This week we are luckily overindulged with a rampant excess of music so without delving into what I’ve been up to in the past week, mostly because I haven’t actually done much, and without further ado, I’ll talk you through it.

At Telfords Warehouse in Chester tonight they have the latest instalment of the shindigs that are the Silicone Fish nights.  On the small stage you’ll be entertained by some spoken word and poetry from Si Poole and Chris Ingram and the folk song strummings of Andy Hickie and Lexo Carlo.  On the main stage you can catch the European flavoured punk band Fox Gang and Edinburgh’s answer to the love child of Johnny Cash and a vampire from that band in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ – Miyagi.  You get all of this for free and it starts at 8pm.  Tomorrow night Liverpool band Jessica’s Ghost are playing in front of the giraffe.  Their line-up consists of cello, mandolin, guitar, double bass, keys and bongos and they play a unique mix of pop, rock, folk and blues (it looks like I’ve just lifted that info straight from their bio…and you’d be right).  It’s free before 10pm – I’m guessing if you’ve bought in one of those ‘18 cans of lager for £10’ mega deals from the supermarket you won’t be there before 10pm, so it will be £4 after that.

Take a barge taxi up the canal a couple of miles (I don’t think they exist in Chester but someone should definitely start one – muchos moola to be made there) and you will come across the Chester experimental/psychedelic band Civilian Zen playing the Frog and Nightingale on Saturday night.  Doors are 8pm and it’s free entry. Next Wednesday F&N have the solace that is the Blue Lantern open mic night, be sure to remember your stylophone and join in.

It’s a big week for Central Station, they have one of the biggest (not necessarily one of the most talented) bands in the UK playing on Sunday.  The View are passing through Wrexham as part of their extensive jaunt around the land in support of their new single and forthcoming album.  Not being a massive fan myself, I’m not getting overly excited and preparing my inner thigh for the band’s signatures and subsequent overlaying tattoo, but I am excited that a band of this size are visiting our humble parts – and thankfully not my private parts.  Support comes from fellow Scots The Law who are from Dundee.  It’s all sold out so I wouldn’t expect to be able to buy a ticket on the door, come to think of it, there’s probably not much reason for me to mention the gig because if you didn’t know about it by now you can’t even go, but I suppose you could have forgotten you had a ticket.. Have you?  Anyway, doors are 7:30pm.

Perusing over what’s on at the Talbot this week, tonight they have Colobos playing.  They are a group from both sides of the Atlantic – from the mountains and valleys of North Wales to the mountains and valleys of Canada.  Their influences range from Americana and Country to contemporary indie and they are currently recording their second album with ex Gorky’s Zygotic Mwnci guitarist John Lawrence.  On Friday The Roseville Band are staging the launch night of their new ‘Where Have You Been?’ EP.  Supporting them will be The Django’s and Polly Mackey, doors are 8pm and it’s £2.50 entry.  On Saturday night you will find hip-hop/drum & bass DJ Deep C spinning the plates until the wee hours.

Tomorrow night is the first heat of a new national DJ competition which is being held at over 60 venues across the UK and Liquid in Wrexham is one of them.  It’s called ‘King of the Decks 2008’ and the winner from each venue will be entered into a regional final.  There are some tasty prizes for the winner; a trip to the Miami Beach music conference, new DJ decks, studio time and a possible residency at a major nightclub chain.  I know what you’re thinking; they need some pretty awesome judges to wean out the chuff from the superstar DJs in Wrexham.  I’ve no idea who they are but I know one of them is me.  Looking forward to it – mine’s a large JD with rola cola please.

Don’t forget to email me at ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk with any news.  Take care.