THEY have toured extensively, playing headline sets in the UK, Japan, Europe and Australia. Now, TOY has been named as the first headline act at this year's Hull Trinity Festival.
The band will be on the festival trail in France, Spain and Italy, before arriving in the city to headline on Saturday, September 27.
Local acts lined up to support the five-piece London outfit on the main stage, in Trinity Square, include Black Delta Movement, Mother and Copenhagen.
Kathryn Shillito, Hull Bid city centre manager, which funds the festival as part of its work to support city centre businesses, said: "The festivals in Hull are going from strength to strength.
"Hull Trinity Festival was one of the best last year and promises to be a highlight once again, with some first-class performers from the Hull area and some highly rated national bands.
"King Charles and Dodgy both put on brilliant shows at last year's event and we're expecting great things from TOY."
This year's festival, from Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28, promises to be bigger than last year, with 28 pubs, clubs and café bars presenting live music over the weekend.
Ms Shillito said: "The main stage will run from 1pm to 9pm on the Saturday and Sunday, after which the focus will switch to the 28 pubs, clubs and café bars that will present live music from top local talent.
"That's a big increase on the number of venues a year ago and it underlines the success of the festival."
Hull Bid has recruited The Warren and sound and lighting specialists HPSS to organise the event.
Stewart Baxter, arts development worker at The Warren, in Hull city centre, said efforts are under way to confirm a well-known band for the Sunday night. Last year the slot was filled by Britpop stars Dodgy.
He said: "TOY have had a lot of media coverage in the past couple of years.
"Coming out of London, they've toured extensively, including headline sets in the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
"They've also made many festival appearances, including the John Peel stage at Glastonbury last year and supporting slots for The Horrors, The Vaccines and British Sea Power, among others.
"They are a very cool band to have on the bill, with guitars and electronic effects combining to create a lot of noise and give a psychedelic feel to the music.
"We've booked the sort of local bands who fit with that style, guitar-based indie rock bands.
"The approach for the Sunday will be a bit different. We'll be putting a well-established band on the bill, supported by an eclectic mix of high-quality local performers."
The festival is also working with Dean Shakespeare, of promoters Under the Influence, to bring these headline acts to Hull's Old Town.
Mr Shakespeare said: "We're very honoured and excited to have secured a Saturday headliner who are gaining acclaimed media attention for their live shows and recent album release."
Hull Trinity Festival will also feature a gig in Holy Trinity Church on Friday, September 26, to raise money for Church funds.
Performers will include The Mighty And The Moon, Jody McKenna and Emily Moulton.
The festival is free to attend and tickets are not required, with the exception of the fundraising event at Holy Trinity Church.
Full line-up details will be released soon.
