The Spring Bank Holiday is almost upon us. Which means it’s time for us to descend on Lincolnshire Showground once more for Call of the Wild! Well, they’ve pushed it back a week so that means we’ve now got a long weekend to air out those tents, get all your supplies sorted and pack those essentials. After finally attending for the first time last year, it became the festival that I have to go to every year before last year had even finished.
We’re going to be there from Thursday for the VIP welcome party to get set up and hit the ground running from Friday morning between watching bands and interviewing them. For those who haven’t been or are first timers, there’s no surprise why they’ve cultivated a loyal following from 2019 with people attending every year. There’s a real sense of community to be found in the arena and Wolf Pack as new friendships are made or you catch up with your people. It’s full of the real music enthusiasts who are the lifeblood of the DIY/unsigned/up-and-coming scene.
With the two main stages of the Kilmister Stage and the Southall Lawless stage sitting side-by-side at one end of the arena and the Trailblazer stage at the opposite end with all the traders and food stalls between them, it’s a great layout for a festival. Not only that, you’re only a couple of minutes walk to your camper van or tent so no trudging miles like you do at the big festivals like or Bloodstock. And when you see someone during the weekend, you’ll absolutely see them again at some other point – again, unlike the bigger festivals.
There’s literally not a bad thing to be said about this festival, other than I’m annoyed that it only happens once a year. I last year wanting to do it all over again the following weekend, even if I came away a little bit broken from doing an insane number of steps a day and a voice which refused to work after 4 solid days of talking to bands, meeting new people and catching up with fellow music lovers and industry professionals. Yet at the same time, I can’t believe we’re only a week away from it. Soon we’ll be counting down the days to 2026!
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Naturally, it’s all about the music and Call of the Wild have always ensured they’ve got a diverse line-up for you to enjoy, whether it’s big names or kids just starting out on their career. And they cover just about every sub-genre of rock you can think of – just look at the diversity of the headliners for a start! ittedly, this time around, I’ve not seen as many of the bands on this year’s line-up compared to previous years but there’s plenty of names I recognise and want to catch. So here’s a few you’ll definitely see me watching:
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Royal Republic – The headliner I’m most excited for. The perfect Saturday night party as the Swedes bring their pop-drenched Eagles of Death Metal on speed and acid sound to Lincolnshire. - Bonafide – This one’s for the nostalgia. Another Swedish outfit, it’s been a long time since I saw them. They’ve got so many great songs but “Fill Your Head With Rock” will always be an anthem for myself and so many others who listened to, and found community in, 96.3 Rock Radio.
- Oli Brown and the Dead Collective – Oli finally makes his Call of the Wild performance debut having spent many years there with his jewellery company, Black Feather Design. Imagine big, cinematic, atmospheric rock with virtuoso guitars from himself and Sam Wood and held together by Wayne Proctor’s prodigious drumming.
- Jayler – A band who have a seemingly well-earned buzz around them. I booked them a couple of times a few years ago in a venue I used to work in when they were gigging three or four times a week. It’s going to be great to finally see them in action.
- Sisters Doll – A recommendation to me by our pals at Rock People Management and they don’t work with bad bands. Having just wrapped up a tour with Kickin’ Valentina, they seemed to have impressed our Gary at their recent Bannerman’s date. The Aussies aren’t quite as heavy as your typical band from that neck of the woods so it’ll be interesting to see what they’re made of.
- Retsecro(W)s – I caught these kids last year opening for Kim Jennett and they were incredible. Give them a few years and they’re going to be monsters. And I can easily see them graduating from the Trailblazer Stage this year to one of the outdoor stages in the coming years.
- Moskito – They were such fun last year. They’ll kick the weekend off with the appropriate bang!
- Bobbie Dazzle – I happened to see Bobbie Dazzle’s first ever show when they opened for Margarita Witch Cult in Birmingham. Psych on a Sunday to blow away the cobwebs sounds like a plan.
- Secret band – Has Call of the Wild ever had a secret band? There certainly wasn’t last year but I bet the Trailblazer Stage will be packed for people to get a good look at them. As for who it is – your guess is as good as mine.
- The Rock and Roll Toastie Co. – Yeah, I know they’re not a band but I think about their toasties on a weekly basis. I reunited with them at Bonfest earlier this month and somehow, they’ve only gotten better. I fully intend to eat my weight in In Flames over the weekend.
There’s a whole host of non-food vendors on-site and if they’re anything like the food and drink, they’ll be well priced and like the punters, friendly. Likewise, if you’re after some non-musical activities, other than heading back to camp and relaxing, the team have just announced the inclusion of On Point Archery if you fancy living out your Legolas/Hawkeye/Green Arrow fantasies. Or you could get yourself some new ink at Black Anvil Tattoo who are back for their third year.
Furthermore, a food collection for Lincoln Community Larder will be taking place at the entrance gates and our mates Heavy Metal Therapy will also have their own stand in the arena. And alongside that, there’s a raffle and “something very special you’ll find out about on the weekend that you’ll want & will the charity.” For those of us in the press/media, there’s an excellent press room to work in and we’re well looked after, never treated as an afterthought.
Needless to say, I’ve been sold on Call of the Wild since day one and finally attending last year showed that all the good things said about this special festival are true. I’ll always be annoyed that life got in the way of 2019 – 2023’s iterations but hey, better late than never to discover your favourite festival.
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Call Of The Wild Festival will take place on 29th – 1st June 2025 at Lincolnshire Showground.
