Mayor Fest – Rockin’ it for Charity

Where – KK’s Steelmill, Wolverhampton

When – 11th April 2026

Review and Photographs by Linda McDermott

Mayor Fest, Wolverhampton, is now in its tenth year, and this three-day event continues to show why it has become such a favourite on the grassroots rock calendar. Last night at The Giffard Arms was a fantastic way to open the weekend and gave an early taste of what was still to come. (See separate review.)

When the doors opened at KK’s Steelmill at one o’clock, there was already a queue waiting to get in for the main day of the festival. Inside, the merch stands were busy from the off, with people picking up tee shirts, grabbing memorabilia and getting items signed, while an impressive line-up prepared to raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice, Compton Care, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity and SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

The acoustic stage near the merch area once again played a significant role throughout the day, keeping the music flowing while the main stage was reset for the next band. First up were Electric Black, who had the task of opening proceedings while people were still making their way in. They handled it brilliantly, delivering a confident set that quickly turned heads and got the day properly under way.

Once the action moved to the main stage, Seize the Void changed the mood instantly. The three piece delivered a heavy, no nonsense set that pulled people straight to the front and gave the room its first real surge of energy. Kicking off with Inside & Out, their latest single and treating the crowd to a mix of old and new songs they stormed it.

Back at the acoustic stage, Paradise Sins stepped up and made it count. The four piece delivered an impressive set. Their songs lost none of their bite in a stripped back setting and were met with a strong response from the growing crowd.

Alabama Crow kept the momentum going on the main stage with bags of enthusiasm and an upbeat sound that was impossible not to enjoy. It was also great to hear how they had worked their way from the acoustic stage to The Giffard Arms, and now onto the main stage, showing their continued support for and from Mayor Fest.

With the day progressing nicely, I headed back to the acoustic stage as I was especially keen to see FangSlinger after recently reviewing their outstanding new album, due for release on 24th April. Taking on an acoustic set for the first time, they did themselves proud and left me looking forward to hearing the full electric show at Call of the Wild festival in May.

Doomsday Outlaw were in cracking form, serving up swaggering blues hard rock and one quality tune after another. They kept the chat to a minimum and let the music do the talking. Their tongue in cheek version of Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf was a brilliant way to finish their set and had everyone singing along.

Connor Emms of New Saints also impressed on the acoustic stage, proving he didn’t need a band behind him to hold a crowd. His performance had real presence and kept the attention of everyone gathered round.

The band I was most looking forward to seeing were Black Lakes, and once again they proved why I keep calling them a stadium band. They stormed the stage, grabbed the audience immediately and never let the momentum drop. Even a couple of technical issues could not slow them down. Burn, Avarice, Verity in Flames, Hurricane and the closing title track of their latest album, Dead Gods, all landed brilliantly with the crowd joining in throughout. Black Lakes are a stadium band, so go and see them in a smaller venue while you still can.

Tom Kilner then drew a big crowd at the acoustic stage with a set that was warmly received. His easy manner and strong vocals made it clear why so many people stopped to watch and stayed until the end, another reminder of how well thought out this festival is, with music everywhere you turned and no drop in quality wherever you stood.

Apriori fans were packed at the barrier before the band got on stage, proof of the following they continue to build wherever they play. Their punchy melodic rock, built on strong guitar riffs and sing along choruses, was made for an occasion like this. With Tony’s unmistakable voice leading the way, Turn It Up, Voodoo Love and Making Love to the Devil were roared back at the stage. Their popularity on the festival circuit is easy to understand, and you can catch them over the summer at various festivals.

Blake Edwards kept the acoustic stage buzzing with a set of self penned songs that sounded effortless, though the craft behind them was obvious. A tribute to Doddy White, one of the organisers of the weekend, came in the shape of Bald Man, which had everyone laughing.

I hadn’t seen InMe before, but they made an immediate impression. From the off they owned the stage with a powerful, energetic set of heavy songs. Dave admitted he hadn’t been well, but you would never have known it from the performance by him and the band. With seven albums to choose tracks from they treated the crowd to a great mix. I particularly liked Cracking the Whip, Safe in a Room, and Firefly with there thumping beat.

A short break in the music brought the charity auction, including two beautifully handcrafted guitars made in tribute to Ozzy and Lemmy. It also gave everyone involved with Mayor Fest the chance to thank the bands, the venue and staff, the ticket buyers and everyone who help make the event such a success year after year.

Last but not least on the acoustic stage was Beth Blade, this time without her Beautiful Disasters. She had the crowd eating out of her hands with a superb vocal performance that rounded off that side of the festival in style.

Then it was time for the headliners. South of Salem came out to a huge cheer and hit the stage with power. With this only their second show of the year as they focus on album number three, excitement around the band is clearly building. They tore through favourites from the albums The Sinner Takes It All and Death of the Party as Joey whipped the crowd into full voice. There’s no doubting the pulling power of South of Salem as a sea of shirts pressed against the barrier, the connection between the band and fans was clear for all to see.

The surprise of the night came when Will Preston of Black Lakes joined them for Hellbound Heart, a song delivered with real power and energy that sent the crowd crazy.

And that was it, the end of the main day of Mayor Fest. It had everything that makes the rock community special: great music, good people, and a shared desire to support worthwhile causes.

Tickets for next year are already on sale without a single band being announced, which tells you all you need to know about the reputation Mayor Fest has built. People trust the organisers to deliver value for money with some of the finest grassroots bands around gracing KK’s stage and raising funds for local charities.

Grab yourself a ticket now! https://ticket247.co.uk/Event/525586