anything more than being nice to me when you see me next! I hope everyone has been good all year, and wish you all a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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,โฆ
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
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Two of the county’s top retrospective cover bands meet for a double-bill of action in Market Lavington This Saturday. Calneโs indie rock five-piece Six Oโclock Circus have diverse influences to win any crowd, but itโs always conveyed with this affirmed nod to the heyday of mod rock, new wave and Britpop. Swindonโs The Killertones Underground likewise will bring Two-Tone ska classics and new wave punk to the forefront in what looks set to be an awesome showโฆ
Saturday 23rd November, Market Lavington is treated to this one-off double-billed headlining show, at their Community Centre. I highly recommend both bands, you will not be disappointed. Killertones you may recall weโve mentioned many times before, always a hit at Devizes Scooter Rally, and members Cath & Gouldy can equally engage a crowd at the Southgate, often with the more folk-influenced sounding duo Sound Affects.
Six OโClock Circus can also be as diverse, shows at the Three Crowns in Devizes and the Southgate too, always make for a blinding nightโs entertainment, despite differences in the crowdโs demographic, proving we all love to be taken back to a time when music was our lives.
Tickets for the Killer Circus Show are ยฃ12 from here; I hope to see you down the front, giving it some like the noughties never happened!
Again we find ourselves congratulating and thanking young Chloe Boyle for fantastic fundraising efforts for Devizes homeless charity OpenDoorsโฆ.
With friends and family she spent Saturday morning selling teddies and soft toys outside Morrisons in Devizes, this time raising ยฃ61.40. But if weโve featured Chloe before they are usually for her individual fundraising efforts. However, it is in her and her familyโs continued efforts in which Chloe has been a hero and an inspiration, raising a grand total of ยฃ1372.95 so far.
What began as a stall selling her own cuddly toys, has amounted to collecting donations from others, and continuing this amazing work. Mum, Julie proudly told me how the community has got behind this, and led her stall to be found regularly around the area, at our many great events like FullTone, and special occasions at Hillworth Park. If you see Chloeโs stall around and about, do take a look and buy a bear or two! Congratulations Chloe, you are a star!
It was lovely to spend Sunday afternoon at Devizesโ Wharf Theatre, to see how this yearโs pantomime Hansel & Gretel, is coming along. If my preview is behind me now, or if โoh, no, it isnโt,โ Iโm happy to confirm ticket holders are in for a real treat, and those without a ticket I urge you to be as quick as a quick thing being quickโฆ..
Tickets for panto at the Wharf sell out fast every year, rightfully. I believe thereโs only a handful left. It may beg the question why Iโm here to preview it at all, but with our Ian hot on the scene of anything theatrical these days, Iโve missed being at our communal little theatre. While I may not be so knowledgeable on Shakespeare’s plays, I know what I like, and Iโm smitten for a great panto.
First time panto co-director Karen Ellis, who works with Jessica Bone, told me thereโs a slightly different approach this year. I couldnโt tell, Jack & The Beanstalk was wonderful last year, Hansel & Gretel is going to be as amazing as a gingerbread house decorated with sweeties!
A few sweets need tweaking, Iโm at an early rehearsal, neighbouring seats are occupied with ladders and paint pots. Opening night is Friday 29th November, and with extra dates added the show runs until Saturday 7th December, with matinees on the Saturdays. With professionalism abound from whatโs essentially an amateur production, from my sneaky peek alone, Iโve no doubt, this show is going to absolutely sparkle and thrill young and old equally.ย
It was interesting, though, to see the inner workings of a panto developing, the many elements needing synchronisation I wouldnโt have contemplated before now, and the attention to detail to something which might seem somewhat improvised to an outsider. It might be a couple of hours of quality family entertainment to you, but from script, expertly crafted by The Wharf Writersโ Group, to this stage where only a few Iโs need dotting and Tโs crossing, has taken a year of hard work from a thoroughly dedicated group of very talented people.
And the hard work explodes like a supernova. As any panto should, the narrative is slight and loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy-tale. The show concentrates on slapstick, corny gags, drag, parodies of pop songs, slight tragedy, and a huge dollop of funny banter and audience participation, with a sprinkling of storyline. Brush up on your children’s TV show themes, anything more might be deemed a spoiler, but I can assure you, youโre going to love it; all these elements are in grand abundance, and it thoroughly entertained me.
Starter for ten, neither Hansel, parts shared by two great young actors, Rory Lee and Tamsin Antignani, nor Gretel, similarly played by Emily Edwards and Gigi Underwood, are the protagonists here, rather the main parts depict an investigating police officer, Buttons, and his love interest, comically named Carrie Okie. The latter is played superbly by Georgina Claridge, also responsible for choreography, and the former, Officer Buttons is sublimely brought to life by Darcey Oswin; both masterful and confidently versatile in acting and singing, they work together like the perfect double-act.
Adam Sturgesโ thespianism flare, with a natural ability for improv makes for the quintessential dame; he remained in character and high heels when I chatted to him outside! Is this the first pantomime dame to have a son, I wondered? Shaken, but not stirred and played by Lucas Dowling.
Likewise, Helen Pritchard makes for an excellent witch, and there’s supposed to be a compliment in there! Lesley Scholes is hilarious as a discluded fairy godmother, and the randomly placed comical duo is supplied brilliantly by Oli Beech and Liz Sharman.
Other singing and dancing characters are cast aptly, with Archer Leigh, Jo Benyon-Tucker, Cathy Chappell, Corrin Bishop, Poppy Lamb-Hughes, Emily Webb and Ben Bryan. It wouldnโt be Christmas without a panto, and even a Grinch like me, after watching just a rehearsal for this early in November, could sense sleigh bells jingling and ring-tingle tingling all the way home!
I cannot guarantee your Brussel sprouts will be perfectly timed to coincide with the turkey, but I can assure you without doubt, Hansel & Gretel at The Wharf Theatre will warm your hearts and send you home smiling from elf ear to elf ear!
But hurry and be lucky to pick up the few remaining tickets HERE.
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
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
Devizes is often spoiled for choice when it comes to live music. Swindon folk ensemble SGO at the Gate would’ve been an excellent decision for this Saturday night, and I considered dropping by at some point during the proceedings at Long Street Blues Club prior to the proceedings at Long Street Blues Club, but during the proceedings at Long Street Blues Club I concluded I’d have to be criminally insane to leave nowโฆ..
I might be insane, but not criminally, yet!To a packed house, award-winning, and not one to shy away from jesting about it, UK blues legend Ian Siegal came, saw, and revisited his two debut albums as requested by Long Street Blues Club organiser and Devizes mayor Ian Hopkins, enthralling the crowd; including me.
Ian Siegal is a national treasure, his 2009 album Broadside made MOJO magazineโs blues album of the year, but the theme tonight focussed on his debut album from four years previous, Meat & Potatoes, which received four stars in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings and paved the way for Ianโs sound, and its follow on, 2007โs Swagger. With the original organist from Meat & Potatoes, Jonny Henderson, and drummer Tom Gilkes, he drove sublime Detroit, Chicago and Memphis blues fusions, authentic and raw, to the forefront of a deservedly ostentatious show. Thatโs how you play it.
I’m not up on these albums, detected a chorus mentioning Swagger, but for the most part, I was simply soaking up the sublime moment joyfully and without overanalysing; too easy to go with the flow of Ian’s sound. There were nods to his influences in splices of covers, flamboyant banter, and skilled compositions. It was, in summary, divine blues. Devizes own, Jon Amor joined him for a couple, and Ian spun blues riffs like they were childsplay.
None of this before the support act, young Ruby Darbyshire, who for the first and last time she played here I called it to be the best support Iโve seen at the club; itโs a double-whammy line-up tonight. Multi-intrumnetalist, Ruby was blowing her bagpipes for Remembrance in the Brittox earlier. Arriving a tad late due to a bus delay, I noted she was already underway, unusually behind a keyboard. Explaining she hadnโt played piano live before, she made a grand job of it, and returned to her guitar where we know and love her best.
