Set in the picturesque surroundings of Whitebottom Farm, Firevolt encapsulates all that’s great about a music festival. Big enough to attract stellar artists but small enough to retain a friendly, family vibe, it’s the first date any self-respecting rock fan marks in their diary at the start of every year. A nice mixture of established bands plus the best up-and-coming talent, Firevolt is a celebration of rock’s illustrious past, whilst simultaneously ushering in the next generation to ensure the scene will remain in ruddy health many years to come.
Friday
Getting my festival off to a lively start are Rare Breed. They’ve brought a hefty dose of sunshine with them, and their hard-edged brand of blues makes the perfect gateway into the weekend. A power trio in its purest definition (i.e. powerful), I dare say that this crew have blown away a few hangovers with original tunes such as ‘English Rose’. Playing with the confidence of a band who know they’re onto a good thing; the future of rock is assured with the likes of Rare Breed on the scene.
Suited and booted, Sonic Whip come dressed for action, and that’s exactly what they serve up. Having blazed a trail across Europe to be here, they haven’t come to take prisoners and deliver a swirling sound that’s played by three whirling dervishes and makes for an arresting experience both visually and sonically. A raucous rendition of AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ is mashed up with Focus’ ‘Hocus Pocus’ and hurtles the band towards the end of their set, but one thing’s for certain; Sonic Whip won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Skam are another three-piece band who create a sound far bigger than their constituent parts; they’re a trio who lock in tightly to deliver a groove-laden brand of hard rock. Original tunes like ‘One Track Mind’ really hit that sweet spot, whilst ‘Bring The Rain’ packs a hefty punch. Merging The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley with Rush’s ‘Tom Sawyer’ gives us an abject lesson in hard rock and finds Skam raising the bar high for the rest of the day.
The aptly titled Fury are kicking up a storm over on The Trooper stage with a vivacious sound and equally animated performance. It’s the twin vocal attack that elevates the band above their peers and makes for an interesting juxtaposition between the gruff and soulful. ‘Monster Movies’ has real bite, as does the latest single ‘Don’t Lie To Me’. The band don’t miss an opportunity to engage with the crowd, and that makes for an interactive experience, and one that hits all the right buttons.
Hailing from Austria, Roadwolf are unapologetically heavy metal and recall those heady days of ‘82; all cut-off denim and patchouli oil, yet they play with an energy that places them firmly in the present. It’s a full-on, fist-in-the-air, follicle-flying celebration of metal, and it’s hard not to get swept up in the band’s sheer effervescence. ‘Sons Of The Golden Horde’ goes down particularly well, but the band barely put a foot wrong over a set that’s akin to a white-knuckle ride. Roadwolf’s first time in the UK, I hope it won’t be the last.
Tygers Of Pan Tang arrive encased in a blaze of guitars and open with ‘Euthanasia’, the first track on their debut album Wild Cat. Capturing the same kind of spirit as when it was first released, it acts as a portent of what’s to come as the band operate with an energy that’d put many a younger band to shame. It’s a set that ebbs and flows perfectly with ‘Keeping Me Alive’ kicking down a gear, but in whatever mode the band appear, the level of excitement never drops. A career-spanning set finds them stopping at most points along their discography, with two well-deserved encores (including a cover of ‘Love Potion No. 9’) capping an impressive set.
Let’s face it, Graham Oliver’s tenure in Saxon was undoubtedly that band’s best, and it is to that era which he pays homage with his latest project, Graham Oliver’s Army. From opener ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Gypsy’ to closer ‘Wheels Of Steel’, this is a set jam-packed with classics, but with such a deep well of tunes to draw upon, the band really can’t go wrong, and they recreate some of the magic that characterised that era. There’s a lot of love in the air from Graham, but the whole band are on fire and deliver a set that gets the good vibes (and the beer) flowing, and in our age of fragmentation, that’s needed more than ever.
