Organisers have announced the first wave of acts playing Hertfordshire music festival Wilkestock with Slaves confirmed as one of the headliners.

The Comet: Wilkestock Charity Music Festival 2019 first line-up announcementWilkestock Charity Music Festival 2019 first line-up announcement (Image: Wilkestock Charity Music Festival)

Wilkestock 2019 will take place at Frogmore Hill in the Hertfordshire countryside between Watton-at-Stone and Stevenage over the weekend of Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1.

Headlining the Saturday night will be Kent punk rock duo Slaves, who have supported the likes of The Prodigy and Foo Fighters.

The band tweeted: “We’ll be headlining @Wilkestock Festival this summer. Lovely stuff xxx”

Slaves – guitarist Laurie Vincent and drummer Isaac Holman – are well known to Juicebox Live’s Luke Hinton, as he explained in the first line-up announcement mailshot.

Luke, who also books bands for The Horn in St Albans, said: “After being given the honour of being invited to book the Wilkestock Festival for a third successive year, we thought who would be perfect to headline the Saturday night...

“We are delighted to confirm a band that we know very well at Juicebox Live, having seen them playing to a handful of people, to holding the fastest selling Juicebox Live show ever, to seeing them headlining the prestigious 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace in late 2018.

“It is with great pleasure we can announce that Slaves will headline Wilkestock Charity Festival on Saturday, August 31, 2019.”

As well as Slaves, who played Hertfordshire’s Standon Calling in 2017, a host of established and up-and-coming bands have also been confirmed for Wilkestock 2019.

The Comet: Slaves playing Standon Calling Festival 2017. The Kent punk rock duo will return to Hertfordshire this summer to headline Wilkestock 2019. Picture: Kevin RichardsSlaves playing Standon Calling Festival 2017. The Kent punk rock duo will return to Hertfordshire this summer to headline Wilkestock 2019. Picture: Kevin Richards (Image: © Kevin Richards)

Among the acts announced so far are Avalanche Party, Lady Bird, LIFE, Rews, Strange Bones, Swedish Death Candy and The Pearl Harts.

There will also be DJ sets from Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do stars Goldie Lookin Chain, Dub Pistols, DJ Lady Eliza, Billy Daniel Bunter, SAYA and DJ Fat Controller.

Others set to play Wilkestock include Amelia Lappert, Birthday Card, Dan Thomas & The Altogether, Dat Brass, Ed Tattersall, Fiende Fatale, Minnie Birch, Modern Comforts, Pocket Dust, Riviera, Sam Rabin, Tom Dulieu and The Waits, with more to be announced.

Since last week’s first line-up announcement, tickets have been flying out of the box office.

The small independent boutique festival also raises money for two charities close to the Wilkes family’s heart, with all profits going to blood cancer charity Bloodwise and Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.

• To book tickets for Wilkestock Charity Music Festival, visit www.wilkestock.com