Live Review : Call Of The Wild Festival on May 31st 2026
Sadly the weather gods have been less kind as we emerge bleary-eyed from our pits on Sunday morning. There is a distinct threat of a light drizzle as we head into the arena for yet another day of musical madness. However, in typical English summer fashion the moment we put our raincoats on and gather our battle brollies the sun comes out again. This leaves numerous punters standing around feeling uncomfortably sweaty and slightly foolish until a break in the action allows us to shed our waterproof outer layers.
First up, it appears someone has mistaken the stage for the Chelsea flower show, as it’s full of a scary amount of potted plants. This is to herald the arrival of young rockstars-in-the-making retsecroWs. They made an appearance on Trailblazers last year that absolutely blew everyone away, and now they are back to open proceedings for us. Their original tunes are hard-edged and slightly doomy, played with a vigour and skill that belies their tender years. They have energy and style in abundance. Set closer ‘This is the Future’ sums them up really – these youngsters may still be at school, but they display a love of their genre and a talent for performing that really is something special. Oh, and they gave extra plants away at the end of the set too. A great way to blow the cobwebs away and start our day.
They are followed by Midlanders The Soul Revival. Rather than soulful they are actually a rather tasty heavy blues combo. The music is kind of groovy, with good melodies played well but all the while keeping a heavy edge. They can be filed under Easy to listen to, easy to move to, easy to enjoy . Meanwhile over in Trailblazer our friends from Liverpool, White Lightning set the stage on fire making potentially their first festival appearance. They have all the 80’s hair metal vibes going on. The look and sound are both spot on and so is the attitude and the energy. It’s all derivative but never actually stolen; more of a loving tribute to those heady Sunset Strip times. It’s a faithful reproduction of a time when life was all about the party, and these lads do it in spades (and shades).
Blackpool’s A’Priori are well-known to these pages, being based on our patch . The energetic threesome draw a good crowd and keep them entertained and engaged throughout. There are good times, good tunes and good humour because who can resist a song called ‘Na-na-na-na-na’? Moving further north for inspiration, Cumbria’s Heartbreak Remedy are also here for the party. They start as they mean to go on, with axeman Luke clambering up onto the PA then down into the pit whilst not missing a single beat. In the meantime the upbeat music and happy atmosphere soon has the crowd dancing and singing along and a good time is had by all.
Things get a little rawer when we nip to see Continental Lovers, Nottingham’s finest sleaze punks. They whirl through a set of dirty grooves in a loud, proud and ever so slightly obnoxious manner, bringing to mind The Wildhearts in the loud bits and the Dogs D’Amour during the ballads. A great way to liven up that bit of the afternoon where you can sometimes start to droop a bit – musical Viagra in fact! We move to a more traditional classic rock/metal sound with Australia’s Wicked Smile, the band with what must surely be the longest-haired frontman in the world. The guitarist’s daughter Cassidy Paris steps up to duet on a couple of numbers and the melody and strength are perfectly performed.
Marc Valentine has been quietly rebuilding his brand since the demise of the Last Great Dreamers, and with today’s show and current band lineup it seems he’s finally found his niche again. The addition of a keyboard player rounds the sound out nicely and the happy pop-rock refrains leave us all smiling, clapping and dancing. The band also display a range of stylish headgear, which adds to the upbeat mood. Marc and his band have recently released a new album “Uncommon Side Effects” so it was good to hear some new music and confirm that the songwriting and musicianship are both still as captivating as ever.
Another band who have come to the main stages following a successful debut on Trailblazer last year are Liverpool retro-rockers Silveroller. Their laid-back, 70’s-inspired sound is perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon as they bash out some Hammond-organ-tastic sounds, augmented with some nice harmonica. Flares and paisley aside, this is a band very much in the vein of Free mixed with The Faces. They bang out a couple of new songs as well as several old favourites, and draw a warm and appreciative welcome from the crowd.
