FRIDAY

Before the music had even begun on Friday, festival-goers were treated to an unexpected bonus. An unofficial flypast from the Red Arrows, based just a few miles away at RAF Waddington, provided an impressive start to the day for those who had managed to emerge from their tents in time. A couple of hours later, a second and rather more organised sighting saw the famous display team heading south towards an airshow in Exeter.

Considering they had been enjoying the atmosphere in the marquee well into the early hours on Thursday night/Friday morning, Beggars Bliss looked remarkably fresh as they opened the Southall Lawless Stage at 11am. Heavily pregnant keyboard player Milly Ayesha had decorated her bump with a cartoon devil face and gamely joined in with the train-whistle actions during Train Song. “This is the fruity section of the set,” joked lead vocalist Henry John before launching into Peaches N’ Cream. The Derby quartet were clearly thrilled to be performing at the festival and later told ERB photographer Nick Ashton just how delighted they were with the crowd’s warm reception.

“Welcome to the Zebra Pit!” came the rallying cry as Dead Zebras burst onto the stage. Their energetic set featured a lively cover of Queen’s Keep Yourself Alive alongside recent single Picture. The first of many confetti cannon blasts across the weekend then sent a snowstorm of white streamers and ticker tape swirling across the arena. Before long, unsuspecting festival-goers were unknowingly dragging the decorations around the site, trailing streamers from their ankles!

Foxx frontman Dean Foxx opened with a confession: “What a doozy last night! It certainly is a challenge singing this morning after singing in the tent last night.” If there were any lingering effects from the previous evening’s festivities, they certainly weren’t apparent. His powerful delivery throughout the set, particularly on a superb rendition of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Blue on Black, suggested he was in fine voice. The set included Foxx material with a selection of songs from Dean’s former band, Knock Out Kaine. One aspect that particularly stood out was the female backing vocalist, whose dancing and stage presence added an extra dimension to the performance.

The first of a couple of younger bands were Matted, featuring Jake Slack who the previous evening had performed The Needful Things. Post festival research confirmed that my hunch that Bassist Jacob Swann was also in School of Rock was correct and he had in fact played drummer Freddy, and I also spotted Toby Lee amongst the former cast members. (Toby was not at the festival but is a superb young Blues guitarist). The band had great stage presence and clobber; Jake in a boiler suit, Vocalist Max Walker in a shirt and tie. “You can hear this one on Spotify, this is Flowers and Chains” he declared before launching in to what proved to be the highlight of the set for me.

It was generally a struggle to see the bands on the Trailblazer stage due to them clashing with the main stages, plus the need to rehydrate etc, but when Fangslinger came on it was even harder due to the marquee being pretty well packed. The stage was adorned with a hangman’s noose and a red rose covered arch, and the band were suitably kitted out in their gothic western attire. This Sheffield band that I have been keen to see for some time did not disappoint and the props were neither a gimmick nor a distraction from the superb musicianship. When asking the crowd what shall we play next and how many more shall we play, the rowdy response indicated that they were as enamoured as I was with the performance.

Most festivals have their share of band mishaps and backstage disasters, but Straight For The Sun could probably claim the longest list of the weekend. Not only had they forgotten their merch and arrived two members short, but their bassist had spent the previous night in A&E. None of that stopped them. Armed with two excellent replacement musicians, audience members dressed as saints and sinners, and plenty of pyro to turn up the heat, they delivered a blistering set. One particularly touching moment came when the singer dedicated their hit Fall Away to his father, who passed away around 10 years ago.

After a quick jaunt to the marquee to catch Bright Black getting the crowd bouncing, it was time for Texas rockers Ratchet Dolls. They treated fans to a great cover of Kiss’s Detroit Rock City and joked that they had to smuggle both their merch and instruments into the country. They quickly retracted the comment in case anyone from “the authorities” was listening. It was a high-energy set that culminated with the drummer being carried around the stage on the bassist’s shoulders.

Drawing by far the biggest crowd of the day so far, The Hot One Two kicked off their hugely popular set with The Reaper. Unsurprisingly, when they asked, “Who has never seen us before?”, only a handful of people raised their hands. More pyro, more singalongs, and more crowd participation followed.

