Once again the music world is busy, busy, busy – albums, bands, gigs, the thrills never end.

It's almost enough to bring on another ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful' column. Except I'm not particularly cheerful this week as the world seems to be collapsing. Rolf Harris, responsible for many wonderful early musical memories (yes, I still know all the words of ‘Two Little Boys') is in court as I write on charges too horrible to contemplate. Cricketers that were once my heroes are accused of rigging games for years. Everywhere I look it seems that my childhood heroes were either cheats, liars, or worse. It's depressing.

Thank heavens for music

And, as I said, there's a whole bunch of it happening at the moment.

A couple of gigs first...

Following up last week's column about Derek Toner's debut album (find it online at Sunlive), Derek's more regular band Nine Mile Stone is performing a May Music Month show at Major Toms, Mount Maunganui on Saturday, May 31. It will feature the stripped-down four-piece band and there's no cover charge. Things start at 9pm.
That same weekend, which is Queen's Birthday weekend, also sees a big event happening just down the road in Rotorua when the annual Rotorua Blues Festival (which is pretty much the country's default National Blues Festival) takes over the town for another bash.

The festival runs from Wednesday, May 28, through to Monday, June 2, but the main action happens on the weekend, making it perfect for a day-trip from Tauranga. The line-up is pretty cool and includes a couple of Australian acts, guitarist Shaun Kirk and band Cadillac Walk. Also on the bill are Ralph Bennet-Eades, the Mike Garner Band with Neil Billington (both now back from Japan), Neil Findlay and Robbie Laven, the B-Side Band, Kokomo, Brilleaux, Rich Alexander, Eastslide Blues, and Say What.

Too good to miss

Most of this happens for free on Rotorua's ‘Eat Street', which is lined with bars and restaurants and is now – amazingly enough – covered! Music runs there all day Saturday and Sunday and there are also afternoon music cruises on the Lakeland Queen and a special concert at the Novotel on Saturday night. It's too good to miss, so check it out at www.bopblues.com/bluesfest

And the Music Month CDs keep coming too. Below is a review of Dave Roy's most recent (available from shavida@ihug.co.nz) and I've just received new albums from Marion Arts and Oscar Laven, both of which are fantastic.

watusi@thesun.co.nz