Rock Festival's Teen Band's Top Mentor

When one of the youngest bands at the big Midlands August 3-5 Drunken Monkey Rock Festival polish off a new recording they run it past someone very special before sharing with their growing list of followers. 

World-renowned Midlander and Black Sabbath icon Tony Iommi has become an unofficial mentor to the Devon teenage three-piece Ethyrfield, whose drummer was just 10 when they formed four years ago.

Handsworth-born Tony clicked with lead guitarist Ben Cornish, now 16, when the legendary luminary did one to one sessions with the finalists in the 2015 Sky Arts Guitar Star TV show.

"Ben didn't win but Tony has continued to mentor him and the band. For a young band, that's amazing. As an adult, I have to pinch myself," says dad Roger, whose other son Zach, 17, is bass player and lead vocalist.

The Ethyrfield line-up is completed by fellow Devon teenager Dan Aston, now 14. All three are grade 8 musicians and live in Newton Abbot. 

They will be playing alongside 50 big bands at this year's three-day blast at Worcestershire's Upton-upon-Severn. 

Tickets are already selling fast for the two-stage Festival, which rocks for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) in memory of Ian Downton, who died in 2009 after a car accident. To date, more than £25,000 has been donated to the charity.

The 2018 gig fest includes Wizards of Oz, Pearl Jamm, Van Hailen and Gage, who are hot-footing it from South Africa. Check out www.drunkenmonkeyrockfest.co.uk for more details.

The Ethyrfield lads will play their own music and some covers on the main stage on Sunday and it will be the latest in an impressive list of achievements.

The band has already played the American Ambassador's residence, after winning the under 19s category of the Rock the House competition just a few months after they got together.

Ethyrfield (www.ethyrfield.com) also smashed this year's Giants of Rock Festival at Butlins in Minehead. As the audience's winners, they will be back to play the main stage in January 2019.

"They may look like kids, but once they start playing, audiences' jaws drop and they are blown away," says Drunken Monkey Rock Festival Main Stage organiser and Music Director Stu Evans.

"This band is really going places and we look forward to watching them wow our crowds, along with the other top performers."