Bloodstock
Catton Park, Walton On Trent
tenth – thirteenth August 2023

Bloodstock Pageant returns to the usually serene surroundings of Catton Park, Derbyshire. Final 12 months was scorching. This 12 months was fiery. Simon Reed surveyed the motion.

That is my third consecutive 12 months photographing Bloodstock for Louder Than Battle. It’s a pageant celebrating music that weighs in heavier than the common black gap. If you happen to assume Obtain is just too wimpy and Metallica have been crap since …And Justice For All, there’s a good probability Bloodstock is for you. If I’m being trustworthy, the extra excessive stuff is approach past my common threshold of listening pleasure. And but, in my three years right here, it’s turn out to be an occasion I’ve come to utterly love; the central plank of my musical 12 months.

The explanations for this are threefold. Firstly, it’s a pleasure to {photograph}. Secondly, the folks listed here are simply nice. The music is perhaps aggressive, however in my expertise the viewers isn’t. Thirdly, it’s the right dimension. Navigating between the phases is a cinch.

The pageant is a four-day affair with a stripped again Thursday line up on only one stage. Sadly, owing to earlier commitments, my Bloodstock expertise is restricted to Friday/Saturday/Sunday solely and due murderous Friday site visitors on the roads and a satnav intent on discovering single observe lanes to keep away from the mayhem, most of my Friday is spent behind the wheel of a automobile.

I lastly arrive mid-afternoon in time for American deathcore band Match For An Post-mortem. It appears unusually prescient given the journey I’ve simply had. The music is much from stress-free following a really lengthy drive, however then it’s not meant to be. Entrance man Joe Badolato reinforces the angst on the finish of the set: “Heavy steel saved my fucking life. You guys saved my fucking life”.

The New Blood stage at Bloodstock is a good place to hang around. Because the identify suggests, it’s the place to see rising unsigned expertise and also you earn your house by the Steel 2 The Lots competitors run by the pageant through regional heats all through the nation. My first journey there this 12 months is to take a look at Sq. Wild, a band which might be of nice curiosity. Firstly, I see them lots on social media and solely ever learn good issues. Secondly, they’re fronted by Lucy Shevchuck, who, previous to the calls for of the band taking priority, as soon as contributed to the pages of Louder Than Battle.

Sq. Wild are one thing of a misnomer right here as they’re probably not a steel band in any respect. They describe their fashion as experimental rock, which in fact can imply absolutely anything and there are definitely a number of influences shaping the sound. It’s a psychedelic mixture of onerous rock, funk, jazz and soul and the amalgam is sort of intoxicating. It’s helped in no small half by Shevchuck herself, who skips jumps and spins while sustaining the broadest of smiles. The band have a blast and make the perfect of the chance.

The New Blood stage is on the very southernmost tip of the pageant web site. On the different finish sits the Sophie Lancaster stage. Though the second largest of the 4 foremost efficiency areas right here, the Sophie stage retains a very intimate environment – helped in no small half by being below cowl.

My first foray this 12 months is to see West Midlands five-piece Fury. They play traditional old skool steel and have bassist Becky Baldwin stage left. Baldwin is in nice demand; she’s moreover performed in Mercyful Destiny’s stay line-up and is a longtime a part of alt rock/grunge band Palms Off Gretel. She’s additionally acquired 172,000 followers on Fb, which is 139,000 greater than Fury itself. While the bassist rightly attracts lots of consideration, the band are additionally in one other aspect with twin vocals from Julian Jenkins and a Nyah Ifill. The pair play off one another brilliantly and if that wasn’t sufficient spectacle, half approach by they create on a fireplace baton twirler. A number of bare flames being spun round in a tent all the time provides a particular frisson of pleasure.

Subsequent on the principle Ronnie James Dio stage are German excessive steel band Heaven Shall Burn. They’re not not like various artists that discover afternoon slots on the Dio stage – at the very least to my untrained eyes and ears. They’ve acquired a barely decipherable emblem. They’ve acquired growling vocals. They’ve acquired kick drums knocking out 1/sixteenth notes like a fruit machine spewing a jackpot. Appropriately for a band referred to as Heaven Shall Burn, they’re additionally acquired an inordinate quantity of pyro.

