Last year’s inaugural Firestorm festival defied the naysayers to be a roaring success. Indeed the combination of the friendly atmosphere, beautiful setting on a farm at the end of a country park and wall to wall music made it instantly one of my favourite festivals and one I’d been looking forward to returning to for months. Word seemed to have spread, as certainly on the Friday and Saturday the crowd appeared to be significantly up on last year.

There was one major change: owing to naming rights the festival was retitled Firevolt (though a similar move did not do Stonedead any harm).

In other respects a winning formula was repeated but with a couple of improvements: the tented ‘big top’ stage was moved slightly so the main supporting pillar was further back from the front of stage, and a marginally less cluttered schedule avoided all stage clashes and gave attendees a good 15 minute refreshment and comfort break while still being able to see every band.

In the main the booking policy was also unchanged, focused on the current wave of homegrown bands under the broad New Wave of Classic Rock, with a couple of welcome Scandinavian guests and just the odd band from an older vintage.

DAY 1- ROYAL REPUBLIC, MASSIVE WAGONS, WHEN RIVERS MEET, CARDINAL BLACK, HOLLOWSTAR, SONS OF LIBERTY, HELL’S ADDICTION, WHITE RAVEN DOWN, LUNA MARBLE

Last time out the Friday action only began mid- afternoon but on this occasion the weekend marathon kicked off at 1245pm at the now retitled Trooper Beer barn stage (though oddly that did not mean this or any other Robinson beers from the brewery next to my Stockport hotel were available). Luna Marble filled the first of two slots for the winners of a Battle of the Bands contest, a great way to build anticipation around the festival, especially in the Manchester area.

In their retro clothing they reminded me a little of the Damn Truth both in image and the way they were clearly inspired by seventies classic rock especially left handed guitarist Dragos Colceriu who played some great slide on opener ‘The Ride’.

A number of their songs including ‘Crazy Loving’ and ‘See You Soon’ were slow burning and moody but ‘Talk About Love’ and their final and best song ‘Running’ owed more to Led Zeppelin. Petite Spanish singer Maria Rico had a powerful set of pipes on her and visibly grew in confidence during a set which got the festival off to a fine start.

The first band in the tent were White Raven Down, the three piece looking slightly incongruous on a wide stage with a large part of the rear already curtained off to prepare for Massive Wagons show later. The music was pretty heavy, mixing speedy solos from singer and guitarist Stu Bailey with the odd industrial beat and growls, with some more accessible material including ‘The Price You Pay’ and ‘Salvation’ (with a singalong to the ‘looking at the dawn of another day’ chorus).

After ‘All Day Long’ from their current ‘Don’t Shoot the Messenger’ album, ‘Demons At Your Door’ (a semi ballad with people asked to wave their phone lights) was followed by the heavier ‘Take Me’. Stu was an engaging character, working the crowd including on closer ‘Lost Your Hold’ with a big ‘who-oah’ participation (and his strong Essex accent was reassuring for me as one of the few ‘southerners in the crowd) They were a little heavier than I am used to but their energy and crowd engagement was very impressive.

Back on the main stage there was a delayed appearance for Hell’s Addiction who were scheduled to play last year but had to pull out. The Leicester five piece are regulars on the circuit and this showed in a dynamic stage show with the hirsute trio of singer Ben Sargent and guitarists, brother Liam and Dan Weir, swishing their hair. From the moment they opened with ‘We’re On Fire’ they unashamedly looked back to an era when the likes of Skid Row, Guns’n’Roses and W.A.S.P ruled the roost, while Ben had a raspy voice that could also move into a higher register.

They do not claim to be original however and the riffs on the likes of ‘The Rocker’, ‘We’re On the Road Again’ and ‘Cannot Hide’ were tantalisingly familiar. ‘Upside Down’ was apparently inspired by ‘Stranger Things’ while recent single ‘Scream Your Name’ was more melodic. After ‘The Way I Feel’, set closer ‘Running Away’ was easily the best, the attitude and energy they brought finally matched by the quality of the songwriting.

Next up were another band who have toured extensively, Sons of Liberty, billing themselves as the UK’s top southern band, but from Bristol of all places. They had a new singer in Russ Grimmett, son of the late Onslaught and Lionsheart singer Steve. But both younger and in baseball cap and white rimmed shades, he looked nothing like the wizened cowboy hatted band members.

Theirs was an entertaining stage show, notably with the poses of lead guitarist Fred Hale, and it helps that songs such as ‘Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief’ and ‘Up Sh*t Creek’ are catchy enough to conduct singalongs.

