THE latest four-day music festival at The Derby, in Barrow, gets under way on Thursday, featuring names from across Cumbria and beyond.

In Bloom runs at the Dalton Road venue until Sunday, presenting more than a dozen live acts and offering free entry.

The opening night line-up will see hotly-tipped Furness indie outfit The Sides top the bill, having been forced to pull out of the venue's spring festival in February.

Having already gained a sizeable following, despite only a handful of headline shows to their name, they will be well supported at one of their biggest gigs to date.

Playing an uptempo brand of indie rock, alongside their originals they also include tracks by the likes of Courteeners, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys.

Young Dalton band 52 Kings also have a sound that draws from classic indie and alt rock, and both of the singles they've released so far are likely to feature in their set.

Acoustic pair Paper Cranes will make an appearance, drawing from their large back catalogue of self-penned tracks.

Singer-songwriter David Duffin completes the opening night bill, playing an unplugged set of covers and originals.

Friday's four-act bill gets under way with a visit from up-and-coming Whitehaven four-piece Springfield. They have an increasing number of original tracks in their repertoire, while covers from acts such as The Undertones and Catfish and the Bottlemen are often included.

The Orchid Hunters will be familiar to Cumbrian festival-goers - the Manchester-based band formed at Kendal College and went on to appear in the regional finals of Britain’s biggest unsigned band competition.

They are known for their acoustic-based originals in the vein of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the John Butler Trio.

Popular Barrow covers band The Sun Kings recently returned to gigging after a winter break, and with a revised set-list, they will be drawing from a number of classic indie, rock and pop acts, with tracks from Fleetwood Mac and AC/DC likely to make the cut.


The Dales will be welcome headliners on Friday, having established themselves as one of the best-known covers acts in the region. Expect an array of modern hits from the likes of Kasabian and Foo Fighters to make an appearance.

Solo act David Miller has the opening slot on Saturday . The Manchester-based performer, originally from Furness, also fronts indie pop band Boxes, and will be showcasing his own material.

Brand-new Barrow grunge act Paint will be appearing, having performed at the venue alongside Deep Sands and Bunch earlier this month.

Welsh hard rock band Shot of Hornets are one of the weekend's visiting acts that will be looking to win over a new audience. The trio take inspiration from bands such as Biffy Clyro and At The Drive-In, and have been highly praised by BBC Radio Wales.

Prog-influenced hometown rock band Serene have played a number of headline shows at The Derby over the past couple of years, and are set to star once more on Saturday night.

In Bloom concludes on Sunday with its final four guests - singer-songwriter Zac Thompson kicking things off with an acoustic set of originals and stripped-back versions of well-known anthemic tracks.

When All Else Fails will be playing an indie-influenced set of covers. Now well-established in Furness, they recently topped the bill at Hawcoat's CiderFest, and have appeared at a number of The Derby's seasonal festivals to date.

The Chadelics bring their indie rock set back to one of their most regular venues, guaranteeing a lively show with their sing-along self-penned anthems.

Wrapping things up on Sunday night are Kings In Canoes - another band who have recently made a return to the scene after a few months out. The acoustic-driven trio will be showcasing material from last year's full-length album, with some newer numbers also added to their set-list.

Music runs from around 9pm each night and offers free entry.