A Thousand Horses, St Lukes, Glasgow. Wednesday July 30th, 2025

Six of us headed into Glasgow to see These Wicked Rivers. They weren't the headliners, and it did feel odd justifying the expense of seeing them play as a support act, having already caught them twice this year, but they are damn good. 

As they were again tonight. They played a tight setlist on a cramped stage and sounded great.

I'd never heard of headliners, A Thousand Horses. I'd listened to their album and figured the night would be about line dancing, cowboy hats and slide guitars. Boy, was I wrong! For the first two numbers, they sounded more like Oasis than Nashville. The singer's posture at the mic wasn't as pronounced as Liam Gallagher's, but there's definitely an influence. Only when the guitarist brought out his slide did it feel like we were veering into country mode.

They are a good band, but tonight they got strangled by the sound in the venue. Everything was too loud. Rather than turning down the bass and drums, they turned up the vocals and the guitar till it produced feedback. I wasn't the only one holding my ears during some of the songs. Which is a shame because they rocked. 

I thought I was dreaming when they started playing the opening bars to Champagne Supernova, then actually sang it. I hadn't been wrong about the Oasis influence after all. The singer was even dancing like Liam, bopping across the stage to the beat. The only thing missing was the parka. I liked the singer. He had a commanding presence, a likeable charm, with a Brad Pitt vibe about him. Shame I couldn't hear his vocals clearly.

They didn't play a long set, just under an hour and a half, but they did spend lots of time afterwards meeting the fans, as did These Wicked Rivers. 

Crowdwise, two individuals drew my attention (I won't go into Scott's sniggers and chattiness, because he can't always help it). The first was a young lad in a baseball cap near the front. He liked to raise his arm and take videos, not of the entire song and not always pointing the camera at the band. Every time I saw his wrist appear, with more bracelets than hair, I wanted to take him aside and give him a lecture on how to shoot a video. He enjoyed himself, though.

The second irritation was a well-to-do couple who stole the space in front of us during the interval. They were in their fifties and were ruthless as f@ck. Evident from her enthusiasm towards the band, she wanted to be at the front but hadn't arrived early enough. That wasn't going to stop her, though. She had moves and didn't care whose view she blocked. We weren't her only victims. One man went to the bar, and the pair immediately claimed his space. His wife complained to him upon his return that her view was spoiled, but there was nothing he could do. The woman tried it on again, dancing down to the front, putting her arms around a couple at the barrier before those behind called her out and she reversed away again, holding her hands up in surrender, still dancing. Cheeky bitch! 

Anyway, she didn't spoil my night. The venue's sound did that. It could have been so much better.

No setlists available at the time of writing.

These Wicked Rivers

Josie, TWR's manager, alone on the balcony

A Thousand Horses

After they stole the old man's space,
Before she danced to the front.

Meet and Greets

Ticket Price: £30 via Alan (he got them from TicketWeb) 

Maid Of Stone - Sunday, Mote Park, Maidstone. Sunday 20th July, 2025

Another bad night for sleep. I'm running on empty, despite having filled up at the breakfast buffet. 

At the venue, I retreat into myself, weariness kicking in. Absolva, the first act on the main stage, are too loud and heavy for my delicate head. I crave sugar, but the donut (sic) stall isn't open yet. Two acts, Queen Horizen and Battle Born, have dropped out of the line-up, so Karobela are up next. I last two songs, then bail by the third. I'm not keen on bands that play over backing tracks. The performance becomes like a rail journey with no room for diversions. 

Absolva

Karobela

I return to the VIP section and sit on a bench in the rain, my poncho hood up as the wind billows the fabric around me. I can feel the beat of Parker Barrow's drums and bass pulsing across my frown lines. The rain is definitely dampening my mood. There's still no reply from Bobbie Dazzle (see Saturday's post for the origin of that story).

I doze while The Heat Inc. play. It feels like the long three days have finally caught up with me. Day four isn't getting any better. I get a duck wrap and a cola and make for the Inferno stage to catch Marisa and the Moths. The rain lifts as they take the stage. I gladly remove my poncho, but realise I've lost its pouch. It's no longer in my pocket. It must have fallen out when I removed my wallet to buy the drink or the food. I scrunch up the poncho and hold it in my hand. Marisa's music is different to the other styles at the festival, more punk. There's a passion on show, but it's not lifting my weariness. 

Marisa and the Moths

I retrace my steps, attempting to locate the poncho pouch, but with no luck. I have no idea where the lost property is, so I concede to carrying the unruly garment in my hand. Then I have a brainwave.

Poo bags are not just for dog excrement.

