Carl Barrât from the Libertines has already described them as “proper boss”, and now the rest of the world looks set to find out about Rochester band Crybaby Special too.

Having won over fans through relentless gigging around Medway and London, the three piece gypsy rock band is swapping sweaty underground venues for the fresh air of the festival stage this summer, and will be mixing with big name acts when they perform at the Wheels and Fins Festival in Broadstairs in September.

Headliners include the Libertines, Feeder and Faithless - who will perform a DJ set on the opening night of the festival on Friday, September 7, with Crybaby Special set to take the stage earlier that day.

To add to the excitement the Libertines have also put Crybaby Special single Let the Boy Down as the first track on their official Spotify playlist for the festival, and if the band aren’t already buzzing enough they’ll be able to get a caffeine hit at the festival from Tim Peaks Diner - run by none other than Tim Burgess of the Charlatans.

They’ll have plenty of practice too in the run up to Wheels and Fins having been invited to play the main stage at Create Festival Ashford on Saturday, July 21 with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Herne Bay Rocks Festival on Saturday, August 25.

“It’s hard to express just how happy we are to be invited to perform at these prestigious Kent festivals this summer,” said singer and guitarist Jason Stafford. “We are truly delighted with the amount of support we’ve received from all of our friends and we can’t thank you enough. Kent is home to some of the greatest bands we know, however it’s the people of Kent and their appreciation of good quality music that really keeps this music scene alive.”

While their ska and grunge tinged sound is influenced by outsider acts like such as Captain Beefheart, the band also channel the likes of the Specials, Madness and the Libertines - and with an ear for a catchy tune and beat they never fail to get the crowd dancing, which should stand them in good stead when it comes to the festival stage.

But they’re no stranger to the big occasion; past shows include supporting Tom Hingley of Inspiral Carpets, Pete Doherty, Babyshambles and Maximo Park at Dreamland, Margate.

Amongst all of this, they’ve have been busy building a private recording studio in a 40ft shipping container on an industrial estate, where they plan on recording their second album soon.

Follow the band at www.crybabyspecial.com