There are rock festivals.

There are Welsh rock festivals.

And then there is Steelhouse.

A festival perched high above the South Wales valleys at Hafod-y-Dafal Farm, where the views are magnificent, the road up is mildly terrifying, the weather is permanently plotting something and thousands of rock fans willingly haul themselves onto a mountain every summer because apparently we all enjoy making life difficult.

Steelhouse Festival 2025 took place across Friday 25 to Sunday 27 July, bringing three days of classic rock, metal, southern swagger, modern British rock, melodic anthems and enough riffs to shake several nearby sheep into early retirement.

The weekend was headlined by The Wildhearts, W.A.S.P. and Welsh heroes Those Damn Crows.

But this particular Steelhouse arrived under unusually emotional circumstances.

Just days before the gates opened, the rock world lost Ozzy Osbourne.

And suddenly this annual gathering on the Welsh mountain became something more.

It became a place to remember.

A place to raise a glass.

A place to hear Black Sabbath songs drifting across the valleys.

And most importantly, a place for thousands of rock fans to simply be together.

Steelhouse has always referred to itself as a family.

In 2025, that description felt especially true.

So grab the imaginary pint, find somewhere vaguely comfortable on the mountain and prepare yourself.

Because Steelhouse 2025 had plenty to talk about.

🔥 FRIDAY – THE MOUNTAIN FIRES UP

Friday at Steelhouse might once have felt like the warm-up.

Not anymore.

The opening day has become an important part of the festival in its own right, and 2025 launched proceedings with five very different bands.

From Motörhead-inspired filth to alternative rock, old-school British heavy metal, horror punk and one of Britain’s great cult rock bands, Friday wasted absolutely no time.

⚡ Asomvel

There may not have been a more appropriate band to open Steelhouse 2025 than Asomvel.

Straightforward.

Heavy.

Fast.

Filthy.

And possessing enough Motörhead DNA to make Lemmy’s moustache twitch somewhere in the heavens.

This isn’t music designed for quiet contemplation.

It’s music designed to accompany beer.

Preferably cold beer.

Preferably several of them.

Asomvel attacked the opening slot with exactly the kind of no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll the early Steelhouse crowd wanted.

There was no elaborate introduction.

No unnecessary theatricality.

No twenty-minute ambient piece about the meaning of existence.

Just riffs.

Loads of them.

The combination of Lenny Robinson’s gritty delivery, aggressive guitar work and a rhythm section apparently determined to flatten the mountain made this an excellent way to start the weekend.

With the sun unexpectedly shining and the normally muddy Steelhouse ground looking suspiciously dry, fists went into the air.

Heads started moving.

The beers opened.

Steelhouse 2025 was underway.

🦋 Marisa And The Moths

Next came a completely different type of energy.

Marisa And The Moths have steadily become one of the most exciting names in the modern British rock scene.

And the Steelhouse crowd clearly knew it.

Marisa Rodriguez brings huge personality to the stage.

There is vulnerability in the songwriting.

There is aggression in the guitars.

There are moments of darkness.

And then there are enormous melodies capable of dragging even casual festival observers into the songs.

Tracks such as Get It Off My Chest showed exactly why the band have connected with so many people.

This wasn’t simply polished modern rock designed for radio playlists.

There was emotion underneath it.

And considering the strange, reflective atmosphere surrounding Steelhouse after Ozzy’s passing, that emotional honesty landed particularly hard.

Rodriguez remains an excellent frontwoman.

Energetic without looking forced.

Powerful without oversinging everything.

And capable of turning a large outdoor festival field into something surprisingly intimate.

Marisa And The Moths left the mountain with plenty of new friends.

Exactly the kind of Steelhouse booking we love.

🤘 Wolfsbane

Then Friday took a sharp turn into wonderfully old-school British rock.

Wolfsbane.

Blaze Bayley.

Leather.

Big choruses.

Big personality.

And absolutely no interest whatsoever in growing old quietly.

Wolfsbane are one of those bands that immediately remind you why rock music is supposed to be fun.

