Gig Guide

THIS bank holiday weekend some of the biggest names in global dance music will descend on the south coast, to perform at the Versus Music Festival at Canford Park in Wimborne, Dorset.

The festival will cater for all dance music tastes such as, house, dance, urban and R 'n' B and much more.

The event takes place tomorrow with top DJ's Dave Lea, Scot Project, Trilogy and Radio 1's Dream Team performing at the highly anticipated event.

Slinky and Hed Kandi will also have their own arenas.

Coaches will be travelling to the event from all over the country, and shuttle buses from Bournemouth and Poole are available on the day.

Tickets: from £20. Box office: 08707 460046.

GLAM rock band T Rextasy will be headlining this year's open-air picnic concert at the Marriott Meon Valley Hotel & Country Club on Sunday.

Also appearing will be Boney M and top tribute band La Vida Santana.

The concert will benefit the Southampton-based children's charity, the Rose Road Association, as it has done in previous years.

THIS August Bank Holiday weekend sees a short music festival taking place in the glorious gardens of the National Trust's Mompesson House in Salisbury Cathedral Close.

The first concert Opera at Mompesson takes place tomorrow. It will be a gala night of arias, duets and ensemble pieces from classic operas and operettas, including pieces by Mozart, Puccini, Verdi and Gilbert and Sullivan.

On Monday Simon McEnery and Elizabeth Sweetham return with their new show Love at a Distance after last year's sell-out Pop!.

This year's cabaret is a bitter-sweet affair, revolving around songs of romance on the run and love from afar.

Gates will be open to the concerts from 5.30pm for a 6pm start. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own wine, picnics and chairs.

Tickets are priced £7.50 for Love at a Distance and £10.00 for Opera Mompesson.

Box office: 01722 555179.

MAGNET Man is performing at Bournemouth Carnival splash tomorrow at the Old Fire Station, bringing a feelof the Notting Hill Carnival to the town.

Magnet Man is the biggest r 'n' b star to come out of Barbados. He has already supported Beannie Man and Busta Rhymes in the UK and is set for big things.

Having grown up in a bad area of Barbados, Magnet Man is staunchly anti-drugs and has never even smoked.

In the Caribbean, he is known as the "man of many voices" and his capabilities as a vocalist range from a sweet melodic singing voice to a larger than life deep chant.

Box office: 01202 503888.

BIG Bird, the popular jazz and blues trio, are appearing at the Mash Tun, Eastgate Street, Winchester tomorrow.

The group features the soulful voice of Julie Buriddge, performing her own songs and various other pieces, including the hits of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone.

The trio will be on stage from 8.30pm.

Christchurch's very own international pianist Joseph Fraidon Poles is performing at his local venue the Regent Centre, on Saturday. Joseph's recital at the Regent Centre, Pictures from my Soul, will include a rich variety of music from pop via jazz to Spanish and Italian classics.

Tickets £8. Box office: 01202 499148.

CHAS n Dave will be striking up at tune at The Hobbit Pub in Beovis Valley on Monday.

The duo are the star attraction at the venues Bank Holiday Monday all day event where they will be performing a selection of hits from their back catalogue, which includes Rabbit, Snooker Loopy, Margate and their biggest hit, Ain't No Pleasing You.

Tickets: £4 on the door.