How Do You Top One of the Best Weekends of 2024?
Q: How do you top one of the best weekends of 2024?
A: You do it all again, but a little bit bigger and a little bit better.
Welcome to Call of the Wild 2025!!
We had been looking forward to this all year after attending our first COTW in 2024 (see our review here) and it did not disappoint. Word had clearly got around, as there seemed to be more people than last year, but the festival maintained the intimacy that makes it so special – along with some incredible bands playing a wide variety of rock music.
As in previous years, the set up is two main stages side by side, meaning that when one band is on another is setting up – a perfect recipe for non-stop music! The third stage – named Trailblazer – is in the (incredibly reasonably priced) bar and provides a perfect showcase for up and coming bands to strut their stuff.
Friday Highlights
Opening the proceedings on Friday morning on the Southall Lawless Stage were Edinburgh quintet Big Iron – and what a great start it was! Their blend of hard rock drew a growing crowd and was certainly appreciated. Next up were Manørs, and the Geordie foursome brought some incredible Metalcore energy to the stage. We were impressed by their tightness, and by the vocals of LN Hirst, who managed to switch seamlessly between melodic singing and screaming – something that was self taught! We gatecrashed a chat they were having with fellow photographer Smudge after their set and what a lovely lot they are!
Greyfox Conspiracy brought their Southern rock vibes to the Kilmister Stage and the ever-growing crowd. Undeterred by the rain, they gave us a top notch performance while putting us in mind (in look and feel) of ZZ Top. Lead vocalist Greyfox Growl interacted brilliantly with the audience as he came down off the stage and sat on the barrier.
“Scream for me!” Shouted Lana Phillis of Phoenix Lake from the Southall Lawless Stage, before launching into new song ‘Serenity’. These melodic rockers have some seriously anthemic tunes and a couple of shredding guitarists to boot. It was so good to see another strong front woman on the stage (after LN Hirst) – and the second of many that would appear over the course of the weekend.
Over on the Trailblazer stage, the trio that is Heartbreak remedy were showing a packed tent just what good time rock ’n’ roll sounds like. These are ones to watch!.
When you see a band called Lesbian Bed Death on the bill, you cant help but be curious as to what their set might bring… and we were not disappointed!! . Looking vampiric, and with added dancers, they gave us a set of gothic-rock-punk with fabulous titles including ‘Designed by the Devil, Powered by the Dead’ and ‘Horrors of the Crown Hotel’.
By mid-afternoon the rain was on its way out and we were treated to Aussie family band Sisters Doll – for us, the band of the day! Their catchy, classic melodic rock had the crowd hooked from the off. This was the last date of their tour before heading home and they definitely made the most of it. Songs like ‘You Can’t Bring me Down’ had everyone clapping in the air. Their set had it all – dulling twin guitars with awesome harmonies, a bass solo from Sage, a Drummer channeling Tommy Lee and an explosive paper canon! It’s a ‘Good Day to be Alive’ they sang – and we couldn’t agree more.
The pace was about to change as next up on the Kilmister stage were alternative metal quintet Dendera. We loved their modern but classic feel and the contrast between Ashley Edison’s vocals and guitarist Stephen Main’s screaming.
The penultimate slot on the Southall Lawless Stage went to West Midlands rising stars Jayler. Named after the two founding members – vocalist James Bartholemew and guitarist Tyler Arrowsmith – their blend of classic 70’s blues-rock sounded fantastic. The band are tight and talented. Bartholemew is clearly influenced by Robert Plant and he has a great voice, but for us his act – from the open shirt to every choreographed move – seemed like an impression of the great man, and a little bit “Stars In Their Eyes”, which was a shame. Still, they went down a storm and there were plenty of “Jayler” t-shirts being worn for the rest of the weekend, so they must be doing something right.
The ‘Rocky’ theme blasting from the PA announced the arrival of the mighty Asomvel on the Kilmister Stage, and what a show they gave the crowd. Bursting on in a ball of energy, they launched straight in to “Louder & Louder” before having the crowd singing the chorus back to them during “I Was Born to Rock n Roll”. Dressed in denim and leather and in front of a bank of Marshall stacks, their hard, fast and heavy sound, mixed with utter joy and fun was infectious and we loved them. Other standout numbers for us were “Cold Day in Hell”, “Stare at Death and Spit” and the new and (as yet) unreleased “Take You To Hell”. A little later on we had a lovely chat with them as we headed back to the Press room and they went on the hunt for McDonalds. We cant wait to catch them on tour later in the year!