Fireheart are very much anticipated, having risen from the ashes of several other New Wave Of Classic Rock favourite bands. The stage is set with ego boxes, and the crowd is waiting with collectively bated breath. It’s a bit of a let-down then when they let rip and the sound is sadly pretty awful. Up on stage all the moves are happening but out here on the ground we have no idea how they sound because the whole thing is just muddy. By about the third song someone finally finds the button that turns the guitars up, but it takes until Cassidy Paris appears (again!) for a duet before we finally get to hear the vocals. This is a shame, because once we can hear it the music is actually really good. It’s party rock but with a message. The song themes explore mental health and support in some depth. Signature song ‘Good is Good Enough’ is a nice slice of jangly emo, and then it all gets a bit silly as they break into what appears to be a song that is a big-up of their bass player. Strong message, strong music and once the initial sound fluffiness is overcome a strong contender.
Chez Kane is up next, and shows off the power of her voice. Her songs are inoffensive power rock, and she has the talent and charisma in spades. Her band (including guitarist Harry from Tyketto) is tight and strong but there’s still is a slight feeling of incompleteness. She’s getting closer to finding her musical comfort zone, and watching her band is a very enjoyable experience, but somehow it still feels like she hasn’t quite fulfilled her potential. She’s come a long way from the band she had years ago with her two sisters, and she definitely has the voice to go further, she just needs to find the best direction to get her there.
Sisters Doll open with a confetti cannon and then it’s all uphill from there. This Aussie quartet of brothers have breezed onto the scene in the last couple of years and swept away all the opposition as they have risen to the top and a headline spot on the second stage. The vocal harmonies are stunning, we have seen some great singers here today but these lads surpass them all as they bounce about the stage like eager puppies. There’s no agenda here, no deep and meaningful messages, just fun fun fun but in a clean-cut kind of way. Each band member gets to do a bit of a solo spot, but again in a “waiting for the others to join in” way rather than a “look at me” one.
The brothers themselves look like they hare having so much fun, and the crowd catches the move and stomps and struts right alongside them. They have synchronised stage moves, they sneak bits of The Who and Kiss songs into the instrumental breaks and at that stage no more words are required because the music is doing the talking. They go back to their beginnings with “Doll House”, they break our hearts with ‘This Life Is Gonna Change’, they get political with ‘Death Row’ and then right at the end when your feet feel like they can’t dance another step they slip seamlessly back into party mode. ‘Good Day To Be Alive’ is something for an anthem for them now, and it sums up the set, the band, the crowd and in fact the whole festival in one singalong chorus. Augmented with more confetti and some pyro, they are perfection on a stage and after they finish many people head out of the arena to pack up and head home.
Which is a shame for the actual headliners and night-enders Von Hertzen Brothers, as they are left with a somewhat sparse audience who are displaying something of a “follow that!” attitude. Although, like Sisters Doll, the nucleus of this Finnish prog-rock band are all brothers that’s where the similarity ends. “Welcome to the graveyard shift!” quips singer Mikke after their first number, “we’re used to this, nobody came to our signing session earlier either!” which raises a few appreciative titters. Technically this band is absolutely brilliant. They weave complicated melodies and deconstructed beats into a gentle, lapping sound that is more about making you think than making you party.
In an 11-song set they touch on most of their 9-album 25-year history. They meld together seamlessly songs from eras to the point that the whole seems to reach into your very soul. They are not dynamic, but there’s a quiet and wry humour in the between-song banter. They even manage get the crowd to wave glowsticks and sway from side to side at one point. There is similarity to Rush, not necessarily in the actual tunes they play but more in the gentle efficacy of every note, every chord, every lyric. They think. They inspire you to think too. They do all this with no frills, no pyro, no backing tracks. Just 3 brothers and their two very good friends (one of whom has just returned to the fold after a 10-year absence) making a noise which satisfies them even where it may bemuse the listener somewhat. The crowd listens politely at first, but as the set moves on they move closer, captivated and held by the on-stage dynamic and the deep, convoluted sounds they produce. As the final notes of final song ‘Peace Patrol’ ring our into the clear May evening they accept the polite applause with good grace if not ear-splitting grins, and another Call of the Wild comes to a close.
It’s been a weekend of eclectic music, enthusiastic attendees and great organisation, and it seems very unfair that we have to wait a whole year to do it all again. Wait we will though – the 2027 edition will take place from 27th to 30th May, and tickets are already on sale. If you haven’t been before, do come and join us – in these days of corporate sponsorship it’s great to be at an independent festival that has been built from the ground up by a team who love what they do so please give them your support and help them to keep doing it!
Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Nice & sleazy, glam & cheesy