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MAID OF STONE FESTIVAL - PART THREE SUNDAY 21ST JULY 2024

Reviewed by Laura DQ • Jul 28, 2024

Photos by Myke Gray Photography

It’s nobody’s fault, but Sunday must have caused a bit of a headache at Maid of Stone HQ. There are murmurs that headliners Mr. Big might be bereft of frontman Eric Martin - he’s had an accident and may not be well enough for show time. Big River have been forced to cancel their appearance; frontman Adam hospitalised following some worrying symptoms and a diagnosis of blood clots on his lungs. These Wicked Rivers have also had to declare themselves unavailable due to an undisclosed family emergency. A very bad day for rivers and big things, it would seem! But, as if by magic, the organisers manage to secure stellar replacements for both at very short notice.

Admittedly, I’ve never heard of Gianni Scalera & the Jury, but given I’d planned to watch Big River open the Firestarter stage, figure I’ll give this mystery group a chance. The name suggests something exotic, so I’m surprised to discover three local lads from Medway! A distinctly heavier proposition than the band they’ve been called in to replace, the Jury are less soulful blues and more pummelling riff masters; a power trio in the truest sense. Playing to a modest but appreciative crowd, opener ‘The Price You Pay’ successfully blasts away any Sunday morning fatigue.

For one reason or another, I keep missing Sons of Liberty and it feels like my luck is no better today. There’s a delay as we await a sound-man that keeps getting longer, edging proceedings ever closer to a clash with Preacher Stone. While I’m waiting, I take a proper look at the VIP offering, which is a marked improvement on year one. There’s more seating, more tables, a decent bar, a food vendor that never seems to generate much of a queue and toilets that I suspect are considerably more pleasant than a Portaloo. After 20 minutes or so, I’m lured by the voice of Planet Rock DJ Paul Anthony summoning me to the Inferno stage, Sons of Liberty still getting themselves sorted. 

And hot damn! Preacher Stone might just be the discovery of the weekend. Describing themselves as a bunch of “small town guys from North Carolina”, this band fit nicely with the Southern rock revival spearheaded by the likes of The Cadillac Three and Blackberry Smoke but lean towards a heavier sound, no country ballads here! Frontman Ronnie Riddle is particularly charismatic, the combination of his Southern drawl and between song banter proving to be a hit. He asks us to raise our hands if we’ve seen the band before and there’s hardly any movement. But when he asks who’d want to see Preacher Stone again, hands fly up and a roar of approval fills the air. At times devastatingly heavy, ‘Day Late’ rumbles with real thunder, the strutting ‘Not Today’ sounds like an anthem; easy to see why it was chosen to feature in TV series ‘Sons of Anarchy’. And surely it’s impossible not to like a song with the title ‘Old Fashioned Ass Whoopin’ Sum Bitch’ ?

Somewhere in the performance, I make a few minutes to pop back and check out Sons of Liberty, who I have been reliably informed (by my mother) are “well good!” The jangling, countrified guitar suits the likes of ‘Turn This Tide’ and ‘I’ve Got the Sky’ well, and there are plenty of opportunities for audience interaction, everyone chanting along to ‘Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief’. I look forward to seeing the band properly on another occasion - let’s hope it works out soon! 


Now, I can’t really say I’m watching Seething Akira, rather they are providing background noise while I eat a burger. Perhaps a controversial choice for Maid of Stone, the band certainly add some diversity to the line-up, albeit diversity I could live without! I think there’s some decent riffs in there somewhere but the metal/rap/electronic hybrid is a bit much for me. I await the backlash as I know for many this was one of the sets of the weekend! Similarly, the bouncy pop-punk of As December Falls is well executed and proves popular, but it’s a genre I’ve always struggled to embrace. 


Oli Brown and the Dead Collective step into the spot that should have been occupied by These Wicked Rivers, the lampshade on stage a classy nod to the Derby foursome. Though I’m disappointed not to be seeing Rivers, I’m intrigued by Oli Brown, a guitarist I’ve heard a lot of praise for but never got round to investigating. I’m impressed by his atmospheric, brooding take on rock and his vocals, which are at times reminiscent of Rival Son’s Jay Buchanan; more soulful than I imagined. Not the usual riff assault, this set feels more sophisticated and quite different. Guitarist Sam Wood is back on stage following his appearance with Wayward Sons yesterday, proving himself as versatile as he is likeable. It’s a privilege to watch two fantastic guitarists work together and I’m compelled to pick up a record after the set; I suspect I am not the only new fan won today.

