Charlatans sell 500-plus tickets

More than 500 tickets for a concert on Cannock Chase by The Charlatans this summer have been sold since they went on sale on Friday.

Music fans have snapped up 570 tickets, and organisers said it worked out at 23 tickets an hour, based on the ticket office's opening hours.

Forest planner Alastair Semple, of the Forestry Commission, said: "We are extremely pleased with the ticket sales so far, and we do expect the concert to sell out easily. The Charlatans sold out really quickly when they were at Dellamere last year, so we are pretty sure they will sell out again because they do have local connections."

The critically acclaimed band, led by Tim Burgess and featuring drummer Jon Brookes from Walsall, have released 10 albums in a career spanning almost 20 years. They racked up several Top10 hits including The Only One I Know and North Country Boy.

The Charlatans were the second act to be confirmed for this year's weekend of concerts. Status Quo will perform two days before. The act booked to play on the Saturday night is expected to be announced on Monday.

A total of 4,500 tickets are available for each of the concerts, which take place at Birches Valley each year as part of the Forestry Commission's annual Forest Tour.

Tickets for The Charlatans cost £26 subject to a booking fee, and Status Quo cost £30. Call 01842 814612 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/music