They also played a number of forthcoming album and ‘Turn This Tide’ was little short of outstanding. ‘Damage Limitation’, ‘Come in Peace’ and in particular ‘Hide Behind Your Weakness’ were also very good. ‘Beef Jerky Boogie’ saw audience pitted left versus right and a highly enjoyable set that would be welcome at any festival closed with ‘Ruby Starr’ – in tribute to the former Black Oak Arkansas singer- which had a great backbeat to it.

Talking of rubies, there was just enough time for a food break with a curry platter so delicious I repeated the feat the next day. However one of my observations from last year was that the NWOCR bands drew the biggest crowds to the stage and I was taken by surprise for Hollowstar, unable to get a prime spot after finishing eating.

They opened with the mighty but now familiar riffing of the openers from their self titled and now five year old album in ‘Take It All’ and ‘Let You Down’. However singer and bassist Joe Bonson must have anticipated my thoughts in the run up to the gig, when he said he knew people were asking what was happening with a new album. The first song ‘The Price of Fame’ made an immediate impression on first listening.

‘Money’ had a beefy groove to it and after ‘Overrated’ came a surprise in a cover of ‘Simple Man’, though in contrast to the way Shinedown have approached it, it gradually morphed into a full on rock out.

Indeed an older gentleman in front of me suddenly perked up and had his arms in the air throughout and shouted at the top of his voice ‘that was brilliant’, to which my uncharitable thought was ‘okay boomer’. The varied set continued with another promising new song in ‘Little Miss Innocent’ with its ‘Annie are you ok’ kiss off line.

The best was still to come with ‘Good Man Gone’- preceded by one of Joe’s moving homilies about mental health- seeing guitarist Phil Haines excel himself with a lengthy solo during which he shredded ever faster- and their best known song ‘All I Gotta Say’ with people jumping to the ‘bye bye baby bye bye’ chorus.. The size of the crowd suggested they should have been higher up the bill and, combined with the favourable impression of the new songs, they could be on the verge of a big breakthrough.

A year on from Chris Buck gracing the same stage with Buck and Evans, his other band Cardinal Black have already made exactly that and so were a very welcome addition to the bill. Singer Tom Hollister has a very casual manner, a rich soulful voice and a brilliant sense of humour- greeting a young lad in the crowd, he said ‘I’m only 15 myself but I had an uphill paper round’ and he also pointed to the event banner that incongruously advertised ‘face melting rock’.

The Welsh band were anything but, with slow bluesy and soulful epics, and indeed the three openers –‘Terra Firma’, ‘Jump In’ which closed with some wonderful precise vocal harmonies, and ‘Ain’t My Time’ featuring a singalong and eventually a winding guitar solo- seemed to take up almost half the hour long set. However none of them dragged owing to the pleasure of watching Chris’s languid and unique guitar playing style.

‘Tell Me How It Feels’, probably their best known song, was a welcome punchier number, as was ‘Where Do You Go’ with a slight west coast AOR feel, alongside other lengthy epics in ‘Warm Love’, and ‘I’m Ready’ which started as a slow blues but rocked to a climax. I was sure they were running out of time, but in a similar slow burning vein ‘Tied Up In Blue’ ended a set which offered something totally different but hopefully broadened a few people’s horizons.

Continuing the bluesier theme there was a much smaller crowd than there had been for Hollowstar for When Rivers Meet. The husband and wife duo of Grace and Aaron Bond now expanded to a live four piece and the two openers ‘Play My Game’ and ‘Never Coming Home’ showed how they have branched out from traditional rootsy blues towards a more mainstream melodic rock approach.

After the familiar stomp of ‘Did I Break The Law’ and ‘Take Me To The River’ with Grace playing mandolin, Aaron then smiled and said ‘I think it’s time for the cigar box guitar’ but his trademark instrument was only used sparingly for ‘Innocence of Youth’ and ‘He’ll Drive You Crazy’, the latter complemented by Grace on violin. ‘My Babe Says That He Loves Me’ saw the singer playing slide on a mandolin and ‘Who Wants To Be a Free Man’ and ‘Walking On the Wire’, with its instant ‘are you the fortunate son’ chorus were both enjoyable.

They even debuted a new song ‘Perfect Stranger’ which was very listenable, and both ‘Lost and Found’ and Testify had a rockier feel to close a set summing up how as they move towards the mainstream a festival like this will be their natural habitat.