There is nothing overly polished here.

Nothing clinical.

They’re loud, slightly chaotic and filled with the energy of musicians who still genuinely enjoy being on stage together.

Classics including Killing Machine, Money To Burn, Fell Out Of Heaven and I Like It Hot had plenty of long-time fans singing along.

But this performance carried extra emotional weight.

The crowd had already observed a moment of remembrance for Ozzy.

Then Wolfsbane delivered a carefully handled version of Black Sabbath’s Changes.

And suddenly the mood changed.

Thousands of rock fans stood on a Welsh mountain listening to one of Sabbath’s most emotional songs just days after losing Ozzy.

No fireworks.

No elaborate tribute film.

Just a song.

And sometimes that is enough.

Blaze handled the moment beautifully.

Then Wolfsbane went straight back to doing what they do best.

Making noise.

Exactly right.

💀 Wednesday 13

Steelhouse occasionally enjoys throwing something unexpected into proceedings.

Wednesday 13 definitely qualified.

Suddenly the sunlit Welsh countryside was confronted by horror punk, corpse paint, gothic imagery and songs that probably wouldn’t make suitable background music at your nan’s birthday party.

Brilliant.

Wednesday 13 has spent decades perfecting his particular mixture of horror, punk and metal.

And crucially, underneath all the theatrics are some gigantic hooks.

Songs such as Bad Things and 197666 are built for audiences to shout back.

The band’s appearance also helped Steelhouse move beyond its traditional blues and classic-rock comfort zone.

And it worked.

Really well.

There is something wonderfully absurd about horror imagery against a beautiful Welsh mountainside.

One minute you’re watching Wednesday 13 singing about death.

The next minute you look over the crowd and there’s a lovely green valley stretching into the distance.

Only at Steelhouse.

The band brought energy, humour and a slightly darker edge to Friday afternoon.

A welcome curveball.

❤️ The Wildhearts

Then came Friday’s headliners.

The Wildhearts.

Trying to describe The Wildhearts to somebody who hasn’t experienced them is difficult.

Are they punk?

Metal?

Power pop?

Alternative rock?

Hard rock?

Yes.

Probably all at once.

Ginger Wildheart has spent decades writing some of the most inventive songs British rock has produced, regularly combining massive pop melodies with riffs capable of removing masonry.

And when The Wildhearts are firing?

There are few bands like them.

Friday’s set pulled from across that enormous catalogue.

Diagnosis brought the newer era.

Vanilla Radio triggered one huge singalong.

Everlone reminded everyone just how ridiculously good that early material remains.

And by the time My Baby Is A Headfuck arrived, Friday night had descended into precisely the kind of glorious rock ‘n’ roll chaos you’d expect.

Ginger appeared relaxed and talkative.

There were reflections on mental health.

There were jokes.

There were new songs.

There were old favourites.

And underneath everything was that unmistakable Wildhearts chemistry.

They’ve never been predictable.

That’s partly why people love them.

Friday finished loud, messy, emotional and brilliant.

Pretty much the perfect Wildhearts headline set.

☀️ SATURDAY – YOUNG GUNS, GUITAR HEROES AND HEAVY METAL HISTORY

Saturday morning arrived with something Steelhouse attendees never completely trust.

Decent weather.

Overnight mist and rain gradually disappeared and suddenly the mountain looked almost pleasant.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

The Saturday bill was stacked from beginning to end, balancing rising British talent with southern rock, guitar heroics and genuine heavy-metal legends.

⚡ Jayler

Saturday began with one of the weekend’s most talked-about young bands.

Jayler.

Huge hair.

Huge riffs.

Seventies attitude.

And enough Led Zeppelin influence to make Robert Plant’s legal department glance nervously towards Wales.

But here’s the thing.

They’re good.

Really good.

There was already a substantial queue waiting before the arena opened, and plenty of that excitement appeared to centre around Jayler.

The band attacked their early slot with enormous confidence.

The guitar work was sharp.

The rhythm section thundered.

