Firevolt Rock Festival 9th -11th August 2024, Whitebottom Farm, Stockport
So back in November 2023, the “purple universe” announced their first acts for the 2024 festival nestled in the idyllic surroundings of Etherow Park, what with beautiful grounds, stunning weir and waterfall backdrops, not so distantly from Stockport , that it was at that moment
IT HIT ME, and the better one in this relationship decided that we should continue our support for this wonderful “little” festival in the North West of the country , and not doing the usual rock events that cover the middle of the country throughout the “summer months”
This is not a review of the bands – I want to make this clear .. all of the bands are superb, and are testament to the hard work from Stret and Co. that it takes to arrange and organise such an event – still in its infancy, however, I feel that it is going to grow even further and I dare say that the current “big top” stage may become something different in the years ahead !!
So.. fortunately I have a parking pass (yay), which allows me to have access to the driveway upto the priority parking, however I did as part of this research access the parking zone and shuttle bus area just outside the entrance to Etherow Park .. I must say – the efficiency, regularity of the transport is an absolute credit and one in which others can & should be envious of .. I dare say the smell back on the Sunday night might need some “pine trees” 😊 ??
Going back to the entrance as a "customer" aspect, I was met by a strong security presence, however just doing the job they are requested to do .. checking emails, paperwork etc to ensure that all is correct .. before having those delightful, and “precious” media / weekend bands attached to your wrists, before making your way to parking ..
WE ARE IN !!! Let the weekend officially begin …
This is a community vibe weekend and it is all about friendship, not in a Woodstock way .. but a genuine friendship community.. the Facebook community page (see link at bottom) has assisted lots of people with information, help and travel plans with people travelling from as far away as New Zealand and Canada to be part of this event – and absolute KUDOS to you all .. personally, meeting up with people who I have spoken to online, and putting the face to the name is such a great feeling and further bonded our friendships
..and then after a quick walk around the site and two stage areas "Trooper Stage and the Big Top (some two minutes apart) I feel reacquainted with where everything is and its time to go to visit the loo – well, if I’m not going to review all the bands, I guess other important things need to be covered.. and lets face it – toilets are usually pretty $hit at festivals, however fear not !! a proper toilet block, regularly maintained, fresh running water for hand washing is totally in keeping with the professionalism covered by the Firevolt volunteers – and there are showers too !! for the hardcore camping fraternity .. im a softie nowadays, so no camping for me.
With the music about to begin, there is a party vibe going on and a lot of (lets say) LOUD shirts being worn around the stage area.. Oh yes, it is “Shit Shirt Friday” in honour of Mr Paul “Rock Fury” Cash and his attire which has now become a running joke over the last couple of years, not failing to mention his 60th birthday celebrations 😜, and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday .. this will not be the last of “Made in Taiwan-Worn in Milan Day” – as he claims.
( Paul Cash with the lads from Thieves of Liberty )
Important festival info in my opinion.. FOOD !! as with all outdoor events, sustenance is paramount to keeping the energy up and with the usual, burgers, pizza , jacket potatoes and even Greek food ( the chicken gyros is highly recommended) .. pricing is reasonable and again, part of the weekend is not to rip off the bread and butter ( not literally), but you the customers..
here are a few prices for reference:
Chicken Burger £8.00
Stonebaked Pizza 12” £11.00
Angus Burger & Fries £11.50
Pint of beer from £5.00 (token operated system)
To the music, and as previously mentioned, all of the acts had their followers and all were greatly received by the partisan crowd throughout the three days and personally, I had a few favourites not least South of Salem (above), The Last Internationale but the highlight (for me) was Vandenberg .. just wOw .. with near 50% of the gig covering Whitesnake crowd favourites, it certainly ended the Friday nights proceedings on a super high note. A special mention though has to go to the lads from Thieves of Liberty .. 12months on from them gracing us for the first time, boy have they come a long way and such down to earth funny and kind lads to boot – check out their current release Shangri-la (pre order album - out Nov 15th )via https://tmrrockrecords.com/collections/thieves-of-liberty
Sales of merchandise has definitely damaged the bank balance over the weekend , however these are essential sales in which the bands rely upon and it was good to see the dedicated area within the Trooper Stage area, but I do feel a better area could be created for the Big Top stage .. rather than just a table at the rear of the tent .. and that my friends is the only negative to the whole event.
to close this small little review, I just need to say a few Thank Yau’s for what again was a wonderful event .. so here goes,
Stret & Bev – words fail me for your dedication to the cause 💜
Paul Cash – delusional Man City fan 🩵
Nigel Cartner – World Famous Author and photo pit marshal 📖
Dave Fyfe – Stage Manager and all round genius 🎙
Photographers – creating memories for those too drunk to remember 📸
Volunteers – all legends and thank you 👏
So, with pre sales for the 2025 event now live to the special few , look out for upcoming band announcements – Oh and book 7th -10th August 2025 into the diary
.. see you next year 🤘🤘🤘
See You At The Bar !!
Comentários