BRITAIN's
first major festival dedicated to Mod and Ska music is set to be staged over
four days in an 85-acre woodland garden.
Up to
5,000 fans of the music genres are expected to descend on Thorp Perrow
Arboretum, near Bedale, from August 28, to hear 30 acts ranging from Bad
Manners and The Selecter to Craig Charles and The Lambrettas.
Other
confirmed acts for the Great Northern Mod and Ska Festival include Secret
Affair, The Chords UK, King Hammond and Skaville UK and Nine Below Zero.
The
family-oriented festival, which is being run by the team behind Richmond Live,
will also feature a scooter cavalcade around part of last year's Tour de France
route, a fairground, a range of children's activities and a show and shine
scooter contest.
Organiser
Mike Jinks said the British festival scene was stronger than ever, with
numerous events catering for specific tastes, with the exception of 1960s
British youth subculture Mod music and Ska, a precursor to rocksteady and
reggae that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s.
He said he
was confident of there being a strong demand for the festival.
Mr Jinks
said: "There is a bit of a renaissance with Mod and Ska at the moment, the
bands are all busier than ever, and there is even a Mod radio station that has
started in the North-East.
"The
scooter ride will be a key part of the festival and will be quite a spectacle
with 300 scooters piling down the road.
"We
are aiming to be the biggest festival in North Yorkshire and the North-East and
are in it for the long haul, as we know these things take time to build."
Mr Jinks
said the North Yorkshire-based group decided to hold the festival at the
historic estate due to its proximity to the A1 and as it would enable the
festival to expand, while also boosting the local economy.
Acts will
perform on two stages, one of which is hoped will have a chequered dance floor
for fans of Northern Soul, which is linked to Ska.
On-site
camping is included in the weekend tickets, which cost from £69.
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