Review: Maid Of Stone Festival 2024 – Friday

Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent (July 19^th, 2024)

Reviewer: Phil Honley / Photographers: Phil Honley & Dan Mann

The inaugural Maid Of Stone Festival rose like a phoenix from the ashes of Ramblin’ Man last year and was an overall success despite the inclement weather.

Judging from the recent comments of Emily Eaves with regards the shortage of rock bands at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, she could do a lot worse than spend this weekend in Maidstone wherein she would see that there is a great number of rock bands to call upon to play a festival. My guess is that organiser of Maid Of Stone and chief booker Chris Wright has a job limiting the number of acts over the weekend to just thirty nine.

Friday 19th July will always go down in the history books as the day the world experienced the first major IT outage. The threatened Millennium Bug in 2000 thankfully never materialised but this had a major impact on airlines and rail networks across the globe. That aside the 2024 Maid Of Stone festivities got off to an unhindered start…..at least it appeared so.

TNT Degenerates always have fun with the pre-show DJ set and the crowd gathered for the opening evening session featuring three bands that certainly whet the appetite for the rest of the weekend.

The site layout is very much as it was in 2023 with the three stages; The Inferno Stage being the main stage, The Phoenix Stage and the Firestarter Stage which has thankfully become an open-air stage and ditched the marquee.

White Raven Down get this weekend off with an outstanding opening set. Front man Stu Bailey always strikes up an immediate rapport with the crowd and as a three piece with Luke Chappell (Bass) and Tom Mrazek (Drums) providing the rhythm they are a formidable band.

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I best not say this out loud, but I have never been an Iron Maiden fan so even though Blaze Bailey is a Metal Hall Of Fame inductee he had never featured on my playlist.

Following his time with Wolfsbane he joined Iron Maiden with whom he released two albums and toured worldwide between 1994 and 1999. Tonight was more like an Iron Maiden tribute, but it certainly went down with the majority.

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Gun brought the opening night to a close with a set that ticked all the boxes.

The current line-up, featuring original members Dante Gizzi (Vocals) and Giuliano Gizzi (Guitar), along with Paul McManus (Drums), Andy Carr (Bass), and Ru Moy (Guitar), powered through with their iconic tracks such as ‘Welcome To The Real World‘, ‘Better Days‘, ‘Steal Your Fire‘ and the ever present Cameo cover ‘Word Up‘ that was guaranteed to involve audience participation.

Samuel Jackson’s new film ‘Damaged’ features a number of tracks from the band’s latest album ‘Hombres’ and these were well represented in the setlist.

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With eighteen bands to come on each of the following two days….bring it on.

©All photographs are copyright of Phil Honley – Gigsnapz & Dan Mann – RPR Photography. They may not be altered or used without express permission.