I skip more bands, content to relax in the VIP area with Scott. I manage to get close to the front for These Wicked Rivers. The wind is so strong it blows over their lamps, breaking one beyond a simple tape repair, so the stage crew remove it. I'm always impressed by the band, and this show is no different. Now that I'm aware of the lead singer's disability, I notice it more. It doesn't change how powerful his singing is, though. A quality act.

These Wicked Rivers

I skip more acts, remaining in the VIP area, except when I wander away to grab some dinner. I need to buy an ice cream to cool my mouth from the spicy buffalo sauce I'd requested on my chicken burger. Stone Broken give a robust set, which I view from a distance. Empyre sound great too during their acoustic set. I make a mental note to catch them again during their Firestarter headline show.

Stone Broken

I feel like an idiot carrying my poncho in the stupid poo bag. Happily, Scott agrees to put it in his backpack. 

We all wander over to Blue Nation. The rain has passed, and the sun is out. The band are amazing. The banter is incredible. They can't believe how large their crowd is, as they are more accustomed to playing to eight people and a tech, and sometimes without the eight people. They can't believe they've won a Blues award. They didn't even know they were a blues band. They thought they were more like Led Zeppelin. They accepted the award anyway. One woman has flown all the way from New Zealand to see them. The singer thanks her for the added pressure. He reminds her that there are better bands than theirs on at the show, listing them. Their humility heightens my enjoyment of their performance. These are three Brummie blokes who can't believe people want to listen to their songs, failing to appreciate how good they are. Brilliant band!

Blue Nation

I leave feeling happy for another reason. I've received a reply from Bobbie (or Sian, her real name), confirming that she has added me to her guest list. Fandabidozi, to quote her album title.

Sweet are fantastic. So many 'blockbuster' hits one after another. They could easily have closed the show. I listen from a distance, prepared to make my way early to see Empyre.

I'm surprised when elements of the crowd boo Empyre as they come on. The host introducing them makes a joke at the guitarist's expense, raising a laugh. The banter between the audience and the band helps undercut the pomposity of their music. The guitarist takes a lot of stick, but has the quick-wittedness of a stand-up to deal with it. A fun, serious band if that's not an oxymoron.

Empyre

Scott wasn't feeling well, so he left to return to the hotel, missing the final band, The Michael Schenker Group, who were closing the festival playing the music of UFO. I'd been looking forward to this set since the band were announced. "Doctor Doctor" is one of my favourite rock songs, and I like many of their other tunes.

I get a surprise when Doctor Doctor lands third in their set. Surely that's a closer. I needn't have worried. They had a brilliant setlist ahead of them. I thought they'd nearly blown it when Rock Bottom went on and on, the singer departing to let the rest of the band do their thing. Not quite a guitar solo, because it wasn't solo, but an impressive virtuoso performance from Michael. It wasn't the end, though. They had two more classics up their sleeve, Shoot Shoot and Too Hot to Handle, which they dedicated to Pete Way.

Bob said his goodbyes to his fellow Urinals (a fake band they'd designed, complete with T-shirts, badges, and plectrums, as a joke), then we left. 

It had been a great festival, and we resolved to do it again next year. The beauty of a festival is your exposure to new music, like a sampler menu at a restaurant. Some you like, some you don't, but some you love. I still can't believe I'm going to Edinburgh to see Bobbie Dazzle support Alice Cooper. 

Ticket Price:  around £240 for the weekend VIP. 

Addendum:

We departed the Travelodge at 5:10 a.m. on Monday morning. The rain was so heavy around London that the visibility dropped to a few dozen yards. We made it through the Dartford Tunnel before the toll payment time. I slept a lot of the way home, dog tired. I might be getting too old for this.

Regardless, we've bought tickets for next year. Rock on.    

Bonfest, Main Festival Site, Kirriemuir. Saturday 3rd May, 2025

I can't say I've truly experienced Bonfest because I never made it as far as Kirriemuir, stopping to park at the festival site and not exploring beyond (I've still not seen the Bon Scott statue - another time, perhaps). This was mainly due to timing. I couldn't leave the house before lunch and couldn't check into my hotel room until 3 pm. My incentive to attend, though, was not to see the many AC/DC tribute acts but to catch The Hot Damn! and These Wicked Rivers (Girlschool being an added bonus).

Parking at the event was straightforward. I drove down a massive grass field and was directed to a parking space by an attendant. He then informed me the main site wasn't open until 5 p.m. and that I'd missed the now-closed ticket office in town. I could catch the free happy bus into Kirriemuir if I wanted, but all the pubs would be rammed. I decided to hang around.

Clutching my ticket printout, I wandered down the car park field for a reconnaissance. The campsite tents were on the right, and beyond them, lines of camper vans. On the left stood a large white tent, with food vans, a seating area and a line of toilet cubicles in the gap. The massive arena tent dominated the back.