A few originals including her timeless Insomnia, and covers from Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone to Rag & Bone Manโs Human, she puts her wonderful stamp on them all, rapturously expressive and soulful. To hear Ruby is a magic Iโll never tire of, sheโs improved her confidence, which is tricky in this appreciation society, where thereโs the silence of a library while performers do their thing. It may be respectful, but a smidgen daunting for anyone on the stage used to more clamorous venues. But hey, anyone who can make Queenโs Is This The World We Created their own fully deserves the upstanding applause she received, from a matured audience who have witnessed many talented people come and go.
Blues stalwarts at the club may have been in the know much longer than me, but Devizine was a learning curve, and when I began it I had no clue how deep the rabbit hole went, this, what I dub โMel Bush effect,โ the town’s association with UK blues. When blues supergroup lockdown project Birdmen became a live show at Long Street a couple of years ago, Dave Doherty invited me and it was my epiphany into how the club was continuing Devizes folk’s affection for the blues. This fantastic eye-opening gig was so due to the stellar lineup, in particular frontman Ian Siegal.
In its review I summarised him as โthe very definition of cool,โ but knew I’d have to expand on that next time, which was when he was a guest at the Jon Amor Trio monthly residency at the Southgate in March. So, the extended version was as โcool on a barefoot Bruce Willis pounding through the glass of the Nakatomi Plaza level, he is the Steve McQueen leaping anti-tank obstacles on a stolen Triumph of UK blues!โ
As a quote I was kinda chuffed with, I thought I’d attempt to recite it when I met him after the gig, but intoxication levels took control, and accepting I’d probably stumble out the word Nakatomi, I only mumbled I compared him to Bruce Willis. He didn’t seem impressed, assuming I was referring to the dire commercial album Willis launched in the eighties, trashing soul classics like Under the Boardwalk! Apologies to the man, for I’d archived that album to the back of my mind and wasnโt referring to it at all!
I hope he reads this so I can correct the tit I made of myself! Because last night’s gig was sublime; I never had any doubts, and my concept Ian Siegal is cool, however I express it, sticks! Plus, of course, there will be plenty of other opportunities to make a tit out of myself, Iโm sure!
As for Ian, he seems to be on a permanent tour, find dates on his website, and news of an new album, Stone by Stone, due in April, HERE.
For Long Street, John Otway & The Big Band arrives next Saturday, 16th November, promising to be something different, and with Billy in the Lowground in support. Then, Thomas Atlas Band plays with Two Smiles, A Bang, and a Legend in support, for a Christmas Party on Saturday 21st December.
Remember, remember, weโre moving into November; leaves, loads of โem! Being as we are no longer doing weekly roundups, hereโs some highlights of events in Devizes during November, but do pay attention, thereโs lots more listed on our event calendar, from all over our county, and itโs always updating, so keep checking in HERE too!
Daveโs birthday beer festival at the Southgate, for the entire weekend and into Monday. Find Sammi Evans, Josh Oldfield & Gordon Thompson there on Friday 1st, and Courting Ghosts, I believe, are there on Saturday; not sure about the rest, but I think the focus is on the beer; if you can focus on beer! Happy birthday, Dave!
Talking taps, we send our best of luck to The Pour House, taking over the old Vaults in St Johnโs Street, Devizes. Itโs their grand opening on Friday 1st.
On Saturday 2nd, there’s a tap top sale in Couch Lane, we have the Lions Club Arts Coaching Day, and Quakers Walk Community Biodiversity Group are bulb planting and preparing wildflower beds. Sunflower Events host a Christmas Market at the Corn Exchange from 11am to 6 on Saturday, 11am to 4 on Sunday.
While those Roughcut Rebels return to the Three Crowns, and Dave’s birthday beer fest continues at the Southgate, Mississippi MacDonald Band kicks off a long month of gigs at Long Street Blues Club, with Sons of the Delta in support. Isosceles Theatre Company are at the Wharf Theatre on Saturday, with a performance of Murder; Just What the Doctor Ordered. In aid of Swindon & Devizes Sands, thereโs a Back to School disco at the Wyvern Club.
Sunday 3rd, itโs Devizes Fireworks at the Football Club. Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate. A concert in Chirton too, see poster below!
Monday 4th, The Opening of the Garden of Remembrance at the War Memorial, 10.45hrs.
Wednesday 6th, the regular acoustic jam night at the Southgate, of course!
Thursday 7th, Devizes Film Club is at The Wharf, with a screening of Finnish film Fallen Leaves.
Friday 8th, Muck & Dunder have a DJ set from Dub Pistol Barry Ashworth. Devizes Arts Festival presents a night of comedy at the Corn Exchange. And The Devizes Eisteddfod opens for Music, Speech & Drama, and runs until 17th November 2024.
Saturday 9th has the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Associationโs Book Fair at the Corn Exchange from 10am. Stone’s Throw are at The Three Crowns. And while Swindonโs amazing folk ensemble SGO are at the Southgate, The Ian Siegal Band are at Long Street Blues Club with Ruby Darbyshire in support, both unmissable!
Sunday 10th: Remembrance in Devizes. 09.15hrs Muster in the Marketplace. 10.00hrs Church Service at St Johnโs Church. After service Reform in Long Street. 11.00hrs Last Post-Two Minutes Silence- reveille Wreath Laying and Parade Marches Back to Marketplace.
Mr Griff & The Grifters play The Southgate, Devizes, from 5pm.
Monday 11th: Remembrance in Devizes. At the War Memorial: 10.45hrs for The National Two Minutes silence.
Wednesday 13th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate.
Friday 15th find the brilliant Siren at the Three Crowns.
Saturday 16th thereโs a Mynt Image Craft Fair at the Corn Exchange, from 10am. Free entry and a great range of superb quality products.
John Otway makes a welcome return to Devizes, at the Long Street Blues Club, and Billy and the Lowground in support; a different night for the club, highly recommended this one!
Wednesday 20th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate. Devizes Flower Club is jingling all the way to the Corn Exchange.
Thursday 21st and thereโs an Evening of Mediumship with Psychic Medium Nikki Kitt at the Corn Exchange.
Friday 22nd Queen tribute act, Qween UK at the Corn Exchange, no excuses for spellings from us, that is what it is, lets hope they will rowk you!
Saturday 23rd you can find The Sylvertones at The Three Crowns, but not a lot else I’ve heard about as of yet. Time maybe to pop over to Lavington for this….
Wednesday 27th, sees the regular acoustic jam at the Southgate.
Thursday 28th head down to the Pelican, where Fantasy Radio presents a Live Lounge with Ruby Darbyshire. Also, itโs open mic night at The Cellar Bar, Bear Hotel from 7:30pm.
Friday 29th is DOCA Winter Festival, lights switching on, lantern parade, mulled wine, Devizes Town Band playing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and all the gubbings; and thatโs when Iโm officially in the Christmas mode! Window Wanderland runs from here until 2nd Dec, and the fun continues into Saturday too!
Double-whammy, the Hazel & Gretel panto opens at the Wharf Theatre on Friday too. Note, due to popularity theyโve added dates, and it runs until the 7th December now. I will be going to see it long before you, and Iโll be here to tell you about it; what? Perks of the job!!
Also on Saturday 30th, ever popular covers unique trio People Like Us will be at the Three Crowns. White Horse Opera at Market Lavington Community Hall.
That’s all for now, folks! Did I miss something out? Did you tell us about it?! We update all the time, so, rest assured more will be added when they come in, and if you cannot find something to entertain you here, you can leave town! In a nice way, you understand, we do have roads and Devizine lists events within range of Devizes as well as in Devizes; so remember, remember, to check the EVENT CALENDER!!
The simple answer is yes, very concerned. Following the publication of an article in Melksham Newsโs last issue questioning the councilโs public notice policy, Wiltshire Council has refused to engage with Melksham News, effectively censoring the newspaper. This disgraceful decision could undermine local press freedom, accountability and local democracyโฆ..ย
Melksham News, part of the Wiltshire Publications Group, has served their community with integrity, providing factual reporting and holding public institutions accountable for over forty years. However, when recently it reported on criticism of the council for its policy of only using paid-for newspapers to advertise public notices, including the concerns raised by some councillors and the local MP after a motion to debate the issue was denied, Wiltshire Council halted all communications with the newspaper, declining to send press releases or respond to any enquiries. Is this Wiltshire, or North Korea?!
