Stonedead Festival 2023 review and photos ft. Blue Öyster Cult, Black Star Riders, Therapy? & more
Planet Rock heads to Nottinghamshire on August 26th as a sold out Stonedead Festival celebrates its fifth edition
Nostalgia can be a fine thing by itself, but when happy memories get elevated beyond mere pub banter and knowing smiles, truly great things can be forged from its fires.
That’s certainly been the case with Stonedead, a staple here at Newark Showground since 2018. Twelve fans of Castle Donington’s old Monsters of Rock festival who lamented the demise of that event’s single-day, single-stage format wanted to revive at least the basics of that storied spectacle (thankfully without the moronic bottle-throwing ‘battles’). Now in its fifth year, Stonedead has established itself as a celebration of both the new and the classic in rock – and, just like last year, it’s completely sold out. Mission accomplished, then.
The organisers have gone the extra mile to provide a varied and somewhat surprising bill, again reflecting the values that underpinned Monsters of Rock. There’s a rare appearance from US rock veterans Blue Öyster Cult as headliners, along with a UK debut for Canadian outfit Deraps, Collateral’s competition-winning opening slot, and – the meat in the sandwich – crowd-pleasing performances from established festival favourites like Black Star Riders and The Answer.
There’s also no shortage of community spirit. This year, both vendors and audience have been donating surplus food stock to Newark Foodbank. Stonedead’s done this previously, but with the foodbank now more actively involved there are multiple drop-off points throughout the site. “The way the audience has run with it is amazing,” said co-director Louise Bayley.
In addition, a fundraising bike ride for men’s mental health charity Andys Man Club completed its quest on the Friday, reaching the showground where they were greeted by Planet Rock’s Paul Anthony. The hardy group of like-minded rock fans braved the not entirely agreeable weather to raise over £2,000 for this great cause. Hopefully they arrived in time to witness the opening night’s three-band bill – excellent performances from The Karma Effect, Kira Mac and Myke Gray’s Skin – all well attended despite seriously lashing rain.
There’s an ominous black cloud over the stage when Collateral open festivities on Saturday morning, but thankfully it’s not a sign of things to come. Kicking off with ‘Mr Big Shot’, the band’s breezy, carefree sounds quickly banish any suggestion of bad karma, and their infectious enthusiasm dispels weather-based cynicism. The Kent-based outfit have user friendly 80s-inspired tunes like ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Merry Go Round’ in their happy repertoire. While they’re unlikely to start fires they sure as hell won’t be dampening any, and it’s worth remembering they won a public vote to land this slot – and make the most of it they do.
Similarly, Bournemouth’s South Of Salem are a band on the rise. They’re heavier live than on record – that sound in raw, unpolished form holds greater promise than has been hinted so far. There’s often been a sense that the outfit is holding back, not truly unleashing the firepower they’ve got in the locker. On stage, there are stronger hints, sounds that almost match their deliciously vampish, goth-punk look. ‘No Plague Like Home’ impresses today as does new song ‘Static’ – pieces of a puzzle that with more aural violence could make for a visceral final assembly.
Deraps, making their UK debut, open with what appears to be a cover of Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’. But wait – it’s not; it just sounds almost identical. Throughout, this largely affable trio surge through endlessly flashy guitar work, courtesy of gold-trousered mainman Jacob Deraps, and while the songs do stand up on their own – especially blues rocker ‘Live Fast Die Slow’ – you can’t pretend they’re not derivative. Three flypasts from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster, one of only two of the Second World War bombers still flying, offers a mighty distraction from this somewhat predictable fare. Bizarrely, Deraps do drop in the real ‘Hot For Teacher’ before departing.
Last minute replacements for Mason Hill, Welshmen Florence Black give us a welcome taste of focus and poise – with frontman Tristan Thomas taking time to send his (and our) best wishes to Mason Hill singer Scott Taylor, a very well-liked chap who was sadly taken ill recently. Florence Black play with practised confidence, dishing out heaviness like oldie ‘Smoke’ along with equally enticing new track ‘Don’t Hold Me Down’. Although their sound isn’t as ferocious as it’s been known to be, the sheer will and fibre underpinning everything from opener ‘Zulu’ to the infectious ‘Black Cat’ makes this set yet another winner for the Merthyr Tydfil powerhouse.
