Next week, MP for Melksham & Devizes Brian Mathew will be taking on Skynet and raising a question in Parliament about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the creative sector. From writers and musicians to designers and artists, he invites local creatives to have their say…. Only a few weeks ago a Facebook page which posts material about music legends took a picture from a Devizine review of an Adam & The Ants tribute act, Ant Trouble, at Swindon’s Victoria and, believing it to be the real Adam Ant it used it to illustrate a post about him!

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 awards into next year…  “Firstly, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported and got involved in our very first Wiltshire Music Awards,” he said. “The enthusiasm, energy, and community spirit were incredible to see.”

Featured Image: Lillie Eiger Frome Festival is launching its ‘25 for 25’ fundraising campaign with a very special concert featuring three locally based acts: Tom Moth – best known as the harpist for multi-platinum-selling band Florence + The Machine – alt-folk duo māsa, and brand-new soul/funk collective The Juice.... The event, taking place at The Tunnels on Saturday 29th November…

I’ve got some gorgeous vocal harmonies currently floating into my ears, as The Lost Trades release their first single since the replacement of Tamsin Quin with Jess Vincent way back in February, and its immediate impact clearly says a Lost Trades classic….. If some previous songs of The Lost Trades had a lead vocal, they’re not the Spice Girls so I couldn’t pick a favourite, and the trio are truly at their best when there isn’t a lead and the song centralises on their astounding harmony!

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 release Open for Business, their third studio album indicative of their astounding live show….. Tim and Stuart's dramatic guitar riff from the off, drums kick in and Open for Business doesn't wait around for you to hang your barn jacket on the juke joint's hall tree.

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 21 October; you might think the majority would support the notion, but misinformation against it is being spread by an ex-Wiltshire Councillor and current Devizes Town Councillor on their popular Facebook group….. Confirmation on the lift was…

Special guests Lightning Seeds to Support Forest Live, Forestry England’s summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor, has announced much loved and revered Scottish hitmakers Deacon Blue as the latest headliner for its 2026 shows. Deacon Blue will be joined by Lightning Seeds at the stunning Forestry England Westonbirt Arboretum on Thursday June 25rd June....... Speaking about hitting the road, and hinting at the band’s recent album title, frontman Ricky Ross said: 

Bristol’s regular Johnny B Goode, Ruzz Guitar Blues Revue goes full on swing with a new single, a take on The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 1998 album title track The Dirty Boogie..... Another high-energy bout of rockabilly guitar divinity we love from Ruzz, but this time we’re transported back to 1920s New Orleans dancehalls for that big band swing sound; jazz hands! The Dirty Boogie, is out today on digital download for a quid, from Bandcamp.

Westbury country singer-songwriter Kirsty Clinch released a Christmas song only yesterday, raising funds for the Caenhill Countryside Centre near Devizes, and it’s already racing up the iTunes country music charts…. It’s one thing to get your song out locally, but Kirsty was excited to announce that she, “woke up this morning, and we are still in the top 10 of the iTunes country music charts and 180 in the overall charts, not only that, last night I saw we hit 7!”

It was never just the fervent ambience created which makes me go tingly with excitement about Melksham’s young indie band Between The Lines’ demo single Fading Time, it was the profusion of potential. A latent driving me to Swindon Shuffle this year, where they’d be playing at The Hop, but now a manifest for all to hear the reason for my tingle, as Between The Lines release their debut EP…

A second track from local anonymous songwriter Joyrobber has mysteriously appeared online, and he’s bitter about not getting his dream job….. If this mysterious dude’s August invective track at racist talk show host Jeremy Kyle, and his patronising attitude, it feels like him telling me he’s “not one for holding a grudge,” might have a smidgen of irony too! His grungy pop-punk response to his career rejection might be biting satire, but amusing with it.

It’s not Christmas until the choir sings, and Devizes Chamber Choir intend to do precisely this by announcing their Christmas Concert, as they have done since they were founded in 1978….. Devizes Chamber Choir is a group of around thirty singers, with a broad repertoire from acapella, through chamber works to major choral masterpieces including The Creation and Elijah. Their programme comprises of three seasonal concerts annually, a spring concert of standard classical works, a summer concert of lighter music and a seasonal Christmas concert of carols, and obviously it’s the latter which is coming up next; deck the halls!

All Images By Helen Polarpix Best part of a week since Stone Circle Music Events’ Wiltshire Music Awards and I’m still at one thousand feet about what we achieved, and dealing with a cascade of feedback. While some of it has been appreciated constructive criticism, that crazy playground called social media is such that some comments have become unfair, misinformed or even blatantly untrue.

