The Red Rooster Festival –
Euston Estate, Suffolk, Thursday 29th May 2025
What a lucky man I am, instead of hours of driving around the Country to see DeWolff they were playing basically, in my back garden! That’s a slight exaggeration but they were playing at the wonderful Euston Estate which is only a few minutes away from by home!
Not only were the Dutch maestros playing on this momentous and magical night, the headliner was Blues artist, Samantha Fish who had flown in from America. This made the evenings events truly international. Anyone who was about to witness these bands for the first time were in for a mind-blowing, spectacular treat!
Euston Hall is a country house, with park by William Kent and Capability Brown, in Euston, a small village in Suffolk, England, just south of Thetford. It is the family home of the Duke of Grafton. This historic venue was first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086. For the last 11 years, the Red Rooster Festival has been creating a new type of history, this though would be my first experience of it’s musical delights, it will not be my last.
It is time for me to get on with my review of events and proceedings. The Vagaband got things off to a great start, unfortunately I arrived slightly late, the Marquee was packed, I didn’t get the opportunity to see much of the set but what I heard sounded pretty good and certainly got things off to a great start.
The Vagaband are a Roots Rock/Americana band comprising of 6 members, based in the East of England. They have been delivering their music for the last decade releasing 4 studio albums. They impressed me enough to invest in their latest album, 'The Beautiful World'.
The Zipheads were next up, their music incorporates a diverse range of influences, playing Rock 'n' Roll infused with Punk, taking influence from the founding fathers of the 1950's like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, via the Punk and New Wave heroes of the 70’s such as The Clash and Elvis Costello, along the way encompassing Surf, Swing, Soul, Country, Folk, Ska and Reggae as well as most other types of music you could care to imagine.
The trio were energetic and explosive as they delivered their set, which again saw the Marquee full. They were great fun as they fused all the styles together and engaged brilliantly with those present, creating a memorable set. I have to mention Dick Dynamite who threw his Double Bass around like Jimi Hendrix did his guitar! He lived up to his name, he certainly was dynamite. Ray Waters (Guitar/Vocals) had an edgy Punk Rock style as he commanded the stage. Hailing from St Albans, these are a band I definitely want to see again!
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Set List: Intro/Night Train/In Love/Natural Woman/Out On The Town/Snowbird/ Rosita.
Right! The main reason I am here is DeWolff! They were thrust into my musical world via their 'Thrust' album which was released in 2018. Since then, my Wife, Jane and Son, James have become mega fans. I have reviewed all their subsequent releases and interviewed them twice. This would be my fifth time seeing and photographing them. As I have mentioned seeing them so close to my home was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.
This Dutch trio made up of Robin Piso on Hammond organ and Brothers, Luka (Drums/Vocals) and Pablo van de Poel (Guitar/Lead Vocals) are simply sensational. Just how a trio are so creative defies logic, their music ranges from the Psychedelic through the Blues into Americana with dashes of Disco, Funk, Gospel and Soul. As I spoke to many in attendance I exclaimed with excitement that they were about to have the ride of their lives. In fact, they were about to go on the ‘Night Train’!
A female photographer who I shared the photo pit with, was seeing them for the first time was so immersed in the music her jaw dropped, her eyes wide open with a smile that cannot be described declared; “These are the best band I have seen for years”!
From the moment Pablo screamed “Are you ready for the Night Train?”, the Marquee erupted in euphoric enthusiasm. The impact of DeWolff creating a feeling that we were all about to be whipped into a frenzy of delight. ‘In Love’ brought the tempo down a bit but the musicality just flowed with intensity. ‘Natural Woman’ kept the magic flowing.
‘Out On The Town’ from the recently released and excellent 'Muscle Shoals' album, kept us all spellbound as Pablo stunned us with his wide eyed, almost manic guitar playing and delivery. Robin creating a landscape of colour on his organ to a delirious response.
