A BIRCHWOOD band are playing a music festival to celebrate Halton's status as 'Borough of Culture 2021'.

Man and The Echo will be doing a co-headline show with A Certain Ratio at the The Studio, Widnes, on Saturday, September 4.

It is part of the weekend-long Celebrate Halton festival which will be held in a range of venues in Runcorn and Widnes.

Man and The Echo's eponymous debut album was quickly picked up by Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music) and John Kennedy (Radio X). They have performed on Billy Bragg’s Leftfield stage at Glastonbury and other major festivals such as Kendal Calling, Reading and Leeds, Secret Garden Party and The Great Escape.

Co-headliners A Certain Ratio formed in 1978 and became part of Tony Wilson's Factory Records.  Over the past few decades the band have influenced countless influential musicians from Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem, Happy Mondays, Franz Ferdinand, ESG, Factory Floor and The Orielles.

Other festival highlights include multi-instrumentalist Natalie McCool who released her debut album, The Great Unknown, in 2016 and is putting the finishing touches to her new album.

Natalie will be joined at the launch event by BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2019 and 2020, Rioghnach Connolly who will present a special set for the Celebrate Halton launch with her musical partner Ellis Davies.

Another up and comer on the bill is The Racket, a four-piece indie band who are quickly picking up a fanbase nationwide having supported artists such as Louis Berry, Cast, Lottery Winners and Twisted Wheel.

For more information visit celebratehalton.co.uk/events/harmony-halton-music-weekender.

Tickets are available for A Certain Ratio/Man and The Echo show here.