Marlborough’s 'Mr Music', Lamb Inn landlord Vyv Scott, is to retire.

After 42 years at The Lamb and 51 in the pub business, Marlborough’s longest-serving landlord is to call last orders on a lifetime behind the bar.

And that’s sad news for bands from all over Wiltshire because in his time Vyv has given a stage at the pub to more musicians than any other landlord in the town – more than 1,600 bands have gigged at the 18th Century inn.

Vyv has become a local legend of a pub promoter since he first brought live music to The Lamb in 1984 and ever since then around 50 bands a year have been given a break in the bar.

“I just enjoy music and giving bands an airing, it all helps to build their confidence when they’re starting off,” said Vyv.

But it’s not just fledgling groups for whom opportunity has knocked at The Lamb – Chris Jagger, the younger brother of Sir Mick performed there during the Marlborough Jazz Festival, as did the iconic jazz trumpeter Dan Pawson.

Other top names who have gigged at The Lamb include Moose Harris, the former bassist with New Model Army and The Damned, who popularly performed at the pub with his band Pants, and folk and rock star Gaz Brookfield.

“Gaz played Glastonbury after playing here, all bands have got to start somewhere,” said Vyv.

Besides being the godfather to the Wiltshire music scene Vyv has another claim to fame – he and his locally-famous jukebox inspired the creation of a national radio station.

The jukebox is much-loved in Marlborough for featuring hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s and it caught the eye, and ear, of UK radio legend Ralph Bernard, the man behind the GWR and Classic FM stations.

“Bernard was listening to the jukebox and he said to me, ‘you could create a radio station out of this’.

"And he did, he created Planet Rock out of that jukebox,” said Vyv, who was honoured by the Song Music Academy with an award, presented by Rick Wakeman, for inspiring the birth of the digital radio station which now has a weekly audience of more than 1.3 million listeners.

“Some of the bands who have played at The Lamb have been great fun, we’ve got a good pedigree and I’m proud of the legacy,” said Vyv.

But he and his wife Jackie, who will continue to live in Marlborough when they retire, are planning to go out with a big bang.

On June 11 and 12 The Lamb will host a super-gig in aid of Male Mental Health and featuring bands including; Pants, Kova Me Badd, Gaz Brookfield, Echo, Chris Goulding, Mark Thatcher, Ashley Miles and Jamie Hawkins.