The Maerkats – and other regular Thursday-night gigs – at Exmouth's Famous Old Barrel

EXMOUTH'S FAMOUS Old Barrel runs regular Thursday-night gigs, including jazz collective The Maerkats. RICHIE EVANS – the man behind Souled, Chicken Slacks, the Maguires and, most recently, his own music agency – tells us more...

I'm sure most of you know already, but if not, it's worth noting that Exmouth's Famous Old Barrel has been a strong supporter of live music in the area for a long, long time, and uniquely (as far as I can gather) they put on genre-specific or showcase evenings every Thursday evening, in the exact same rotation each month.

This Thursday, the first Thursday of the month, sees the appearance of jazz collective, The Maerkats. The membership of this group boasts some high-quality players, who play regularly in rotation, performing traditional and modern jazz instrumentals, and usually augmented by some of the most renowned jazz vocalists currently singing in the area.

So get along and support not just the Maerkats, but also the Old Barrel, as they bravely go against the tiresome and increasingly infuriating grain being perpetrated by some venues by doing their very best to provide a platform for musicians to perform in a paid capacity. This alone should mean that the public should give this wee venue as much support as possible. Additionally, those artists who appear as guests at the evenings, and who impress when doing so, invariably find themsleves being asked back to perform in their own right.

Shows will generally start at 8.30pm, unless otherwise stated. Here's a list of the regular evenings:

First Thursday of the month         

Cool jazz with The Maerkats, featuring regulars Ron Crisp, Bob King, John Hurt, Ric White and also regular high-quality guest musicians and vocalists, such as Dave McKeown, Paul Barnham, The Jazz Lounge, Richard Glazebrook, Lynn Thornton and Mike Long        

Second Thursday of the month     

Rock and blues evening hosted by the supremely talented acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist Adam Sweet featuring regular high-quality guests artists. New acts and guest slots always welcomed - contact Adam on 07743346222, or Nat at the Old Barrel on 01395 276650.                         

Third Thursday of the month         

Nashville Rash – the forerunner of all of the Thursday-evening gigs at the Barrel. An Americana and Alternative Country evening, it's hosted by Richie Evans and the fantastic Chicken Slacks, and features a different guest act each month. New acts always welcomed – contact Richie on 07707062347, or by email on richieevansmusic@hotmail.co.uk

Fourth Thursday of the month

Dave Green Showcase. Hosted by (and I'm sure he'll forgive me for this) veteran rock 'n' roller and local legend Dave Green. The showcase features a host of regular performers and mixed styles of play. Dave also somehow manages to pluck some quite superb local talent out of thin air and showcase their material, often leading to further gigs at the venue. New acts are always welcomed. Contact Nat at the Old Barrel on 01395 276650 and she will pass your details onto Dave.

Fifth Thursday of each month

Whenever there is a fifth Thursday in the month, it is usually filled by acts fronted – or including – local musician Paul Strange, either in the form of the Paul Strange Quartet, or their expanded alter-ego RPM, featuring vocalist Paul Avery. This has tended to be a performance evening by these bands, but it fits in rather well with the style of the other Thursday evenings, featuring as it does, cool Hammond-led grooves and 60's and 70's classics in a soulful style.

So there you go – that's my first special feature of the New Year! Richie Evans

The Famous Old Barrel is at 1 Princes Street, Exmouth EX8 1JA (01395 276650)