IT’S the start of a four-day weekend for many of us and as you may have noticed from the epic listings on this page, there’s a mega-shedload of music going on across south and west Dorset for your entertainment.

Once again, south Dorset, and Weymouth in particular, has pulled its collective head out of its collective bottom to prove there’s so much musical nift out there and we’re not such a sleepy rundown hole at the end of a railway line.

No wonder the town is in the top three of the UK’s top destinations for the Easter break.

So let’s hear it for all the hard-working musicians and all the even harder-working staff at all the venues keeping it all together for you, yes YOU, the beloved punter.

The forecast is promising which is great news for the two days of the three-day Quayside Music Festival being held outdoors by the Town Bridge in Weymouth. Friday’s all-dayer will be inside The Anchor, with Saturday and Sunday’s bashes on the outdoor stage.

One of the benefits of such a busy weekend musically, apart from having a huge range of styles to enjoy, is that I don’t have to write as much of my usual guff to fill the page, so that’s a win-win for everyone all round I think you’ll agree!

Have a great weekend, stay safe and keep it live, okay?

Till next time…

GOOD FRIDAY 19

Hamish, Afro Ninja, Identikit, George Hall Trio, Aaron and Karina, Ansell and Gretal, M2, Between Bars, Hustle, NUMB (Quayside Music Festival, The Anchor, Town Bridge, Weymouth) From midday.

Phoenix Tears (Finns, Weymouth)

Dave Manning (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Speedway Snails (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Dakota (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Adagio (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Dave Griff Solo (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Dickie Borthwick’s East End Knees Up (Waterloo, Weymouth)

The Katz (Fat Badger, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Nook, Weymouth)

Pretty Lustful (1652, St Alban St, Weymouth)

Under The Carousel (Ayya, Weymouth)

Milk & Two (Aura, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Rob Davis (Brewhouse and Kitchen, Dorchester)

Du Kane (Park, Weymouth)

Juke Box Junkies (Star, Portland)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Kelly Lorraine (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Tequila Mockingbird (Admiral Hardy, Weymouth)

Fat Marrow Blues Band (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SATURDAY 20

Total Madness, Offbeat Offensive, Levi, Lo Numbers, The Skones, Tequila Mockingbird, Mad Hatters, Stone Faced Wellers, Orange Street, Levi (Quayside Music Festival, Town Bridge, Weymouth) From midday.

Glass Spiders (Finns, Weymouth)

Suited and Booted  (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Tequila Mockingbird  (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Market House, Weymouth)

Stereoironics (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Flying Camels (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Paul Sharod and Friends (Bredy Farm, Burton Bradstock)

Skint Imperials (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Indigo Blue (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Park, Weymouth)

Graham Morris (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Danny Adams (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 2-5pm.

The Undecided (East Fleet Farm, Weymouth)

The Katz (King’s Head, Bradpole, Bridport)

Hamish Maxwell’s True Blues (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Mark Davis (Boot, Weymouth) 5.30-7.30pm

Tripod (New Vic, Weymouth)

Powelly, Chief Lazarus (Ayya, Weymouth)

Psychedelic Fridge Project (Little Ship, Portland)

Mojo Stone Cold Players (Spice Ship, Preston, Weymouth)

Best Kept Secret (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Martin Freed (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Davey Malone and the Long Tails (Ropemakers, Bridport)

SUNDAY 21

Jon Stone, Matt Black, Decatonics, Surfin’ Dave and the Absent Legends, Speedway Snails, Tom and the Clementines, Surfin' Birds, Chief Lazarus, The Brotherhood, Jolly Boys Outing (Quayside Music Festival, Town Bridge, Weymouth) From midday

Tripod (Finns, Weymouth)

Under The Carousel, Chief Lazarus, The Undecided (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Greg Agar (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Matt Lock (Market House, Weymouth)

Replay (Red Lion, Hope Sq, Weymouth) 2pm.

Mojo Stone Cold Players (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Colin Shore (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 5.30pm, followed by…

Rocking Rich (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 830pm.

Alexander Soul Man (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (1652, St Alban St, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth)  From 3pm.

Greg Agar (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland) 5-8pm.

Leggomen (Ayya, Weymouth)

Karen (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) 3-6pm, followed by…

Kelly Lorraine (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) 8pm.

Rob Davis (Boot, Weymouth)

Di’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 6pm.

Acoustic Folk and Country (Old Town Hall, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Chris Taylor Band (Kings Arms, Portesham)

James Hollingsworth (Ropemakers, Bridport)

MONDAY 22

Surfing Birds (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

TUESDAY 23

Charlie Landsborough: The Farewell Tour (Weymouth Pavilion)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Martin Freed’s Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY 24

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic with Du Kane (Park, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return,  Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

THURSDAY 25

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return,  Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

FRIDAY 26

Girl Power: The Spice Girls Experience (Weymouth Pavilion)

Budapest Café Orchestra (Evershot village hall)

Fluke (Finns, Weymouth)

Andy Grant Trio (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Jim Etherington (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (Y&Ys, Brewery Sq, Dorchester)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Something Borrowed (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Andy Grant Trio (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Skimmity Hitchers (Old Ship, Dorchester)

Pronghorn (Ropemakers, Bridport)