After an excellent long-overdue first year at Call of the Wild in 2024, last year felt like coming home. So it’s no surprise at all that I’m immensely looking forward to returning to Lincolnshire Showground for one of my favourite weekends. For me, it’s become “my” festival – where others I’ll rotate dictated by other commitments and line-ups, this is the one I have to be at regardless.
And that’s largely because of the atmosphere. Whether you’re a punter, band, trader, press, industry professional or part of the team that makes the festival happen, there’s no airs or graces, no “us and them” that you see at some festivals. If you’re there in any capacity, you’re part of the Wolfpack. Meanwhile, their ethos has always been one we’ve agreed whole-heartedly with – giving excellent bands a platform and play to the sort of audiences they deserve. Sure, there’s a whole lot of up-and-comers but they also make sure to get some more established acts on the bill for good measure.
With two big outdoor stages, bands are plying their wares from 11am and there’s always a healthy contingent out from the word “go”. Because these are music lifers, they understand how hard the music industry is but they also know that name on the poster they don’t know could well become their big discovery of the weekend. It’s how I’ve discovered some great bands or finally had the chance to see a band I’ve wanted to for some time or reunite with some old favourites.
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Meanwhile, the Wolfpack bar plays home to the Trailblazer stage. For quite a few bands over the years, it’s acted as a “stepping stone” for them to come back the following year or two and play either the Kilmister Stage or the Southall Lawless Stage. The bar is always exceptionally busy because they sell great drinks at affordable prices – much lower than most other festivals and even most bars and pubs back in civilisation. While the prices have increased this year, it’s minimal and it’s the first time they’ve done so in a number of years.
The layout remains the same, going with a “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. The main arena can be walked around in a couple of minutes and the campsites are easily reachable. It’s not like the big festivals like Download and Bloodstock where you need a meeting point to find your friends or if you happen to meet new people, you’ll see them regularly over the course of the weekend. And, rather importantly, your phone doesn’t become a useless brick – you can actually use it should you need to. Many of the food vendors and traders are repeat visitors, too. I’ll be living on toasties from The Rock and Roll Toastie Co. because not only are the toasties out of this world, Andy is a lovely human being and I’m more than happy to give him. There’s always a queue but he’s always happy to chat and have a laugh.
Bands consistently talk about how well looked after they are and that extends to us press folk. It’s honestly my favourite press room on the circuit and that’s not knocking the others, it’s simply a great room to be in. I’ll be interviewing some of the bands over the weekend to talk about their exploits and their love of the festival.
Speaking of bands – here’s 5 you shouldn’t miss:
- Tomorrow is Lost – Unsurprisingly top of the list, a band I got behind from the beginning and in last saw them at Bloodstock in 2019. Their brand of modern hard rock was a breath of fresh air and they’re back for one last show.
- MuddiBrooke – Yeah, their inclusion on here shouldn’t shock anyone. They smashed their 2024 slot and were one of the most talked about bands. Expect a whole lot of grunge from their upcoming debut album. I’ll be doing double duty by manning their merch stand (as always) but hopefully I’ll be able to catch a few songs
- Retsecrows – The next Jayler, albeit heavier. It’s an example of a band impressing on their Trailblazer slot and now they’re opening the Southall Lawless Stage. These kids are phenomenal and wowed the likes of Jackie Chambers last year.
- Myke Gray – I heard his set at Maid of Stone last year but didn’t see it due to MuddiBrooke merch duties but what I heard was phenomenal and the latest batch of musicians he’s working with are the best yet.
- Star Circus – Their first album was excellent and I missed them in 2024 due to interviews. And who doesn’t love a bit of pop rock in the early evening?
There’s also a secret band on the Trailblazer stage on Saturday again. Last year, all signs pointed to She Burns Red and it wasn’t them. It turned out to be some bandana-clad Geordie showing off a bit of what he fancied. So it wasn’t a letdown in any sense. There’s no clues for this year and I’ve no guesses so I’ll be there to find out with everyone else.
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Needless to say, Call of the Wild is one of my favourite weekends of the year. It’s a chance to catch up with friends, industry people, enjoy live music and gorge myself silly on toasties. There’s some tickets left for this year if you’ve been daft enough to leave it until the last minute so why not come and join us for a weekend which promises to be one of the best you’ll have all year?
Call of the Wild Festival 2026 takes place 28th – 31 May and remaining tickets are on sale here.
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