Friday – Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton
3rd April 2025
Review and Photos by Linda McDermott
There’s something special about the rock community when they come together, and this weekend is one event that showcases this. With Mayor Fest being split over three days, with Saturday as the main event, this festival brings together incredible rock bands, passionate fans, and a shared mission to support Wolverhampton’s local charities. Whether you’re singing along at the front, discovering new bands, or just soaking in the atmosphere, every ticket, every riff, and every moment helps make a difference. This year’s charities are Wolverhampton’s Age UK, The Samaritans and Beacon Centre for the Blind, who all deserve a boost to their funds for the great work they do. With an amazing team, Mayor Fest has raised thousands of pounds for a variety of local charities since it began nine years ago. Tonight, the venue is The Giffard Arms, which has a stage upstairs from the bar that gets full very quickly creating a great atmosphere.
Kicking off the event are –
Doomsday Outlaw
Alabama Crow
Jaotar
Jaotar are a three-piece band from Birmingham, who hit the stage wearing kimonos, immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. With the room packed, as soon as they started playing, it was clear we were in for something special. Their psychedelic rock sound filled the space and had the crowd hooked. They played original material that showcased them perfectly. From the start you could tell they really knew their stuff, their musicianship was solid, with some seriously impressive instrumental moments throughout the set.
Even though I hadn’t heard of them before, the energy they brought and the way the crowd responded made it feel like they were going to be noticed by promoters. Their sound was fresh but confident, and it left a real impression, I can definitely see them turning up on festival line-ups across the country before long. This was one of those unexpected performances where you walk away knowing you’ve just seen a band on the rise.
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Alabama Crow made the long journey down from Scotland last year, but because they were delayed on their travels, they only managed a couple of songs in their time slot. This time around, the band made sure to deliver the full experience, and it was well worth the wait. With a gritty, bluesy rock sound that had the crowd nodding along and fully focused on the stage, they brought the energy from the first chord to the last.
Frontman Billy had a slight wardrobe malfunction (let’s just say some watermelons made an unexpected appearance), he made light of his predicament and had the crowd relaxed and laughing along with him, proving nothing could derail the good energy in the room. It was the kind of performance that made you wish they had more time last year, but also glad they came back with something to prove. A killer set from a band clearly having as much fun onstage as the crowd was out front.
Video
Open for Business
https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaCrowBand
Closing the night with a bang, was the five-piece band Doomsday Outlaw, who brought some serious energy and connection to the stage. From the first note, it was clear they knew how to work a crowd. Fans were singing along word-for-word to the well-loved tracks, and even the newer songs had everyone clapping in time.
One standout moment was when they played ‘Drink Myself to Death,’ a track that had a title change to ‘One More Sip,’ purely to boost its radio appeal, hopefully, it worked, because the song was an absolute banger either way. Their tight musicianship and easy stage presence made for a set that felt both polished and personal. By the time they wrapped things up with a two-song encore, the venue was buzzing with energy. It was a proper finish to the night, memorable, feel-good, and full of heart.
Video
Walking the Line
https://www.facebook.com/DoomsdayOutlaw
And that’s it for the opening day of Mayor Fest, which hasn’t failed to get me or the rest of the crowd into the right spirits for the main event tomorrow. (Saturday is a separate review)
If you’d like more information or to help support the charities covered by the event, follow the links below for their main website.
Age UK
Samaritans
Beacon for the Blind
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