The demise of the much loved Ramblin’ Man left a hole in many music fan’s summer scheduling. Starting in 2015 and running for five years, Ramblin’ Man was a unique event in that it was relatively small scale and it offered something for everyone .. rock, prog, blues, etc .. and whilst it could never compete with an event like Download for attracting the big names (the likes of Iron Maiden, Kiss, Slipknot, Metallica) nonetheless a range of well-known acts headlined in the five years the event ran for notably ZZ Top, Whitesnake, Saxon, Marillion and Black Stone Cherry amongst others.
Held in beautiful Mote Park, Maidstone, right in the centre of Kent – the garden of England, with good access to the motorway .. the M20 less than two miles away .. and only one mile from the town centre, the event soon established itself in the summer festival calendar. But no event was held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and sadly nothing occurred in 2022 as the people behind Ramblin’ Man, Spirit of Rock, went out of business. But into the breach, however, has stepped a new event, Maid of Stone, to fill the gap in many fans summer festival schedule, and rather than attempt to be Ramblin’ Man mk2, Maid of Stone set out to create its own identity and, for this reviewer, succeeded in establishing itself.
FRIDAY
The opening night, Friday, initially a party for those camping in the grounds, was made open entry for those with weekend tickets and produced a few grumbles from fans about having only one bar being open, and said bar offering a choice of cans of lukewarm Bear Island, some kind of cider or nothing .. no draught beer. Also, several complaints were raised about only one food wagon available, with lengthy queues the norm. But other than these few teething issues, the music proceeded smoothly, which was what we’re here for.
“Hello, you f*ck*rs, let’s rock ‘n roll,” shouted The Fury’s vocalist Julian Jenkins and we were off. They had the Maiden stage, held inside a huge tent, jumping with ‘Hell Of A Night’ and ‘Rock Lives In My Soul’ and they certainly got proceedings off to a lively start, even if the sound was a trifle distorted where I was standing, meaning the singer’s screams came across as quite ear piercing. All female outfit The Hot Damn! however, sounded much clearer and they were an explosion of riffs and colour ..’everything brighter than everything else’ as their colourful T-shirts proclaimed .. and they whipped up quite a party atmosphere and, for this reviewer, were the band of the evening. An unknown quantity to many, they made quite a few new fans with tracks like ‘Juke Box On The Radio,’ ‘You Gotta Be There’ and ‘Live Laugh Love’ ..recorded in Doncaster and mixed in Australia! Their spoof of Janis Joplin’s Mercedes Benz ..’oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Hot Damn! T-shirt?’ went down particularly well. Shout out to drummer Josie O’Toole who played some pretty amazing fills and handled the sticks with aplomb, and also Laurie Buchanan, who bopped about on guitar like she had an electrical charge running through her.
Alas, circumstances well beyond my control meant I was unable to stay for too much of The Treatment’s set, but what I heard was well received by a boisterous crowd clearly in the party mood.
SATURDAY
The whole arena was now open! There were many more fans now strolling around .. from the number of Ramblin’ Man Tees being worn, the event clearly hasn’t been forgotten .. more stalls selling a wider variety of foods and other goodies. For those whom Bear Island didn’t quite do the trick, all bars were now open and offering a wider range of alcohol, so all thirsts could be slaked. The merch stall for the performers did good business, albeit after a lengthy queue, and the inclement weather didn’t deter the massed fans from wanting to rock the Mote.
Ah yes, the weather .. Collateral, opening events on the Jeff Beck memorial stage, were the luckiest band of the day, given they were the only act today to perform in dry conditions. This is a band who have all the right stage moves and some riffs which could become anthemic. They just need a major album boost and they could go onto bigger and better things. I’d wondered what Freddie Mercury had done with his iconic yellow jacket and found out it was now owned by Collateral vocalist Angelo. They played several stage faves, including ‘Midnight Queen’ and ‘Mr Big Shot’ and, after they concluded their very lively set with ‘Merry Go-Round’, the rain began.. and didn’t stop all day.
