I’m going to start this review with an apology. Call of the Wild 2024 was almost three months ago and the festival is getting ready for its first major announcement for the 2025 iteration. And I’m only just getting our review online. It’s not my style and it’s certainly not Moshville Times’ style. That said, the week after the May bank holiday, my day job went nuts. I’m talking doing days where I’d work far longer hours than usual, get home, cram some food in my face, get a shower and head to bed to do it all over again. And it meant reviewing this amazing festival got neglected whilst also the general running of the site (as well as other Moshville Times endeavours) and personal/other work commitments got in the way, too. And I promised it would get published, so here we are, three months later after chipping away at the review any time I’ve had five minutes to myself. So to the bands, PRs, managers, the festival’s organisers and its patrons – I’m sorry, life got in the way. Now, let’s roll back the clock…
Sunday is just like any other at a festival if you’ve been there all weekend – it’s a sluggish start for everyone. The arena’s a bit muddy with more rain due and the coffee intake only increases. Meanwhile, the press room and the festival site is buzzing over Lost Society’s performance last night. For so many people, they’re revelatory.
Kicking off the final day, it’s Kit Trigg. Their set becomes a battle against the elements but it doesn’t spoil their sunny disposition. Instead, the skate rock trio simply play harder for the slowly building crowd. Musically, they’re a whole lot of fun, inspired by a lot of those bands you’ll have heard on the old Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. They’re a tight unit and their bright, sunny tones are a perfect way to blow out the cobwebs. The fresh-faced Empty Accents are one of those bands you hate. Because they’re so damn good for their youth. Despite the early slot, they take it seriously without being po-faced about it, managing to get the assembled crowd going with their hard rock/metal blend, throwing in the odd indie inflection. Whilst the vocals fit, the singer would be an excellent fit in a modern indie band. And any last doubters are won over by their cover of Velvet Revolver’s “Slither”. Who isn’t going to shout “Hey!” at the right moments or have a shiver up their spine when they hear that bass line? Sure, it might not be fired through Les Pauls and Marshalls but it brings a fresh twist to a song which, by this point, is a standard.
It’s at this point that I’m going to give a shout-out to the stage crew. With the rain an ever-present threat for the first half of the day, not just “a bit”, this is like if Motörhead were in charge of precipitation. It’ll soak you by the time you walk from the outdoor stages to the Trailbalzer stage. But the crew are on it whenever it happens – covering or turning over the stage monitors, endeavouring to clear the stages of standing water and ensuring any equipment at risk is safeguarded. So props to some of the unsung heroes of the weekend! Slyder Smith and the Oblivion Kids bring some bright power pop tones with hints of 60s British invasion for the early afternoon. The trio are nonchalant without verging into try-hard territory which you can see in some bands. Smith himself is an enigmatic frontman, mild-mannered and not effusive but you still take notice of him. But sonically, it’s a great fit for the time of day, enough to get the blood pumping from a solid live act who I’d imagine would create a hell of a night headlining your local sweaty club venue.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Not Now Norman are a bit harder to pigeon-hole and it would seem by design without being pretentious about it. Whilst there’s a very obvious traditional hard rock sound for the foundation, there’s hints of Blondie, Joan Jett, and The Runaways or even Cherie Currie’s later solo work (such as her Blvds of Splendour album). As a solid unit, they know how to make the most of the Trailblazer stage, clearly used to playing in club venues and know how to utilise such a space. Hush Money are just as great as they were the previous week when they played alongside Tom Killner at the Giffard Arms. Playing muscular Southern rock, the Americans are riding high off the past week of touring and for this as their final stop, you couldn’t pick a better place. There’s not much of a chance to watch them (interviews) but they remain a captivating force. Bringing in hints of blues and paying homage to the legends of the genre (both legacy and modern), they make an original sound with hints of grunge and alternative to make people pay attention.
It gets hard and heavy with Bang Bang Firecracker. Sweat-dripping, shit-kicking rock and roll is the order of the day, perfect for the people who are in the Trailblazer stage to escape the rain. Indeed, it’s relatively full for this time of day and the band make the most of it, not even blinking an eye at the heat. Or the band literally put that much into their performance they make Airbourne’s Joel O’Keeffe bone dry. You can tell this band is heavily influenced by Motörhead but it’s done with love and reverance and never falls into tribute territory like some other bands who cite a single band (there’s various bands who fall into this). There’s a tribute to Motörhead from the band and a thrilling rendition of “No Class” (always a joy when a band plays a cover and not one of the obvious ones) and I can’t wait to see them again at Hella Rock Festival.
Tom Killner brings the sun and blues skies to the festival which last the rest of the day. With his own brand of Southern rock a little different from his touring partners, Hush Money, it’s less gritty but every bit as potent. Interviews mean that I’m only able to catch the first couple of numbers and after the sadly shortened set the previous week, it’s another couple of months before I can catch a full set. Regardless, what I do see is the chance to see him and his band at full throttle, their Southern tones and the warm weather making an excellent combination. All that’s missing is a dram of bourbon.
