Firevolt Festival – A Pre-Party To Ease Into Some Face Melting Rock Music  

Where – Whitebottom Farm, Etherow Country Estate, Stockport 

When – 6^th/9^th August 2026  

Review and photographs by Linda McDermott   

The Pre-Party 6^th August 2026 

There’s something special about getting to a festival the day before it officially kicks off. Maybe it’s taking the stress out of getting all set up, meeting friends you’ve not seen for ages for pre-festival drinks or simply relaxing into the weekend and forgetting all about work. Firevolt Festival caters for all those things and more with its Thursday Pre-Festival Party. 

With an array of entertainment starting at around 4pm, Radio Wigwam was blasting tunes out of the speakers before the much-coveted quiz got underway. Organised bedlam would probably be the best way to describe it, with 47 teams taking part using an app. For me, it’s a bit like Mastermind, where you’re chuffed to bits to get one question right. Unfortunately, I didn’t earn a dance around the barn shouting, “I got that one right!” I put it down to having too many geniuses on our team! Having said that, we ended up 25^th!  

Next up were Bev’s Champions of Rock in the form of Buried in Bermuda, a five-piece rock band that delivered a mix of heavy and melodic rock with a growl to back it up. With the Barn full of party animals, they went down well, even offering everyone a karaoke opportunity as they launched into Madonna’s Like a Prayer. And boy can the rockers sing!  

Until We Meet Again, was dedicated to organisers Bev and Stret, it slowed things down a bit but was both melodic and moving. The final two songs lifted the mood again, bringing high energy and a banging beat that the crowd loved. I have a feeling we may be seeing more of Buried in Bermuda. 

Next up was Paul Cash and his interview with Gorilla Riot, which was hilarious from start to finish. Paul is the compère for the weekend and, to say he takes no prisoners, is a bit of an understatement, so thick skin is recommended. Having said that, the man who wears shit shirts seven days a week would probably be really upset if you took him seriously for even just one minute. 

Paul gave us a little background on the Manchester band. They have three albums under their belts, with a fourth due towards the back end of next year. They have played with the likes of Airbourne, The Darkness and Reef, and have also played Download. But when asked who the best band was that they had toured with, the answer was a resounding Blacktop Mojo from America, with the band describing it as the best tour of their lives. 

The first round of questions seemed to relax the band before they played there first set of songs. They owned the stage, with a bit of a swagger going on as they delivered classic, upbeat rock numbers that some of the crowd clearly knew, singing along with the band. 

Next came audience participation, with questions coming from the crowd. What bands did you listen to growing up? What bands do you listen to now? The answers varied across the band, from Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses to pop, with everything from Faithless to the Spice Girls getting a mention. When one heckle came from the crowd, the response was that there are two types of music in this world, music you like and music you don’t. That got a massive cheer and, unsurprisingly, not another peep from the heckler! 

When asked where their name came from, Arjan mistakenly thought he was being asked about his name and replied, “Well, my parents are Indian.” However, it was the name Gorilla Riot she was asking about, which, according to Arjan, is a nonsense name, but there’s only one band with that name in Google! 

There were questions about Paul’s taste in shirts, questionable at the least, and even a young girl from Poland asking the band to change their name from Gorilla Riot to Banana Riot. The answer? It was a done deal. The next album was going to be called Banana Riot. 

The question session was a blast and very enlightening, giving us a glimpse into the brilliant characters that make up the band. One of the funniest moments came with the question, “Would you like a gummy bear sweet?” which led to a tale from Deggy about a packet of Nerds and accidentally being stoned! 

With the questions over it was time for more music from the band, and did they show the early arrivals how to enjoy the pre-party. They played more songs from their albums with music that was upbeat and pure rock with a bluesy edge that pulsated through the Barn, lifting spirits and proving to everyone that the weekend had truly started. 

As if that wasn’t enough, it was back to Radio Wigwam before the well-loved White Tyger took to the Trooper Stage and turned the energy up another notch. With guitar solos flying and Nip’s vocals going places it’s impossible for the rest of us to reach, they were the perfect band to bring the night to a close. Their own songs sat comfortably along side some well-loved covers, and had the Barn bouncing, with voices raised, bodies dancing and the party showing no sign of slowing down.  

And just like that, the clock struck midnight, and it was time for everyone to drift out the Barn and head for bed. With the pre-party successfully under our belts, the weekend had officially begun. Now all that was left was to get some sleep before three days of face-melting rock! 

Facebook pages 

Gorilla Riot 

https://www.facebook.com/GorillaRiot

White Tyger 

https://www.facebook.com/whitetygerrock

Buried in Bermuda 

https://www.facebook.com/buriedinbermuda

Videos 

Gorilla Riot 

Molotov Sister 

White Tyger 

This Is The Life 

Buried In Bermuda  

Torment