Words and pix by Sam H
After a bleak and wet winter, finally festival season starts!
Call of the Wild is the first full weekend festival in the UK. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the festival. A festival that was started by long-time rock and metal fans, aimed at a crowd of the same. What sets COTW apart from most others is the friendliness of the crew, real toilets and showers, free showers, and Christ knows, after a full day of rock, beer and sunshine, we all need that.
Now let’s get into the festival itself. The lineup speaks volumes, with international headliners, national names and a huge array of new talent. COTW really does look at the new blood! Without supporting bands who are breaking into the scene and those on the way up, we are going nowhere, fast! We only have to look at the headliners to see the respect this festival is getting. Canada’s The Commoners are Friday’s headliners, bringing fresh-tinged southern rock to COTW. Before they fire up, BRIT BRIT-based Asomvel hit the stage keeping proper rock ‘n’ roll alive. Think Motorhead and that style of rock.
UK upstarts Tailgunner are becoming a force to be reckoned with a polished stage performance and great riffs reminiscent of the NWOBHM era. Australia’s own Sisters Doll took to the stage and put the glam into our Friday, a much-anticipated appearance that ended the band’s highly successful UK tour. Definitely catch them when you can.
Now, another band from the UK that are fast becoming a talking point are Manors. This band are definitely on the way up, offering souring vocals and great licks, all delivered with passion and fury. Hopefull,y we can get the band over here. We need to mention another great live band, Lesbian Bed Death, a goth rock group, that deliver an incredible live set all based on the gothic style of Bram Stocker et al! We must try and get some of these bands to Oz, you’d love it!
After a great opening day, Saturday arrived with the normal fuzzy heads and blurry eyes, but hey, who cares, let get on it!
Saturday’s headliners area the real party band Royal Republic bringing the glitz, glitter and songs to get even the most jaded up and dancing. It’s all hooks, beats and sing-alongs. A great way to wrap up a great day that also featured many other incredible acts.
Let’s start early doors and Syteria jumped on early to wake us all up. The band featuring Jax from Girlschool never fail to deliver and always have as much fun as we do. A highlight of Saturday was a relatively new band, Austin Gold. Proper classic rock, all delivered with a real passion and polished to the top and a “slutdrop” keyboard. What, you might ask? Well, it’s been a very long time since we’ve seen a keyboard player have so much fun, in fact most of the crowds’ eyes never moved from him, brilliant. Saturday was also a day of surprises, well maybe not such a well-kept surprise, but the arrival of Spike from the Quireboys certainly caused a stir! Playing in the tent, the absolutely rammed tent Spike delivered a non-stop set of classics, hilarious stories that only a true legend can put together. It was certainly a day of contrasts. The party continued into the small hours, most people preparing for the final assault of glam Sunday.
We awoke to Sunday awash with anticipation and the usual morning after-the-night-before feelings. But today calls for a bit more glamour.
Kicking the day off with a real band was Deadfire – full on metal with a brilliant hard edge. Cracking way to wake up. Bobbie Dazzle are a very special band, 70s style with a modern twist, and an absolutely fabulous band that you must check out. Suicide Bombers hit the stage with a style all of their own, bombastic tracks with a pin-sharp delivery, they started the barrage of glam that took the day by storm. Continental Lovers are a real treat for glamsters and fans of good time rock ‘n’ roll, and played an excellent set that was followed by another storming glam set by Trench Dogs – full on 80’s/90’s glam with the licks, hooks and swagger you’d expect, a joy to see!
So many great bands over the weekend, some living up to the hype, others falling short on delivery, and if we have to be honest, sometimes the hype is the issue; it’s hard to live up to. Now, the set delivered by Knock out Kane was a special one. It was the band’s first appearance for years and the last. And what a set, delivered with class and a passion that everyone could feel. If that’s the last time we get to see the Back street Romeos, which it was, that was one hell of a way to leave.
Now the word legend is used a lot, maybe too much sometimes, but tonight, oh no. Micheal Monroe is a true legend. The Hanoi Rocks frontman has an incredible catalogue of music from his career as a solo artist, as he does with Hanoi. Hit after hit, all delivered with the exuberance and style of a true craftsman. Micheal’s stage craft is still far above most. The final act of a brilliant weekend delivered in every way.
The state of the UK festival scene is, in fact, building, with the smaller-sized events surging in popularity. Size seems not to matter, the artists play, the punters turn up and we keep our music alive. Let’s be honest the world needs more live music shows, especially those that don’t just circulate the same old lineup in the disguise of something new.
Call of the Wild 9/10 UK Heavy points.