I head again below the Sophie canvas. I discover Gaerea, a black steel band from Portugal who play in nearly full darkness. The band assist out the pictures by being dressed solely in black, together with the anonymity of full-face balaclavas. This anonymity is the kind of factor Ghost do, besides balaclavas are a bit simpler on the pockets than bespoke masks and as a substitute of showing like extras in Dr Who, they seem like they may moonlight for Iberian particular forces. The music is, as one would possibly anticipate, hectic.

The diminutive Jägermeister stage is certainly one of my favorite areas. It has open sides, no lighting and a good bit of crossover noise from the Dio stage, however I adore it simply the identical and I’ve seen some nice performances in right here. A brace of those come within the type of Dunes and Friday headliner Hidden Intent. The previous play rock’n’roll that motors at tempo. The latter, Australian thrash. I can’t say I’m a large fan of Australian thrash, however I grasp round for a bit ‘cos I just like the vibes within the tent.

The Friday headline on the massive stage is Killswitch Interact. Remarkably, it’s their first UK headline efficiency since frontman Jesse Leach re-joined the band in 2012. Killswitch profit from it. They ship a excessive vitality efficiency that appears nearly as good because it sounds. The lighting is implausible and so they have pyrotechnics that may in all probability be seen from area. Drummer Justin Foley nails the entire thing down. He performs the type of complicated elements which have been emanating all day from colossal drum kits, besides he’s sat behind the kind of factor Buddy Wealthy used to play. It’s significantly spectacular.

Saturday dawns. There’s greater than a whiff of rain within the air. Given the climate we’ve had this summer season, I anticipated Bloodstock to be a bit tender underfoot; however actually, the bottom is in glorious situation. In fact, nothing is tender at Bloodstock.

Woking 5 piece Employed To Serve are sound checking on the principle stage. The heavens open. “Bloodstock you’re not afraid of just a little rain are you?” asks guitarist Sammy Unwin between his ‘ones’ and ‘twos’. It seems my cameras are. I shoot the following two bands by a foggy viewfinder stuffed with condensation. Remarkably, and fortuitously, the whole lot stays in focus.

I alternate just a few bands between the Dio and Sophie phases. Norwegian black steel band Abbath occupy a late afternoon slot on the previous and are lots of enjoyable. Entrance man Abbath Doom Occulta sports activities face paint and barely ludicrous nail studded armour; although I assume if you take the identify Abbath Doom Occulta, the whole lot is relative with regards to slight ludicrousness. In the meantime, Pores and skin Failure on the Sophie stage actually maintain the eye. It’s not solely as a result of they’ve acquired a barely peculiar identify exterior of the anticipated norms right here for barely peculiar names. The music is totally mad. Bandcamp says they’re ‘pace steel/hardcore/thrash’ and who am I to argue? “You look a bit shell shocked. You’ve acquired a glance that claims ‘What the fuck was that?’” says frontman Will Gardner after a few numbers. “Nicely, there’s extra of that to return.”

After solely mild utilization yesterday I resolve to spend extra time within the New Blood tent right this moment. I drop in on Nu Steel band Damaged Calling. There’s lots of people in right here. The band have both introduced a formidable fan base with them or the numbers have swelled as a result of past the canvas it’s pelting with rain once more. The band get an enormous reception so it’s in all probability the previous. Like all bands on this stage, Damaged Calling give it the beans. This can be a place to get observed.

Having already seen Daybreaker and the fantastically named Repulsive Imaginative and prescient on the Jägermeister stage, I try Muddibrooke within the late afternoon. The Derby three-piece play alt-rock and grunge and are certainly one of a small variety of bands right here fronted by girls. Vocalist and guitarist ‘Brooke’ Harriet McDonnell is stage proper with bassist Anna Melidone to her left. Brooke introduces tune ‘Satan’. “This tune is a few fucking arsehole. Do we have now any fucking arseholes right here right this moment?” There’s a large cheer from the virtually solely male viewers. I’m unsure being a fucking arsehole was supposed as a badge of honour. The band draw an enormous crowd. So massive actually it’s fairly onerous to get out of the tent.

