RIBBLE Valley’s Beat-Herder festival, now established as one of Britain’s best-loved independent music festivals, will launch a brand new stage showcasing electronic music this summer.

And dance-floor wizard James Holroyd – a resident tour DJ for the mighty Chemical Brothers – is pencilled in to headline the new venue with a monster set during the three-day bash.

“It is a big development for Beat-Herder, and it means we’ll be able to give an opportunity to new Electronica acts and DJs who we couldn’t have featured before,” said Beat-Herder’s co-founder Nick Chambers.

“The festival is becoming so popular that the talent scouts are coming up from London and acts from all over the world want to play here.

“It is not just a gig in a field, it is a celebration of world class artists coming to the Ribble Valley.

“Last year Grinny Grandad got a record deal after Beat-Herder, and before that, Jake Bugg, Clean Bandit and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man appeared at Beat-Herder.

“It is really nice to think that Beat-Herder played a little part in that.”

Beat-Herder has hosted headliners Basement Jaxx, Leftfield, Jimmy Cliff, The Orb James and Chic over the last decade.

And this summer’s line-up sees Nottingham punk hop duo Sleaford Mods, dub legend Lee Scratch Perry, The Sugarhill Gang, Toots and the Maytals and Adrian Sherwood all booked to play Ribble Valley’s biggest party in the shadow of Pendle Hill.

Nick added: “It’s a monster bill, and we’ve tried for years to get Toots and the Maytals to come.

“We are all very excited about bringing more beats and barminess to Beat-Herdershire in July.”

Beat-Herder began life in 2006 as a rave for a few friends with just a few hundred in attendance.

Since then, it’s grown to become one of the UK’s last independent festivals.

The same school pals who organised the first rave a dozen years ago are the same people behind Beat-Herder today.

Even the twenty-odd stages are built by the organizers themselves, using recycled material.

But while other festivals have fallen by the wayside, Beat-Herder has evolved and continued to grow at a sustainable level.

“This will be the twelfth Beat-Herder and we’ve got a guy coming back from New Zealand this year just so he can come to Beat-Herder,” added Nick.

“We are intensely proud that we’ve remained independent because we love what we do.

“Beat-Herder is different to other festivals: It is built on love and the effort of many, from plants grown from seed, hand painted signs to restoring old cars and making home-made hymn books.

“The detail and creativity is endless, but most of all when people tell us that it is the memories that Beat-Herder creates for them, well that’s the special bit.

“We hope Beat-Herder can go on for many, many more years to come.”

Beat-Herder tickets are available from Townsend Records, Clitheroe, Action Records in Preston or buy on the website, www.beatherder.co.uk. 0844 888 9991

Beat-Herder will run from Friday, July14 to Sunday, July 16 at Dockber Farm near Sawley.