Photo: Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds)

The Liverpool Summer Pops Festival has announced the line-up for their first ever ‘INDIE WEEKENDER’, which takes place on Sunday July 19, 2009 at the Liverpool 02 Academy.

Liverpool band THE LIGHTNING SEEDS, will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, with a special hometown show at the Philharmonic, on Sunday 26th July. Tickets for both shows went on sale May 22nd.

The month long Summer Pops Festival takes place across venues in the City this July, at the Echo Arena, 02 Academy, The Bluecoat and The Philharmonic. More venues and shows to be announced.

"From small acorns we plan to turn the Indie Weekender into a major City wide festival over one weekend in July and be part of the great month long Festival that Summer Pops has become.... Green field festivals have their place but downtown in the best music city in the world... How good will that be?" said Chas Cole from organizers CMP Entrtainment.

Lightning Seeds front man, Ian Broudie, has taken something of a back seat over recent years, producing chart topping bands likes of The Coral, The Zutons and The Subways. The band are back with a new album, ‘Four Winds’.

“I'm really looking forward to playing a Liverpool show. I did one gig at the Albert Dock about four years ago, so I'm really excited about playing Liverpool again” said Ian Broudie.

Photo: Art Brut

The Indie Weekender will host some of the coolest bands around, headliners include ART BRUT, KING CREOSOTE and BENS BROTHER.

Art Brut are a regular chart fixture in France, iconic in Germany and lionised by the cream of alternative America. While in the UK, The NME has christened lead singer Eddie Argos "the new Jarvis Cocker."

Fife singer-songwriter, Kenny Anderson aka King Creosote, has released over forty albums, his latest ‘Flick the Vs’ was released in April.

Bens Brother are London-born, Jamie Hartman. In 2007 his debut album ‘Beta Male Fairytales’ went Gold in the UK, with the respective singles earning top 10 airplay positions and a prestigious Ivor Novello nomination, only losing out to Amy Winehouse. His latest album ‘Battling Giants’, features special guest Joss Stone.

THE CORDELIER CLUB are sibling dance-pop duo Alice and Richard. Whilst nineteen year old, STEVE APPLETON is a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Think Jack Johnson produced by Pendulum by way of Mike Skinner.

GLASSLIGHTS are a London-based four-piece making some seriously ambitious tunes, with almost-falsetto vocals and lush strings becoming their trademark. Steeped in classic British post-punk tradition are Wakefield’s finest LAST GANG.

Local representation comes in the form of Liverpool guitar band VOO, who opened for Crowded House at last years’ Liverpool Summer Pops, Wirral indie popstars, MY AMIGA and melodic blues tinged rock guitarist KUSH, featuring singer NICK ATKINSON.

THE CUBICAL sound that has been likened to “Howlin Wolf on Acid” leaving the listener “fearing divine retribution” and a live show that is a “real deal voodoo rock n roll medicine show” The Cubical are one of the most promising things that 2009 will have to offer.

More names will be added to the ‘Indie Weekender’ bill in coming weeks.

Ticket price Indie Weekender £15 and Lightning Seeds £27.50

Liverpool Summer Pops Festival Line Up 2009

(Dates and information subject to change.)

Echo Arena
July 3 THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW – The Wall
July 4 N-DUBZ – CHIPMUNK, YOUNG KOF, STEVIE HOANG, MZ BRATT
July 7 JAMES MORRISON, VAGABOND and MARTIN HARLEY BAND
July 10 BEATLES DAY – The Concert
July 11 McFLY
July 12 SHARLEEN SPITERI – The Voice Of Texas
July 13 PET SHOP BOYS
July 14 LEONARD COHEN
July 15 THE POGUES
July 16 SQUEEZE and THE PRETENDERS
July 17 NE-YO
July 21 SIMPLE MINDS – 30 Years Live
July 22 PUSSYCAT DOLLS
July 24 JOOLS HOLLAND
July 25 SIMPLY RED, 25th Anniversary Greatest Hits
July 27 GLORIA ESTEFAN
July 30 RHYDIAN and ONLY MEN ALOUD!
July 31 DEACON BLUE
August 1 THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW – The Wall

02 Academy
July 1 ATHLETE
July 2 JOHN MAYALL
July 3 ELLIOT MINOR and MISSION DISTRICT
July 3 THE LINES
July 4 THE EXTRAVERTS and PINK DOLPHINES and TRIGGER HIPPIES and CRAZED ETERNAL and HARLETTS
July 5 IDLEWILD and SLY DIGS
July 9 ALL AMERICAN REJECTS
July 10 CONNECTING FLIGHT and GENTLE MENSHEVIK and YOU ME US
July 10 BUZZCOCKS, THE DRELLA and FRAKTURES
July 12 THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE and RAGGEDY ARMY
July 13 THE SUMS and LYONS & TYGERS
July 15 THE GAME
July 16 BEYOND VIOLATE
July 17 ASWAD
July 18 THE CHRISTIANS
July 18 ALEXIS BLUE
July 19 INDIE WEEKENDER
July 23 EIGHTH DAY ARMY and TOWN BIKE
July 24 CHINA CRISIS and TALKABOUTS
July 25 PELE
July 25 THE BO WEEVILS and THE VERDICT and INSISTER
July 26 STRAWHOUSES and AEROPLANES
July 30 FREE PEACE and JACOBI
July 30 TAKING BACK SUNDAY
July 31 THE REAL PEOPLE
July 31 LITTLE FIELDS
August 1 CORNERSHOP

