A rumble of thunder or two, an Iron Maiden Legend, a Metal Queen, a reborn Priest, and Crusaders of the realm; Stonedead 2024 had it all. Returning to Newark Showgrounds, Nottinghamshire on Saturday 24th August, the UK's best small festival was once again, a resounding triumph.
Photo: Adrian Hextall Mindhex Media.
Now in its seventh year, and on its sixth outing, Stonedead 2024 followed on from 2023's event which saw Blue Öyster Cult and the Irish Invasion storm the hard rock gathering.
Once again a complete sell out, a capacity 5,000 attendees gathered from Friday night (23rd August), to attend a pre-party, with The Quireboys and Paul Di'Anno providing the welcome soundtrack.
Although not billed as day one of the festival proper - Stonedead is proudly a throwback to the one day, one stage format of the original Donington Monsters of Rock events of the 1980s - with a close to full arena, a buzzing atmosphere, and a brace of big names playing live, it was anything but a simple warm up.
Taking to the stage as the sun set, Di'Anno delivered a tight set of Iron Maiden classics from his time with the then NWOBHM leaders. Opening with an exhilarating 'Sanctuary' - more likely to have been a show closer in both his Maiden days, and on any of Iron Maiden's tours since the mid-1980s - the punky early single was an inspired choice to jolt into action the weary Stondeaders who'd travelled from all over the country to be there.
What followed was a trawl through the early Maiden catalogue and the tracks that built there name, from a punky 'Charlotte the Harlot' to beautifully pensive 'Remember Tomorrow' and inspired 'Phantom of the Opera'. It was also a treat to hear instrumental 'Genghis Khan', - a song never performed live by Iron Maiden - which gave the breathless singer a welcome break.
Pausing only briefly to talk to the crowd, Di'Anno, who was in finer voice than he has been for many years confessed; "it's lovely to be back in England playing a couple of shows. Cheers you lot!"
Once again a complete sell out, a capacity 5,000 attendees gathered from Friday night (23rd August), to attend a pre-party, with The Quireboys and Paul Di'Anno providing the welcome soundtrack.
Although not billed as day one of the festival proper - Stonedead is proudly a throwback to the one day, one stage format of the original Donington Monsters of Rock events of the 1980s - with a close to full arena, a buzzing atmosphere, and a brace of big names playing live, it was anything but a simple warm up.
Taking to the stage as the sun set, Di'Anno delivered a tight set of Iron Maiden classics from his time with the then NWOBHM leaders. Opening with an exhilarating 'Sanctuary' - more likely to have been a show closer in both his Maiden days, and on any of Iron Maiden's tours since the mid-1980s - the punky early single was an inspired choice to jolt into action the weary Stondeaders who'd travelled from all over the country to be there.
What followed was a trawl through the early Maiden catalogue and the tracks that built there name, from a punky 'Charlotte the Harlot' to beautifully pensive 'Remember Tomorrow' and inspired 'Phantom of the Opera'. It was also a treat to hear instrumental 'Genghis Khan', - a song never performed live by Iron Maiden - which gave the breathless singer a welcome break.
Pausing only briefly to talk to the crowd, Di'Anno, who was in finer voice than he has been for many years confessed; "it's lovely to be back in England playing a couple of shows. Cheers you lot!"
Photo: Adrian Hextall Mindhex Media.
With Spike and The Quireboys - featuring Thunder's Luke Morley (guitar) and Harry James (drums) - seeing out the evening with their good time anthems including a ramshackle 'There She Goes Again' and celebratory '7 O'Clock', the gauntlet was laid down for the festival proper to begin.
Starting at early doors, Cambridge five-piece The Hot One Two kicked off Saturday in style, with a rip-roaring set that focused on debut album 'Supurbia'. With killer detuned riffs, melodious licks, groove and bite, the new wave of classic rockers proved an early favourite in the already busy arena.
Fresh from supporting K.K. Downing on his latest round of dates, NWOBHM throwbacks Tailgunner delivered a set that, much like the ethos of Stonedead itself, recalled the glory days of rock and metal in the mid-1980s. With a sound positioned somewhere between Iron Maiden and early Megadeth, the five-piece injected a heavy dose of riffage in the early afternoon. Taking to socials after their set, the band summed up the excitement, saying simply; "what a day and what a crowd!"