To see Jared James Nichols live is to witness one of the most innovative and exciting guitar players of our time. And, as always, I can’t take my eyes off this mountain of a man who performs with such passion that you feel the guitar is somehow part of him. Introduced to the stage by Paul Anthony who remarks on the incredible things Nichols can do with his fingers (oo-er!), it’s a comment on his remarkable, pick-less style that seemingly enables him to play unlike anyone else. ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’, ‘Hard Wired’ and ‘Bad Roots’ thrill in a way that their studio counterparts never quite achieve. It’s telling that members of various other bands can be seen in the wings, watching a master at work. The set concludes with a turbocharged version of Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’, generating a mass singalong.


Like Those Damn Crows on Saturday, Massive Wagons almost feel like the headliners today. Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, the wall of Marshall amplifiers that lines the back of the stage indicates we’re about to enter a real House of Noise! And of course, frontman Baz Mills is as reliably energetic as ever; an irresistible bundle of joy careering around the stage, never letting up for a moment. Some songs are now so ingrained that they have become classics, ‘Tokyo’, ‘Nails’ and ‘Back to the Stack’ being met with great enthusiasm. ‘Generation Prime’ feels like a real stream of consciousness, and throwing in a bit of ‘Mysterious Girl’ and ‘No Woman No Cry’ adds to the sense that this band are all about having a good time. 

“We are The Karma Effect and we play dirty f***ing rock and roll”; so says frontman Henry Gottelier by means of introduction. A band who wears its influences proudly, the Aerosmith intro tape and flamboyant stage attire leave little doubt about where these lads are coming from. There’s clearly still an appetite for this sort of thing, latest album ‘Promised Land’ finding a place in the UK top 20, and why wouldn’t there be? ‘Wrong Again’ moves with a funky swagger and ‘Wild Honey’ is that rare and joyful thing, a rock song you can dance to. ‘Livin’ It Up’ is a proper party anthem; feel good music for a time when we really need it delivered with authentic rockstar style. 

I’m sad to admit I’ve never really ‘got’ Living Colour, so I’m interested to see if they can change my mind today. I only have time to catch their last few songs but conclude that they must be a bit of a Marmite proposition. There’s no denying the talent, but the relentless ‘Elvis is Dead’ and crazed, almost thrash drumming of ‘Time’s Up’ doesn’t connect with me in the same way that it does for this audience, who are clearly in thrall, throwing some particularly special dance moves! But even I am not immune to ‘Cult of Personality’, a big, grooving monster of a song that could win anyone over with that unforgettable riff. 


It’s my first time seeing Larkin Poe, but the sisters Lovell are everything I’d hoped for. Both rocking the double denim, Rebecca and Megan bring a real touch of class to the Phoenix stage. Authentically Southern, these Nashville based ladies front a group that is at time bluesy, at others rootsy but always entirely rock and roll. There’s more than a whiff of The Allman Brothers about their sound, acknowledged in a well received cover of ‘Jessica’ which demonstrates Megan’s prowess on the lap steel. ‘Might As Well Be Me’ is a beautiful, harmony drenched ballad that showcases the sisters’ soulful vocals. Raised on traditional American music and growing up playing bluegrass and gospel, it’s no surprise that ‘Southern Comfort’ and ‘Kick the Blues’ feel so immediately familiar and yet, so unlike all that is popular today. 


Mr. Big is supposedly a band on its final run, this headline appearance part of ‘The Big Finish’ tour. But it feels like they’ve still got a lot to give. ‘Addicted to that Rush’ opens proceedings, Paul Gilbert’s mind-bending guitar mastery and Billy Sheehan’s bass attack as jaw-dropping as ever. Eric Martin is thankfully where he should be, and sounds good; yes, his voice is not quite as it was, but it’s better than I expected. There are moments where it feels a little under strain, particularly in the ballads - but he's supported by his band-mates who can still provide a strong backing vocal. We're introduced to drummer Edu Cominato who has replaced the much loved Pat Torpey, laying down the "psychotic beat" of 'Take Cover'. As a relative newcomer to Mr. Big I'm not in a position to draw any comparisons, but it sounds pretty perfect to me.


The set draws heavily from 'Lean Into It' which means I'm familiar with most of the material. And though it's a shame that the band entirely ignore new album 'Ten', it's possibly a wise move with a festival crowd who lap up the likes of 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind' and 'Just Take My Heart'. I'm expecting virtuosity and Mr. Big certainly deliver; Some would argue a little too much as a guitar solo is followed soon after by a lengthy bass solo. But those who leave early miss out on a cover of The Who's 'Baba O'Riley', closing the festival on a real high. 


Now, the question everyone's asking... when do the tickets for next year go on sale?! 

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