Upon arrival at the showground I was taken to get checked in and get my press pass. After a short wait I was greeted by “Tosh” who was one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever met and he introduced me to some of the other reviewers and radio folk. After some chatting it was onwards to the main stage. It was a great atmosphere, buzzing, with a nice chilled energy.

First impressions were a very well run festival and very well spaced and thought out. Having a variety of food and general stalls and separate merch tents was fantastic, but I was mostly impressed with the side by side stages meaning not much waiting between bands! An absolutely genius idea!

Everyone I had spoken to so far had been absolutely lovely and welcoming. I luckily managed to catch an absolute belter of a set from Lincoln based band LaVire showcasing songs from their newly released EP “Chasing Sunsets”. Their set brought an absolute burst of energy with a stunning guttural vocal from Chloe, it was just like you were listening to the studio recordings and, phenomenal musical talent from the rest of the band.

They brought in a very good crowd and I could see just how much this band loved to perform , the energy was maintained throughout the set, There was great crowd interaction throughout and the set ended with “North Star” an absolute belter of a closing song! The numbers played from the newly released EP got a rocking reception and I feel many new fans were made. The bass on the last track was battering through me!

After the set I set off to the beer tent seeking liquid refreshment. I did see they had one of my favourite beers ever on tap, namely, “Road Crew” beer. and at £5 a pint was incredibly reasonable too. I then managed to catch a couple of songs from ‘Dobermans” set. It was giving me 80s hair metal vibes and they were certainly getting the crowd moving.

The same vibe was met at the trailblazer stage with Harsh and their hair raising set. The atmosphere was absolutely electric and everyone around me was having a great time. The cover of ‘Johnny Be Good’ as the closing number was a highlight and had everyone singing and dancing away.

Then after possibly the best toastie I’ve had from “The Rock and Roll Toastie Co” it was off to the main stage for She Burns Red. I thought their vocal harmony and overall set was absolutely fantastic and was made even better with a cameo from the amazingly talented Beth Blade (Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters) for a rendition of the classic “Boys of Summer”. The cover choices from the band’s today was, I would say, a great success.

Then for the main event, the mighty Quireboys, bringing their A game with energy, outstanding vocals, and seasoned musicality. Throwing in the classics such as “Tramps and Thieves” and “King of New York” it was a winning tonic for what was described by some die hard fans as possibly one of their best live shows yet. What a way to close the day!

Saturday saw me racing to the front of the trailblazer stage for King Voodoo I have seen this band perform several times previously and have watched them progress amazingly over the years. I was really looking forward this set and, as usual, they did not disappoint. The energy was off the chart and the wave of classic rock filled the trailblazer tent! “Drag Me To The Water” was my favourite of the entire set and they pulled in a very good crowd with their sheer enthusiasm and showmanship. It is awesome to see this band grow in confidence every time I see them.

“Star Circus” showcased their upcoming new single (coming out in June) “Chained To You” followed by “Love Is The Enemy”. Both were very catchy songs melodically, and I found my head was bobbing away. Great energy for a Saturday morning.

Had then had best caffeine kick from “Seven Districts Coffee” then went over to get tattooed by Josh from “Black Anvil Tattoo Company” who did an epic ‘Pick of Destiny’ design on my arm. I mean why not get tattooed at a festival!

The Welsh trio Haxan were on form, as always, with absolutely outstanding vocals and brought classic rock to the main stage. I managed to have a chat to them at the merch tent afterwards and my new inking was the main topic of conversation as we all were sharing our love for Jack Black.

The trailblazer tent had for me best band I had personally seen all day Moskito

Straight away it was all belting riffs and an almost chaotic energy, but in a good way! If I was to describe the music, it’s like mixing Oasis and the Sex Pistols together and it was just awesome! Self proclaimed “Shouty Boy Band” commanded the stage from the get go and had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand (myself included). I loved how raw and gritty they sounded. A band to watch out for!

Hells Ditch brought it down just a notch with their almost indie rock feel. But they didn’t bring anything down when it came to musicality. With festival director Lee amongst the fold, the band brought in the big guns with riffs aplenty and the crowd were loving it. The trailblazer stage was well and truly on fire today!

Bad Touch was possibly the best band I’ve ever seen for crowd engagement. It was almost as if you were sat in their front room being offered a cup of tea. Lots of laughs and positivity spread during a belter of a set. They have a classic, yet almost bluesy, rock sound and the vocals heavily complimented the melody and slick musicality, very impressed! They seemed like a lovely, genuine bunch of guys who just loved to play, well it certainly came across that way on the stage.

