The road to successful festival development is littered with car crashes. For every Bloodstock and Damnation, there are many Manorfests and Temples scattered along the way. Now in its third year, Hella Rock Festival proves again that if you build it, they will come.
Hella Rock Festival
HMV Empire, Coventry – 4/5 September 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
The build-up to this festival was not easy. But drive, determination and pragmatism from the small team led by James Pilling proved that it can be done. James, organiser/promoter and basically everything else, is the engine behind an event that has mushroomed in an organic way to the size it is this year.
Last year, James and I talked about the future for the festival. He had the 400-capacity venue sorted. But behind the curtain, stage left, lurked an 800-1,000-capacity arena, and it was begging for a rock event that could fill the room.
James is sensible, picking his line-up to pull in punters from across the UK and beyond. Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons were the headline outfit. Ideally placed to pack out the room, the combination of the Motörhead icon and his sons with a packed undercard seemed ideal.
He dealt with the controversy about Tailgunner quickly and decisively. They were gone from the bill the moment social media blew up. No blame, no comment, merely a response that said no thanks. The festival comes first.
And then the world shifted on its axis. Phil Campbell, dead at 64. For everyone who loves the power of one of the most incredible bands in the world, this was a devastating blow. For his family, heartbreaking. And yet, the boys, Dane, Tyla and Todd, together with Julian Jenkins from 2025’s Hella Rocks alumni Fury, have regrouped. This time around, it is to pay tribute to their father and to the man known to many as Wizzo.
James, a huge Motörhead fan, is clear in his aim. This festival, his third, is a celebration of the Welsh Wanker, and the fans have responded, pushing the event close to sell out. The venue is gloriously decked out with PCATBS banners. Videos of the great man play on the big screen. Behind the main bar, the music plays, and on the second stage for all day Saturday, Phil’s golden flying V, his amps, pedalboard and paraphernalia are arranged in a way that allows fans to take a minute.
As a reward for early purchases, we get No Sleep ‘Til Hella Rocks. The Friday night before the main event, four bands entertain. Those with Saturday tickets get free entrance. It is capped at 200, and there are probably 130 in the room for most of the evening. This was a cracking start to the weekend.
The Paul Austin Band kick things off with a slightly more bluesy feel than the other bands on the bill. They kick into the first of many Motörhead songs that will be played over the weekend.
It is actually a cover of HeadGirl’s Please Don’t Touch which gets the right response from the audience. This is the kind of band you want in the pub on a Friday night. Good feels, good musicianship and just the start required.
Midlands-based Cherry B are next. They have a swagger, a drummer with the face of a cherub, and plenty of energy and drive. An entertaining enough set, their classic rock is generic but inoffensive.
Unlike the power of Bang Bang Firecracker, the Stoke-on-Trent trio makes sure that ears are ringing with a blistering set of rage and headbanging tunes that increase the heat.
It is a strong performance, with the inclusion of We’re The Bastards an unexpected curveball. They were here at the inaugural event three years ago and show why they are deservedly back again.
Putting in a double shift, headliners King Kraken play 100% whether it’s on the stage at Stonedead or a pub in Putney. They go large, playing their debut album in full before finishing with three Motörhead classics.
Another band who were here in 2024, the quartet are almost unrecognisable since then. A slimmed-down outfit is lean and hungry and sounds bigger and better. Waiting For The Snake, The Game and Hellraiser certainly go down well, and although there are a few errors, it is a great performance to close the precursor to the main event.
Saturday is a full day of music and kicks off at lunchtime with Wälker. The four-piece from the Midlands bring their spirited classic rock style with an easy confidence. Perfect for easing into the day with a pint, they are worthy of their place on the bill.
They are followed by Coventry’s Suns Of Rest whose alternative style brings a refreshing contrast to the line-up. Described as a blend of shoegaze, post-rock and grunge, they are a band more suited to the likes of Arctangent than Stonedead or Steelhouse.
Plenty of shimmering melodies to absorb, it is a welcome opportunity to close the eyes and drift through their atmospheric soundscapes. Certainly, floating my boat in many ways, this was a set to treasure.
South Wales is always represented at Hella Rock And Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters are a staple on the scene. Hard rocking for sure, but some of the band’s music has a much deeper meaning.
A strong, iconic figure, Beth leads from the front, although it is very much a collective in front of us, with her band highly energetic. It is a feisty and enjoyable set that gets arms aloft and huge applause. I have crossed paths with this band sporadically over the years. They never disappoint and today is no exception.
Silveroller’s vintage vibes work incredibly well. The mid-afternoon slot gets all flamboyant as the five-piece bring their mix of ’70s hard rock and psychedelia to the festival.
A captivating watch with the songs to match, it is hard not to get immersed in a set that flies by. Singer Jonnie Hodson is the main visual stimulation, although it is the lush organ playing that also hits the spot.
Following on from their headline set the night before, King Kraken change their set list completely. It is evidence of their confidence, and a 45-minute set with more recent tracks from March Of The Gods as well as a smattering of new tunes including the forthcoming Shadows Fall single.
The bigger stage suits them, and Mark O’Donaghue continues to impress as a frontman, now comfortable dominating the bigger stage.
As evening settles in, and the fans start to get their all-day drinking buzz, what is needed is some high-impact energetic chaos and that duly arrives in the form of Crobot.
The Pennsylvania quartet hit the stage with power, and in Brandon Yeagley, they seem to have summoned up a cross between Iggy Pop and Barney Greenway. They go at it from the off, and it is fair to say they put in one of the day’s most incendiary sets.
I am exhausted just watching them race around the stage. Catch them with King Kraken on a short UK tour this week.
2026 has been quite the year for Dan Byrne. His triumphant Steelhouse Festival sets merely one highlight alongside the success of his debut album.
Tonight he has a revised line-up including Oli Brown on guitar. A seasoned pro these days, Brown looks like he is really enjoying his time playing without the frontman responsibilities. He is also a decent six-stringer, in a more subtle way than Glenn Quinn.
There may not be quite the riff-heavy power, but Byrne is now a fine frontman. His voice is one of the best around, and he is confident and assured. His special guest set works on every level, and for those new to him, it is a treat from start to finish.
Of course, this day has built to this moment. Throughout the day the number of Motörhead shirts swells in the venue. By 9.00pm, the room is very healthily populated.
The decision to cap tickets slightly below capacity makes it a bit more comfortable for fans to move around during the day, without detracting from the atmosphere for one minute.
If there is a place where our ancestors look down, then surely Phil Campbell was wearing the proudest smile there tonight. It may not be the first show Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons have played, but it may well have been amongst the best.
A snorting 75 minutes sees a mix of Motörhead and PCATBS songs delivered with passion. Todd Campbell takes the lead work with style, whilst his brothers remain a tightly locked unit.
Julian Jenkins continues to be the perfect fit upfront, and for the old school, a sneaky Persian Risk track takes us back to those pre- Motörhead days.
The first hour flies by, and suddenly the whole day is ending. Heroes, Killed By Death and a rampaging Motörhead finish things off.
It has been emotional.
The day has been incredibly well run, and the hospitality fantastic. As a tribute to Phil Campbell, well, let’s just say the great man would have approved. There can be no bigger accolade.
Until 2027. Thank you, Hella Rock.
Hella Rock Festival will be back at the HMV Empire in Coventry from 3-4 September 2027. Early bird tickets are available at t247.co/3887.
