Trecco Bay, Porthcawl | 27th – 30th November 2025
What’s occurring, butt!? Your favourite loud-mouthed, riff-obsessed Welsh blog is back with another breakdown of one of the most beloved weekends on the UK rock calendar — Planet Rockstock 2025. And this year’s line-up? Tidy doesn’t even cover it. This thing slaps harder than a flying flip-flop in a Barry Island caravan park.
Strap in, grab a pint, and let’s dive into the chaos. 🏴🔥
🎤 THE BERNIE MARSDEN STAGE – THE BIG DOGS
THURSDAY – WARM-UP? MORE LIKE WARM-UP-AND-SET-YOUR-FACE-ON-FIRE
The opening night at Rockstock is never gentle… but this year it’s especially feral.
⭐ The Quireboys
Old-school charm, whisky-soaked vocals, and the kind of party-starting swagger that could wake the dead in Llantwit Major. Classic. Classy. Chaos.
🎸 Bywater Call
Soulful blues delivered with more heart than a Valleys choir singing “Calon Lân.”
⚡ Dan Patlansky
This man bends a guitar string like he’s trying to summon dragons from the Brecon Beacons.
🎶 Steve Young & The Real Time Players
Proper lush Americana vibes to warm your ears — before the real madness begins.
FRIDAY – MASSIVE WAGONS TAKE THE ROOF CLEAN OFF
If you’ve ever wondered why Trecco Bay needs repairs every year… here’s your answer.
🚚💥 Massive Wagons
Baz Mills spinning around with the energy of a toddler on Sunny Delight. A guaranteed stormer.
🔥 For Damn!
Slick, stylish and guaranteed to melt your face off before 9pm.
🎤 The Virginmarys
Hard-hitting, raw northern fire. Expect pits. Expect sweat. Expect magic.
🕯️ Betlyn Gris Gris & The Apocalypse
Moody, mystical, and absolutely massive-sounding. Bring candles and your best “doom but sexy” energy.
🤠 Gypsy Pistoleros
Spanish cowboy sleaze rock? In Wales? Of course, mun. And it works so well.
SATURDAY – THE DAY OF RIFF DESTRUCTION
Saturday at Rockstock is where fitness watches go to die.
🧪💥 Ugly Kid Joe
A huge booking and a dead cert crowd-pleaser. “Everything About You”? You bet your boots everyone from Aberystwyth to Abertillery will be yelling it.
☠️ Hollowstar
Punchy, melodic, and relentlessly powerful.
👻 Hollow Souls
Grit-packed blues-rock with more bite than a Swansea seagull after your chips.
🎙️ The Byrne
Smooth, soaring, and built for big stages.
🔊 3DE
Modern, heavy, and loud enough to rearrange internal organs. Proper job.
SUNDAY – ONE LAST RIFF BEFORE THE HANGOVER
The final day. The moment your legs give up but your heart says: “One more, butt.”
🎅🎸 SLADE
YES YES YES. Wales loves Slade. Slade loves Wales. Christmas comes early, loudly, and gloriously unhinged.
😈 Danko Jones
Pure attitude. Pure swagger. Pure rock instinct.
🎸 Danny Bryant
One of the most respected bluesmen around. A lush way to wind down after three days of carnage.
🎪 THE GRAHAM HARDING STAGE – THE RISING RUMBLERS
This is where tomorrow’s headliners sharpen their teeth.
THURSDAY
Departed • Doomsday Outlaw • Stone Angels • Thieves of Liberty
FRIDAY
Autumn Killers • HÄXAN • Honeybadger • Volstorm
SATURDAY
Attic Theory • Black Dog Moon • Bobbie Dazzle • Devere • Sweet Electric • The Heavy Souls
SUNDAY
Athena’s Revenge • Burnt Out Wreck • Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast • Global Bun Theory • Pips • Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts
🤘 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
Planet Rockstock 2025 is shaping up to be a proper Welsh winter riot, packed with legends, locals, rising stars, and enough riffs to power the M4. If you’re looking for sunshine and peace, tough luck — this weekend is all about pints, pits, guitars, chaos, and caravan park debauchery.
We’ll be there, shouting “YESS MUN!” at inappropriate moments and spilling beer on our shoes.
See you at Trecco Bay, butt — front row, no fear. 🔥🎸🏴
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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