Main Arena tent and benches

The fencing beside the food vendors was open, so I wandered in, with no security around to stop me. The Hot Damn! were playing their soundcheck in the arena tent so I ordered a bratwurst and sat at a bench to listen (the arena tent was officially closed). As I lifted the sub roll from the card container, the paper napkin it rested upon went flying, such was the strength of the freezing wind blowing through the festival. I was so glad I'd decided to wear extra layers, despite the weather back home not requiring them.

After I finished my food, I explored the rest of the area, peeking into the beer tent, which was still being set up, and then into the merch hall, where drink tokens could be purchased for £5 a pop. I showed the guy behind the counter my ticket printout and was told they weren't ready yet, but to hang around. A second steward then politely told me I needed to leave as I didn't have a wristband. I went to exit the way I came in, only to discover the fence had been put back in place. I was trapped inside, so I had to find yet another security person to let me out. I realise this makes it sound like the organisation was poor, but it wasn't. My innocent exploration highlighted a glitch in their setup. The open fence should have had a security person present to prevent me from wandering in. 

Anyway, I waited outside for another ten minutes, had my ticket scanned, and received a wristband and a free merch patch. I bought a programme and messaged an old school pal, whom I knew was also attending the fest, to see if we could meet up. 

High Voltage, an AC/DC tribute act, started up in the VIP tent. I hadn't paid for VIP, but I didn't need to, as they were so loud they could be easily heard from the food area. Shortly before 5 p.m., I spotted others heading into the main arena, so I joined them, managing to snag a position at the front on the right. Away from the sun, the place was freezing.

The Hot Damn! were superb, despite how cold it was. The set they played was similar to the one they played supporting These Wicked Rivers, including the Merch Song to the tune of Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz? I love the energy, attitude and party atmosphere the girls create for their shows. I was surprised by how small the crowd was to start, not realising how many fans were not yet on site.

After this, I finally got to see These Wicked Rivers, having missed them twice: the first time, after they called off for Maid of Stone; and then after my pal took ill before their 10th Birthday Bash. This time, I wasn't disappointed. I knew most of the songs and enjoyed their stage presence and powerful performance. Early on in the set, the singer faceplanted the stage, tripping over a cable. I thought the way he fell was odd, like a felled tree. He had to be helped up by a roadie. Only later, when I spotted him heading for the merch tent, did I realise he had mobility issues. 

Having seen the two bands I most wanted to catch, I made my way out of the tent to find my school pal. I messaged him asking for a whereabouts update, and while I waited for his reply, I nipped back to my car for a snack and the opportunity to warm up. Getting his message, we finally met up for the first time in nearly thirty years. After a few failed attempts, his wife managed to capture the moment for posterity. 

We missed the start of Girlschool's set as we were still chatting, but what I saw was good. The music felt a bit retro, especially the Motorhead cover, but I enjoyed their set. I was nowhere near the front and got to see just how drunk many of the attendees were, blissfully staggering to and from the tent. 

I did my best to enjoy the day's final act, Sin City, but left after about half an hour, saying goodbye to Kev on the way out. Sin City played songs I liked, but it felt a bit too 'pantomime', with 'Bon' in a frightful wig and a plump 'Angus' in a bright red school uniform, replete with devil horn cap. 

I drove back to the hotel as dusk fell. Little did I realise how tired I was and how little sleep I would get at the Premier Inn, thanks to the repeated clunking of a busy internal security door. I won't go into too much detail about the post-breakfast spicy diarrhoea episode that nearly derailed my journey home, other than to say it felt like someone was operating a bicycle pump on my intestines, persistent but growing weaker with every subsequent squirt.     

The Hot Damn! Setlist (As far as I can remember).

Fizz Buzz Crash
Dance Around
About Last Night
Jukebox on the Radio
Live Laugh Love
Loud and Clear
Merch Song
Going Down
I Didn't Like You Anyway

These Wicked Rivers Setlist (not sure if I've missed any or the order they were played in)

Force of Nature

Shine On

Evergreen

When the War Is Won

Old Willow Tree

Black Gold

Horse To Water

Don't Pray For Me

Dance Around

I Didn't Like You Anyway

Old Willow Tree     

The Riverboat Man

Don't Pray For Me

 

The view before the show

Someone used a selfie stick to film up close and personal.

These Wicked Rivers

Girlschool

Sin City

 

Ticket Price:
BONFEST 2025 - Saturday Single Ticket (FOR MAIN ARENA AND TOWN HALL)
£45.00 GBP
Service charge
£5.24 GBP 
Total £50.24 GBP from Universe (a Ticketmaster company)