Day 2 of Ramblin Man Fair saw the first full day of programming with the return of the Rising Stage, the Outlaw Country Stage and the Prog Stage in addition to an already stellar line-up on the Planet Rock Main Stage.
A Walk In The Park – Mote Park
In recent times Collateral have proven that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Whether that be grabbing a much-coveted spot on the main stage at Camden Rocks or the chance to open for Jon Bon Jovi on his forthcoming Med Cruise, the group are currently winning more competitions at home and abroad than Premier League Champions Manchester City FC.
Being local lads – hailing from nearby Ramsgate the quartet certainly brought their fans out with them as they showcased many tracks from their forthcoming debut album including the hard-rocking “Big Shot”, the incredibly catchy “Merry Go Round” along with recent singles “Midnight Queen” and “Lullaby”. Collateral made their set look like a walk in the park – Mote Park that is.
Having had to battle their way through a strong field to secure their spot on the Rising Stage, once again Collateral proved that the group have got what it takes to make it to the top. And whilst the mainstage may have seemed a distant cry away from the impromptu Rising Stage, which was erected on the back of a truck, Collateral showed that their ambition, self-belief and talent will make them a certainty for the Planet Rock mainstage in the not too distant future.
Bark At The Moon Crow
The beauty of Ramblin Man Fair is the diversity of the line-up on display. Whilst other rock festivals may dedicate their focus on one particular style or genre, this event, in particular, has something for everyone.
One band in particular which really caught our attention was Cellar Door Moon Crow. The Sheffield based duo truly blur the lines between rock and blues whilst also introducing elements of hip hop.
In order to execute their musical melting pot of sounds and influences, the Goodwin brothers were each armed with a multitude of instruments and pedals that allowed them to truly showcase their creativity and genre-defying sound.
In this day and age so many bands sound the same, it’s not that often that you come across a group so fresh and unique. Cellar Door Moon Crow are leading the way with a new Urban Rock sound that could quite easily bridge the gap between this age-old genre and the mainstream.
The hard-rocking pair are also getting ready to release their debut album on Friday 13th September, and on the strength of this performance alone, it’s certainly worth checking out.
Little by Little
Turn back the clocks to three years ago and Wayward Sons made one of their earliest appearances topping the bill on the Rising Stage.
With their main stage billing, this time around the group showcased a set that largely focused on their debut album Ghosts of Yet To Come. The Brit rockers belted through crowd-pleasers such as the incredibly infectious Crush, Alive, Don’t Wanna Go and the band’s anthemic debut single To The End. Wayward Sons also teased the crowd with a couple of tracks from their forthcoming sophomore album including new single The Jokes On You and Black As Sin.
And whilst initially, Toby Jepson and his Little Angels past may have been part of the band’s draw, now with their impending second album on the way it’s fair to say that the group are making a name for themselves in their own right.
The Second Coming
As the sun went down, the beautiful twin part guitar harmonies and mesmerising slide fuelled melodies laid down by The Allman Betts Band were the perfect soundtrack to a chilled out evening in Mote Park.
There is no more deserved band to appear at this festival than The Allman Betts Band. In fact, the event took its name from a song composed by guitarist Duane Betts father – the great Dickie Betts himself
Featuring three siblings of The Allman Brothers Band’s core members, the US-based outfit is continuing the rich musical legacy laid down by their fathers. And as such the group gives a nod to their family ties with the inclusion of tracks such as Ain’t Wastin Time No More.
Whilst a stunning airing of Purple Rain may be one of the most unexpected covers in their set, a jammed out rendition of I’ve Got My Eyes On You featuring Ben Wells from Black Stone Cherry added a very enjoyable southern touch to the proceedings.
Cheaper By The Dozen
With guitar picks flying through the air like confetti at a wedding, it’s a good job that Rick Nielsen buys them in bulk. Most of the festival punters in the front rows would have taken home a much-treasured souvenir in this respect. The legendary guitarist told us backstage that he buys his picks at 60,000 at a time, but it all adds to the group’s thoroughly entertaining live show.
Cheap Trick delivered a career-spanning set including timeless classics such as “Dream Police”, “Surrender”, “The Flame” and “I Want You To Want Me”. The band’s thoroughly entertaining set was over too soon but certainly hit the spot.
It goes without saying that the legendary outfit could headline the event in their own right, but this time around they are special guests to Black Stone Cherry. Who knows what the future will bring.
Cheap Trick’s appearance at Ramblin Man was a rare UK festival slot for the US classic rockers, but we have it on good information that a new studio album is on the way, so hopefully, we can expect to see the band on this side of the pond a lot more in future.
Second Bite At The Cherry
Throughout their history, Black Stone Cherry has gone on to establish a strong connection with the UK, to the point where our small island has almost become a home away from home for the Kentucky based quartet. So much so that the group has become the only artist to have headlined the main stage at Ramblin Man Fair twice.
When it comes to high energy shows, there are few who can surpass Black Stone Cherry. Having dabbled with the blues in their recent releases, this time around the group ditched any signs of extended jams, or bluesy interludes and got back to business as usual. During their headline set at Ramblin Man Fair, the Kentucky natives delivered a masterclass in how to rock a festival crowd whilst performing a set that contained nothing but anthems and crowd-pleasing favourites.
BSC was without a doubt one of the highlights of the weekend and most certainly deserved their second bite at the Ramblin Man Fair cherry.
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Ramblin’ Man Fair
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Event Date: 20-July-2019