SPLICE the main brace, weigh the anchor and set sail for a wild and tempestuous few days in sunny Weymouth, courtesy of folk-rockin’ force of nature The Dolmen.

Yes, if, like me, you have avast behind, you’ll be looking forward to this weekend’s Pirates Parlay celebration which casts off tonight, Friday, July 5 with a gig at the Golden Lion, the band’s regular venue while visiting their home town.

It’s an annual event staged by the band to recognise and celebrate the port’s marvellous maritime heritage and also comes as a welcome weekend home for the band who have been touring Europe extensively, playing to crowds of 30,000-plus at festivals in Holland and Germany, where they are EEE-NOOOR-MOUSE.

Their latest album Witches and Cunningfolk won the prestigious Baastard award (it means something else in Dutch, okay?) and they also picked up the Best Live Band honour at the same ceremony.

Following tonight’s gig, where support come from the hugely entertaining Boarding Crew, there are family-friendly events around the town centre all day on Saturday including a parade of pirates, a pirate quiz for the young ‘uns and, remarkably, a judge, hangman and working gallows. Well, you can’t get more family-friendly that that, can you?

Tomorrow night’s show at the Weymouth Angling club features The Dolmen and the Boarding Crew once again, plus The Sensational Infernals and rather racey burlesque dancers Miss Klora L’Form and The Cutlasses.

And there’s a Survivors Party at the angling club on Sunday, July 7, from 3pm. It’ll be an acoustic session to soothe those hangovers.

Check out dolmen.com for ticket details for the two angling club gigs.

Staying with a nautical theme, folk songstress Amy Hopwood launches her new album  All At Sea with a gig at the jolly lovely Quiddles restaurant overlooking Chesil Cove on Portland on Sunday, July 7, from 3pm.

Amy’s songs are all in the key of high sea and feature tales of angst, feisty women and lovelorn seafarers, heartbroken after doomed dalliances on the pirates’ dating website ShiverMeTinder.com

She’ll be accompanied on Sunday by long-serving manservant Tobias Raven and, as it’s a special occasion, her sister Coralie on harmonies, whistles and drums, although not all at the same time.

And finally, I’ll be hosting another Hijacked show for Air FM 107.2 on Wednesday, July 10 from 8-10pm.

I’ll be doing my very best ‘Poundland Craig Charles’ impression, as someone kindly described me recently, by playing some tip-top vintage funk and soul, with a bit of ska and reggae chucked in for good measure. Tune in, pop pickers.

Till next time…

FRIDAY JULY 5

Duncan Disorderly and The Scalliwags, The Big Sets, Little Red Kings, Dead Freights (South Cider Festival Bredy Farm, Burton Bradstock)

Elvis 56 (Chickerell Steam Fair, Moor Farm, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Studio 55 (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Milk & Two (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Dave Griff’s Showcase (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Moondog (John Gregory Weymouth)

The Dolmen and the Boarding Party (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Farrago (Waterloo, Weymouth)

Tony England (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Graham Morris (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Guns of Navarone (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Milk & Two (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Speedway Snails (Lugger Inn, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Chill (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Pretty Lustful (1652, St Alban St, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Karen (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Casey Campbell and James Weston (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Finn (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

SATURDAY 6

Delta Bombers, Honey Feet, Wood Burning Savages, Moriarty, Guns of Navarone  (South Cider Festival Bredy Farm, Burton Bradstock)

The Undecided, Blazin’ Strings, Glass Spiders, Under The Carousel, Jolly Boys Outing  (Chickerell Steam Fair, Moor Farm, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Tripod (Finn’s, Weymouth)

The Katz (George, Portland)

The Dolmen, Boarding Crew, Sensational Infernals (Weymouth Angling Club) From 7pm.

Mojo (Gloucester, Weymouth)

V8 Hearts (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Sticky Jam Band (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

4 Go Mad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

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

Johnny King as Elvis (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Usual Suspects (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Admiral Hardy, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Club Bambooza, above Criterion, Weymouth)

Nite Lite (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Dale Fender Band (RBL Club, Marnhull)

John Stone (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Mark Davis (Three Compasses, Charminster) 6-8pm.

Haze (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Compass (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

SUNDAY 7

Little Thief, Minor Fret, Imprints, Lion Star (South Cider Festival Bredy Farm, Burton Bradstock)

Milk and Two, Chill, Stone Band  (Chickerell Steam Fair, Moor Farm, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

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

Amy Hopwood, Tobias Raven, Coralie Hopwood (Quiddles, Chiswell, Portland ) Album launch gig. 3pm.

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm.

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8.30pm.

The Velvet Doonicans (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Hamish Jeffcott (King’s Arms, Portesham) 4-6pm.

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

Acoustic Dolmen (Weymouth Angling Club) From 3pm.

Stevie P (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Farrago (Greenhill Gardens, Weymouth) 2pm.

Scots Dan’s Open Mic (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

MONDAY 8

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

TUESDAY 9

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY 10

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

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

Open Mic Night (Rock, Weymouth)

Nigel Evans Quartet (Three Compasses, Charminster)

THURSDAY 11

Kast Off Kinks (Weymouth Pavilion)

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 12

Tina Turner tribute; What’s Love Got To Do With It? (Weymouth Pavilion)

The Shakespearos (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Alexander Soulman (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (John Gregory Weymouth)

Lazarus (Boat That Rocks, Portland Marina)

Jolly Boys Outing (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Matt Wallis (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Jim Etherington (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Shauna and Nicky (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Campeel and the Quarter Turn (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)