Call Of The Wild May 2024
@Lincolnshire Showground
(Brace yourselves, this is a long read and I am so rusty)
When Jon and then Raz, messaged and invited us to Call Of The Wild, I really wanted to say yes, but I wasn’t sure my body could take it (Long Covid problems)
PLUS it would take a lot to persuade MrRob to come to a festival. But I was itching to get back into the live music environment, having been more or less away from the music scene for many years.
Eventually, after a lot of, can we? Should we? ……we said yes……..as long as I could help on merch. Jon said yes. Yessssssss
So we packed Bam the van and grabbed our cameras. But first I Spent morning at York hospital, having an endoscopy. They were running late and I thought I’d never get out of there.
It was one of those days where the roads looked like a river and the rain was coming down so hard, you got soaked in seconds and we were heading to an open air festival!
But what the hell, a bit of mud at a festival is traditional right?
We arrived at Lincoln Showground to be faced by hammering rain and puddles everywhere. The marquee (holding The Trailblazer stage, merch area and bar) and main stages already built. Crew milling about getting things ready. But I couldn’t find Jon or Raz and no one was answering phone. (We know them both from the touring days of Bitchin Rock Photos, when Jon was drumming in Silverjet and Raz was managing a few of the bands we toured with)
Eventually, Raz and Jon, dressed in rain gear came and met us and pointed us in direction of our spot for the next few days. Parked cup and dogs walked, I went to find Lesley sorting the merch and I got straight to work helping fold and place the merch on the shelves.
Meanwhile the bar staff got the bar ready and stocked the shelves (and boy did they have a lot of stuff, this was going to be a boozy weekend for a lot of people)……
and on top of that, they had to keep on top of a leaking marquee.
While we were sorting the merch, the Rain and wind flapped against the marquee and the shelves were getting pushed. We were concerned it would knock the shelves over overnight. Fingers were crossed all would be well in morning.
Thursday 23rd May
There had been lots of rain and wind overnight and while I had just sat don to breakfast, Jon came over on the quad and told me the wind against marquee had pushed all the merch over. Arghhhh
Thank god Lesley had foresight to put layers of cardboard down before she left last night and all the merch was clean and dry. But most of it needed to be refolded and put back on display ready to go on sale on Friday.
2pm VIP ticket holders arrived and 6pm the party began. We were treated to a night of bands on the Trailblazer stage inside the marquee.
MrRob looked terrified. This would be his first time amongst a lot of people, in years. To begin with, he wouldn’t move from by the merch barrier. I faked it and headed down to grab some photos, but he still wouldn’t move. Half way through night I had to pop back to van to take meds and we had a walk with dogs. He told me he didn’t feel confident enough to go down front and I told him, neither did I, but fake it. After that, there was no stopping him. I hardly saw him all weekend. He was off gallavanting everywhere, snapping photos, filling his face and drinking beer lol
Back to VIP Party > This is the only time I had my camera out properly all weekend.
First up where Liberty Slaves (https://www.facebook.com/LibertySlaves) :
**click here to view the album on flickr»> www.flickr.com/photos/bi…
Then on to Matted (https://www.facebook.com/mattedofficial)
**click here to view the album on flickr »> www.flickr.com/photos/bi…
Headliners were Guns N Yorkshire Roses (https://www.facebook.com/gunsnyorkshireroses) :
**click here to view the album »>www.flickr.com/photos/bi… 
Followed by DJ Set, which we were safely tucked up in bed for, but we could hear it.
I can’t tell you a lot about the bands over the weekend. I honestly didn’t see much.
I was so happy and felt in my comfort zone behind merch, so I spent most of my time there. I think Lesley and I made a pretty good team and I hope I didn’t get in her way.
But being in the marquee selling merch, meant I had the pleasure of being able to chat to people and see the bands on Trailblazers stage, so I was very happy…..even when I was feeling really ill on Saturday.
So happy that I finally got to see Luna Marble (https://www.facebook.com/lunamarbleband) and all I can say is WOW, what a band, what a voice. Stunning
I have seen things this weekend ………….. including men in tight, gold suits, a couple of cock heads, a dancing dinosaur, a couple of Unicorns and even a Hoard of Vikings.
What a fantastic crowd or should I say Pack of people, even when the weather was grim…..and I mean grim. Thunder, lightning, rain so heavy we had a river flowing outside of the bar and us merch bitches were sinking, as our floor of cardboard got wetter and wetter. Despite all of that, everyone still smiled, laughed and had a good time.
We stayed Monday morning to help with anything that needed doing. Bitchin Rock Photos became litter pickers, I handed out packets of bread buns from the burger van, we found lost property, stacked all the chairs and tables in VIP area and helped take the signs and material off the fencing. We took dogs around the camp ground to pick up litter, but to be honest, there was hardly anything.
Call Of The Wild truly is a real family affair. The feeling of being amongst such a loving and friendly bunch of people was amazing. We were welcomed with open arms and made to feel part of the family from the get go.
Was so good to see so many familiar faces and have so many proper, warm hugs. People we hadn’t seen for many years and mean for about 10 years or more. We were always on the road, driving bands, feeding them, selling merch, taking photographs, providing hugs and moral support. In doing this, we used to meet a lot of people. We have missed you all.
The food stalls ( I am told by MrRob) were top notch. He seemed to be either eating or drinking most times I saw him. Everything looked and smelt so good, but I am a very sensitive Coeliac, so didn’t risk having anything.
The price of food, beer, drinks was so good. Only £5 for a pint, how good is that?! The coffee was the dogs doo do dahs. That coffee stand kept me going all weekend and they even gave me a cup of hot milk every night. I know, I can hear you sating hot milk?!!! WTF!!, but I don’t drink and I love me some hot milk.
Where else can you go to a festival, have acres of land to walk the dogs, have proper flushing loos and hot showers?! This is my kind of festival.
- **Here’s an album of random photos I took
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click here to view the album on flickr »>www.flickr.com/photos/bi…
Thank you Jon and Raz for inviting us along and I hoped we earned our keep. There was no way we were coming and not helping out. Thank you to Dave, Lee, Lesley and everyone involved. You made it the best weekend and I hope you’ll have us back next year.
So what are you waiting for, go get tickets for next year THURSDAY 29TH MAY 2025 - SUNDAY 1ST JUNE 2025 www.gigantic.com/call-of-t…
If you missed out on merch, here’s the link to 2024’s merch upstagedlimited.sumupstore.com
MrRob was out and about with his camera all weekend, once he has sorted his photos, I will pop a link to the albums on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/BltchinRo… and website www.bitchinrockphotos.com
I honestly do not know how I found the energy to do the COTW, but I’m so flipping glad I was able to do it. Call it adrenaline, call it stubborness, but I did it!!!
BitchinDonna x