Maybe it’s because they exist in the world of heavy metal, but Girlschool rarely get credit for opening the doors for other female musicians; they’re just as important as The Runaways (perhaps more so), and the fact that they’re edging towards their 50th anniversary is testament to their staying power. The air raid siren that heralds the band’s arrival sends a warning to the curious, before ‘Demolition’ and ‘C’mon Let’s Go’ find the band arriving in style and delivering the perfect one-two punch, a pairing that could floor the hardiest metalhead. The band are wise enough to throw plenty of fan favourites into their set with closing couplet ‘Race With The Devil’ and ‘Emergency’ finding the band departing as they arrived.
It’s not my first time catching South Of Salem live; I first saw them on their jaunt supporting Wednesday 13, and back then, I had them down as festival headliners. I hate to say “I told you so”, but here they are topping Friday at Firevolt and they don’t look out of place. As darkness descends, the spooky stage set comes into its own with two coffins flanking the stage and a backdrop promising all sorts of dark delights. When the band appear, it is in a typically flamboyant style with pyro licking the sky, along with two evil cheerleaders (replete with black pom poms), and it creates the feeling that we’ve stumbled upon some strange black magic ritual deep in the woods. The band are making the most of this opportunity; they hit the ground running and barely put a foot wrong during an explosive set. Vocalist Joey Draper plays the crowd perfectly, yet each band member does their part in making this an interactive experience. Top billing is where South Of Salem belong, and tonight’s set is another sure step towards global domination.
Saturday
Doing exactly what their name suggests, The Heavy Souls have come a long way since their debut album (Have You Got Soul) dropped. Today’s early start hasn’t phased them at all, and they magically transform this morning into a sparkly Saturday night. Vocalist Clark Vaughan has a stadium-filling voice, and when combined with songs that have an inherent bounce, you have a winning formula, and theirs is set is rewarded with rapt applause.
Whoever books the bands for Firevolt certainly has their finger on rock and metal’s steely pulse, and they’ve come up trumps again with Kit Trigg. Fresh off a tour with The Virginmarys, this bunch are brimming with confidence, and they deliver a set as such. My crystal ball predicts that they’ll be back as headliners, but for now, they are three musicians perfecting their art and doing so in style.
Putting a pop twist on an alt-rock sound, Juliet’s Not Dead are very much alive and kicking. Raw but anthemic, they’ve a sound that’s akin to Slade jamming with the Sex Pistols; it might sound like a strange amalgamation, but it is one that really works. It’s a fresh sound and one that’s barrelling them towards a bright future; these are songs delivered with urgency by a band who are on a mission to get where they’re going, and in double quick time.
Brave Rival have a sound that reminds me of Led Zeppelin and Free, yet they are also very much about the present. They’re no retro act and they definitely have their own thing going on and if proof were needed look no further than new track debuted ‘Control’ and latest single ‘Poison’, a winning combination that’s going to propel the band to some interesting places, so watch this space.
Some bands have an inner fire that’s burning so strongly, a desire to get their music heard by as many people as possible, that they seem to radiate a warm glow, and that’s definitely the case with Marisa And The Moths. Such is the incandescent light they emit that they draw the crowd to the Bludsucker Stage like moths to a flame and then hold them spellbound for forty minutes. With vocals that are just as agile as the music, Marisa & Co. perform all sorts of musical gymnastics, twisting and turning, ensuring that things never become staid – a dance of death to a beautiful soundtrack.
As much as the mainstream media keeps telling us that heavy metal is dead, it refuses to lay down and die, and with bands such as Tailgunner on the scene, that’s hardly surprising. Self-described “classic British metal”, they are the living embodiment as to why the genre remains in ruddy health. While it is undeniably true that the band aren’t reinventing the wheel, when the songs are as good as ‘Follow Me In Death’, why would they want to? This is the final show on their Summer Blitz tour, and they deliver a set that finds them signing off in style. The band are kind enough to wear their influences on their sleeve, and a frantic cover of Metallica’s ‘Hit The Lights’ finds Tailgunner in a tailspin and going down in a blaze of glory.
