Yeah I know, right, it’s come up on us rather unexpectedly, this Festival of Discovery thing, hasn’t it?! What’s it’s all about then, I hear you ask. With DOCA busy with the hugely successful Confetti Battle and Colour Rush, they’ve not had time to update their website yet, so here’s what we know so far, and how Devizine got involved; let’s discover what we can and The Festival of Discovery!

There's musical acts which play united on equal pegging, and then there's those which follow the lead of a virtuoso. Be it guitar, like Hendrix, the poetry of Dylan, or trumpet like Miles Davis, any specific field of expertise, but none are so emotively poignant as the human voice…. It would be unfair on anyone to compare their vocals with Bristol-based singer-songwriter, …

Tomorrow, Friday 2nd October, sees a new single from Chippenham indie folk singer-songwriter Meg Hoy, or M3G, and it's called My River….. If you deem songwriters using rivers as metaphors as a bit cliché these days, from Springsteen's safety net for the burdens of youthful relationships, or Joni Mitchell's desperate escapism, to Billy Joel’s spiritual quest, or Neil Young's haunting impulsive act, I'd nod, and tend to agree...but...

Chedworth, Gloucestershire; proud village soloist, songwriter and model Flora Flora is kicking the tyres and smashing windows in with a new single, and it’s about as explosive as female rage sounds….. With Olivia Rodrigo fashioned dynamic and unfiltered sound of Gen Z vulnerability, hints of Florence & The Machine’s baroque indie-pop, and the radical emotional honesty in the songwriting of Lizzy McAlpine, …

The Wharf Theatre in Devizes is thrilled to announce a major new chapter in its artistic programme: the theatre has officially become a registered screening centre for National Theatre Live, bringing world‑class theatre from the West End directly to Wiltshire..... From November 2026, audiences will be able to enjoy up to 12 NT Live productions every year, screened in stunning high‑definition and presented with the same care, atmosphere, and community spirit that defines the Wharf Theatre’s live performance season.

Young, talented, I tick neither box, but I am delighted to tell you Devizine has assembled the very best of emerging musical talent from across Wiltshire, and we’re showcasing them at Albion Place on Sidmouth Street, Devizes, for DOCA’s Festival of Discovery on the 17th&18th of October. From 11:30am until 5:30pm we will squeeze in 16 young upcoming and professional acts; you will be amazed!

Second single of 2026 from local legend George Wilding, Loser to Loser is a grower which carries a delightful punch…if any type of punch could be deemed delightful, this is probably it! There’s something breezily contented indie-pop about George’s recent releases with more commercial viability, rather than the often whimsically lost or dejected characters of his early works. I’m tempted to reach more to bands like The Boo Radleys or Deacon Blue for a comparison than The Velvet Underground…

Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy! Another great year for Devizes Food & Drink Festival ended on Sunday with the World Food Day at the Corn Exchange. A hugely popular free event which annually sees queues heading out of the Market Place of hungry Devizions prepared to sample small dishes of a massive variety, prepared from locals with oversea origins….

Witnessed amazing fireworks for Confetti Battle in Devizes, and I hopped eastwards to that sacred hippy haven in the Pewsey Vale, The Barge at HoneyStreet; what better place for equinox? For while there's always a hedonistic happening here, this particular autumn occasion was unmissable; 3 Daft Monkeys were heading from Cornwall for their final night of a summer tour; that's a perfect recipe for a high octane detonation of scrumpy & western skulduggery…and it went off!

As you’re probably aware, because there’s been lots of people kicking up a scene, Wiltshire Council’s recycling centre booking system being trialled at Devizes, Lower Compton, Melksham, Purton, Salisbury and Stanton St Quintin has been running for a fortnight. I’ve got accumulated stuff, a wife subtly hinting, and not much to do on a Sunday morning, so, bugger, old age has reduced me to reviewing my trip to the tip!

Immediately after the weekend which saw press photographers ejected, so they could savagely beat women at the Birmingham Reform conference, as if someone threw a side of beef into a pride of starved lions while Farage played the part of Scar, encouraging them and laughing it off, and black shirts disrupted holiday-makers returning home, and threatened the RNLI in Dover, which is treason, here in Wiltshire, Newsquest "democracy” reporter Peter Davison thought he’d platform the local branch of the nasty party, either for his Islamophobic kicks, or because they crossed his editor’s palm with silver.

