But the mindless act of vandalism hasn't had the desired effect and organisers are brimming with excitement as the finishing touches to this year's extravaganza of live music are put in place.

The attention-grabbing banner at the Hillside entrance to the town was slashed sometime on Friday evening, and chair of the festival committee Lynda Paton said it was especially disappointing given the effort put in by organisers to put together the not-for-profit festival.

She said: "It's like someone tried to cut our logo out of it. It's all slashed up – but obviously it's been done by someone carrying a knife, which is worrying.

"I noticed it on Saturday morning and contacted the police. We've put so much of our own time and a huge amount of effort into bringing something good to Montrose. It's extremely frustrating when someone comes along and does something like this out of sheer badness.

"But we'll replace it and it won't deter us. There's a genuine buzz around the town and everyone is talking about the festival. Everything is just about ready and we're more than confident that it will be a weekend to remember."

The three-day festival kicks off on Friday, May 30 at the Town Hall when legendary funk and soul group the Average White Band take to the stage with support acts Brown Eye Superfly and Auditions winner, The Floor, from Dundee.

Montrose High Street will be a focal point for families on the Saturday, as a trailer in the Town House car park will bring the music and other events outdoors.

Meanwhile, the town's 12 official venues will host some 64 free gigs from a variety of genres across Saturday and Sunday, with many venues also welcoming sessions from the town's own musicians.

There will also be a showpiece gig for all the acts who entered March's Auditions competition at the Town Hall on the Saturday.

Lynda said the event is unparalleled in terms of ambition.

"We've gone all out. When we started we just wanted to put on a few gigs, but we had such a huge amount of interest that the weekend just grew and grew. I don't think any other festival locally can match how big our first year is.

"We've got some big names coming and some of the names of the future. For example, think:Fire have already been voted as one of the best unsigned bands around by BBC Radio One, while Sonnet 65 already have a reputation as an exhilarating rock band.

"The Floor really impressed the judges at our Auditions competition and Brown Eye Superfly's unique funk/rock style will appeal to anyone.

"One of our most recent additions to the line up is Joni Fuller; a 16 year-old classically trained singer/songwriter who has already toured Europe extensively.

"Aged just 12, she opened at the Montreux Jazz Festival and has since played live in venues ranging from intimate theatres in Paris and Belgium to 60,000 seater stadiums in Germany, as well as making TV and radio appearances in the UK, France and Switzerland.

"But there's so much more to the festival and – as keen music lovers ourselves – we can't wait.

"There's something for everyone and we're confident the festival will bring a lot of people into the town for what's set to be an amazing weekend."

A full programme of events and further information about all the acts can be downloaded from the music festival's website at www.montrosemusicfestival.co.uk.