Back at the tent a big crowd was gathering for Massive Wagons, hardly surprising as alongside Those Damn Crows they have been the most successful graduates from the NWOCR academy, not to mention being fairly local Lancashire lads. No expense was spared on a show designed to signal their arrival into the big time with explosions and a lit trio of steps down from the drum riser.

Baz Mills rushed on in his usual hyperactive fashion for opener ‘Gone Are the Days’ , relatively restrained in his dress sense compared to usual, before ‘Tokyo’ had people punching the air to its chorus and ‘who-oahs’. The sound was originally rather muffled but fortunately early gremlins were resolved.

However most of the first half was given over to recent album ‘Triggered’ and its foul mouthed invective, beginning with ‘Germ’ which was dedicated to Boris Johnson. Indeed there was a delightful irony when at the beginning of ‘A.S.S.H.O.L.E’ the mass phalanx of photographers were belatedly allowed in the pit (where the lighting gave them a herculean task). It left them directly in the firing line as Baz shouted ‘you’re an a- hole, you’re a bit of a w–er’. The new songs continued with ‘Inside Outside’ while on ‘Hero’ Stevie Holl contributed a fine solo and indeed the division of lead work with his senior partner Adam Thistlethwaite was much more even than on previous times I’ve seen them.

As a band with a distinctive style I’ve always searched for analogies with other acts: AC/DC and Slade have been mentioned before, but as I watched their punky energy and spiky but irreverent approach, I was drawing more comparisons with nineties acts like Terrorvision, Offspring and the Wildhearts than more traditional rock acts.

Exhibits for the cause included ‘F— the Haters’ which was perfect for a singalong, ‘Skateboard’, and ‘Generation Prime’ which addresses our current want-it-now culture to a madcap musical backdrop that went from punk to a reggae section. ‘Please Stay Calm’ was relatively subdued by their standards.

The preponderance of new stuff did mean that the large number of singalong bangers they have assembled in their short career were saved to the end, beginning with ‘Banging in Your Stereo’ and ‘Billy Balloon Head’ while during ‘China Plates’, which at one point morphed into ‘Breaking the Law’, Baz seemed to be holding a conversation with every single crowd member as he worked the front row.

They finished with the meaty grooves of their tribute to Rick Parfitt ‘Back To the Stack’ but there was time for a couple of encores: ‘Nails’ was possibly the heaviest of the set with Adam playing his best solo of the night and drummer brother Alex with the rapid rat-a- tat style out of a military tattoo, before one final loud singalong to ‘In It Together’. I’ve never totally been a Wagons convert but this proved they have the songs and now the stage set up to deliver a big full-on show.

While the rationale for booking Massive Wagons was obvious, Trooper stage headliner Royal Republic were a bit more of a left field choice and I heard many comments to this effect. For one they were one of the few foreign acts on the bill. Additionally their old fashioned garage rock n roll, with fellow countrymen The Hives the comparison most often used, seemed a little out of kilter with the rest of the festival.

However out of curiosity I headed to the front of the stage and agreed to join in the spirit of things as stick on moustaches were handed out to pay homage to singer Adam Grahn who looks like a cross between a young Burt Reynolds, Ron Mael of Sparks and Ron Burgundy!

He and his three cohorts were smartly dressed in tight leather jackets and the songs were equally snappy pop rockers which included opener ‘Fireman and Dancer’, ‘Stop Moving’ and ‘Full Steam Space Machine’. The way the whole crowd was dancing was instant proof that they had actually been an inspired choice.

It didn’t matter that despite appearances at Download and Bloodstock they are as far removed from metal as can be imagined, though ‘Back From the Dead’ was a very effective pastiche. There was also plenty of interactive crowd participation and Adam’s genuine humour and charm also helped won over any doubters, especially when the band decamped to one of the benches in the bar area to do an acoustic duo of ‘Boomerang’ and the cheekily humorous ‘Addicted’.

The last song of the main set, ‘Anna- Leigh’ had a strong disco flavour but by way of compensation after explaining he and bassist Jonas Almen were big metal fans they each got to sing a cover- ‘Battery’ and ‘Ace of Spades’ respectively. Their biggest hit, the catchy ‘Baby’ (with the stammering b-b-baby owing something to Bachman Turner Overdrive) ended in more typical fashion a set that won so many new friends, closing an impressive and extremely diverse first day.

