MAID OF STONE FESTIVAL SATURDAY 19TH JULY

SATURDAY 19TH JULY 2025

MAIDSTONE - MOTE PARK

Well, the sunshine was nice while it lasted, but it’s raining in Maidstone this morning. Jack J Hutchinson graciously accepts that it’s probably his fault, given it was raining the last time he played in Mote Park too! It hasn’t deterred him, or his band from optimistically donning their sunglasses and fedora hats, and thankfully it hasn’t deterred the crowd from turning up early either. ‘Don’t Let the F****** Get You Down’, starts the day right, an appropriately loud middle finger to anyone who makes you feel unworthy. The big riffs of ‘Constellations’ and ‘Days are Gone’ are an excellent antidote to any fatigue, and augmented today by additional guitarist Ash Wilson filling out the sound. But it’s the gentle ‘I Will Follow You’ that hits the hardest and results in the first major singalong of the day, a moving reflection on Jack’s father’s battle with Alzheimer’s.   

Scheduled to perform last year, Big River were forced to cancel their appearance at short notice, a result of their “melodramatic singer going to hospital” (his words, not mine!). So it’s a joy to see them get their chance to open the Firestarter stage at last. Wearing the influence of Bad Company proudly, the heavy blues of ‘Hometown Hustler’ kicks things off nicely, Simon Gardiner’s lovely grooving bass underpinning Adam Barron’s soulful vocal. ‘Beautiful Trauma’ shows the band at their best, a classy slow burn with a show-stopping guitar solo courtesy of Damo Fawsett. Throwing in a “cheeky cover” of ‘Higher Ground’ initially seems a strange choice, but works well, showing Big River to be capable of funk as well as blues.  

Looking like some kind of heavy metal Avengers, Fury explode onto the stage with irresistible energy, tearing through new single ‘Interceptor’. The band has made the jump to the main stage, having opened the festival in a smaller tent back in 2023. Successfully mixing heavy with catchy, ‘Burnout’ showcases their unique approach, male and female vocals combined to great effect, the chorus complete with synchronised arm movements. Frontman Julian Jenkins asks us if we like it loud and fast and of course, the answer is a resounding yes; Fury give us what we want, but we’re less generous, declining to shout ‘I’m gonna buy JJ a beer’ despite his best efforts!  

One of many impressive front women to take to the stage today, Bobbie Dazzle appears to be attempting to revive the glam rock era, and is doing a fine job of it. ‘Flowers on Mars’ is pleasingly chirpy and uplifting; where many rock bands scowl, this band smile and bounce. Admittedly, it’s difficult not to when hearing the Quo-like stomp of ‘Revolution’ or hip shaking ‘Back to the City’ which sees a keytar employed and hand claps encouraged. More fun than should reasonably be allowed, Dazzle makes a suitably sparkling impression.  

Introduced to the stage as “something a little bit different”, Rosalie Cunningham and her incredible band are all the better for it. Unrestricted by genre or expectation, Cunningham is a truly creative talent. ‘To Shoot Another Day’ sounds like a Bond theme, ‘Timothy Martin’s Conditioning School’ reveals a Beatles influence and ‘Heavy Pencil’ is an utterly majestic prog epic, building to an unexpected conclusion. The heavy thud of ‘Spook Racket’ rumbles with menace, contrasted by Cunningham’s elegant vocal that is like no other in rock. Though it’s Cunningham and bassist Claudia Gonzalez Diaz who dominate visually and vocally (teaming up beautifully for ‘Ride On My Bike’), guitarist Rosco has a great voice too, taking the lead on ‘Rabbit Foot’ and sending the band on yet another, more bluesy musical tangent. For me, it doesn’t get much better than this. 

I hear many describing Kim Jennett as a powerhouse, and they’ve got a point. With the most aggressive vocals of any of the women on stage today, she certainly gives the performance her all, an incredible noise erupting from her petite frame. New song ‘Bloody Killing Floor’ is about being at rock bottom, and you sense that being on stage provides some catharsis, an opportunity to let it all out. A ferocious ‘Immigrant Song’ brings the set to a close, the Led Zeppelin classic reinvented, still familiar but much more angry.  

It’s not the first time Welsh trio Florence Black have graced the Maid of Stone main stage; not part of the original line-up for this year, they were called upon to replace a band who had dropped out. It’s hard to imagine anyone being disappointed by this news, as these lads successfully trample any audience they are put in front of with their bludgeoning riffs that are guaranteed to get heads banging. ‘Zulu’ is the kind of song that makes you contort your face in appreciation whilst ‘Sun and Moon’ utilises clever soft/loud dynamics for maximum impact. The band have made Budgie classic ‘Breadfan’ so much their own that there are some who probably don’t even realise it’s a cover! A masterful set that passes all too quickly. 