One of only a few bands to suffer a delayed start, Thieves of Liberty took to the marquee stage 10 minutes late. Frontman James Boak explained that they were actually a year late, quipping, “Last year my voice fucked!” Shangri-La provided a fittingly uplifting finale, and I suspect many others left the tent smiling alongside me.

I wasn’t able to catch Chuck Norris Experiment, but our photographer Nick Ashton reliably informed me that they went down a storm. Both the singer and bassist spent the final few songs performing from within the crowd. Returning to the arena, Tomorrow Is Lost reminded fans that they were back at the festival after a seven-year absence and that this was the first time the current line-up had played together in four years. Lacking the pyro budget of some of the weekend’s bigger acts, they got creative during Hideaway, firing handheld confetti cannons and showering the crowd in rainbow confetti.

As the sun began to set behind the trees, Glamour of the Kill turned up the heat. Their set included Break, A Freak Like Me—which was dedicated to This House We Built—and my personal favourite, Feed Them to the Pigs. The latter always gives me flashbacks to the film Hannibal, which I could happily do without, but that aside, it was a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

The penultimate act of the day was Myke Gray, accompanied by an impressive supporting cast: Henry Gottelier of The Karma Effect on vocals, Tony Lang of A’priori on guitar, Colin Parkinson from Dan Byrne’s band on bass, and Neil Ogden on drums. With such a top-notch line-up behind him, Gray delivered a set packed with classic songs that had the audience singing along and reminiscing throughout.

As darkness fell, it was time for main stage headliners Florence Black. Before the band took to the stage, some of the wonderful team from Stance Security handed out light-up sticks to younger audience members—a simple but lovely touch that added to the atmosphere. The Welsh trio rose effortlessly to the challenge of headlining, delivering a brilliant performance from start to finish. Tracks from the new album Pouring Rain sat comfortably alongside older material, while crowd favourites Zulu and Breadfan prompted huge reactions. During the closing song, Sun and Moon, drummer Perry Davies somehow managed to smoke a cigarette while playing. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend the habit, it undeniably looked cool as hell. The night ended the way all good Florence Black sets should: with the strains of Tom Jones’ Green Green Grass of Home ringing out across the site and the final confetti cannon of the day sending festival-goers home on a high.

SATURDAY

If Friday had already turned the temperature dial up, Saturday responded by snapping it clean off. From early on it was clear this was going to be the loudest, and then it also became the hottest day.

Things got underway in dramatic fashion with Catalysis, who stepped in to Pyroclast’s slot, who sadly could not attend due to a van breakdown. Those who were up late listening to Sisters of Spin in the marquee on Friday would have probably appreciated the later start. There were flames, growls, thrash, and the first proper circle pit of the weekend that I spotted. The band referenced their friends in Pyroclast and joked about “overcoming adversity like your band van breaking down,” before dedicating a song to them.

Ransom followed with a much more traditional pub-rock energy, but one that landed perfectly with the growing crowd. There was a real sense of fun running through their set, with the audience fully engaged and even breaking into line dancing during Tractor Chicks. Hell Fuck Yeah was introduced as a song written “for the people,” with frontman Matt Fielder dropping into the pit to push the energy even further. “We’re just a pub band,” he declared before playing Back to the Boozer.

Survivalist brought things back into heavier territory with shouty metal from Belfast. The band clearly had a committed fanbase in the crowd and a small circle pit was coaxed into action. There was plenty of encouragement for people to get to the front, with the frontman yelling “you can shop later” to those that were visiting the trader stalls!

Recall the Remains continued the heavier trend, leaning into melodic but still shouty metal. For some, it was a natural moment to retreat briefly in to some much needed shade. I was impressed to see King Kraken’s Mark Donoghue in the VIP bar just 10 minutes before they were due to go on, looking completely chilled and ready. Fred and Wilma also visited the VIP bar in their Flintstones car — this was not a heat-induced mirage; it really happened, and hats off to the couple who managed that costume in the intense heat. As we cooled down, we discussed who the surprise guest appearing later may be… Danny Vaughn, Juliet’s Not Dead, Doomsday Outlaw, Bad Touch…. members from these bands had all been spotted on site! 