DAY 2- THE ANSWER, MASON HILL, THE VIRGINMARYS, VEGA, ABSOLVA, SCRUFFY BEAR, VALHALLA AWAITS, A’PRIORI, THIEVES OF LIBERTY, THE HOT ONE TWO

Last year’s Saturday at the festival featured a marathon 13 bands. This year the plan had been to go down to a more manageable nine, but the organisers were so impressed by an emerging band The Hot One Two that they altered the schedule to accommodate them and created a new category ‘the ones to watch party’ (with an Incentive of free shots for the first 50!).

In fact many times that number were in a packed Big Top for an early 1145 start, suggesting that I had missed a phenomenal buzz growing around them. Their sound was uncompromisingly heavy- with Florence Black an instant comparison among the NWOCR bands- but they had a lot of confidence and stage presence for a new young band, both guitarists standing on their monitors, though oddly they played on an unlit stage.

Opening with ‘Playing with Fire’ and ‘Bleed On Me’, ‘The Fray’ also impressed and that self-belief was shown by the way closer and possibly most immediate song ’Tie Me Down’ featured a singalong led by singer Simon West. The ones to watch hype was not misplaced.

Next up were the other battle of the bands winners, Thieves of Liberty from the North-East. The young band looked very dapper and their shirts and jackets made a welcome change of stage gear from too many of the current wave of bands in roadie-style black t-shirts and jeans. Vocalist James Boak can sing in a variety of styles although many of the songs create a (retro styled) vibe rather than having very hummable hooks.

Nevertheless their set, which included some new songs, included some promising numbers songs such as ‘Calypso’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’, while set closer ‘Smoke in the Air’ saw both guitarists showing their prowess in extended fashion. Again a band with a bright future deserving of this wider exposure.

From the new to the familiar with a trio of bands who were invited back having made a favourable impression last year, begging with A’Priori, with their unusual power trio line up with keyboardist Mark Wilson supplying bass pedals. Frontman Tony Lang looks the part and his guitar playing was particularly impressive on songs like ‘Shotgun Blues’ (which was not bluesy in the slightest), ‘Better Man’, ‘Halo’, and ‘Concrete Vein’ from new album ‘House of Cards’.

A hard-driving set was nevertheless in danger of being a bit samey but got a new lease of life late on with ‘Making Love To the Devil’, ‘Nah Nah Nah Nah’ with the chorus that you would expect people to join in and ‘Wasted Years’ (no not that one) which for me was easily their strongest song.

Valhalla Awaits provided a welcome blast of heavy grooves with the commanding vocals of former Buffalo Summer singer Andrew Hunt. Opening with ‘Door Of No Return’, the likes of ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, ‘Rolling Thunder’, ‘Slave’ and ‘Skin And Bone’ were particularly praiseworthy as Chris Green carried the guitar burden by himself with the other player absent.

Though dark and uncompromising, they were also melodic with the catchy ‘rise and fall’ chorus on ‘Black Waters’ a case in point. The only complaint was a slight lack of variety in tempo, belatedly addressed by a closing thrash through Nirvana’s ‘Breed’. Considering they have yet to release a full-length album, the Welshmen have made a very promising start.

Scruffy Bear, from the other side of the wars of the roses divide, conjured up a rich and retro styled groove, singer Georgy Eaton singing as if possessed by demons. They played new songs in ‘Good Intentions’ and ‘Selfish Dreamer’ while ‘Spiritual’ had a lively feel to it. After a cover of ‘Foxy Lady’, ‘Blackmoss’ and ‘Water’ closed the set. They seem to have become more assured since I saw them last year and are shaping up nicely.

Absolva, who greatly impressed me at Stonedead in 2021, are also a tour fixture in this part of the world. As you would expect from a band that double as Blaze Bayley’s backing band, they have the twin guitar attack (from brothers Chris and Luke Appleton) straight out of the Maiden or Priest playbook and delivered from raised platforms alongside bassist Karl Schramm.

Opening with ‘Flames of Justice’, ‘Side by Side’ was a little different with a slow intro and Chris sharing the vocal load with his brother. The likes of ‘Stand Your Ground’, ‘Fire In the Sky’, ‘Refuse to Die’ and the most impressive in ‘From Beyond the Light’ may gain no marks for originality but pulled off the old school metal sound perfectly.

In another change of musical style the big top played host to Vega. They are a band I’ve championed for over a decade, but I approached the gig with some trepidation as the latest in a series of line-up changes has seen founder members and co-songwriters the Martin Brothers depart.

