The trucks have arrived, the stage is being prepared and the barriers put in place . . . it's all coming up roses for Carlisle's surprise gig of the year.

The Stone Roses - one of the most iconic bands of their era and regular stadium-fillers - will take the Sands Centre spotlight tonight after a shock move to play the city was revealed at the weekend.

The sound, the security set-up and the backstage area will all be dealt with in the run-up to the show, which has caused massive excitement among Cumbrian music fans.

The Sands' technical director, Richard Lloyd, has worked alongside many rock bands and travelled extensively around the USA helping set up gigs and concerts for the likes of Nazareth and UFO.

Jonathan Higgins, arts and events manager at the Sands Centre, said: "Richard is an asset to our team, he's toured with countless bands and he knows many people in technical teams so he's been great to have on board.

"We can easily contact the band's tech team directly and make sure everything's running smoothly. The staff and infrastructure here at the Sands Centre are very focused."

The Roses' touring trucks arrived on Monday, with their small army of stage crew.

Mr Higgins added: "There's more than 25 security guards for starters, there will be a lot of crew present throughout the day and night."

The rundown is in full swing with stages, barriers and safety equipment ready for the 1,800 ticket holders. But it's not just about the fans.

Mr Higgins said: "Everything from towels to ice to what they need backstage, preparation is in full swing ahead of the gig.

"We're in talks to see what they need to make sure they're comfortable and happy."

The gig was announced on Saturday, with tickets selling out within hours.

Fans of the band, known for songs including Fools Gold, Waterfall and Love Spreads, queued up outside the venue with their merchandise in order to get their hands on tickets.

Mr Higgins added: "It was at the band's request that we didn’t offer tickets online and that we had an old fashioned approach and asked people to come down to the box office and purchase their tickets."