Before we had even arrived at the Lincolnshire Showground, I knew I was in for something special, the bands on the line-up were right up mu street and so many friends have been saying good things about this event sine it first started in 2019. But nothing could have prepared me for the sheer energy that Call Of The Wild Festival radiated.
As a newbie, I was immediately struck by the friendliness of everyone, from the welcome we got in the press area to the security and stewards that were overseeing the event. This is one of those weekends where it’s not just a festival; it’s a gathering of a rock family and community all united by their love for live music.
The line-up was varied, and set across three stages, delivering a mix of classic glam rock, hard-hitting punk, and modern metal. And it’s a truly international event with bands arriving from all over Europe and even as far away as Canada and Australia.
There are two stages set up side by side, one slightly bigger than the other I guess to warrant the tag of Main stage, but to be honest both stages featured top notch acts. On the Southall/Lawless stage (paying tribute to two much loved musicians no longer with us Micky Lawless of Falling Red and Nick “Ringo” Southall, who both died way too young from the scourge of cancer)
The line-up was varied, and set across three stages, delivering a mix of classic glam rock, hard-hitting punk, and modern metal. And it’s a truly international event with bands arriving from all over Europe and even as far away as Canada and Australia.
There are two stages set up side by side, one slightly bigger than the other I guess to warrant the tag of Main stage, but to be honest both stages featured top notch acts. On the Southall/Lawless stage (paying tribute to two much loved musicians no longer with us Micky Lawless of Falling Red and Nick “Ringo” Southall, who both died way too young from the scourge of cancer)
We had Tailgunner (UK) with their classic NWOBHM closing that stage on the Friday, with Lucifer Star Machine (Germany/UK) bringing the punk tinged rock ‘n’ roll to the festival and on the Sunday it was Scandi Glam rockers Trench Dogs (Sweden) who had the honour of closing out the weekend for that stage.
Other notable highlights for the Southall/Lawless stage over the weekend were rising stars Jayler, who we’ve been shouting about for a while now and just get better, for such a young band they owned that stage. Also on the Friday were North Eastern metal core outfit Manørs a band to watch out for. Saturdays standouts were Kite Thief from Bristol who brought some groovy bounce to a hot Saturday and Black Lakes from South Wales with their dark gothic metal bringing the moodiness to match the foreboding skies.
One of the most emotional moments came on Saturday, when Falling Red took to the Southall Lawless stage. Their performance was not just a set—it was a tribute to their late bandmate Mikey Lawless, who had passed away in 2020. The crowd was electric, singing along to every word, culminating in their fan-favourite anthem, If You Ain’t Down With The Rock. It was a moment that encapsulated everything Call Of The Wild stands for—passion, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between artists and fans.
My pick of Sundays bands on the S/L stage were the very glamorous Harsh (France) who definitely got the ladies attention! But they were more than just eye candy with a cracking set of sleazy glam rock.
That stage alone would have been worth the entry fee for the weekend but this festival prides itself on giving value for money so you get The Kilmister stage as well! No guesses to who this stage is a tribute to and every band on that stage would probably say they have a lot to thank the legendary bass assassin for in bringing heavy metal rock ‘n roll into all our lives.
Headliners for this stage were The Commoners (Canada) with their take on Americana country rock. Definitely one of the surprises of the weekend being a lot heavier and rockier than they come across on the radio. Keeping the international flavour of the weekend going and highlighting the special relationship COTW has with Scandinavian bands, we had Royal Republic close out with a party of pulsating disco rock that got the crowd bouncing.
Other notable highlights for the Southall/Lawless stage over the weekend were rising stars Jayler, who we’ve been shouting about for a while now and just get better, for such a young band they owned that stage. Also on the Friday were North Eastern metal core outfit Manørs a band to watch out for. Saturdays standouts were Kite Thief from Bristol who brought some groovy bounce to a hot Saturday and Black Lakes from South Wales with their dark gothic metal bringing the moodiness to match the foreboding skies.
One of the most emotional moments came on Saturday, when Falling Red took to the Southall Lawless stage. Their performance was not just a set—it was a tribute to their late bandmate Mikey Lawless, who had passed away in 2020. The crowd was electric, singing along to every word, culminating in their fan-favourite anthem, If You Ain’t Down With The Rock. It was a moment that encapsulated everything Call Of The Wild stands for—passion, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between artists and fans.
My pick of Sundays bands on the S/L stage were the very glamorous Harsh (France) who definitely got the ladies attention! But they were more than just eye candy with a cracking set of sleazy glam rock.
That stage alone would have been worth the entry fee for the weekend but this festival prides itself on giving value for money so you get The Kilmister stage as well! No guesses to who this stage is a tribute to and every band on that stage would probably say they have a lot to thank the legendary bass assassin for in bringing heavy metal rock ‘n roll into all our lives.
Headliners for this stage were The Commoners (Canada) with their take on Americana country rock. Definitely one of the surprises of the weekend being a lot heavier and rockier than they come across on the radio. Keeping the international flavour of the weekend going and highlighting the special relationship COTW has with Scandinavian bands, we had Royal Republic close out with a party of pulsating disco rock that got the crowd bouncing.