They opened with ‘Worth Dying For’ with Billy Taylor prominent both assisting Nick Workman with the vocals and on additional guitar. After ‘Stereo Messiah’ and ‘Kneel to You’ from opposite ends of their career came the first of two new songs from an upcoming album and I was really impressed with ‘Love to Hate You’, continuing their trend towards a heavier sound but with their trademark melodic hooks still intact.

Talking of which ‘Every Little Monster’, ‘Kiss of Life’ and ‘White Flag’ all demanded jumping in the air as Nick worked the crowd in his usual energetic manner either side of a change of tempo in ‘Gonna Need Some Love Tonight’, allowing Marcus Thurston to show off his fast fingered but fluent guitar style.

‘Battle Lines’ was the second new song and by the end of it I felt totally confident the band’s future was in safe hands. A set that was slightly short of their allotted hour ended with the punky urgency of ‘Sooner Or Later’ and yet another if those songs, in ‘Hands In the Air’, designed for participation at the arena shows I now have to accept they will never fill.

In a complete contrast of styles the Trooper stage played host to the Virginmarys from nearby Macclesfield. There was a big buzz about them a few years ago (I remember them playing the much-missed Stone Free Festival).

Opening with ‘The Meds’ I must admit they were not my bag at all, not least in singer/guitarist Ally Dickaty’s harsh singing style but could still appreciate the impressive sound he and drummer Danny Dolan made for a duo and they certainly seemed to be going down very well from a packed crowd at the front. Indeed some of that enjoyment rubbed off on me during closing numbers ‘Lies Lies Lies’ and ‘Bang Bang Bang’.

A good rule of thumb for who the biggest draw is at the festival is the number of band t shirts and on that basis Mason Hill, also paying a return visit from last year, were one of the biggest. Singer Scott Taylor bounded on stage like an eager puppy, shouting ‘we are Mason f ing Hill’ (one of the many t-shirt designs) as they opened with one of their catchier numbers in ‘DNA’.

It was followed by ‘We Pray’ but a major interest for me was to hear a few new songs alongside those which have formed the bulk of their set for some years. The first such was ‘Def Con One’ (with what seemed a political message in its ‘something in the air chorus’) before more of those impressive angsty but accessible Alter Bridgian sounds, from the moody ‘Out Of Reach’ to the faster paced ‘Find My Way’.

The second new song ‘Alone’ was a real departure, a semi- ballad with an eye presumably on rock radio stations, before the always enjoyable ‘Now You See Me’ which I still regret being omitted from the debit album and another anthem in ‘Hold On’. Then ‘Oxygen’ was another slight departure with a modern sounding and radio friendly approach taking a leaf out of the Those Damn Crows book, before the more aggressive ‘Freaking Out’ which was the one of the four new numbers that has had a while to bed into the set.

However it was a return to what have become their classics for the final part of the set- an epic brooding ‘Where I Belong’, a slow opening with Scott and James Bird solo before the latter wound up those stately solos full of emotion, the fist punching ‘Broken Son’ and the title track of debut album ‘Against the Wall’ which had people bouncing. The youthful (mainly) Scottish band seem on an upward trajectory and ready for a higher level with their stage show even more dynamic and confident than before.

They also provided a hard act for The Answer to follow as main stage headliners. To adapt a famous political insult they were also the future once, nearly 20 years ago but they never quite capitalised on that initial promise and high level industry contacts. However after a long hiatus they have successfully returned this year with new album ‘Sundowners’ and extensive touring activity .

They opened with the spacious grooves of ‘Keep Believin’ which show off how well the Northern Irish four piece works together and the first of a generous selection of comeback songs in ‘Blood Brothers’, the Black Keys- like backbeat an illustration of how they have broadened their sound, while ‘Oh Cherry’ began with Cormac Neeson on harmonica and prominently featured Micky Waters’ bass playing.

After a bizarre intro from Cormac describing Paul Mahon as a genie needing a good rub from time to time (my thought was, ‘don’t we all’!), the heavy riffing of the now close cropped guitarist enlivened first album favourite ‘Under the Sky’, with a ferocious rhythm section making an equal impression, before what for me is their strongest ever song in ‘Nowhere Freeway’.

However it was back to the more experimental new material from ‘Sundowners’ in the title track – featuring more harmonica from Cormac , Paul playing a resonator guitar and some tribal drumming from James Heatley) and ‘All Together’. ‘Spectacular’ has grown on me somewhat over the years and ‘Come Follow Me’ a welcome reminder of their original blistering heavy blues rock, a path travelled by countless bands since, but which made them such a breath of fresh air when they first emerged.

