Two well-known bands from the BritPop era of the 1990s will help a town mark a milestone in its relatively short history, later this month.

In a first for Newton Aycliffe, a live music festival will be staged to mark the County Durham new town’s 75th anniversary, on Saturday July 29.

The AycLive celebration will feature eight live bands, including headline acts, 1990s’ chart-busters’ Cast and Dodgy.

Indie-rockers Cast, formed in Liverpool in 1992, saw their debut collection, All Change, in 1995, became the highest-selling album for the Polydor label.

Read more: AycLive: Newton Aycliffe festival includes Britpop's Cast and Dodgy

Riding the crest of the mid-90s BritPop wave, the band enjoyed seven top ten hits, the best-known of them being Sandstorm, Alright and Flying.

Alongside Cast will be another famous BritPop band, Dodgy, formed in Hounslow, west London, in 1990.

They were probably most famous for the hit single Good Enough.

Apart from the headliners, the festival will also showcase local groups, Another Crisis, playing ‘classic pop’ sounds, The Breakfast Club, focusing on 80s’ music, a more 70s’-orientated band, Sleeze Sisters, the Gangsters of Ska, spanning the two-tone music of the two decades, Northern Soul Elite, heralding the Northern Soul/Motown genre, of the 70s, plus rock champions, Sound Divide.

The inaugural festival will take place around the running track at the OakLeaf Sports Complex, on School Aycliffe Lane, from 12-noon until 11pm.

Showgoers will have well-stocked bars and refreshments/concessions' stands on hand, plus several fairground rides, as a counter attraction.

Read more: Newton Aycliffe celebrates its 75th anniversary

Organisers believe tickets are reasonably-priced, at £20, for adults, and £15 for under-18s, in the 14 to 17 age band, with free entry for under-14s accompanying a ticket-holding adult.

Online sales will incur an additional £1 booking fee, which is automatically added.

Further information and details of online ticket sales can be found via the festival website, www.ayclive.co.uk, while the AycLive team can be followed on Facebook by ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’ AycLive.

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The AycLive Events team hopes to make the festival an annual event, with the support of townsfolk in Newton Aycliffe and music-lovers across the region.

It is said to have been two years in the planning, with the assistance of ShildonLive organisers, Northern Productions, supported by Great Aycliffe Town Council, Gestamp, Kudos Commercial Finance and McDonalds (Newton Park).

Organisers also thanked Aycliffe Radio and Stuart McLean, the combined driving forces behind the project.