And the vocals carried exactly the kind of high-register classic-rock power this music needs.

Their influences aren’t difficult to identify.

Zeppelin.

A touch of Aerosmith.

Maybe some Rival Sons.

Plenty of seventies rock.

But they’re young enough to eventually transform those ingredients into something entirely their own.

On this evidence, the potential is enormous.

One of Saturday’s biggest discoveries.

🖤 MuddiBrooke

If Jayler were all retro swagger, MuddiBrooke immediately dragged Saturday somewhere darker.

The Derby trio brought alternative rock with grungier textures and a much heavier emotional atmosphere.

Brooke’s vocals cut through beautifully.

There is a rawness to the band that works extremely well live.

Nothing feels overly manufactured.

Nothing feels designed by committee.

It’s three musicians making loud, emotional rock music.

Simple.

Effective.

And another example of why Steelhouse’s early slots matter.

Plenty of people may have arrived knowing very little about MuddiBrooke.

Plenty left remembering the name.

That’s exactly what festivals should do.

🐉 Scarlet Rebels

Then came Wales.

Scarlet Rebels have become one of the most reliable modern rock bands to emerge from this country.

And Steelhouse loves them.

Understandably.

The Llanelli outfit have the perfect sound for this festival.

Big choruses.

Heavy guitars.

Melody.

Heart.

And songs designed to be played outdoors with thousands of people singing back.

Their confidence has grown massively over recent years.

This no longer feels like a promising band being given a festival opportunity.

Scarlet Rebels walk onto stages like they belong there.

Because they do.

There was plenty of Welsh pride around the field and a huge response from fans who’ve followed the band through clubs, support tours and previous festival appearances.

A strong, polished and thoroughly enjoyable showing.

🇺🇸 Hillbilly Vegas

Time for some southern swagger.

Hillbilly Vegas brought Oklahoma rock ‘n’ roll to the mountain.

And under Saturday’s sunshine, it worked perfectly.

This is music designed for summer festivals.

Big grooves.

Big choruses.

Guitars with just enough grit.

And an attitude that sits somewhere between southern rock, country and straight-up hard rock.

The band looked relaxed.

The crowd looked relaxed.

Beer consumption appeared healthy.

All was well with the world.

Songs such as High Time For A Good Time aren’t exactly hiding their intentions.

You hear that title.

You know what’s coming.

And Hillbilly Vegas delivered exactly that.

One great big afternoon party.

🎸 Sophie Lloyd

Then Saturday turned into guitar nerd heaven.

Sophie Lloyd walked onto Steelhouse and immediately began reminding everybody why she has built such an enormous reputation.

The technical ability is frankly ridiculous.

Sweep picking.

Rapid runs.

Huge bends.

Harmonised leads.

The kind of fretboard gymnastics capable of making ordinary guitarists quietly consider taking up gardening.

But what has become increasingly impressive is Lloyd’s development as a live performer.

This no longer feels like an online guitarist simply transferred onto a festival stage.

She looks comfortable.

Confident.

And completely capable of commanding a large audience.

With Marisa Rodriguez adding vocals to much of the set, the performance had far more of a full-band feel than simply watching an extended guitar clinic.

And when covers such as Thunderstruck and Enter Sandman appeared?

Of course the field erupted.

Technical.

Entertaining.

And very impressive.

💪 Kris Barras Band

There are some artists whose names feel permanently connected to Steelhouse.

Kris Barras is becoming one of them.

At this point, the mountain should probably reserve him a parking space.

But repeated appearances only work if the performances keep delivering.

And they do.

Barras has evolved dramatically from his earlier blues-rock roots.

The modern Kris Barras Band sound is heavier.

Bigger.

More aggressive.

And increasingly designed for arena-sized stages.

Songs such as Hail Mary, Savages and My Parade hit hard.

The guitars remained spectacular without disappearing into pointless showing off.

And Barras himself continues developing as both a vocalist and frontman.

He understands audiences.

He understands festivals.