This was a weekend of great intro music, and Tailgunner’s was no exception. As ‘Anvil of Crom’ from Conan the Barbarian faded out, the band whose mission it is to “put British Heavy Metal back on the map” appeared in a flare of paper canons. We first saw them at last year’s Stonedead festival and were impressed, but tonight they were on another level, and clearly revelling in their headline slot on the Southall Lawless Stage. Their no nonsense, old school metal – very reminiscent of the NWOBHM – sat beautifully with the large crowd they had drawn. We loved the synchronised guitar poses and singer Craig Cairns’ neon microphone stand with a HUGE Tailgunner logo as the base, which he lifted high in the air! We got some new material too, including ‘Follow Me in Death’ which had some great twin guitar harmonies. Another new song (which we didn’t catch the name of!!) had a chorus that quoted the iconic final monologue from Blade Runner – and we loved it!. After a Freddie Mercury-style singalong with the crowd, we were treated to ‘Guns for Hire’ before they left the stage to Sham 69’s ‘Hurry up Harry’.
Before we knew it day 1 was almost over, and as the sun set on the showground, Canadian blues-rockers The Commoners took to the stage.
Coming on to a lone slide guitar and bathed in red light, they went straight into ‘Shake You Off’. “We’re the Commoners from Toronto. We’re gonna have some fun tonight” shouted Chris Medhurst. And fun they (and the crowd) had. Their Southern Rock sound – with hints of Led Zeppelin and the Black Crows – has a style all of its own and was the perfect way to finish a spectacular opening day.
Saturday Highlights
Day 2 brought the sunshine, and there was already a good sized crowd gathered at the Southall Lawless stage to welcome openers Syteria. Hailing from Argentina via Yorkshire, and boasting Girlschool guitarist Jackie Chambers, they certainly woke the Lincolnshire Showground up with their no-nonsense rock!
Speaking of no-nonsense classic rock, Austin Gold kept the party going. We loved the keyboards of Adam Leon and the killer guitar riffs of songs like ‘Hell or High Water”.
The Trailblazer Stage kicked off with awesome alternative band To Nowhere, who gave the audience a taste of their debut EP ‘Violent Kicks & Dirty Sounds’.
White Tyger opened proceedings on the Kilmister Stage, and what an explosive start it was as singer Nip Tygër Turner led his band through a blistering set of sleazy 80s rock with a punch.
Kite Thief kept the party going with singer Elin Alla injecting energy and fun into their self-described “pop metal” set. “Please join in. We’re just here to be silly and have a good time” she shouted from the stage. And the Call of the Wild faithful did just that.
The first really big crowd of the day gathered at the Kilmister Stage in anticipation of North Yorkshire rockers This House We Built. And what a show they put on! Their take on melodic classic rock was a perfect fit for this audience, and they were having a ball. “You ought know this one” stated Scott Wardell as Andy Jackson’s voice box signalled the start of ‘Fairweather Friend’. This was followed by a storming cover of John Farnham’s ‘You’re the Voice’ which had everyone singing along. ‘Nobody’s Fool’ featured some superb vocal harmonies before Scott got everyone’s arms swaying for one he “wrote for my nan” called ‘Fly Me Up To The Moon’. New song ’Coming Home to You’ finished the best set of the day so far. These guys are another must see later in the year!
Things got a little heavier on the Southall Lawless stage with Welsh metallers Black Lakes. Appearing on stage hooded and caped, their power metal sound was well received. The crowd got to sing too, as they wished guitarist Scott a happy birthday. Their set finished with the epic ‘Dead Gods’ from the album of the same name.
Meanwhile, the chatter amongst the crowd was about a band of 12-15 year olds who absolutely rocked the Trailblazer stage. retsecroWs (Worcester spelt backwards) impressed everyone who saw their performance of original material and covers (including an impressive ‘Nothing Else Matters’). It was great to see and hear new young talent!
The trio of Oli brown and the Dead Collective thrilled the Kilmister Stage with their fabulous melodic rock before the sleazy, heavy Cumbrian rockers Falling Red brought their twin-Gibson attack to the Southall Lawless Stage. Their “Fk Cancer” message resonated with the crowd, as singer Rozey got everyone – including the Mr Whippy ice cream guy – to raise their middle finger and declare “fk cancer!!”. Songs like ‘My Town My City’ were big crowd pleasers, as was their brilliant cover of Bryan Adams’ ‘Run to You’. Closing number ‘If You Ain’t Down With the Rock (you can fuck right off)’ saw more audience participation and left everyone on a high.