Long established blues groovers King King deal a different set of cards. There’s an immersive clarity to their sound, as you’d expect from a seasoned outfit that specialises in turbulent blues and guitar-borne soul. ‘Long Time Running’ manifests beautifully from Alan Nimmo’s heartfelt vocals and blossoming, emotive guitar solos – and nobody is enjoying it more than a man at the front clad in a perpetually nodding giraffe outfit. It’s an amusingly ludicrous counterpoint to the likes of ‘Waking Up’ and ‘I Will Not Fall’ which reaches a rousing finale via Alan’s brother and fellow six-stringer Steve.
“It’s phase one of the great Irish takeover,” cackles The Answer’s Cormac Neeson, referring to themselves, and subsequent performances from fellow emerald islanders Therapy? and Black Star Riders’ Ricky Warwick. With the lunchtime rain clouds dispersed, sun now beats upon the gathered believers, who are treated to a spectacular, near tribal display of pulsing, blues-powered rock at its best. If The Answer pulled victory from defeat in Steelhouse Festival’s mud and rain last month, then they are sensational today in the sudden golden light of summer. ‘Blood Brother’ rallies the clans, ‘Come Follow Me’ immerses them, and ‘Preachin’’ remains a crazy, gospel-tinged slide guitar ride, climactic in every sense.
If you want a sense of distance travelled, festival host Krusher points out that he first introduced Therapy? onto a stage exactly 28 years ago to this day. Fittingly, that was over at Donington’s 1995 Monsters Of Rock, the event that inspired the thing we’re enjoying today. That event had officially been dubbed 'Escape from the Studio' due to Metallica's decision to headline while recording ‘Load’, but it was the penultimate Monsters event at Donington in every other sense.
The most joyful thing about this skip in time and generation is that Therapy? have lost absolutely nothing. Andy Cairns still makes one guitar sound like three. Bassist Michael McKeegan still cannot stop smiling, even as Andy is shouting lyrics like “All people are shit!” (‘Knives’). Dammit, the two of them even still look pretty much the same. As ever Andy is both a genial and thoughtful host – reflecting the focus of the festival bike ride’s fundraising he introduces a superb ‘Kakistocracy’ with the words “when our friends are in trouble, we listen to them and then we talk to them.” ‘Teethgrinder’ then sees a succession of bodies disappearing over the barrier as they did in the band’s heyday, and ‘Screamager’ simply seals the deal on another memorable, cathartic performance.
There’s a rather lovely moment straight after, too, when Krusher surprises the hell out of Planet Rock’s tireless marketing manager Jon Norman by presenting him with the festival’s Services To Rock Award. The golden-horned accolade is richly deserved by Jon, the man who makes everything happen at Planet Rock without seeking to take even a jot of credit. Today, finally, we get to say thank you.
There’s a celebratory feel about Black Star Riders, too. Now performing as a fiercely driven, muscular-sounding four-piece, there’s little time to chat, as they simply reel off live favourite after live favourite – ‘When The Night Comes In’, ‘Another State Of Grace’, ‘Better Than Saturday Night’ et al. The remarkable Sam Wood, who has stepped in for Saxon’s Paul Quinn and Ginger Wildheart in the past month alone, now performs most of Scott Gorham’s guitar parts, the Thin Lizzy legend having decided to step back from Black Star Riders duties. ‘Jailbreak’, dedicated to Scott, is as thrilling as ever. There’s also a ‘you-had-to-be-there’ moment not long after, when Therapy?’s Andy Cairns joins Ricky Warwick on both vocals and guitar for a celebratory ‘Finest Hour’. “Rock n’ roll is about unity, and we will never forget that,” Ricky rumbles, afterwards. They bow out with a brilliant ‘Bound For Glory’ and, quite frankly, Black Star Riders could have been headlining.