And crucially, he understands that technical ability means very little without songs.

There were proper choruses here.

Proper hooks.

Proper moments for a crowd to get involved.

Another excellent Steelhouse performance.

🔥 Lita Ford

Then came genuine rock royalty.

Lita Ford.

Former Runaway.

Solo icon.

Guitar hero.

Survivor of the eighties.

And someone whose place in rock history is absolutely secure.

There was considerable excitement around the mountain before this appearance.

And understandably so.

Lita still carries that unmistakable rock-star presence.

The guitar playing remains sharp.

The attitude remains.

And those classic songs still work.

But there was one song everybody knew would carry enormous emotional weight.

Close My Eyes Forever.

Originally recorded with Ozzy Osbourne.

Now being performed just days after his death.

The significance wasn’t lost on anyone.

As the song moved across the mountain, the atmosphere became incredibly emotional.

People sang.

People cried.

People raised drinks.

It was one of those festival moments nobody could have planned.

And arguably one of the defining moments of Steelhouse 2025.

Beautiful.

🩸 W.A.S.P.

Saturday finished with one of heavy metal’s great survivors.

W.A.S.P.

Blackie Lawless arrived with decades of controversy, theatre and enormous songs behind him.

And Steelhouse was ready.

The band’s classic debut album formed a major part of the performance, meaning the crowd got hit with some genuinely iconic material.

I Wanna Be Somebody.

L.O.V.E. Machine.

The Flame.

These songs remain pure heavy-metal adrenaline.

Then you add tracks like Wild Child and suddenly Saturday night becomes one gigantic old-school metal celebration.

Blackie remains an imposing figure.

The voice retains that recognisable rasp.

The guitars were huge.

The production felt considerably larger than the Steelhouse stage.

And thousands of fans shouting I Wanna Be Somebody into the Welsh night created exactly the kind of communal madness you want from a festival headliner.

Whatever anyone thinks about W.A.S.P.’s history, their strongest songs remain absolutely undeniable.

Saturday belonged to heavy metal.

🌧️ SUNDAY – RAIN, RIFFS AND A WELSH HOMECOMING

By Sunday, the Steelhouse body begins sending warning messages.

Feet hurt.

Back hurts.

Voice disappearing.

Phone battery approaching single digits.

General nutritional situation becoming questionable.

And naturally, Wales finally remembered it was Wales.

Rain appeared.

Of course it did.

But Sunday also carried one of the weekend’s most varied line-ups.

Young rock.

Heavy metal.

Hard rock.

Southern grooves.

Modern metal.

Classic voices.

Australian psychedelia.

And finally, a huge Welsh homecoming.

🌞 Kit Trigg

Sunday began with Kit Trigg.

And immediately, something went wrong.

Power issues temporarily interrupted the set.

Festival openers really don’t need that sort of excitement before lunch.

But Kit handled it brilliantly.

The issue was sorted.

The band returned.

And instead of allowing the interruption to kill momentum, they carried on as though nothing had happened.

That kind of composure matters.

Musically, Kit Trigg brought warm, laid-back blues-rock with plenty of personality.

There was a slightly sun-drenched feel to the songs that amusingly contrasted with the increasingly Welsh weather.

A dedication to a late friend brought an emotional moment midway through proceedings.

And by the end of the set, the early technical problem had become almost irrelevant.

Strong start.

⚔️ Tailgunner

Then Steelhouse got a massive injection of traditional heavy metal.

Tailgunner do not appear capable of walking onto a stage calmly.

They attack.

Immediately.

Twin guitars flying.

Hair moving.

Drums pounding.

Everything moving at approximately seventeen thousand miles per hour.

There are obvious Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and NWOBHM influences here.

But unlike bands simply recreating nostalgia, Tailgunner feel genuinely young.

That matters.

This is heavy metal being played by musicians who weren’t alive when many of these influences were at their peak.

And they clearly bloody love it.

Songs from Guns For Hire landed brilliantly.

New material offered glimpses of where the band might be heading next.

