Mid August is here and so is my favourite times of the year! Bloodstock weekend!
Unfortunately we could only make the Friday this year due to some other commitments. But that didn't mean we didn't make the most of it!
The line up was absolutely stacked this year with three hugely heavy weight headliners on the main stage and brilliant bands playing all of the stages across the weekend!
The first band of the day for us was GateCreeper (we were on site before this but had been super busy with interviews and things!) These guys swapped with Sacred Reich timing wise, but they didn't let that stop them! A huge crowd and a solid performance. If you've not heard these guys, definitely give them a try! Their riffs are big and their vocals are filthy! They got a great response from the crowd with multiple pits and crowd surfers galore! Their latest release, an unexpected reality was purposefully dropped with minimal social media hype and shows a different side to the band!
Next up were Sacred Reich! Another band from Arizona no less! These guys were an integral part of the 80s/90s thrash scene, splitting in 2000. Only to come back as a live band in 2006 and not working on new music until 2008. These guys proved they still have it on Friday. With Dave McClain now drumming for them and having been working on a new record, it led fans to wonder what they had going forward. They proved they are still as good as ever, the last time I had seen them was at Wacken back in 2007 and they were as good Friday as they were back then!
Speaking of Wacken 2007! Heaven shall burn! The last time I saw these guys was also Wacken 2007! There is an ongoing joke in my friendship group, of the infamous circle pit round an ice cream truck that day when these guys played! Alas no circle pit round the ice cream truck this time, but a huge central circle pit! These guys bought their A game Friday, smashing out fan favourites such as Godiva and Numbing the pain! These guys are always a solid live band who I have seen a few times at festivals and they've never failed to disappoint! Having seen them in their native Germany and in the UK they remain a great festival band who are appreciated by metal fans the world over!
Controversial opinion time... This next band were who I've been most looking forward to! (No hate to the headliners, I love them too!) In flames! These guys have been a HUGE part of my musical taste since I was about 14 years old and I've seen them countless times. Their phenomenal 2006 album Come Clarity was a seminal part of my teenage years! In Flames have been absolutely incredible every time I've seen them and always blast through the hits from albums such as Jester Race and Come Clarity, but also play the later stuff from the last few albums. All of which is always a hit with fans! Their set Friday was absolutely incredible. After all this time, Anders hasn't lost his vocal ability nor his Swedish sense of humour! (IYKYK!) - I couldn't speak about the In Flames set Friday without of course giving mention and high praise to the Bugle playing Pirate who joined them on stage! What an absolute legend!
The final band of the night on the main stage for Friday was the mighty Killswitch Engage! Hailing from Massachusetts USA, this was unbelievably their first ever UK festival headline show! Not that you'd ever know if they didn't tell you! These guys played a blinding set of hit after hit, with songs from their entire back catalogue and their incredible humour forming part of their astounding stage presence - Nice outfit Adam! I was surprised to hear Killswitch had never headlined a festival in the UK and based on their performance Friday this won't be their last headline slot over here! Opening with My Curse and finishing their 21 song set with Holy Diver (particularly poignant as the Main stage is known as the Ronnie James Dio Stage!), These guys blew away everyone in the crowd. So so many fans in KSE shirts on site on Friday and the queue for their signing tent session being the longest I'd seen that day says it all. These guys absolutely smashed it and I hope to see them back again soon!
Biggest thanks to Bloodstock and the team for having us for the Friday. It was so great to be at the festival once again, a staple in the diary every year! Even better to see SO many people wearing Pink in aid of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation too. There's something incredibly special about Bloodstock. It's a smaller festival than others in the UK, but the line up is always absolutely stacked. The crowd is always super friendly and everyone is welcome. If you've never been to Bloodstock, as a seasoned visitor I highly recommend you make next year your first trip! Especially with the line up they've released already for it! Architects are headlining the Saturday night and Amon Amarth for the Sunday night!
Thanks again to everyone at Bloodstock, I cannot wait to come back next year! Buy your tickets for next year right now - TICKETS 2024
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