That honour instead falls to the near mythical Blue Öyster Cult, they of cosmic-proportioned, occasionally space-themed 70s rock classics. They’re led by Eric Bloom, now 78, and Buck Dharma, 75, and to describe this veteran outfit as an unusual placement on the UK festival circuit would be understating the circumstances quite dramatically. In fact, it’s hard to judge what’s more interesting, the band’s performance or the reaction of Stonedead’s audience to it. Aside from the obvious classics - ‘Godzilla’, ‘Burnin’ For You’ and the seminal ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ - BOC’s output is so esoteric that in another lifetime it might easily have been lost to history. While the crowd barely reacts to ‘Before The Kiss, A Redcap’, from the band’s 1972 debut, or the more prog-inclined ‘Golden Age Of Leather’, they do watch on, unified. Part of it, you feel, is respect for the artists on stage, while another part of it is a strange form of late evening hypnotism brought on by these unorthodox, psychedelic-tinted meanderings. It’s the oddest of things at a rock show – silent fascination.
The rowdier ‘That Was Me’ from the band’s most recent album, 2020’s ‘The Symbol Remains’, shows the act’s modern incarnation can do concise and direct when it wants to, and while the aliens-from-the-future prog rock of ‘The Vigil’ from 1979’s ‘Mirrors’ leaves this crowd just standing and staring, it’s never less than impressive to watch the seasoned intricacy of Dharma’s guitar work on the video screens. Bloom transitions easily from vocals to guitar and to keyboards, as does bandmate Richie Castellano. Aside from their undeniably great hits, the band are a deep dive into non-linear arrangements, and themes that address everything from drug deals gone wrong to extraterrestrial life. Whether there is or isn’t enough cowbell is a discussion we can leave, but undeniably Blue Öyster Cult are a magnificently strange and strangely magnificent conclusion to, as Bloom puts it, “a great day of rock n’ roll”.
Gallery: Monsters of Rock festival through the years
Ritchie Blackmore at the first Monsters of Rock in 1980
Ritchie Blackmore of headliners Rainbow at the very first Monsters of Rock on 16th August 1980. The show was Cozy Powell's last as Rainbow drummer.
Monsters of Rock 1980 line-up
Rainbow promoter Paul Loasby together with Maurice Jones organised a one-day music festival in the UK celebrating hard rock and heavy metal music. The inaugural Monsters of Rock was held at Donington Park racetrack on 16th August 1980 with Rainbow topping a bill that also featured Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot and Touch. Saxon were so enamoured by the experience, Biff Byford wrote the song 'And the Bands Played On' about it.
Monsters of Rock stage in 1983
With the stage located in a natural amphitheatre, the slopping ground allowed better viewing for attendees.
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1981
Buoyed by the success of the first year – which was originally meant to be a one-off event – Monsters of Rock returned on Saturday 22nd August 1981 with a stellar line-up of AC/DC, Whitesnake, Blue Öyster Cult, Slade, Blackfoot and More.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade guitarist Dave Hill strikes a pose on a speaker stack in front of the 65,000 strong Donington crowd at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade frontman Noddy Holder puckers up to guitarist Dave Hill at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade's Dave Hill in his eye-catching snakeskin trousers at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1981
Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale on stage at Monsters of Rock 1981. The band were touring their fourth studio album 'Come an' Get It.'
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1981
Whitesnake guitarist and songwriter Bernie Marsden at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Monsters of Rock 1982 line-up
The third Monsters of Rock boasted performances from Status Quo, Gillan, Saxon (the first band to grace the hallowed turf of Donington twice), Hawkwind, Uriah Heep and Anvil.
Gillan at Monsters of Rock 1982
Gillan's eponymous frontman Ian Gillan on stage at Monsters of Rock 1982, flanked by a young guitarist by the name of Janick Gers. No idea what he went on to do...
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1983
ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 20th August 1983. The event was headlined by Whitesnake with Meat Loaf, Twisted Sister, Dio and Diamond Head also on the bill.
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1983
ZZ Top's Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons on stage at Monsters of Rock 1983.
Dio at Monsters of Rock 1983
Eponymous Dio frontman Ronnie James Dio on stage at Monsters of Rock 1983. Just three months earlier, Dio had unleashed their seminal debut album 'Holy Diver.'
Dee Snider and Ronnie James Dio at Monsters of Rock 1983
Twisted Sister at Monsters of Rock 1983
The view from the crowd as Twisted Sister take to the stage at Monsters of Rock 1983.
