Where – The Corporation, Sheffield
When: 27th/28th February 2026
Review by Linda McDermott
Photographs by Linda McDermott and Matthew Pitfield
Day One – Friday 27th
Call of the Wild has become a firm favourite on the rock calendar, known for giving grassroots bands a proper platform while still bringing in heavyweight names from across the globe. But before the main festival even kicks off, there’s the small matter of the Trailblazer, a weekend dedicated to giving bands that break onto the festival circuit. With the full festival set to take place over three days at the end of May (28th–31st) at Lincoln Showground, this is where future headliners are discovered.
With eight spaces up for grabs, six in the Trailblazer Tent and one opening slot on each main stage, it was well worth bands’ filling out that application form. The winners are chosen by the audience through an app, accessed via QR codes displayed around the venue. Each band is marked out of ten for stage performance, songwriting, musicianship, and connection with the crowd.
First up, introduced by compères and DJs Sabian and Charlotte, were White Lightning. The four-piece metal outfit opened with real intent. They brought high energy from the off and showed they’ve clearly put the work in to become a tight, polished band that would fit perfectly at the festival. Getting the crowd involved is always a gamble, but they handled it confidently, and the crowd responded. Their set was packed with driving riffs and relentless momentum that immediately warmed the room.
Following that kind of opener is no easy task, but Wälker was more than up to it. With a punchy 25-minute set, they delivered powerful vocals and a rhythm section that hit with force. There was a real weight to their sound, balanced out by strong hooks.
Falling was a standout for me; it was full of intensity and drive and had a chorus that lodged itself in your head. They made a very persuasive case for those all-important votes.
Walker
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/walkerbanduk
Next up was JOANovARC, and the all-female four-piece made an impact straight away. Heavy in tone but still packed with melody, they had heads nodding and feet
tapping in the room. Their brand-new single, Mechanical Overlords, was introduced with a quick crowd check of whether we wanted to hear it. The response was a resounding yes, and the track went down a storm. Confident, commanding, and tight, they kept the standard high and added yet another voting dilemma.
JOANovARC
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JOANovARCofficial
Beggars Bliss shifted the mood slightly, moving into blues-rock territory with a subtle funky edge. The addition of keyboards added texture and depth, giving their sound something a little different from the previous bands. Their set showed variety, with dynamics changing from song to song, and they clearly understood how to build and release momentum. Playing material from their forthcoming album, set for release in May, they performed with ease and plenty of confidence.
Beggars Bliss
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/beggarsbliss
Closing the day were The Black Vultures from Wales, who cranked up the volume and brought catchy, hard-driven rock to the stage. Singles Treat Me Like An Animal and Never Say both drew huge cheers, and it’s easy to hear why, as the songs are built to get a crowd moving. For their final song, they dropped the pace slightly, encouraging a singalong that filled the room. Huw’s request for “one more chorus” felt genuinely heartfelt and brought an emotional close to their set.
The Black Vultures
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/theblackvulturesuk
And that wrapped up the first day. Five amazing bands gave it absolutely everything, making the voting decision far from easy. With more acts still to come tomorrow, the calibre is already high, proof that rock music is alive and well. Now with the competition part done for the night, it was time for the special guests to take over. Enter Blackpool trio Apriori.
Apriori has a sound that blends classic heavy rock with a punchy, no-nonsense delivery. With Tony’s distinctive vocals, Mousey battering the drums into submission and Mark bringing their sound together on keys, they wasted no time kicking things off with Turn It Up, which was an instruction as much as a song title. From there, it was anthem after anthem.
Better Man, Black Church, Nah Nah Nah Nah, Voodoo Love, Shotgun Blues and Making Love To The Devil were all sung straight back at them by fans at the barrier and beyond. Apriori was on top form, and the atmosphere in the room said it all. The band are gigging and playing at festivals throughout the year, so get yourself out there and catch them live.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/apriori.rocks
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AprioriRocksTheWorld/featured
Video
Voodoo Love https://youtu.be/P2J61fP8bIM?si=O_AI-cw7E8mocCPp
By the end of the night, there were plenty of happy faces filtering out of the corporation, and that’s what it’s all about. Roll on tomorrow. If this opening heat is anything to go by, the Trailblazer Stage at Call of the Wild is going to be bouncing.
For tickets for Call of the Wild Festival, https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/call-of-the-wild/
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