Chill out with Hugh and the gang at Eastnor Castle festival

The event was founded for people who wanted a more relaxed atmosphere than that at the larger festivals and it moved to its present location after a one-off event at Lulworth Castle in Dorset in 2001.

This year's festival is expected to attract a total of 30,000 people and runs from Friday, August 5, to Sunday, August 7.

It is set to see more than 100 artists performing across several stages, including a set from Nitin Sawhney - who played last year and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2000 for his album entitled Beyond Skin.

And one of the artists set to delight fans of the Stranglers will be the band's ex frontman Hugh Cornwell.

The star of the late 70s and early 80s charmed his fans during a visit to Worcester last weekend, signing copies of his autobiography and performing a gig to promote his new album Beyond Elysian Fields.

The bad boy of punk-rock arrived in Worcester to sign copies of his autobiography on Saturday, June 18, and later played a gig at the Marr's Bar.

Tina Jones of Waterstones, who organised the event, said: "He was a nice guy, well spoken and pleasant."

Also returning is The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, whose version of singer Ms Dynamite's Miss Dy-na-mi-tee on ukuleles went down a treat with festival-goers last year.

Other acts to play include Icelandic/Italian Emiliana Torrini - whose 2004 second album Fisherman's Woman won critical acclaim - psychedelic Beach Boys-esque Anglo-American band The Earlies, The Fatback Band, Lunz and Benny Sings.

There will also be various DJ sets from the likes of Radio One favourite Gilles Peterson and festival regular DJ Tom Middleton - who filled in for an ill Marc Almond last year.

Other attractions include a clubbing tent; body and soul area and a tent showing film, debates, comedy and cabaret.

Tickets are priced £112 for adults and £28 for children, with additional booking fees applicable.

ROUND-UP: THEY'RE A REAL BUNCH OF ANIMALS

THE sound of the 60s will be returning to Worcester tonight as one of the decade's most influential bands takes to the stage.

The Animals were second only to the Rolling Stones in influence among R&B-based bands in the first wave of the British invasion and crashed onto the music scene in April 1964 with their debut single Baby Let Me Take You Home.

Their follow-up in June of that year - House of The Rising Sun - was an instant success, shooting to the top of the UK and US charts.

The group's return to Huntingdon Hall tonight features original members John Steel and Mickey Gallagher. Tickets are £12 (concessions £11).

CLEVER TREVOR'S

BACK IN TOWN

THE founding member of another 60s chart-topping band is set to visit Worcester this weekend for a gig at the city's Marr's Bar.

Trevor Burton was a member of The Move from 1966 to 1969 and after leaving he stayed in the south of England with close musician friend Steve Winwood who was forming the band Traffic.

He contacted musician friend Steve Gibbons and formed a new band called Balls, together with Denny Laine, formerly of the Moody Blues, and Allen White from The Plastic Ono Band.

Now he will be playing at Worcester's Marr's Bar tomorrow night with his band - comprising Maz Mitrenko on lead guitar and vocals, Perry Conner on bass guitar and Bill Jefferson on drums.

Tickets are £4 in advance or £5 on the door.

BOOGIE WOOGIE WITH THE BIG MAN

MUSIC fans in Worcester will be singing the blues on Sunday as Steve 'Big Man' Clayton rolls into the city for a gig.

The musician took his first step into the blues arena when he was asked to back visiting US artists such as Louisana Red, Shuggy Otis and Carey Bell, touring Europe.

He went on to pound the keys on Otis Grand's award-winning album He Knows The Blues. His own second album, I Got A Right, features legends SP Leary and Lester 'Mad Dog' Davenport.

Blues fans can catch up with the man himself when he plays Worcester's Marr's Bar on Sunday. Tickets are £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

review: Coldplay

LIFE is full of disappointments - I should know having recently endured the latest Star Wars instalment.

It was therefore with great anxiety that I approached the latest Coldplay album.

From the outset though, it's apparent this is one love affair which will not end abruptly as the band take one giant leap further with another clutch of gargantuan songs.

Everything here is on a grand scale - from epic scene-setter Square One to the mournful What If?, the U2-eqsue White Shadows, Kraftwerk-sampling Talk and anthemic Fix You, a tune practically itching itself to be played in stadiums nationwide.