Firevolt Rock Festival 2026 exploded into life with a scorching first day of face-melting rock. Friday brought theatrical mayhem and a host of great performances across its two stages. From the opening notes to the final burst of pyro, this was a festival wasting no time in showing exactly what it does best.
Firevolt Rock Festival – Friday 7 August 2026
Words: Dave Bonney
Photography: Richard McCan/Labrat Photos
Shape Of Water
Shape of Water were the chosen ones to kick Firevolt proceedings off on the big main outdoor stage. The Manchester-based Italian three-piece were making their second appearance at Firevolt Rock Festival, so a good percentage of the crowd knew them and gave them a warm welcome.
Now I have banged on about categorising bands in the past with numerous sub-genres imagined up by editors trying to flog magazines back in the day when rags actually sold. The reason I am banging on about it again now is, even if I wanted to, I could not tell you exactly where SoW sit within the rock spectrum, which is great, and I am guessing genre fluid is just how they like it.
Emanating echoes of Muse, Queen, and quite a few things in between will give you a good idea of the band’s dynamic. Their mission today, which they duly accepted, was to help shake everyone’s hangovers off from the pre-fest party night and create the mood for the rest of the day, which they most certainly did.
After some tech issues, the 30 minute set, went all too quick and was mainly mid paced, including the theatrical Everything’s Gone, with its piano led intro.
The last two songs were both a tad more frantic, with the penultimate ditty Silence Of The Lambs, complete with Freddie falsetto vocals, being the pick of the set. Nice start to proceedings.
Takeaway Thieves
I have seen Takeaway Thieves quite a few times now, but not in an early-slot festival scenario, where it is usually a mixed reaction from the audience to start with, then the band having to work seriously hard to earn their rewards.
No such thing here, as the band bound onto the Firevolt stage like it is a homecoming and with a confidence borne in 2018, they have been making ladies moist from The Golden Mile to The Sunset Strip ever since.
The singer, all bare feet, bandana and feathers is just oozing swagger. Cooler than Pingu’s feet, emitting an Ian Astbury, sometimes Steve Tyler vibe but ultimately just being Pete McLaughlin.
The first song sets the tone for the next 30 minutes. The good-time rock ‘n’ roll of 13 Feathers, putting a smile right on everyone’s faces.
With over a decade of playing gigs and writing songs, you are going to have some strong songs and Kickin’ My Heart around, Gotta Get Back, and the Cult-influenced Big Mistake are right up there with the strongest.
Hot Cat leads into the ballad-ish Find My Way Home before Pete tells the audience the next song was written for Gypsy who is in the crowd and yes, the song’s called Gypsy.
Spider, Soothe Me and Crazy Horse which was dedicated to Ozzy, leave Lose It to close out the set, but not before Pete introduces the band, then jokingly introducing himself as Maureen whose job it is, is to look after this rabble. A thankless task for sure.
An absolutely bangin’ set by the boys and, dare I say, is it too early in the festival to start thinking one of the bands of the weekend? Why not?
Doomsday Outlaw
I had never seen this six-piece before and missed them at Call Of The Wild festival a couple of months ago. On the face of it, it may be said Doomsday Outlaw are an odd looking band. Each member brings a different look, or style if you like, to the stage.
The guitarist with his Les Paul would not look out of place in The Black Crowes, whilst the Flying V-wielding guitarist could be in any Death Metal band. The bass player in his England football shirt and sporting a Mohican looks like he is only here for the beer. Nowt wrong with that.
The singer with his Frankie Goes To Hollywood T-shirt and bandana with John Lennon shades giving away pot herb vibes and the keys guy with his backwards baseball cap just leaves the drummer, who, well, looks like a drummer in a rock band.
I had no idea what to expect and was guessing these guys all have differing musical tastes to bring to the melting pot and guess what, it was great. After the opening song there were more tech issues and a delay due to the guitarists amp needing switching out for one that works.
