They’ll be starting to pull pints for the ninth Baldock Independent Beer Festival on Friday and the ale will continue to flow all weekend – and there’s plenty of music being laid on to make sure the event really rocks.

Booked to play on the main stage are the likes of stadium hard rock band New Device, world-touring girl rockers JoanOvArc, North Herts reggae legends The SGs and 80s tribute act Our Friends Electric.

And if you fancy something a little less frantic to accompany your favourite tipple, there’s an acoustic stage, too – volunteers from the annual Balstock music festival will be supervising that show, raising funds for September’s big event.

Acts lined up include Indi & The Vegas, Schrödinger’s Strings, Roxy Searle, Midnight Drives, Rob Eaton & The Keebles and many more.

The festival is based at the town’s Brandles School in Weston Way, running from 5pm to 11pm on Friday, noon to 11pm on Saturday and noon to 8pm on Sunday.

Festival committee member Stuart Johnston says: “Since the start of the beer festival the music side has grown bigger each year.

“We’re really excited to have some of the best local bands performing over the weekend, so come down and enjoy great music and beer!”

Balstock organiser G LaRoche added: “The beer is the main attraction at this event, but with music acts this good the ale will be flippin’ incredible!”

Find out more online at www.baldockbeerfestival.org.