King Kraken then took to the stage with a monster drum kit, and one of the best stage setups of the weekend. This was supplemented by an inflatable orange octopus in the crowd, but their performance was so strong that if anything the octopus was a distraction. Plenty of crowd support and pyro, and a superb delivery.

Pryma delivered what photographer Nick Ashton described as his set of the day. Fierce, emotional, and unflinching, they balanced raw aggression with clear purpose. Their new single John Doe — aimed at an online troll who targeted Gabi — landed as a brutal but necessary response, with a wider message of support for younger women facing similar abuse online. Despite the extreme heat, the band never lost intensity, with Gabi (modelling a Rock ’n’ Roll Toasties t shirt – one of the food vendors – much revered) even pouring water over her head mid-set while still delivering commanding vocals that shifted between melody and harshness with ease. A dedication of Freaky Fright Night to their number one fan Sky, in the front row, added a personal touch. 

Star Circus followed with a strong, and tight performance earning bonus points from me for the three matching white guitars which looked super slick. Dedicating the track Chained To You, Vocalist Dave Winkler gave a touching tribute to his late friend Nick “Ringo” Southall, after whom the adjacent stage was named. (Southall/Lawless in memory of Nick Southall and Mikey Lawless). New guitarist Joel Chalk was introduced to the audience as we started to receive some much-needed shade as the sun dropped behind the stage.

Muddibrooke’s audience included Danny Vaughn (Tyketto) and Chris Childs (Tyketto and Thunder) which brought more whisperings of who the surprise guest was going to be. Brooke was clearly pleased with the turnout, joking that she expected everyone to be eating their dinner at this point. She then wasted no time in pushing their upcoming debut album to the supportive audience. There was also an amusing on-stage moment when the drummer spoke between songs and the other band members briefly wondered where the voice had come from. “I forgot you were there,” laughed Brooke.

Soho Dukes had pre-advertised their surprise guest, so it was no surprise when Spike (Quireboys) took to the stage to a packed marquee. “My grandad said never share the stage with a better singer than you, but this singer helped us out on our recent single,” said Johnny Barracuda, before belting out A Stone’s Throw with Spike. Superb stuff, and the audience were clearly enthralled.

A complete change of genre followed with main stage band The Five Hundred, a band I was particularly looking forward to seeing. Dressed in five (not 50) shades of grey, and varying levels of black make-up — including a guitarist with painted hands and the lower half of his face black — they delivered a tight and polished set. The audience was instructed to split in two and form a wall of death, which was renamed a “Call of Death”. Frustrated by not being able to climb down into the pit, the bassist had to make do with a view from the stage. Considering how many people had previously heard of the band, based on the audience survey, the participation rate for the Call of Death was admirable.

The penultimate act were Wolfsbane with Blaze Bailey, a commanding frontman, delivering a nostalgic set, before headliners Onslaught closed out the day as it had started – heavy!

SUNDAY

Kicking things off on the Sunday were RetsecroW(s), whose call to the arena was a (long) haunting intro track. They immediately made a strong impression with their enthusiasm and gratitude at being promoted to the big stage after playing in the marquee previously. Still very young, the potential is already there in abundance, and their set leaned into their Midlands roots with Sabbath and Priest covers. The stage itself was worthy of an early start, a small jungle of plants, bamboo, reeds, and greenery, some of which were handed out at the end of the set. This may be the most Sunday morning rock ‘n’ roll thing I’ve ever seen!

Next up, The Soul Revival who were upbeat, confident, and rooted in classic rock. The strong turnout, perhaps a reflection of the relentless promotion activity all weekend, or maybe perhaps because their reputation preceded them. There was an amusing moment of chaos when they announced “This one you’ll probably know” before immediately correcting themselves with “No, it’s not even released yet, this is Warrior Soul” and a solid singalong moment followed with Show Me the Right Way.

Bedecked in a very cool-looking Adidas kilt, and Chicago Cubs baseball shirt combo, MeMe Detroit took to the stage for an alt-rock set. Putting her sportswear to good use, she proceeded to run the length of both pits and back before belting out Good Life (Talkin’ Bout The).

