It's the first Thursday of the month and that means the ever-popular Song Club at The Donkey, Welford Road, Leicester.

This month's laid back, candle-lit extravaganza features city rockers Ashdowne, playing their anthemic songs acoustically with the amazing vocals of Lee Wakeling; next up is a duo featuring a couple of the city's finest blues veterans, Mick Ridgeway and Al Sansome.

By The Rivers is a new reggae band formed by Nile and Jordan of indie band, M48 playing their own roots reggae songs acoustically as a warm up for their first electric show in a couple of weeks.

Finally, fresh-faced Liverpool singer, Stephen Langstaff has been described as "the voice of an angel with the power of a Tsunami."

Doors 8pm. Admission free.

The weekend at The Donkey has a morbid theme but some great music; Friday sees the Dead Rock Stars, from T Rex to Hank Williams, Hendrix to Elvis – "where there's a stiff there's a riff!"

Saturday is a must for Nick Drake fans, when Bryter Layter, a six-piece band, perform his songs. Doors 8pm, admission £7.

Friday at The Independent Arts Centre, Humberstone Gate, sees a psychedelic special with Daylight Frequencies.

There's also Black Market Karma, a psychedelic rock 'n' roll band from South East London, plus Leicester "shoegaze" outfit, Parliament Of Bats.

Over at The Music Café, New Park Street, off Braunstone Gate is a Shadow promotions night with Ashby's The Young Knives, indie-punksters The Stiggz and city alt-indie outfit, Weekend Schemers.

In contrast, Saturday at Starlight 2001, Wharf Street, sees probably the biggest dub event Leicester has ever hosted, with Aba Shant-I, Channel One and Iration Steppers all with full-systems in Room One, while room Two has United Nations of Dub and Counteraction.

Tickets available from Rockaboom, 2Funky and Hub Bar.