Tucked away in plain sight at the heart of Marlborough stands St Peter’s. While this Grade II listed landmark has been around for centuries, its modern identity remains one of the area's best-kept secrets.... Though no longer an active church, the Trustees have quietly been transforming this historic structure into a vibrant, independent space for arts, culture, and local connection.

Tributes to Chippenham's  community activist, poet, actor, and event compere Brain Reid poured onto social media today, as the sad news of his passing spreads… Known as the "Midweek Mojo," Brain Reid was renowned and much loved in the Chippenham community. A prominent figure in the Wiltshire arts scene, hosting open mic nights at the Old Road Tavern in Chippenham and The Lamb in Trowbridge.

Devizes favourite southern fried gothic-Delta blues one man band, JP Oldfield has an EP released at the end of the week, Saltwater Gospel. It’s a six gun shooter of length and breadth, classed as an EP, but contains enough poignant narrative, dark twisted swagger, and redemption, for an album to have causally swung through those saloon doors instead….. It’s been a year and half since his kazoo-blowing often playful yet dark underwired debut…

I’ve found myself sympathising about post-punk recently, how they scrambled around in the dark somewhat, taking pot shots at reggae, claiming a “new wave,” or else succumbed or faded to new romantic electronica. Find myself wondering what they’d have made of grunge or emo at the time, because that’s progressing the style, and in this, Jess Chivers from Bath’s new EP, …

Singers and players of instruments of The Southwest assembled for an album celebrating the ninetieth anniversary since Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled to England, and stayed at Fairfield House in Bath, now a museum and shrine to the Ethiopian Emperor….. Last month I wrote a piece about the celebrations and activities at Fairfield House, which included the fascinating historical backstory of how the Emperor came to be living in Bath. 

Okay, that's enough now! The social media presence of Wiltshire Museum in Devizes has shot from zero to hero. Vlogs of staff dancing in period clothing, creating street art, and generally enjoying themselves far too much! When did working at a museum look so much fun, unless you're Ben Stiller?!  This all came to an apex during carnival, which saw them brazenly parading Long Street dressed as Stonehenge's sarsens and lintels!

Our trustworthy Gazelle & Herod reported today that “disgraceful” behaviour in Devizes Market Place has elevated into a dental issue…. Publishing an article which states the police are frustrated by the issue, they quote an Inspector, who said The Public Spaces Protection Order “has given them certain useful powers, but lacks teeth, and has yet to solve the problem,” as ze kriminalassistent pours away a can of booze he nicked off a thirsty hobo, for kicks…

Devizes Town Council would like to hear your views on the proposed scheme for the Brickley Lane Play Area... They are inviting residents and the local community to share their feedback. The consultation closes on the 30th September 2026. The Town Council is proposing to refurbish the Brickley Lane Play Area, which has been closed for approximately two years following concerns about the safety and condition of the existing equipment.

In 2027, British Museum exhibition curator Michael Lewis and medieval historian Janina Ramirez will be appearing at Frome’s Cheese & Grain for an exclusive talk on The Bayeux Tapestry.... This special event invites audiences behind the scenes of one of the most talked about exhibitions in recent history. On Saturday 6th March 2027, join the British Museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition curator Professor Michael Lewis and medieval historian Professor Janina Ramirez for an enthralling discussion on one of the world's greatest medieval treasures.

OCTOBER at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes arrives with a burst of creativity, variety and irresistible entertainment. This month’s programme showcases everything that makes the Wharf Theatre such a beloved cultural home: bold theatre, international film, Shakespearean drama, laugh‑out‑loud comedy and the soaring power of live opera. It’s a rich, colourful season designed to surprise, delight and keep audiences coming back for more.....

Images: Jess Worrow Ah, for the connotations of US drive-in movie theaters, now in decline over the pond, but embedded as characteristic romantic americana; the rock n roll era, waking up little Suzie, and Danny Zuko making his move on Sandy while a monster movie plays on a giant screen in the background. It was folklore Brits forever envied…. Okay, yesterday evening at…

I can be sent an album, review it because I love it, and put the artists atop of my cognitive must-see list. Although the list will grow as time progresses, I’m the elephant with a knotted trunk, awaiting some legendary local venue to announce, yeah, we’ve got these guys coming……  In this case the legendary venue is the most apt for this act locally, it is the worshipped…

Would you dare to join Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance at their airbase on Friday 30 October 2026 for an unforgettable Firewalk Challenge? Feel the buzz, face your fears, and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush as you walk barefoot across hot embers beneath the autumn night sky - all while supporting Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance's lifesaving work..... Firewalk 2026…

If it's not unusual for Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire to break out the bagpipes at a gig, it's often for a solo stint of piping. Yet Ruby continues to experiment with ways she can merge piping into her music, and this, recorded last weekend at Ilfracombe Maritime Festival, shows Ruby at her best, backed with a band playing a tribute to the victim of the worst miscarriage of justice in British history, Clive Freeman....