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‘Snowbird’ is simply exquisite, Pablo’s voice expressive and restrained. It is a 10-minute flight of beauty, simply mesmerising! Tonight was special, having Luka further forward and more prominent added a different dimension, the subtleness and explosiveness that drives the group via his sticks are something to marvel at.
The intricacies of the music just washes over the listener, conjuring up waves of emotion, the embellishments from the Hammond are both dexterous and dazzling, the interplay between guitar and organ are from another planet, think maybe of Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore at their prime.
DeWolff are the special guests tonight so we are only treated to an hour and six songs. The last of these being ‘Rosita’. Nothing I have written so far encapsulates the sheer magnitude of this song. It is not just a closing song, it is a love song, but not as you would expect. ‘Rosita’ combines many parts, it is colossal in expression and ambition.
It lasts around 25 minutes, as it takes you on a journey that simply has everything including Pablo leaping from the stage, over the barrier, then hugging and making contact with as many watching as possible, all while singing! He also wears a Hawaiian headpiece which he borrowed from an adoring audience member.
The frenzied crowd join in with the ‘Mighty Power Of Love’. You could feel the gasps, it was breathless and I tell you this, those witnessing were not expecting anything approaching this grand finale. It is something that will remain with them for years to come.
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An hour is not long enough but I know most will be buying their albums and will be seeing them again when they tour in the Autumn. When DeWolff will once again be adorned in their handmade 70’s outfits.
Set List: Kick Out The Jams/Paper Doll/Can You Handle The Heat/I’m Done Runnin’/I Put A Spell On You/Lose You/Sweet Southern Sounds/Bulletproof/Fortune Teller/ Poor Mattie/Rusty Razor/Don’t Say It/Black Wind Howlin’.
I did not envy Samantha Fish having to follow DeWolff. She really had her work cut out! This would be my first live encounter with her and her band. Samantha has just released her lastest album ‘Paper Doll’, something I have recently reviewed and given great praise to. Was she up to the foreboding task ahead? The answer was yes as she took control with her enigmatic beauty and presence, along with a plethora of ever-changing guitars.
Dressed in a red jacket and black trousers Samantha quickly got into her stride as she opened with a cover of MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’, it was a great choice to play something that grabbed the attention and was familiar to most. The packed Marquee showed their approval with roars of applause.
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Next up was ‘Paper Doll’ the title track off her recent album, as that song concluded it was clear we were in the presence of another major talent. Unfamiliarity with the songs can be a challenge, but Samantha rose to it like a Salmon. She strutted and shimmied with intent as the fluidity of her guitar enthralled, her voice rising and falling with power, panache and precision.
With a new album to promote it was no surprise that 8 of those songs got an airing, only ‘Off In The Blue’ wasn’t played, I wonder why? Samantha is recognised as a Blues artist of the highest calibre but she has much more to offer than just Blues. She draws from multiple genres, including rock, country, funk, bluegrass and ballads. It is that that makes her stand out from the crowd. Her passion is infectious and connects with all in attendance.
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She has an unmistakable artistry that truly Rocks, but it is on slower numbers that she exhibits true class, ‘Fortune Teller’ being one of the shows highlights for me, brooding Blues with spoken lines. Wow! ‘I Put A Spell On You’ is another masterclass of expression and interpretation. The cover of the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song is quite brilliant.
The lighting is excellent but it is her smiles that illuminate the venue. She is supported by bass, drums and keyboards all these members add to the visual experience but you cannot take your eyes off Fish for a second, her performance is off the scale.
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The set list includes material from previous albums ‘Bulletproof’ providing a bit of funk. ‘Black Wind Howlin’ brings things to a close, we get introduced to her band members, Mickey Finn on keyboards, Jamie Douglass, drums and Ron Johnson, bass. It sends us either home or back to our tents. The walk made magical by trees bathed in colour.
What a night it was, truly exceptional.
By Paul Mace