Although coming from a different place musically entirely, The Bites offered another throwback, in an unashamed homage to glamour of L.A. in 1987, with nods to Poison, Whitesnake, and Winger in their spirited, sleazy rock and roll filled set. Dropping in a Led Zeppelin cover in 'Good Times Bad Times', and closing out with the infectious boogie of 'Do Me a Favour', they easily won the crowd over.
Starting at early doors, Cambridge five-piece The Hot One Two kicked off Saturday in style, with a rip-roaring set that focused on debut album 'Supurbia'. With killer detuned riffs, melodious licks, groove and bite, the new wave of classic rockers proved an early favourite in the already busy arena.
Fresh from supporting K.K. Downing on his latest round of dates, NWOBHM throwbacks Tailgunner delivered a set that, much like the ethos of Stonedead itself, recalled the glory days of rock and metal in the mid-1980s. With a sound positioned somewhere between Iron Maiden and early Megadeth, the five-piece injected a heavy dose of riffage in the early afternoon. Taking to socials after their set, the band summed up the excitement, saying simply; "what a day and what a crowd!"
Although coming from a different place musically entirely, The Bites offered another throwback, in an unashamed homage to glamour of L.A. in 1987, with nods to Poison, Whitesnake, and Winger in their spirited, sleazy rock and roll filled set. Dropping in a Led Zeppelin cover in 'Good Times Bad Times', and closing out with the infectious boogie of 'Do Me a Favour', they easily won the crowd over.
Photo: Adrian Hextall Mindhex Media.
Following Bonafide's four-on-the-floor AC/DC-style hard rock set, a change in the weather saw melodic Swedes Eclipse battling against the elements as a torrential downpour hammered the arena. Opting to play save by keeping the onstage acrobatics to a minimal, singer Erik Mårtensson joked; "usually we run around on stage. If we do that it would be like a Monty Python 'silly walks' sketch!" Delivering a tight melody-laced set with just the right amount of musical mastery - guitarist Magnus Henriksson plays with class, technique, and style - the four-piece delivered one of the most surprising turns of the day.
If the bands up until this point had to earn the respect of the crowd, there would be no such issues as a line in the sand was drawn, with a roll call of heavy metal icons following.
Needing little introduction, but getting one anyway, "the metal queen" Doro blasted on stage in a burst of metal energy. Harking back to her earliest days fronting German euro metal contenders Warlock, 'I Rule the Ruins' was a galvanising opener, with a spirited 'Burning the Witches' recalling the band's earliest gigs in the Camden Palace in London.
Reading the crowd perfectly, the first lady of metal declared; "it's so good to see so many old school metal heads out there!"
Mixing up the set with tracks from 2023's 'Conqueress - Forever Strong and Proud' including driving single 'Time for Justice', concluding Warlock anthem 'All We Are' brought the curtain down on one of the most all-out metal sets of the day.
If the bands up until this point had to earn the respect of the crowd, there would be no such issues as a line in the sand was drawn, with a roll call of heavy metal icons following.
Needing little introduction, but getting one anyway, "the metal queen" Doro blasted on stage in a burst of metal energy. Harking back to her earliest days fronting German euro metal contenders Warlock, 'I Rule the Ruins' was a galvanising opener, with a spirited 'Burning the Witches' recalling the band's earliest gigs in the Camden Palace in London.
Reading the crowd perfectly, the first lady of metal declared; "it's so good to see so many old school metal heads out there!"
Mixing up the set with tracks from 2023's 'Conqueress - Forever Strong and Proud' including driving single 'Time for Justice', concluding Warlock anthem 'All We Are' brought the curtain down on one of the most all-out metal sets of the day.
Photo: Adrian Hextall Mindhex Media.
Led by the gloriously cool and utterly personable Whitfield Crane, Ugly Kid Joe brought a real sense of fun to Stonedead. Peaking with a near perfect run that began with their take on Cat Steven's 'Cats in the Cradle' and took in a ferocious cover of Motörhead's 'Ace of Spades' before concluding with what else, but 'Everything About You' - "we bring the positive message to the children!" - UKJ were for many, the band of the day.
Easily the heaviest band of the festival, K.K.'s Priest's pulverising metal followed, and was complimented with epic visuals, with the likes of 'Sermons of the Sinner' featuring pyro and atmospheric animated backdrops. A veteran after years on the road with Judas Priest, K.K. Downing knows how to put on a show with a real wow factor, and it was the inclusion of a number of classics from his former band that really raised the roof, from a dark and demonic 'Nightcrawler' to a majestic 'Diamonds and Rust'.
