Yes, Bloodstock is always special. It’s Christmas for metalheads for Lemmy’s sake. But this year it will be extra special sauce special. This year will be the Metal party to meet all Metal party. And here are the reasons why..
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It’s just 30 messily days until we are reunited on the hallowed ground of Catton Hall. Thirty days until Bloodstock 2021 is go. Here at ROCKFLESH towers we are always delighted to tell you about the bands we are excited about and this year is no exception. So, as we enter the thirty-day final countdown expect lots of Bloodstock related stuff as we all get very over-excited about five days of beer, rum and heavy bleeding Metal (even his satanic majesty has cracked a sort of semi smile). Did we mention how excited we are? Let’s start with our 30 “to watch” list.
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It is sometimes hard to actually discern why we all hold Download in such high regard. Its infrastructure has on numerous occasions left a lot to be desired (putting the second stage in a car park in 2008, those bloody one way systems, last year’s bar queues from hell, I could go on…). It has made a number of questionable headliner decisions (Lost Prophets in ’08, Biffy Clyro in both ’12 and ’17)
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The big story of 2010 was of course meant to be the fact that AC/DC were headlining. A band that had seemed to have become far too big for mere festivals, was lowering themselves to join the rank and file of Aerosmith and Rage Against the Machine. The actual story turned out to be the disruption that the Aussie juggernaut appearance brought to the festival. They refused to be listed …
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In some parallel universe I am currently taking my tent out of storage. I am pensively looking at the weather forecast and I am getting stressed out about the number of senseless crossovers there are on Clashfinder. You see somewhere in the vast multiverse Download 2020 is actually happening. Somewhere out there in the quantum world they have just released the timetable and we all, with cries …
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John Peel used to describe The Fall as always different, always the same. I'm going to appropriate the phrase to illustrate how I feel about Damnation Festival. There is a wonderful familiarity about the place. After seven years, Leeds University Union feels like a home from home and every nock and cranny is filled with memories. As I enter, it does feel like only yesterday that I was last ...
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I want to wake up in the festival that never sleeps, Bloodstock. The main stage headliner maybe done and dusted pretty darn early (10.30pm curfew no excuses) but that is just the beginning. First off, you have your Sophie headliner kicking off as soon as the sound fades from the main stage and this year it's a heavy weight trio of Grand Magus, Taake and Eluveitie (not mentioning Rotting fucking ..
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For a genre that prides itself on diversity and tolerance, Metal fans can be a rather conservative lot. Bloodstock is therefore a perfect opportunity to try things you would usually not touch. If you are sure that Black Metal is not for you go see Dimmu Borgir. Their symphonic arena sized take on the style may well change your mind. Similarly, if you are dead set against Metalcore I would still …
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It's the Scorpions, the Scorpions!!! They have been on the Bloodstock wishlist for years and after last year's Judas priest coup, they have again pulled the motherfucking rabbit out of the hat. If all you know about the mighty Scorps is the God darn awful ‘Wind Of Change’ then you are in for a treat as they are one of the greatest Heavy Rock bands of all time. They have been doing this for over ..
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I did and it wasn't pretty! In fact, I have no memory whatsoever of the Saturday afternoon of 2016. Apparently, I attempted to pick fights with half the audience before I was rescued by my mate Ali. I sobered up by the time Mastodon came on but the moral of the story is don't mess with the hard stuff kids.
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Bloodstock is officially the friendliest festival there is. You aren't on your own, you are surrounded by fifteen thousands others. All of whom will gladly have a beer with you (as long as you are buying). But if you don't want to share your woes with a slightly tiddly gentleman in a faded queensryche t-shirt then the Samaritans have been an integral part of the Bloodstock fabric since the ….
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Bloodstock is a four day festival. Most people get there first thing Thursday (though officially gates don't open till midday). By early afternoon, the campsites are a throbbing metropolis of canvas. They have had bands on Thursday for over ten years but they have slowly grown in size and stature. This year we have the mighty Rotting Christ. In fact, there is a whole undercard starting from 6.00..
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You literally can fall from the main stage into the New Blood tent. So as you wait around for them to wheel Cancer Bats gear on stage, you can cure your boredom by checking out whoever is on in there. See it as Heavy Metal russian roulette. You may fall upon the next big stadium kings or the underground band that all the cool kids will be going on about. See it as Schrödinger’s stage, you are ...
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Bloodstock is an independent venture which isn’t bankrolled by big faceless corporate entities. Also, the vast majority of bands who play the festival exist on a hand to mouth basis, even some of the headliners. Basically since we lot stopped buying records, the only way bands can make money is to flog us t-shirts with their names on it. So if you like a band over the weekend, especially if …
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Aside from my mate Chris, Bloodstock prides itself on not attracting dickheads. The people in the blue tent to your left and or the slightly rickety one on the right are likely to be sound guys and gals who will share their beer and sun cream. The likelihood is by Saturday you will conversing like you have known them all your life. I have a bunch of close friends I only see at Bloodstock,….
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Our campsite has grown from three pissed Scotsmen and little old me in 2010 to nearly forty random people. I provide breakfast each morning and quite happily throw another sausage at the pan, so come and join us, say ROCKFLESH sent you. We are in Midgard, on the left, past posh wash and adjacent to the taps. Follow the sound of pissed scots.
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Joint entry to start with, as both filled the Sophie Lancaster stage to the brim last year. Quite a feat as normally there is enough empty space, stage right to have a full eleven side footie match. Suicidal Tendencies were bumped to the second stage due to fog delayed flights and emerged two and hours later than scheduled to find every fucker on site was in the tent. Fuelled by the fact ...
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Bloodstock started off as a Symphonic Metal haven, when no one else in this country would book bands like Nightwish. However, there has been a shift over the years towards the heavier and the more extreme ends of genre which means, when Within Temptation were announced as headliners for 2015, there was a real backlash from festival die-hards. Ingeniously, organisers decided to compensate ...
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In many ways, Devin Townsend’s 2010 Bloodstock show was an utter disaster. Technical glitches, lost equipment and an audible click track plagued what should have been a triumphant return from self-imposed exile (the organisers even invited him back in 2011 to make up for all the issues). However, it has lived on in legend, and has made our list, for two specific reasons a) it was a master class...
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Slayer had been top of every Bloodstock attendee’s headliner wishlist from the moment the festival moved outdoors in 2005 but it seemed an unattainable pipe dream. However, with the booking of Motorhead in 2011 and Machine Head in 2012 suddenly it didn't feel like futile day dreaming anymore and in December 2012 came the news that the bookers had indeed achieved the unthinkable, Slayer would ...
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