But the highlight of the weekend and a fitting act to end the festival was the effervescent Michael Monroe who continues to defy the ageing process and has the energy of a bag full of Duracell bunnies! Despite being in his sixth decade he as never slowed down and continues to give promoters and security heart attacks with his climbing antics!
My other picks from the Kilmister stage were Asomvel (UK) on the Friday with their appropriately Motörhead inspired heavy rock. White Tyger on the Saturday continue to show why they are much in demand with their classic heavy metal performance and Sunday stage openers and fast rising stars were the superb Bobbie Dazzle with their 70’s inspired glam, I can’t remember the last time I saw a flute at a rock festival!
So, two stages packed full of quality rock, metal and punk. But the team at Upstaged who organise this weekend have more up their sleeves with a stage in the beer tent! (A quick mention here for the beer! How many open air festivals do you go to where you can but a quality pint of real ale for a fiver? Top job on that! - Tony ) This is also where you find the merch stall, again with prices that are affordable showing that this festival is definitely run by rock fans who understand their audience.
But back to the music, and over the weekend there was plenty of entertainment in this tent. The Trailblazer stage saw some top action featuring no less than 18 bands over the weekend adding another dimension and more bang for you buck. We didn’t get to watch all the bands in here unfortunately, but those we did catch were worthy additions to the weekend.
My other picks from the Kilmister stage were Asomvel (UK) on the Friday with their appropriately Motörhead inspired heavy rock. White Tyger on the Saturday continue to show why they are much in demand with their classic heavy metal performance and Sunday stage openers and fast rising stars were the superb Bobbie Dazzle with their 70’s inspired glam, I can’t remember the last time I saw a flute at a rock festival!
So, two stages packed full of quality rock, metal and punk. But the team at Upstaged who organise this weekend have more up their sleeves with a stage in the beer tent! (A quick mention here for the beer! How many open air festivals do you go to where you can but a quality pint of real ale for a fiver? Top job on that! - Tony ) This is also where you find the merch stall, again with prices that are affordable showing that this festival is definitely run by rock fans who understand their audience.
But back to the music, and over the weekend there was plenty of entertainment in this tent. The Trailblazer stage saw some top action featuring no less than 18 bands over the weekend adding another dimension and more bang for you buck. We didn’t get to watch all the bands in here unfortunately, but those we did catch were worthy additions to the weekend.
On Friday we caught our local lads The Soul Revival who have been very busy lately and Tom Killner with his unique take on country rock. Saturday was an eclectic day of classic rock, pagan metal and punk to keep the fans entertained in between the outdoor stage acts. Watch out for resetcroWs (that’s how it’s spelt!), a very youthful bunch of kids, all under 16 I believe, who are incredibly talented. The singers guitar was almost as big as him!
There was no easy listening for sore heads on the Sunday as an equally mixed bunch of genres made sure no one was going to sleep any hangovers off after the late night disco and set from Juliets Not Dead the night before. From indie rockers Stone Cold Sweetheart to the rock ‘n’ roll of Norways Kardang it was another full on day in the tent. More folk pagan metal from Scotland's Eld Varg to the 70’s classic rock of Silveroller and the angry punk of The Head Hunters.
But the big event of the weekend in this tent was a secret set by Spike of Quireboys fame. As soon as word got out who the ‘secret’ band was going to be, there was an excitement around the festival site, and the tent was rammed for his appearance. In his usual inimitable style he regaled us with hilarious anecdotes and performed some of his best known songs on acoustic guitar alongside his long suffering friend Willie Dowling, a great highlight of the weekend.
In summary, COTW is growing to be one of the best rock festivals in the UK. Small enough to care abouts its community of fans but big enough to attract some quality acts, this was our first time and it wont be the last! COTW 2026 has already been announce for 28th-31st May with Thrash legends Onslaught, Wolfsbane and King Kraken among the first bands to be announced, along with our local lads Recall The Remains! Tickets are now available, links are on the COTW Facebook and website where you can buy now or sign up for a payment plan to spread the cost! 10/10
There was no easy listening for sore heads on the Sunday as an equally mixed bunch of genres made sure no one was going to sleep any hangovers off after the late night disco and set from Juliets Not Dead the night before. From indie rockers Stone Cold Sweetheart to the rock ‘n’ roll of Norways Kardang it was another full on day in the tent. More folk pagan metal from Scotland's Eld Varg to the 70’s classic rock of Silveroller and the angry punk of The Head Hunters.
But the big event of the weekend in this tent was a secret set by Spike of Quireboys fame. As soon as word got out who the ‘secret’ band was going to be, there was an excitement around the festival site, and the tent was rammed for his appearance. In his usual inimitable style he regaled us with hilarious anecdotes and performed some of his best known songs on acoustic guitar alongside his long suffering friend Willie Dowling, a great highlight of the weekend.
In summary, COTW is growing to be one of the best rock festivals in the UK. Small enough to care abouts its community of fans but big enough to attract some quality acts, this was our first time and it wont be the last! COTW 2026 has already been announce for 28th-31st May with Thrash legends Onslaught, Wolfsbane and King Kraken among the first bands to be announced, along with our local lads Recall The Remains! Tickets are now available, links are on the COTW Facebook and website where you can buy now or sign up for a payment plan to spread the cost! 10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment