Words: Adrian Hextall
Pictures: Adrian Hextall \ MindHex Media
2.5 days of music, an opening three-band set on Friday night, and two full days on Saturday and Sunday. It’s fair to say that rock music is firmly back in Maidstone. Maid of Stone Festival returned for its second year, and unlike the ‘difficult second album’ that bands often face when trying to decide ‘what next?’, it seems that the team at Maid of Stone have their sights firmly set on the future. We can only hope that they are able to attract the same caliber of artists every year going forward. For a small festival with a 5,000-head capacity, the event still manages to pick up the likes of Mr. Big, Living Colour, Wolfmother, Gun, and modern upcoming acts like South of Salem, who will be making their way to the top of the bill over the next few years, I’m sure.
Friday, July 19th
The Friday night opened with one of the newer, modern acts that give us a sense of where the rock music scene is heading at the moment and when the people who put Glastonbury together say, “there are no rock acts out there”, well they’re clearly not looking very hard. With just the Phoenix Stage being utilised on the opening night, White Raven Down kicked off proceedings with an outstanding set. Front man Stu Bailey looking like he’d just finished servicing his pickup truck engaged the crowd from the off and gave the set a well received, blue-collar based set that resonated well with the sizable crowd all of whom were likely campers looking for a good night out before the weekend’s event started proper. The three piece with Luke Chappell (Bass) and Tom Mrazek (Drums) providing the groove presented a formidable band and one to watch out for.
Every reliable, Blaze Bayley arrived on stage next with Absolva as his regular backing band to perform songs from his time in Iron Maiden. While a lot of people knock that era, as Steve Harris has recently pointed out, it was thanks to Blaze that Iron Maiden were able to keep going during those years. Blaze, lest we forget was also the people’s choice to replace Bruce Dickinson at the time and whether you like the two albums he did with them, repeat live performances give the songs new life and an impartial view would say, to these ears anyway, that there are in fact some real bangers in there and the energy they were delivered with showed the passion that both Blaze and the band have for them. There’s a reason ‘The Clansman’ is still playing by Iron Maiden to this day and it’s simply because it’s a classic.
The evening was rounded off with a headline set from Scottish rockers, GUN. With new album ‘Hombres’ charting as highly as the band did in the late 80s , early 90s, it’s fair to say that the band are truly back and here to stay. Dante Gizzi has honed his voice over the last few years and is, in my opinion, delivering there classic tracks just as well as former vocalist Mark Rankin did back in the day. For those of us that were there at the beginning, it’s a great feeling hearing those songs presented just as we remember them.
Saturday, July 20th
Returning refreshed and with a fuzzy, warm feeling suggesting that the weekend was going to be a hit—not only due to the great bill but also because the weather reports suggested “scorchio” throughout, with nary a cloud in sight. The day started with some tunes from the Firestarter stage, set up to showcase the best of the best of the new bands on the scene. Whether you know them or not, a lot of time and effort went into selecting the bands that played on this stage over the weekend, as somewhere in there will be the headliners of the future—the ones to replace the pensioners who continue to peddle their wares, shadows of their former selves, headlining festivals trying to convince people that they’ll be as good as they were four decades ago. Quelle surprise, they aren’t. We need the artists on the Firestarter stage if festivals like this are to have a future 5-10 years down the line.
Spyder Byte opened the weekend and the stage, with singer Daniel Laurence giving it his all as if his life depended on it. That’s the thing about up-and-coming artists—the hunger remains. They’re not going through the motions, and who doesn’t want to kickstart a sunny day with some excellent Mötley Crüe-esque glam rock?
The rest of the day on the stage featured The Hot One Two, who also seem to be making waves at the moment, Crowley, who I would have loved to have seen (but sadly clashed with one of the main stages), as did Blind River (who I love), but I made it back later in the day for Until 9, whose gritty brand of metal made for a welcome change of pace. The three-piece really, and I mean really, know how to deliver a heavy set. While the vocal work was gravelly, Paul Pudge Johnson (who also doubles up on bass) was very clear, unlike a lot of metal bands who seem to need to scream and vomit their vocals to a receptive audience. Tom Spendlove on guitar tried a world record attempt for the number of jumps off the monitors (maybe), and whether he got it or not remains to be seen, but I lost count after the first dozen or so. Mark Greenwood hammered away at the biscuit tins at the back of the stage, and the end result was the sort of hot, sweaty affair that would have gone down a storm in the classic days of the Astoria in London. We need more of this in the future.
For me, the highlight of the day on the Firestarter Stage was the rightful headline set from Ward XVI. If you don’t know the band, they’re 2/3 of the way through a trilogy of albums about asylum inmate Psychoberrie and how they arrived at the aforementioned Ward XVI. Album 3, the one to close out the trilogy, is expected to be released sometime in 2025, and I, for one, am stoked. Their sets are theatrical masterpieces and convey the same levels of shock, horror, and more than a little gore that you’d expect from a mix of an Alice Cooper show and the famous London Dungeon. Knives, chainsaws, night terrors, blood and guts strewn across the stage, and a bloodied head of a teddy bear landing somewhere in the audience for the most bizarre of crowd souvenirs… all in a day’s work for Ward XVI. Catch them live when you can.
The rest of Saturday was then split between the Inferno and Phoenix stages. A VIP area for those with posh tickets included extra seating, their own bar, and a few exclusive acoustic sets from bands to give the punters something a little bit special. For me, firm favorites Daxx & Roxane got the ball rolling on the Phoenix stage with a solid set, reminding me and a very receptive crowd that this band should have been huge by now and deserve more. That they persevere and continue to perform and deliver sets like this is massively encouraging. Everyone loves determination, and these guys have it in spades. When I returned to the same stage later in the day, When Rivers Meet (for the record, we have too many ‘River’ bands out there now—it’s terribly confusing) gave us a sun-drenched, lively set with Grace and Aaron Bond, the husband-and-wife duo who play off each other perfectly, carving out a superb slice of rock and Americana. Again, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, it’s the perfect fix for a crowd soaking up the warmth as well as more than a few of the fine beers, ales, and ciders on offer around the arena site.
Wayward Sons and Those Damn Crows closed out the Phoenix Stage on Saturday, and a clean-shaven Toby Jepson (looking 10 years younger minus the beard) and Co. proved beyond a doubt what time and experience can deliver when it comes to songs and also a live performance. If, as rumored, Little Angels do reform in 2025, then I do hope that Wayward Sons don’t disappear, as the two bands present markedly different songs and the music scene is and will be a better place with both in existence.
Over on the main Inferno Stage, the day had started with chart botherers Scarlet Rebels. Their latest album (having updated this review to reflect the timing) has just hit the top 10 in the UK and is another band with a well deserved record of both studio and live output. If this were the late 80s , early 90s, they’d be fighting alongside Def Leppard for chart placements and an audience. Easily on a par with the quality of music from the lads from Sheffield.
Hot shots South of Salem proved beyond a doubt why every major music publication is touting them for bigger things. Perfect support slots with the likes of W.A.S.P. have done their reputation no harm at all as they’re pulling in both the younger audience as well as those longer in the tooth but still attending festivals. A fiery set, laden with pyro, jumps, and hooks that could land Jaws on a good day, left the crowd battered, bruised and ready for more. A definite highlight of the weekend and one my mate Brian had travelled down from the Midlands specifically for.
Tyketto followed SoS’s
Another win for the festival bookers was to get The Warning to perform in the special guest slot on the Saturday before Wolfmother. Young, hungry for success and capable of delivering a blisteringly energised set, the band have been around for a decade, having formed in 2013 and delivered four studio albums in that time with the latest, ‘Keep Me Fed’ coming out in June of this year. The three women in the band are all sisters. The Villarreal Vélez sisters from Monterrey, Mexico, have been playing since they were under 10 years of age and it shows. Pau/Paulina (21) the drummer showcased someone obsessed with driving the sound of the band forward. Ale/Alejandra (19) plays bass, sings and is also the one who throws all of the shapes on stage to really draw a crowd in whilst sister number three Dany/Daniela (23) on lead guitar / lead vocals delivered the final punch. Her soaring vocals, performance, and fantastic lead guitar playing really dropped the cherry on top of the cake. Absolute win and not surprisingly, they went down a storm.
That then brings us to another first, at least for me. Having loved them since the self-titled debut was released, I’ve never seen Wolfmother live. That changed on the end of the first full day of Maid of Stone 2024.
With just 12 months to go before they celebrate their 20th anniversary, what better a time to reacquaint yourself with the band that brought us ‘Mind’s Eye’, ‘White Unicorn’, ‘Dimension’, ‘Woman’
Whilst the lineup has changed over the years, Andrew Stockdale, performing on his birthday at Maid of Stone, remains a constant throughout the life of the band and as well as his guitar playing, his distinctive voice gave the whole set a unique feel. There’s no frills with Wolfmother and aside from a drum riser on the middle of the stage and some reasonable lighting, the set was all about the music and nothing more. It was proof positive that a classic set can be delivered devoid of pyro, fireworks, CO2 canisters, showy choreography and more. Sometimes, as it used to be, all you need is rock and roll and Wolfmother gave it to us in spades.
Sunday, July 21st
“Don’t Panic Mr Mainwaring” cried Corporal Jones on a regular basis in classic sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’. Come Sunday morning and our man behind the scenes, Chris Wright has been panicking slightly. These Wicked Rivers, having had something of a medical emergency, had to pull out at short notice but who better to step into the breach than Oli Brown, on site anyway as a trader but if you speak to him, ask him how he managed to pull together the band, the equipment and perform on time when he doesn’t typically carry everything around with him ‘on the off chance’ that a gig will take place!
As the plate spinning and act juggling commenced, Phoenix Lake got proceedings going on the final day of the festival. Again, another curve ball from Chris and the team, looking to attract a great variety of music and as a result, fans to the festival. With the demise of the festival that used to use Mote Park every summer, with a focus very much on Rock \ Southern \ Blues \ Americana, there wasn’t much room for a healthy dose of metal and Phoenix Lake made every moment of their time on the stage. It was followed up by one, if not the, highlights of the weekend for me, Seething Akira. I’ve heard a lot about this outfit, a 6 piece Electronic Nu-core band, residing in the seafront city of Portsmouth, UK. No excuse really then, in the grand scheme of things just around the corner and having watched them perform, I was kicking myself because they absolutely smashed it. Energised, fun, groove laden and more crunch than a dry bowl of Frosties at breakfast time. Check out 2022’s album ‘Nozomi’ if you want to see what all of the fuss is about. You will not regret it!
Staying with the Phoenix Stage, Massive Wagons brought the fire and the flame to a very, very, very well received set. They’ve come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, headlining their own tours, smaller festivals and generally building the sort of devout fanbase that guarantees longevity. What we now need is for the band to break out into the wider mainstream and make the next step up and take over from the likes of Status Quo who they clearly worship and still derive a lot of inspiration from. I’d love to see the band that started out supporting Ginger Wildheart in tiny little venues around the country move up another level.
The Phoenix Stage closed with none other than Larkin Poe. Another great catch for the team behind Maid of Stone, Larkin Poe are an American roots rock band led by sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell. The band originated in north Georgia and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their sound is everything I’d expect to come out of Tennessee, strong, driven rock music with that jeans and check shirt flair that has defined decades of musicians from that area. What Larkin Poe bring to the table though are the undertones of Fleetwood Mac to their music as well and as a result, they offered something old, new, borrowed and blues to the enthusiastic crowd at the festival. My daughter, who was working at Maid of Stone all weekend, had organised her break on the Sunday soley to see the sisters in action and that again bodes well for the future of rock music when an 18 year old is adamant that this is THE band she had to see across the three days.
Back over at the Firestarter Stage, new music flowed in rapid succession. Highlights for me included Brake Loose whose blend of rock and metal really hit the sweet spot and who have, in frontman Alex Murillo, one of the stars of the future. He’s the sort of singer we could easily see on the cover of Kerrang! back in the day and the band themselves would easily make for the posters section in the middle of the old weekly rock and metal tabloid. Of course, nowadays it’s also all about the music and not just how good you look and thankfully Brake Loose have the tunes to go with the vibe. That they’ve already been noticed by Earache records is great news as if anyone can get you into charts these days, it’s Earache!
Also, up there in terms of presence and performance, Newcastle’s Twist
The same can be said about The Karma Effect. A firm favourite at local venue Leo’s The Red Lion in Gravesend, the band have just struck big and charted with latest release ‘Promised Land’. Hook laden rock music, they drink from the same fountain as Those Damn Crows in terms of catchy tunes, the sort that stick in your head for days to come. So many ‘circuit’ bands have great musicians and suck at song writing leaving you with technically excellent performances but not a single song you can recall an hour later. The Karma Effect do not have that problem and their reception at Maid of Stone was proof positive that they have more to offer.
Over on the main Inferno Stage, Preacher Stone got the ball rolling with some great southern rock. If you meet him, their PR, Wes O’Neil, is a ringer for Shane Greenhall of Those Damn Crows. It must be true as after I mistook Wes for Shane, so did another half dozen people throughout the day. Separated at birth and all that.
The two big wins for me and the bands that closed out the festival for 2024 on the main stage were Living Colour and Mr Big. The former continued their great run of shows, fresh from touring with Extreme. The more times I see them, the more I appreciate a Living Colour show. Groove, blues, rock, soul, you name it, they brought it to the table at Mote Park and are one of those perfect crossover acts, appealing to both old and new fans alike. Their sound remains wholly unique, and they show no signs of stopping yet much to my delight.
Mr Big are calling it a day. Maid of Stone very nearly got its second upset of the day when word reached us that Eric Martin had fallen badly in a tour bus incident and had (at that point) spent more hours than was healthy at Maidstone Hospital in the A&E department. With Danny Vaughan offering to step up and share the load should Eric not appear and with Billy Sheehan considering the band performing as a 3-piece, the end of the festival could have gone off on multiple tangents. Thankfully, a series of paramedics, lots of official drugs (and not rockstar drugs) and an ambulance to the stage and Eric appeared with some 30 minutes to spare. It was close and although he winced a few times on stage, it’s fair to say that he shouldered the burden well and dealt with his injuries because as Freddie once said, “The Show Must Go On”!
And go in it did. The band played on, Eric delivered the goods and his band mates ensured that he was well looked after as soon as they closed their set. If they do call it a day (I sense Billy wants to but Eric is always up for ‘one more) then they’ve gone out on a high and will be well remembered for some time to come.
That brings us to the end of Maid of Stone 2024. Early bird tickets have already gone on sale for 2025 and have, at the time of writing, almost sold out without any bands being announced. That to me sounds like rock is back in Mote Park for good!
https://maidofstonefestival.com/
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