The Bluecoat
July 9 THE JOHN HEAD BAND and DANNY TONNES
July 11 SEAN FRANCIS BUTLER
July 16 JERSEY BUDD and EMILY AND THE FAVS
July 29 NIGEL CLARKE (DODGY) and RAIN (un-plugged) and JAMES REA
July 30 IAN MCNABB
July 31 MICHAEL HEAD and EVA PETERSEN

Philharmonic
July 25 THE LOTUS EATERS
July 29 THE LIGHTNING SEEDS

FOR TICKETS AND THE VIP POPS EXPERIENCE CALL 0844 847 1616
Echo Arena 0844 8000 400 / online at ACC Liverpool
Ticketmaster 0844 847 1616
Ticketline 0151 256 5555
Seetickets 0871 220 0260
Gigantic 0115 959 7908
02 Academy 084477 2000
Philharmonic 0151 709 3789

Or in person from the 08 Place or venue box offices

Summer Pops at Echo Arena Liverpool website

Lightning Seeds Official Website

A good New Year's resolution for 2008 could be to support more live music! If any of these acts happen to be playing in a town near you, go and check them out - you'll be glad you did!

Cage The Elephant

I really can't wait for 2008, as it will be the year that the world discovers Cage The Elephant. A five piece from Kentucky, the young quintet are residing in London for the next year or so. This year saw them tour with The Wombats, Foals, Queens Of The Stoneage and The Ravonettes. The band also released their first ever limited edition 7" of double A side single "Free Love / Tiny Little Robots". With amazing early support from Gigwise, Click Music, Clash Magazine, NME and everyone else that happens to see them live, CTE are surely the one to put your money on for 2008. Not since Kings of Leon / Foo Fighters / Rolling Stones have we seen a band like this. Lock up your daughters, for Cage The Elephant are loose! They return in 2008 with second single "In One Ear" which has already been getting a lot of Zane Lowe love.

Cage The Elephant on Myspace
Cage The Elephant Official Website

Dawn Kinnard

A weird yet wonderful Pennsylvanian, Dawn Kinnard will be one of those surely to get into the Mercury Shortlist in 2008. With songwriting that breaks all current trends, Dawn is as original as she is incredible. With excellent live shows in London, Dawn picked up features from the Guardian Music online and Q4 Music along with that vital word of mouth 'secret for 2008' vibe. Always surprising the audience with her guest performer for sublime track "Clear The Way", Dawn recently was joined on stage by Cerys Mathews in London's Soho Revue Bar. Dawn Kinnard's debut single "Fortune Teller / Devils Flame" has already had Radio 1, 2 and 6Music spins and is due for release in January 2008 with the album 'The Courtesy Fall' set for an April 2008 release.

Dawn Kinnard on Myspace

Harrys Gym

A Norwegian quartet with a front woman oozing enough cool kid charisma to match that of Karen O, Anna Lise can easily hold a room full of male music critics, and aspiring musicians in the palm of her hand - and in awe! Creating music that slips perfectly into the indie pop rock dance category, Harrys Gym music could be filled in between Bowie and Blonde.

Harrys Gym on Myspace
Harrys Gym Official Website

KT Tunstall

Not much introduction needed for the Scottish lady with the shiny silver guitar. KT released her second album proper 'Drastic Fantastic' in September 2007, along with the two singles "Hold On" and "Saving My Face". A total album chart resident, "Eye To The Telescope" set the bar for KT's recent offering, and unsurprisingly, 'Drastic Fantastic' has also kept the standards high. KT will be back in 2008 with another single and a massive April UK tour.

KT Tunstall on Myspace
KT Tunstall Official Website

Ben's Brother

A five piece London band with the songs that will have you getting back in touch with your emotional side - Ben's Brother's music is powerful with emotive lyrical content. Having recently been forced to rush release their album in the US, the band are set to take the States by storm in 2008. Having had syncs in Greys Anatomy, the band's new single "Stuttering, Kiss Me Again" was also used in a chewing Gum Commercial that sent the Myspace and YouTube hits through the roof! Their debut album 'Beta Male Fairytales' was released in July 2007 and the band will enter the new year in March 2008, with this new single.

Ben's Brother on Myspace
Ben's Brother Official Website

Justin Nozuka

A Canadian singer songwriter that has all the young girls cutting off their arms for a piece of him, Justin Nozuka has surprisingly taken on this audience by default. Writing mature and complex old school R&B mixed with modern pop, Nozuka strums a guitar like an old time pro. At just nineteen, he has a long career ahead of him and this year will be the one to take notice of such a talent. Ready to properly release his album and concentrate on his music, Justin has just finally finished College.

Justin Nozuka on Myspace
Justin Nozuka Official Website

Joss Stone

Joss will be releasing her third single of the new album 'Baby Baby Baby' in February 2008. She performed at Fashion Rocks, Live Earth, Glastonbury and many others this year, along with her version of "Love" being used in the new Coco Chanel perfume commercial.

Joss Stone on Myspace
Joss Stone Official Website

Union Of Knives

This Scottish indie dance band will return in 2008 for the first time since 2006.

Union Of Knives on Myspace
Union Of Knives Official Website