THIS WEEK AT THE STABLES: WITH HAT FITZ & CARA, ROXANNE DE BASTION, FEAST OF FIDDLES, WOBURN SANDS BAND & MORE!

A particularly busy week lies ahead at The Stables, so we'll dive straight in.

Thursday's date (April 14) by funny man Mark Steel is all sold-out in the Jim Marshall Auditorium, but Stage 2 still has availability for Roxanne de Bastion (below), out on the road with her debut headlining dates.

It's not the first time she has treated the venue to her vocal charms, mind you – she recently played as support to Ricky Ross.

Roxanne has issued a new track from the Seeing You EP to mark the dates, and says that Wasteland is inspired by the changes in her hometown of Berlin.

“With this song, I aim to stir up a conversation about the importance of art and live music in city planning!” she said.

When part of Berlin's East Side Gallery – the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall - was torn down to gain access to new luxury apartments and hotels, protests fell on deaf ears.

Roxanne was affected enough to make music about it.

'It is a call to arms; a cry to rally the creative troops and sway the urban developmental arms of local governments, putting the artistic and cultural identities of these cities back into focus.

She says that if music and art aren't placed at the heart of city planning, the characteristics that make cities including London and Berlin so unique and full of life are at risk of being lost.

And we concur.

Check in with her from 8.45pm.

Only single seats remain for Feast of Fiddles on Friday night (April 15), as the marvellous music making that began at a folk club and has turned into a folk-rock institution continues to cheer.

Singer-songwriter Dave Nachmanoff is often caught live with Al Stewart, working as both his lead guitarist and his opening act, but not this week he's not.

Instead he is in the spotlight and on Stage 2 on Friday night with his 'superbly creative, touching and evocative' deliveries.

On Saturday night (April 16) the venue is taken over by music makers from right here in the Keynes – the Woburn Sands Band will be treating the assembled as they run the gamut from big band classics to jazz, pop and brass band originals.

On Stage 2, the very different but every bit as awesome Hat Fitz & Cara (top) make their return.

Total MK saw them on the same stage this time last year, and were won over by their warm brilliance.

A partnership on stage and off, the wild man of Australian blues and the petite Irish lass with a voice of gargantuan ability make a formidable team, and there's more to Cara than 'just' that vocal range – she drums, and gets busy with the washboard, flute and tin whistle.

Sensational songs deserving of your ears interspersed with an easy style of storytelling, and the odd bit of affectionate inter-bickering.

To miss this is to miss out.

We won't waste time writing too much on Colin Blunstone (above) who is a familiar face at the Wavendon haunt, but only because the man who gives his voice to The Zombies is bordering on another sell-out for his show on Sunday (April 17), which means you'll also miss Balsamo Deighton in the supporting role.

Also approaching capacity at the venue this week coming is Monday's (April 18) date pairing up prog rock pioneers Renaissance (Annie, below) and Curved Air .

They'll be revisiting their collective roots and remembering the soundtrack of their lives, according to Renaissance front lady Annie Haslam.

Try for tickets, but be prepared for disappointment, and it's the same deal for Tuesday's (April 19) show by Irish players The Fureys.

Benjamin Folke Thomas will see you over on Stage 2 with his Dylan and Cohen influenced take on alt-country, with added lashings of country rock.

Rounding off the week, Nerina Pallot makes her return in support of her 'bold, bluesy, Biblical storm' of an album that she has called The Sound and the Fury.

Get busy with your plastic pal and call the box office on 01908 280800.