I did not catch many song titles, or the singer just did not introduce them, but mid-set, the bopping One More Sip got all the girls on the barrier dancing and singing along.
They played a new song that went down particularly well and during the next song, the Les Paul guitarist spun impressively round and round on one leg probably a few times more than was necessary it has to be said, which obviously messed with his equilibrioception (I’ve been waiting for years to get that in a review) and just about managed to stay standing, which made me chuckle.
Next, they threw in a perfectly legitimate cover of Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf, which again got the female side of the audience shakin their tail feathers.
Singer Phil Poole, introduced the next song as one he wrote after his dad passed away. If This Is The End is a brooding ballad that literally had people weeping on the barrier, and I actually think I had something in my eye myself. I bloody love this song with its emotive lyrics and beautifully crafted guitar solo with elegant melodies and exquisite tone, which I have had on repeat for the last few days.
The set ended with an unknown (to me) song and well deserved applause from an ever growing audience. This is what these types of festivals are all about. Finding great bands you maybe heard of but had not had the inclination to go see before. No longer shall Doomsday Outlaw and this scribe be strangers.
Fireheart
Formed by guitarist Kev Baker after his acrimonious split with The Hot One Two and singer Russ Grimmett, son of Grim Reaper legend Steve, the band have gone from strength to strength since signing with Earache Records and releasing their first single just over a year ago.
Kev’s struggles are well documented, not least by himself and creating a family and community atmosphere around the band, seems to be working well for all involved.
The Trooper stage was already rammed in anticipation by the dedicated Heartbeats by the time I had made the short walk from the main stage, suggesting most had taken up their places long before Doomsday Outlaw had finished their set. Like I said, this seems to be working well for them.
Hitting the stage with established opener Can You Feel The Love Now, it really is a party atmosphere, with fans letting off party poppers and confetti around me, and one even had a bubble machine. Dedication, I guess.
This is the third time I have seen Fireheart this year, and one thing that has become apparent is that they write great songs. Songs with great hooks, melodies, and big, big choruses. Choruses that have you singing or humming them long after the song has ended.
Having a knack for writing real ear worms is absolute key in a live setting, where the songs really come to life and they were all out in force this blisteringly sunny afternoon.
I Don’t Need A Best Friend, I’m Not Dreaming, and the poignant (Good Is) Good Enough are fine examples of such, while the stomping Write Me A Letter takes the set to the last song. Where the hell did 45 minutes go?
Finishing the set strongly with that aforementioned first single release, Staring At The Sun, an epic singalong ballad that builds to a crescendo of crowd participation, this brought intense energy which carried on after the band had left the stage, with people still singing the chorus whilst exiting back to the main stage. That is how to finish a set.
With a new album in the making, bigger things are in store for this band.
Ward XVI
Ward XVI are another band I know very little about musically, though I have obviously seen stage pics, so I knew I was going to experience a very theatrical event. They have been around a long time and have supported bands like Cradle Of Filth, Lawnmower Deth and Skindred amongst others.
Now the impressive main stage at FireVolt is a very big stage. But with the equipment and props set up, there was barely any room for a band and at least three psychopaths, or was that two psychopaths and a psychiatric nurse? I am not quite sure now. Safe to say there was a lot going on up there.
As the show kicked off, the unfortunate drummer was locked behind a cage with two psycho’s. What he had done to deserve this, I have no idea. Maybe he was the worst of the three? I do not know. I am new to this.
Set in an Asylum for the criminally Insane, which was established in 1939, the props included a stake, which the nurse was eventually burned, a coffin, where I think the occupant lost his head, blood-stained meat cleavers, and a chainsaw for a start.
Now who does not love a good old chainsaw massacre? Well, the two kids with their mum and dad to my left certainly do, as they had brought their own inflatable chainsaws to the party. Now that is parenting at its very best, I reckon.
