Rockers Through the Ages Christmas Party: Jayler, Gorilla Riot, Voodoo Sioux. KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton. Saturday 20th December, 2025

My final gig of 2025 was a wee trip down to KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, with an overnight booked at the Wolverhampton North Premier Inn. Last time we attempted this journey, my partner in crime (Bob) took ill on the way down, and we had to leave the gig early. This time, we chose our meals wisely. 

(Bad news about Tebay Services: whilst its interior refit looks great, they've decided to reverse their dog policy. Dogs are not allowed beyond the foyer. Shame they can't do the same for the children, given the shrieks emanating from the Kids' play area.)

 

We found the hotel and chose to eat dinner in the Beefeater next door, figuring anywhere decent in town would be heaving with Christmas shoppers. Then we drove in and met up with Bob's festival buddies at Jack's Cafe & Bar, opposite the venue. While at that establishment, we struck up a conversation with other gig attendees, who warned us that the street parallel to the venue was a notorious hotspot for car crime. I didn't attempt to park anywhere else and tried to put it out of my mind (fortunately, nothing bad happened).

There was a fairly long queue to get into the gig, so I missed out on a barrier spot once we got inside. I hung back, then spotted a couple of short ladies near the front in the centre, and stood behind them, ending up about three from the front by the time Voodoo Sioux came on. 

They were a big surprise. Their singer, Professor Balthazar (aka Nick Flaherty), is a curious character. A pensioner punk with a fuzzy mohawk, stage makeup and a smile like a 7-10 tenpin bowling pick up, he struts the stage in between his bouts of singing, sipping water, then spitting it out like a fountain. His voice is rather good, though. Equally odd is their bassist, Mario Ermoyenous, who twangs the strings at weird angles and grins like Dr Teeth from the Muppets. The sensible one, Jon JB Blakey, on guitar and backing vocals, is a revelation, both as an excellent singer and guitarist. He provides a solid foundation to the wackiness, as does the drummer, Nige Halford. I had expected to dislike them, but quickly warmed to their performance. Quirky but fun. 

Thank you to the band for posting this on FB for me,
as setlist.fm hadn't been updated to include any sets from the gig.

Gorilla Riot, I love. This was the prime motivator for making the journey down, even though it was only a support slot. Their gutsy, blues-infused rock is always great. Arjun, on vocals and guitar, is a cool frontman with an acidic wit. They visibly enjoy themselves as they play. They gave a rock-solid performance tonight.   

Setlist:

Wrong Side of Town
Molotov Sister,
Kerosene Clown,
Hungry Like the Wolf,
Last Hymn,
Half Cut,
Bad Son,
Dirty.

(Thank you, GR, for replying to my FB request with this list.)

Jayler are a young band going places. They've not even released their debut album, yet they've sold out a 2,000-capacity venue (also helped by an excellent support lineup). If you've seen the film The Substance, imagine Robert Plant's spine opening up to reveal James Bartholomew, and you wouldn't be far off the mark. He is a supreme talent, vocally, on guitar and harmonica. The other band members play their parts well, but James is the star (and he's not even old enough to drink alcohol in the States yet). 

Early on, I felt Tyler Arrowsmith's guitar sound was being lost in the mix, compared to when James was playing. This may have been intentional, given the musical styling, but it initially put me off. By the end, though, they were rocking the room big time. 

For such young men, they've done so well to build a following. With tours supporting Sammy Hagar and Deep Purple next year, their careers will turn stratospheric. I felt lucky to catch them again on their way to superstardom. 

Thank you, Charlie Power, for posting this on the Jayler page for me.

The next day, a weird thing happened after I posted enquiries on the bands' Facebook feeds about their setlists. Voodoo Sioux posted a picture of the setlist (Bravo!). Gorilla Riot listed the songs they played. James from Jayler replied with a thank you, then commented on a couple of my public Facebook posts, asking me to message him. 

So I did.

What followed was a bizarre conversation, obviously with a bot, making up shit in response to my questions while indicating he was upset. It provided me with an inaccurate setlist, told me someone named John in the front row had received the cake for his 50th birthday, and then told me 'he' was uncomfortable with my questioning. No shit, Sherlbot!  

I don't know if it's a fake account or if their management has outsourced fan enquiries. Either way, I won't engage with that account again.

