Happy Mondays are to perform at an all-day music festival at Fleetwood FC's Highbury Stadium in Lancashire on 1 June, hosted by Bez, in aid of anti-fracking.
Mark ‘Bez’ Berry, the band's dancer and percussionist, will curate an event, described as a "10-hour outdoor, summer music spectacular", which takes place at the League Two ground, according to the stadium's website. Also on the bill for Frack Free Sunday are Toyah Wilcox, Big Country, the Troggs, Alabama 3 and Bad Manners, fronted by Buster Bloodvessel.
“The festival is going to be a great day for Fleetwood. Let’s hope we have a beautiful Fleetwood sunny day in June," says Bez, a leading activist in the anti-fracking movement. “I’m sure it will be a good day for Fleetwood and let’s hope [Fleetwood FC] do well in the play-offs. That would be a great double celebration with the festival coming and its anti-fracking message.”
In March, the Happy Mondays member announced plans to stand for parliament at next year's general election. He hopes to become an MP in his home town of Salford and aims to run on a platform of redistributing wealth, tackling cancer and dementia, an end to all war and tackling environmental issues such as fracking.
"I went along to the fracking protest at Barton Moss to lend my support because of the concerns I have about environmental issues," wrote Bez for the Guardian. "If we allow fracking to happen in Salford and Manchester, any idea of a permaculture society will end with it. I am standing as an MP to draw attention to the debate because I believe fracking is unsafe technology and the damage it could do to the environment is irreversible."
The event starts at 11am and ends at 10pm. Tickets are now on sale from the club ticket office or via See Tickets.