In contrast ‘Always Alright’ was a gentle and largely acoustic number with the instruments only really kicking in late on. After another newie in ‘Want You To Love Me’, during what the singer described as the Belfast blues off in ‘Preaching’, he took into the crowd and perched among us, getting us to crouch down before rising Mexican wave style. There was the usual heavy slide playing from Paul, albeit stripped back a bit from the version of old.

Cormac, looking dapper in trilby and cream jacket, is very much the one with the outgoing stage presence. So it was entirely typical that the start of the encore he raised his glass to conduct the crowd in a traditional Irish song to good health before closing with ‘Livin On the Line’. The verses were very similar to the Black Crowes’ ‘Sting Me’ and an insidious ‘get me through this day’ chorus that was still in my head as I left the site for the night.

I’d seen The Answer at the 100 Club early in the tour and not been impressed and even found Cormac sounding a little tired. But maybe that was early tour rustiness -having adjusted to their new direction, this was an excellent and largely forward looking set that meant they were far from overshadowed by the young pretenders.

DAY 3- KRIS BARRAS BAND, DARE, COLLATERAL, BLACK SPIDERS, GIN ANNIE, JACK J HUTCHINSON, ATACK, ASHEN REACH, THE GOLDEN LEAVES

I was curious why the final day of a primarily homegrown lineup at Firevolt was being opened by a relatively unknown Norwegian band in the Golden Leaves. The real story emerged and is worthy of a film script; on his travels around Europe following Deep Purple, festival organiser John ‘Stret’ Stretford met some fellow fans in a bar who mentioned they were in a band, so after checking credentials he invited them to open the festival!

The Scandi youngsters had grins over their fresh faces as they enjoyed perhaps the biggest moment of their career to date. The music was varied and searching for a style but the more melodic ‘Monster’ and ‘Rebel’ both hit the sweet spot. They have actually been around a while and switched from the brand new in ‘Goodbye Blackbird’ to their very first simgle ‘Higher Than Ever’. During a medley of ‘Blitzkrieg Bop and ‘Johnny B Goode’ the keyboard player left his station to add an extra guitar and was charging around entertainingly. They were a welcome addition to the bill on more than sentiment.

First in the tent were Ashen Reach who lie at the heavier end of the NWOCR spectrum and even incorporate a few death metal growls, courtesy of the two lead guitarists in an unusual line up which saw no bassist. Nevertheless the Merseysiders also have moments such as the chorus to ‘Epiphany’ that are very melodic.

Yet ‘Heir To the Throne’ sparked some jumping around and ‘Alive Again’ was heavy enough for a circle pit to form for pretty much the only time all festival. Either side of new single ‘Neophobia’ and ‘Ghosts’ from an upcoming EP came the most impressive moment ‘Homecoming’, an epic with several changes of pace that even had the air of Mason Hill’s classic ‘Where I Belong’ to it.

Singer Kyle Martyn Stanley was also a very engaging character, constantly thanking the crowd for their support, among the best of many examples all weekend of how so many of the up and coming generation of bands encourage a close relationship with their fans to meet and greet and buy merch.

And now for a change of musical emphasis back at the Trooper stage and another coup for Firevolt. There is a tendency for these festivals to feature the same rotating cast of bands but they had what was as far as I could tell the first appearance of Atack. Eponymous guitarist Keith, veteran of the Illegal Eagles and many other bands (not to mention father of actress Emily) had assembled a seasoned band of crack players including drummer Bob Richards and Chris Childs of Thunder and Tyketto (is he ever not on tour?).

There was a further surprise when they came on stage fronted by Dan Byrne, former Revival Black singer and currently with Myke Gray’s Skin. Explaining he was depping for Lee Small who was in Europe with the Sweet, he gave the rest of the band a considerable head start in terms of years, but had the pipes to suit the music perfectly allied to his usual charm.

The sound was traditional classic rock by a band old enough to have grown up with the original greats- indeed as more than once Keith’s solos on a Stratocaster gave way to Nick Foley rocking his vintage Hammond back and forth, the spirit of Stret’s beloved Purple was in evidence.

With no album yet I still picked up on the likes of ‘Ain’t Got Nine Lives’. ‘My New Addiction’, ‘Dead Man’s Boots’, ‘Poison Water’ and ‘End Of the World’. My one criticism was that the pace and style was rather samey at first listen. However ‘Seven Seas’ had the best groove and closer ‘Twister’ was faster paced and a showcase for each player to play a (thankfully brief) solo slot.

