THE Ramsbottom Festival may be four months away but fundraising begins next week to safeguard the fest-ival’s future.

Mark Radcliffe will perform at The Met in Bury on May 17, a date rescheduled from April because of illness.

BBC 6 Music DJ Radcliffe will be backed by his band, The Big Figures, otherwise known as life-long friend and drummer PJ Walmsley.

The Doctor Feelgood tribute act play old-school R&B and their gig is the first of a host of events being held to help finance the Ramsbottom Festival, which will be held at Ramsbottom Cricket Club, Acre Bottom, for the second time on September 14-16.

Further fundraisers will be held at Ramsbottom Comedy Club in the Civic Hall thro-ughout June and July.

More than 5,000 people attended the inaugural event last year and this year’s three-day showcase will be headlined by 1980s Oldham psychedelic rock legends Inspiral Carpets.

Also confirmed for the Friday night are the Janice Graham band, and on Saturday the line-up includes Admiral Fallow, The Leisure Society and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees Johnny Kearney and Lucy Farrell.

On Sunday Thea Gilmore will be playing alongside Wond-erstuff frontman Miles Hunt, Biederbeck, Harp and a Monkey, Jenny McCormick and Danny Mahon.

David Agnew, festival orga-niser, said: “We’ve already sold out earlybird tickets to our hardcore fans on the strength of last year’s event alone.”

Tickets are available in Ramsbottom from the Grant Arms Hotel, Market Place and the Old Mill Hotel, Springwood.