Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the festival, Firevolt returns once again to the picturesque setting of Whitebottom Farm and what promises to be another weekend packed full of rock ‘n’ roll fun. The organisers, Bev and John “Stret” Stetford, and their team are constantly reviewing what works and what can be improved, and this year there have been some further tweaks to what was already a winning formula. The small, third stage has gone for now, allowing everyone to focus on the two bigger stages without any overlaps. The bands this year also reflect the cream of the crop from previous years as well as some well deserving acts that have earned their spot higher up the bill.

Pre-Festival Party

Thursday night is traditionally the warmup party with time for people to renew acquaintances and get settled into their camping pitch for the weekend. However, such is the enthusiasm to get the fun started, the first evening of the festival is growing into another night of live music. The honour of opening the musical gymkhana falls to Bristol’s Buried in Bermuda whose metallic-flavoured alt-rock impressed last year on the third stage. This time round they seized the opportunity to entertain the party crowd with both hands, even throwing in a cover of Madge’s Like a Prayer while getting everyone to join in. Hopefully they will be back at some point on a bigger stage. Duly warmed up, the crowd were ready for the main event of the night – An Audience with Gorilla Riot. Following the format established last year, the band play 3 songs after which compere for the weekend Paul Cash asks some prepared questions before we get some more music and questions from the audience. The atmosphere is light-hearted and the band’s soulful laid-back bluesy rock is the perfect way to get the festivities off to a great start.

Day 1

The first full day of the weekend kicks off with Manchester’s own Shape of Water who are determined to make the most of their spot on the main stage. Having drawn the largest crowd at the third stage last year, the band are out to impress and win over some new friends with their eclectic art rock. Despite guitarist Luca De Falco’s natural enthusiasm being constrained following a nasty leg injury (this is the first time that he’s been on his feet in weeks), the band give it everything they’ve got, including the first pyro salvo of the day, during a rousing set. Takeaway Thieves slink onto the stage like the coolest cats in town to the sounds of the Pink Panther theme and proceed to treat us to some rough ‘n’ ready, sleazy, good time rock ‘n’ roll. The set is packed with fan favourites which are lapped up by the audience who yell back the lyrics enthusiastically. Slowing the pace down somewhat, Doomsday Outlaw are up next to entertain us with their laid-back bluesy approach. Despite some technical issues, the band take everything in their stride as vocalist Phil Poole turns misery into catchy songs that make you want to dance. Speaking of which, the perpetual motion machine that is Fireheart are up next, bouncing around the Trooper Stage like the result of a mad scientist’s attempt to crossbreed Tigger with the gurning world champion. The community that the band have built over the short period of time that they have been together is inspiring. As Kev Baker said online afterwards, he has a personal history with the festival and felt some trepidation playing there with Fireheart; but the love for him and the rest of the band is overwhelming. Oh, and the music is pretty damn good too. The band are currently running a Kickstarter for their debut album, so take a look if you want to get your hands on some exclusive goodies.

Some of the old inmates from Ward XVI have been released back into the community to make way for new faces (which is worrying!), but the theatrical shock rock remains scarily on target. Today’s time constraints mean that we are treated to an abbreviated version of Psychoberrie’s incarceration and subsequent rampage upon her release from the asylum, but nonetheless the gore and riffs remain turned up to 11 as members of the audience run around with inflatable chainsaws. It’s fair to say that there is an abrupt change of pace with the arrival of Renegade who take us back to the Emerald Isle for a set of polished Thin Lizzy covers in recognition of Darren Wharton’s stint with the band. The set is packed with classic songs galore and if that wasn’t enough, they are joined by Ricky Warwick on guest vocals for The Boys Are Back In Town. Continuing the classic rock sound, but this time with a modern twist, The New Roses take to the main stage for a set of glossy hard rock tunes. The buzz around this band has been building for a while and it’s easy to see why they appeal thanks to their timeless, catchy material. In contrast, Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts have nothing to prove: Warwick has been around the block more than a few times and is now enjoying the freedom to lead his own band of troubadours wherever the whim takes him. Mixing classic rock influences borrowed from Lizzy with his own strong Irish roots and a retro 50s look, Warwick belts out a set of crowd-pleasing tunes that really hit the spot.

As we get ready for the headliners there is one of those ‘it could only happen at a festival’ moments. Stret recounts his first date with wife Bev and how, in that getting to know you bit of the evening, he asked about her wish list of things she’d like to do. Cue the appearance of a giant inflatable duck carried by some of the farm team so that Bev’s wish to go crowd surfing can be made a reality. Once seated precariously aboard the duck she is passed over the barrier to surf the crowd, handing out sweets to the masses. As I said, something that could only happen at a festival!

