Introduction
After a short drive with thankfully no traffic, I arrived at Newark Showground for the 8th Stonedead Festival. The press pass collection was swift, parking was easy, and within 10 minutes of arriving I was sat in the press area with a coffee in hand. Not a bad start at all!
It was here that I had a fantastic conversation with Steve and Tosh, both of whom had years of valuable festival experience that I was more than happy to soak up. Eventually, they went off for their traditional cigar, which was my cue to head towards the arena for the start of proceedings.
Bag checks complete, I eagerly strolled into the fold and headed straight (as always) for the merch stand. T-shirt and patch acquired, it was time to grab a beer and let the madness begin!
Review
Aethoria
Very, very, very good!
From the moment they hit the stage, Aethoria looked like they belonged there. The vocals had a fantastic tone, and the singer clearly knew exactly how to work a crowd. She moved around the stage like a redhead jumping bean, and I genuinely don’t think she stayed still for the entire set!
There were some seriously technical parts throughout the performance, particularly from the guitar and drums. The bass did exactly what it needed to do, although it never really got the opportunity to shine. I suspect that comes down to the way their songs are structured more than anything else.
With their new album Fool’s Gold being released on the same day as Stonedead, I think it’s safe to say they’ve probably gained a lot of new fans. In fact, I think they could have easily occupied a higher slot on the bill. It’s honestly madness that they hadn’t played in front of a crowd this size before.
Asomvel
Alright. Own up! Who transplanted the aura of Motörhead into Asomvel?
The four-piece demonstrated that hard rock definitely ain’t dead! Dressed head to toe in black, complete with long hair and a whole lot of attitude, they looked every bit the part. Thankfully, they had the talent and sound to back it up too.
Both the new and old songs sounded quality, with excellent performances right across the board. The vocals, which I can only presume are achieved by gargling a mixture of Jack Daniel’s and gravel, cut through the dual guitars perfectly.
Asomvel didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. They knew exactly what they were there to do, and they did it bloody well. This was the closest I got the stage all day and I am glad that was the case. Feeling that thump in the chest from the speakers was worth it.
Crobot
Crobot ran out onto the stage, which, to be honest, was a bit risky considering it was absolutely drenched! But if there was one thing that never slipped throughout the set, it was their energy.
Sporting a purple sequin top with an open chest, lead singer Brandon Yeagley put on one hell of a show. Although his choice of trousers was shocking. Truly shocking.
Switching between new and old material, Crobot had me questioning why they aren’t bigger than they are. They have the songs, they have the stage presence, and they clearly know how to put on a show.
They ended the set with an absolute cracker, followed by something I genuinely don’t think I’ll forget. Without any warning whatsoever, Brandon jumped onto the guitarist’s shoulders and somehow managed to land it mid song!
The Damn Truth
Whoa, what a voice!
The Damn Truth arrived from Canada and knew exactly what buttons to press, even in the pouring rain. Their blues-infused rock was exactly what the crowd needed, and somehow they managed to bring a bit of warmth to a very wet Stonedead Festival.
If I had to pick out one negative, it would be that I wanted a little less guitar and a lot more of that voice. That’s not a criticism of the guitarists, because they were clearly very talented. I just found myself wanting the singer to truly take centre stage and really let that voice loose.
The set eventually ended with the introduction of scantily clad girls who, quite frankly, must have been absolutely freezing! I found it reassuring that the Juno award panel back in Canada clearly loved the bands music as much as we all did. The only difference is that yesterday they were winners! Their self-titled album really is a great listen.
Battle Beast
Battle Beast have a look. And that look is black, with sparkly silver bits.
It works brilliantly on the new Brazilian lead singer Marina La Torraca. But less so on the rest of the Finish band. The keyboardist, has the honour though of being the first keyboard player I’ve seen all festival season!
They did a great job of entertaining the crowd, and there was absolutely no questioning the ability of the lead singer. Her operatic-style voice was seriously impressive. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the songs weren’t written with her voice in mind.
