EIGHT thousand music fans are expected to descend on Stanley this weekend for one of the country's top blues festivals.

The Stanley Blues Festival has grown in stature since its inception in 1993 and now attracts top names alongside up-and-coming or well-known local acts.

On Saturday the biggest name to play the festival, former Rolling Stone guitarist Mick Taylor, will top the bill. The guitarist, who has just released his first solo album for 19 years, has just completed a tour of America.

It will be a big day for festival openers The Blue Shoulders, three teenagers from Waldridge, near Chester-le-Street, who have won acclaim for their mix of blues rock standards and original material.

Alive and Kicking and Martin Fletcher's Usual Suspects are also big crowd-pullers on the North-East pub circuit. The line-up is completed by The Nimmo Brothers, from Glasgow, and The Fred James Band from Nashville.

Organiser John Kearney, of Consett-based Northern Recording, said: "We had 6,000 people last year and we are planning on getting 2,000 more. We have had phone calls from people in Scotland, Leeds and Sheffield.

"As well as bringing big names to the North-East, Stanley has developed a reputation for showcasing the world-class blues talent this region has to offer.

The festival, backed by Der-wentside District Council, Dur-ham County Council and North-ern Arts, is free and starts at noon. It is being held on the Kings Head Field, just off Chester Road on the main A693 road from Chester-le-Street.