It’s all about hard rock with a dose of alternative with Molly Karloff. They’ve got the big, chunky riffs needed to get the crowd going which they manage to do with ease. Their punky, grungy tones drive the music forward, and it’s easy to see why the front of the tent is bouncing as they charge head-first through their set. It’s a refreshing and eye-opening edge for those who may be dismissive of the grungier side of the spectrum, especially on a day which is focused a bit more on the traditional rock sounds. It’s no surprise why Sons of Liberty are this high up the bill. The Southern rockers are hugely entertaining and are a tight live unit. There’s a whole lot of boogie on offer as you’d expect and they make sure you’re having as much fun as they are with vocalist Russ Grimmett getting amongst the crowd. Sonically, it might be a touch safer than some of the other Southern rockers this weekend but you can’t deny they’re damn good at what they do. Daxx & Roxanne combine the swagger of both bluesy and sleazy tones for an uncompromising sound. The Swiss rockers are well-oiled, confidence dripping from them without turning arrogant. It’s an energetic set, their music consistent throughout, having found what works for them and playing to their strengths rather than experiment and fall flat on their collective backsides.
These Wicked Rivers are a band that have been going from strength to strength these past couple of years. Having released a killer album earlier this year and catching them at Uglyfest shortly after, I knew we were in for something special. And they certainly didn’t disappoint. Battering through an hour of their material, they largely focus on the Force of Nature numbers because the album is exactly that. Newbies are welcomed into The Family on the song of the same name. The classic rockers channel blues and stoner rock to be the UK’s answer to Clutch, albeit more grizzled, hairier and trade trippy psychedelic moments for whisky-soaked soundscapes. The large crowd in front of them is well-earned and despite the sound, they’re an energetic band but know how to bring it down a gear where appropriate, something you can do at a festival when you have that length of time to play with. But as always, it’s the finale of “Don’t Pray For Me” with its slow build to the massive crescendo which is the highlight.
It takes a couple of songs for The Hot Damn! to hit their stride but once they do, there’s no stopping them. As always, it’s colourful chaos with no fucks given. Featuring unicorns, beach balls and enough confetti to comfortably bury a body (or make a confetti angel), this is The Hot Damn! at their lovably ridiculous best. Their catchy power pop songs are enough to make you forget that there’s only a few hours left of the festival whilst giving us a preview of pretty much everything we can expect to hear on the long-awaited debut album. However, there’s two run-throughs of “Can You Hear Me Now?” (if Bruce Springsteen had to do it for “Dancing in the Dark”, then you can’t blame the girls for wanting to get as much footage as possible, too) but both times are met with equal enthusiasm as the afore-mentioned beach balls are flung around the crowd.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Taking the honour of closing out the weekend, it’s Tyketto. They’re not a band who are part of my listening habits and I can name one whole song (funnily enough, it’s not that one). That said, I remember them being rather good at Winter Storm in 2017 and whilst the line-up may have changed, it’s not stopped them as masters of melodic rock/AOR. For eighty minutes, they don’t let up, intending on finishing the weekend with a bang. They may not have the pyro of Lost Society but it allows you to focus on the band and only the band. It’s a riveting set and has the crowd singing along at several moments.
Indeed, the highlight for me comes in “Strength in Numbers” (that being the only song of theirs I know) which was originally not meant to feature tonight as Danny Vaughn revealed to a few of us in the press room but since Tosh was looking forward to it, his request is fulfilled and it’s thusly dedicated to him. Vaughn himself is a magnetic frontman and whether he’s got his guitar strapped on or roaming the stage, he’s got the crowd in the palm of his hand, working with the rest of the band as if it’s their last show. It says a lot about their performance that despite not knowing the vast majority of their songs, I’m thoroughly entertained, and I have to see them again. They’re a dynamic live act and whilst they may not be the heaviest band on the bill, they still get the blood pumping and end the weekend on a massive high.
With a bit of an afterparty in the press room for all of us press/media types, the volunteers and team, it’s just another way of showing how Call of the Wild looks after its people and goes the extra mile. It’s at this point that I’ll admit I can’t think of another festival I’ve covered where press and media have been so well looked after. But that’s the entire festival’s ethos and it’s no surprise why people have been coming every year since 2019. I’ve hated that I’ve missed it every year until now and after this weekend, I’ve hated it even more. I’ve literally never heard a bad word said against the festival or even a “It’s good but…” and I certainly didn’t have complaints over the weekend other than I want to do it all over again, even if my voice was battered come Monday. And now that 2025 has some bands to it, it simply builds the excitement as the organisers continue to iterate and ensure it’s not just the same bands year after year. Call of the Wild may not be the biggest festival on the calendar but after just one visit, it’s now my favourite and I can’t wait for next year!
Photos by Gabi Kowal