Meat Loaf at Monsters of Rock 1983
The late-great Michael Lee Aday - aka Meat Loaf - screams at Monsters of Rock 1983 where he was the penultimate act of the day.
Meat Loaf at Monsters of Rock 1983
Late rock legend Meat Loaf backstage at Monsters of Rock 1983 with wife Leslie and daughters Pearl and Amanda.
Monsters of Rock 1984
A ticket for the fifth Monsters of Rock on Saturday 18th August 1984 when AC/DC became the first band in the event's history to headline twice. Also on the bill were Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Y&T, Accept and Mötley Crüe.
Eddie Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
Eddie Van Halen backstage with The Who's John Entwistle at Monsters of Rock 1984.
Eddie Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
The late-great Eddie Van Halen walks to the stage at Monsters of Rock 1984.
Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
Van Halen brought their pulsating live show to Monsters of Rock 1984. It proved to be the band's final show in the UK with David Lee Roth as their exuberant frontman – he would return to Monsters of Rock four years later as a solo artist, however.
Monsters of Rock 1984
The crowd at Donington Park, Leicestershire at Monsters of Rock 1984
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1985
Looking resplendent in their matching flamed jackets, ZZ Top made the step up to headliners at Monsters of Rock 1985. Marillion, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Ratt and Magnum also performed.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1985
Eponymous Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi on stage at Monsters of Rock 1985. The New Jersey rockers were touring their second album '7800° Fahrenheit.'
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1985
San Francisco metallers Metallica made their Monsters of Rock debut on Saturday 17th August 1985. Pictured are Cliff Burton, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield backstage.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1985
Bon Jovi's Alec John Such, Tico Torres, David Bryan, Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi backstage at Monsters of Rock 1985.
Monsters of Rock 1986 line-up
Ozzy Osbourne headlined the seventh Monsters of Rock on Saturday 16th August with Scorpions, Def Leppard, Mötorhead, Bad News and Warlock also performing the day. It was a landmark gig for Def Leppard as it was Rick Allen's first major concert appearance since he lost his left arm following a car crash on 31st December 1984.
Monsters of Rock 1987
The sun-kissed crowd at Monsters of Rock 1987. Alongside headliners Bon Jovi, the line-up also featured Dio, Metallica, Anthrax, W.A.S.P. and Cinderella.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1987
Bon Jovi looking radiant backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 22nd August 1987. Now rock superstars thanks to their blockbuster third album 'Slippery When Wet', Bon Jovi headlined the Donington event.
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1987
Metallica frontman James Hetfield at Monsters of Rock 1987. The band were still on their touring cycle for their masterpiece third studio album 'Master of Puppets.'
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1987
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora gets lost in the moment on stage at Monsters of Rock in August 1987.
Anthrax at Monsters of Rock 1987
Anthrax are photobombed by Metallica's James Hetfield backstage at Monsters of Rock 1987.
Dio at Monsters of Rock 1987
Dio backstage at Monsters of Rock in August 1987. It was Ronnie James Dio and co.'s second appearance at Donington Park.
Anthrax at Monsters of Rock 1987
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian at Monsters of Rock 1987. Nice shorts!
Monsters of Rock 1988 line-up
As part of their mammoth Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour trek, Iron Maiden headlined Monsters of Rock 1988. The line-up also featured KISS, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N' Roses and Helloween.
Monsters of Rock 1988 hit by tragedy
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose at Monsters of Rock 1988. Tragically, two young men lost their lives when there was a surge at the front of the 100,000 strong crowd during the set. The event was cancelled in 1989.
Aerosmith at Monsters of Rock 1990
Aerosmith backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 18th August 1990. Following the tragedy two years earlier, the event returned with a reduced capacity of 75,000 people.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1990
Whitesnake's Adrian Vandenberg during the band's headline slot at Monsters of Rock 1990. Aerosmith, Poison, The Quireboys and Thunder also performed on the day.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1990
Whitesnake lynchpin David Coverdale at Monsters of Rock 1990.
The Quireboys at Monsters of Rock 1990
Monsters of Rock 1990
The crowd at Monsters of Rock 1990.