It’s been a difficult few years for Mason Hill following the unexpected departure of vocalist Scott Taylor on health grounds shortly after their last appearance at Firevolt in 2023. While I feared that the band would quietly disappear like so many before, I hoped that they would find the right person to take up the mantle of frontman and make a comeback worthy of their name. Thankfully everyone’s patience was rewarded with the arrival of Tom Ward who has given the band a new lease of life. I was fortunate enough to see the band on their short UK tour earlier this year and was pleased to see that they had lost none of their enthusiasm; but today marks the first time that I have seen them headlining a big festival stage with a full production. What can I say, other than Mason Hill are truly back in business and they’re taking no prisoners. The new songs are darker and heavier than their previous material, and it will take a few listens of their new album (due out in October) before they are fully embedded into the brain; but first impressions are that the band are stretching themselves and exploring interesting new directions. However, it is the old songs that remain the firm fan favourites, and there is a poignant moment when James plays the solo to Where I Belong which was the emotional heart of the set for him and Scott. As the pyro kicks in and the band launch into set closer Against The Wall, I am grateful that they took their time to regroup and are back stronger than ever.

Day 2

There is no time for hangovers as we start the second full day with some dark occult rock from Crowley. Although they may have felt more at home at 12:15 and illuminated by the light of the moon, rather than facing bright sunshine at 12:15 pm, the band are undaunted as they tell their tales of witchcraft and devil worship. Bassist Kim Fellows suffers some frustrating technical issues early on, but fortunately her demonic rumbling is restored in time to celebrate the gothic climax of the set. After impressing Stret at SOS festival last year, McHale’s Permanent Brew were invited to bring their gritty blues rock to Firevolt and it’s easy to see why. Built around the virtuoso guitar playing of Frank McHale and vocals of Paul McHale, the band soon set about winning over hearts and minds. This is down to earth, no-nonsense blues; no fancy stage costumes and no pyrotechnics, just honest music played from the soul. Over on the bigger main stage, anticipation is building as we wait to welcome Firevolt’s prodigal sons Thieves of Liberty back to the fold. The band have a long relationship with the festival and are welcomed like conquering heroes as they launch into a set jam-packed with absolute bangers. It’s a scorching day even without the pyro, but the Thieves manage to raise the temperature even higher as they race through the highlights of debut album Shangri-La as well as a couple of new songs. Today they are joined on stage by Phil Jackson, who produced their album and is providing additional guitar, although Kieran Wilson and Liam Lindsley are more than capable of making enough noise by themselves. The latter go walk about in the crowd for a guitar dual, surrounded by people dressed as nuns, the devil, Viking warriors, Teletubbies and more (hey, it’s a festival so what do you expect), and Kieran disappears off up a hill for his solo before all too soon the set closes to a huge cheer from the crowd. Expect to see Thieves of Liberty back much higher up the lineup next time. Another band making a big impression this summer are pagan Viking metallers LN who also hail from the North East via the halls of Valhalla. In a short amount of time, the band have gathered a loyal following of Peasants, many of whom are present today dressed in warrior costumes to listen to tales of great battles as enemies are crushed and pagan rites are celebrated. Vocalist LN casts a powerful presence as she dominates the stage, while her band of marauders lay down heroic riffs fit for the gods. Stirring stuff!

MuddiBrooke bring a different type of rage as they rail against isolation, identity, and mental health issues set against a backdrop of angry alt-rock and grunge. Joined today by stand in drummer Josh, Brooke and Anna remind us that we thrive best when we find our tribe and can rock out together. These Wicked Rivers can do no wrong at the moment. Currently building towards the release of their third album Fire and Folklore, which is due out in early October, the band showcase several new songs alongside established fan favourites. The Nana’s living room theme has been expanded to include standard lamps scattered amongst the audience as well as the addition of a small grandmother clock on stage. Musically, the band are on fire: Arran solos as if his life depends upon wringing out every last note from his gorgeous Gretsch while John pours out his heart and soul, only to break the mood with a cheery “thank you very much” in a broad Derby accent in response to the well-deserved applause. Returning to the main stage, we are welcomed by Dare, whose slick melodic rock is somewhat more polished than the rough and tumble of the Thin Lizzy set that they performed on the previous day as Renegade. Nonetheless there are strong parallels between the two versions of the band and the material goes down well with the crowd. Now, as they say, time for something completely different. I am a huge fan of all things horror and consequently love the shock rock theatricality of the master himself, Alice Cooper, through Rob Zombie and current pretenders to the throne, South of Salem; so I don’t know why I have never experienced the Halloween nightmare that is Wednesday 13 before. All I can say is wow! This is every scary movie, every freak show and every evangelical preacher’s worst dream rolled into one ghoulishly heavy package. The lyrics are hilariously kitsch, the riffs are hookier than Captain Hook on steroids and there is more corpse paint than at a church burning in Norway. In other words, brilliant fun that left a huge smile on my face. At the end of the set, the Duke of Spook is gifted a Manchester care package in anticipation of his forthcoming birthday and is both bemused and delighted to receive some Jaffa cakes. Remember to have a packet on hand the next time you plan to summon up some demons!

