Maid of Stone at Mote Park in Maidstone is back again, how can it be a year since the last one? Now in it’s fourth iteration, the festival is going from strength to strength, building on a solid lineup across two stages with an enhanced ViP area with it’s ‘acoustic’ stage adding to the offering in a very positive way. The two primary stages are ‘Inferno’ (main) hosted by Planet Rock’s Paul Anthony and Firestarter (second) sponsored by Emerging Rock Bands (ERB). A sense of anticipation is definitely in the air, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly as always.

Today is the perfect day for enjoying what’s to come in an open arena… starting at just before 2pm and finishing up by 11pm…… bring it on!

A great change this year …. there is a small ‘air-gap’ of around 5 to 10 minutes between bands on the two stages, allowing enough time to take a breath or whatever, and get across to other stage in time!

Worthy of note too is the much improved food offerings over last year. Also, the bar was well staffed and settled into operation soon after opening. Overall, the festival is a well organised affair, thanks to everyone involved in this effort, it is really appreciated!

So, onto the business side of things…….. the bands;

- First up on the Inferno (main) stage is Cassidy Paris from Melbourne, Australia, with her band (Fred Hale from the The Sons of Liberty is on bass) getting the festival and crowd going with her powerful voice and melodic delivery. Cassidy is quickly becoming a name on the circuit, and delivers a really mature performance, routed in the ‘classics’ but with her own personality all over it too. Latest release ‘Bittersweet’ gets some good exposure, and ‘Stronger’ is one of the set highlights. A guest duet with Russ Grimmet from the Sons of Liberty was another notable moment. Excellent opening slot delivered!

- Taking over on the Firestarter (second) stage is Regional One, an Alternative/Hard Rock band, who delivered their high energy and theatrical set with a commanding level of authority. They pulled a good size crowd and went down well at Maid of Stone. The song ‘Hero’ was one of the engaging parts of their set.

- Much anticipated by many was Anthony Gomes back on the Inferno stage. A real gritty performance as usual, with Anthony and band sitting right between Blues and Rock, all delivered with a great attitude and some fun too! The sound had a few wobbles, mainly affecting his voice, but things settled down well and t’s fair to say that Maid of Stone welcomed Anthony Gomes with open arms.

- The WRC had a difficult choice to make next… after having interviewed Jack J Hutchinson earlier in the afternoon, there was a clash…. Jack J Hutchinson on the Acoustic, or Devere on the Firestarter. Jack J won out, and off we trotted to the ViP area. Jack J with Greg Smith on bass delivered a fabulous and enjoyable set (with some entwined banter as always) of well crafted acoustic numbers. The sound, including vocals, was superb and the thought that “there’s no better way to spend an afternoon in the sun” was rattling around the head! A particular stand-out song was ‘I Will Follow You’, a very fond and personal heartfelt ballad, in response to Jack’s Father’s diagnosis and struggles with Alzheimer’s disease. A very memorable afternoon gig.

- As mentioned above, apologies to Devere, who were excellent up on the Firestarter stage. Devere (London’s Loudest Band), created a real buzz and pulled a large crowd. Having checked in with various folk, it was well received and great fun.

- Hotly anticipated by the writer, having see them at last year’s Stonedead Festival, were The New Roses from Wiesbaden in Germany, led by Timmy Rough, with their high energy ‘Classic Stadium Rock’ sound and attitude. It was a treat! Aan absolute first class set of bangers, every song rockin’ and rollin’ along to the delight of the substantial crowd. The band are tight and have a seamless blend of Rock/Pop/Metal that positions them alongside the Scandinavian offerings, but with a solid ‘German’ punch too. Too many songs to list out here, but mention must go to the anthem ‘Down By The River’, a great crowd engager. Most enjoyable!

- Sam Morrow is now on the Firestarter stage. Having recently seen Sam and his band supporting Robert Jon and the Wreck on their last UK outing, the writer knew what to expect. A solid slab of heavy ‘Country/Southern Boogie’ from Texas. Tracks from the new album ‘Southern Boogie’ are played today, and went down well with the audience. Sam’s last song was a cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Have a Cigar’.

- Another hotly anticipated set was FM’s, on the Inferno stage. Having been a unit for over 40 years now, FM’s class is obvious to see and hear, with Steve Overland’s voice still right up there with the best. It was a great show and the ‘cinematic’ images at the back really added to the moment.

- Morganway were next up on the Firestarter stage, and could be considered slightly out of place at Maid of Stone, with their more Rustic Folky style American Rock offering, but this was soon dispelled, with the six-piece captivating the crowd and whipping up the atmosphere, particularly helped by the electrifying fiddle solos by the classically trained Nicole J Terry. A great variation for a festival and what Maid of Stone does really well.

- Apologies to Juliet’s Not Dead, playing on the Acoustic Stage in VIP, who we couldn’t get to see as they clashed with Morganway. Reports from the ‘luxury quarters’ were that it was a fab set, expertly played by the full band, and most enjoyable.

- A Thousand Horses had the atmosphere going, nearly like the old days, before they came onto the Inferno stage this evening. They were due to play at Maidstone back at the old Ramblin’ Man festival in 2020, which was sadly cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The band have a much ‘rockier’ sound now, having emerged from the testing times of the last few years, and having lost guitarist Zach Brown. They did a good balance of new and old material and had the Maidstone crowd pretty much in their hands from the off. A very enjoyable early evening set.

- For the writer, Crow Black Chicken are the main act today (notwithstanding all the others’ merits)…….. they ooze the ‘soul’ of the Blues, and have captured this with their ‘Deep South’ of Ireland groove. The 3-piece band’s playing is on another level, and Christy O’Hanlon’s mastery of guitar is transcendental. The band offer up a good cross section of their material since their 2009 formation, with a good selection from their latest realest ‘Ghost Dance’ too. The set culminates with their version of ‘John the Revelator’. An absolute masterclass of a set and truly memorable.

- The Temperance Movement closed the first day of Maid of Stone in their own imitable way! Hot off their intimate gig in Dover last night, anyone who was in Mote Park around midday (before the gates opened) had an idea that this was going to be good, on account of their rehearsal! They last played here at Ramblin’ Man in 2015 then 2019. Since their comeback, they have demonstrated that they are really top-drawer and world-class performers. Their playing with passion and energy on stage is just off the scale! All the classic songs that everyone wanted to hear as well as some great new material were played and with such quality. The audience was entranced by their masterful set. A really memorable end to the Friday here in Maidstone. A truly fitting return for the band as worthy headliners ….. Fantastic!

A fabulous start to Maid of Stone yet again!

The WRC are also taking the opportunity to interview bands over the weekend, and today, as mentioned above, we chatted with Jack J Hutchinson before his Acoustic set in the VIP area, and what a most enjoyable experience it was… thanks Jack! This interview will be available on the website very shortly

Looking forward to the next two days here in Maidstone at the one and only Maid of Stone!

Review: Oz (Martin Osborne)
Photos: John Bull and Oz