Melksham News claims it has received written confirmation from Wiltshire Council stating they do not feel able to engage with the publication. In a statement from Wiltshire Publications on behalf of Melksham News, they stated, “We are aware of a statement from Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council, in the press that raises concerns about our reporting and our supposed ‘campaign’ against Wiltshire Council.โ
โIn his statement, Cllr Clewer accuses Wiltshire Publications of running an ongoing campaign over the past two years to pressure the council into advertising statutory notices with us. He also claims that we have continued to present a negative narrative because the council has chosen not to advertise with us.โ
โWe feel these accusations are inaccurate and misrepresent our intentions. We have written only one article on the matter of public notices, published in our issue on 10th October. This followed the council chairโs decision not to consider a motion from Cllr Jon Hubbard. We categorically deny the claims of an ongoing campaign lasting over two years. The issue of public notices was first raised with the council in September 2023, and we have published only this one article on the subject since then. To characterise this as an ongoing campaign is both misleading and unfounded.โ
โThe matter of public notice policy concerns taxpayers’ money and public access to information. Our role is to ensure that the public is well-informed, especially on issues of transparency and public spending. Any suggestion that we are highlighting these issues for personal gain is not only inaccurate but entirely inappropriate.โ
The statement from Melksham News continues, claiming Cllr Clewer stated their reporting has not been impartial. โIt is unfair to accuse us of impartiality based on a single article, especially one that was grounded in data obtained via Freedom of Information requests and included a response from the council,โ they said. โWe do not feel it is the role of a statutory body to judge our editorial decisions. Editorial independence is essential to a free press, and it allows us to hold public institutions accountable. Our responsibility is to the public and presenting information based on fact. By refusing to engage with local media over a single article, the councilโs actions undermine the principles of press freedom and open dialogue, which are essential to ensuring accountability and transparency in public institutions.โ
Melksham News stated it stands by their reporting, remaining committed, โto informing our readers in an accurate and fair manner, ensuring that the community has access to the information it needs to hold its elected officials to account.โ And here at Devizine, we stand by them too, believing we all should. On the last few occasions weโve published anything about Wiltshire Council it was in support of their recent actions; the extension of the bus timetables, permission for a graffiti wall in Melksham; all pragmatic motions which proves when the council get it right it will be reported positively, even by us!! It is a shame then, to have to spoil the run with this, but silencing constructive criticism is deeply concerning to democracy.
In the midst of the past governmentโs โcircus of thievery,โ we are surely all aware of press corruption, undermining press freedom at Conservative conferences and refusing entry to them, and the manipulation of the media to promote their ethos and obliterate opposing opinions. Most of us studied modern history and what happened in 1920’s Germany, don’t make me spell it out. And weโve even seen this on a local level via unscrupulous control of social media groups by power-tripping councillors, but weโve yet to realise this is happening to official media groups channelled by the county council, until now.
The shocking fact one lone keyboard warriorโs comment on Melksham Newsโ original Facebook post ludicrously pointed the finger at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, suggesting, โthey are doing what Kier Starmer has told them to do as he doesn’t want the truth coming out so he is censoring all news and negative comments and newspapers telling the truth,โ is proof enough, I believe, of how deeply the effect of misinformation is ingrained into forming public opinion and causing hysteria with a false narrative; that an a better education system!
How anyone could link this issue with the new Labour government when thereโs not a red tie in sight at Wiltshire Council is beyond belief. It retains a Conservative majority and the leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer, the councillor enforcing this infringement of the common law of freedom of expression is a Conservative too. Yet it is worrying evidence that we need a rebalance in media bias; people believe this shit!! Hey, I stubbed my toe on the wheel of my sofa this morning. It’s blatantly obvious what’s happened here; Keir Starmer broke into my house, and moved my sofa a quarter of an inch to the left!
I shouldnโt joke, this would be propaganda on an Orwellian level if it wasnโt laughably from a Council boasting being named as the seventh-best council in England in the latest IMPOWER Index, judged by how efficiently it delivers core services in relation to their budgets, as I dangerously bounce over the umpteenth pothole pondering if I should follow up on bias and braggart press releases like this! Someone needs to inform Cllr Clewer we have only left the European Union, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights still stands in British law, giving us the right to freedom of expression. A right I will exercise, cheers me dears!
The newspaperโs operations manager, Joe McCann said, โlocal newspapers like ours are essential for holding public bodies to account and ensuring transparency in local government. By cutting off communication, the council is evading scrutiny and potentially controlling the flow of information, which is not just a concern for us as journalists but for the public as well.โ Melksham Newsโs statement suggests similar; โThis sets a dangerous precedent, where councils can silence critical voices instead of addressing legitimate concerns, ultimately undermining local democracy. This is an unprecedented move for a local council.โ
Wiltshire Councillor Jon Hubbard, who represents Melksham South ward said, โI am deeply concerned and disappointed by the recent correspondence sent to Melksham Independent News, stating that Wiltshire Council will no longer correspond with the newspaper until they approve of the coverage provided. This kind of stance sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the principles of a free and independent press, which plays a vital role in holding local government to account. I sincerely hope that this decision is not politically motivated, as it would undermine the trust between the council and the residents it serves.โ
โThe press should never be expected to tailor their coverage to meet the approval of those in powerโit is their duty to provide fair and accurate reporting to the community. I call on Wiltshire Council to explain why such a step has been deemed necessary and to reaffirm its commitment to transparency, openness, and constructive engagement with all media outlets. Our community deserves nothing less.โ
Emma Meese, director at the Independent Community News Network (ICNN), who represents the independent press community, added, โThe role of a journalist has always been to scrutinise and provide news that is in the public interest. It is concerning when a local authority decides it will not engage with the largest news provider in the area, for calling it out on its actions. We have to question the motive behind this decision by Wiltshire Council to try and control the narrative.โ
Allow me then to speculate, we are, quite simply, face-to-face with a county council desperately clinging onto a dying Conservative philosophy and running scared till the point it fears constructive criticism. Yet by attempting to silence it makes the dangerous assumption we are foolish enough not to conclude from this that theyโve something to hide, and are doing so via manipulation of the media. Either that, or they really did send Keir Starmer to stealthily shift my sofa quarter of an inch to the right causing me to be unnecessarily tetchy this afternoon. Now, excuse me while I go shout at some Gen Zers vaping in the park like the level-headed indoctrinated boomer the mainstream media has convinced me to be!!!
Salisbury acoustic singer-songwriter Rosie Jay released her debut EP today, taking its title from her first single from June this year, I Donโt Give aโฆ
I’m loving this new tune! Swindon’s upcoming reggae singer/DJ Silver-Star has teamed up with the legendary General Levy for a drum n bass golden nuggetโฆ
Am I going to tell you about this new George Wilding tune, or not? Huh? Oh, sorry mate, what was that again?!
Sounds like George is irked with a distracted nomophobe, much less speaks out for everyone ignored when addressing someone permanently glaring at a phone screen and risking causing a hitch in a relationship; I donโt blame him and suspect most of us have been both victim and guilty of violating basic manners while gawking at someone’s lost cat or unappetising supper photo on Facebook.
Maybe this review will make you think twice, maybe it’s hypocritical even reading it, but whatever; it’s the damn good welcoming home song we’ve come to expect from this local legend.
So, pay attention now, because it’s been a while since we’ve been able to say we’ve a new single from the prodigal George Wilding to mention. He’s been enjoying being the human jukebox aboard cruise ships, guaranteeing his bread and butter, and if he’s got some stories to tell, we’re glad to see him back to tell them.
Sign of Life is out across streaming platforms on the 24th October 2024, we’ll drop a link here to it when available, so check back in or follow his socials. Its working title, Canโt Get Through to You, may be more enlightening, but not so punchy.
George Wilding
A medium-paced post-gothic indie rock riff, comparable to those who dared buck the noncommercial ethos of the subgenres of new wave, The Smiths, The Cure both spring to mind, though George’s distinctive and often adventuresome vocal range should be no stranger to anyone locally based and therefore needs no comparables. This is a grower, creeping up on you, and after a few listens youโll be hooked. But besides, itโs George, and doesnโt divert from the style or excellence of his previous outpourings; fans will be pleased to hear, I reckon.
Double-whammy, as itโs produced by the amazing Jolyon Dixon, renowned for bringing the best out of many artists new to us; weโre delighted to hear of this perfect coupling. Jolyon told me, โit was great fun working with him, canโt believe we hadnโt done so before!โ
Look out for it on Thursday, just donโt ignore your better half when they complain youโre supposed to be taking the bins out rather than listening to this amazing new song from George Wilding, as that is what ear-pods were invented for!
Somewhere just outside Westbury a sizable barn hosted the most memorable new year’s eve raves in the mid-nineties, but Iโd never have imagined then, thatโฆ
A Scooby snack-sized pinch punch, first day of the month came from Minety Music Festival this morning upon announcing their headliner for 2025, The Funโฆ
by Ian DiddamsImages by Josie Mae-Ross and Infrogmation Tennessee Williamsโ quasi autobiographical drama โA Streetcar Named Desireโ was first performed in 1947 as the worldโฆ
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Devizes based White Horse Opera has a fine and longstanding tradition of a touring opera โ a show taken the length and breadth of Wiltshire (and even further!) performed at various village halls, theatres and churches as venues. Recent past operas have included โDie Fledermausโ, โThe Mikadoโ and Ruddigoreโ and their latest offering is Mozartโs slightly bonkers โCosi Fan Tutteโ. On Friday last the dress rehearsal was produced for the “Friends of W.H.O.โ another of their traditions where the great and the good gather to indulge in swathes of cheesy comestibles and stunning music.
Mozart penned his Italian language piece in the 1780s when he was in his thirties. Itโs a comedy, albeit arguably somewhat a chauvinist one leaning heavily as it does on the alleged capriciousness of women โ the title loosely translated as โWomen are like that”. The basic daft premise โ like all the best highbrow theatre of course โ revolves around the unlikely disguising beyond recognition of two men (Guglielmo and Ferrando) such that their betrothed (Fiordiligi and Dorabella) will not recognise them, and so the farcical consequences may then ensue. Naturally there has to be some neโre do wells that first set up this unlikely scenario (Don Alfonso) and abet it (Despina).
The flirtatious and easily swayed girls are played by Barbara Gompels and Paula Boyagis, who in the duets in particular sweetly complement each other. Regular watchers of W.H.O.โs performances will need no further introduction to this talented pair, as indeed they will need no further introduction to Jon Paget who played Guglielmo, more than ably twinned by Robert Felstead as Ferrando as the pair of soldiers tasked by Don Alfonso played by the evergreen Lewis Cohen to trick their girlfriends in being unfaithful as part of a wager. Toni Johnstone completed the cast as the superbly independent and uncowed maid Despina. Jon and Robert proved an excellent comedy double act throughout their shenanigans, culminating in the wonderful disguises as what appeared to be two 1980s Australian cricketers off to the disco!
As a dress rehearsal as expected the show was ready to roll โ a couple of small hiccoughs for sure but nothing to distract from the hilarious mayhem on stage. Itโs a modern setting costume wise, and the set as befits a touring opera where complex arrangements are problematical, is simple โฆย a lovely backdrop setting the countryside setting by the inimitable Chrissie Higgs, who is also set to share the role of Despina when on tour.
For those concerned that an Italian language opera will be incomprehensible to their Anglo-Saxon ears, fear ye notโฆ as ever W.H.O.s operas are sung in English, this translation by the much missed Graham Billing who having translated the opera once, then lost it, and had to redo it. The entire translation was full of clearly identified Billingisms in the jokes whether sung or spoken. His legacy lives on and arenโt we all lucky that it does.
No opera of course is complete without its orchestra, and as so often for W.H.O. the orchestra of twenty as writ by Mozart is manfully represented by Tony James on the piano, and all pulled together by Roland Melia as M.D. par excellence. Stage Direction by Lewis Cohen completes the crew.
The tour begins soon in November in Market Lavington, but is also due to visit Bremhill, Hilperton, Winsley and Devizes in 2025, with other dates being announced all the while.ย And if you would wish W.H.O. to visit your local venue, maybe as a fund raiser for a local cause etc, feel free to contact them on who-enquiries@hotmail.co.uk
If Phil Cooperโs 2018 โThoughts and Observations,โ was one of the first albums we ever reviewed here on Devizine, itโs been a while since Iโve been able to say โa new single from Phil Cooper,โ but here we are, and itโs a great place to beโฆ..
As the name suggested โThoughts and Observations,โ as Philโs songwriting template, in general, is relatable personal reflection which often provides pointers for his audience, it was brimful of such, and while the new single Still Holding My Breath does likewise, it offers a matured side to Philโs convictions. Plus, it rides that cool acoustic value we know and love him for, remarkably well.
Thereโs a definite and poignant message of perseverance here, opening with the line โlook out world, Iโm here to stay,โ and a measure of success whereby the creative mind must continue nonetheless. As is Luke 6:38, the songโs indispensable line, โI still believe the more you put in the more you will get in return,โ rewards any labour of love for the hard worker with the notion to keep at it.
Phil is one such hard worker who I see setting himself high goals, and in embarking on many projects, some formulated, others more experimental, has had varied success with them. Perhaps none more than his grouping with Jamie R Hawkins and Tamsin Quin as The Lost Trades. If this modern folk harmony trio has achieved more than the sum of all their parts as individuals, it is with hard work they’ve achieved so and with an โa little help from my friends,โ sentiment evident in the depths of this song, and more visually with the excellent accompanying video made by Jamie. The song is, besides the labour applied to The Lost Trades, something wholeheartedly solitary, an introverted savoury sentiment.ย It’s nice to see them take a short break from the trio in order to align themselves once again with their separate identities, as they were before the dawn of The Lost Trades all remarkable within their own rights.
I believe the hard work has paid off for Phil, relatively, making me wonder what his expectations or goals are, what he dreams to achieve, being Still Holding My Breath suggests quintessentially he still has โbarriersโ to overcome, but a single this good is surely proof of his worth; it is a valuable song. And in that, this is more an outward facing concept, delivering a message to us.
To the artist personally, do take a deep breath, itโs an outstanding song, Phil; inspiringly evolved from everything which has gone before it. To everyone else, decide for yourself by taking a listen!
Purveyors of perfect motion, house music promoters Palooza return to The Exchange in Devizes on Friday 20th December, for its grand finale of the yearโฆ..โฆ
Okay, so, Iโm aย little behind, recently opting to perfect my couch potato posture and consider hibernation, meaning Iโve not yet mentioned Kirsty Clinchโs newโฆ
With Black Friday just a few weeks away, Wiltshire based Blackmore Computers Ltd, is encouraging people to think pre-loved if theyโre planning on buying laptopsโฆ
If rural West Country had a penchant for trance in the happy daze of the mid-nineties, heady nights of fluorescent-clad crusties with eyes like flyingโฆ
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts announced their upcoming project, YEA Devizes today. Made possible by a grant from National Grid Electricity Transmissionโs Community Grant Programme, the Youth Event Activity Devizes will be a youth festival area within the International Street Festivalโฆ.
Working with the incredible young adults we have in our community, DOCA will support them to plan and run their own outdoor event, putting all the decisions in their hands and enabling them to show everyone their interests and capabilities. All along the way they will be able to learn and develop the skills needed to put on outdoor events and arts management.
The flyer was designed by their youth advisor, who also helped to develop this fantastic opportunity from the start. If you are between the age of 16 – 21 (up to 25 with SEND) then please use this form – https://tinyurl.com/5xnsrk4p – to let them know if you are interested in being a part of this, whether as part of the core Youth Event Management Panel or further along the line.ย
Trust me to question the SEND element to this, as it is often the case SEND people will shy away from events due to sensory overload. But Annabel of DOCA is addressing this, and enlightened us, โwe understand that it can be confronting for some people. There are behind the scenes roles where we can help them avoid most of the madness if they wish, although as you say it may be too much for some. We are happy to work with anyone to make the experience work for them if possible – and in fact having someone with lived experience of SEND on the team could help us develop more SEND-friendly event spaces.โ Ah, I like this answer!