After a much needed sit down all I heard was blasting bass, sickening riffs and commanding vocal. I wandered over to see possibly the most impressive staging I’ve ever seen on a smaller stage. Coffins lit up, fire, pyro! Yes ladies and gents! South of Salem have entered the showground!

My gosh what a set. I didn’t know where to look. Every single musician was expertly honing in on their craft whilst zipping round the stage using every inch and connecting with what felt like every single attendee. They were not messing around at all!

I had heard so much buzz about this band, but never had the pleasure of seeing them before. They were right up my alley with hard rock mixed with a good sprinkling of goth too. Seeing how comfortable these guys were on stage, it was as if they had been playing together for decades!

After their face melting set I was well and truly rocked out and headed home with some amazing pizza.

To say I was gutted I missed “Lost Society” would be an huge understatement. They were the talk of the showground when I came in on Sunday morning, and the videos I saw just made me want to crawl into a huge hole of regret. They sounded absolutely phenomenal and if I ever get the opportunity to see them again I sure as heck will make sure I don’t miss out.

Soldiering on to Sunday…

Slyder Smith and The Oblivion Kids were bringing an essence of country rock to the morning. A nice, relatively chilled start to the morning.

But it soon got ramped up with an outstanding performance from “Not Now Norman” bringing angst and a touch of grunge, complimented with outstanding vocals and riffs. It was a commanding performance from start to finish. With a father and daughter in the mix it’s clear to see talent definitely runs in the family!

“Hush Money” were bringing hard classic rock. So much so that the heavens opened and boy did it rain, I got absolutely drenched!

I have to really commend the technical crew at this point as there wasn’t much disruption and they were quickly on form, ensuring the equipment wasn’t damaged and all safety precautions were in place.

After the downpour the “Takeaway Thieves” took to the stage. Packed with charisma and a frontman giving me Rolling Stones energy, they certainly made me forget about being soaked. They were very likeable. There was a few spells of rain in between the set which the band made funny jokes about that we had a good giggle over. The technicality of the band was great. So much so the sun did indeed start shining.

Back over to the trailblazer stage saw Molly Karloff ripping the roof off with their rock/sleaze feel. Very cheeky and, although they joked about lowering the tone, the tone was definitely not lowered when it came to sound.

Next up were North Easts Crowley, delivering a spellbinding set with their classic yet almost goth rock sound and aesthetic, I have seen them perform before at Hard Rock Hell and once again they delivered. Slick guitar work and amazing vocals were present as always. The crowd got bigger and bigger as the set went on and there were definitely new fans made that evening.

Tonight’s eatery offering was courtesy of “Panda Express Catering” where I had a phenomenal chicken satay, rice and naan for a very reasonable £10! I couldn’t finish it all the portion size was that generous. Bargain!

Back over to the main stage just in time to catch some of the set from These Wicked Rivers, another band seen at Hard Rock Hell, but back in 2019. Well, all I can say is wow! These guys were still absolutely amazing. If anything they’ve gotten even better than they were the first time I had seen them. The crowd was electric and so was the musicality, showmanship and vocal ability.

Then onto The Hot Damn again a previously seen band. However, this was on another level! There were rainbows, inflatable beach balls thrown into the crowd, huge inflatable unicorns, an abundance of confetti and girl power at its finest. These ladies were on fire showcasing songs from the upcoming album “Dancing On The Milky Way” we also ended up being filmed for a music video for one of their songs which I thought was an awesome idea.

My highlight however was their cover of “Oh Lord Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz”, but the lyrics were altered to be about buying their merch, it was genius.

When their set finished there were many people at the merch tent. The set sent a big happy wave over the showground and it was like we were all being drawn into this huge rock family hug. Everyone smiling and dancing, light up foam batons were given to the kids in the crowd and they were waving them with glee: it was really nice to see.

Then for the cherry on top of an amazing weekend we’re the mighty Tyketto. Danny Vaughn’s vocals were stunning and the crowd were singing every chorus with arms waving and fists in the air. The band was tight and slick, it was an epic end to an epic weekend.

There is no doubt in my mind as to why this festival is as popular as it is. Some absolute legends gracing the stages and so much up and coming talent was showcased. It was awesome to see such a diverse group of bands on the bill.

What was also awesome was that it was so inclusive to everyone. Being one level means easily accessible, family friendly, dog friendly. Plenty of space to move around so you never felt too crowded. Ambulance crew on site, security. Every little detail had been thought of and it was executed to perfection.

Call of the Wild take a massive bow. To every single person involved to making the festival happen and every person who attended, you are all awesome and exactly what music represents. People coming together to discover and enjoy music.

See you all in 2025!

Review and Photos by Lucy Joyce Dennis

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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

Next session: Sunday 19 January

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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.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 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)