Stonedead Festival 2024
Published
Monsters of Rock it aint - but neither should it be.
‘Recreating the spirit of Monsters of rock’ - why do people keep saying that, and what does it mean? Let’s face it, in 2024, very few people are able to articulate what happened in 1980. It was 44 years ago. And lets be honest, the 1980’s metal scene wasn’t the ‘cleanest’ of cultures, so any hard core fan won’t have remembered much past lunch time, let alone what the spirit of Donnington actually felt like.
At a mere 45 years of age, I had to research the original festival details. True enough, it was initially a one day event, but, it had 35,000 rock fans in attendance, and was in a completely different location.
Stonedead Festival - let it be to 2069, what Monsters of Rock is to ‘us’ in 2024
Stonedead must be remembered as Stonedead - an amazing, welcoming, highly engaging, open, exciting and hugely entertaining rock music festival, superior to all others in feel and sense of community.
Let’s get on with the show...
So the Friday night party, despite the limited backdrop due to safety concerns with the wind, kicked off with the Scarlet Rebels ripping through the dry iced filled air. From the first chord to the last smack of the snare drum, what is notable by the truck load is the support from the crowd. Either from up against the bars, or relaxing in the plethora of camping chairs behind the divisional barriers, every rocker there was loving each and every moment.
Paul Di’Anno continued to keep the crowd McLovin It by playing Iron Maiden’s legendary first album from start to finish. That is probably a first for every crowd member, my self included. It felt like history was being made, not recreated.
With Paul Antony’s comparing voice appearing from behind that hair, the Quireboys completed their set in the truest of party manners, with the ever drunken crowd seeing themselves as part of the band.
From Pyro to backing dancers, as a fan voted poll winner, The Hot One Two were a great pre lunch time opener on the main day. Followed a personal fav, Tailgunner’s skin tight leathers and denim, with 80’s high top trainers, maybe this is the spirit of Donnington? What ever it is, the heavy rocking, fun loving, stage falling younguns nailed it, and the neon green Jackson soloist could defo be seen from space.
Bringing the sun from California, The Bites blazed through their set engaging with the post rain soaked crowd as much as possible. Making way for Bonefide, and they’re the real deal. Not new to the scene, their maturity is of benefit when it comes to their vintage rock swagger, killer ACDCesque riffs and crowd involvement. A well timed crowd pleaser as the afternoon gets into full swing.
Even with a one day festival, completing a review within the word limit is hard going, but the show must go on, the Queen of Rock, Doro and her band have still nailed that classic metal sound. KK’s Priest more than successfully took the baton, gladly it would seem. With KK and Ripper forming an awesome complimentary performance with the now fully completed stage backdrop and light show.
And of course the band played on, with Biff and the Saxon team heating up the final stage performance, whilst the English evening provided a balance of cool.
Stonedead is it’s own force now, do not allow it to be compared, overshadowed, or mistakenly on a par with anything else. Stonedead is exactly what festivals need to be. Now passing it’s 6th year, and the 7th already sold out, word is out, and if you’re a rock music fan, don’t miss out! Roll on August 2025 and the new legend that is Stonedead
Gods of Rock Winner!
With Steve ‘Krusher’ Joules on the main day compare duties, the crowd erupts even at the phrase ‘Ugly Kid Joe’.
I have to give it them, American bands really know how to work the crowd. From their stage entrance, Whitfield, Klauss the newer members of Ugly Kid Joe give their absolute all. Only seconds had passed before 5000 crowd members have their hands in the air following Whit’s every movement and command.
I know the crowd pleasing tracks, please the crowd, but, ‘It’s Alright’, ‘So Damn Cool’ and ‘That Aint Living’ have easily just attracted 5000 new fans.
Belting out the known favourites, ‘Cats in the Cradle’, ‘Everything about You’ and of course, what has now been synonymous with respect, Ugly Kid Joe’s cover of Motörhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’ is treated with nearly as much love as the original itself. That’s quite the achievement, but, it’s very well deserved.
Still high from the front row view I had, new friends I made, and another UKJ set on Thursday at the Concorde 2 in Brighton, will this memory fade? I doubt it.