Addendum: the fake account was deleted the following day.

Ticket Price: 2 x £15 plus £3.76 Service Fee = £33.76 from TicketWeb.

Jayler

Gorilla Riot

Band post-gig photos (from FB).

Voodoo Sioux

Gorilla Riot

Jayler

My photos (mixed quality as the night went on):

The joys of a Christmas Party 

It's snowing? Nah, foam.

Lots of foam

Waldorf and Statler approve.

Maid Of Stone - Friday - Mote Park, Maidstone. Friday 18th July, 2025

 

We didn't sleep well at the Travelodge due to the heat in the room, the fan doing little to bring the temperature down. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, though. A right good feed to set us up for the day. 

The weather was already scorching as we walked to the park. Arriving after ten for an eleven o'clock opening, we rested against the metal sheeting that surrounded the event space and ate our Greggs sandwiches, chatting with the other fans beside us. By the time the gate opened (late, around 11:15 am), the queue stretched the whole length of the park. The security supervisor urged his staff to keep us moving, keen to avoid angry confrontations. The staff member who scanned our tickets didn't have wristbands for weekend VIPS, so he had to find some. Not a good start if the aim was for a swift entry.

The space around the main Inferno stage was already filling up with the campers who'd been allowed in on time. We collected our VIP packs, and I picked up my pre-ordered event T-shirt. Then, we met up with Bob's pals. After that, we mostly did our own thing, catching up with each other from time to time in the VIP section. This area had been changed this year to separate the VIP band stage from the bar, the only areas now covered with tents. The space had more benches and tables than last year, but no posh recliners. The VIP urinals were too close together, so in practical terms, only two could be used simultaneously. First world problems.

Hillbilly Vegas on the Inferno Stage

The sun was so hot you could smell the varnish melting off the wooden VIP benches. I ended up using my event T-shirt as a scarf to protect my neck. I headed over to see Lead Feather, approaching the barrier to avoid standing in the direct sunlight. Lead Feather were good, but I preferred their intimate set from the night before. It felt more personal. 

Lead Feather opening the Firestarter Stage.

If looks could kill...
I thought she might snap!

Secret Set: Kris Barras's Hollow Souls

Myke Gray

The first act I'd been eager to catch was The Quireboys. I'd never seen them before, but remembered their hits fondly. Spike is like a hybrid of Rod Stewart and Vince Neil, with a hint of Freddie Starr, as he prowls the stage. His voice is no longer what it once was, but he makes up for it with his stage presence. The crowd really gets going when he plays the well-known songs, singing along loudly. Luke Morley of Thunder was helping out on guitar. His drummer usually plays with Squeeze, and Nigel Mogg is a rock legend. In fact, watching their set reminded me of the Legend slot at Glastonbury. They brought the party to Maidstone.  

The Quireboys

Spike

The food and drink prices were initially a shock. A fiver for a pint of syrupy cola felt like a rip-off, but there were free water stations, so I managed to stay hydrated.  I loved the freshly made duck wraps and had one each day. Only a tenner each!

H.E.A.T. were the first band to blow me away with their performance. Even from the food stall area, well away from the stage, they sounded dynamic, powerful, riff-heavy and musical. The front man has an incredible vocal range and comes across as more articulate and intelligent than most rock singers. He had a layer of self-awareness that pricked any pomposity about their performance. I thought they were brilliant, and it was a shame I'd chosen their set time to eat. I'd have enjoyed being in their crowd.  

H.E.A.T.

An unfortunate camera angle

The rest of the day was less exciting. Joanne Shaw Taylor was okay.  Gorilla Riot did well with an appreciative crowd on the Firestarter stage (I loved how they finished on a cover version of AC/DC's Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be). The final act of the day, Dirty Honey, didn't move me, except to leave at the end of their set. 

Gorilla Riot

Dirty Honey

The first day had remained dry, and I'd avoided sunburn. The warm, dry spell was not going to last, however. This warning appeared on the screen (and online). 

I can imagine the scenarios. Tap at the window. "Hey, Stranger, can I sit with you in your car, please?" Actually, the festival is so friendly, the response would have been, "Come on in, bud. Squeeze up, hun. Want a beer?"

I made sure to remember to bring my poncho the next day.

Ticket Price: Weekend VIP ticket ???