The Saturday night headline slot at any festival requires someone pretty special to cap off the day and Massive Wagons are more than up for the task in hand. With a lengthy back catalogue to draw upon and new material to showcase, there was never any doubt that the Wagons were going to deliver anything less than the perfect end to the day. From the very first note to the last cheer, Baz was simply unstoppable. Running around the stage, jumping off the riser and getting everyone to sing along throughout he simply didn’t stop for a second except to jump off stage to retrieve his in-ear monitor after it fell out (“those things are expensive and I’m just a musician”, he quipped). There were broad grins both on and off stage as the band knocked out banger after banger, even resurrecting The Curry Song for a singalong. As the smoke from the pyro and fireworks slowly cleared at the end of the set, there were a lot of tired but happy people.

Day 3

Returning after a break to pursue other avenues, Mad Haven look happy to be back as they open the final day of the festival. Their straightforward hard rock gets the day off to a good start as they showcase some new songs, including the first live run through for a ballad which is something they had vowed never to write. There were enough Mad Haven t-shirts on the crowd to reassure the band that they had been missed and I’m sure that they gained some new fans too. Similarly, there were plenty of people eager to see fellow Welsh countrywomen Häxan as they rattled through a set reflecting the harder edge of the new material from recent EP Death of Me. The band have beefed up their sound since they were the cover stars of the final issue of Emerging Rock Bands magazine (back issues are still available – just saying!), while still retaining their core energy. Continuing the Celtic theme while moving further towards the metal end of the spectrum, Scottish marauders Pyroclast set about battering the main stage with their muscular riffage. Singer Mark Reid casts an imposing presence while his band mates lay down the heaviest riffs of the weekend so far. It’s pretty brutal on a sunny Sunday afternoon, but they go down well with the metal heads in the audience. After that aural assault, it’s time for something lighter and bluesy in the form of Jack J Hutchinson. Having already completed two early morning stints for the Jam with Jack sessions, it’s time for Jack to take the stage with his own trio to showcase some new material from his forthcoming album. As usual, the songs are interspersed with jokes and stories; but today the focus seems to be more on the music as the band find their groove and really seem to relish bouncing off each other.

There is an air of excitement as we await the arrival of Apriori on the main stage. As has now become a Firevolt tradition, Bev gets to introduce her favourite band of the weekend which she does with relish before they hit the stage with all guns blazing. I’ve seen the band on many occasions now, but today they definitely brought their A game. Their muscular hard rock and catchy singalong songs were all turned up to 11 as the crowd lapped up every moment. The energy continues back on the Trooper stage as The Virginmarys’ punk-flavoured hard rock batters the senses. It has been said many times before, and no doubt will be said by others in the future, but it is amazing how much noise this duo can create. Danny Dolan is the visual focus of the band, turning drumming into a performance art as he smashes his kit to within an inch of its life. Side kick Ally Dickaty remains relative static as he churns out the coruscating riffs that form the backbone of their sonic barrage. Together they create a chaotic but compelling attack on the senses. After that we undergo the aural equivalent of a handbrake turn as the mood changes abruptly with the arrival of Cats in Space. Currently featuring Chris Childs of Thunder fame on bass and Sam Wood of Black Star Riders amongst many others on guitar, the band’s polished melodic rock affords the crowd respite from the preceding noise. Continuing in a similar AOR vein, FM deliver a set of slick, radio friendly rock that takes us down memory lane. Judging by the smile on their faces, the band are clearly enjoying themselves as they deliver a greatest hits set to a nostalgic crowd.

So, to the final headlining band of the weekend. It’s been a musical journey ranging from blistering metal through to AOR heaven with a bit of everything in between. We’ve seen new bands win over fans and more experienced bands proving that they’ve still got what it takes. After all of that, what we need as icing on the cake is someone who can bring the energy and sheer joie de vivre that comes from having nothing to lose and nothing to prove. That man is Ginger, the band is The Wildhearts and what we get is sheer rock ‘n’ roll escapism for 75 minutes. As usual, Ginger’s dog Maggie joins him on stage to check out the crowd (she approves, thankfully) after which it’s back to the ramshackle good time fun and games. What more could you want?

Firevolt continues to buck the trend in these difficult times for event organisers by attracting more and more people through the gates each year. The organisers have built a real sense of belonging and family which resonates with the fans and draws them back year on year. It helps that there are some fantastic bands on the lineup and the setting is stunning; but the main reason is that the Firevolt community feels connected. Bev, Stret, and the team continue to develop events beyond the festival itself, as well as encouraging organic growth of the main event. However, they are also mindful of what makes Firevolt one of the best festival experiences out there and they do not plan to push for ever increasing ticket sales to the point that the community spirit is lost. It is that attitude which will ensure that Firevolt continues to be a highlight of the festival calendar.

http://firevoltfestival.co.uk

Full photo gallery available here.