Calderdale musicians have been lined up for an early summer festival that will see them rubbing shoulders with established acts.
Wychwood music festival in Gloucestershire, now in its fourth year, will host dozens of artists including a folk supergroup featuring Billy Bragg and newly-discovered Welsh soul sensation Duffy, whose new single Mercy is due for release next Monday.
About 10,000 people are expected at Cheltenham Racecourse over the three days of the festival, which starts on Friday May 30.
And thanks to Halifax music promoters The Doghouse and one of its founders Michael Ainsworth – a past visitor to Wychwood who liked what he saw – some of Calderdale's hottest acts will be airing their sounds on the newly-added "fourth stage" over the festival weekend.
Dirty Fakirs, Dan Collins and Dave Rigg, The Black Bloc and The Steals will be among the northern-based bands playing between 12pm and 8pm on the Saturday and Sunday in a huge tent that doubles as a bar.
Michael, joint founder with Rothwell Shackleton of the regular Doghouse music evenings upstairs at the Royal Oak, Halifax – which have been running for three years next month – is delighted that acts from the Halifax area are to be given the chance to shine at the festival.
He said: "It's an eclectic type of music festival, similar – but on a far bigger scale – to what we do. They say they are inundated with people wanting to play there but have never been asked to run a stage.
"It was an unusual request and we had to convince them we knew what we were doing.
"From a band's point of view it's a great experience. It has a mini-Glastonbury feel to it in terms of its approach and atmosphere. From our point of view, it's a great coup."
Janet Eyre, a spokesman for Wychwood festival, said: "Michael had visited the festival and it had taken his fancy.
"He offered us the chance to have some bands from the north, ones he knows from his own activities in Halifax.
"We are welcoming them down to Wychwood. All in all, there are probably going to be more than 20 of them.
"We want to be able to get artists here who might not otherwise get the chance but it's always difficult to get quality control.
"I get sent demos every day and the office is full of CDs. These are bands that Michael knows and has heard perform.
"He attended the festival as a punter himself so I feel we are going to get really good music from this.
"It's a great atmosphere and it will be nice for the northern bands to hear and talk to other bands."
Janet said in past years the festival had struck lucky with the weather, unlike Glastonbury which often descends into a mudbath.
"We always keep our fingers crossed and certainly the last two years have been absolute scorchers," she said.
Michael said he had managed to negotiate special price weekend tickets for £75, down from £100, available to Doghouse mailing list subscribers.