The last day of August and Hella Rock Festival is the conclusion for yours truly of a hectic festival season. I will admit that Coventry has not been on my list of places in the UK to visit, despite some family ties. I don’t recall ever stepping foot in the city centre. A single visit to the Ricoh Arena in 2006 to see a very lacklustre Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Brown is the only visit I can recall.
Hella Rock Festival
hmv Empire, Coventry – 31 August 2024
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Like many cities across the UK, Coventry has an air of despair, dereliction and an overall rundown appearance. There is still plenty of life though, with Saturday shoppers and teens meeting friends crossing the central precincts, and it’s through this melee that you find the hmv Empire.
A former retail and cinema site, the venue was reopened by hmv in 2021 in Hertford Street following a £500,000 re-development and replaced the former Empire venue on Far Gosford Street that closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Hella Rock Festival was the conclusion to a hectic festival season, but at least this one had a hotel bed to collapse into at the end of the day. The idea of James Pilling, guitarist with Tattoo Molly, Hella Rock began its inaugural event with healthy ticket sales and a stacked line-up of UK Hard Rock talent.
Huge credit to James and his team, for this Festival ran like clockwork, with smiles all around as the day progressed.
Eight bands for twenty quid is absurdly good value, especially on a day when the whole of the UK social media was bizarrely losing its shit about buying tickets following the reformation of a band from Manchester.
The Black Shucks
It is tough to open any show, let alone an eight-band bill, when you have spent hours travelling to get there. Norfolk-based The Black Shucks appears to have spent most of Saturday traversing the country to collect temporary members.
Whilst they are clearly knitting bassist and drummer into the band, one wonders about the sense in telling the audience that they are only playing their third gig as a unit. As a result, one is focused on slip-ups and the lack of cohesion rather than the music, which, when the band get going, is perfectly acceptable fare.
It is a decent start, but there are some slips and trips through the set that appear more noticeable after the Achilles Heel is pointed out. The Black Shucks are clearly in need of stress relief, as to their credit they spend the rest of the evening in the centre of the crowd, bouncing and moshing with an energy I can only dream of these days.
Luna Kiss
Another band local to Coventry, Luna Kiss appear early and look ready to win best dressed band of the weekend. It is Wil Russell who is the most energised, the singer/guitarist decidedly more animated than his bandmates for most of the set.
Their brand of indie/alt-rock may be lighter than some of the bands here today, but they certainly have enough to warrant their inclusion on the bill. Some neat melodies and guitar work and a blend of new and older material provide a solid performance, which sees the early evening crowd fully engaged.
New Generation Superstars
After the dapper Luna Kiss, something gritty was needed for the palette, and the intense punk-edged rock of stalwarts New Generation Superstars does the job.
There are no airs or graces here, just 25 minutes of two-minute songs that NGS rip through in double fast time. One wonders if they have another appointment, for the speed is phenomenal at times.
New Generation Superstars do what they do exceptionally well, and whilst it is not my favourite flavour, the energy and dynamism of the band ignites those who are now locked in as well as the curious and later arrivals.
Bang Bang Firecracker
If it is gnarly biker rock that you want, then Bang Bang Firecracker are your band. Led by the wild roars and lead guitar of Kieron K Berry, or Ki, and joined by bassist Marcus Wrench and drummer Bobby Ansell, this is a thunderous half-hour which flies by.
The band include a toast to the classic Motörhead line-up and a ripping cover of No Class, as well as a stack of their own stuff. Riffs cascade from the stage, thick and crunchy, and another well-received set is completed. 
King Kraken
After the highs of Bloodstock and the completion of their new album, it’s a time of mourning for King Kraken, with news earlier in the week that bassist Karl Meyer’s fiancée had passed away. Rest in Peace, Barbara.
But with Karl’s blessing, the band forge on and with Pete Rose beating Meyer’s bass without any compassion, the quartet burst through the heaviest 30 minutes of the weekend.
It is loud, it is heavy, and with two songs from the new album in the set, it is also contemporary. Ear plugs are essential, such is the volume this lot plays at. Richard Lee Mears teaches Tattoo Molly never to lend your drumkit to the Welshmen again, such is the force with which he is battering the skins.
Castle Of Bones concludes another triumphant set, and with new music coming later this year, the Kraken could well feature on bigger stages in 2025.
Tattoo Molly
Following on from Bloodstock alumni King Kraken is no easy feat these days, but Tattoo Molly, whose album Power was reviewed by Sophie James just under a year ago, have the chops to match the tentacle-wielding Welshmen.
Not content on delivering a fine debut festival, James Pilling is one of the standout axemen of the weekend, with a fine display of lead work that he makes look easy. Tattoo Molly are the hometown band, of course, and draw the biggest crowd of the weekend. They have the songs and the anthems, and the crowd is word-perfect throughout.
Nail In The Coffin, Black Sheep and Blue Collar Blues get the audience bouncing, including the most sedate circle pit I have seen for years during Black Sheep. It is all good fun, with singer Sam Wise not only carrying the tunes but also promising that Pilling will buy everyone in the room a drink.
This receives little truck from the main man and the middle finger in reply! It is a headline show from a band who have huge potential. Keep an eye out for this quartet.
The Soul Revival
One of the joys about a festival like this is the opportunity to see bands that have not come across your radar before. The Soul Revival are one such band and have the challenge of following not only Tattoo Molly but also King Kraken.
Singer Steve Nunn notes as much before defying a torn hamstring to leap around the stage like a St Vitus-infected frog. It’s a strong set, with the band turning a few heads, mainly due to the quality of recently arrived guitarist Andy Dove, whose bluesy solos are exquisite.
Drummer Karl Selickis (known to many from Wolf Jaw) is all hair, arms and sticks flailing wildly but does not miss a beat, whilst Matt ‘Higgy’ Higgins provides additional interest, throwing his bass around with no regard for his own safety. Another set that impresses, this is a band who have masses of potential.
Gorilla Riot
It is left to Gorilla Riot to close out a successful first day. The room appears to have lost a percentage of the earlier audience, some possibly enticed by the balcony and bar, but the five-piece give it their all.
I will admit that they are a strange ensemble appearance wise. The rock star image of frontman Arjun Bhishma (vocals/guitar) is not matched by the rest of the band. Whilst Bhisma and fellow guitarist Charly T cut the shapes, bassist Deggy is rooted to the spot, whilst Luci Vee’s backing vocals are lost in the muddy mix. It’s not the most exciting watch, but they have some solid tracks.
With a substantial catalogue to choose from, the band spread 11 songs, including some tasters from the new album Salvation, due out in October. Their gritty blues rock is pleasing to the ear, and by the end of their set, they have pulled any doubters around. It is a tough headline slot, given the strong undercard; one wonders if an earlier set might have earned more plaudits.
Hella Rock Festival 2025
It took less than a day to decide, but Hella Rock will be back in 2025 louder, harder, and more electrifying than ever. One hundred early bird tickets have been released, and they are available from here. £15 will get you a space on 30 August 2025 at the iconic hmv Empire Coventry.