And a furious version of Metallica’s Hit The Lights practically turned the mountain into 1983.

Tailgunner were one of Sunday’s purest adrenaline shots.

Expect them higher on festival bills very soon.

💥 The Treatment

Following Tailgunner is no easy task.

Thankfully, The Treatment aren’t exactly short of energy themselves.

The rain started falling.

The riffs got heavier.

And suddenly Sunday became properly Welsh.

The Treatment simply ignored it.

Songs such as Let It Begin and Let’s Wake Up This Town brought the big hard-rock hooks.

Then the rain intensified.

Naturally.

So they played Thunder And Lightning Strikes.

Excellent decision.

Potentially dangerous decision.

But excellent nonetheless.

The band’s twin-guitar attack sounded massive across Hafod-y-Dafal, while their old-school hard-rock spirit proved perfectly suited to Steelhouse.

Then came Shake The Mountain.

Possibly the most geographically appropriate Steelhouse song imaginable.

Rain?

Who cares.

The Treatment absolutely smashed it.

🌲 These Wicked Rivers

And then came These Wicked Rivers.

Some bands play Steelhouse.

Others feel like they belong to Steelhouse.

These Wicked Rivers are firmly in the second category.

Their stage setup already gives them a distinctive personality.

But the music carries even more warmth.

Southern rock.

Blues.

Soul.

Huge melodies.

And a genuine sense of connection with the audience.

Shine On and Black Gold brought groove early.

Testify sounded enormous.

And songs from Force Of Nature demonstrated just how far the band have progressed.

Guitarist Arran Day remains impossible to ignore, throwing himself around while producing consistently excellent guitar work.

But this isn’t a one-man show.

The entire band locks together beautifully.

John Hartwell’s vocals provide that rich, soulful centre.

The rhythm section keeps everything moving.

And the crowd responds because the music feels genuine.

These Wicked Rivers provided one of Sunday’s warmest performances.

Even when the weather wasn’t cooperating.

⚙️ The Raven Age

Then Sunday headed straight into modern metal territory.

The Raven Age were one of the heavier bands on the entire Steelhouse bill.

Dark visuals.

Thick guitars.

Technical precision.

Progressive influences.

And the imposing presence of vocalist Matt James.

Opening with Forgive And Forget before moving into newer material such as The Guillotine, they immediately changed the atmosphere.

This was considerably darker than These Wicked Rivers.

And that’s what made the booking interesting.

The Raven Age aren’t an obvious Steelhouse band.

But festivals become boring when every act sounds identical.

Their slickness showed immediately.

Years of touring with enormous artists has clearly paid off.

The stagecraft was controlled.

The playing was extremely tight.

And although their modern metal sound may have been slightly outside the traditional Steelhouse sweet spot for some attendees, there was no questioning the professionalism.

🎤 Inglorious

Then came one of British rock’s biggest voices.

Inglorious.

The band had returned following a hiatus with a refreshed line-up.

And from the opening moments, one thing remained obvious.

Nathan James can seriously sing.

That voice is enormous.

Powerful.

Controlled.

Soulful.

And capable of cutting through heavy guitars without sounding strained.

Richard Shaw’s guitar work added plenty of personality to the renewed line-up.

The band sounded tight.

Confident.

Rejuvenated.

Songs from the newer material mixed comfortably with older favourites.

And Holy Water provided one particularly huge vocal moment.

For anyone who had wondered whether Inglorious still had something to offer?

Steelhouse provided the answer.

Absolutely.

🐺 Wolfmother

Then came the fuzz.

Lots of fuzz.

Wolfmother had apparently endured a ridiculous journey to reach Steelhouse after playing elsewhere in Europe the previous night.

Some equipment hadn’t even arrived.

Under normal circumstances, that sounds like the beginning of a disaster.

Instead?

Wolfmother walked out and absolutely battered the mountain.

Andrew Stockdale remains one of the most distinctive figures in modern retro rock.

Hair everywhere.

Guitar low.

Voice screaming.

Riffs enormous.

