Stonedead 2024: A Rock Odyssey of Denim, Leather, and Legendary Performances

August 28, 2024 rocknews

“If your backs are embroidered come down to the front….”

And come down to the front they did, as 5000 ‘denim and leather’ clad rockers descended upon the Newark Showground for the sixth “monster show” that is Stonedead.

We had been looking forward to this all year, and the best rock festival in the land did not disappoint.

The traditional Friday Night Party kicked things off for those who had arrived a day before the main event. Unfortunately we weren’t able to make it this year, but have it on very good authority (thanks Jase “The Ace” Edwards) that it was an eventful and enjoyable evening. Compare Paul Anthony introduced a trio of bands starting with Welsh rockers Scarlet Rebels, who got the party off to a great start.

Original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Diano was next, powering through ten Maiden classics from the first two albums. By all accounts, he would have blown the roof off the stage had Storm Lillian not done that earlier in the day! Closing the party were the always entertaining Quireboys, who gave the crowd a 14-song set littered with classics from their debut album ‘A Bit of What You Fancy’. If they put on a show anywhere near what they did at Call of the Wild in May (see our review HERE), we’re sure that everyone would have gone to bed happy and excited for what Saturday would bring.

We arrived in the rain to be greeted by the friendly and organised volunteers on the gate and were quickly given our passes.

The Hot One Two

Entering the arena under the giant ‘Monsters of Rock’-inspired tyre, the familiarity of this awesome festival brought smiles to our faces and we headed straight to the front to catch opening act, poll-winners The Hot One Two. The Cambridgeshire 5-piece claim to “put the swagger back into UK rock ’n’ roll”, and swagger they did through a great set that showcased debut album ‘Superbia’. We can see why they won the poll – these guys are going places!

Tailgunner

After some entertaining words and tales that we couldn’t possibly print in a family-friendly publication 😉 from the legend that is Krusher Joule, the music from Zorba the Greek blared out of the PA and announced the arrival of Tailgunner. These guys got a huge reception from the crowd as they launched straight into ‘Guns for Hire’, complete with pyro – what an entrance! We loved their brand of traditional Metal brought up to date, but still rocking the spandex and pointy-headstock guitars. We even got some choreographed guitar riffing courtesy of the very talented Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini. Vocalist Craig Cairns took a bit of a tumble on the slippery stage, but styled it out like a pro and never missed a beat – now THAT’S rock ’n’ roll!

They played a set full of energy and that included a great solo by Zach Salvini, a bit of Greig and that finished with a superb cover of Dio’s ‘Don’t Talk to Strangers’.

“We’re here to put British Heavy Metal back on the map” announced Cairns, and we think they’re doing a great job!

As the bars began to fill up during the break, Krusher was back on stage wearing another crazy outfit and regaled us with one of his many Ozzy stories – this one involving the photoshoot for ‘Diary of a Madman’.

The Bites

Hollywood rockers The Bites were up next, and we were excited to see them. Inspired by everyone from Guns ’N’ Roses to the Stones, they thrilled the crowd who packed the front of the stage with their blend of sleazy LA rock; from pounding opener ‘Knockin’ On Your Door’ to the innuendo-laden closer of ‘Do Me a Favour’. The set was fun, high-energy and full of catchy, foot-tapping tunes, and included a great cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Good Times Bad Times’. Frontman Jordan Tyler bounded around the stage wearing tiny shorts and a huge grin, and was clearly having the time of his life as the rest of the band played their hearts out to an increasingly engaged crowd.

We caught up with The Bites later in the day to discuss the gig and their upcoming plans. See our interview HERE.

BONAFIDE

The appearance of Krusher in yet another outfit could only mean that we were in for more music. “There are two great things to come out of Sweden…..” He announced; “Brit Ekland’s t**s, and BONAFIDE”, and with that we were treated to the first of two Swedish bands on the bill. Vocalist Pontus Snibb looked like he could have come straight from the Stonedead crowd, in his denim battle-jacket. These guys gave us a hard-rocking, career-spanning set that echoed bands like AC/DC and was, in their own words, “low down, dirty & mean”, closing with the song they wrote about the 2008 Sweden Rock Festival; ‘Fill Your Head With Rock”.

Stonedead is an inclusive and welcoming festival, and this was highlighted during a very special moment. The Make a Wish Foundation made it possible for a young man called William to attend and realise his dream of being on the Stonedead stage. William has Angelman Syndrome and severe epilepsy. His wish was for everyone to cheer him and to be a rock star for the day, and the Stonedead crowd did not let him down. Krusher encouraged and cajoled the 5000 to chant his name and to make his day in a moment that will stay with him – and us – for a long time. If you’re on social media, please check out #BeMoreWilliam.

The heavens opened briefly – but enough to soak us through – during the break, and we also bumped into Adrian and Smudge from MyGlobalMind. Adrian told us that we were in for a treat with Eclipse, who were up next – and they did not disappoint.

Eclipse

The second Swedish band took to the stage as the rain was dying down and absolutely smashed it.

Eclipse are in their 25th year and riding high on the success of back to back albums Megalomanium (2023) and this year’s Megalomanium II. Their set spanned their career and vocalist Erik Mårtensson, guitarist Magnus Henriksson, drummer Philip Crusner, and bassist Victor Crusner had the whole crowd rocking from the opening number ‘Roses on Your Grave’. Standing at the back of the arena seeing 5000 pairs of arms raised and waving in time was quite a sight, and a testament to this band.

