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 ...
Read MoreBloodstock 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 ...
Read MoreIn 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...
Read MoreSlayer 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 ...
Read MoreGreatest ever Bloodstock sing along moment? Many will say Europe doing Final Countdown in 2009 and believe me, it almost made the cut. But no matter how life affirming that moment was (and believe me it was as communal as it gets) it was outshone when three years later, Alice rolled into town and brought the ruddy song book with him. In one stretch, we got a salvo of ‘I'm Eighteen’...
Read MoreIn the late eighties, Swiss progressive thrash wizards Coroner were so ahead of the curve that it felt like they existed in their own satellite universe. In the end, they provided too mind expanding music for your everyday metalhead and they split in 1994 in a vast sea of indifference. Seventeen years later, finally recognised as the pioneers and auteurs that they were, they reunited to play ...
Read MoreA word of mouth sensation of epic proportion. When booked, they were virtually unknown, but a tremendous support run with Trivium in the early spring built up the momentum to the point where every group of campers across Midgard had at least one member feverishly encouraging their compatriots to go see Power Trip. They did not disappoint. Whilst still technically being morning they turned the main stage into a whirling maelstrom of flailing bodies. One of the most direct and in your face performances that the festival had ever seen, Power Trip took no prisoners. They came, they saw and they thrashed. In years to come, this will be remembered as the moment that they happened.
Read MoreI could choose any of Gojria’s four appearances at Bloodstock. As headliners, last year they were majestic. In 2013 and 2016 as fourth and second from top respectively, they were astonishing. But for me, it is all about their inaugural appearance squeezed between GWAR and Bloodbath, as this was the first time I snapped eyes on them. They were utterly incredible. This was technically proficient Death Metal but it was as minimal as it was powerful. Gojira had realised that it was not actually about the riff, it about was the space around the riffs. By stripping everything back and giving their sound space to breath, they had managed to create a muscular and crushing metal that sounded like nothing else. I’ve seen them plenty of times since but there is nothing like your first time.
Read MoreFestivals are all about moments and Evil scarecrow in 2014 certainly was a moment. They were first up on the Saturday bill and emerged to probably the largest crowd that has ever been seen at Bloodstock at 11.00 am. They proceeded to also have the most fun that has probably ever been had at that time of day. They were on a mission to be silly as well as ensuring everyone else would join in.
Read MoreOur veteran word-soup creator and self-confused socially inept death metal fanatic, Stewart Lucas has been doing Bloodstock since the late noughties. With eleven festivals to choose from, we asked him to list the definitive ten greatest Bloodstock performances. Please note that anyone who thinks differently is wrong. End of story.
It is widely documented that Twisted Sister wanted their final bow