If Atack are a new name, Jack J Hutchinson is a familiar one, the blues rock troubadour seemingly always touring as headliner or support, but shamefully this was actually the first time I caught him. Fronting a trio of extremely accomplished musicians, I was pleasantly surprised how melodically good the songwriting on ‘Call Of The Wild’ was while ‘The Hammer Falls’ featured a classic riff.

In between a medley of ‘Oh Well’ and ‘Purple Haze’ which was more in the style I associate him with, a new single ‘Constellation’ which has apparently been getting radio airplay sat alongside another in ‘Hip Slicking’ that he said was 23 years old. An extended number in ‘Rapture’ ended yet another surprise package of a set.

A sizeable crowd was gathered at the Trooper Stage for Gin Annie, and one that seemed by now well refreshed and even featured a group of women dressed as teletubbies! The West Midlanders played a high energy set to match with guyliner wearing guitarist Byron Garbett pulling every pose imaginable. Songs like openers ‘Bad Habit’ and ‘Rain’, ‘Until You’re Mine’ and ‘Next To Me’ were lean and catchy, and David Foster had a strong voice and easy manner as a frontman.

After new single ‘Perfect Nightmare’, ‘Falling’ was heavier with a catchy riff and they pulled off a cover of Seal’s ‘Crazy’ with aplomb before ending with ‘Devil in Me’. They left me very impressed with a sense of guilt I hadn’t paid them more attention at previous gigs and festivals.

The Black Spiders were regulars on the live circuit in the early 2010s, seemingly supporting everyone, and after a long hiatus have now made a comeback with two recent albums.

Fronted by Pete Spiby, rather less wild of appearance these days, they seemed to divide opinion somewhat as the tent seemed very empty but committed fans were really enjoying themselves.

I’m afraid the wall of raw and discordant noise from a trio of guitarists was not really to my own more melodic tastes on songs like ‘Hot Wheels’ and ‘Destroyer’. However ‘Balls’ maintained the heaviness but was more palatable listening with the sound stripped down a tad and ‘Fly In Your Soup’ was easily the catchiest for me, though as one of the more experienced acts on the bill they then committed the cardinal sin of being cut off for overrunning with one song still to go.

Again judging from a straw poll of t-shirts, Collateral were one of the bands most people had come to see. However as singer Angelo Tristan ran on stage in what for him was a relatively restrained leather jacket and jeans to open with ‘Mr Big Shot’, I was more preoccupied by noticing that the replacement for departed lead guitarist Todd Winger was himself absent and the Kent band were back to a four piece.

It seemed unfair that Louis Malagodi was now having to make a valiant effort in a different role to his original one as a second guitarist, with all the solos as well as holding down the rhythm. Although a big fan I’ve never found them the tightest of bands in any event and I did think this showed on the heavier numbers like ‘Promiseland’.

Where they shine as brightly as ever were the more melodic numbers in old favourite ‘Midnight Queen’ and ‘Going with the Wind’ that suit Angelo’s voice, and where his long hair and acoustic guitar call to mind Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn or Blaze of Glory- era Jon Bon Jovi.

As with Hollowstar and Mason Hill it was interesting to hear new songs – although the impressive ‘Sin In The City’ has been in the live set a while, the way Angelo got the crowd to join in on the ‘out of the shadows we’ll be coming home’ chorus of ‘Glass Sky’ was an immediate good omen.

‘Long Road’ was something totally different, a gentle stripped down ballad with Louis’ lead guitar only kicking in late and ‘About This Boy’ also showed Angelo’s country influences (a la Keith Urban) that help Collateral offer something different to their NWOCR counterparts, before a final new song in ‘No Place For Love’, the chorus reminding me of numerous of the late eighties generation of US melodic hard rock bands. A set that weighed in quite a few minutes short ended by returning to the heavier and more familiar sounds of ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Merry Go Round’.

Partly due to bad timing and Covid interrupting their momentum Collateral’s stop start career has yet to really hit the heights of success despite rave live reviews. This wasn’t their best performance but the songs from the forthcoming album left me confident the next 12 months will see them make that deserved breakthrough.

In its short life Firevolt has focused on the newer generation of bands so the Big Top headliners Dare were in that sense an outlier, following in the steps of contemporaries FM last year. Indeed one of the posts on social media borrowed Glasto-style terminology by describing this as the ‘legends’ slot. However as fellow Greater Mancunians they were an eminently suitable choice.

