The Golden Age Rock Festival is already celebrating its fifth edition. Neither entirely new nor truly established, GARF—as its aficionados like to call it—is a festival unlike any other, thriving on its very uniqueness.
Unique? Absolutely! What other rock festival offers so many rare bands, unusual lineups, or special shows? Don’t look too hard. Apart from a few German festivals like Keep It True (very—too—metal) or, in the past, some English festivals, NONE! Does that guarantee success? We want to believe so and keep hammering the same nail. We offer quality, the thrill of the unheard, and an event for connoisseurs and passionate fans. That’s not so bad.
We also like to describe ourselves as a club-style festival, or a human-scale event where both sound and visual comfort are unmatched. While we may never be the “trendy” festival to love, GARF will always retain a special aura and a certain nobility.
A first edition too strong for its own good—before COVID
Launched in 2019 by a collective of passionate enthusiasts with a romantic and idealistic spirit, the first GARF at the Caserne Fonck featured a major Classic Rock lineup, with headliners such as Dee Snider, Foghat, and Channel Zero. Alongside other solid acts like Phil Campbell, Tygers of Pan Tang, Uli Jon Roth, Angel, Atomic Rooster, Robby Valentine… as well as rare appearances by bands such as Moxy, Doc Holliday, Leaf Hound, Heavy Pettin, and 220 Volt—not to mention Rudy Lenners’ farewell to the stage—this new festival everyone was talking about should have been a massive hit and opened up endless possibilities. Too few fans of this kind of music believed in a lineup that seemed too good to be true. A shame.
The second edition promised even more, and we were determined to go all out, defy bad luck, and finally triumph. The COVID crisis decided otherwise. It brought a cataclysm to the music industry, from which some have never recovered.
Full of energy and standing strong, the GARF team changed location (to the Palais des Congrès in Liège) for its second edition in… 2022! Machiavel, Diamond Head, Baron Rojo, Victory, Mother’s Finest, the delightful Russ Ballard, Stray, Heavy Metal Kids, Grand Slam, and Girlschool were among the highlights of this lively second GARF—yet still not sufficiently attended, despite its tremendous critical acclaim.
Chênée as savior
We needed a venue better suited to our audience size. The Chênée Cultural Center naturally imposed itself. This small rock temple in Liège is historic. It has hosted the very best of rock since 1977. It has become our El Dorado and a beloved place for our loyal fans.
The third edition was one of the most eclectic, featuring Ten Years After and the incredible Arthur Brown, who delivered the most spectacular show in GARF history. We also formed strong bonds with Canadian band Teaze and American group Legs Diamond, both amazed by the quality of our festival and thrilled to finally set foot on European soil. Their performances were nothing short of epic.
Last year, the tireless guitar hero Uli Jon Roth, glam rock icons Sweet, and the fantastic American band Q5 reaffirmed the relevance of our choices. We are now very proud to briefly present the fifth edition of GARF—a small enterprise that no longer knows crisis and is moving forward with exciting momentum.
More rarities and strong outsiders than ever
It hasn’t escaped your notice: our fifth edition will take place at the Chênée Cultural Center on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, 2026. Considered a kind of warm-up, Friday will be dedicated to pure, raw rock.
Chilly Pom Pom Pee, our dear local band, will make you “dance” with their excellent blend of The Stones and The Black Crowes. The Mercury Riots come from California and love straight-up rock. These young wolves will surprise many. Vardis belongs to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands from the early ’80s. Their leader Steve Zodiac is still going strong and will deliver his solid rock/hard boogie.
Matty James Cassidy hails from Camden Town (a very rock’n’roll area of London!) and also happens to be the guitarist of The Dogs D’Amour. This “London bad boy” has promised, along with some “real troublemakers,” to kick our asses with dirty, urgent, authentic rock. The discovery of this edition? Bets are on…
The Dogs D’Amour are rare on the continent. Yet the band led by Tyla (American-born guitarist/singer) is a major name in early ’80s rock/hard/glam. Their tour with Alice Cooper brought them back into the spotlight and proved that lesser bands had unfairly overtaken them. To be confirmed in what promises to be a standout concert.
We can rightfully be proud of our Saturday lineup. It will start with local band Black Case—seasoned veterans embarking on a new project. Mystery is the best Belgian AOR band of all time. Centered around guitarist Geert Annys, Mystery—who can boast the hit “She Likes Double Trouble” (featured on the Koko Flanel soundtrack)—will challenge more prestigious acts with the fighting spirit of the “Red Devils.”
SteeLover is a friend of GARF—no doubt about it. But the Liège band has raised the bar with “Devil’s Highway,” a new album they will present exclusively at the festival.
Demon, like Vardis, is part of the NWOBHM wave. Their melodic and refined hard rock has always stood apart in a movement that tolerated too much mediocrity. Dave Hill, their flamboyant frontman, has promised a colorful show, with recent albums that live up to their brilliant past.
Coney Hatch is Canadian and has always been considered a benchmark of powerful, well-crafted melodic hard rock. Carl Dixon, the leader, is very excited about GARF and has promised to deliver “Friction,” their finest album, beloved by all AOR connoisseurs.
In the AOR world, FM represents a form of quintessence. The London band has released 13 albums, though most fans remain attached to the first. That works perfectly: Steve Overland, Pete Jupp, and Merv Goldsworthy will perform their 40-year-old masterpiece—still as fresh as ever.
Starz emerged in the mid-’70s and had one advantage: being managed by Bill Aucoin (KISS). Guitarist Ritchie Ranno and charismatic frontman Michael Lee Smith were the driving forces behind this New Jersey band, which influenced groups like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Bon Jovi, and others. Very rare in Europe, Starz has promised a memorable show that may be one of the last of their brilliant career. Not to be missed under any circumstances.
Black ’N Blue as headliner? Absolutely! This band has more than enough quality and a solid repertoire to own the stage for 90 minutes. The Americans will set foot in Europe for only the second time (after Nottingham, UK), and GARF will be their exclusive European appearance. Black ’N Blue made their mark with “Chains Around Heaven” on the Metal Massacre compilation. That was the breakthrough: they signed with Geffen Records, which provided them with Dieter Dierks, the Scorpions’ legendary producer. Their debut album should have propelled them into the big leagues alongside Metallica, Ratt, or Mötley Crüe. But Black ’N Blue became the overlooked ones—perhaps because they favored melodic hard rock over more extreme styles. A strategic mistake, perhaps. Now, with fire in their bellies, Jamie St. James and his band will come to Chênée (with or without Tommy Thayer, their former guitarist who later joined KISS) to right that historic wrong.
Info and tickets: https://goldenagerock.be/