Public Image Ltd get ready for this weekend's Hardwick Live

The band, formed by former Sex Pistol John Lydon back in the 1970s, will perform at the two-day festival at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, on Sunday.

Public Image Ltd will join a number of stars including Happy Mondays, Shed Seven, Echo & the Bunnymen, Feeder, Heather Small and Melanie C when the second day of the festival gets under way.

Melanie’s solo career began in 1998 when, although still part of the Spice Girls, she duetted with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams on the worldwide hit When You’re Gone.

Her singles include I Turn to You, Goin’ Down and Never Be the Same Again, a duet with Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez.

The Sunday sets follow a busy Saturday line-up which features Kaiser Chiefs, Vintage Trouble, Ash, Jake Shears and Lucy Spraggan.

Public Image Ltd was formed in 1978 by Lydon – better known at the time as Johnny Rotten – after he left his previous group, Sex Pistols.

Seeking a more experimental post-punk sound, the Londoner created PiL and the band enjoyed a 10-year run of success ,with their second album Metal Box still regarded as one of the most important of the post-punk era.

By 1984 the band’s other members had left and PiL became largely a solo project for Lydon, who moved towards a more commercial sound before taking a break for almost 20 years.

In 2009 he decided it was time to get the band back together, and since then PiL have released several further albums, and continue to tour and perform at festivals around the globe.

Last year a documentary called The Public Image is Rotten was released featuring Lydon and his fellow bandmates recalling their years spent together, and the band have also recently announced a huge tour of North America this year, shortly after their Hardwick appearance.

“To have been able to secure Public Image Ltd is a huge coup for us and I am very excited that they will be performing on the Sunday at Hardwick Live,” said John Adamson, owner of Ramside Estates which runs Hardwick Live.

“Each year we strive to make the event bigger and better, and we work very hard throughout the year to ensure our guests enjoy the best experience possible.

“I believe the way we have grown in stature over the years is one of the reasons we can now attract such high-profile artists, and I am looking forward to welcoming John Lydon and all of the artists joining us for this year’s festival.”

Along with the bands and singers, audiences can look forward to entertainment from DJs like Brandon Block, Danny Rampling, Graeme Park and Greg Wilson, and there will also be demonstrations from leading chefs along with entertainment for children.

The event will this year support County Durham charities Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust and Angel Trust.

Tickets start from £8 for children aged three to 11, £16 for 12 to16-year-olds and £49 for adults each day.

Weekend tickets are also available at www.tickets.hardwicklive.co.uk