But all that will change this weekend when the town's annual music festival returns with a bang.

Music fans from across the UK, and even from the other side of the Atlantic, are making their way to the Darvel Music Festival.

Husband-and-wife organisers Neil and Sheila McKenna and their dedicated team have pulled out all the stops to land some big names.

Mud Morganfield – son of the blues legend, Muddy Waters – opens the festival tonight, alongside Hamilton Loomis, the highly-rated US guitarist, and Scots band Blues and Trouble.

Tomorrow's concert features Red Sky July, the band formed by Texas guitarist Ally McErlaine and his wife Shelly, and highly regarded Scots group The Big Dish, who are marking the 20th anniversary of their original split with a handful of concerts.

And Sunday's closing show features Love and Money, one of the best bands ever to emerge from Scotland.

All the shows will take place in Darvel's 380-capacity Town Hall.

For Neil McKenna, the festival's producer – Sheila is director and chairwoman of the festival's organising team – this weekend's event is the culmination of months of hard work.

"We've got a great line-up this year," he said.

"We're doing three days this weekend and we're thinking of staging another two or three days later this year.

"There are people coming from Pennsylvania and Croatia just to see the Big Dish on Saturday night.

"The band did a big reunion show at Celtic Connections in January and they've now agreed to play Darvel, which was really nice of them.

"In previous years we've had fans from Canada, France, Virginia and the Orkneys.

"People seem to like playing Darvel. I think we've managed to build up a nice little reputation as a home-built festival."

The festival has been running since 2002, and it was two years later that Neil and Sheila came on board in an effort to take the event to a wider level national and international level.

Neil looks back at the roll-call of previous Darvel performers with considerable satisfaction.

"It's a highly eclectic list," he says.

Everyone from Maggie Bell to Capercaille, Hue and Cry, Eddi Reader, Martin Taylor and Hamish Stuart has made his or her way to Darvel. Scots band Kassidy played here twice before they surged into the big time.

"We've shown we can get the really big names, too," Neil added.

"Larry Carlton, the brilliant US guitarist, of Steely Dan and the Crusaders fame, was here last year, and he said he loved the festival and the people, and that he would like to come back.

"We don't have the budget to attract the premier-league players, because they cost an absolute fortune, but the calibre of the bands we do get, and the musical styles, seem to keep people happy.

""As producer I try to attract the bands we tend to like but also bands who are that little bit quirky and can promise something different," said Neil.

Neil added: "The idea is that, as part of the regeneration of this rural area, if you can secure bands to play down here and they agree not to play within a 40-mile radius three weeks either side of their concert here, you attract people into the area, and that boosts the economy.

"The festival has built up Darvel's profile. It has been known for its lace and its weaving but it is now better known as a place for cycling, for scenic walks ... and music. It's all become what is known as the Darvel Experience.

"Obviously at first you're on a steep learning curve, trying to put a festival together, but eventually you build up a template and all the procedures tend to fall into place.

"A lot of work goes into getting bands here. You probably have to start booking the bands up to eight months in advance, so your cash-flow has to be in place,

"East Ayrshire Council has been really supportive but what we need now is a major sponsor – someone who believes in the festival enough to help us take it to the next level."

"Because we are all unpaid volunteers we've shown we are different from other promoters."

Muddy Waters' son is being put up in the nearby 14th Century Craufurdland Castle, near Fenwick. Maggie Bell, when she played Darvel, had dinner at the McKennas' house. .

"We like to go the extra mile for the people who play the festival – that's part of the magic of it," Neil adds.

The team certainly went the extra mile one year when a young Japanese woman arrived to see Scots singer-songwriter Karine Polwart play the town hall.

She spoke no English, but the festival organisers ensured not only that she got to meet Karine but also arranged transport for her back to her hotel. "We made sure she had a brilliant time," Neil said.

You can't accuse the Darvel Festival team of lacking imagination – or a sense of humour.

"For a laugh I once approached both Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan's mangers," said Neil.

"Of course, the quotes they came back with involved six-figure sums.

"They were really nice about it and said we could go back with an offer if we wanted ..."

Needless to say, The Boss and Bob have yet to play Darvel, but you just never know...

l Darvel Music Festival, May 4-6. For tickets, log onto www.darvelmusicfestival.org or contact Tickets Scotland on 0141 204 5151