Thunder at Monsters of Rock 1990
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1991
AC/DC headlined Monsters of Rock for a third time on Saturday 17th August 1991. A year later, the band released the concert on VHS as 'Live at Donington 1991.'
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1991
AC/DC's Malcolm and Angus Young at Monsters of Rock 1991. The impressive line-up also boasted Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and The Black Crowes.
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1991
Metallica frontman James Hetfield at Monsters of Rock 1991, which took place just five days after the band unleashed their blockbuster fifth album 'Metallica' – AKA 'The Black Album.'
Monsters of Rock 1991
The crowd at Monsters of Rock 1991.
Mötley Crüe at Monsters of Rock 1991
Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil at Monsters of Rock 1991. It was their second appearance at the legendary event.
The Black Crowes at Monsters of Rock 1991
The Black Crowes' vocalist Chris Robinson at Monsters of Rock 1991 where the band opened proceedings.
Monsters of Rock 1992
With Iron Maiden headlining for a second time, the stage at Monsters of Rock 1992 was adorned with Melvyn Grant's tree-like incarnation of Eddie from Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark' album and Mark Wilkinson's demonic Eddie from the Monsters of Rock poster.
Iron Maiden at Monsters of Rock 1992
Headliners Iron Maiden backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 22nd August 1992. Their stellar performance was immortalised with the November 1992 live album and VHS video 'Live at Donington' and the set culminated with former guitarist Adrian Smith guesting on 'Running Free.'
Monsters of Rock 1992
Iron Maiden fans at Monsters of Rock 1992.
Skid Row at Monsters of Rock 1992
Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach on stage at Monsters of Rock 1992. Alongside Iron Maiden and Skid Row, the line-up also featured Thunder, Slayer, W.A.S.P. and The Almighty.
Aerosmith at Monsters of Rock 1994
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler in his questionable choice of head gear during the band's headline set at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 4th June 1994. There was no event in 1993 as organisers couldn't find a suitable headliner.
Pantera at Monsters of Rock 1994
Late-great Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell during the band's set at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
The view of the main stage at Monsters of Rock 1994. For the first time, the Donington extravaganza featured two stages. Aerosmith, Extreme, Sepultura, Therapy? and Pride & Glory played the main stage, with The Wildhearts, Terrorvision, Skin, Biohazard, Cry of Love and Headswim on the second stage.
Extreme at Monsters of Rock 1994
Extreme's Mike Mangini, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger and Gary Cherone backstage at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
The view of the glorious crowd from the stage at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
One Monsters of Rock attendee imbibes a touch too much in 1994.
Metallica at Escape from the Studio ‘95
Metallica headlined Donington Park on Saturday 26th August 1995, however it was on the proviso that the Monsters of Rock name was switched for Escape from the Studio '95. The name reflected Metallica's decision to headline while recording the 'Load' album.
Slash’s Snakepit at Escape from the Studio ‘95
Guns N' Roses legend Slash on stage with his band Slash's Snakepit at Escape from the Studio '95.
Escape from the Studio ‘95
The very steamy crowd during Metallica's set at Escape from the Studio '95
Ozzy Osbourne at Monsters of Rock 1996
The final Monsters of Rock at Donington Park took place on Saturday 17th August 1996. Ozzy Osbourne and KISS headlined with Sepultura, Bohazard, Dog Eat Dog, Paradise Lost and Fear Factory on the main stage. The Kerrang! Stage featured Korn, Type O Negative, Everclear, 3 Colours Red, Honeycrack and Cecil.
KISS at Monsters of Rock 1996
Paul Stanley during KISS's closing set at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Monsters of Rock 1996
Two young metalheads throw the horns at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Monsters of Rock 1996
KISS fans in makeup at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Deep Purple at Monsters of Rock 2006
A decade after the last event at Donington Park, the Monsters of Rock name was revived on Saturday 3rd June 2006 for a one-dayer at Milton Keynes Bowl. Deep Purple headlined with Alice Cooper, Thunder, Queensrÿche, Journey, Ted Nugent and Roadstar also performed.
Alice Cooper at Monsters of Rock 2006
Thunder at Monsters of Rock 2006
Thunder frontman and Planet Rock presenter Danny Bowes at Monsters of Rock 2006.