There were some huge Wolfsbane banners around the arena featuring the legendary Pandora Peroxide – and adverts on the digital screens – announcing the re-recording / re-imagining of their classic debut ‘Live Fast Die Fast’. We chatted to guitarist Jase ‘The Ace’ Edwards during the break about this 35th anniversary treat, and we should all be as excited as he is for its release!

Anticipation was high for the next act – the legend that is Doro!

Doro

Dorothee “Metal Queen” Pesch burst onto the Metal scene back in 1982, as front-woman of Warlock. Five albums and seven years later she was a solo artist and figurehead of women in rock.

She looks incredible and sounds in the best voice of her life and she and her band brought the house down at Stonedead. Starting with the Warlock classic ‘I Rule the Ruins’, her set was a masterclass in how to put on a rock show. ‘Burning the Witches’ featured a hearty call-and-response with the crowd. “It’s so good to see some old school metal heads!!” she roared before launching into ’Time for Justice’ from last year’s ‘Conqueress Forever Strong and Proud’. The rest of the set contained both solo and Warlock numbers, and finished with ‘All We Are’.

The bands had so far been awesome. The sun was out. Everyone was having the best time. We’d all sung Happy second Birthday to Chris Sumby’s little girl Maisie – and there were still three acts to go!

Ugly Kid Joe

Next to take to the stage were Californian rockers Ugly Kid Joe. Featuring the spectacular Chris Catalyst on guitar, they gave what many considered to be the performance of the day. Vocalist Whitfield Crane – wearing a well-received Lemmy t-shirt – worked the crowd beautifully and soon had them in the palm of his hand as the band tore through a high energy, singalong set that had arms waving and fists pumping.

Opener ‘That Ain’t Livin’’ set the tone with its crunching opening riff. The band were tight and entertaining and by the time they got to their cover of Harry Chapin’s ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ Crane was conducting a 5000-strong choir in a mass singalong. The set reached a climax with another cover – that of Motörhead’s ‘Ace Of Spades’ – which was note perfect and impressed the Lemmy-lookalike stood next to us before finishing with ‘Everything About You’, again eliciting a joyous singalong from the crowd.

KK’s Priest

A change of pace and style was next, and judging by the amount of Judas Priest t-shirts and back patches in the arena, KK’s Priest were going to be a popular draw.

And wow – did they deliver!!

Coming on to the atmospheric sounds and spoken word of ‘Incarnation’, as well as masses of pyro, guitarist KK Downing, vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, along with AJ Mills, Tony Newton and Sean Elg emerged to thunderous applause and they launched straight in to ‘Hellfire Thunderbolt’ from 2021’s ‘Sermons of the Sinner’. ‘Strike of the Viper’ and ‘One More Shot at Glory’ followed before we got a string of classic Priest, starting with – what else but – ‘The Ripper’, Owens flexing his incredible voice and showing his range. “Are you going to sing along?” He asked before a brilliant ‘Diamonds and Rust’. The Stonedead crowd did indeed sing along, and it was spine tingling. More classics followed, interspersed with Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)’ and which included a storming ‘Breaking the Law’. ‘Raise Your Fists’ closed what could easily have been a headline set.

Saxon

So here we were, nearing the end of another spectacular Stonedead and there was one band remaining. Rumours and speculation started early on social media as to who this year’s headline act might be, and when Saxon were announced back in March excitement levels were off the scale.

The stage was set, the crowd moved forward, and as the last strains of Maiden’s ‘Flight of Icarus’ were replaced by the introduction to ‘Hellfire and Damnation’, the stage lights dimmed and Biff and the boys appeared. The crowd roar was deafening and they launched into the song. This new track taken from this year’s album sounded like classic Saxon and was a perfect way to start a set littered with old favourites. The band sounded tight, and the inclusion of ex-Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler seems to have added a freshness and new dimension to their sound.

Biff Byford looked every inch the Metal God and his voice sounds incredible. Nigel Glocker provided a thunderous back beat while Nibs Carter locked in the bass and Doug Scarratt was the perfect foil for Tatler.

The classics began with ‘Motorcycle Man’ and didn’t let up through ‘Power and the Glory’, ‘Heavy Metal Thunder’, ‘Dallas 1PM’, ‘Strong Arm of the Law’, ‘And the bands Played On’, ‘Denim and Leather’, ‘Wheels of Steel’ and our own favourite ’747 (Strangers in the Night)’. New songs such as ‘Madame Guillotine’ and ’1066’ slotted in perfectly and proved that Saxon still have a lot to say.

‘Crusader’ and ‘Princess of the Night’ closed the show. What a set. What a performance. 5000 Stonedeaders had witnessed something quite extraordinary.

This is a band that after almost fifty years still sounds fresh, relevant and exciting. Here’s to many more!

Stonedead is a very special event. Invoking the spirit of Monsters of Rock, it brings together and unites generations of fans. Friendships are made and people greet each other like long-lost friends. It’s a community, and a friendly one at that.

The bands this year were brilliant, and the curation of them inspired. There really was something for everyone. The organisation was flawless, from the moment we arrived on site to when we left. Every single member of staff smiled at us, said hello or had a chat. The merch traders sold some very cool stuff and the food was superb. Add to that a VERY well priced and stocked bar and what more could you want?

And remember – this festival is ENTIRELY run and staffed by volunteers. How incredible is that?

Chris Sumby, Neil Stone, Louise Bayley, the rest of the Stonedead team and the army of volunteers who make this happen – take a bow. You have created something magical and unique, and that just gets better each year.

We don’t know how you will manage to top this year, but we can’t wait to find out what you have in store for 2025!

See you at the bar!