By The Riff Report Blog – screaming into the void since Lemmy turned it up to 11 🤘
After Friday’s inferno of face-melting madness, Saturday at Maid of Stone roared to life like a phoenix made of Marshall stacks and BBQ smoke. If you thought you’d have time to recover — HA! Not a chance, butt. Saturday was full throttle from the first chord to the final encore.
Here’s the lowdown on a Saturday that made the flames on the poster look like a scented candle. 🔥🎸
🏆 SATURDAY HEADLINER: UGLY KID JOE
Genre: Hard Rock / Funk Metal / ’90s Mayhem
Oh. My. Dio. These Californians rolled in with nostalgic swagger and left zero prisoners. Frontman Whitfield Crane brought buckets of energy and a massive grin as the band tore through hits like “Everything About You” and “Cats in the Cradle” — and the crowd sang every bloody word like it was 1992 all over again.
🎤 Crowd Highlight: A mass singalong that could’ve summoned the ghost of Freddie Mercury.
🔥 Riff Rating: Filthy and FUNKY.
🤘 CO-HEADLINERS: THOSE DAMN CROWS
Genre: Anthemic Welsh Rock
The pride of Bridgend were back to burn the place down, and they did just that. Shane Greenhall’s vocals hit harder than a rugby tackle on Black Mountain.
Crowd surfing? Check. Fist-pumping choruses? Check. Welsh flags flying everywhere? Lush.
🏴 Shoutout: When Shane belted out “This Time I’m Ready”, grown men wept into their pints.
💀 Merch spotted: “Crows Before Bros” T-shirts everywhere.
⚡ MAIN SUPPORT: STONE BROKEN
Genre: Modern Hard Rock
Punchy, polished, and primed for stadiums, Stone Broken proved exactly why they’re one of the UK’s best rising live bands. Tight as hell and catchy as sin.
🎶 “The Only Thing I Need” had the crowd bouncing like it was the Download main stage.
🎸 Guitars? Chunky. Hooks? Hookier than a pirate convention.
🔥 MIDDAY RIFF-FRENZY
🎵 THE TREATMENT
Genre: Classic Rock Revival
These lads channel the spirit of AC/DC with modern bite. Riffs that make your head bang involuntarily and choruses designed for car stereos.
🎵 GIN ANNIE
Genre: Sleaze Rock
High kicks, tight pants, and guitar solos that smell like Jack Daniels. Enough said.
🎵 RUTHLESS
Genre: Heavy Metal
A surprise banger. Imagine Judas Priest and Metallica having a riff-off in a burning pub.
🧨 SATURDAY SURPRISE: DEAD MAN’S WHISKEY
They weren’t on everyone’s radar before, but holy hell they should be now. These boys brought the grit, the growl, and the glory, ripping through their set with dirty riffs and whiskey-soaked vocals. One of the breakout sets of the entire weekend.
🎤 “Racing Bullet” = absolute banger.
💬 Crowd review: “They just turned me into a fan. And I lost a shoe.”
🎪 SECOND STAGE RIOT:
Don’t sleep on the second stage – it was an absolute warzone of rising talent and riff carnage:
- SOUTH OF SALEM – Horror glam + face-melting solos = crowd chaos.
- WHITE RAVEN DOWN – Modern groove-metal goodness.
- TOM KILLNER BAND – Bluesy, raw, and totally rock ‘n roll.
- EMPYRE – Atmospheric, brooding hard rock. For fans of Alter Bridge and epic vibes.
🍺 SATURDAY STATS
- Jägerbombs consumed: Scientists are still calculating.
- Flags waved: 32. Mostly Welsh. One with a cat playing a banjo.
- Mosh pit injuries: Minor bruises. One dislocated air guitar.
- Volume Level: Somewhere between “LOUD” and “CALL AN EXORCIST”.
🎤 FINAL VERDICT?
Saturday was a day of legends and new heroes. From the iconic swagger of Ugly Kid Joe to the Welsh anthemic power of Those Damn Crows, this was a line-up that hit every corner of rock and left us gasping for air and begging for more.
The riffs were heavy. The beer was flowing. The crowd? Utterly electric.
We came. We moshed. We conquered.
Tell us in the comments:
Who was your band of the day? What moment gave you goosebumps? And did anyone else see the guy dressed as Lemmy on stilts? 🤘🔥
#MaidOfStoneSaturday #UglyKidJoeChaos #ThoseDamnCrowsFlyHigh #StoneBrokenTheStage #FestivalOfFire
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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