After a pretty stupendous 2019, blues and soul singer Amy Mayes is looking forward to getting her feet back on the ground in 2020.

The chanteuse, who last year toured with Ben Waters and was part of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood’s band for his ‘Mad Lad’ series of Chuck Berry tribute concerts, is hard at work on her new album and planning a series of live dates.

And the first of these dates is coming up next Saturday, February 29, at the compact and bijou but nonetheless intimate setting of Upwey Village Hall in Weymouth, a far cry from some of the several hundred-seater theatres she played with Ben and Ronnie.

Speaking from Conversion recording studios in north Dorset, Amy tells me: “I’m currently focused on writing and recording the new album.

“It’ll be called Standing Free and people can read into that what they like, but it’s actually a song about my daughter.

“I’ve been through quite a lot recently, both professionally and on a personal level, so it’s very cathartic to write about it and get it all out,” she tells me.

Well, Adele has done very well, thank you very much, with that sort of approach, so you can’t knock it…

Amy is recording with her current band of guitarist George Hall, bassist Simon Rushbrook, pianist Sammy Hurden and drummer Ady Milward, all of whom will be on duty at next Saturday’s show.

Regarding her recent experience of working with one of rock’n’roll’s living legends, Amy says: “It’s a completely different world. Ronnie is such a talented chap, and full of energy.”

And as anyone who caught his appearance closing the Brits awards ceremony this week with his former Faces muckers Rod Stewart and Kenney Jones would agree, she’s not wrong.

Tickets for the gig next Saturday are £12 and available from amymayes.co.uk, and there will be an updated list of all live appearances coming up throughout the year on the website.

Moving on, and the recent gig at Owermoigne village hall by Micky Biggs and the Night Owls was such a hoot (I’m sorry, I can’t help myself when it comes to owl puns…), they’re only going to go and do it all again tomorrow night, Saturday, February 22, and this time at the lovely Royal Manor Theatre in Fortuneswell, Portland, just down the road from Mick’s gaff.

Singer-songwriter Micky also toured with Ben Waters along with Amy Mayes and took part in the now-legendary show at Ronnie Scott’s which featured Ronnie Wood, Jeff Beck, Imelda May, Rod Stewart and some bloke called Johnny Depp, whoever he is...

Tomorrow, he’ll be joined by some trusty stalwarts, to wit: (There’s that owl again…) Grant Day on guitar, Chris Lonergan on bass, Johnnie Critchard on drums, Ben Waters himself on keys and, I’m assured, every chance of some very, very special guests being flown in by helicopter, or popping along on the bus.

Tomorrow night’s gig is being recorded for a CD which will be available to anyone who buys a ticket, so all your coughs and splutters, whoops and squeals of delight will be there for posterity.

So get your bottoms in gear and get yours from ticketor.com/mickyb/

Tickets are £20 which includes the live CD.

And if you’d like your live music event featured in the Echo gig guide, send your details to echogigguide@outlook.com

Till next time...

NICK HORTON

Gig listings

FRIDAY 21

Be Bop a Lula (Weymouth Pavilion)

Freezer (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Tripod (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Minor Fret (John Gregory, Weymouth)

Chris Payn (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Moondog (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Retro (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Katz (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Hardcore Troubadors (Gloucester, Weymouth)

John Ramon (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Tempered Silence (Belvedere, Weymouth)

The Transitions (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Georgie Broad (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Kelly Lorraine (Black, Dog Weymouth)

SATURDAY 22

Micky B and the Night Owls (Royal Manor Theatre, Portland)

Tripod (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Glass Spiders (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Donna (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Alexis (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

4 Go Mad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Rock Apes (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Two Man Travelling Medicine Show (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Blue Quays (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Georgie Broad (Little Ship, Portland)

Hamish Jeffcott’s Tea Party (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Echohead (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Afro Ninja (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ocean Drive (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 2-6pm and again at 9.30pm.

Bemis (Ropemakers, Bridport)

K’Fuffle (Three Compasses, Charminster) 6pm.

Du Kane (Tides Inn, Weymouth)

Dale Fender Band (RBL Club, Marnhull)

Sweet FA (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (Ship, Weymouth)

Arron and Karina (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

John Ramon (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

The Hurricanes (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

The Crack (Black, Dog Weymouth)

SUNDAY 23

Beatlemania (Weymouth Pavilion)

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (King’s Arms, Weymouth) 4pm.

Replay (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 2-5pm.

Sunday Jam Session (Belvedere, Weymouth) 5-8pm.

John Diment (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

Duke and The Broad’s Rat Pack Show (Park Hotel, Weymouth)

Mark Davis (Crown Inn, Bridport) 4-6pm.

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

Strings and Reeds (Black, Dog Weymouth) 5pm.

Freezer (Blue Vinny, Puddletown ) 6.30-8.30pm.

Jack Daniels and Benny Wain (Giant, Cerne Abbas) 5-7pm.

Gut and Steel (Britannia, Portland) 5pm.

Kelly Lorraine (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

MONDAY 24

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY 26

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

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

THURSDAY 27

Catfish (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Folk Night (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Dukane’s Soapbox open mic (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)

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

FRIDAY 28

Ironed Maiden (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Revolution (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Total Madness (John Gregory, Weymouth)

Bring Me the Pistols (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Kutna Hora (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Darren H (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Hamish (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Kutna Hora (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Dr Splink (Ropemakers, Bridport