MELT Yourself Down will be turning up the heat when they headline Friday’s slot at the Ribble Valley’s hippest family festival, Cloudspotting this summer.

Fresh from a sell-out tour, the BBC Radio Six favourites are a supergroup of sorts, featuring saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and ex-members of Acoustic Ladyland.

With a frantic dash of rip-snorting rave jazz, they borrow their sound from Rip, Rig and Panic, Transglobal Underground and the mighty Pigbag among others.

“It is a terrific coup to get Melt Yourself Down to play at Cloudspotting,” said festival spokesman Matthew Evans.

“We like to fire it up a bit on the first night, with Three Trapped Tigers and Clinic both having headlined our previous festivals, and Melt Yourself Down create an amazing sound, so they fit the bill perfectly.

“We are really excited about this year’s line-up, it is daring and spectacular and it will be the biggest and best yet Leisure Society, Cate Le Bon, John Bramwell from I Am Kloot, Gideon Conn, Good Foxy, Pictish Trail and Harp and a Monkey are all booked to play the three-day festival.

“There’s some great folk too, from Merry Hell and Drop the Floor and an experimental band from Lancashire — Plank — who create instrumental rock with synths and loop pedals,” added Matt.

“Also, there’s an all-girl punk band from Manchester, Pins, who are kicking up a real storm, so they are not be missed.”

Blackburn rockers Sky Valley Mistress, fronted by the sonic vocals of Kayley Davies, will open up the main stage, while Leisure Society top Saturday’s bill and Cate Le Bon brings the curtain down on Sunday.

Colorama also return after last year’s blistering show, still high on emotion from the release of their first EP Heaven’s Hotel, and a raft of positive headlines in the music press.

Tuff Love are two girls and a guy from Glasgow and their debut EP, Junk, is already causing a stir, with their burning melodies and fuzz pop sure to provide another festival highlight while guitarist Kiran Leonard, from Oldham, is a favourite of DJ and former Fall man Marc Riley.

Cloudspotting, staged in the heart of Gisburn Forest, close to Slaidburn, boasts two outdoor stages and has forged a reputation as a peaceful, family friendly festival.

“We aim to make it a bit louder with the bands we’ve booked this year but the beauty of the festival is that it is very family orientated and all the artists who played last year wanted to come back.

“There’s going to be so much happening apart from the music, with a Farmers’ market, archery, a theatre company performance and beer at £3 a pint.”

Cloudspotting Festival, August 1-3. Adults £80 (weekend ticket) and £3 for Under-16. Tickets from We Got Tickets or Clitheroe Grand Theatre box office on 01200 421599.