As we emerge blinking into the final day of Steelhouse Festival, a cursory glance at the sky suggests that the weather may be about to change. There was plenty of discussion about W.A.S.P.’s set from the night before, and a lot of anticipation for the closing headliners, Those Damn Crows.
Steelhouse Festival 2025 – Sunday
Hafod-Y-Dafel Farm, Aberbeeg, Wales – 25-27 July 2025
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
There is a lot of music before the Bridgend boys hit the stage, and the early risers get a treat with Sunday’s openers Kit Trigg.
Kit Trigg
The trio start well, before a loss of power causes Kit to call a halt. He is very quick to resolve the issue, the band are slick enough to drive straight back into the song, and for an awkward situation to be skilfully avoided.
It is a confident start and as their set progresses, it is evident that this youthful band have plenty about them.
Midway through the set, Kit dedicates a track to his late friend Will. It’s a poignant moment that you cannot help but admire, handled in a tactful and thoughtful manner. 
As they near the end of the set, Kit carefully climbs the Laney amp, inscribed with ‘Love is All You Need’ but fails to give us the big jump we want as he gracefully flops down onto the stage. Nevertheless, it’s a fine start to the day, with a confidence that is heartwarming to see.
Tailgunner
If you want confidence, then Tailgunner is your band. For anyone who has seen them will attest, Tailgunner do not do bad shows. They are introduced by ‘Josh’, who tells us to “drink our beer and shake our rears” before the band race on in their usual manner.
High tempo, fast paced, and furiously addictive, Tailgunner ensure that their set will not be overshadowed by anyone. They are more energetic than anyone else on the bill, throwing in a couple of new tracks from their highly anticipated new album (already recorded, as Thomas Hewson told MetalTalk) as well as some favourites from Guns for Hire. Instead of a Sabbath/Ozzy cover, we get a blistering rendition of Metallica’s Hit the Lights. 
For those of us who have been following this band for several years, the surprise and excitement that newcomers receive from seeing this band is almost as much fun as watching Tailgunner themselves.
They know how to rock and waving their Welsh flag with their name on it goes down superbly well. Beautifully judged, Tailgunner will return to Wales in 2026.
It will not be long before they are headlining some of the larger Welsh venues, and next time at Steelhouse will see them much higher up the bill. 
The Treatment
It has been a few years since The Treatment were last here, and having to follow Tailgunner is not an easy task, but they are just the band for such a challenge.
Kicking off with Let It Begin, their high-octane rock ‘n’ roll comes just as the first rains of the day start to fall. As the rain gets heavier, so do The Treatment as they power into Let’s Wake Up This Town, which they surely do.
When Thunder And Lightning Strikes seems a bit of a risky title to play here, but it helps everyone forget the rain, which is by now very heavy. 
A bit of water is not stopping these boys, though, with the twin guitars of the Grey brothers bringing us hard rock riffs for days.
They finish with Shake The Mountain, a classic which gives them a prize for one of the most appropriate songs of the day. Always great live, The Treatment are no less epic today.
These Wicked Rivers
Another band to welcome back to the Steelhouse stage is Derby’s These Wicked Rivers. They have progressed up the bill a bit, and on this performance, they should be special guests at least by their next visit.
I have seen them many times, but today, These Wicked Rivers are the perfect mid-afternoon band.
The rain has stopped as they bring their Southern style. Shine On and Black Gold come early, as they plunder their most recent release, the excellent Force Of Nature. They are on a par with Hillbilly Vegas as the most cohesively competent bands of the weekend, and their rich sound feels like a warm embrace, even though it’s not yet cooling up here.
Whilst guitarist Arran Day is the focus, with his leg kicks and stunning fretwork, the rest of the band are tightly knitted in behind and on point from start to finish. John Hartwell’s tones are superbly suited to this Southern-drenched music, and by the time they reach Testify, their existing fans are beaming, while new fans are annoyed that they have missed out for so long. 
An hour or so later, These Wicked Rivers play one of the acoustic sets of the weekend in the VIP tent. Some argued that the line-up was not that good this year. I would pay big money just to see these boys.
Dan Byrne
The VIP acoustic slot is new for 2025, and it goes down a storm. Today we get sets from Kit Trigg, These Wicked Rivers and another joyous four-song set from Steelhouse regular Dan Byrne.
Byrne draws in a good crowd for his second set of the weekend, although we joke that he has used the rain to try to entice people in. His set, despite his croakiness from speaking to so many people, is fabulous, with a neat Simple Man alongside Like Animals and Hard To Breathe.
Dan Byrne is gracious and is improving with every showing. He is out with The Dead Daisies and the Scarlet Rebels next month.