When Blaze Bayley joined Iron Maiden in the 1990’s it felt as if the cards were stacked against him; metal was at a commercial ebb, and it didn’t feel as if time was conducive to their galloping brand of music. However, tonight’s set reveals what Blaze could have achieved had times been different and this gig, part of a tour celebrating 25 years of Silicon Messiah, evidences an artist at the top of their game. Thankfully, Blaze isn’t the type of artist to turn his back on his past, and there are plenty of Maiden tunes peppering the set to keep the casual fan happy, as well as deep cuts from his discography to delight the aficionados. It’s the perfect mixture of past and present, which makes Blaze’s set a winner.
Elegantly wasted and with the wino look down to a ‘T’, it seems that this early evening slot on The Trooper stage is the perfect time to experience the bunch of ne’er-do-wells known as The Quireboys. They are another band who grunge conspired against, but while that genre is on the shelf collecting dust, The Quireboys are here and rocking like it’s 1990. Such is the desire to see this band, they’ve pulled in the biggest crowd of the festival (thus far) and in turn that crowd are rewarded with a “greatest hits” type set that finds the band pulling all types of tricks from the bag including ‘7 O’Clock’ and ‘Hey You’, each track welcomed like an old friend and saluted with glasses raised, proving that it’s always time for a party when The Quireboys are in town.
Whilst (most of) Reef look like the elder statesmen of blues, they hit the stage like a contemporary force. If you remember the band from back in the day, you’ll recall that there was something refreshingly unpretentious about this bunch. It’s a vibe they’ve carried over into the present day, and as such, they have no need for elongated introductions or fancy pyrotechnics; they pretty much pitch up, plug in and play, not unlike a band down your local boozer…only on a festival stage. Despite the size of the crowd, it makes for a pleasantly intimate experience, and as you expect, ‘Place Your Hands’ locks the audience into a singular groove and turns the field into a huge dance floor. A neat cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ takes us towards curfew, meaning this show is big on riffs, small on talk, as Reef dish out the good stuff, and all in the right proportions.
Sunday
Whilst many people find themselves in church on a Sunday morning, something far more exciting is happening at Firevolt. Huddersfield’s Liberty Slaves have brought the sunshine and some sleaze factor and roll it all up in tunes such as ‘Devil In Me’. They seem a tad dangerous for this early hour, an idea given credence when their vocalist invades the crowd to sing ‘Every Man For Themselves’. A spirited set and one that’s the perfect advert for their “rough as fuck rock ‘n’ roll”.
The Soul Revival deliver a heavy sound and one that stomps like a 900lb bear (and one with a sore head). Yet they’re not all bludgeon; their songs have a natural rhythm, meaning that their set flows perfectly between riff-heavy numbers and more thoughtful bluesy sections. It would be easy for a vocalist to get swamped by their sound, but Steve Nunn more than holds his own by putting his own stamp on all-out ragers like ‘Outlaw’. The band have already made a name for themselves in the Midlands, and now it’s time for the rest of the country to catch on.
It’s a strange anomaly that some of the best Americana is being produced right here in the UK, and if proof were needed, look no further than Tom Killner. An authentic blend of blues, southern rock, and country (but with a quintessentially English twist), Tom and band are cooking up a storm on the Bludsucker Stage with an intoxicating sound that exists somewhere between Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rolling Stones. With plenty of slide guitar laid over a solid backbeat, Tom’s sound is very air-guitar inducing and his tone resonates with all present; this isn’t simply music you listen to, rather it demands that you move your body, and there’s some sporadic outbreaks of “dad dancing” as affirmation. A solid set that promises much future goodness.
From the fertile soil of Birmingham, Blue Nation have shared stages with notable acts such as Laurence Jones and Dirty Thrills, and today they bring some of their magic to Firevolt. Not since Hendrix’s debut album have I heard such a sick set of jams, and it doesn’t take long for the band to win over the crowd with songs such as ‘Down By The River’ sitting easy on the afternoon air. However, the band can often spend a little too long engaging with the crowd and the talky bits betwixt songs can seem a tad elongated, when a better modus operandi would be to release their songs in quick succession. However, the crowd show their approval, not only with applause, but with a long queue snaking from the merch table.
