TWO top BBC music men will be dropping in to decide which Redditch band will star on the stage at the town's AIR festival in June.

Radio presenter Mark Goodier and producer Chris Lycett will be using their musical know-how to judge the best of the four short-listed bands on Friday.

The Battle of the Bands, between The State of the Nation, The Cadence, Three Years' Hiding and Propulsion, was organised by Redditch AIR partnership and will be held at Kingsley College, Woodrow Drive.

Judge Mark Goodier presented the UK Top 40 charts on Radio 1 for almost 10 years and is the voice behind BBC 1's Top of the Pops chart rundown.

Chris Lycett is known for producing numerous BBC radio programmes and won a Sony Gold award in 1984 for broadcasting Live Aid.

The selected band will perform in Arrow Valley Park, where Jools Holland, Lemar, Natasha Bedingfield and Liberty X will be appearing.

Tickets for the event, which starts at 7.30pm, are on sale at £5 by calling Kingsley Theatre box office on 830731.