And while JP deep cut 'Before the Dawn' made the hairs on the back of the neck stand, a rare outing from the Tim 'Ripper' Owens era in a brutal 'Burn in Hell' reminded everyone that the band had some gems in their underrated '90s period too.
It was however, one song that set Stonedead alight, with the capacity crowd screaming "you don't know what it's like!", a climactic 'Breaking the Law' proved one of the weekend's most outstanding moments.
Easily the heaviest band of the festival, K.K.'s Priest's pulverising metal followed, and was complimented with epic visuals, with the likes of 'Sermons of the Sinner' featuring pyro and atmospheric animated backdrops. A veteran after years on the road with Judas Priest, K.K. Downing knows how to put on a show with a real wow factor, and it was the inclusion of a number of classics from his former band that really raised the roof, from a dark and demonic 'Nightcrawler' to a majestic 'Diamonds and Rust'.
And while JP deep cut 'Before the Dawn' made the hairs on the back of the neck stand, a rare outing from the Tim 'Ripper' Owens era in a brutal 'Burn in Hell' reminded everyone that the band had some gems in their underrated '90s period too.
It was however, one song that set Stonedead alight, with the capacity crowd screaming "you don't know what it's like!", a climactic 'Breaking the Law' proved one of the weekend's most outstanding moments.
Photo: Adrian Hextall Mindhex Media.
And with that, it fell to the final band of the day. With 2024 being the seventh outing for Stonedead, the most surprising thing about Saxon's headline appearance was that it took them this long to get here. Doro and K.K. might have also played the original Monsters of Rock, but the Barnsley classic rockers were the only act to actually write a song about it.
With a string of consistently quality albums behind them, from their '80s heyday until the present, Biff Byford and company were never going to be short of songs, and they put in a blinder from the off, with an incendiary 'Hell, Fire and Damnation'. Following with a 'Motorcycle Man' - a song so good that Lars Ulrich picked it for his 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal '79 Revisited' compilation in 1990 - from there it was classic after classic, with standouts including a tensely brooding 'Dallas 1pm', an arresting 'Strong Arm of the Law', and the song about the festival that brought us all here 'And the Bands Played On'.
In celebratory form following months on the road leading to tonight's finale, Byford said; "this is our last show in Europe, tonight, this year, so I think it's going to be fantastic", later conceding that; "we're going to have a rest and recharge our batteries", before hinting that the band will return to action early in the new year.
Encoring with a marauding 'Crusader', before a sizzling 'Princess of the Night', Saxon took their bows and crowned what had been once again, another killer Stonedead festival worthy to stand alongside those headlined by Glenn Hughes, Uriah Heep, and Michael Schenker.
More than a music festival, Stonedead has the feel of what it is, an inclusive fan-run event created and run by a passionate team. Returning to Newark-On-Trent on 23rd August next year, tickets for Stonedead 2025 are on sale now. You'd be a fool to miss it.
With thanks to Adrian Hextall of MindHex Media for all photos.
With a string of consistently quality albums behind them, from their '80s heyday until the present, Biff Byford and company were never going to be short of songs, and they put in a blinder from the off, with an incendiary 'Hell, Fire and Damnation'. Following with a 'Motorcycle Man' - a song so good that Lars Ulrich picked it for his 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal '79 Revisited' compilation in 1990 - from there it was classic after classic, with standouts including a tensely brooding 'Dallas 1pm', an arresting 'Strong Arm of the Law', and the song about the festival that brought us all here 'And the Bands Played On'.
In celebratory form following months on the road leading to tonight's finale, Byford said; "this is our last show in Europe, tonight, this year, so I think it's going to be fantastic", later conceding that; "we're going to have a rest and recharge our batteries", before hinting that the band will return to action early in the new year.
Encoring with a marauding 'Crusader', before a sizzling 'Princess of the Night', Saxon took their bows and crowned what had been once again, another killer Stonedead festival worthy to stand alongside those headlined by Glenn Hughes, Uriah Heep, and Michael Schenker.
More than a music festival, Stonedead has the feel of what it is, an inclusive fan-run event created and run by a passionate team. Returning to Newark-On-Trent on 23rd August next year, tickets for Stonedead 2025 are on sale now. You'd be a fool to miss it.
With thanks to Adrian Hextall of MindHex Media for all photos.