Live Review : Bloodstock Festival 2021 - Day 4

Well it’s day 4 of the festival that never ends. I am already becoming delusional that my permeant home is in fact a canvas shelter in a field and that my adopted family are those people surrounding me. I am struggling to imagine what life was like before I entered the gates on Wednesday. My day beginning with the sludge-tastic Horse called War. With distorted guitars and murky melodies, they manage to blow away the most stubborn of hangovers. Netherhall are progtastic and sound like Marillion fronted by Francis Dunnery (formally of It Bites). Back in the New Blood stage Black Atlas are deftly combining grunge and stoner rock. The result is remarkably danceable, laced with filthy riffs and scuzzy beats. My first visit to the main stage is next for the much lauded Conjurer.

Live Review : Bloodstock Festival 2021 - Day 3

Friday morning finally sees the main stage splutter into life. By this point we have already had two nights under canvas and are beginning to feel like we are in some Kafkaesque nightmare where we are perpetually doomed to roam the wastes of Catton Hall. It may well be quarter to eleven, but Foetal Juice are determined to make as much nasty primal noise as humanly possible. This is metal at its most puerile and putrefied, and they do a grand job of sending all those hangovers packing.

Live Review : Bloodstock Festival 2021 - Day 2

And so onto the extra day, essentially a heavy metal take on the leap year. Thursday is a full additional twenty four hours of metal on all stages bar the main one. The lack of big big draws means that the day is one of exploration as we are given the opportunity to try and test many of the exceptional home grown talent that haunt small venues across the breadth of the country. Sophie Lancaster tent opener Mother Vulture turn out not to be Mother Vulture at all and instead much fancied West Midlander’s Fury (though not the Chris and Luke Appleton fronted Fury UK).

Live Review : Bloodstock Festival 2021 - Day 1

I am not a hugger. At best I find it intrusive and at worst it makes my skin crawl. However over the bloodstock weekend I hugged, I hugged and I hugged. I hugged people that I consider life-long friends, I hugged people I have only ever seen at a distance and I hugged complete strangers. And it wasn’t just me, everyone was hugging. It was like some well-behaved orgy, where everyone kept their clothes on. Bloodstock was emotional and a celebration, but it was also normal. By about band three it felt no different to other years at Catton Park and the idea of not being able to be near people seemed preposterous. Though the one evident difference was the length. Five days of unrepentant Metal at the start sounded like manor from heaven but by the end it felt like you were jogging through custard to get to the finishing line. In fact, I was expecting silver blankets and a medal as I exited the site, like I had finished some endurance event. However, we need to start at the beginning….

FleshtivalsAuthor : Stewart Lucas18 August 2021Bloodstock 2021, Amakim, Ward XVI, Beholder, Onslaught, Raised By OwlsComment

Why Bloodstock 2021 will be super special!

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..

FleshtivalsAuthor : Stewart Lucas23 July 2021Bloodstock 2021Comment

Bloodstock 2021 Countdown : 30 Bands not to Miss

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.

FleshtivalsAuthor : Stewart Lucas12 July 2021Bloodstock 2021Comment