Gig Review: Maverick Festival - Easton Farm Park, Suffolk. Friday 3rd July to Sunday 5th July 2026

 

Friday

Maverick fizzed into life on the stroke of five o'clock. A brace of options lay in front of early Easton Farm Park arrivals, both resident festival favourites. Violin-playing Chris Murphy got the nod over hard rocking Jon Langford on the basis of a couple of interesting releases this year. Murphy was once again appointed Artist-at-Large, meaning he could literally pop up playing on anyone’s set, and his own ignited an evening of fine music on The Peacock Stage with an improvised solo performance. Loops, vocals, audience ventures and virtuoso violin playing gave substance to this LA-based musician’s set. From a fresh off the press record produced by fellow fiddle player Seth Lakeman, an engaged crowd enjoyed ‘Clean Break’ and heartily joined in on ‘Never Learned to Drive’ dedicated to that marginalised LA community- non drivers. A great start to the weekend.

The Peacock Stage, with its barn location and iconic backdrop, proved the major chosen space for the evening with a mixture of familiar acts and new discoveries. Steady Habits fell into the former category with Sean Duggan joined by the full band complement of Cathy Ife (bass) Joe Coombs (lead guitar) and Jamie Dawson (drums). It was announced as Coombs final show with the band and the set signed off with a bang. The songs from the latest album are now bedded in, and it was good to hear a sign to the future in ‘Hard Work’.

Either of side of this appearance, the international breadth of the line up was represented in artists from Canada, the US and the UK adding an International flavour to the Peacock offering. Sometimes it can take a couple of years before you catch up with a Maverick regular due to a packed schedule overflowing with talent. Bristol-based roots trio AD Scruffs crossed my path this year for the first time and duly impressed with an exhilarating display of old time stringed musicianship featuring instrument swapping and audience participation. A superb exposure of the real deal.

Chris Murphy

Hailing from Nova Scotia, blues-infused duo Campbell and Johnston wooed the crowd with high quality roots music. Johnston especially extracted a powerful sound from his acoustic guitar, while Campbell added vocals and marginally less velocity from her acoustic playing. They were an act of stature ending with a spirited version of ‘Whipping Post’.

On July 4^th eve (July 3^rd to the rest of the world), five piece Californian band Rose’s Pawn Shop were ready to start the party. Early comparisons to I See Hawks in LA were detected and this roots rock outfit led by Paul Givant increased in appeal as their short time in the spotlight rolled on. If you had a cover of ‘In the Air Tonight’ on your wish list, a long shot came in as the band turned this Phil Collins oldie on its head especially in a frenzied bluegrass-style finale. Covers don’t define Maverick but when delivered well can enhance the game. 

The Barn, located at the heart of the festival i.e. next to the bar, attracted me to a pair of sets on Friday evening. Jerry Joseph has become a Maverick regular over the last few years injecting some animated rock from Portland Oregon. This year it was the bass and drums of his hard rocking band The Jackmormons and they launched a full throttled guitar assault  raising the temperature as a cool evening air descended on this corner of Suffolk.

Laurence Kingston

Earlier in the evening, the Barn mood was a little tamer in the capable arms of North Carolina singer-songwriter Travis Shallow. His style of slightly mellow country folk with a raw edge impressed from the off and a statement was made in the track ‘Amen’. Maverick has a stellar track record of giving a platform to overseas artists who are not necessary household names and Shallow grasped the opportunity with humility and panache. 

This Friday evening was more about being rooted on the spot watching a complete set than roaming the site catching snippets, but the odd chance to venture over to the Moonshine luckily caught the back end of Holly Carter’s solo set including a couple of tracks off her latest album. She continues to grow as a solo performer and luckily we now get plenty of opportunities to see her play in various formats. Festivals are a good chance to enlist new admirers and I’m sure a few more converts joined the fold after her set.

The evening closed with a quick check to see how the Peacock was finishing the night, and a packed place dancing and singing along to fun-filled festival closers Cajun Roosters suggested it was doing just fine. A diverse Friday evening ending on a positive note.

Saturday

Saturday 3rd July 2010 was my most anticipated Maverick day as I stepped through the gates of this two year old festival for the first time. Saturday 4^th July 2020 was the most poignant as we logged onto YouTube to experience Maverick virtually. Thankfully for the only time. Could Saturday 4^th July 2026 be the best day yet on the Farm? There was a good feeling about what lay ahead suggesting a new peak was about to be reached. Of course, the mind plays tricks and rewards the impact of the present but the case for being the best was opened with an accomplished set from Jerry Hannan continuing through to the late night mesmeric animation of Jenni Rose of the Vandoliers in full flow. 

