by Chris Price

The bars and pubs in Maidstone have supported a music scene for decades but rarely have they pulled together and had a good shout about it.

The Maidstone Fringe Music Festival aims to change that with more than 60 live bands from around the county performing across five days.

The styles on show range from the heavy guitar-driven rock of local boys White Bone Rattle to the funky folk of Canterbury band Syd Arthur.

Channel 4 viewers will spot The Soundcasters who appeared in the series Amish: World’s Squarest Teenagers last year.

Watch out for Kaleidophone too, whose set will promote their debut album What’s Your Tonic? which they are releasing on Monday, May 16.

The festival – running from Thursday, April 28 to Monday, May 2 – is not all about music either. Street entertainers and a stand up comedy gig at The Druids Arms on Sunday, May 1 will lighten the no doubt already beaming mood.

With gigs around Maidstone throughout each day, it is also a good opportunity to sample the town’s places to eat and shop in between concerts.

Here's the full round up of gigs:

Style & Winch, Union Street
Friday, April 29: Ned & the Perfect, Tener Duende, Jerome Eveson, Goldie Reed, August Monarchs
Saturday, April 30: The Ambience, Out Of Fashion, Local Girls, Baron Von Marlon, White Bone And Rattle
Monday, May 2: David Migden & The Dirty Words, The Soundcasters, The Steve Wright Blues Experience, Toby, Soph & Callum, Falling Lucid, The Quays, Cut The Funk, Hydraponic, Kevin Baker, Maanit

Earls, Earl Street
Thursday, April 28: Kaleidophone, Stacey & The Freeloaders, Fleeting Hearts, Oskar Vilcrow
Friday, April 29: Crush
Saturday, April 30: Spitroast, David Migden & The Dirty Words, Timmy Moore Trio, David Howard, Black Sun, Dom Wise & the Butterfly Cartel
Sunday, May 1: Crush, All Day Falling, Vince Vortex & the Cucumbers, Tortilla Army, The HiJets, Ian Ingles, Devils Prefects, Pierre Vincent (The Dealers), Kelly Stanley

The Old House At Home, Pudding Lane
Thursday, April 28: Scott Brungers Jam Night
Friday, April 29: Starks Family Band
Sunday, May 1: Cut The Funk

Drakes, Fairmeadow
Thursday, April 28: One Day Elliott, As Worlds Collide
Friday, April 29: Re-Union DJS
Saturday, April 30: Fall Of The Forest, Houdini
Sunday, May 1: Falling Lucid, David Howard, James Thorn Band

Breeze Bar, Middle Row
Friday, April 29: White Bone Rattle, Standing On Giants, Left Of The Right Side
Saturday, April 30: Sterling Hayden, Play Dead Proxy, Chairs Missing

Royal Albion, Havock Lane
Friday, April 29: Fate The Juggler, Mama Roux & The Ambassadors
Sunday, May 1: David James Rumsey Band, Dom Wise

The Druids Arms, Earl Street
Friday, April 29: Sonny Ray, rock n roll fancy dress party
Saturday, April 30: Dirty Scarlett
Sunday, May 1: Stand up comedy with Sol Bernstein, Alex Maple, Angela Barnes, Richard Rycroft, Dan Cardwell, Sean Judge. Hosted by Ant Payne

Pizza Express, Music Room, Earl Street
Saturday, April 30: Syd Arthur (Full band), Clea Rose Trio, Joanne Louise Parker. Tickets £10
Sunday, May 1: Goosebumps. Tickets £10

Bar Chocolate, Market Buildings
Friday, April 29: The Violet Jive, Thomas D Palmer, Kelly Stanley Band, Jill Lucas

R-Bar, Gabriels Hill
Thursday, April 28: Royal Infest, Infest Resident DJs
Friday, April 29: The Arcade
Saturday, April 30: The Merry Go Round
Sunday, May 1: All day live event with electro & chip tune bands and hip hop.