Four past and present Keswick School pupils who have formed a band called Dazed will be making their Kendal Calling debut on The Roots stage this afternoon.
Owen Clarke (vocals), Betsy Lucas (drums), Jay Cunningham (guitar) and Ruben Murphy (bass), who are all 18, will be performing at 3.20pm on a stage set up to showcase up and coming local bands.
Betsy’s proud mum, Sarah, who with her husband John runs the Claremont House guest house on Chestnut Hill, said that the band were selected to play after a successful online audition.
“They have been going for about two years and have written all their own songs,” said Sarah. “They are inspired by very funky music and bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“This is going to be about their 10th gig. They are really tight. They played The Brickyard in Carlisle recently and people were saying: ‘Wow. How do you follow that?’”
The four have received free tickets to the festival so once their gig is done they can relax and enjoy the whole experience.
“Last year Betsy went as a paying member of the public. It will be interesting to see her take on what it is like backstage,” said Sarah.
Around 40,000 music fans will be descending on Cumbria for the annual festival which got under way on Thursday.
The event at the Lowther Deer Park, near Penrith, is a sell out and will feature acts such as the Sugababes, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Heather Small and the Lightning Seeds.
Following months of close partnership working, police officers are now on site with drug detection dogs, carrying out sweeps of the grounds and surrounding areas.
These sweeps not only act as a deterrent to attendees thinking of bringing drugs into the festival but also assist in reducing drug related offences. The sweeps will be conducted regularly until the festival ends.
There will be drugs amnesty bins situated at the entrances. Should anyone be found in possession of illegal drugs past these bins, it will result in automatic ejection from the festival and prosecution.
Officers will also be assisting event organisers and security staff throughout the weekend to provide a visible policing presence and deter incidents of crime and disorder.
Inspector Sarah Hodkinson, public order and public safety commander for Kendal Calling said: “As with previous years, a great deal of effort has gone into planning this event along with the event organisers, security teams, local council, highways and other partners.
“Our officers, special constables and police dogs work tirelessly in the lead up and throughout the festival to ensure the safety of everyone attending the event, protect the public and reduce the number of illegal substances brought onto site. They also deal with incidents such as high-risk missing people, violence and keeping the peace.
“While our main aim is to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend, we have plans in place to deal with any incidents which may arise.
“We will have non-uniformed and uniformed officers along with our dogs section assisting security staff and deploying thermal imaging drones throughout the car parks.’’
