Okay, so I had a bit of a rant last week, but I have taken the medication and calmed down a bit and so expect a balanced and restrained article this week. Though I will probably be back to my sarcastic self when the pills wear off.

So here we go then. If the idea of huge pop anthems, sunny, addictive melodies and stirring guitar riffs appeals to you then the best place for you to be tonight is at the 12 Bar for Brighton’s quite brilliant Mimi Soya. Support comes from the equally talented Pegasus Bridge who have recently been announced to play this years Radio 1 Big Weekend at the end of the month.

Another festival favourite, Lou Brown, will be at The Beehive, probably the only musician that can claim to draw influence from such diverse sources as The Sound of Music and Robert Johnson. The resulting fusion is a wonderful blend of country, folk and pop. And if any endorsement is needed, Radio 2’s Johnny Walker described her as his “Glastonbury Highlight”. Best you check out what all the fuss is about.

If you would rather support home grown bands, country punks Diablo 13 will be giving the new line up a bit of a road test at the Rolleston with young, loud and shouty upstarts Elwood in tow. Plenty to chose from there then.

Midway Still describe their career as having “15 minutes in the spotlight and then they went down the pub”. Well, maybe the pub has run out of beer because after a hiatus of around 17 years, they are back out with a new album and a heavier sound. Their blend of punk and melody will be showcased at The Victoria on Friday. With support from those vendors of dark garage rock, Hotel 75, as well as that strange beast that is Band of Burt, this is a cracking way to start the weekend.

Another option for those who like their music heavy is the Furnace where Evita, The Dead Lay Waiting, Fall to the Frontline and Excessum will be flying the flag for metal. Something a bit less aggressive comes in the form of Jump, classic rock with folky overtones, over at (the award winning) Riffs Bar, and if I wasn’t already committed to one of the gigs above, I would definitely be at The Rolleston for Hiproute; funky, rootsy and joyously positive music combined with a master class of lap acoustic guitar playing.

The 12 Bar will be giving you a whole slice of value for money on Saturday in the form of The Reactor Night. For a mere five quid you can catch short sets from some great rock acts, The Dacoits, The Love Rockets, Mortdelamer and another outing for Hotel 75. This rock onslaught is broken up with the chilled acoustic sounds of Zoë Mead and the funky dub-rock of The Disco Pierats.

Over at Riffs Bar, ex-The Ramblings front man Johnny Levett presents his new solo project, Once Upon a King. Luke DeSciscio and Nicki Georgiou help get the night underway. Adding their weight to an already rock heavy week are GMT. Made up of rock legends Bernie Torme, John McCoy and Robin Guy, they will be delivering a blistering show of biker rock, a real piece of music history.

Something a bit more laid back rounds the week off in the form of some folksy Americana from Sarah MacDougall at the Beehive on Wednesday. She will be aided and abetted by Tim Tweedale on guitar, dobro and quite possibly a bit of trumpet as well.

And that’s another week done and dusted.