The Raven Age
Formed in 2009, it has been a slow and steady rise for The Raven Age. Over recent years, their momentum has increased, and regardless of whether it is the prominence of George Harris (son of Steve), they are really moving. 
With a Mad Max style imagery in place, they hit the stage all guns blazing with Forgive And Forget before going straight into a new one, The Guillotine. Led by the imposing figure of Matt James, the band storm through their set, showing a slickness that you would expect given their recent time on the road with Iron Maiden.
Whilst their sound does not tick my boxes, I can appreciate their quality, and this set shows why they are certainly going places.
Inglorious
Friday headliners in 2022, Nathan James and a new line-up are back in 2025. Another band that does not really do it for me, I cannot deny that James has a godlike voice. With the power of bassist Colin Parkinson adding to the band’s sound, and new members Henry Rogers and Richard Shaw gelling nicely, Inglorious sound revitalised and powerful. 
It is James who captures the attention, of course, and he has that presence which is almost impossible to ignore. With a good selection from the new album V mixed in with older tracks, it is understandable that Inglorious draw a solid crowd and reaction.
Even if you don’t like their overall sound, it is impossible not to appreciate the quality of James’ voice. Even this old cynic is compelled to watch most of the set, and when you have not eaten since breakfast, and pizza is calling, that is as good an accolade as I can give.
Wolfmother
“We’ve been travelling since 3.30 am to get here,” says Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale. The band have been in Europe for weeks and were playing in Bulgaria the night before. It also appears some of their kit has not arrived either, with Kit Trigg helping with some equipment. 
Tiredness and no gear sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Wolfmother are clearly here to take the festival by the throat. They race through their set, which starts 15 minues earlier than advertised.
Dimension and New Moon get the crowd in good voice before Woman raises the tempo higher, and that is where it stays. Plenty to sing along to, although you know that many are here for just one song. Before that, Stockdale shows guitar hero quality as he plays his heart out alongside newish additions James Wassenaar and drummer Christian Condon. 
It’s The Joker And The Thief that inevitably gets everyone dancing, and damn, it is an infectious groove that you cannot help but move to. They may have got up at the Devil’s hour, but looking at the applause and dancing around the field, I think it’s fair to say it was worth it.
Those Damn Crows
And so, all eyes turn to the final headliner of the weekend, Those Damn Crows. Whilst the crowd is not quite the size of the night before, there is not a lot of room in the arena as the lights drop. Their last visit was in 2023 when they played as special guest to Airbourne. Tonight is their chance to shine.
“We Are Those. Damn. Crows” blasts out, and we are all go.
It is an impressive set-up, with drummer Ronnie Huxford sited imperiously above the band. There is light everywhere, although bizarrely, guitarist David Winchurch is rarely given much illumination. It works. In part. 
Few would argue that they deserve it. A number one album is evidence of their popularity, and their radio-friendly rock sees the field come alive with fans dancing and clapping. They start well, Shane Greenhall looking energised and the band’s production big and bold.
There are pyro, confetti cannons, and a big bill for the lot. “I look at this and think, how much?” he laughs. 
It is clear that this is a big moment, and Greenhall is almost overcome at one point. And this is where I take my big risk in this review, for although the band are spectacular at points, the set also dips dramatically mid-point.
The energy that bristles during Who Did It and Man On Fire suddenly dissipates after a bouncing medley of earlier songs and Glass Heart. Dreaming slows the pace, and it does not pick back up for several tracks.
It is my only challenge, and despite the grandiose affair, one wonders if this is all a bit overwhelming. The Night Train is always an emotionally charged one, and tonight is no exception, but I find Blink Of An Eye a bit flat, despite the huge reaction.
They pull it back in the end, and with intense pyro in the final few songs, it is back to the spectacular show we anticipated. The finale is an epic See You Again, complete with a firework show that lights up the night sky in dramatic style.
It is certainly not a poor show by any stretch, and many will no doubt disagree that it was anything but fantastic. But having seen this band many times over the past decade, there is a previous hunger which seems missing tonight.
But it is ultimately a triumph, and another step forward for a band who will continue to increase in popularity, just as this magnificent festival will.
With the 15th anniversary of the festival in 2026, it’s going to be an exciting year of anticipation before we can get back up the mountain.
Steelhouse Festival 2025
MetalTalk’s Paul Hutchings is at Steelhouse Festival 2025. You can read all of this year’s coverage at MetalTalk.net/steelhouse.
You can read all of MetalTalk’s Steelhouse Festival 2024 coverage at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/steelhouse-festival-2024.
For the Steelhouse Festival 2023 edition, click here.
