TREDEGAR Rock and Dance Festival is a major boost for live and dance music in the South Wales Valleys. Local young talent will share stages with better-known, but no less Welsh acts, such as SkinDred and Mclusky (pictured).

Unsigned bands like The Dragouts, Apparatus and Hard Drive have been chosen from battle of the bands-like competitions. As have DJs Jig, Lloydd Rivers and Noise, who will benefit from playing on the same bill as established South Wales DJs like Danny Slade, of Escape, and Escape into the Park fame.

The festival has been put together by the Tredegar Development Trust, which is an independent, 'not-for-profit community-based enterprise', with funding from Community Fund, Communities First, Objective Fund, Arts Council of Wales, and the Welsh Development Organisation.

"It has come from the want to promote local young music talent," a spokeswoman said. "The trust is made up a number of projects, including Catapult, and since last year we have been developing opportunities for participation and learning development in the arts.

"Last year we had the Battle of the Bands, which we wanted to pass on to other people to enlarge, but there was no-one else, so we've done it ourselves.

"We have helped develop a few bands that are now ready to play to a crowd: The Dragouts, The Apparatus, and Hard Drive runner- up."

All the organisers are hoping for now is good weather and enough people to come to make their licence for 8,000 worth while.

The full listing of bands is SkinDred, Mclusky, The Kennedy Soundtrack, UK Subs, Welsh Pistols, Husk, Dragouts, The Apparatus, and Hard Drive.

The full listing of DJs is Danny Slade, DJ Shaun, DJ Spermchaser, DJ MC Beez, DJ Lloydd Rivers, DJ Noise, and DJ Jack.

To find the Tredegar Rock and Dance Festival (easily): take the M4 west into Cardiff and take the turning onto the A470. Take the turning onto the A465 and follow the signs.

The festival takes place on Saturday, August 10, from noon to 10pm, in Parc Bryn Bach, Tredegar. Tickets are £5 in advance (from Catapult - 01495 711499) and on the gate.