Congratulations to Rosalind Ambler and Paul Snook from Devizes Writers Group… At the National Community Radio Awards held in Cardiff on 16th November Together!, the soap opera written by DWGโs Rosalind Ambler and former member Paul Snook, and produced and broadcast by Warminster Community Radio, got the silver award in the Arts and Culture section.โฆ
Two of the county’s top retrospective cover bands meet for a double-bill of action in Market Lavington This Saturday. Calneโs indie rock five-piece Six Oโclock Circus have diverse influences to win any crowd, but itโs always conveyed with this affirmed nod to the heyday of mod rock, new wave and Britpop. Swindonโs The Killertones Undergroundโฆ
Again we find ourselves congratulating and thanking young Chloe Boyle for fantastic fundraising efforts for Devizes homeless charity OpenDoorsโฆ. With friends and family she spent Saturday morning selling teddies and soft toys outside Morrisons in Devizes, this time raising ยฃ61.40. But if weโve featured Chloe before they are usually for her individual fundraising efforts. However,โฆ
Images: Chris Watkins Media It was lovely to spend Sunday afternoon at Devizesโ Wharf Theatre, to see how this yearโs pantomime Hansel & Gretel, is coming along. If my preview is behind me now, or if โoh, no, it isnโt,โ Iโm happy to confirm ticket holders are in for a real treat, and those withoutโฆ
Long overdue a visit to the Pump in Trowbridge, Jamie Thyer, frontman of the Worried Men twisted my arm Friday night and there I was, to witness, once again, these wonderful weavers of sublime blues to rock n roll tapestriesโฆ.. Itโs been five months since I was last here in the legendary pump room convertedโฆ
It would be fair to say that once William Shakespeare found or invented a plot device, he wasnโt one to avoid using it again. And again. And โ wellโฆ again, and again. Letโs play โShakespeare Bingoโ and โGuess the Playโโฆ
Thereโs a STORM AT SEA, a SHIPWRECK, a HUSBAND is SEPARATED from his WIFE, FAMILIES are SEPARATED, each thinks the other is LOST or DEAD, somebody is thought to be DEAD but is actually ALIVE, a RULER abuses his position of POWER, there is a MAGICIAN controlling SOMEBODY, BROTHEL OWNERS, PIRATES, and in the end EVERTHING is resolved and family REUNITED.
Hmmmm. Well, itโs a tricky one. The Tempest? Twelfth Night? Comedy of Errors? Romeo and Juliet? Merchant of Venice? Othello? Winterโs Tale? Much Ado? Allโs Well? Henry IV Pt 1? Measure for Measure? Cymberline? Two Gents? Hamlet?
All of these plays have at least one and often more of the attributes listed โ Will liked to avoid working on new plotlines for sure. However, at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, handily enough as it turns out, placed beside boats on the water to add even more background to a tale of watery confusions, is yet another Shakespeare play reliant on all of those points.
Pericles.
No, it’s not some sort of small whelk, or a garden perennial. Itโs the story of an eponymous hero who escapes from a dodgy tyrant by running away to sea andโฆ well, you can piece the rest together from that second paragraph and Wikipedia. Needless to say, allโs well that ends well. So to speak.
Now Pericles is not a popularly performed play. Indeed, according to a 2024 ranking of most performed Shakespearian plays it comes in 22nd of 49 positions since 2012. So itโs a real treat to be able to see it at a local theatre which may understandably have otherwise put on one of the โBig Sixโ [*], and running at the same time as the same play at the RSC to boot. The Wharf is no stranger either to putting on lesser known Shakespeare of course, having shown โMeasure for Measureโ in 2023. One reason for this wonderful opportunity to see this play is that the director, Nic Proud, is working his way through directing the entire canon โ and this is his twenty-fifth play of that list, and another is the bold and open approach of the Wharfโs artistic director John Winterton.
The play rattles along โ Nic has trimmed the script to the key plot points, although as he says the play is really a series of connected moments and he has created a smooth storyline using those moments. The usual top technical team (Three Ts!) deliver effects and lighting with aplomb of course, leaving the stage ready and waiting for the actors to take us on Pericles’ voyage not only of the high seas, but of his fate and inner turmoil. The set is simply adorned with white and purple drapes, which cunningly transform into a jousting tilt barrier, and ethereal wings of the goddess Diana. A roped balcony provides some height to the set.
Our titular character is well delivered by Chris Smith, one of the four cast who have only one part to concern themselves with (has two shipwrecks!), the others being Danielle Cosh as the ethereal Thaisa (dies at sea, comes back to life!) , Louise Peak as the perspicacious Helicanus, and Nic Proud as Thaliard, stepping into the role at a late stage when an unfortunate injury to Steve Brooks saw him unable to continue โ we wish Steve a speedy recovery and hope he can return to the Wharf in the future.
The other six cast members play between them a bewildering array of twenty-one other characters! That list would run to volumes but huge kudos to Abigail Baker playing Marina, Pericles daughter (lost at sea โ now THEREโs a thingโฆ), Andy Bendell as the seedy bawd (!) Pander, Tony Luscombe as the dastardly Cleon (and a sailor in a storm!), Sian Stables as even more dastardly Dionyza (and a sailor in a storm!) , Pete Wallis as the vengeful Antiochus (and a pirate!), and Debby Wilkinson as a brilliant mix of servant, bawd (!), sailor (in a storm!) and fisherman!
Nicโs scissors have created a play about the length of a football match, and which is wonderfully easy to follow โ every cast member deliver the lines of Elizabethan English so well that its totally understandable and comprehensible. The costumes are totally sublime so once again chapeau (see what I did there?) to Gill Barnes and her team.
All that remains to say is take this chance to see a play most theatres and companies steer clear of. And if nothing else if you will save your self a drive to Stratford and back to see it.
Our very own illustrious orchestra, The Fulltone Orchestra, are staging live performances of Enyaโs 1988 breakthrough album, Watermark in Basingstoke, Bath and Cheltenham later this month. They promise to be symphonic celebrations of the bestselling artistsโ sublime and distinctive sound…..
The Fulltone Orchestra, accompanied by the magnificent female voices of The Cantiamo Choir, revive Enyaโs iconic and pioneering album in a series of live performances, culminating at The Anvil, Basingstoke on the 7th of November, beginning with Cheltenham Town Hall on 31st October, and with a date at Bath Forum in the middle, and that being the 5th November.
This is the unique opportunity music-lovers will cherish. To experience the prevalent and admired blend of Celtic, classical, and ambient soundscapes of Enyaโs ethereal and timeless sound, accomplished with the magnificence of a sixty-five-piece orchestra and the finest singers.
Watermark was not only Enyaโs breakthrough album but debatably her magnum opus. Its commercial success was renowned through its exclusivity, was honoured with glowing reviews and sold over eight million copies.
Now, obviously I’m far too young to remember Enya’s Watermark. With the geographic knowledge of an American box turtle, I only ever knew Orinoco as a Womble, and the single concerned me as to what his “flow” might have referred to!
Arranged by noted pianist and composer, Dominic Irving, this spectacular piece has been specifically written for orchestra and choir, and will transport audiences back to the late 1980s, alongside other hits by Riverdance, Enigma, Clannad and Karl Jenkins.
Conductor Anthony Brown at Fulltone 24. Image: Gail Foster
The evenings will also include the smash hit Lily Was Here, made famous by eighties saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and will be played by legendary sax player, Vicki Watson.
The Cantiamo Choir features Welsh-born vocalist Amelia Jones, recognised for her lucid tone and expressive vocal delivery. The Fulltone Orchestra is a sixty-five-piece orchestra with a variety of acclaimed musicians from the Southwest and is led by Musical Director Anthony Brown. They have past praised performances in venues such as Bath Abbey, Wells Cathedral, Marlborough College and Cheltenham Town Hall, and organise an annual festival, Fulltone, in Devizes; yay, I said Devizes! Editor’s note, the orchestra spawned here; get in, you moonrakers!
