ROLO Tomassi are an experimental band in high demand. Luckily for Bridgwater, they’re making room to headline the town’s first ever alternative Morbid Mash Up Festival this month.

So far the prog-rock group’s summer has been punctuated with UK festival slots and gigs in Europe, while a big forthcoming autumn tour for third album, Astraea, in Australia and Japan, looms large.

Keyboardist James Spence spoke to the Mercury while gigging in Hamburg.

“We’ve never been to Bridgwater before we’re very excited. Our music’s very, very leftfield kind of rock music and we put on a very energetic performance. People who don’t listen to us in their own time often like us live. We just want people to enjoy us however they want to.”

The experimental femalefronted five piece – brother and sister Eva and James Spence along with Chris Cayford, Nathan Fairweather and Edward Dutton – met and formed in Sheffield in 2005, taking their name from LA Confidential.

Ranging in age from 23-25, they’re selfmanaged under their own label, Destination Moon. Back home they do bar, shop and office work to pay the bills.

“It’s nice to be doing both, because if you didn’t have both, you wouldn’t appreciate either,” says James. “It just makes you want to work harder.”

Morbid Mash Up Festival 2013 promises to be Bridgwater’s biggest ever alternative music festival, starring 20+ bands across three stages.

Tickets for the event on Saturday, August 31, at Bridgwater and Albion RFC are £9, available from West Quay Records in Bridgwater and Blackcat Records in Taunton.