The Stranglers and Stiff Little Fingers ready to rock Stone Valley South Festival
Stone Valley Festival is back in East Herts for a fourth year with another celebration of punk, ska, mod, indie and northern soul music.
The family-friendly event kicks off on Thursday June 2 at noon – and fans will be entertained by a host of iconic bands from across the decades.
The entertainment begins a day earlier than usual to make the most of the bonus bank holiday to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The opening night's bill includes Ruts DC, Big Country and Bad Manners, whose frontman Buster Bloodvessel was an energetic crowd-pleaser last year.
Once again original rude boy Neville Staple and his band will deliver a string of hits including his chart-toppers with The Specials.
BBC Radio 6 Music's Craig Charles will bring his Funk and Soul Show to Pepper Hill Farm, Great Amwell, as part of the entertainment from noon to 11pm over three days.
On Friday, American R&B legend Geno Washington, who released five albums with The Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, takes to the stage before handing over to The Rezillos.
Festival favourites The Dualers bring their inimitable brand of ska and reggae before New Order's and Joy Division's bassist Peter Hook and his band, The Light, are guaranteed to deliver a storming set.
Friday's headliners are The Stranglers, the indestructible rockers who emerged during the heyday of punk and have scored 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums over the past five decades, including Golden Brown, No More Heroes, Peaches, Always the Sun and Skin Deep.
Saturday's stars include The Buzzcocks, festival regulars Death of Guitar Pop and Liverpool indie rockers Cast.
The Bootleg Beatles have extended their set after Bruce Foxton's From the Jam was forced to pull out when singer Russell Hastings suffered a heart attack in May.
The festival, which also includes rides, scooters, merchandising, stalls and a range of food and drink, will end with a performance from Stiff Little Fingers.
The band, formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, is still led by singer Jake Burns.
Their single Suspect Device was the first record released by any Belfast punk band and their first album, Inflammable Material, was the first independent LP to enter the UK top 20.
SVF South's organisers, who also run the original Northern festival and a new Midlands event, said: "Our team really care about the festivals and are passionate about bringing you the very best live music.
"You loved SVF South III, as you told us with loads of brilliant feedback, and we can guarantee you the most fantastic live bands and legendary names there are in one stunning line-up in a bouncing, friendly festival atmosphere and a brilliant weekend that everyone can afford."
For camping and day tickets, see https://www.stonevalleyfestival.co.uk/.
