This article was published in 2003.

The Wakefield Music Collective have spent the last few months listening to over 100 demos, going to see as many bands as possible, scouring the internet and music press, and are pleased to announce the first batch of bands we hope to confirm for the ever popular free music festival.

Headliners on Saturday are the amazing Stranglers tribute band Four More Heroes from Leeds. With a huge following and the official blessing of original band members Hugh Cornwell and JJ Burnell, this is a band enjoyed by not only die-hard Stranglers fans but by anyone who remembers such classics as No More Heroes, Something Better Change and Golden Brown.

A band who have a bit further to travel than most are Electric Eel Shock, all the way from Japan! Their super-charged live performances have had an enormous impact on the Japanese Garage Rock scene. A band in constant motion, they have toured Japan, United States (5 times), Canada and are coming to Wakefield as part of a major UK tour.

Denzel are from London, and are a unique guitar band with an energetic live show who played one of the highly successful Clarence warm-ups earlier this year.

Current favourites to win this years prestigious York Fibber Battle of the Bands, Wakefield based Soberskin play energetic and funky electro-pop.

Inamba are one of the hardest working young rock bands in Wakefield, with an ever increasing local following and superb musical talent way beyond their tender years.

Anyone who is a regular gig-goer in Wakefield will have come across Skiprat, featuring local hero Clink from Audiozone. Playing a mixture of blues, rock and the odd burst of punk, this band go down a storm everytime they grace a stage.

From Leeds, The Dead Pets are fronted by the irresistible Sweeney who recently appeared on Channel 4’s Faking It conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The band play punky ska with balls, and always entertain their ever increasing audiences all over the UK.

Worm from Bradford are a change to the usual Clarence style, playing ambient, industrial, cyber-goth techno-metal, which is an interesting mixture that works surprisingly well.

One of the most innovative bands around Yorkshire at the moment are Halifax band Rhesus Monkey, whose set comprises dub, ska, reggae and hardcore punk - sometimes all in the same song. They went down very well at one of the Clarence warm up gigs, and surprised a few elderly shoppers when playing the precinct during Music Live in April!

Making a welcome return to the festival are local "pub band" The Flying Seaman, who always receive a warm welcome and provide an entertaining show wherever they go.

New for this year, two pre-show parties have been arranged at The Snooty Fox - on Thursday 24th July we hope to blow the roof off with a selection of punk bands, and on Friday 25th one of Leeds’ most promising alternative rock acts, The Downfall, are playing along with Erins Third Incident.

There’s also another one of our highly successful warm up gigs at The Snooty Fox on Thursday 26th June, when we are pleased to present a night of AC/DC and Thin Lizzy with top tribute acts Optic Nerve and Busy Lizzy. As with all our events, it’s free entry!

More bands are to be announced over the next few weeks, and further details can be found on the official Festival website at www.themusiccollective.co.uk. The site also includes a Forum promoting local venues and bands as well as an opportunity for fans to comment on the bands who have applied or been confirmed.