Lancashire Hotpots and the Wonder Stuff lined up for Darwen Live (From This Is Lancashire)

Lancashire Hotpots and the Wonder Stuff lined up for Darwen Live

3:00pm Monday 11th March 2013 in News By Dan Clough, Reporter

FOLK favourites The Lancashire Hotpots have been confirmed as a headline act at this year’s Darwen Live music festival.

Organisers said the band, who perform a host of comical songs about the modern world, would close the first day of the event on Sunday, May 26.

Alternative rockers The Wonder Stuff, who topped the charts with Dizzy, a collaboration with comedian Vic Reeves in 1991, will headline the event on the Bank Holiday Mon- day.

Other top 20 hits for the band, which emerged in the 1980s, included Size Of A Cow and Welcome To The Cheap Seats.

Darwen Library Theatre will also have a host of acts on both days, including The Soultrain, who will per- form a northern soul set, and Van Downham.

One of the organisers, Paul O’Garr, said it was shaping up to be another great event for the town.

He said: “We are very proud to announce that the festival is still completely free to attend. The Wonder Stuff is an incredibly entertaining band that will wow the crowds at Darwen Live and really bring the Monday to a spectacular conclusion.

“Our headliners for the Sunday are the one and only Lancashire Hotpots. With rousing anthems such as Chippy Tea, He’s Turned Emo and I Fear Ikea, the Hotpots are a fun-filled roller-coaster of musical comedy and we are proud to make them welcome at Darwen Live 2013.”

There will also be a variety of local bands performing on both the town centre main stage and at the Library Theatre, as well as a third stage and in pubs and clubs around the town.

Mr O’Garr said: “A more complete list of performing acts will be released in the forthcoming weeks.

“We are still trying to confirm a location for an alternative stage.

“We had more than 150 applications from bands asking to be part of Darwen Live.

“Our sincere thanks go to all the acts who contacted us.

“Every single band was considered for the precious few main stage slots.

“Those who have been unsuccessful this time have had their details passed to all the other venues across the festival.”