TONIGHT sees the final of the competition run by mintsouth to find the best local talent to play at June’s Blissfields Festival. Competing in the Southampton heat of The Road to Blissfields at The Joiners are The Novatones, Anja McCloskey, The Blue Screen Of Death and England Road. All of the bands were selected by Blissfields organisers from over 100 entrants. Festival favourites Subgiant will be making a headline appearance as special guests.

The winners will be awarded a place to play the festival which is being headlined by The Noisettes, Patrick Wolf and also features upcoming acts including Spector, Seán McGowan, Man Like Me, Pronghorn, Dreadzone, King Charles, Guillemots and Bastille. Blissfields takes place from June 28 to July 1 at Woodmancott near Winchester.

u HOT on the heels of his hugely successful FishHeads Acoustic Tour lasting 18 months, Fish is back with his full electric band.

Fresh from writing and recording his latest studio album A Feast of Consequences, he is out promoting the new record and visits The Brook on Monday. His career, which spans over 20 years, is notable for his charismatic stage performances and uncompromising lyrics.

u THEY were part of the Merseybeat Sixties’ revolution which was to change the lives of teenagers for ever. More than 50 years on and The Searchers are still going strong and will be returning to The Concorde on Thursday. But the history of the band goes back beyond the sixties. It has its roots in a skiffle group formed in Liverpool in 1957 by John McNally.

And John is still in The Searchers line-up today. Although, he has turned 70 he is still playing his 12-string guitar with the enthusiasm of a teenager.