Whitebottom Farm,

August 2025

Friday review, HERE

Review and photos – Rob and Danni Wilkins

Waking up to a dry but cloudy day we spent the first part of the morning exploring the adjacent country park before heading to the Trooper Stage for the first of two “Jam with Jack’s”, another Firevolt tradition whereby Jack J Hutchinson and his band first play a couple of tracks before inviting anyone willing and able to come on stage and “Jam with Jack”. It’s a lovely, gentle start to the day that showcases Jack’s humour as well as his skill, and a steady stream of festival goers and other musicians join him for a range of musical genres.

Opening the Bludsucker Stage are The Heavy Souls, another of the Battle of the Bands winners. As the name might suggest, the music is a soulful, bluesy mix with attitude, with Clark Vaughan’s voice particularly impressing and as an opener, they fulfil the brief mightily, adding to the crowd as the set progresses. Opener “Have You Got Soul?” And “Rise and Fall” both stood out in their set and prompted deeper listening on streaming sites.

A quick wander back to the Trooper Stage for the effervescent Kit Trigg. It was impossible not to enjoy his set as he was incredibly engaging and likable. When someone truly seems to be having a great time, they take the crowd along too! My other half described the set as “a group of surfers meeting the Beastie Boys for a party.” “Magic Sam’s Boogie” introduced one song, the crowd were encouraged to turn to the person next to them and give them a hug, there was a bit of Tina Turner, and the set list was full of motivational messages, making it easy to see why the band are making some interesting waves right now.

Back to the field and a band I had never seen before, but then realised I had! Somewhat blind to the name change to Juliet’s Not Dead, I quickly recognised frontman Stevie Stoker’s shock of hair and realised I was watching what used to be Twister, a band I had thoroughly enjoyed at a small festival in Swansea a while back. Poppy, rocky, sing-along anthems abounded in their set, alongside the charismatic vocalist centre stage, refusing to let anyone leave the arena. The set is mostly the newer material that prompted the name change to better represent the sound and direction from “This World Is Ours” and what promised to be, for me, the most enjoyable day of music was truly accelerated on its way!

On the way from the South West to Manchester, we were playing the Firevolt 26 playlist, and literally every time we loved a song and checked to see who was responsible, we got the same answer – Brave Rival – so we were excited to see their set on the Trooper Stage, and the reality in the flesh exceeded even our high expectations. For me, this was a band that has it all. Firstly, they have a great time on stage with humour and clearly love the stage, secondly, the musicianship is sublime, particularly Lindsey Bonnick’s delicious vocal tones and Ed Clark’s guitar, and thirdly, every song from opener “Heart Attack” through “Run and Hide” to closer “Fairytale” draws you in and refuses to let go. If one band over the whole weekend made me want more, soon, it was Brave Rival; great things should be in their future.

The other half had only one band that she wanted to be at the front, on the barrier, so we made haste over the Bludsucker stage for Marisa and the Moths. Sometimes a performer walks on stage and simply radiates that this is where they belong, and such is the case with Marisa Rodriguez, who has also recently been seen performing with Sophie Lloyd. The band are energetic and provides a platform for her to showcase the music which, when you listen closely, takes on some challenging subjects, supplemented by interaction with the crowd about mental health and sex. You feel with Marisa that you are watching the misfit from school come good and raise two fingers to those who used to mock her, and it was clear that many identified with that and felt amongst friends. Both Marisa and bassist Liam James Barnes spend time in the crowd (Barnes being the first to visit the crowd on the yet-to-be-named hill), adding to that feeling of inclusion. Highlights? “69”, “Wither Away” and “Who Are You Waiting For?”, highlighting that songwriting talent with an edge.

Tailgunner next, back at the Trooper Stage, and possibly the most exhausting three songs in the pit ever! These guys are a whirlwind of activity and energy. The musical influence is clear, but delivered with such fun and pace that it picks you up, grabs you by the throat, and shakes you until you are left smiling and shattered. The quartet of Cairns, Henson, Salvini, and Thompson constantly roam the stage, taking turns at the front for searing solos and soaring vocals with every pose in the rock pantheon on display. By the end of their set, my face is numb from smiling so much, and my neck is sore from bobbing along to every number. Is it musically groundbreaking? No. Is it bloody good fun, superbly performed and executed, and what music should be? Absolutely!

A real trip back in time at the Bludsucker followed with Blaze Bayley backed by the fine gentlemen of Absolva. Never having seen him perform, my impression of Blaze is of a genuinely lovely bloke who remains down to earth and likable. His voice still has power and range, and he resists the urge to fill the set with Maiden material to focus on “The Silicon Messiah.” You can feel the affection and connection between crowd and performer, and it is a delightful and relaxed set to enjoy.

Headlining the Trooper Stage, it was time for The Quireboys. A few years back, a band with that name played Firevolt after they sacked Spike (in most people’s minds, the true owner of the name), but thank goodness the man is back in control of the material that allows us all to enjoy one heck of a party. One of my favourite sets of the whole weekend, it is a riot of singing along, crying with laughter at Spike’s stories and relationship with his band (now with Luke Morley on guitar), and just plain fun. Every song is a classic and performed with a bit of edge missing from so many modern bands’ performances. It is so good to see Spike enjoying his music so much, and for me, one of the standout sets of the four years of Firevolt.

Finally, to day two headliner, Reef. Probably the only issues I had with the entire festival was the lighting for the headliners on the Bludsucker stage (South of Salem excepted) as Reef played much of their set to the dreaded red wash, making photos challenging to say the least! The music, however, was spot on with Reef bringing their South West tones to the North West. The crowd pleasers of “Place Your Hands” and “Come Back Brighter” had their place in the set list, as did a cover of “The Chain”, but the entire set made for a worthy headliner and closed a superb second full day.