It’s been a long road to Firevolt for Australia’s The Lazys; not only the oceans and continents they had to cross to get here, but also the (almost) two decades of hard graft since they first burst out of Sydney. The years have found them refining their sound until all that’s left is pure, unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a high-octane, no-nonsense brand of music that the Aussies do so well; it’s music made for dancing and fighting (and quite possibly at the same time), and presented with an X-rated, expletive-filled type of humour. In fact, never has being insulted been done with such panache, but it’s all done in the right spirit and taken as such. While you can’t really deconstruct The Lazys sound too much, in terms of raunchy, visceral rock ‘n’ roll, things don’t get much better than this.
Dan Byrne has a magnetic personality and one that draws a large crowd towards The Trooper stage, and with that voice, it is hardly surprising. It sounds as if his vocal chords have been soaked in honey, and even without amplification, you feel that it could fill any venue. New track titled ‘Saviour’ (I believe) goes down smooth (like a shot of gin), but the whole set fits together like a puzzle; comprising of rockers, ravers, ballads and bluesy numbers, the whole thing is stitched together by Dan’s voice and a band who provide a solid foundation from which much goodness grows. It was a big leap of faith when Dan went solo two-and-a-half years ago, but an example of fortune favouring the brave, you feel that the sky’s his only limit.
A two-man army who’ve travelled an insane distance to play here today, The Picture Books hail from the States and are genuinely overjoyed to be at Firevolt. In fact, the hills which surround the Bludsucker Stage make the perfect frame for their evocative songs and adds extra depth to an already lustrous sound. As with many bands who operate with reduced numbers, this pair create a noise that’s far bigger than their individual parts and booms around the venue like cannon fire. Yet they understand the dynamics of music very well and insert quieter moments to emphasise the loud, case in point being a cover of Springsteen’s ‘State Trooper’ which they strip down and rebuild in their own image. If the crowd’s energy is flagging after three days of hard rock and partying, then The Picture Books recharge their batteries.
Next year will be the Von Hertzen Brothers’ 25th anniversary, but in terms of energy expended, they are performing like a band in their infancy. With three siblings in the band (hence the name), the group play with a chemistry that verges upon telepathy, which means their songs are delivered with razor-sharp precision. The sonic structures they build reverberate with the crowd on some deep, primordial level and makes for a strangely hypnotic type of affair. Their songs are unorthodox and don’t follow the usual verse-chorus-verse formula, and in that respect, this crew are very much like a Finnish version of Pink Floyd. It makes for an engrossing experience and one which alters the fabric of time, meaning that their set is over far too soon, but as the Brothers promise to return next year, it’s all good.
There’s something so very special and atmospheric about a band closing a festival. With the stage fully illuminated and the crowd full of fine ale from the Whitebottom bar, there’s an air of excitement and anticipation electrifying the air. The Bludsucker Stage is bathed in blood red light, meaning that when Sweden’s Eclipse arrive, it’s with full force. A musical bomb that’s primed and then explodes, they make a bold entrance and one which sets the tone for the rest of the show. Making full use of the stage, Eclipse are all over the Bludsucker like a rash and bouncing around with unbridled energy. Their songs are equally frenetic; hard yet melodic numbers complete with hooks that could floor even the hardiest critic. Eclipse never lose sight of important stuff like song structure, and subsequently their songs have a sing-along quality (even if you don’t know the words), and that gives their set an inclusive feel and locks the crowd into a singular groove.
As Eclipse end their set and bring the curtain down on another successful Firevolt, my thoughts are already turning to next year’s event…it’s that type of festival.
https://www.firevoltfestival.co.uk/
Review By Peter Dennis
All Photos By Labrat Photos – https://www.labratphotos.co.uk/