If spring saw Swindon’s premier rock trio I See Orange breaking new ground on a US tour, autumn brings with it their first full length album, Pining For Apollo; prepare… I See Orange come at you loud and proud. It’s driving rock versus edgy grunge, but unafraid to test the boundaries of either subgenre as they form foundations into commercial rooms fit for The Cranberries or The Cardigans.

Congratulations to Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts, who announced yesterday that they've been awarded a substantial National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England…. This is amazing news for everyone in Devizes, on the day of their carnival, which in recent years required Devizes Town Council to subside it after years of Arts Council cuts prevented DOCA's most elaborate free events from going ahead.

Looking at the evidence presented by the media on the Shayne Hambakachere case in Chippenham, unless there is something we’re not being told I’m of the opinion there has been a serious miscarriage of justice. I spoke to Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson about this terrible outcome….. Shayne Hambakachere was a 16-year-old aspiring bricklayer and a pupil at Hardenhuish School, who tragically died after being fatally stabbed on 31st of January 2026.

With an AI-powered poster so excruciating I cannot bring myself to show it here, this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards announce the lineup for their ceremony. Should we judge a book by its cover?! The event looks great, but the AI epidemic has infected this, and is so cringeworthy it doesn’t invite attention, which is a shame when the tagline reads “inspiring Wiltshire…..”

The Wharf Theatre production presents an electrifying confrontation between artistic truth and political authority, with a content warning! Howard Barker’s Scenes from an Execution is coming to the Wharf Theatre, Devizes. Gripping psychological drama; they’ve got it covered….. Directed by Jax Brady, Howard Barker’s 1984 BBC Radio 3 drama, Scenes from an Execution will be running from 21st to the 26th September.

Newlywed, what lengths would you want your partner to go to with their wedding speech and gift? A six track EP of the most beautifully self-penned sentimental love songs?! Well, sorry, but honestly, unless you’re luckily now married to twenty-five year old Ed Sheeran-endorsed Chippenham singer-songwriter Luke Gittins, I think you’re asking a bit much! Congratulations to the couple, wishing them all the best of health and happiness on their journey together.

While The Hebrew Bible depicts women in composite roles, from submissive domestic positions in a patriarchal society to powerful figures of leadership excelling moral courage, and in Abigail’s case, political peace-making, there are few exceptions from the rule that, being it was written and compiled by a male scribal elite, the Hebrew Bible is narrated from a male perspective. There remains only one exception, an Egyptian slave called Hagar in the Book of Genesis, where expression of any femininity derives from a character not linked to nobility.

By Ben Romain. Images: ©Alice Rose Photography Following a stand out long weekend of blues and americana at the Hillbilly Hootenanny, Victoria and I managed to squeeze most of the Saturday of Flocksteady Bleats into a busy weekend of grown-up stuff and birthday dinners… Neither of us would declare an informed opinion on reggae, other than knowing we like some reggae, but not educated enough to know what sort of thing it was in a very wide genre (perils of genre pigeonholes shortly!)

Nearly September, time to sew those name tags onto school uniforms. Still, loads to entertain you throughout the month. I’ve exhausted our ever-updating event calendar, do please check it out. I promise you, you’ll have never seen so much information on things to do within a reasonable drive from Devizes, all collated and into one place! Here’s some highlights and recommendations.

Featured Image: Danny Kruger, and an alien egg he's fertilising in hope the creature will vote for him I'd bet Cheddar Man would've had something to say about this. Blonde blue-eyed boyish Nightmare on Elcot Lane star Danny Kruger has gone off on one, again. The High Priest of Deform defecting, Marlborough Mackdaddy published a lengthy rant-type-proposal on his social media accounts, which, basically summarised, suggests he'll nick Johnny Foreigner's votes, in the name of democracy….

I'm not going to tell you what town centre or venue it was in the headline; just like them. But this isn't about good nor bad publicity. Unlike them, you're not even finding out if you click on this badass bias baloney! And, important point: if you do know the venue don't be a twat and name it in the comments of this article's Facebook sha…

Formed just two years ago at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury, award-winning four-piece youth band, 5 Nights at Adyans, look set to release their highly-anticipated debut album, The Turn for the 30th anniversary of the prominent community youth music initiative, Bass Connection, at Salisbury Arts Centre on Saturday 5th September….. I confess I was uneasy about pressing play on the link they sent.