The combination of Zeppelin, Sabbath and psychedelic seventies rock remains unmistakable.

Dimension kicked things into gear.

Woman produced a huge response.

Then came Joker And The Thief.

And suddenly the entire arena remembered exactly why that riff has remained such an enormous festival weapon.

People danced.

People jumped.

People spilled drinks.

The mountain shook.

Wolfmother may not be visually hyperactive.

They don’t need to be.

Those riffs do the work.

One of Sunday’s loudest sets.

🐦‍⬛ Those Damn Crows

Then everything pointed towards one band.

Those Damn Crows.

This was more than a headline slot.

This was a moment.

A Welsh band.

From Bridgend.

Headlining Steelhouse.

On a Welsh mountain.

After years of climbing through clubs, support tours, album campaigns and increasingly large venues.

This felt earned.

The anticipation around the arena was enormous.

Then the lights disappeared.

The introduction hit.

“We Are Those. Damn. Crows.”

And away we went.

The production immediately looked bigger than anything else Sunday had offered.

Drummer Ronnie Huxford sat elevated above the band.

Lights filled the stage.

Pyro erupted.

And Shane Greenhall looked completely at home in the headline position.

That’s important.

Sometimes a band receives a big opportunity and spends the entire performance looking overwhelmed by it.

Those Damn Crows looked ready.

Man On Fire exploded.

No Surrender produced huge voices from the crowd.

Let’s Go Psycho brought the energy.

This wasn’t simply a successful Welsh band having a nice homecoming.

This felt like a genuine festival-headline performance.

Then came the emotional side.

The Night Train carried particular significance following the events of the week.

Greenhall spoke about people who were no longer with us.

Ozzy’s shadow inevitably hung over the moment.

Then This Time I’m Ready arrived.

And that song is dangerous enough under normal circumstances.

Thousands of people singing it together after three emotionally charged days?

Forget it.

There were tears everywhere.

Then Blink Of An Eye delivered another enormous communal moment.

Those Damn Crows’ greatest weapon has never simply been musical ability.

It’s connection.

People believe Shane Greenhall.

They believe these songs.

They see their own lives reflected inside them.

That is why this band has grown.

Not hype.

Not marketing.

Connection.

And on Sunday night at Steelhouse 2025, everything they’d built over the previous decade seemed to arrive at once.

A Welsh band stood at the top of a Welsh festival bill.

And they looked completely comfortable there.

Those Damn Crows didn’t merely close Steelhouse.

They owned the mountain.

🎸 THE VIP ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

A particularly welcome addition for 2025 was the introduction of acoustic performances inside the VIP area.

And these worked brilliantly.

Taking artists away from the huge main stage and dropping them into a smaller, more intimate environment gave audiences something genuinely different.

Jayler showed their songs could survive without enormous amplification.

Kris Barras stripped everything back.

Kit Trigg continued their relaxed Sunday vibe.

These Wicked Rivers sounded absolutely made for the format.

And Steelhouse regular Dan Byrne delivered another excellent acoustic appearance.

It added another layer to the festival.

And importantly, it wasn’t simply an excuse to replay exactly the same performance in a smaller room.

The acoustic environment allowed personalities and songwriting to come forward.

Definitely something worth continuing.

🖤 Remembering Ozzy

You couldn’t really review Steelhouse 2025 without acknowledging Ozzy.

His passing happened only days before the festival.

And his presence seemed to appear everywhere.

Ozzy shirts.

Sabbath conversations.

Raised drinks.

Tributes from stages.

Wolfsbane performing Changes.

Lita Ford delivering Close My Eyes Forever.

Artists mentioning him.

Crowds remembering him.

It never felt forced.

There wasn’t some giant corporate tribute designed to create a viral moment.

It felt personal.

Which was exactly right.

For many attending Steelhouse, this was the first major gathering of rock fans after the news.

And what better way to remember Ozzy Osbourne than several thousand people standing together listening to loud guitars?