Over on the Firestarter stage, Flint Moore have a challenge on their hands trying to win over a largely new audience with their moody, atmospheric rock that generally unfolds slowly. The band has a strong look, all adorned with lines of black face paint across their eyes adding to the air of mystery that seems to surround them. There is reward in sticking with them, ‘Bury My Sins’ is a quality song, highlighting Francis Pennington’s rich voice that wouldn’t sound out of place fronting a grunge band. Absorbing and different, Flint Moore are ones to watch. 

There seems to be a lot of excitement around guitarist Sophie Lloyd, hopefully the result of her incredible proficiency as a musician and not just because she looks good in very little clothing! In any case, it’s encouraging to see a female guitar hero getting some attention, and slightly baffling as to why there haven’t been more over the years. Joined on stage by singer Marisa Rodriguez, the duo make a fabulous pair, both masters of their art. Nathan James takes over on vocals for an epic ‘Fall of Man’, but it’s the appearance of Black Stone Cherry’s Chris Robertson for ‘Let it Hurt’ that triggers even those who haven’t been paying much attention to run in for a better look. I’m very impressed by an instrumental ‘Thunderstruck’, Lloyd demonstrating that she can shred with the best of them. 

Having recently chatted to the Revenant lads, it’s a pleasure to watch them win new fans on the Firestarter stage with their no-nonsense rock imbued with Southern flavour. ‘Best Medicine’ is a perfect festival tune, easy to pick up and fun to shout along with. Pleased with the reaction, singer and guitarist Sam Lay acknowledges, “You guys are raucous” before treating us to a new song that, like much of this band’s work, feels warm and heartfelt. Less so, ‘Coming Back to Life’, a song that apparently got Lay “in a lot of f****** trouble!” but rocks particularly hard.  

I only really see and hear The Raven Age from a distance (I suspect it was probably time for some topped chips or something of a similar nature!) which is a shame, as their sharp modern metal seems to go down very well. Looking the part with their distinctive blacked out arms and necks, it’s great to see some heavier acts getting some representation in the park. I hope to catch The Raven Age properly another time. 

Though perhaps an acquired taste, there’s no denying that In Search of Sun are bringing something fresh to a genre that can sometimes feel a bit tired. Much bouncier than your average metal group, they lean into their pop sensibilities with songs like ‘Contagious’ and ‘The Fire I Play With’ that funk as much as they rock. 

Embracing the somewhat juvenile image that they have cultivated over the years with their long socks and shorts, Ugly Kid Joe are actually a very impressive live act. Whitfield Crane is a truly gifted frontmen who has such command over the audience that if he tells you to get your hands up or jump, you’re not going to argue. He encourages all the “little dudes and dudettes” onto their parents shoulders, cleverly involving the children at the event in a way that no other act has. And the band have some pretty cool songs to back up the performance; ‘Neighbour’ and ‘Goddamn Devil’ are transformed into something heavier than their studio counterparts. ‘Cats in the Cradle’ inevitably gets everyone singing, as does a cover of Motörhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’. But we’re all waiting for the finale, and ‘I Hate Everything About You’ is as infectiously catchy as it ever was. One of the best sets of the weekend. 

A riot of colour and energy, Beaux Gris Gris & the Apocalypse certainly know how to put on a show. Unfortunately, I only catch a couple of songs as I’m passing which I recognise may be a mistake as ‘Wild Woman’ and ‘Satisfy Your Queen’ are riotous slices of rock and roll that should warrant my full attention. 

In any poll about who people wanted to see headlining Maid of Stone, Black Stone Cherry always came out on top so it’s no surprise that the festival feels significantly busier today, and dominated by t-shirts bearing the band’s logo. As someone who has been with the band from the very beginning, it makes me happy to have witnessed their ascent and to see them back at Mote Park for the third time. A little less happy when they point out their debut album was released 19 years ago (But I can’t be that old? Can I?!) A band who give every performance their all, the energy is high from the very beginning, Ben Wells and Steve Jewell careering around the stage, Wells in particular in danger of giving himself a pretty nasty headache! Jon Fred is a fantastic drummer, always reminiscent of the Muppets’ Animal in the best possible way, thundering away at the back.  

It’s a killer set, favouring the familiar, just what you need to round off a day at a festival. ‘Me and Mary Jane’ gets things underway, the first of many anthems that we shout back at the band. Chris Robertson acknowledges that there’s not many countries that they would fly to for one show, but the UK has embraced them from the beginning. We’ve clearly got good taste and are certainly up for “a good time and a party with Black Stone Cherry”. It’s great to hear some of the band’s older material; ‘Devil’s Queen’ goes over particularly well. So devoted is the group’s fan base here that Black Stone Cherry could probably play anything and we’d still be singing along. As with any Black Stone Cherry show, there are poignant moments. I'm sure I'm not the only one who sheds a tear or two during 'Things My Father Said', a song that forces you to reflect on loved ones lost. And encore 'Peace is Free' a futile cry for the world to come together - if only it was as simple as it seems at a festival. Chris Robertson concludes “We want to thank you for a beautiful evening. We love you guys so f****** much” - well, right back at you boys.