Vandoliers

Both these acts played The Barn, the heartbeat of Maverick and its major location of continuous music. Hannan was a new find and made his pitch with a masterly performance befitting a vastly experienced artist with a seasoned knack of injecting fine songs with fun moments. ‘Society’, a song built for the movies, led the way. 

Vandoliers came on stage twelve hours after Hannan’s early start and departed as seismic conquerors after a storming set full of animated energy and frantic expression. Lead singer and guitarist Jenni Rose acted the archetypal rock star firing cow punk volleys across a lively late night Barn gathering. She impishly commented on a few changes since last playing in 2022, namely instrument switching, and referred to playing a mandatory Texas honky Tonk number as ‘Texas State Law, but not that I follow that’. ‘Trans rights are human rights’ was the parting shot as an electrified buzz lingered long after the Vandoliers had nailed Maverick. 

Country in all its forms was the theme of several Barn visits on Saturday. Brennen Leigh played a gorgeous teatime slot alongside husband Kevin Skrla on twangy guitar and sublime lap steel. This was the Lone Star antidote to what came later but it claimed the moment and melted hearts. Traditional country finds its home in the Americana movement and homegrown artist Laurence Kingston rose to the challenge of meeting the ideal. An hyper set channelling Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound thrilled the mid-afternoon Barn flock marvelling at the impressive pickin’ and shredding. His playing featured across the weekend in multiple set ups.

Carter Sampson

Stacy Antonel completed a country Barn trilogy by concluding a successful UK visit with a full band set joined by Brits Jamie Dawson on drums and Mark Lewis on bass. Earlier in the tour she had teamed up with British-based guitarist Thor Jensen but was now reunited with her regular sidekick Steve Peavey to woo the festival with jazz sensibilities and a bucketful of sass. 

Apart from the aforementioned full sets seen, additional Barn visits caught snippets of Jason McNiff and Roswell Road, though multiple scheduling enabled the latter to be heard more thoroughly on Sunday. More of Ben De La Cour was caught than expected which was a treat as accomplished fiddle player Emily Lawler added an extra dimension to his alluring dark songs.

The Green and The Peacock Stage dovetail on Saturday. A unique Maverick feature and perhaps the only midsummer festival where the outdoor music ends at 6pm. They do it differently in Suffolk but we’re used to it. 

The Green was its picturesque self on a day where warm sunshine was tempered by just enough cloud to keep it pleasant. Pleasant was not a word to describe the six full band sets witnessed strutting this stage from late morning to late afternoon, more classy, punchy and far from bland. 

Simon Stanley Ward

The Autumn Saints kicked things off with the rare sight of a bass guitar in the hands of a frontman, namely Brit Strickland. He brings a Stateside influence to this Oxford-based Anglo-American band with much loved homegrown guitarist Jim Maving playing a tight role on lead. The deep sound set the tone for a riveting slate of outdoor full band music covering a wide roots range. 

A couple of English alt-country rock bands followed bringing new names and evidence that quality music is active in many corners of the provinces. Courting Ghosts travelled from the West Country to put on a stellar performance hitting all the right spots. A band worth checking out and a perfect fit for other roots festivals. From the other end of the country, The Dead Religion ventured down from Cumbria to more than match their South Western counterparts. The sound was slightly sweeter on the harmonies but similarly stocked with all the appeal of UK indie-schooled rock bands tilting in an Americana direction. The Dead Religion also played a pop up set on the unadvertised Medicine stage and reports from that were favourable. 

Simon StanleyWard announced himself at Maverick around a decade ago and this year brought a few familiar faces back with his band the Shadows of Doubt. Any line up with Paul Lush on lead guitar, Dave Burn on bass guitar and Neil Marsh on drums will cut it. The lyrics and characteristic approach of Stanley Ward are distinct and memorable with catchy songs and plenty of ironic country at the core. A good booking to reconnect with those from the past. 

The Dreaming Spires

The Bennett brothers aka the foundation of The Dreaming Spires are in the throes of a comeback with a new record breathing fresh life into this much-loved band. They blended the brilliance of a decade ago with the innovative splendour of the present. Throw in the underrated jangle of the Paisley Overground experiment and the full Dreaming Spires experience echoed across Easton Farm Park thrilling a throng of dedicated followers at the front and many more beyond. 