As a confirmed fan it was a set I’ve seen four times in the last year. Indeed my gig partner and I were joking which of his catchphrases Darren Wharton would use first. I won as just seconds into ‘Born In The Storm’ the charismatic frontman whipped up the crowd with a Lynott esque ‘we need your helping hands’, the first of seven in the set.

That opening song from last year’s ‘Road To Eden’ marked a return to their earlier rocking style, while ‘Cradle To The Grave’ featured his wonderfully warm, almost whispered vocals. A number of their more folk and Gaelic influenced songs followed in ‘Home’, ‘Until’ and I’ll Hear You Pray’ with recurring lyrical references to hills and mountains. The set gradually increased in pace with ‘..Eden’s title track and ‘Fire Never Fades’, with Vinny Burns soloing away on guitar.

They then took a trip back with a pair from the controversial rockier second album (soon to be recorded) ‘Blood From Stone’ in ‘Wings Of Fire’ and ‘We Don’t Need a Reason’ complete with Emerald-style guitar solo from Vinny on the latter. They were enjoyable enough but eclipsed by the opening pair of AOR classics from ‘Out Of the Silence’, with Marc Roberts’ keys more prominent on ‘Abandon’, which used to fill rock dancefloors in this part of the world back in the day, and ‘Into the Fire’. Suddenly I felt I was back in time in 1989. They were followed by moodier pieces old and new in ‘The Raindance’ and ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.

Darren then paid tribute to ‘my first boss’ in Philip Lynott before a moving ‘King of Spades’, including a closing section where Vinny played the instrumental passages from ‘Black Rose’, while Darren had his arms around him and bassist Nigel Clutterbuck. There was more charging about the stage from the three as the audience swayed and sang to the Celtic strains of ‘Return the Heart’ to close an hour and a quarter set.

None of this excellence surprised me, but with the crowd gradually thickening up I was delighted both on the night and on subsequent social media posts to see how many belated converts one of Britain’s finest and certainly most distinctive AOR bands had won.

And finally, to the 28th and last act of Firevolt 2023 in the Kris Barras Band, who certainly had the best light show of the weekend. The muscular, heavily tattooed guitarist has undergone a fairly dramatic and unashamed musical switch. Almost all traces of his blues rock background (sadly including his tour de force ‘Watching Over Me’ which had been in the winter tour set) have been expunged and his brand of modern hard rock made him a perfect fit for this particular festival.

Surprisingly he opened with his best known ‘old’ song Hail Mary which despite being made for participation I guess no longer needs to be saved for the encore. However initially I thought the band were showing off the new approach a bit too far. The bass, bass drum and other various beats were deafeningly loud and made Kris’ usually excellent vocals sound thin and low in the mix on ‘Dead Horses’ and ‘These Voices’. Fortunately the balance settled although the antics of bassist Fraser Kerslake spinning around the stage were a tad distracting.

‘Heart On Your Sleeve’ got the crowd jumping and Kris’ rapid fire solo was a reminder of his prowess, yet he forsook the guitar altogether on ‘Devil You Know’ to go into the crowd. After the ballad ‘Wake Me When It’s Over’, ‘Hostage’ with some modern pop overtones and heavily radio playlisted single ‘Chaos’ both impressed with their hooks.

I’m never too keen on covers, certainly not the obvious ones, but the vigour with which they attempted ‘Rock And Roll’ was impressive with one solo from Kris giving way to another from second guitarist Josiah J Manning, though after bass, drum solos and an extract from ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ it rather outstayed its welcome. Fortunately the set closed on a more concise high with ‘Light It Up’ and ‘Who Needs Enemies’.

There was time for one encore and after momentarily forgetting about it, I realised it could only be ‘My Parade’, the most obvious of the increasing number of singalong anthems he boasts and one which saw Kris stride into the crowd, dividing us left and right to conduct a singalong in the gruff manner of an army squaddie.

With the chorus ringing in my ears, that was the end of a great weekend’s music but it spoke volumes how many people stuck around to hear speeches from Stret and wife Bev, name checking the countless people who give their services, without which the rest of us would not have been able to have such an enjoyable time.

Firevolt proved just as good, if not better, than its first year under the old name. With its mixture of well chosen lineups focusing on rising stars, a beautiful setting and a friendly family atmosphere, it should be high on your priority list for 2024 festivals.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)