Much like a few weeks ago when I opened proceedings with an apology that the column would be largely biased towards one even, I will kick off with the same as Festival On The Farm takes place this weekend in the rural setting of nearby Purton. But before we get to that there are a couple of musical morsels tonight to help get the weekend underway.

Tonight at The Beehive will see Shaun Barry return to his Thought Crimes moniker, a whole new line up and the same blend of deft and dexterous playing. Mel Hughes gets the night underway with her emotive and graceful acoustica.

At The Victoria, Metalhead lay on the ultimate tribute to the golden age of heavy metal and classic rock, Pantera, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC…you know the score.

The first night of Festival On The Farm kicks off on Friday. Covers are catered for with circuit stalwarts Hooch and Penfold and The Dirty Smooth mix groove and grit into the perfect pop-rock songs. Raze*Rebuild deliver some punked up, wide-screen Americana and the night rounds off with Binomial’s glorious synth celebration of the sounds of the eighties.

And if you are in town looking for your musical kicks then rock is definitely in no short supply. Shades of Seattle lay out a stall of 90’s grunge at The Victoria, a plethora of covers from the Pacific North West’s over-driven, distortion led, scuzzy groove alt rock scene. Meanwhile at Level 3 a host of heavier bands continue with the venues relaunch.

Ursus bring their brand of jarring contemporary metal and eden falls deliver cool and confrontational post-hardcore aggression. And whilst those two bands are well known on the local scene they bring a couple of suitable out of towners along for the ride, Aylesbury’s bring The Onslaught and Swanseas Conflict. The charmingly named Behead The Heathen make the night a Swindon-metal sandwich.

Edgar and The Ravens provide a night of music plucked from the dark underbelly of the rock canon at The Rolleston.

Back at The Festival, Saturday provides a real mixed bag of music. Sister Sister kick things off with their trademark sax appeal before a real change of pace and those brilliant and strange guys from Sex Jazz laying down some thunderous bass lines and mind warping lyrics. Lads, Lads, Lads, Rotten Aces and Blind Lemon Blues bands cater for the songs you know and love , Getrz bring the driven and edgy indie music and if young old school rockers Magician’s Nephew look familiar, its because you have seen one of them on the kids edition of The Voice. The Night ends with Motown and Soul from The Go Go Five.

Back in the urban sprawl, The Last Call bring rock covers to The Victoria, The Worried Men return to The Rolleston for a night of incendiary blues-rock and at The Greyhound, The Petty Thieves take a wander through some of the more underground and less obvious moments of rock.

Joli Soul, as the name might suggest, has a night of soul covers lined up at The Regent, Chris Bannister plays music from his “Songs of John Denver” set plus a few contemporary country standards at South Marston Village Hall and its Trojan Reggae Night at The Castle with The Erin Bardwell Collective.

Level 3 is hosting an 80’s music night, iconic records being spun and an urging to where the fashion of the era, though I’m guessing that means dress like Spandau Ballet or Olivia Newton John rather than turn up in a long black rain coat, back-combed hair, a “coal not dole” t-shirt and clutching a copy of a Lilac Time album.

Sunday on the farm sees plenty of original music too. Kid Calico and The Astral Ponies sound like a psychedelic circus act playing outlaw country classics, The Sarah C. Ryan Band blend folk and pop into contemporary gorgeousness and The Shudders channel the spirit of Neil Young.

No Middle Ground bring a bunch of pre-loved tunes, there are tributes to The Hollies and Robbie Williams and Vice Versa round the festival off with a selection of rock and indie gems from across the decades.

And if by Sunday you still haven’t had enough, rockabilly par excellence courtesy of The Runaway Boys can be had at The High Street Club.