Madness headline at Quex Park, Birchington, Saturday, July 24.

by Peter Barnett

Music fans are set for midsummer Madness at this year's Sound Island Festival at Quex Park in Birchington.

The Camden 'nutty boys' are regarded as one of the best festival bands around - their Madstock shows at Finsbury Park are held in high esteem as evenings of nostalgia, great music and fun.

They will headline on Saturday, July 24, on a bill that also includes the skilled musicianship of Ian Dury's band The Blockheads, The Dualers and King Blues.

The Madness hit catalogue boasts some of the finest pop ska music that still stands the test of time - Our House, The House of Fun, Embarrassment, Baggy Trousers, My Girl, Driving In My Car, Night Boat to Cairo, One Step Beyond, and It Must Be Love.

Three decades on from their first forays into the charts, the band released one of their best albums, the critically acclaimed Liberty of Norton Folgate, which shows they remain one of the best at what they do.

On Sunday, July 25, it is the turn of boy band JLS, double winners at The Brit Awards. The band - who starred at Quex Park last summer and who recently returned with two sell out shows at Margate Winter Gardens - are looking forward to the open air show.

They will be joined by X Factor star Diana Vickers and Chipmunk, plus Alex Gardner, RD (Rough Diamondz) and The Score.

A festival spokesman said: "The festival continues to attract some of the biggest and most popular names, a lot of this is down to the enthusiastic and responsive crowds that welcome them and word is getting around what a great gig it is to play.

"Two years ago, Scouting for Girls said the buzz was amazing and we had difficulty getting them off the stage ready for The Hoosiers; last year international group The Pussycat Dolls said it was the best concert they had ever played in the UK. It goes without saying that JLS just love playing Kent."

For more ticket information, contact the box office at Margate Winter Gardens, telephone 01843 296111.