She did a great job with them, but for me, the overall sound never quite clicked in the way I hoped it would. I think this tends to be the case when a band replaces a singer anyways. But their next album I am sure will sound much more cohesive.
Still, Battle Beast’s epic, almost quest-like sound had plenty of people following along on their journey. And for a short time at least, I was more than happy to follow them too!
Magnum
The best thing I can say about Magnum is that the band themselves were very professional and incredibly tight when it came to their instrument playing.
Unfortunately, I did have some issues with the lead singer’s (Bob Catley) voice. At this stage of his career, I don’t feel it is strong enough to carry a festival performance of this size.
During the first song, I genuinely thought his microphone wasn’t turned on. It turns out he was simply that quiet.
He did receive some help from the bassist, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to change my overall opinion. I’m glad that I’ve finally seen Magnum, especially considering how long they have been around, but I won’t be rushing back to repeat the experience.
Accept
Smoke machines. Pyro. Entertainment. Accept went all out to impress, and impress they absolutely did.
There was real cohesion between the band members, with plenty of technical flair throughout the performance. Particularly when it came to the guitars. They worked their way through songs from across their entire 50-year career and didn’t miss a beat.
They even welcomed John Bush from Armored Saint onto the stage for a song. Unfortunately, I missed Armored Saint’s own set earlier in the day due to my phone dying, so I didn’t get the chance to see them myself.
Honestly, these five guys could do a great job as festival headliners. The crowd were fully behind them and the atmosphere was fantastic. Even if the sound did cut out halfway through Balls to the Wall!
Europe
The countdown to the festival’s headliner was finally over! Europe had arrived.
They immediately came out with full energy, with singer Joey Tempest performing a very cool trick involving the mic stand. Even if he did nearly fall off the stage shortly afterwards!
I was surprised to hear On Broken Wings so early in the set, but it sounded fantastic live. In fact, it quickly became obvious just how much heavier Europe’s sound is live compared to on record.
The set was absolutely jam-packed with hits, many of which I was surprised to discover I knew without even realising it. I suspect that’s one of the curses of having a song that so many people know and adore, sometimes the rest of the catalogue gets overlooked.
Their cover of Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again was particularly interesting and, actually, very well done. It was during this moment that I really started to appreciate the minimalist stage setup. They didn’t need much, because the lighting show did a fantastic job of creating the spectacle.
If I had to pick one standout moment from the set, it would have to be Carrie. It showcased both the power and delicate nature of the Tempest’s voice, while also delivering that absolutely insane guitar solo!
But eventually, the time had come. The Final Countdown. It was every bit as special as I thought it was going to be.
By this point, the rain was absolutely lashing down and my body was beginning to feel the effects of a long festival day. But the opening of that song hit like a shot of adrenaline.
The crowd instantly came back to life. You genuinely had to be there to believe it! And boy, did it sound great! A really fitting way to end a great day.
Final Thoughts
What a fantastic festival!
Great press facilities, a guest area that kept people as dry as humanly possible in the circumstances, and a quite frankly stacked line-up. It was brilliant finally seeing bands that I’ve wanted to watch for a very long time, particularly knowing that some of them may not be bands I get the opportunity to see again.
I usually judge festivals quite harshly when it comes to food and drink prices, but Stonedead did well here. Both were very reasonable! The same can be said for the merchandise. After picking up a T-shirt and a patch for my jacket, I was distinctly impressed.
The arena itself was also a perfect size for the number of people attending. Honestly, I think you’d struggle to make it much bigger without losing some of what makes the festival work so well.
You could tell that the vast majority of attendees return year after year ,just like my friend Shane does, and I can completely understand why. Everywhere you looked, there seemed to be another reunion happening. Friends meeting up, familiar faces finding each other again and that real sense that Stonedead isn’t just another festival for the people who attend.
The music itself was a really interesting mix of genres. The line-up gave newer bands the opportunity to show exactly what they could do, while also making sure the more established names were given the respect, and the size of slot, that they mostly deserved.
And in the end, I only had one problem with Stonedead Festival 2026.
It was one day.
One stage.
And one problem…
I wanted it to last longer!
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