Jemma Brown, Fulltone Orchestra Artistic Director said, โWeโre absolutely delighted to be able to bring this much-loved music to audiences across the South this autumn. Watermark catapulted Enya to international fame, with the number one hit, โOrinoco Flow.โ Itโs sure to be a highlight of our performance. Thereโs something incredibly special about the sound created by a full orchestra alongside the voices of Cantiamo, and audiences can expect an exciting evening of music on a magnificent scale.โ
Sheffieldโs DIY punk queer emo five-piece, Slash Fiction will be at the Pump in Trowbridge on Wednesday 20th November as part of their nationwide tour.โฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Playing Up Theatre Company When is a mousetrap not a mousetrap? When itโs written by Tom StoppardโฆIf you have seen โTheโฆ
Wiltshire Music Centre is delighted to announce the new appointments ofย Danielย Clark as Artistic Director, andย Sarahย Robertson as Executive Director.ย Danielย andย Sarahย join Wiltshire Music Centre in a new co-leadershipโฆ
By Mick Brianphotos by Chris Watkins Media Disney aficionados will need no introduction to โThe Little Mermaid,โ Disneyโs 1989 film about mermaids falling in loveโฆ
Must confess it felt somewhat odd to return to The Crown in Bishops Cannings for my weekly ration of live music. The only pub in the village has been closed a short while, since verbal pitchforks and torches from a crotchety minority who wanted the tavern to be little more than a museum artefact drove the previous landlords outโฆ..
Prior it was a bustling community hub run immaculately with gusto and enthusiasm, hosting a variety of events and raising funds for charities. Seemed crabby witches and even a lord of a manor were prepared to gang-up, lie to police, and misquote Devizine when we failed to appeal to their better nature. It backfired, they didn’t own one, but let’s not dwell.
New landlords are in, pleasant and keen to maintain the pub’s reputation amidst the prying Karens. Sarah, the new landlady praised her new chefs, and the pub hosts an open mic every first Thursday of the month, Tuesday evening quizzes, and intends to begin a men’s mental health group and possibly a football team.
Tonight, however, will be the new owners first live music night, and they’ve wisely hoisted in promoters Wiltshire Music Events to organise it. Though without much advertising unfortunately the crowd was slight. Never the simple accomplishment it may seem when established venues have the monopoly through a regularity of gigs, to sporadically host will require endless bashing about it on social media. It is, however, easier with the increased 49 bus service, that a night bus will drop into villages enroute, of which you should take note.
I’m in attendance not only to support and encourage the importance of entertainment in villages, save the thought of losing your local watering hole. Rather it is because Wiltshire Music Events is hosting two new acts on their roster, one who’ve yet to explore outside of their Salisbury circuit. A wise choice being the neighbouring church is a mini replica of the cathedral to make the bishop feel at home in the Cannings, or at least so the myth goes!
Firstly, in support, young singer-songwriter Rosie Jay, one I’ve been dying to meet and see live since fondly reviewing her first two singles. Rosie didn’t disappoint despite the pedestal I’ve put her on. Her self-penned songs are rippled with the poignancy of the classic template acoustic wordsmiths who made it big will follow; concentration on the hook, something even more essential with the attention span of the Tik-Tok generation.
Her voice is rich, affectionate, and she delivers songs with passion and blossoming stage presence. An interesting choice of covers from a young artist, often, she explained to the audience, inspired by their usage in films. Okay, Elvisโ Can’t Help Falling in Love is timeless romantic, and The Cranberriesโ Zombie is most formulaic, but Dylan’s It Ain’t Me Babe, is a cynical rare choice to pull from her magician’s hat. Though it relates in theme to Rosie’s first song, I Don’t Give a Damn, and her general subjects. Rosie nailed them all, beautifully, with particular evocative expressions in the reclusive and heartfelt jaundiced emotions of Dylan, and likewise her own intelligent compositions.
Currently pursuing a Level 3 Diploma in Music at Wiltshire College and University Centre, Rosie told me of her work on local radio, and was enthusiastic about her forthcoming EP. Part of the growing Wiltshire Music Events family now, as Joylon Dixon has worked with her to produce it. And Joylon accompanies the next performer, the incredible Rachel Sinnetta.
Renowned for a two-year stint supporting Gerry & The Pacemakers, singing to Prince William and recording with Pete Townshend, Rachel intended to tour aย “Wuthering Heights: The Music of Kate Bush,โ project which unfortunately fell through.
Music teacher Rachel set to tour this tribute extensively throughout the UK; that’s what the blurb told me. All I know is Kate Bush is the vocal epitome of singularity, the individuality debatably overlooked in today’s pop industry, as the penchant to sound akin to Whitney Houston seems paramount.
Just like Dolly, Cher, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks, Tom Jones, Alanis Morissette, even KT Tunstall et al, you need a seriously powerful vocal range to convincingly take on a Kate Bush cover. And Rachel did, sublimely delivering Running Up That Hill, and popular hits of all the aforementioned. Seemingly having her own deal with god, Rachel naturally reaches the notes with ease, her husky yet divine rock voice is the eloquence and faculty able to adapt to take those powerhouse ballads on with such precision and poignancy, particularly with the female giants. She even rinsed Arthea Franklinโs Natural Women, and left me tingling, Chaka Khanโs Ainโt Nobody too simply wowed. Proud Mary in the key of Tina Turner; who would dare attempt them in an intimate gig such as this?! Rachel Sinnetta made them look childsplay.
Sassy with Tom Jonesโ Kiss, joyful with Erasureโs A Little Respect, covers came thick and fast, coupled with the secret legendary Jolyon Dixon without rehearsal was a match from heaven, and the whole shebang was utterly blissful; shame only us, a few regulars and their dogs were there to witness it. Such is the uphill struggle for new landlords to plant their establishment into a local music circuit, partially my reasoning for doing this blog.
So, take heed now, especially everyone in Pewsey; this wonderful formula, Rosie Jay followed by Rachel Sinnetta with Jolyon Dixon will be continued at the Royal Oak, in Pewsey, with a free gig from 8pm, next Saturday, the 19th October; they are in for a treat.
Remember, remember, weโre moving into November; leaves, loads of โem! Being as we are no longer doing weekly roundups, hereโs some highlights of events inโฆ
The simple answer is yes, very concerned. Following the publication of an article in Melksham Newsโs last issue questioning the councilโs public notice policy, Wiltshireโฆ
Dumping pumpkins in the woods is bad for wildlife says Forestry England. As millions of pumpkins hit supermarket shelves and make their way to gardens,โฆ
If Phil Cooperโs 2018 โThoughts and Observations,โ was one of the first albums we ever reviewed here on Devizine, itโs been a while since Iโveโฆ
Wiltshire Adele tribute Jodie Evans is all set to ignite the stage on Friday 18th October, at the Bear Hotelโs Cellar Bar in Devizes, with all funds made going to a Devizes School student hopeful to raise enough to visit Ecuador to work over the summerโฆ
Jodie is fast building amazing fan reviews and support for her tribute to Adele, and is taking bookings into 2025 already. Tickets are available at ยฃ10 per person HERE.ย
The Devizes School Student said, โFollowing volunteering within the Devizes area, I am passionate about giving back and I am looking forward to living and working with the local people, to experience first-hand the issues faced by rural communities in Ecuador whilst making a positive and lasting impact. I will contribute to ongoing sustainable projects that help support communities and protect the biodiverse environment in this amazing country – Thank you for supporting my cause.โ
We wish them all the best, and hope ‘someone like you’ can help and buy a ticket (see what I did there?!)
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts announced their upcoming project, YEA Devizes today. Made possible by a grant from National Grid Electricity Transmissionโs Community Grant Programme, theโฆ
Alberta Cross, along with the up-and-coming local bands Something Moves and BroccoliBoy, will perform at a charity gig on Saturday 30th November at 23 Bathโฆ
Chippenhamโs young folk singer-songwriter Meg, or M3G if you want to get numeric, will release her 6th single The Mist on Friday 18th October, andโฆ
Our very own illustrious orchestra, The Fulltone Orchestra, are staging live performances of Enyaโs 1988 breakthrough album, Watermark in Basingstoke, Bath and Cheltenham later thisโฆ
Forget the feud between Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, this is England’s West Country rivals The Skimmity Hitchers and Monkey Bizzle in a vicious rapโฆ
Despite summer being a fleeting memory, and time to batten down the hatches for our major events, even if there’s not โmuchโ going on in Devizes at night, there’s always somethingโฆ.
