A BIT of a quieter week ahead of us — I guess that everything peaked with last week’s Halloween parties, and bands and punters are laying low for a while. No matter, you can’t have everything, after all, where would you put it?

As Guy Fawkes night hoves into view it is traditionally the week when internet warriors get their political heads on and roll out that hilarious and poignant old adage about him being “the last person to enter Parliament with honest intentions”.

So if your idea of honest intentions is a religious mercenary being hired by the English aristocracy to commit mass genocide then yes, spot on.

So much for the political minds and rhetoric of generation X-Box. Right, off the soapbox and into the mosh pit.

Dead Frequency is an interesting amalgam of pop-punk and glam, the grit and bounce of the former and the infectious choruses and showmanship of the latter and they can be found at The Victoria tonight supported by the more raucous first generation British punk sound of Rebel Station.

Head down to The Beehive and you will find Ash Mandrake, who just may just be a troubadour from a warped version of Middle Earth armed with music, loop pedals, stories, humour, homemade guitars and strange hats… though some say that he is actually from Manchester. Prog-folk meets Icelandic Sagas anyone?

At The Queen’s Tap, The Rock Bottoms host their own open mic night and if the band contains a couple of familiar faces then it is because Dan Sealey and Adam Barry are ex-Ocean Colour Scene and ex-Merrymouth respectively.

On Friday the sound of the underground clubs hits The Victoria with Ruffneck UK’s Naughty Take Over, a night of DJs and live sets from the coolest corners of the urban scene, Hip-Hop, R&B, Grime, Trap and all manner of genre fusion and creative cross-overs. The night will feature Cypher, Naughty Dee, Craig Waters, Ruffy Rockaway, Kelus Beatz and a host of other cult names.

At The Beehive you will find Moody Will and The Roll, soul-searching folk pop meets breezy country-blues put to accessible and sumptuous grooves and slightly reminiscent of the genteel majesty of seriously underrated 70s west-coasters, Bread.

Rock is on the menu at The Groves Company Inn thanks to Whitesnake UK, a tribute to David Coverdale’s iconic blues turned anthemic stadium rockers. Tackling everything from their early British R&B era through to the current international and more glam metal inspired version of the band, this is a must for anyone serious about their rock music.

Everything from The Beatles to Hendrix to The Who is on offer at The Rolleston in Commercial Road as Locarno Beat break out the hooks and harmonies, and a bag

of classic tunes from the 60s and 70s.

The big name for Saturday can be found at Level III as New York ska pioneers The Toasters head into town.

Their music comes out of a clash of Reggae, Jazz, Punk and Soul, is aggressively working class, championing the man in the street, yet like all ska is also a celebration of survival; a big brassy, brawny, bawling, beast of a band. Joining them is the brilliant Captain Accident and The Disasters, a deft blend of soul, rocksteady and roots reggae.

And in the “if you like that you will like this” department Killertones will also be revealing in the punk, ska, two-tone and reggae hits of the past at The Victoria, so those who have a hankering for pork-pie hats and Harrington’s, polo shirts and polished shoes will have to decide which skanking soiree they want to support.

Rock fans might like to try out Black Rose at The Groves Company Inn, a classic rock, 80’s hair metal cover band and for something a bit more scatter gun in their approach to genres and eras, then you should try either No Middle Ground at The Queen’s Tap or Danny and The Randoms at The Rolleston for the perfect live music party.