Review: NICK ASHTON & CRAIG BAILEY
Photos By: NICK ASHTON
As we gather somewhat worse for wear at the start of Sunday’s proceedings, lifesaving caffeine in hand, there is another entertaining Jam with Jack session before we are treated to a second battle of the bands winner in the form of Revenant (NA). The early crowd reacts positively to their feel-good, summery rock vibes. There are touches of Americana as well as some harder rocking riffs and catchy, melodic tunes on offer which sound good on a hot sunny day. They throw in a medley of War Pigs/Back In Black/We Will Rock You/Superstitious/Teen Spirit to add some familiarity to the set, although personally I would have preferred to hear another of their own original songs. Next up we have rising stars Thieves of Liberty (NA) who went down so well last time that they were invited back again to play this year. The Big Top tent feels like a furnace, and I feel sorry for the suited and booted band who must be melting in the heat as they launch into Ain’t Going Home and new single Sweet As Today. Guitarists Liam and Kieran deliver the sort of huge, feel-good riffs that first got you into rock music way back when, while vocalist James has a voice that can seduce your ears one minute and then strip paint the next. Smoke In The Air has a dirty grind, driven by the rhythm section of Tom (drums) and Pete (bass), as does Shangri-La which is the first single from their debut album of the same name (out in November and available to pre-order now). The band tease a few more songs from the album, including Rabbit Hole and Luminescent Daydream before closing with Calypso which is a yet another big singalong banger. James collapses in a sweaty heap at the end of the set and there are smiles all round as the crowd offers up their appreciation.
Unknown Refuge (CB) have recently reconfigured themselves back to a four piece but with a slight change from before. Alex has hung up his bass and now focuses solely on vocals whilst Ben has joined to take on the 4 string (well actually he plays 5) duties. Visually this now makes the band much more engaging on stage and on a sunny Sunday afternoon they pinned the crowd at the Trooper Stage to the back wall with a precise set of pummelling melodic metal. I’m Not A Bad Guy and Drop A Gear blew into a cracking new song Shellshock with the immense Battle Hymn testing neck tendons fully before the incredible To The Light finished everybody off. This set proved, if there was any doubt, that Unknown Refuge are in the vanguard of the best new, young and exciting metal in the country.
In contrast, Loz Campbell’s (NA) classy hard rock is all about the swagger and an attitude which says that she is not taking any crap from the misogynists in the music business. Bad Girl warns that you can look but don’t touch and Beautiful Liar cautions that you can’t always believe what a pretty face tells you. New single Can’t Get Enough has a slow grind which sees 50s rockabilly bad boy Steve Pickles throwing shapes with his low-slung bass. As the set draws to a conclusion with a cover of Shot Down In Flames, Generic Girl and The World Was Made To Destroy You, Loz goes walkabout in the crowd exchanging licks with a punter brandishing an inflatable guitar before returning to the stage to build the party-piece human pyramid, much to everyone’s delight.
It’s 4 pm on a festival Sunday, it’s hot and sunny so who would you want to be dancing and grooving to with your pint of fruity cider in your hand…yep, it has got to be Doomsday Outlaw (CB) and the enthusiastic sun-kissed crowd lapped it all up. If ever there was a band in their happy place, Doomsday Outlaw sure as hell looked and sounded like they were exactly there and that joy transferred to everybody present. Each song like In Too Deep and Turn Me Loose was greeted with huge appreciation as was Phil’s funny, self-depreciating humour and description of the songs. Is This The Endprovided a 5 minute emotional rollercoaster before the cautionary tale of One More Sip. This was probably the best I have ever seen the band play and closing out with Runaway made it pretty much perfect. The pace slows down now for some classy blues courtesy of Laurence Jones (NA). A master of the blues guitar, Laurence’s set is a joy and an opportunity to sit back and let the music wash over you in the late afternoon sun. Opening with Bad Luck & The Blues, I’m Gone and Lost & Broken from his latest album, we are treated to a blues-rock masterclass. A mesmerising version of Voodoo Child shows off Laurence’s virtuosity while Woman and Stuck In The Night prove that he’s got a good voice too. Set closer What It’s Gonna Be finishes on a high with an up-beat swagger and a tasty solo that leaves you wanting more.
Kira Mac (NA) have developed an enthusiastic following for their anthemic rock which has seen them playing on the big Steelhouse stage as well as getting some serious airplay on Planet Rock. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Rhiannon, the band has a big riffy sound which is immediately evident on set openers Dead Man Walking and Chaos Is Calling. There is an obvious connection with the crowd; Rhiannon wishes a young lad a happy 8th birthday and tells him to come back in 10 years’ time when she will buy him a shot. New song Monster is given a debut airing, and the set proper ends with hit single One Way Ticket before the band come back for an encore of Tush with a bit of Freebird thrown in for good measure. Heading over to the Big Top stage for the last time, I do not know what to expect from The Last Internationale(NA), another band about which I knew nothing until today. Hailing from New York, the band have supported both Robert Plant and The Who so they have some serious credibility: but what do they sound like? The answer is pretty damn good! Vocalist Delila Paz sounds like Jay Bucanan’s sister and guitarist Edgey Pires lays down dirty, sexy grooves that really hit the spot. Opening with new single Kick Out The Jams, they move on to Mind Ain’t Free which could be a Rival Sons outtake and 1984 which hits hard lyrically as well as musically. The pace drops for Running For A Dream, which sees Delila performing solo at the piano before disaster strikes during Soul On Fire in the form of a powercut. Both the sound and lights go down, leaving everyone wondering what’s happening and the crew frantically trying to get the back up generator going. Luckily, the power is quickly restored and, rather than killing the momentum, everyone is united in getting the show going again. By the time that the end of the set comes round in the form of Hit Em With The Blues the audience have been invited up on to the stage to sing and dance with the band, including some of the kids present at the show who will likely remember the experience for a long time to come.
So we come to the end festival and our final headliners Gun (NA). These guys have been around long enough now to know how to step up to the big occasions and they do not disappoint, bringing out the big hits including Better Days, All Fired Up and Steal Your Fire. Everyone is here to enjoy the party and the band deliver the tunes and the feel-good vibes to match. The biggest cheer is reserved for Word Up, which even sees the bar staff at the back of the arena getting their groove on. The night closes with Shame On You and Beastie Boys cover Fight For Your Right which is a perfect end to both the set and the whole event.
Firevolt returns next year over the weekend of 8-10 August, with early bird tickets already on sale. Whoever is on the lineup, you can be guaranteed a great time and a mix of the old, the new and the unexpected. I’ve already got my ticket booked, so I’ll see you at the bar for another wonderful weekend of face melting rock.