Dom Glynn continues to rise as the face of traditional country revivalism in the UK. A new outfit under the name His Sunday Best advances a sound unshackled from the past and given a fresh new coating for the present. His set on The Green went down a storm with a mass of dancers, some youthful in body, others in spirit. Original songs stamped with the hallmark of the Louisiana Hayride circa 1956 filled the air aided by the dry wit of Glynn and the exceptional lead guitar of Laurence Kingston. The dual on the grass at the end was one for the ages. 

When the metaphorical sun sets on The Green, the action moves to the Peacock and a packed evening schedule of varied music evolves. The highlight of my Saturday night engagement with this stage was catching a favourite artist in Carter Sampson play with her adopted UK band. Everything fell into place for this super set with the usual combo of Scott Warman (bass), Jamie Dawson (drums) and Joe Coombs (lead guitar) settling into the role of coaxing the right sound out of a fabulous array of songs needing a subtle touch to create a space to flourish. The icing on this performance was inviting Holly Carter to play pedal steel on a a couple of songs (‘Hello Darlin’’ and ‘Tulsa’). This master stroke went down a treat culminating in the assertion of Carter Sampson never sounding better. 

The rest of my Peacock experience was of a sampling nature. As part of her Sweet Lucy project, Holly Carter was heard covering ‘Pancho and Lefty’, a perfect segue from leaving the Brennen Leigh set. Maverick returnee Arkansas Dave delivered a huge slice of southern rock and was also instrumental in coordinating the Bob Weir tribute. As someone without a lot of investment in the Grateful Dead, a minor sample was sufficient but it seemed to be enjoyed by many. 

Jerry Joseph

Apologies to any Saturday act missed. It was also a year where little room was found for what the Moonshine offered in the backwater of the site. Many great sets have been seen there in the past and likely will in the future. Alas, 2026 saw only a handful of casual visits without the immersive experience. That emotion was felt elsewhere, when Texas came to Suffolk and The Barn became an extension of the Lone Star State.

Sunday

Sunday morning coming down? Yes and no at Maverick. There was only one direction after the Vandoliers intoxicating Saturday night set but good things happen in places of a quainter nature.

Maverick Sunday is an ideal time to catch acts you missed earlier as many play at least twice across the weekend. Although smart artists mix the setlist to lure returners. A lot of time has been spent with the music of Roswell Road recently and it was good to catch up with Zoë Wren and Jasmine Watkiss open the Peacock Stage at 10:30. The softer spun sound was in contrast to the general rougher tone of the festival and this particularly worked well on Sunday morning. 

The clock ticked quickly as the festival raced towards its end but sufficiently slowed to find out what Leeroy Stagger was doing these days. It has been a long time since any meaningful exposure in the UK, though by all accounts he is a very active performer and producer on the Canadian scene. The Barn was the place for his second set of the weekend and an excellent duo exhibition rolled back the years. It was an outstanding re-introduction through a raft of top songs including ‘Last One To Know’ and informative stories including the background of a move from the Prairies back to Vancouver Island. The time is ripe to check out material from the missing years and connect the dots on a musician enriching the space he accommodated.

Ella Spencer

Watching Ellla Spencer develop has been a joy over the last few years. Hosting a Sunday gospel session was one example of past involvement and this time it was playing a couple of sets in different formats. The Sunday lunchtime one on the Peacock Stage featured a colleague on guitar before a solo stint, first with the banjo for a couple of well-crafted covers (‘Loretta’ and ‘I’m on Fire’) and a spellbinding version of the original song ‘Oregon’ played on piano. If the trajectory of improvement continues, a very special artist will grace a music scene currently London-focussed but capable of reaching out to other parts of the country. 

Two more sets watched on the Peacock Stage were a full one by the duo Hillfolk Noir, who had travelled all the way from Idaho to play a sound akin to the name, and a short sample of Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best playing a mix of tunes duplicating yesterday plus a  few different ones to another lively gathering. This viewing was cut short to move to The Barn to watch another upbeat rocking band finally bring the curtain down on a fabulous weekend. 

Waco Brothers likely have plenty of miles on the clock and know how to rock hard fusing the unlikely bedfellows of punk and honky tonk. They injected a similar dose of energy to what Vandoliers did the evening before and who can argue with a set mixing hard hitting country songs with covers of British classics, ‘All or Nothing’ and ‘Teenage Kicks’. A last bop and head nod before the plug was pulled and time called.

Was this the best Maverick ever?  A valid question asked most years, so I'll just park the memory. Each staging is an act of affirmation and a coalescence of intimate artist-audience interaction. Save the date - 2nd - 4th July 2027, and a twentieth anniversary. The party is not over yet. 

www.maverickfestival.co.uk