They say if you can remember the Sixties, then you clearly weren’t there.

But Alan Hodder, vocalist and harmonica player with recently-reformed psychedelia legends Crystal Ship, most definitely was, although some of the recollections may be a little bit hazy.

Crystal Ship, who took their name from the song by The Doors, are just of a number of south Dorset bands from way, way back in the day who are giving it another shot after the recent series of reunion fundraising gigs at the Centenary Club in Weymouth.

“We were around from 1966 to 1970,” Alan tells me. “And one of our regular gigs was Norman Cheeseman’s Steering Wheel Club (now Actors bar) in Weymouth on Saturday nights.

“Richard Comben, our manager at the time, managed to get us a gig of two 45-minute slots at the legendary Middle Earth club in London’s Covent Garden in late ’66.

“The trouble was the first set was at 9.30pm but our second set wasn’t until 5.30am the next morning, so things did get a little bit vague,” he recalls.

“John Peel was the resident DJ and we were booked to support a rising young band called Pink Floyd, but they didn’t show up.

“Luckily, Roger Chapman’s Family were on hand to fill the headline slot,” adds Alan.

Such a booking faux pas proved disastrous for Pink Floyd’s career and they were never heard of again.

“We also played there with Soft Machine and Fairport Convention,” Alan remembers.

Such has been the reaction to their appearances at the Centenary Club shows, Crystal Ship are now going out in their own right with a couple of gigs, the first of which is tomorrow night, Saturday, February 8, at the Gloucester on Weymouth seafront.

That’s followed by a headline slot at Wellworthy’s Sports and Social Club in Wyke Regis on Friday, February 14, in a fundraiser for NU: Waves, the children’s support group set up following the closure of Waves in St Mary Street which was forced to shut because of funding cuts.

Alan will be joined by fellow original Shipmate Phil Biggs on drums, along with guitarists Bob Watling and Mick Martin and bassist Adrian Bond.

Support next Friday comes from Eleventh Hour, a band comprising seasoned players Bob McAlpine on guitar and vocals, Brian Hansford on guitar, Steve Bell on bass and Dana Milverton on drums, all of whom met up at the Centenary Club reunion shows.

Tickets for the Wellworthy’s gig are £7.50 from the club on 01305 779316 or info@classicmedia.co.uk but hurry up as there’s only a few left.

Moving on, and if you’re a fan of psychedelia, you’ll be no doubt fluffing up your best scatter cushions, lighting your incense sticks and dribbling into a state of apoplexy at the prospect of an all-too-rare gig by psych-loungecore doyennes Gothic Chicken.

They’ll be at Broadwey and Upwey Memorial Hall in Weymouth next Saturday, February 15, to celebrate the 21st birthday of Phoebe Kelsall, the daughter of Pete Kelsall, one of the Chickens’ most ardent supporters, who tells me: “Phoebe specifically requested the Chickens play, despite the many times they deafened her as a teenager.

“As well as being her birthday, it’s also a fundraiser to enable Phoebe to continue her work as a marine ecology research assistant on Operation Wallacea in Croatia,” Pete adds.

Tickets are £10 and available from peter.kelsall@gmail.com and doors open at 7.30pm with support from Polly Hoare and Dora Laura Carr.

Till next time…

NICK HORTON

Gig listings

TONIGHT (7)

TBC (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Ruff Cuts (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Milk and Two (John Gregory, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Park, Weymouth)

Stevie P (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Guns of Navarone (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Martin Maton (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Alexander Soul Man (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Don Tucker (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Samantics (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Matt Lock (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (8)

Queen Rhapsody (Weymouth Pavilion)

Hybrid (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Unusual Suspects (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Arron and Karina (Weymouth Conservative Club)

Under The Carousel (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Suited and Booted (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

The Stereoironics (Spice Ship, Weymouth)

Hazzard (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

The Katz (Hope and Anchor, Bridport)

Johnny King as Elvis (Little Ship, Portland)

Jimmy Hillbillies (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Crystal Ship (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Paul and Joe (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Replay (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Richard Cooper (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 2-6pm.

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

NUMB (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral (No 10, Bridport) 12.30-2.30pm.

Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Punchbowl, Portland)

Stacey Lou (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Never Mind the Bongos (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Rock Apes (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (9)

Bitter and Twisted (Britannia, Portland) 5-8pm.

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Sunday Jam Session (Belvedere, Weymouth) 5-8pm, a later start because of the rugby.

Jinder (Ropemakers, Bridport) 4pm.

George Hall Duo (Crown, Bridport) 4-6pm.

Alexis (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth) 9pm.

Finnian (Black Dog, Weymouth)

MONDAY (10)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (11)

Dougie Cooper’s Jazz Night (Star, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (12)

Windborne (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth) Acoustic folk, here every Wednesday.

Lee’s Open Mic Night (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

THURSDAY (13)

Folk Night (Hardy’s, Dorchester)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth) Strum on down from 8pm.

No Horse (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Sainty’s Sexy Session open mic (Belvedere, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (14)

The Best of That’ll be the Day (Weymouth Pavilion)

Craig Ogden and Milos Milivojevic (Dorchester Arts Centre)

Billy Boy Miskimmin’s Mercy Lounge (Finn’s, Weymouth)

Crystal Ship, Eleventh Hour plus special guests (Wellworthy Sports and Social Club, Wyke Regis, Weymouth) Tickets £7 from the club in aid of NU: Waves.

Monkey Jump (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

Speedway Snails (John Gregory, Weymouth)

Balance of Power (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

The Shakespearos (Club Bambooza, Weymouth)

Perfect Storm (King’s Arms, Weymouth)

Dean Dallinson (Weymouth Working Mens Club)

Danny Adams (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Chief Lazarus (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Uphill and Still (Ropemakers, Bridport)