If you believe AI, TikTok and the rest of it all suppress Gen Z’s outlets to convey anger and rage, resulting in a generation of anxiety and mental health concerns, I might take your point as marginally valid, but I’d add politely as I possibly could, “have you, perchance, had the pleasure of listening to Steatopygous? They’re from Devizes, don’t you know?!” Then I’d await the pending detonation of a shocked expression…..

If Devizes’ celebrated FullTone Festival is to relocate to Whistley Road’s Park Farm for next summer’s extravaganza, what better way to give it the rustic feel than The Wurzels, who have just been announced on the line-up?! If Somerset’s Scrumpy and Western genre has fermented longer than a cider press from folk roots, it’s surely The Wurzels who brought mass attention to it with their number one parody of Melanie’s…

Well, we did it! I sincerely hope you had a great night at the first Wiltshire Music Awards as we filled the Devizes Corn Exchange with a cross-section of people involved in the music scene of Wiltshire, musicians and fans. Positive feedback already, and a few teething issues, noted, which we must take onboard and learn from…. But for those who unfortunately couldn’t make it, I guess you are eager to hear the results.

This afternoon sees the inaugural grand ceremony of Stone Circle Music Events’ Wiltshire Music Awards taking place at the Devizes Corn Exchange. It’s a sellout show celebrating our county’s music scene, with a lot of local acts performing between the announcements of the results of a public voting system. The legend who is Mr George Wilding kicked off proceedings with what was supposed to be a warm-up party last night at The Three Crowns…..

Has anyone else noticed this media trend, or is it just me? There was a time, back when Tories held the majority at County Hall, when I felt like Michael Knight, a lone crusader championing criticisms of the council. Now the Lib Dems have taken command, every man and his blog are jumping the bandwagon claiming Wiltshire Council has descended into chaos and mayhem.

In association with PF Events, Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts introduces a Young Urban Digitals course in video mapping and projection mapping for sixteen to twenty years olds…. It’s an introductory session on video mapping and projection mapping, hosted by PF Events and run by a professional video engineer. These sessions will cover the basics of projection mapping and introduce attendees to the software used to create beautiful works of technological art.

There’s albums I’ll go in blind and either be pleasantly surprised, or not. Then there’s ones which I know I’m going to love before the first notes ring out. Quite familiar with Swindon’s beloved Dylanesque singer-songwriter Jol Rose, Ragged Stories is another notch in his sublime discography you simply have to listen to on repeat…. Similarly there’s many attempting Americana, a few leave themselves open for criticisms of cliché or authenticity while others refine it with a certain level of finesse, then there’s Jol Rose.

Unlike Buck Rogers, who made it to the 25th century six hundred years early, Devizes’ most modest acoustic virtuoso arrives at the 21st just short of twenty-six years late! We're looking at Vince Bell's EP, Songs, Poetry and Motivation, as it makes off for a futuristic online adventure….. Devizes knows “our Springsteen” Vince, loves Vince, unless they're selling tickets for “The Bin.” …

Less than a week to go until the first ever Stone Circle Music Events' Wiltshire Music Awards at the Corn Exchange, Devizes. We're not printing a programme of events, so here's everything you need to know about the ceremony this coming weekend....exciting, isn't it?! Firstly, all tickets have now sold out, sorry! But if you're coming or not, there will be a free warm up party on Friday 24th October at the Three Crowns Devizes, where we will be entertained by the incredible George Wilding.

You go cover yourself in hormone messing phthalates, toxic formaldehyde, or even I Can't Believe It's Not Body Butter, if you wish, but it's all the same soap but in a different bottle to me. Lab mice with slap and economical slaves in sweatshops, so unethical multinational bastards can prey on your vanity, when unless you can photoshop yourself for real you're never going to look like the girl in the magazine; the actual girl in the magazine doesn't even look like the girl in the bloody magazine!

The spookiest of half terms is nearly upon us again; kids excited, parents not quite so much! But hey, as well as Halloween, here's what family fun and activities we've found locally to pass the time, save on Haribo and prevent wine 0'clock overloading..... There's a list of pumpkin patches at the end! What more do you want?! Have a fangtastic  fortnight, and oh, and come back to spook this list again soon, as I'm sure more will be added!

Dunno bout you, but I've still not gotten over the horror a majority in Marlborough blindly voted him in. Or even that he doesn't believe women have the right to decide what to do with their own bodies, but after Clactonising his Wiltshire constituency despite their unwillingness to join the Black Shirts, their reborn fascist MP Danny Kruger really has done gone blown his mental head gasket on a journey to Lala Land's Reform office this time.