Those with enough decades on the clock will likely remember the original Monsters Of Rock. It was the pre-cursor to so many events that have over time morphed into multi day, multi stage giants. But MOR had something. And it became legendary. Stonedead has rekindled the vibe of Donington Park’s favourite son with a simple but effective plan. One day, one stage, one monster rock show. A good idea? A sell out crowd at Newark Showground thought so….
Lighting the blue touch paper on this year’s fun and games are These Wicked Rivers who mix good old blues rock with a little hint of the mellow side of grunge. Think Blackberry Smoke with Stone Gossard moonlighting in the arrangement and you get the picture. Oh, and they’re from Derby. They’re bloody good too. It’s a set that really gets you in the mood on what is fast turning out to be a warm and sunny day. Ballsy and laid back this is the perfect band to sip your first pint of the day to, at 11.30 am.
Kickin Valentina are here courtesy of some Swedish femmes who shall not be named who pulled out to tour the US. They grab their chance with both hands putting in a lively shift of hard rocking. The Atlanta quartet have an edge to their song writing that marks them out distinctly as products of the new age of rock. The brush they use to paint their music with is broad as well as loud. While the band have to be praised for stepping up so magnificently, it does leave a question mark over the representation of female artists this year, Robyn Haycock of Stone Broken being the sole woman on stage all day. Hopefully next year will see a more natural gender balance restored.
Hands up who’s still got their copy of Spellbound by Tygers Of Pan Tang? The now just over four decades old piece of metal history wasn’t even the Tygers first album. But it did put them firmly on the map. Amazingly the Whitley Bay mob still sound as fresh as a daisy which shows you just how good the song writing was, and indeed still is. It’s a virtuoso performance from musicians both original and of younger years. Many senior acts can’t really cut it any more in a live environment but the Tygers have the crowd lapping up every note. It’s going to take something special to follow that.
The set change over is punctuated by a fly past from the Avro Lancaster of the Battle Of Britain flight. Queue lots of pointing at the sky and oohs and aahs. This is also a good point to mention the fans. They contributed to the chilled atmosphere all day making Stonedead feel safe and welcoming to all ages and to everyone from hardened rockers to the simply curious. It’s also great to see Krusher acting as compere for the day.
Step up new-ish kids on the block The Treatment. Formed in 2008 the lads from Cambridge don’t mess about. New singer Tom Rampton who joined in 2017 barely had his feet under the table when the pandemic hit is a revelation. He dominates the Newark stage with his energy and commanding vocals. Once tipped for a meteoric rise to the top only for things to stall a little The Treatment are majestic today. The rhythms are timed with precision and the guitars are tight and work in unison. This is such a wonderful set that you can imagine a lot of other fests will want to add these guys to their line ups.
Now for some Swedes that did turn up, although through no fault of their own there was some doubt. Travel in 2022 huh! Still H.E.A.T crank it up to eleven in a way only a Scandinavian band can. This is real quality dished out with a ladle. Kenny Leckremo who helped to found the five piece before leaving in 2009 and re-joining in 2020 is a very easy person to like. He has a great clean vocal and an easy stage presence. He’s also follicly graced to such an extent that much envy can be almost felt emanating from the fans. A relatively young group H.E.A.T have a classic sound that is well received in the mid-afternoon sunshine.
Making some serious waves on the music scene right now are Brits Stone Broken who seem to be almost everywhere all at the same time. It’s a good thing to work hard and get yourselves heard, and it’s also good to take a breather now and again and take stock. Today the Walsall four are in graft mode. They are a slick operation who have taken rock and shaken it down with new ideas, a twenty first century adaptation of a timeless theme if you like. It works very well. The musicianship hits home first, then you hear the reason why so many are making a fuss. Bold songs are given depth through imaginative arrangements. Believe the hype, big things beckon.
When your band is named after you then you’d better be good. Adrian Vandenberg is better than that. He’s a master of his art. His guitar work, often understated is quite beautiful. He’s also got a reputation of being a quite affable guy of stage too. Today he simply lets his guitar do the talking and new singer Mats Levén do the…… singing. This is the perfect time to play this most classic of classic rock. People are grabbing food, and yet more pints, and they’re listening. It’s important sometimes to just soak up a musician’s talent. No mosh pit, no crush at the barrier, just ears open and enjoy.
Fresh from playing the main stage at this year’s Download Festival Those Damn Crows put on a display of supreme confidence. Being signed early to big hitters Earache has helped them a lot but you still have to deliver. You still have to have your killers vastly outweigh your fillers. These days that needs to be a ratio of 100 to 0 to really succeed. So the Bridgend wonders must be doing something right to be in the sub-headline slot. As the sun releases it’s warm grip on what has been a fantastic day Those Damn Crows firmly place themselves alongside the Manics as another great band to have come out of Wales.
One of the most prolific rock/metal guitarists of all time Michael Schenker is a legend and a hero to many. He walks tall from the word go with his Gibson flying V an extension of his own body. Now some aging rockers can be accused of going through the motions a little bit but not this guy. Schenker might be of pensionable age these days but dear lord he can still play. Ronnie Romero puts in a solid shift on vocals too. Yes, this is a performance that has a whiff of nostalgia about it but so what. That’s what people want to hear and that’s what he gives them. The important thing is you can tell the passion is still there, and it is emitted out to the crowd like an invisible ray. With countless songs in a huge back catalogue he could play all night and for a week without repeating anything and the crowd would still be with him days later. But curfew comes, the music stops, and memories have been made. Just as it should be.
Stonedead Festival is like stepping back in time to how festivals used to be, except it isn’t. You get the benefit of a one day experience and a single stage which many long for and are thankful for. But you don’t get long drop bogs, crap food or hit on the head with containers of piss. Stonedead therefore is progress. It’s the best of the old coupled with the best of the new. It’s run in a way some other events really ought to take a look at. Long may it continue.
Review and photos by Gary Trueman