Each song was a soundtrack to the theatrical mayhem happening on stage, none of which I wrote down. In fact, later that evening when I looked at my notes, all I had was the band’s name. Now if that is not an endorsement of the show the band delivered, then I do not know what is.
I have heard the band being described as a budget Alice Cooper and although at first that may seem a bit critical, I think it is definitely a compliment. Of course they are on a budget. What band at this level is not, these days?
But the hard work, effort and performance that goes into putting their show on, should be applauded. My next visit to the asylum may be sooner than I anticipated.
Darren Wharton’s Renegade
Every time I write about Darren Wharton, I am pretty sure I mention the fact that the man has a permanent smile on his face when up on stage. Let’s face it, why wouldn’t I? It is the single most striking thing you notice about the man. That, and the humility and gratefulness to have been a part of one of rock’s all-time greatest bands, Thin Lizzy.
Wharton put Renegade together back in 2023 to celebrate the music of Lizzy and, just as importantly, its creator and one of rock’s greatest songwriters and poets, Phil Lynott.
Angel of Death started off the celebration, followed by Jailbreak, Are You Ready, and Emerald, before Wharton reminisced fondly about the first time he met Phil, which was at his audition, where he played the next song, Chinatown.
He talked with sadness about the loss of John Sykes and dedicated the next song, Cold Sweat, to the guitar great.
Massacre led into Suicide, the sole representative of Fighting, the second vinyl album I ever bought as a spotty 15 year old in 1977 that helped lead me onto the path of rock righteousness. A path that I have never strayed from since.
Cowboy Song had all the coyotes in the crowd howling and the twin guitar harmony leads from Vinnie Burns and Andy Moore were a joy to behold. This song is a perfect example of Wharton imitating Phil’s vocal phrasing perfectly, which is what he does throughout the set, to be honest, having studied it first-hand for years.
Now, after seeing today’s lineup a long time ago and noticing Ricky Warwick was playing the same stage almost two hours later, I put two and two together and hit the jackpot, with Ricky being introduced onto the stage for The Boys Are Back In Town.
This does not get much better and was definitely one of those ‘I was there’ moments, especially for a fanboy like myself.
Ending the set with Black Rose, Wharton inevitably dedicated the song to the great Gary Moore. A set jam-packed full of classic after classic, it is just a shame they could not somehow shoehorn in Rosalie, which they toyed with in soundcheck.
But that’s festivals for you, with their tight running schedules and what a fantastic one this is turning out to be on day one.
The New Roses
The first time I saw The New Roses supporting Massive Wagons a few years ago, they quickly became one of my new favourite bands.
Hailing from Germany the hard-rockers delivered an absolute storm of a performance firing through a high-octane set of infectious anthems honed over many years touring with some of the biggest bands out there.
Quite how it took them so long to get on my radar, is definitely a me problem and not theirs. Though in fairness, the band were quite stingy with their UK appearances in their earlier years.
No matter, it is all about the now, and these guys are definitely making a noise with relentless energy from singer Timmy Rough and huge guitar riffs from Norman Bites, who is the ace in the pack. This guy is a bona fide rock star with his Flying V, who has everything up his sleeve, all the moves, and knows how to play a crowd.
The band have a strong catalogue, so to be quite honest, I personally would rather they played one of the earlier songs than Rockin’ In The Free World. The song was on their last album, though, to be fair, and the Neil Young classic did slot in well.
It’s A Long Way had singer Rough leading the crowd into a singalong and what a set of pipes this guy has.
One hour of non-stop hard rockers went by all too soon, with Thirsty and The Usual Suspects before Down By The River, this time not a Neil Young song, closes out the set on high.
I predict these guys will be back at Firevolt as headliners soon enough.
Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts
Did someone just mention aabout rock stars? Flying in from LA, his adopted home, to tour the UK promoting his latest album, Fire & Vengeance, the hard-working Ricky Warwick stopped off at FireVolt with his band before heading out on the road again, this time on a solo acoustic in-store tour.
