Maid of Stone Festival – Sunday Highlights
Mote Park, Maidstone – 20 July 2025
First up on the Inferno (Main) Stage are Absolva, on another miserable morning. What happened to that heat wave? Yet there was enough energy produced through their incendiary performance. It’s never that easy to be the first band on when everyone is recovering from the previous night’s excesses and stumble into the arena a little bleary-eyed, but this did not faze Absolva, and they opened the main stage with a storming, powerful performance of classic British Heavy Metal.

This band are quite simply formidable with their dual guitar sound and a down-tuned Maiden-esque feel. No wonder Blaze Bayley has worked with these guys. With only half an hour to play, they worked through their back catalogue, and this was a wonderful introduction to a band that deserved to be delved into. A great start to the day.

Thanks are due to Karobela, who stepped in at the last minute to replace Queen Horizon on the Firestarter Stage. If it’s difficult to open a festival on a main stage, then consider doing this with less than 24 hours’ notice. You wouldn’t have known it as they brought out their heavy alternative rock sound for the early starters.
They may not be in the usual MoS heavy-edged genre, but there is a place for bands like Karobela, and they were well supported and clearly were a popular addition to the line-up. With lead singer Lauren Diamond conducting proceedings, they have a notable stage presence. They currently have one E.P. available and shared some new songs during this set, Get Hard and Afterthought. Lauren comes over with tons of sass and attitude, and add to that they music, sometimes heads down rock, other times more adventurous indie. However, in the short time allocated, they put on an excellent performance oozing boundless energy and exuberance. Definitely one to watch for the future.

There is a famous line from a certain 70’s outlaw film, ‘My name is Bonnie Parker, and this here is Clyde Barrow, and we rob banks’. Let’s move forward a few years and requote. We’re Parker Barrow, and we play outlaw rock n’roll. From one set of outlaws to another, Parker Barrow has it all. Parker Barrow to me were an unknown quantity, although they are favourites on Planet Rocks playlists, and I, for one, was overwhelmed by the energy and feel-good factor that they brought to a particularly wet point in the afternoon.
In lead singer Megan Kane, they have a powerhouse of a frontwoman. Visually, with flying scarves and garments, and whirling her tambourine, she appears like a young Stevie Nicks, but her voice is something else, and she has the power to go with it, at times sounding like Sass Jordan.

Hailing from Tennessee, they brought that Southern charm and good-time feeling to proceedings with a well-crafted set of hard-driving, good-time bluesy rock and roll tunes. There is a strong Free/Bad Company vibe at times, but that is no criticism, but a nod to the quality of the musicianship on show here. Like many bands early in a festival, they only have limited time, yet it was clear from the nature of the songs and the construction of them that this is a band that can clearly develop and jam out when the whim takes them
This was the last date on the current tour, yet there is a second album in the works and plans to return to the UK later in the year. I would highly recommend catching them. You won’t be disappointed.

Following Parker Barrow came Maris Rodriguez and her band, Marisa And The Moths, with their more alternative take on the rock genre. Having seen Marisa share the stage with Sophie Lloyd on the Saturday, this was an opportunity to hear and see her with her own band, and we were not disappointed. This is a band that oozes confidence and ability. Some of the songs are more complex and thought-provoking, with some strong and thoughtful lyrics. It is clear that they are prepared to get some strong messages out. As the front Woman Marisa is full of energy, action and enjoyment. She works the stage flawlessly, yet as a musician and guitarist she can hold her own with anyone. This is a band who are definitely worth investigating further. Their future looks very bright.
Back to the Firestarter stage, and we welcomed Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters, another last-minute draft as a replacement for Battle Born.
With the weather starting to improve, if you wanted to relax and unwind, then this was not the set for you. Beth is a one-woman ball of fire, full on and in your face. There is no holding her back, and she and the band intended to make the most of the opportunity. Having played an acoustic set in the VIP area on the Saturday, they were completely fired up once plugged in, and if there is one thing this band knows how to do, and how to do well, it is to play good-time rock and roll. With three strong albums already released, they have the material to provide the assembled punters with an ear-splitting good time and with songs like I Ain’t Got Nothing (If I Ain’t Got Rock and Roll) they have the anthemic party tunes and good time feels to get the audience up on their feet and rocking out.
Beth kept up some great banter with the expanding audience, and a visit to the barrier brought everyone together. This was a totally infectious set that flew past far too quickly which is always a sign of utter enjoyment
The set finished with Jack and Coke dedicated as a tribute to Lemmy. At short notice, they had produced a high-class performance, clearly winning over many new fans.

Back on the main stage was the visit of New York-based artist Sari Schorr. Like a number of the other acts, she brought a powerful blend of bluesy rock. Vocally, Sari is a big hitter, and the range of her voice is quite incredible. There is an ease about the way she hits the big notes, yet when required, she can caress a song with a soulful charm. Sari is a performer who has it all and despite some technical microphone problems early in the set she rode t out and using the setback she fired herself up even more for a big performance. Sari is an artist who knows how to rock and how to have a good time, not just herself but to ensure that the audience do too.

As an artist, she worked the stage effortlessly. Her outfit sparkling in the emerging sun reflected the good time vibes she was emitting, and it was clear that we were in the company of a phenomenal performer.
Closing the set, she tore a hole in the Maid of Stone stage with an effervescent cover of Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll which had the crowd engaged and singing along. What a way to finish. She is quite something else.

