Hertfordshire’s biggest free music festival is set to rock into Baldock with no fewer than 234 bands, DJs, poets and comedians lined up to entertain over a single weekend.

The organisers of the annual Balstock event – which runs from Friday, September 11, until Sunday, September 13 – have today released the lineup for the barnstorming triple header at venues across the town.

Some of this year’s highlights for the 10th anniversary of the festival include hip-hop misfits Phili n Dotz and Jesus Hooligan performing on Saturday, before Papa Shango storms in on Sunday with the able support of Alex Bay and Young Minorities.

There will be several familiar faces performing at 10 Baldock pubs which have signed up to take part, with Roxy Searle, Mark Sullivan, JoanOvArc and Rickshaw all due to appear.

If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, Baldock Town Hall is hosting the metal and punk stage with a Metallica and AC/DC tribute act, as well as punk act The Bleach Boys.

Alternative stages include The Orange Tree’s Grin and Bear Wit stand-up comedy stage, the Folkstock stage in the White Lion, a DJ stage in The Old White Horse, Irish music at the Cock and even karaoke at Mick’s Barbers down Baldock High Street.

Each venue is free entry, with 80 per cent of all funds raised through Balstock being donated to The St Thomas Lupus Trust.

Balstock organiser G La Roche said: “Give much respect, as all these bands are giving their time for free in the name of charity, local talent and the promise of a jolly good knees-up.

“It is quite a testament to how popular Balstock has become.

“I have no idea what we’re doing right, but I pray to Lemmy that we keep doing it!”

To check out the bands playing over the weekend visit www.balstock.com. There will also be programmes available in all Balstock venues next week, as well as David’s Music in Letchworth, Club 85 in Hitchin and Unikorn in Stevenage.

All band slots are now full, but more volunteers are always welcome, so get in touch via balstockvolunteers@hotmail.co.uk if you are free.