Observing a rock audience during the rain is an interesting experience. There’re those who, wearing their latest tour t-shirt, stand around blasely ignoring the rain all day. Then there’re those who immediately dive for cover under the nearest canopy, usually the beer tent, and don’t come out again and those who’ve come prepared with waterproofs and lord it over those getting soaked.
But, whatever, we Brits are nothing if not stoical. We know we live in a crap climate, and getting soaked at festivals is not a new experience for most of us, and we don’t allow the elements to dampen our enthusiasm; we rock on and, with three stages to choose from, sometimes with unfortunate clashes, we’re spoilt for choice.
Following Collateral, KiraMac played a blinder with vocalist Rhiannon Kira Hill on great form with the way she got the crowd going, playing up their humble northern roots while performing tracks like ‘Scorned’ .. don’t get on this woman’s wrong side !! .. and ‘One Way Ticket’. Definitely a band to watch. The Kris Barras Band had played on the Risin’ stage at the first Ramblin’ Man in 2015 and his performance eight years later revealed just how far they’ve travelled and how much better and tighter his band’s become, culminating with an album achieving a high placing in the charts. They perform a scorching set of his band’s take on bluesy rock, playing ‘Dead Horses,’ ‘Who Needs Enemies’ and even with an impromptu version of Alanis Morrisette’s ‘One Hand In My Pocket’ thrown in. I suspect they’ll be higher up the bill if they return to a future event.
Bad Touch gave the by now thoroughly soaked crowd their take on Black Crowes’ style rock ‘n roll and played well, with tracks like ‘Wise Woman’ and ‘Let’s Go’ really hitting the spot and their enjoyment of what they were doing helped fans forget how miserable the weather was. Then it was the turn of Orange Goblin to take the stage. Few bands have had as many ups and downs as the Goblin boys but they’re still here, despite a few close calls, and they’ve lived to tell the tale, proving the spirit of rock never dies. They were on impressive form with fast and furious rockers like ‘Devil’s Whip,’ ‘Filthy & The Few’ (singer Ben Ward dedicates this one to the audience!) and ‘Sons Of Satan,’ and if Slayer need a support act, look no further. The Cold Stares were almost the polar opposite of the Goblin’s, with their amiable mix of easy-on-the-ear blues and southern rock, plus a few killer licks thrown in. Only an American band could look at a drenched crowd and play tracks like ‘Anyway The Wind Blows’ and ‘Waiting For The Rain’!
Then, for this reviewer, came one of the two major highlights of the weekend and the first real injection of pure rock God class into the proceedings. Glenn Hughes has nothing to prove to anyone .. he’s been there, seen it, done it .. often to excess .. made his own t-shirt and left his mark, and his rock god credentials are there for all to see. He’s still the ‘voice of rock’ and he gave us his take on Deep Purple from his stint in the band, giving us classics like ‘Might Just Take Your Life’ and ‘Getting Tighter’. After this we get a stunning version of ‘Mistreated,’ followed by the classic ‘Highway Star’ and concluding with ‘Burn’. He was the only act to get an encore, in that he finished his set five minutes early to allow for the calls to return! But, no matter, this was the only set which made me forget the rain and wind.
SUNDAY
God is smiling on us!! He’s decided we’ve had enough rain and, today, the sun comes out and remains with us all day, and the fans are really up for a good time.
Sons Of Liberty opened up the Jeff Beck stage at the un-rock ‘n roll time of 12.15 pm. They were an ideal opening act and they get the early afternoon crown rocking in the early afternoon sunshine with their blistering take on southern-based rock ‘n roll. The cheer greeting the Outlaw Orchestra on the Phoenix stage showed they were already amongst friends. They’re a blend of rock ‘n roll and British self-deprecatory irreverence, coupled with some superb songs. Their original take on ‘Come Together’.. “written by me and my pal John” .. was very effective. And it takes real chutzpah to do a countrified version of Motorhead’s ‘Iron Fist,’ which they succeed in carrying off. “I don’t care if it is Dave Grohl backstage, tell him he ain’t coming up onstage with us,” vocalist David Roux declares to much amusement. The story behind ‘Too Much Willie Nelson’ and new song ‘Bag Of Bones,’ with a hilarious story of how it was arrived at, also went down a treat.
