What better way to spend a warm summer’s night than with a pint on the beach listening to some live music?

The Colas beach stage, organised by Bushy’s and the Deep South Festival and situated opposite the Bay Hotel, returns to Port Erin this weekend, with a line up of music each weekend over the next two months.

Singer/songwriter Alice Dudley and international DJ and producer Christ Sterio will open the stage tomorrow night (Friday), with Broken Rooster on Saturday and Ian Thompson on Sunday.

Bushy’s teamed up with the Deep South Festival after the latter was forced to postpone a summer’s worth of charity fundraising gigs featuring a host of UK artists.

Deep South organiser Chris Carr said he decided to enlist the help of local bands to hold a grassroots festival instead and raise money for a local mental health charity at the same time.

’Its basically a bite-size festival, or a Deep South-lite’ said Chris.

’Although the Deep South Festival has been postponed for now, we are very lucky to be able to put on a whole summer’s worth of some of the great local bands that we have on the island.

’At each gig we will be raising money for REACH IOM, the island-based mental health charity.’

Chris still hopes to get the Deep South Festival underway in September with Steve Harley at Tower House, in Douglas.