September is a week away; parents will be brushing off school uniforms, but Devizes blues fans won’t be dusting their brooms, because Long Steet Blues Club opens for the autumn/winter season on the first Saturday, the 5th with Lightnin' Willie and the Poorboys…..    After a long absence the club welcome back one of the club favourites from California, Lightning Willie and his backing band The Poorboys.

Whoa! What happened last night at the trusty Three Crowns?! What happened last night at the Three Crowns has clearly happened before, and happens most weekends; Devizes folk old and particularly the young come to party…. I'm aware of that much. But if the quality of the party rests in the hands of whoever is at the control tower, I'd not witnessed…

I've got this Jetpack app on my phone which allows me to make adjustments to the site. There's a new feature on it notifying me of articles published on this day in previous years. It revealed that on this day last year I fondly reviewed Talk in Code's single launch gig at The Vic in Swindon. Some things never change; last night I dropped into the Southgate where Talk in Code smashed it again…

Swindonite and founder member of XTC Colin Moulding released a new single last week, Want It Bad (The Pep Talks and Playing Fields of Old England). It’s previewing a three-track CD single being released via Burning Shed. This is Moulding's second single in five years, following 2021’s The Hardest Battle, but is it simply a smooth, rose-tinted specs wishful motivation, or is Colin really making plans for Nigel?!

Featured Image: Antony Barkworth-Knight Despite intentionally making his tricks go wrong, Tommy Cooper was actually a skilled magician and member of The Magic Circle. SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biologist, and Benny Hill really was a milkman. In order to deride an art effectively you must first master it. It therefore stands to reason Matthew C. Whitaker, frontman of the cosplay prog-rave outfit HENGE, also has some highly acclaimed solo material….

Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s been playing at recent gigs. Here the track has a subtle piano added, and those wonderful brush drum strokes texturing it with that smooth jazzy ambience, yet with poignant narrative too. Give God is Offline…

Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizes’ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed a more carefree and commercially viable style to their previously darker themed and rawer material. It was enough for James Threlfall to pick it up for BBC Introducing. With a new single out on Friday 28th August called…

Yes, we've got to praise Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall like we should, because Fatboy Slim is going to be right there, but not right now; the 5th November… bugger, it's a Thursday! Ian Sawyer wins the Facebook comment section on this post with “That's my knees buggered for November then!” Which couldn't reflect on my own predicament more perfectly. It's been decades since my mates and I followed Norm like little lost sheep, yelling “Brimful of Asha on the 45” across Brighton to Glastonbury.

Surprised your mobile didn't sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water's hosepipe ban?! Then, you're a gullible idiot! But being 22,239 voters in one seaside town opted, again, for a fascist criminal ringmaster to lead them, and, similarly as stupid, a man named Bruce shoved nine Creme Eggs up his rectum, perhaps we've entered the satirical realm of Mike Judge and Ethan Cohen's…

Turned around in just a day, a team of guitar “heir hunters” from Macclesfield called The Stray Chords have reunited Salisbury’s musician Jolyon Dixon with his childhood guitar, with a truly fascinating story….. Jordan, Sarah, and Damian are a family team behind Stray Chords, who’ve spent years rescuing lost guitars from auctions, marketplace listings, trades and house clearances, in order to restore and rehome them.

Congratulations are due to Wiltshire's indie-pop sensation Talk in Code, for sealing a second sync representation agreement, this time with Play Equals Sync, a music licensing company that helps place independent songs and instrumental tracks into television shows, advertisements, films, and video games. Could you be hearing Talk in Code songs on the telebox? We hope so! The band said, …

Are you a budding musician aged between 13 and 18? Well, I tick neither box, but, as Trowbridge’s Old Town Hall is to introduce youth open mic sessions, I reckon it's a brilliant incentive…. Of course, most open mics have no age restrictions, but you know how it can go sometimes, when there's an aging hippy who wants to recite…

Andy Burnham has urged shops to stop selling disposable barbecues amid the increase of wildfire risk. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs uncover horrific scenes of burnt gamebirds on bonfires at the Stockton Shoot. Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Our sabs investigated this in July, when they were alerted to illegal practises at the Stockton Shoot in Wiltshire, discovering and capturing on film an industrial sized operation of charred gamebirds.