Live Review : SOS Festival on July 1st 2022

Wow. These festivals are coming thick and fast now. After working a non-rock/metal festival last weekend (followed by a failed attempt to get to a christening on Sunday and a two-day wedding), I find myself awake mid-morning Friday with a full weekend of SOSFest at Whittles and Tokyo in Oldham to look forward to.

This version of SOSFest (thanks in no small part to recent lockdown panics) is around 1000 days in the making. It has also found a new home in Oldham, offering an outdoor stage previously denied to them in former locations. Parking is easy as there are plenty of close-by options, but Oldham council seem to have forgotten we are in the 21st century and their car park machines are cash-only. By the time I finally get in day one is well and truly in full swing with a bit of a bang from Manchester-based hard rock outfit Fiefdom. I find it to be quite slick, powerful yet easy on the ear. A great way to open a festival.

The format of SOSFest is easy – Whilst you watch a band on the indoor “Skull” stage, the outdoor “Viking” stage is being set up in readiness for the mass migration of the crowd once the indoor arena is spent, and vice-versa. It seems to work very well, with no noticeable time slips all weekend. Added to this is the fact that I didn't google any of the bands I didn't know about before the weekend because I wanted their sets to be new to me. So a brilliant weekend and occasional surprises are promised.

Novustory opens the outdoor stage. I can't really use the right words to describe just how stadium-worthy, powerful and pitch-perfect Imogen's voice really is, but Daaaamn – This lady's got skills.

She is followed by Luke Appleton, one of the founding family of SOS Fest. A veteran of a whole host of acts (including Iced Earth), today he appears with his power trio. They provide a very tight rocking set, full of vim and vigour and a not insurmountable dollop of boogie.

White Raven Down, who have a hard-hitting heavy rock style are up next and are very well received. They may not be bringing anything particularly new to the party, but actually what they do they do really really well.

Even though SOS fest is an Appleton family affair, the Fury that headline the indoor stage tonight is sadly not a reunion of the Appleton brother’s former band. This Fury hail from Birmingham and bring a strong vocal rock sound with very complementary backing vocals. They provide a lively end to the indoor portion.