THOSE of you who wish it could be Christmas every day may have finally got their way, what with festive decorations and cards on sale since August bank holiday and every other flippin’ ad on the telly dropping the C-bomb.

And I tell you who’s to blame: It’s that Roy Wood, all-round bearded musical behemoth and composer of the aforementioned I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.

You know, the song that’s played constantly on every radio station and every shop sound system from September to December, much to the delight of Mr Wood’s pension fund manager and toe-curling, hair-pulling angst of shop workers throughout the nation.

Yes, the song that was kept off the number one spot back in 1973 by Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody, another, ahem, firm favourite with, well, everybody.

Still, Roy has done rather well out of it but still has to get up and go to get up and go on the road every year with his Christmas show spectacular.

And with his back catalogue of material from The Move, early ELO and, of course, Wizzard, it’s a sackful of songs any Santa would be happy to deliver down your chimney.

Take a look at these bangers: California Man, Fire Brigade, Flowers in the Rain, I Can Hear The Grass Grow, Angel Fingers, See My baby Jive, Ball Park Incident, the list, like I Wish It Could Be Christmas, is seemingly without end.

It’s a great way to kick of the festive season and Roy and his tip-top band head this way with a show at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton on Friday, December 6.

Tickets at £27.50 are available from the box office on 01258 475137.

Moving on, and there’s a night of quality jazz coming to Dorchester’s Corn Exchange next Wednesday, November 20, when Mike Denham returns with his popular Speakeasy night.

The theme this time is Jazz Age Chicago and Mike will be joined by trumpet maestro Ben Cummings.

Hailed as a demon horn player, Ben has established himself as one of Britain’s finest trumpeters and has gigged and recorded at the highest level across the planet, from Dixieland swing to modern jazz, funk and soul.

He’s currently on tour as part of Caro Emerald’s band and is on Emili Sande’s quick-dial as THE go-to parper.

Tickets are £14 are available from the box office on 01305 266926.

If you’d like your live music event featured in the Echo’s gig guide, email your details to echogigguide@outlook.com.

Till next time…

TONIGHT 15

Illegal Eagles (Weymouth Pavilion)

Zoe Schwarz and Blue Commotion (Finns, Weymouth)

Long Dog (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Something Borrowed (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Carley Varley (Gloucester, Weymouth)

The Relics (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Shelby’s Elbows (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Jim Etherington (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Milk & Two (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Mama Feelgood (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

The Remedy (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Leanne Jackson (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Mark Davis (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Million Dollar Bash (Tom Brown’s, Dorchester)

Guitarmadillo (Conservative Club, Portland)

Martin Freed (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

 

SATURDAY 16

Big Girls Don’t Cry: Frankie Valli tribute (Weymouth Pavilion)

Balance of Power (Finns, Weymouth)

Farrago (Waterloo, Weymouth)

Woodchuck (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Rock Apes (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Nathan Jon (Little Ship, Portland)

Inner City Smugglers (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Chill (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Lady Winwood’s Maggot (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Revolution (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

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

Ricky Solo  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 9pm.

Strings and Reeds (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Dakota (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Minor Fret (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Chief Lazarus (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Stacey Lou (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Johnny King (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Andy Grant (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

The Diamonds (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Stacey Lou (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Aaron and Karina (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

 

SUNDAY 17

Andy Grant (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Annie Cottrell Tendency (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

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

Richard Cooper  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 8pm.

Folk, country and blues evening (Old Town hall, Weymouth) 7.30pm.

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

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-6pm.

Suited and Booted (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

 

MONDAY 18

Sunset Café Stompers (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Tim Andrews  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

 

TUESDAY 19

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night with Lee Beardmore (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

 

WEDNESDAY 20

Mike Denham Speakeasy with Ben Cummings (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Tim Andrews  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

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

 

THURSDAY 21

Darren H (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Drax Arms, Bere Regis)

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 22

Jolly Boys Outing (Finns, Weymouth)

Django (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Paul Williams (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Glass Spiders (Park, Weymouth)

Hamish (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Kelly (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Rock Apes (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo  (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Vanilla Radio (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Toxic Fish (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Stevie P (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)