π Location: Mote Park, Maidstone
π Date: Saturday, 19 July 2025
π Gates Open: 11:00
π₯ Curfew: 22:30
πΊ Mood: 90% excitement, 10% βwhereβs my tent?β
If Friday was a warm-up, Saturday is where Maid of Stone explodes into a full-blown riff riot. Whether you’re riding high from Dirty Honeyβs set the night before or crawling out of your tent like a hungover goblin, Saturday brings the fire, the flair, and probably a questionable sunburn.
π₯ INFERNO STAGE β THE BIG DOGS
This is the main stage β where legends reign and the air smells like hot chips and guitar sweat. Big names, bigger sounds, and singalongs that’ll echo across Kent till next week.
π€ Saturday Inferno Line-Up:
β° 19:10 β Ugly Kid Joe
Yes butt, they still hate everything β and theyβre bringing the 90s alt-rock chaos to the masses. Expect βEverything About Youβ to cause a proper nostalgia mosh.
β° 21:00 β Black Stone Cherry
These Southern rockers are tighter than your jeans after a campsite BBQ. They close Saturday with swagger, blues-laced bangers, and choruses that’ll make you shout louder than the lad next to you on his fifth JΓ€gerbomb.
πΈ Tidy Tip: Bring a lighter or a phone torch. βPeace is Freeβ might just get emotional.
β‘ FIRESTARTER STAGE β THE LOUDER LITTLE SIBLING
You want riffs? You want rawness? You want to say βI saw them before they were hugeβ? This is the stage. Itβs chaotic, itβs cheeky, and itβs full of bands thatβll punch you in the ears (in a nice way).
π΅ Full Saturday Firestarter Line-Up:
β° 11:30 β The Georgia Thunderbolts
Bluesy Southern rock thatβll have you two-stepping in the grass with your breakfast cider.
β° 12:10 β Jack J. Hutchinson
Heβs like if Lemmy had a blues baby with Slash. Riffs galore.
β° 12:40 β Big River
Groove-heavy, riff-loving lads with proper pub-rock energy.
β° 13:25 β Fury
NWOBHM meets modern madness. Melodic and mighty.
β° 13:55 β Bobbie Dazzle
Yes thatβs the name β and yes, they deliver. Theatrical hard rock with a glam-punk snarl.
β° 14:40 β Kim Jennett
A powerhouse voice with fire in her boots. If youβre not watching Kim, youβre doing Saturday wrong.
β° 15:10 β Rosalie Cunningham
Psychedelic, trippy, and stylish as hell. The stage turns into Woodstock for 30 minutes.
β° 15:55 β Florence Black
Welsh lads with riffs so heavy they register on the Richter scale.
β° 16:30 β South of Salem
Goth-glam meets sleaze metal. Bring your eyeliner and devil horns.
β° 17:10 β In Search of Sun
Alt-metal with prog twists β think Deftones on Monster energy.
β° 17:40 β Revenant
Modern UK metal with shredding solos and no nonsense.
β° 18:30 β The Raven Age
Epic, melodic metalcore. Expect fists in the air and necks sore by the end.
β° 21:00 β Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse
Late-night soul-rock chaos to close out the Firestarter tent in full wig-out mode.
π§ VIP & ACOUSTIC BITS (aka The Chill Zone)
If youβre posh enough to have a VIP wristband (or blagged one off a friendly steward), thereβs some lush acoustic sessions happening in the shade:
π€ Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters (Acoustic) β expect sassy lyrics, glam vibes and stripped-down bangers.
πΈ South of Salem (Unplugged) β because even the undead need to slow down sometimes.
Perfect for those moments when you need a break from the pit and want a cider that isnβt shaken to death in your backpack.
π§Ύ THE SATURDAY PLAN FOR LEGENDS:
- Start early! Grab a coffee (or lager) and hit up Georgia Thunderbolts at 11:30.
- Watch Kim Jennett. Seriously. Circle it. Tattoo it on your hand.
- Power nap / food refuel around 17:00 β before the Inferno stage ramps up.
- Double-whammy with Ugly Kid Joe then Black Stone Cherry.
- Stagger back to camp singing βLonely Train.β Bonus points if you remember where your tent is.
π» SURVIVAL CHECKLIST FOR SATURDAY:
β
Bucket Hat β for vibes and sunburn prevention.
β
Hydration β Beer counts… kinda. Add water between pints, yeah?
β
Phone Charger Brick β Youβll want battery for photos and finding your mate who got lost near the kebab truck.
β
Merch Money β Saturday is PRIME time for band tee regret purchases.
β
Earplugs β Not just for old rockers anymore. Save your hearing for BSCβs solos.
β
Rain Poncho β Because itβs the UK, and clouds are always sus.
πΊοΈ HOW TO GET THERE & AROUND
π By Train: Head to Maidstone East β then follow the sound of riffs and smell of chips.
π By Car: Parkingβs still available but donβt rock up 10 minutes before Black Stone Cherry and expect prime real estate.
π Shuttles: Running throughout the day. Pre-book or risk walking home in flip-flops.
π€ FINAL WORD FROM THE RIFF REPORT
Saturday at Maid of Stone 2025 is shaping up to be an absolute belter, mun. The perfect fusion of dirty riffs, glam sass, and face-melting solos. From rising stars to stadium giants, youβll laugh, cry, mosh, and possibly eat a questionable hot dog at 10:30PM while singing βPeace Is Free.β
Whether youβre here for the headliners, the underdogs, or just here to escape the kids for a weekend, Saturday brings the fire. Proper job.
See you in the pit, legends.
β @theriffreportuk π€
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 specialβfrom 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 heβs 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, heβs 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 heβs not writing or interviewing artists, youβll 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 musicβtheyβre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatβs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. π€
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