Top gigs for locals

MUSIC EXTRA: TWO of our top Oldham indie rock bands have earned themselves slots on the prestigious Blackthorn Festival bill in the summer.

From July 22-24, thousands of music fans from across the region will converge on Whitebottom Farm at Stockport’s Etherow Country Park to celebrate music culture and rural produce.

Last year top chart acts Reverend and the Makers and the Enemy were among the headliners at the Blackthorn, joined by local favourites Cupids, Lyceum and Indigo Empire on the more than considerable undercard.

This year Ok Broken and Shadow Palace have been handed high-profile slots, and for the former it’s another major boost to an exciting 2016 so far.

Gaz Wright, Phil McArdle, Adam Heap and Dave Furnival recently shone at the ‘Soundwaves’ final at the O2 Academy in Leeds, while they have also played a major slot on the ‘Revolution Live - Love Spreads’ event at Whittle’s in Oldham and the Manchester ‘March of the Mods’ weekender.

“It’s great news for us,” said bassist McArdle. “The Blackthorn Festival is a major deal around these parts and it’s going to be brilliant to be a part of it this year.”

For Shadow Palace – Harry Lavin, Ben Warwick, Dan Gaunt and Danny Walsh – netting themselves a slot at the Blackthorn has come at the same time as them also being confirmed as a feature at the Party in the Pines festival at Broughton, north Lincolnshire, on August 8.

Tickets are now available. Log on to www.blackthornmusicfestival.skiddletickets.com or check the dedicated Facebook page.