Franz Ferdinand, Yard Act and Wet Leg to perform during Independent Venue Week

Franz Ferdinand, Yard Act and Wet Leg will form part of the bill for the 2022 Independent Venue Week.

The annual BBC Radio 6 event, hosted by DJ Steve Lamacq, is a celebration of independent music venues around the country, and those that own, work and run them.

Each programme in the week-long series, from January 31 to February 4, will focus on a different UK venue.

Venues include PJ Molloys in Dunfermline, Scotland, Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds, Future Yard in Birkenhead, The Louisiana in Bristol and The Horn in St Albans.

BRIT award winners Franz Ferdinand will perform during the first of the specials at the Scottish venue.

Yard Act and Wet Leg were longlisted for the BBC Sound Of 2022, with the latter finishing second for the accolade.

Debut albums by both bands are due for release this year.

Melt Yourself Down and Bess Atwell are also listed on the event’s bill.

“Independent Venue Week has always played a vital role in helping grassroots venues at a financially perilous time of year,” said Lamacq.

“But this time round, it’s even more important to help support the live music circuit after it’s been hit so hard by Covid.

“It’s a chance for us all to rally round and celebrate just how important these places are to emerging artists and alternative performers.

“We’ve lined up some of our favourite new and established acts for a week of gigs in small grassroots venues around the country and we’ll be talking to promoters and fans about why live gigs remain so important to the music community.”