It’s a bank holiday weekend and a time when many of the bands of the Manx music scene are out and about to entertain the masses.

First off, the Oie Voaldyn May day festival takes place in Peel this Sunday, and there will be a full day’s worth of local bands playing on the harbour side throughout the day.

The music begins at 2pm with folk pop group Biskee Brisht, followed by the acoustic group Birds and the Beards, Manx folk funksters Clash Vooar, the legendary Mollag band and the folk punk group the Ballaghs, with the Fecktones wrapping things up by 8.30pm, just in time for the pagan pyrotechnics to bring the day to a fiery conclusion.

Elsewhere in Peel, the Creek has the covers band Powercut, featuring Simon, Brads and Percy, on Saturday night, and the powerhouse tribute band Frantic 4 Quo, will be rocking all over Peel on Sunday night, playing a full set of classic Status Quo.

Ian Thompson will be entertaining the Douglas crowd on Friday night at Jaks with his full band.

The Liverpudlian songsmith will be performing a set of originals mixed with a selection of covers from the likes of The Kinks, David Bowie, Simon and Garfunkel, R.E.M and,possibly, a few Beatles numbers chucked in for good measure.

Ian is also at the British on Saturday evening for a solo spot.

The action then heads to Castletown, where the outdoor stage at the Secret Pizza company, who are celebrating their first birthday this weekend.

They will host indie rock boys 3 Million, featuring Gary Smith and Chris Honour, along with Joe Crookall and Matthew Woods, followed by the Tides, on Saturday night, from 6pm. A solo set from Tom Higgins rounds off their celebratory weekend on Sunday evening.

Next, we go to the underground music mecca that is the Compton vaults.

There is a packed schedule there this weekend, including Biskee Brisht, heading their own show on Friday night, and followed by a set by Brad Meechan, hot-footing it from supporting the Tides across the square, on Saturday night, and Short For Richard making an appearance on Sunday evening.

After all that, Vaults landlord Juan Christian has planned something special for Monday afternoon.

He will be holding an afternoon of remembrance for his late father, the legendary local rock *’ roller Ginger Christian, best known to Manx pub goers as Green Ginger.

Ginger spent many years singing and playing classy 60s rock and roll to the gig-goers and drinkers around the island, and Juan has invited some of his dad’s old bandmates and friends to come down, have a drink and a play and to remember the times they had with him.