Volbeat / Bush / Witch Fever, OVO Arena Wembley, London,13th November 2025

Wembley Arena is undisputed sacred ground for live music. But within its hallowed walls there has also been many big boxing bouts across the decades.

I am a big fan of the sport and one complaint I often have, as do many more pugilism enthusiasts, is when a weak undercard, [the supporting bouts to the main headline fight], offers very little in the way of exciting action and is made up of has-beens or never-will-be boxers.

Shite value for money, and with tickets the sky high prices they are, it often leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Especially when the main fight ends early with a stoppage. The same can often be said about arena and stadium concerts, when the support acts may not be worth leaving the venue’s bar or local pub for, to get there early enough to catch them.

But not tonight. In boxing parlance; two heavyweight champs and a contender for a future world title were in the ring at Wembley in front of around 12,500 punters, and all three bouts packed a hell of a punch. The tour opened in Nottingham, and visited Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, before closing here.

First up, young Manchester rockers Witch Fever made many new friends in their short and sweet set. They definitely deserve attention in their own right. They debuted in 2021 with the EP, “Reincarnate” and then the follow-up a year later, “Congregation”. They dipped into both for their setlist tonight, and from their recently released [Oct 31st] second album, “FEVEREATEN”.

Singer Amy Walpole has some pipes on her and is ably backed by Alisha Yarwood on guitar, Annabelle Joyce on drums and Alex Thompson on bass. New song “Dead to Me” prompted a few cheers around the arena, as did the new album’s title track. They are a band to keep an eye on.

VOLBEAT SETLIST

The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
Lola Montez
Sad Man’s Tongue
Demonic Depression
Fallen
Shotgun Blues
In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom
By a Monster’s Hand
Heaven nor Hell
The Devil Rages On
Die to Live
Acid Rain
Seal the Deal
The Garden’s Tale
For Evigt
Still Counting
Children of the Grave
A Warrior’s Call / Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza

Up next is a band I was surprised to see as an opening act and not a headliner themselves. A rare treat in the form of Bush and their first tour here in eight years.

Veterans – formed in London in 1992 – who have been there, done that, bought the tee shirt and then done it all again! 25+ million records shifted, and more than 1.1 billion streams at last count.

Fronted by Gavin Rossdale, I was not sure if these guys were past their sell-by date maybe, as they were not the main act here. No bloody way.

No beating about the bush (see what I did there?), they really were mighty. Took my breath away in fact. Gavin must have lost a stone in weight with the sweat pouring off him, and his leaps into the air a few times during their faultless 10-song set.

Gavin is a decent guitarist as well as a fine frontman and with a voice to be admired. Bush open with “Everything Zen”, the first track on their multi-million-selling album “Sixteen” from 1994, and Gavin, lead guitarist Chris Traynor, bassist Corey Britz and drummer Nik Hughes were as one. The chemistry between them is palpable.

But they really do know how to create an incendiary vibe and delivered a shit hot performance. Not only with their own classy material, but also a brilliant cover of The Beatles’ classic “Come Together”. Putting The Bush stamp on it. Even Macca and Ringo cannot help but love this.

Hot spots for me were “The Art of Survival”, “Swallowed” [with Gavin alone on stage and singing to a backing track], and the set closer, “Flowers on a Grave”, from “The Kingdom” album. But to be honest, there isn’t any song here you’d want miss by nipping out to the loo or the bar or the merch’ stand.

They sound and perform like a band at the peak of their powers, and as far removed from the grab the money and run nostalgia circuit as you can imagine. Even after 33 years of touring.

As for their recording and songwriting prowess, have a listen to their 2025 LP, “I Beat Loneliness” – their 10th album release – and it is clear as day they are still crafting quality tracks. The new album is Gavin’s most personal artistic statement to date, exploring issues around mental health and his own wellbeing.

This is not about the art of survival, to borrow the title of their song; this is about reminding us Gavin and the chaps are still in the fight and ready to go another 12 rounds next time that bell rings. Cannot wait for them to tour as headliners as soon as possible please.

Bush are tough act to follow for headliners Volbeat. But the on-stage arrival of the Danish band which they started in Copenhagen 24 years ago, prompted a deafening roar from the denim and leather-clad crowd, arms aloft with traditional devil’s horns fingers pose.

Frontman Michael Poulson is in fine voice and uses a bunch of different microphones dotted around the stage during the set, and three different electric guitars plus an acoustic. He has a powerhouse ensemble around him in the form of Jon Larsen on drums, Kaspar Boye Larsen on bass and newest recruit Flemming C. Lund, on lead guitar since Rob Caggiano left in 2023.

Their 19-song set opens with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” from their album “Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie”, and then “Lola Montez” from “Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies”, and “Sad Man’s Tongue” with Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” intro.

Four songs later and I cannot help imagine the scenario and the reaction, where I include this next song on the list of the soundtrack for my own funeral when the time comes: ” In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom”. Do you like this one vicar?

“Shotgun Blues” goes down well, taken from the 2021 album “Servant of the Mind – the last album featuring Rob Caggiano on lead guitar. Their big song “Die to Live”, up 11th in the set, gets one of the most rambunctious receptions of the night in approval. As does “Black Rose”, from “Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie”.

The penultimate offering is the Sabbath cover, “Children of the Grave”, and a superb job it is too, before they end the show with “A Warrior’s Call” and “Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza”.

Tonight the fans from this show flooded out of the arena at the same time as the many thousands of football fans exited the neighbouring Wembley stadium, after England’s victory over Serbia.

On Saturday night, just down the road also in North London at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, boxing fans will flock to see Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet for the rematch, after one of the fights of this year back in April.

Well, this triple-bill of Volbeat, Bush and Witch Fever is most definitely among the very best gigs of 2025 I have seen; and probably another 2,499 people would agree with me. Bloody knock out!