Staying in the blues rock vein, we had These Wicked Rivers returning to Maidstone and having had to drop out in 2024, they were clearly intent on making up for it and showing the adoring masses what they had missed. From the increasing numbers growing in front of the main stage, they were clearly one of the big attractions of the day, and they didn’t let anyone down.
Unlike many bands who played to a stripped-down stage, they went out of their way to make us feel at home with the stage decked out like my Grandmother’s lounge, complete with a chest of drawers, table and lampshades.
With guitarist Arran Day in an infectious mood and high kicking around the stage, they provided the perfect follow-up to Sari Schorr as they took the blues rock to another level.

Single Black Gold had the audience enthralled and in full vocal support as they blasted out the catchy chorus. Have A Dream was an energetic, high-intensity song that saw the band playing from the heart and pushing boundaries for the assembled masses
The set seemed to be over far too quickly, and they finished with a rampant and triumphant Don’t Pray for Me which included a snippet of Neil Young’s Hey Hey, My My.
At this point, one of the sets of the day. Just don’t ask about the lampshades!!
A quick stroll back to the Firestarter saw us introduced to another new band, This House We Built, who produced a fine set of AOR-soft rock. This was actually a welcome change to the hard-driving rock and metal that had gone before and was the perfect background for a teatime slot.
Yet, this was a band that also rapidly won over an audience, playing songs from their self-titled album. Sound wise it was like rolling the clock back to the eighties. With the songs packed full of big choruses and punchy guitar work, they produced a set that was catchy and rewarding.
Playing a cover of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice was a master stroke which had the fans, arms in the air, sing along every word.
They finished with a new song, which I believe was called I’m going home which saw the audience rise as one and in full voice join with this band. They may have been an unknown quantity to many before this show, but certainly won’t be after.

This was the penultimate show for Stone Broken, who are shortly going on hiatus for a while and from the fan reaction,n they will be missed.
Stone Broken are a band that are renowned for writing strong material with a heavy edge but with layers of strong musicianship behind. At times as little reminiscent of Thunder, they have always been a well-received addition to any lineup and today was no different. They can rock out with the best of the other acts, yet also have the ability to slow the pace down when required with some beautiful balladry and killer songwriting. Today, we were able to enjoy both sides of the band, whether intended or not, due to the stage suffering from another power failure. that saw the band switch to acoustic guitars for Wait For You. This was another emotional moment. Thankfully, they were able to switch back to electric for The Devil You Know. This was a resounding success, a great show, a great set, and this is a band that will be greatly missed.

If This House We Built took us back to the eighties, then Sweet rolled the clock back further to the good old seventies and the heyday of Glam Rock.
Despite Andy Scott being the only remaining member from those glory days, this is a band that still knows how to produce a killer performance and were clearly one of the ‘must see’ bands over the weekend. So, it was no surprise that they more than delivered from conversations overheard after they were many people’s band of the day, if not the festival.
With the sun now shining down on the masses, all we needed was to pretend we were teenagers again (and yes, that comment probably is reflective of the average age of the audience) and party down like it’s 1974 once again.

Despite Andy having been seriously ill, and we did wonder if we would ever see him on stage again, it was clear that he was thriving in the environment and was clearly thankful for all the support that his fans had shown him whilst he battled through.
So, to the show. What a back catalogue this band have, whether the big hits or the heavier album cuts. In many ways, Sweet were one of those acts whose fame was based on those glam hits, whereas they have always been more than capable of holding their own as a strong, heavy rock outfit in their own right.

However, the hits were what was required and they more than delivered. Where do you start? With quality tunes such as Hell raiser, Teenage Rampage, Blockbuster, Action, Fox On The Run and Ballroom Blitz they really could do no wrong, and it was clear from the audience reactions that everyone was having the time of their life, singing along to all the old songs
I don’t think I’ve seen so many cheesy sheepish grins on faces for a long tim,e and yes, there were grown men and women crying after this set. This was one of those shows that will remain as clearly memorable.

So, we come to the headliner and from one triumphant set to another. There was never going to be anything about tonight that was ‘not to like’. Having advertised beforehand that this would be a set containing only songs from Schenker’s UFO years. For those unsure what this means, go and get out a copy of UFO’s Strangers In The Night and listen to that. Tonight was an absolute masterclass in what made Michael Schenker and UFO so great during those classic years.

For many, like me, this was a trip down memory lane. As song after song rolled out, we got more and more engaged in the spectacle, embracing each favourite, until the next came along. Whether we will ever get to hear them all in the live environment again, it will have to wait to be seen. But if not, then those who were in Mote Park tonight will remember this time forever.
From set opener, Natural Thing, through Only You Can Rock Me, Doctor Doctor, Mother Mary, and Lights Out, it was classic song after classic song. With vocalist Eric Gronwall, ex-H.E.A.T. and Skid Row, taking over as frontman, we had everything that we needed to make these songs once again stand out as they deserve.

Proceedings slowed down slightly for Love To Love, which saw the audience waving and swaying along with the ballad, yet Schenker’s guitar mastery always stood out, and no more than on an extended Rock Bottom, which closed the main set.
The band returned to encore with Too Hot To Handle, which was dedicated to the sadly departed UFO members Paul Chapman and Pete Way. This was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
WORDS: ADRIAN STONLEY PHOTOS: ROBERT SUTTON
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