A’priori pulled in one of the largest crowds of the afternoon, which also benefitted the filming of their new video. Audience participation hit a new level in the set when a tambourine was passed into the front row and when the crowd were seen diving for T-shirts launched from the stage. Such was the band’s reach they even made it to the sound desk. 

A quick jaunt to the marquee to see JoanOvArc delivering a polished and confident set. Drummer Chloe took a moment to ask the crowd to have a drink on her behalf as she’s expecting her first baby and the crowd reacted warmly and genuinely. Tracks including Hey Sister and Mechanical Overlords landed strongly with the audience.

Heartbreak Remedy delivered solid blues rock, though their set was briefly interrupted by a technical issue that led to an impromptu drum and cowbell solo. One of the few bands of the weekend that ventured up on to the speaker stack,  there seemed to be a common theme running through the set list. Tracks included Girl at the Bar, 21 Kings (about their old local pub) and Hair of the Dog.

Wailing Banshee delivered with a high energy set with strong crowd engagement, before passing on the baton to Hearts & Hand Grenades. Having travelled in from New York, they eventually got going after a delayed start due to drum issues. The heat seemed to be getting to the crowd by this point, as the energy levels were disappointingly lacking in the audience.

Wicked Smile benefited from a shadier spot on the second stage, and displayed the longest hair I have ever seen on a musician. Danny Cecati’s locks are genuinely down to his ankles.Visiting from Melbourne, they went down a storm, and none more so than when guitarist Stevie Janevski brought on his daughter Cassidy Paris for one of the tracks.

The main stage once again shifted the tone. Silveroller had a retro wardrobe and vibe, enhanced by the lack of backdrop allowing the setting sun to shine through the tress behind the stage akin to Woodstock. Setting the scene with the theme tune from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, the set included harmonica, groove-heavy sections, and a strong hippie-rock aesthetic. A sound that stood them apart from their fellow bands, and a festival highlight for me.

From the seriousness of Silveroller to the frivolity of Fireheart. There was plenty of joking about pyro budgets, a confetti cannon going off early “by accident,” and a set that constantly balanced humour with strong musicianship. Cassidy Paris returned once again to guest, and the band’s chemistry with her clearly worked both ways. By the end, when the band realise they have money left over, they get their smoke and pyro moment to close the set, turning a running joke into a proper finale moment.

The soundtrack to the movie Fame, set the scene for Chez Kane taking to the stage, and she was dressed on theme in a leotard. The set was fully polished ’80s soft rock, nostalgic, and unapologetically theatrical and fun!

The glam stakes were matched on the second stage for headliners Sisters Doll, another Australian band. They were Aussie hair metal done well. Big pyro, big confetti cannons, and even bigger crowd reactions. During Strutt, there was a Pinball Wizard sample followed by a second confetti cannon that nearly gave me a heart attack, before a performance of Detroit Rock City by KISS. The closing song was Good Day To Be Alive, and it certainly was!

Finland’s Von Hertzen Brothers closed the day in spectacular fashion. A potential curveball after the glam decadence of Sisters Doll, but they demonstrated exactly why they’re so respected live. They were progtastic! Highlights included All Of A Sudden, You’re Gone, Flowers and Rust and a very complicated audience participation section on Sunday Child. The highlight for the band was finding out mid-set that Finland had won the Ice Hockey World Cup, before playing Coming Home, which they insisted was a coincidence! 

Across the weekend, what really stood out wasn’t just the music, but the atmosphere between sets and between people. The festival felt genuinely inclusive, with compliments flying around between attendees about how amazing people looked in their outfits, bands supporting each other on stage, and a real sense of community rather than hierarchy. Even the practical side of things held up impressively — toilets always stocked, hot showers available, and security consistently calm and friendly.

Away from the stages, there was plenty going on for families too: free rides for kids on inflatables and slides, football games breaking out across the site (using the band banners as goals!), and even adults getting to ride the rodeo bull.

By the end, it felt less like leaving a festival and more like leaving a temporary village that had somehow managed to run on chaos, kindness, and a very well-managed pyro budget. I can’t wait to return next year!

Grab tickets for next year here: Call of The Wild Festival 

Check out more of Nick Ashton’s photos here: Nick Ashton’s Call of the Wild Photo Album