Maid Of Stone - Maidstone Mote Park

Plenty of rock, lots of roll, a barrel of fun and a blown fuse on a weekend when everyone playing delivers.

- Adam Aiken

Reports suggest that Maid Of Stone's opening Friday will be the last day of blazing sunshine ahead of downpours, but indomitable Quireboys' vocalist Spike, in his natty purple jacket, is full of the joys of summer. In characteristically shambolic honky-tonk style, today's Quireboys bang out a set laced with humour and swagger that's typified by barnstorming closer 7 O'Clock.

Joanne Shaw Taylor is the first of two late subs for Richie Kotzen, and it's a more than fair swap. You can almost hear a pin drop when she tamps her blues-fuelled fire down to embers during Watch ‘Em Burn, before its mesmerising crescendo sees her wring every last spark of passion from her guitar.

Dirty Honey's bang-on brand of classic rock isn't all one-paced bump 'n' grind boogie; the haunting Another Last Time could've been pinched from JST’s set, and When I'm Gone is a storming end to a decent first day.