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Gloucestershire Business News

Stars set to come out at Westonbirt this summer

Where: Westonbirt Arboretum

When: June 14-15

Some top-notch musical acts will be performing in the heart of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds this summer.

Dublin's finest, The Script, and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott will be appearing at Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, on consecutive nights as part of the Forest Live summer concert series organised by the Forestry Commission.

The Script are one of the world's most popular bands and have sold over 29 million records. Their latest release, Freedom Child, topped the UK Official Albums Chart and scored the band their fourth UK No 1 album.

Lead single Rain picked up phenomenal radio airplay and the video has been viewed over 24 million times. This success replicates earlier outings with albums such as The Script; Science and Faith and No Sound Without Silence and anthemic pop/rock singles including We Cry and Hall Of Fame (featuring will.i.am).

The Irish three-piece are also one of the biggest live acts, having sold over 1.4 million tickets across 203 headline shows.

The Script will be performing at Westonbirt on Thursday, June 14 and band member Danny O'Donoghue said: "We love performing as part of Forest Live. We look forward to making our debut at Westonbirt Arboretum. We hope you can join us to rock in this unique atmosphere."

The following day, Friday, June 15, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott with special guest Billy Bragg will appear at Westonbirt.

Their latest album Crooked Calypso charted at no 2 making it their highest release as a duo to date following on from two further top 5 albums in What Have We Become and Wisdom, Laughter and Lines.

Paul Heaton, one of the UK's most successful songwriters with some 10 million album sales under his belt, first came to public attention in the early 80s as front man of Hull-based indie poppers The Housemartins.

In 1988 Heaton formed The Beautiful South, who released 10 hugely successful albums. Jacqui Abbott was lead vocalist in The Beautiful South from 1994 to 2000 and she sang many of their signature hits including Rotterdam, Perfect 10, Don't Marry Her and Dream A Little Dream.

The Forest Live gigs will see them play material from their albums as a duo and songs from The Beautiful South and the Housemartins.

Forest Live is a major live music series, managed by the Forestry Commission. Held every year in seven beautiful forest locations across the country, over 1.5 million people have attended a gig in the programme's 17-year history.

The concerts are renowned for their informal and relaxed atmosphere set to a spectacular forest backdrop. Income generated from ticket sales helps to look after the nation's forests sustainably, for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive.

Tickets for The Script's concert are £42.50 (plus £4.75 booking fee) while tickets for Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott cost £33.50 (plus £3.85 booking fee).

They are available from the Forestry Commission box office tel 03000 680400, or online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music 

Picture captions: The Script, top, and Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott.

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