We first saw Swedish rockers Bonafide last year at Stonedead where their straight ahead, 4-on-the-floor rock ’n’ roll went down a storm, and their performance today was even better.
Word came in that Spike was to give a surprise performance along with Willie Dowling on the Trailblazer stage, which was full to bursting by the time he appeared at 8pm. It was a bit of a ramshackle performance, but his natural charm meant he held the tent in the palm of his hand.
Day two was almost at a close, and Lucifer Star Machine had the honour of headlining the Southall Lawless Stage. Hard, heavy and tattooed, the German punk-metal quintet put their all into their hour-long performance with songs such as ‘Eat Dust’ and ‘Black Axe’ – and we loved every minute. We thought they had finished with a rousing ‘Hold me Down’ that saw vocalist Tor Abyss leaping off the monitors, but they treated us to 2 more, finishing with a cover of the Misfits’ ‘Last Caress’.
The closing band on the Kilmister Stage were the incredible Royal Republic. Coming on to ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’, their sound covered everything from thrash to Eurotrash (complete with keytar synth sounds) – and it was majestic! Those that were already waiting at the barrier during Lucifer Star Machine knew exactly what was in store! Opener ‘My House’ set the scene for a high energy set that had everyone dancing. Is Disco Metal a thing? It is now!! They even teased the intro to ‘Raining Blood’ and absolutely crushed Metallica’s ‘Battery’ – complete with coordinated pyro!
Bring on day three!!
Sunday Highlights
If day one brought the rain and day two the sunshine, the closing day of Call of the Wild brought the Glam, with plenty of big hair and sleaze leading up to the main man himself – Michael Monroe. But more of that later…..
Unfortunately we missed opening band Spyder Byte, which was a real shame as everything we heard about their performance was positive and full of praise. Hopefully we will catch them at the famous Cart & Horses in September.
Although Sunday was all about the Glam, there were one or two exceptions, and none more so than Aberdeen’s Deadfire. Hitting the Southall Lawless Stage at mid day (an upgrade on last year’s stint on the Trailblazer Stage), they were hard, heavy and absolutely in-your-face brilliant. Could we have found our band of the day already? “We’re Deadfire and we play rock n roll”. Growled Charlie Munro (who reminded us a bit of Phil Anselmo) before launching into opener ‘Hounds of Justice’. They certainly woke everyone up, but were also having a lot of fun, evidenced by a call-and-response ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ theme song singalong that had the crowd both singing and laughing. Oh, and Charlie’s Spice Girl towel! They closed their set with a second nod to Lemmy and a great cover of ‘Ace of Spades’.
Speaking of covers, our ears pricked up when we heard a brilliant version of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ blasting from the Trailblazer Stage, so we ventured inside to find Stone Cold Sweethearts nearing the end of what looked to be a great set played to a modest but enthusiastic crowd.
Whilst Deadfire were melting our ears, we couldn’t help but notice the band setting up on the Kilmister Stage. We spotted a keytar, a flute and a bass player wearing a David Bowie t-shirt. We were very intrigued. When Bobbie Dazzle and the Dazzle Band hit the stage proper a little while later it all made sense and came together in a fantastic blend of prog and 70’s glam rock. Bobbie (alter-ego of Sîan Greenaway) commanded the stage with her fabulous voice and flute playing while her band showed us just how talented they are, adding harmonies that were out of this world.
Thanks to tour manager Stu, we were lucky enough to grab a few minutes with Bobbie and keytar player / producer Chris Dando where we chatted about everything from sunglasses to influences and the fact we both play the flute!
Back to the Glam, and next up on the Southall Lawless Stage were French band Harsh. We had seen them around all weekend watching the other bands, which we thought was really cool and shows just what sort of festival Call of The Wild is. Watching them on the stage it was like the 80’s never went away, and they set the scene perfectly for the arrival of Norway’s Suicide Bombers. Coming on to Bach, they drew a big crowd and their raw, aggressive blend of punk rock riffs and catchy hooks – starting with opener ‘Dynamite Playboys’ – never let up.