One of the good things about an event like Maid of Stone is the chance to discover acts you’ve never even heard of. Walking past the Maiden tent, I catch Unknown Refuge. They’re an energetic four-piece hard rock band from Manchester, and they performed well. I was unfamiliar with any of their songs but what I heard was enough to make me want to go and check them out further.
On the other hand, Elles Bailey has been around for quite some while, building up her stage rep and giving us her ‘little take on Americana.’ Her smoky-voiced take on roots and blues is very much in the style of Bonnie Raitt and Delaney & Bonnie, which is appropriate as she performs D&B’s ‘Long Road Ahead,’ plus John Martyn’s ‘Over The Hill’. She plays a gorgeous version of ‘A Perfect Storm’ and she’s ably backed up vocally by Demi Marriner, whose own solo album had just been released, and a red hot band behind her. Elles amuses us with the story of her new boots, which arrive just in time for the weekend. A double bill of Elles Bailey and Bonnie Raitt would be quite a show.
Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons give, for this reviewer, the other main highlight of the weekend with a set which can only be described as explosive. From the opening notes of ‘Iron Fist,’ theirs is a set where one Motorhead classic follows another .. ‘We Are The Road Crew,’ ‘Damage Case,’ ‘Killed By Death’ and ‘Ace Of Spades,’ throwing in ‘Silver Machine’ along the way and concluding with a furious Overkill, all played with power, speed and precision. Sadly you’ll never see Motorhead again but who better to keep their legacy alive than the man who played at the great man’s side for 30 years?
Intending to catch the next act on the Jeff Beck stage, I get distracted by what I hear coming from the Maiden tent, and it’s a three-piece female rock band called Haxan, whom I know nothing about. They’re a powerhouse band from Wales and they rock the tent remorselessly with tracks like ‘Killing Time’ and ‘Do You Wanna Come Back To My Place?’ which produces the predictable response from fans down the front! I stay for their whole set, which means I miss most of Skindred, catching only ten minutes.
Headlining the Phoenix stage, Robert Jon & the Wreck are a hard-working band who’re extremely ‘match fit’ after lengthy touring and they’re as tight as a snare drum. Their blend of bluesy-based southern rock ‘n roll is well received by a crowd featuring many RJ & TW Tees being worn. Their set is a mix of songs from their new album, Bring Me Back Home Again and Don’t Look Down, plus some old favourites, ‘Shine A Light On Me Brother’ and ‘Oh Miss Carolina’. They conclude a lively set with guitarist Henry James shredding notes from his axe with the lengthy ‘Cold Night’. It’s easy to see why blues giant Joe Bonamassa is in their corner. Earlier this year, I’d seen them in a small venue and wondered how they’d go down at a larger venue, but they showed they’ve got what it takes to play to bigger crowds.
So, finally, it was left to the feisty Airbourne, fronting a very impressive-looking stack of Marshall amps on the Jeff Beck stage, to bring to a close what had been an amazingly good weekend, and they don’t disappoint. Hilariously described by one reviewer as ‘AC/DC on speed,’ they’re certainly an energetic act and few would want to follow them after this. They rock up a storm with their stage antics, and they do the guitarist on the shoulder and carried through the crowd trick. It’s clear they’re thrilled to be headlining at a venue where they played further down on the bill several years back. Songs like ‘Girls In Black,’ ‘Back In The Game’ and ‘Breaking Out Of Hell’ get the crowd rocking along, and their message of “Rock ‘n roll is for life” is one everyone here shouts out their agreement with .. and then it’s all over .. Maid of Stone concludes.
There were a few gripes on social media about Maid of Stone .. pointing out things which should happen but didn’t, but for this reviewer, the inaugural Maid of Stone festival was a real success. The running order was adhered to and all sets began at the time listed, the facilities were good and there was a great vibe emanating from the crowd, which was largely impressed with what was on offer. If you were here but found nothing to listen to and enjoy, you’re at the wrong place. Personally speaking, I’d have liked one or two prog bands on the bill but, hey, you can’t please everyone every time. Maybe next year? The compere before Robert Jon shouted loudly to the crowd, “What a weekend, eh? Let’s do it all again next year.”
Indeed .. see you all in 2024.