🍻 THE STEELHOUSE COMMUNITY

The strongest thing about Steelhouse remains something you won’t find written on the festival poster.

The people.

That’s why thousands return every year.

You see the same faces.

You meet people at the bar you spoke to three Steelhouses ago.

Bands wander around.

Musicians sign things.

Campers swap food, drinks and stories.

Everybody complains about the mountain road.

Then everybody comes back next year.

Steelhouse has somehow maintained the atmosphere of a much smaller festival even as the quality of the bands has grown.

There’s one main stage.

No clashes.

No sprinting across miles of festival ground because two bands have been booked simultaneously.

Everybody watches the same thing.

That creates community.

The early bands get proper audiences.

People discover artists they hadn’t planned to see.

And by Sunday evening, the whole field feels like one large gathering rather than thousands of separate groups.

That is special.

⭐ THE RIFF REPORT STANDOUTS

Choosing favourites at Steelhouse is asking for trouble.

But some performances demanded attention.

Those Damn Crows produced the weekend’s defining headline performance.

This was a milestone for Welsh rock and they absolutely delivered.

Lita Ford created arguably the most emotional single moment of the festival with Close My Eyes Forever.

The Wildhearts closed Friday with their trademark mixture of chaos, melody and enormous riffs.

W.A.S.P. brought legitimate heavy-metal history to Saturday night.

Tailgunner looked like one of Britain’s most exciting young traditional metal bands.

These Wicked Rivers demonstrated why their connection with the Steelhouse audience continues growing.

Sophie Lloyd delivered outrageous guitar heroics.

Jayler showed why so many people are talking about them.

Kris Barras Band once again proved themselves festival professionals.

And Wolfmother brought enough fuzz to permanently alter the geological structure of Hafod-y-Dafal Farm.

Not bad for three days.

🤘 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT

Steelhouse Festival 2025 wasn’t simply another weekend on the mountain.

It arrived at an emotional moment for rock music.

And somehow, that made the community feel stronger.

Friday gave us old-school rock ‘n’ roll from Asomvel, heartfelt modern rock from Marisa And The Moths, classic British chaos from Wolfsbane, horror-metal madness from Wednesday 13 and a gloriously unpredictable headline performance from The Wildhearts.

Saturday showed the breadth of the scene.

Jayler represented the future.

MuddiBrooke brought darker alternative rock.

Scarlet Rebels flew the Welsh flag.

Hillbilly Vegas supplied southern swagger.

Sophie Lloyd shredded everything in sight.

Kris Barras delivered another festival masterclass.

Lita Ford provided rock history and genuine emotion.

And W.A.S.P. turned Saturday night into a full-scale heavy-metal celebration.

Then Sunday gave us everything.

Kit Trigg survived technical gremlins.

Tailgunner attacked the stage.

The Treatment battled the rain.

These Wicked Rivers brought warmth and soul.

The Raven Age added modern heaviness.

Inglorious reminded everyone about Nathan James’ ridiculous voice.

Wolfmother delivered the riffs.

And Those Damn Crows completed one of the most important nights of their career.

That’s Steelhouse.

It’s unpredictable.

It’s loud.

It’s occasionally wet.

It’s occasionally sunny.

It’s always on a mountain.

And somehow, despite your legs reminding you every five minutes that you’re no longer nineteen, you keep coming back.

Because when the lights hit that stage and the Welsh valleys stretch into the distance behind it, there really isn’t another rock festival quite like this one.

Steelhouse 2025 gave us laughter.

It gave us memories.

It gave us emotional moments.

It gave us new bands.

It gave us old heroes.

And above everything else, it reminded us that rock music has always been about community.

The amplifiers eventually went silent.

The tents came down.

The mountain emptied.

But once again, Steelhouse had delivered.

🏔️ The mountain rocked.

🖤 We raised one for Ozzy.

🎸 Those Damn Crows came home as headliners.

🍻 Several questionable decisions were made.

🤘 And Steelhouse proved once again why we keep climbing that bloody mountain.

Rocio y Mynydd.

Rock the Mountain.