Wigan bands gear up for Kendal Calling

Three borough bands are gearing up to face thousands of people at this year’s Kendal Calling, which kicks off on July 25.

Each group has a very unique backstory to how they ended up on the star-studded lineup, which will see performances from Welsh icon Tom Jones and Manchester indie stars The Courteeners.

New Wave influenced four-piece Lynchs will join The Lathums and The Lottery Winners next weekend, playing to thousands of festival goers at this year’s Kendal Calling.

The former booked their slot earlier this year after triumphing in a qualifying event at the Night and Day Cafe in Manchester with Clint Boon among the judges.

The group, from Orrell, sailed through a social media vote to secure their place among the final found bands who played off against each other for the festival opportunity.

Breb Lynch, who founded the band alongside his brother Tam, said: “It’s pretty amazing to be off to Kendal Calling. We were all a bit overwhelmed.

“We’ve been looking for a big break and it feels like things are starting to happen now for us.

“It’s exciting and recognition of all the hard work we’ve put in.

“We got shortlisted for the 20-band vote and that was really cut-throat, it got quite stressful.

“When we got to the last four we thought we had a good chance but we weren’t certain we would win.

“We’re grateful to everyone who has got behind us.

They will join The Lottery Winners who are playing the Woodlands stage just weeks after supporting Tom Jones on his sellout tour.

The Leigh four-piece stepped out on stage in front of thousands of music fans in Peterborough, Bristol and Colchester last week.

And the band has enjoyed huge success in recent times including signing to a major label and playing Glastonbury festival.

More recently still, The Lathums - a four-piece Indie band formed at The Music Projects college in Pemberton, were added to the Kendal Calling line-up after being head hunted by The Charlatan’s frontman Tim Burgess.

Just weeks after dropping a video of their single The Great Escape on the internet, the boys were cataaulted into the limelight when Burgess contacted them via Twitter to ask if they would grace the stage.

Speaking to the Wigan Observer, Burgess said: “I got a call saying one of the bands had to drop out from playing at Tim Peak’s stage.

“It was around the time The Charlatans were offered a spot at Glastonbury when a band couldn’t make it.

“It’s an exciting time when you get the call for a brilliant gig at short notice, so we had a look around at a few bands.

“A friend had played me The Great Escape by The Lathums and it had stuck in my mind. They sounded like talented kids so I tweeted to see if they wanted to come to play at Kendal Calling.”

The students, said that it is still “sinking in” that they have been spotted by such an influential musician.

Singer Alex Moore, said: “For someone so well respected and well-known to take the time to think I want to want these lads’, it’s just indescribable.