This guy does not do downtime, still touring with The Almighty and occasionally Black Star Riders.
After his cameo warm-up with Darren Wharton’s Renegade earlier, Warwick, along with his Fighting Hearts, walks on to a rapturous welcome on the Trooper Stage. With the extraordinary talent of Ben Christo from The Sisters Of Mercy as his right-hand man and gunslinger, this was one battle he was never going to lose.
Playing a set full of songs representing all his bands and even managing to throw in a blistering cover of the mighty Motörhead’s Iron Fist, Warwick made the most of his headline stature on the Trooper Stage to show the bulging crowd the true meaning of a rock star.
Ricky Warwick loves a collaboration, and there are four of them included in tonight’s set. Opener Rise And Grind with Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke, Seek Zen Destroy with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen, the folky Swaben Redoubt with Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers and the rock pop of Don’t Leave Me In The Dark with the lovely Lita Ford.
Unfortunately, as expected, none of the collaborators was here tonight, though of course Ben Christo did a fine job in their absence.
Throwing The Almighty classic Jonestown Mind into the mix early doors was a master stroke, with the thrasher getting the more boisterous in the crowd on their toes. This made it excellent timing to introduce the new album title track Fire & Vengeance.
Angels Of Desolation was written about five years of sobriety and was described by Warwick as a song about personal redemption, confronting his inner demons of regret and resentment, then taking the first brave step towards a new path in his life. Inspirational.
Fighting Heart was delivered as a song he named to honour his band. And what a band, with Jack Taylor, keeper of the beat on drums and lord of the low end, Richard Vernon from The Mission, along with the aforementioned Ben Christo, making this a slick rock ‘n’ roll machine. Warwick certainly chose well.
The raucously delivered Iron Fist led into the perfect set closer, Free ‘N’ Easy. The Almighty standard was met with joyful glee and shenanigans from the audience and brought an end to the day on the Trooper stage, save for the stand-in tribute band later on, Hell Bent For Leather, who, by the way, were bloody great fun and perfected the Priest sound to a T.
Mason Hill
The last time I saw Mason Hill was back in 2023 at this very same festival, which proved to be their last show with singer Scott Taylor, who collapsed the following day with heart problems and subsequently left the band.
The good news is that Scott’s health problems appear to be behind him and he is now commentating on F1 as well as writing new music.
His replacement Tom Ward has settled in perfectly, and this headline slot on the main stage, along with a new album in the can, sees the band on the up again after their two-year break.
The third band of the day to suffer tech issues on their first song is baffling to be honest, but they soon put the issues behind them with Ward making that all important connection with the audience from the off. D.N.A., with its heavy grooves interspersed with melodic harmonies, is what this band are all about.
With the evening sunset entering into twilight, it was the perfect backdrop for a double whammy of the bands first two single releases from the forthcoming album World So Wonderful. Twisted and Hurricane were both received like old favourites.
With the added spectacle of the rather splendid pyros and cascading showers of huge sparklers, in between even bigger flames from Hell warmed up the first few rows on the barrier, and lit up the beauty of Etherow Country Park.
If we believe the trees talk amongst themselves, and we all do, don’t we, because Geddy Lee told us so, then one could only imagine what the stage right valley of Oak, Beech, Pine and Ash were making of this display.
Anyway, that’s enough about Dendrology and back to Mason Hill making this evening their own.
Bass player Matt Ward was leading the charge, stage left and right, down the front, the first to get the crowd going with his hands in the air. He was on fire, almost literally, headbangin’ through anthems such as Broken Son, Without You and the aptly named Burn It Down.
They closed their set with arguably their biggest song, Against The Wall. With its powerful riffs and soaring vocals, it brought to a close a triumphant night for the band that sets them up nicely for their forthcoming UK tour in November.
If they are coming to a town near you, make sure you go to see them.
What a rush day one was. Let’s do it all again.