Though tempted by gigs further afield, The Pump in one direction, George Wilding in Pewsey the other, I had had โone of those weeks.โ You know the sort, I’m sure; don’t ask if not! It persuaded me towards the self-indulgence of too many ciders; a rare thing for me these days, usually I’m happy to drive to a gig, but adamant I was staying in Devizes to booze, I was stuck with the โsomethings.โ Thing was, those things turned out really rather good.
If there’s always something happening in Devizes, it’s largely down to two pubs, The Southgate and The Three Crowns. But Saturday night, The Bear Hotel was hosting a soul DJ night of Motown to disco, by long-standing Melksham based DJ, Maurice Menghini, aka Mister M, and his partner on the wheels of steel, The Original PJ, or Patrick, as I was introduced to him as. Maurice has carved a flexible DJ promotional organisation called Real Music Promotions, for all manner of function, with a personal penchant for reggae. Heโs been at it for years, and is renowned locally.
My round robin, then, began at the exquisite Bear Hotelโs Ballroom, as rubbing shoulders with Maurice has been long overdue. Itโs a matured affair, a blossoming crowd of Devizes disco die-hards gathered, looking for any excuse to dance, and Maurice provided that with the unsurpassed magic of Motown classics, Northern Soul rarities and spanning into later disco discs. They know what buttons to press, supplying lively banter, and request cards on the tables. While itโs a ticketed event, they only weigh in at a fiver, with free live music elsewhere it must be said, a disco is a hard sell by comparison. Nevertheless, variety is the spice of life, all events are valid here, and Maurice and Patrick are ahead of their game; the ballroom is bouncing.
Real Music promised to return for another at the Bear, on New Yearโs Eve. Rest of the time you can find this double-trouble DJ duo regularly at Spencer’s Club at Melksham FC. The Sham, huh? Coming over here, guys, blessing us with soul vibes and forcing Devizes folk to shake their tail feathers, whatever next?!
Allowing the disco to simmer on low heat, I slipped off across the Market Place, to the trusty Three Crowns, black my nose there. Hugely popular with Millennials and a few older who think they are, The Three Crowns is bustling as usual. Itโs ever-lively, the place to be, theyโve extended their menu and have the knack to attract a variety of the Devizes demographic.
Except, rather than a full band they usually host, more often than not Britpop or classic rock covers, a working combination, the pub hosts dynamic Devizes duo, Funked Up. Also at it for years and locally renowned for it, with a keyboard and saxophone combo the duo deliver the timeless soul-filled pop classics you simply have to dance to, and they deliver them with the gusto equal to a full band. Needless to say, with the drinks flowing, this one will go off.
For the elders, come-as-you are Devizes live music aficionados, The Southgate remains the place to head for, and rightly so. The rare thing of welcoming original music, the authenticity of pub culture of yore, and the general communal atmosphere are its benefits, and we love it for them. Though I confess I preconceived the band by their name, A Smile, Two Bangs and a Legend kinda sounds quirky and loosely thrown together, you know? As if theyโre a nice, smiley conformist ensemble, attempting to break the wedding function band market! I should know better than to doubt the Southgate, as on arrival all-macho, healthy and hard rock was pumping out and A Smile, Two Bangs and a Legend were nearing the end of their first half.
The obvious question upon meeting one of those classic rock enthusiasts of the band, was who was the Smile, because they all looked equally red-blooded, who was the bangs, because as a unit they all made a noise, and who was the legend, because if there was one of those professional, ex-famous musician beatniks who occasionally played bass for some rock god and lived off the stories, it couldโve been any one of them! I stood corrected and better informed; the band name derives from a Monty Python quote, though a fan, Iโd not heard of before; from the Flying Circus series I believe, trainspotters.
But it wasnโt the origins of the name, rather the expert delivery of rock classics which turned this around. Executions of ZZ Top and AC-DC and all in-between came thick, fast and accomplished. It is precisely what the regulars at the Southgate lap up, a timeless template of prog-rock to the dawn of metal, those hard-hitting powerhouses which time will not allow us to forget. A Smile, Two Bangs and a Legend exceeded my preconceptions with smiles, bangs and were, definitively, legends in their own denims.
As imagining Iโm the soul man Sam & Dave sang about, Iโm inclined to leave the Gate, safe in the knowledge the band had it under wraps. Next time I see smiles, bangs and legends on the roster itโs a confirmed grand night at the Southgate, but then, in six years Iโve yet to be disappointed. I am, however, curious to see how our Melksham grandmasters are getting on at the Bear ballroom. On arrival things have escalated, the party in full swing is pumping, the Motown classics have progressed to disco ones, and the crowd have had their fill at the bar, and were either shaking their stuff or chatting enthusiastically.
This ballroom should have been filled to capacity, soul men and divas of Devizes, or anyone with a penchant for disco dancing of yore should take note, keep your eye on Maurice & Patrickโs future events, we will highlight them on our event calendar, your NYE is sorted there. Such it was, that on a mild night, between seasons of Long Street Blues Club, with no Arts Festival, DOCA, Food Festival, or even a show at the Wharf, that a weekend in Devizes is always on the cards, always there is a few options of something going on, and they’re usually pretty good!
Itโs been a fantastic summer for Wiltshireโs indie-pop favourites Talk in Code. I think Iโve caught them live at least four times, and only onceโฆ
I was chatting to Josh Oldfield last week, a Devizes singer-songwriter I believe weโll be hearing a lot more of. Though this interview was pendingโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Josie Mae-Ross Noel Coward is probably best known for โBlithe Spiritโ but he in fact wrote sixty-five stage plays over aโฆ
Comedy in Devizes is a rare thing, unless you count visitors turning right at the Shaneโs Castle junction, reading opinions on the Devizes Issues (butโฆ
Seems like an age since I last visited Bradford-on-Avonโs wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre, though Iโve been listing their vast range of events on our calendar.โฆ
Wiltshire Music Events UK has hosted tons of memorable events locally, from CrownFest and The Marley Experience at Devizes Corn Exchange, to more everyday gigsโฆ
Itโs been a fantastic summer for Wiltshireโs indie-pop favourites Talk in Code. I think Iโve caught them live at least four times, and only once blagged a lift home from guitarist Snedds, of which is customary to drunkenly chew his ears off on as many random subjects the journey time will allow; I guess that officially makes me a โtalker?!โ
But hey, nights drawing in, back to recorded sound, and Talk in Code have a new single, Harder to Breathe, out this Friday, 4th October 2024; it is still 2024, right?!
Again this one follows the irresistible building template of the band, bridging the gap between 80โs new wave electronica and 90โs indie pop. This one, I believe, really harnesses the bandโs objectives of creating timeless pop with dynamic eighties synth and guitar combos. The effect is akin to iconic producers like Peter F Wolf or Narada Walden; Harder to Breathe evokes blissful recollections of songs from the peak of the era, from Go West to Madonna, and weโll never stop dancing to them; try to stop me, I double-dare you!
Harder to Breathe is another universally exemplary precedent of this original timeless anthem ethos Talk In Code are achieving. The sound reaches that blinkered emotion of ones infatuation suffocating the object of their desires, at least in a pop-tastic fashion, as is the theme. At least I think it does, it’s been a long time since anyone was infatuated with me, but once upon a long time ago, believe it or not, some did; funny old world, isn’t it?! No one was even paying them!!
Frontman Chris Stevens said of the single, โwe want to evoke the feelings you have when you meet people that have a huge impact on your life; being overwhelmed, lust, falling in loveโฆthe song addresses if it is simply instinctual to gamble with matters of the heart.โ
A versatile force live, able to suit a variety of festivals and venues, itโs been a great summer, but the fun doesnโt stop, this tune matches the gusto of their performances, in the comfort of your own home; give it a listen, just don’t try to stop me from dancing!
