Good day to you, it’s that time of the week again and I hope you have survived the snow, ice and all that business.

What’s happened in the world of music this week?

John Martyn has died. Now he was a legend in every sense of the word. He more or less created a new genre in the 70’s when he forged together jazz and folk and created a seminal album, ‘Solid Air’, the title track being a dedication to his late friend, label-mate and equal genius, Nick Drake.

Rick Astley is writing a musical.

Bob Dylan and that bloke with a weird name from Black Eyed Peas have collaborated with a mash-up of Dylan’s Forever Young song for a new Pepsi advert. Get a grip Bob.

So, what’s happening in our area this week?

The Yossarians from somewhere undisclosed in the North West are playing the Socialist at the Talbot tonight. I’ve just had a listen to their MySpace. Imagine you’re watching a Spaghetti Western and there’s one of those cliché saloon brawls going on. Bottles over heads, swinging saloon doors, unfazed barmen, spurs, women of the night on the balcony and a knee slapping, toe tapping band playing in the corner. Well, that band is The Yossarians. You get the idea, and what better support act to have than our very own hoedown captain Andy Hickie. Also supporting is Camera singer Matt Nicholls. Doors are 8pm and entry is £2.

Staying with the Talbot, they are starting an open acoustic night every Sunday. Take yourself down there armed with your instrument of choice from 7pm.

Taking a break from recording their debut album in Wrexham, The Roseville Band are playing The Tiv with The Maydays tonight. They’ve got a mini bus from Fat Cat in Wrexham leaving at 7:30pm, which costs £2 – email therosevilleband@hotmail.co.uk if you want in. The gig costs £4 and starts at 8pm.

Tonight Panic Promotions at McLean’s in Pentre have Calling Shotgun from Deeside, Thyrd Eye from Chepstow and The Good Syr’s also from Deeside playing. Doors are 7:45pm and entry is £4.

The Panic Promotions annual Battle of the Bands is currently open for applications. The prizes this year are tasty – the winner gets a 1 day free recording sessions at Whitby Studios, free time at the Panic rehearsal rooms, free entry to McLean’s and best of all, 300 notes. Second place gets 150 pictures of Liz and third gets 75 rips – not bad at all. The closing date is 28th February and an entry form can be downloaded from www.panic-promotions.com or email our Dan at dan@panic-promotions.com.

I get asked all the time ‘Do you know of any practice rooms for my band’. I mean, I get asked this at least once a month. I know of 3 in total. Panic Promotions have their rooms in Garden City in Deeside and there is the Mad Dog rooms on the Deeside Industrial Estate – both reasonable in price. Wrexham has a facility in the town centre, ‘The Vic’, which is to the left of Central Station. It’s run by the Youth Service and was opened with much fanfare by Feargal Sharkey of The Undertones (Teenage Kicks) in 2006. It’s cheap – £1 per hour, which means it’s busy and notoriously difficult to bag yourself a rehearsal slot. phone 01978 317950 or visit www.myspace.com/vicstudios and book. Other than that it’s your garage at home, just put your mum’s bedside electric heater in there, turn it up to 11 and you’ll be cushty.

If you consider yourself as somewhat of a cultural player, you might be interested in what Telfords Warehouse has to offer on Monday night. ‘Poet in New York’ by Keith James and Rick Foot is ‘a performance exposing the fear, fascination and vulnerability that a fragile and creative person would experience when confronted with somewhere as unsettling as New York’. It features material by Leonard Cohen, Laura Nyro, Bob Dylan and Suzanne Vega and there will also be a bio-documentary about the life and work of Leonard Cohen. It sounds very pompous but interesting at the same time, could be a nice way to relax after a Monday back at work? Tickets are £10 and it starts at 8pm.

Enlighten me with any local music news you may have by emailing me at ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk and I’ll give it a mention next week. Take care.