We were so looking forward to Brave Rival, who were next on the Southall Lawless Stage, having interviewed them and shot their album launch towards the end of last year, and they did not disappoint. What a great show they put on, instantly engaging the crowd in the afternoon sun. Their unique blend of bluesy rock was a perfect fit. Opener ‘Heart Attack’ set the scene and was full of energy, with vocalist Lindsey Bonnick twirling, grinning and commanding the stage, and engaging the crowd in a call and response during the brilliant ‘Bad Choices’.
Another strong female – led band were next on the Kilmister Stage. Marisa and the Moths brought their grungy alternative rock to a very receptive crowd just after a short downpour. Marisa taught them the chorus to ‘Choke’ and got everyone singing along with gusto!
At around the same time as Kardang closed the Trailblazer stage in style, our friends Continental Lovers were tearing up the Southall Lawless Stage with their own blend of superbly crafted glam punk. We first saw the Nottingham band a couple of years ago at the Hope and Anchor in Islington, and so to see them on a festival stage was quite something. Joe, Kerri, Ben and Ace were on top form and won a lot of new fans. We got the chance to have a great conversation with them not long before they went on stage, where, amongst other things, they told us of the wholesome fun they had been having on tour with Suicide Bombers and Trench Dogs.
The penultimate band on the Kilmister Stage were Knock out Kaine, back together with their original line up after seven years apart. The intro music of ‘Hooray for Hollywood’ gave way to a dramatic spoken word piece and they burst on with ’16 Grams of Heart Attack’. The band were a little loose, but they were clearly having a great time, and so were the crowd. We especially enjoyed their fast and hard cover of ‘We Will Rock You’. Dean Foxx has a great voice, and it was most powerful on the emotional ballad ‘Coming Home’ – for us the highlight of the set.
As the sun started to set, Sweden-based glam rockers Trench Dogs gave us a taste of the Sunset Strip as headliners of the Southall Lawless Stage. The band tore through a great set of killer tunes, delivered with the attitude of the New York Dolls, while singer Andy Hekkandi looked every bit like Jareth the Goblin King! New single ‘Cobblestone Waltz’ was well received, and was followed by set standard ‘The Gin Beat’. The finale saw them joined on stage by Suicide Bombers and Continental Lovers – and what a brilliant sight that was. The tour must have been great fun! And so before we knew it we were (almost) at the end.
The legend that is Michael Monroe was always going to get every single festival goer to the stage, and the excitement in the moments before he came on was palpable. And what a set he gave us! Blasting onto the stage with ‘Dead, Jail or Rock ’n’ Roll’, he bounded about the space, climbing on the PA speakers and into the photography pit, doing the splits and swinging the mic cable around his neck – and he never stopped! He was in great voice too as the set continued with ‘I Live Too Fast to Die Young’ and ’TNT Diet’ – which featured the famous red saxophone. His incredible band featured Hanoi Rocks member and long-time collaborator Sami Yaffa on bass, Rich Jones and Steve Conte on guitar, and Karl Rockfist on drums. The set, mainly made up of solo material, was also littered with Hanoi Rocks classics and songs from Demolition 23. ‘Don’t You Ever Leave Me’ was very special indeed and had everyone joining in. The set finished with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Up Around the Bend’ – a tune Hanoi Rocks made their own. The Call of the Wild crowd had witnessed a masterclass in rock ’n’ roll and a performer who – at 63 – is at the top of his game. What a way to finish!
As we headed back down the A1 to London, we reflected on what makes this festival so good, so special. Apart from the fabulous bands and breadth of musical styles, Call of the Wild brings people together in a unique way. It was so good to see bands in the audience lending their support to fellow musicians, and that includes some that weren’t playing this year. We saw members of Kira Mac, MuddiBrooke and Star Circus having a great time. The stalls sold cool stuff, the food offerings were fantastic and the bar was cheap and friendly. The tattoo artists were always smiling and the signing tent was always busy. Everything runs like clockwork and the security staff are welcoming and relaxed. You feel accepted and safe. There’s a camaraderie amongst the press, and it was good to be back in the company of some great photographers, interviewers and hosts. Just before we left we bought a couple of bottles of water from Mr Whippy. “How was your weekend” we asked him. “Great” he replied. “Not really my type of music but the people are just brilliant”. They are indeed, and that’s something money can’t buy. As Joe Strummer once said; “Without people, you’re nothing”.
See you in 2026!!
Call of the Wild returns to the Lincolnshire Showground from 28 – 31 May 2026. Confirmed acts include Onslaught, King Kraken and the legends that are Wolfsbane!
Call of the Wild 2025 Review @ RockNews