The “Business Fit For Future” programme has launched with startups across Wiltshire seizing the opportunity to participate in free online business planning workshops. This initiativeโฆ
Featured Photo: Forestry England/Crown copyright Planned timber harvesting is set to begin at popular walking destination, West Woods, from the end of September until Marchโฆ
Despite the population of Devizes throwing confetti and paint at each other in their most celebrated annual ritual, I believe I picked the right weekendโฆ
The newly drafted forest plan for West Woods and Collingbourne is open for public consultation until Monday 7 October. The plan outlines how each woodland willโฆ
If there’s been welcomed stand-ins for the monthly Jon Amor Trio residency at the Southgate in Devizes recently, Ruzz Evans and Eddie Martin, Jon โtheโฆ
Supporters of local live music know, least they should do by now, that Swindon is the place to head this following weekend, 12th-15th September, becauseโฆ
I was chatting to Josh Oldfield last week, a Devizes singer-songwriter I believe weโll be hearing a lot more of. Though this interview was pending before Iโd had the opportunity to see him perform, coincidentally the Sunday before I was fortunate enough to, at a private partyโฆ.
And it was worth a fortune, Josh has confident stage presence, a guitar soloist with soothing baritone vocals, white shirt and waistcoat, and a vintage suitcase foot-drum akin to a travelling Southern bluesman of yesteryear. ย Connoting retrospective style, the drum gives depth to an otherwise acoustic set, and the show is quirky, but oozing with professionalism, like a one-man skiffle band. Itโs something different from the norm, locally, which was the starting point to our chat.
Josh amended my description as โslightly different,โ โit’s a fair bit different,โ he suggested, โand I didn’t mean to do it on purpose, it’s just naturally how it came out.โ Fresh from Peggy-Sueโs local showcasing Don’t Stop the Music Radio Show on Swindon 105.5, he said it went โfantastic; there seemed to be people into it. And I don’t actually know what I’m doing, but it’s something different!โ
Pinning his sound only for want of conveying it to you, I jested he caused me to think a โskiffle George Ezra!โ Said with upmost respect, despite Ezraโs commercial success, he never waivers his style, possibly opening a door to others with deep vocal range. Josh ducked the Ezra comparison, concentrating on the skiffle and deepness of his range. โSkiffle’s perfect. It’s something I should have realised with gigs; people seem to like originally. Years ago I’d try and move away from how deep my voice is, because it’s not popular. Professionals and singing teachers will tell you, that because my voice is baritone, they’re like, oh, you got to learn higher range for popular music.โ
I supposed that was the appeal. โWell, yeah,โ Josh continued, โturns out people like hearing the lower ranges, as it’s not so common, and maybe there’s a comeback now, where people are kind of picking that up a little bit more.โ We waffled for some considerable time on the templates and expectancies of modern pop vocals, compared to a unique time of yore when a voice was a personal signature. Josh cited Tom Waits and Nick Cave as influences, favouring โobscure stuff,โ over contemporary pop.
He first picked up a guitar at thirteen. โMy dad just had a guitar knocking around the house. He used to play a bit, but didn’t really play anymore,โ but stressed he didnโt start singing until recently. A couple of months ago he sang at the open mic at the Cellar Bar, โthe first time my mum ever heard me sing, and I’m like thirty now. Singing is not something I’ve been doing naturally throughout the whole thing.โ
Josh comes across an earnest perfectionist, one who solitarily hones his craft and doesnโt unleash anything until itโs mastered, ergo heโs new on the scene but โoven-readyโ to give an impressive show. If now is that time to break the local scene, thereโs a valid reason. Given the all-clear from being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, at twenty-nine years old, Josh expressed, โessentially that’s what ended up pushing me to want to pursue music. I was like, โI’ve kind of been given a second chance,โ you know? That was the main drive.โ
At the party Josh pulled some finely penned originals out of his bag as well as adapted covers of crowd-pleasing pop, such as Tainted Love; the set was instantly prodigious. On writing he expressed songs were, โflowing out. They’re just coming. I was being asked last night, what’s this song about? I don’t really have a clue what they’re about. They’re just literally being put down on paper and then, there’s a meaning in there somewhere, you know? It’s more like transposing them. There was a song I wrote on Monday, and I played it on Tuesday on the radio, because it just kind of happened. But then, when I was trying to look at what it was about it, well, I mean, I was watching Clarkson’s Farm the day before. So, there was some stuff about a farm in there, so maybe it’s linked to that in some way!โ
Capturing a moment no matter how inconsequential at the time, naturally crafting art sourced from it when inspiration strikes, and being as impossible to summarise how and why as it is to transmit a dream, is key to creative genius. That question put him under the spotlight, but he came up trumps!
Our conversation diverted to breaking the local circuits, the balance of adapting to certain venues and niches, as while many want cover bands, few prefer original acts locally, and I affirmed Joshโs self-penned vintage style would suit the matured blues aficionados of Devizes. Though we covered the upcoming more youthful indie-punk scene and talked of Kieran at the Pump. โThat’s more what I remember,โ Josh stressed after hearing me on the blues penchant of town. โBack in the day, the whole Sheer Music thing in Devizes. When that disappeared, I thought music in Devizes had disappeared. I thought it was all just, you know, pubs getting cover bands.But getting into it, there’s quite a big scene. It’s just finding it.โ
Thatโs why we, and people like Peggy-Sue are here! Josh is sourcing all the right channels and appears on Fantasy Radio on the 10th of October.
We continued onto the one-man band thing, and that authentic suitcase drum. โIt’s from America,โ Josh explained, โit’s a suitcase with the basic drum built in. There’s a Pan American drum company, only two companies in the world that do it.โ I imagined axemen of yore stopping at the crossroads and selling their soul to the devil with it! โWell, yeah, that’s the thing,โ he replied, โI want to play instruments where I can take them anywhere. So I got the kazoo as well. I can take that anywhere. I can play acoustic guitar anywhere. I can sing anywhere. When I think blues, thereโs electric, but then there’s the kind of, sitting on the front porch, playing kind; playing just cause you want play,โ which led us onto old-archaic bluesmen, of which there could be no doubt Josh has done his homework, alluding to RL Burnside and others. โNo one knew about him until he was like sixty something. He was a sharecrop farmer, and he just lived out there. He had like sixteen children or something, you know? But he didn’t care. And that’s really for me where that kind of foundation comes from,โ he said, explaining the story of a blues song he played at the party.
โThat old style of blues, I’m trying to lean towards, to be honest, has a lot in common with punk,โ he said and triggered a tangent on pigeonholing when roots intertwine, which developed onto open mic nights.
โEveryone I’ve met has been through the open mics, and I like playing them,โ Josh reacted. โThere’s this kind of community around it. Yeah, it can be a bit musician convention, and again, you mentioned Vince Bell, you know that’s where I met Vince. Me and him are looking to play a couple of shows together hopefully later this year.โ
Playing with the ethos of taking music back to its roots makes Josh flexible, his music fits into folk and blues, so itโs apt to work with acoustic folk singers like Vince, and Josh mentioned working with Jamie Tyler of The Worried Men too, electric blues, a different kettle of fish, but still fits like a glove. โThe live reaction to stuff seems to be great,โ he added. โIt’s that people like the music, to be honest, more than anything else that always surprises me. It’s like we were getting messages in while I was on the radio yesterday and people saying that they were really loving it and stuff and that’s surprising.โ
If Josh Oldfield is modest and wears his heart on his sleeve, itโs a common sign of a creative prodigy. He admitted, โI’m very reserved, introverted. In fact, part of the reason I like playing music is because I don’t have to be in the crowd. I don’t like being in crowds. So if I’m playing the music, I’m not in the crowd!โ Thereโs logic there, but in the brief time I saw Josh play, Iโm convinced of what I said at the beginning, I believe weโll be hearing a lot more of him.
Devizes-own indie-pop-punk youth sensation Nothing Rhymes With Orange smashed the Exchange on Friday as a farewell to their local fanbase. They pursue a musicโฆ
Reports of another road traffic accident at the notorious Black Dog Crossroads near Lavington today coincides with Wiltshire Councillor for the Lavington constituency, Dominicโฆ
For that certain some-Karen who drove through town last weekend, jumped on social media to waffle off the clichรฉ rant โnothing happens in Devizes,โโฆ
Trowbridge-Devizes finest musical export for a decade or two, acoustic folk vocal harmony trio, The Lost Trades, step out for a nationwide tour thisโฆ
devizine.com 