It’s stopped raining however I’m sticking below cowl for a bit anyway. While Bloodstock tends to play it protected with the bands they run in the principle area, there’s some actually quirky stuff to be discovered on the Sophie Lancaster stage this night. First up, Gutalax; a gore-grind band from the Czech Republic. They’re wearing white bio-protection fits and guitarist Tomáš Anderle is sporting a pleasant fuel masks. With tune titles reminiscent of Buttman, Poopcorn and Diarrhero, they’re undoubtedly channelling a distinct segment topic space, although as vocalist Martin Matoušek solely makes farting noises it’s onerous to know precisely what they’re saying. No matter they’re doing, the gang are properly into it. There are extra surfers than Bondi Seaside.

Earlier than the day is out, the Sophie stage may also have served up TrollfesT, a Norwegian folks steel eight piece wearing pink tutus who sadly didn’t make Eurovision final 12 months with their entry Dance Like A Pink Flamingo. We’ll additionally take pleasure in Brothers Of Steel, one other Scandi eight piece – this time Swedish and adorned in Viking couture. They’ve three vocalists, three guitarists and delightfully excessive choreographed dance strikes. Mad.

Below totally different canvas, Irish doom band Soothsayer have sound issues on the New Blood Stage. There’s a wall of white noise coming from the PA and no quantity of jack swapping from the sound tech appears to repair it. They begin, ten minutes late; and produce a racket that makes the earlier white noise sound just like the Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Singer Liam Hughes is roofed in blue paint. He screams and agonises, generally on his knees, generally on the ground. He seems to be going by inside feelings I don’t wish to take into consideration and it’s acquired to be essentially the most intense musical efficiency I’ll see this 12 months. Possibly this decade.

Lastly on the New Blood, headliners Drownd are surrounded by a minimum of three keyboards on totally different elements of the stage. If we weren’t at Bloodstock, we could possibly be ready for The Human League; although regardless of the keyboards, the again line has a reassuring variety of 4×12’s. Once they begin, they’re glorious. I say they. Drownd is de facto the solo challenge of vocalist and songwriter Joe Crudgington, although the entire band are very good. Guitarist Wealthy Watson, who prowls and spins stage left, has actual presence. Simply earlier than I go away the picture pit, the keyboards get a piece out. Reassuringly, it sounds nothing like The Human League.

Swedish band Meshuggah (‘insane’ in Yiddish, through Hebrew) are the Saturday night time headliner on the Bloodstock Dio stage. They play music that is available in various flavours however are primarily identified for his or her technical virtuosity, complicated preparations and modifications of time signature. They’re principally the Rush of utmost steel. It quickly turns into clear that they’re a problem to {photograph}. The lighting is both non-existent or full-on strobes and the 4 members of the band out entrance stand nearly completely immobile throughout the total width of the stage. To be trustworthy, it actually doesn’t do it for me in any respect. I’ve little doubt it’s a technical tour de power, however I wish to see my headline bands put in a efficiency, and for me, this wasn’t one.

For Sunday, the climate seems extra promising. We should always keep dry, although there’s fairly a breeze. On the Dio stage, All Hail The Yeti have a large drape on the again getting a bit overexcited within the wind. The band come out and all of us get referred to as motherfuckers by frontman Connor Garritty. Being referred to as a motherfucker by steel bands is a situation of entry at Bloodstock. It appears he thinks the gang is underperforming, although he provides us a legitimate excuse: “Anybody would assume it’s a Sunday”. It’s, and it’s nonetheless fairly early.

That stated, there’s greater than a good variety of folks within the Sophie tent ready for doom/sludge steel duo Tuskar. As I method, I hear the acquainted strains of Voulez Vous by ABBA being performed on the PA. As soon as inside I discover hardened metalheads dancing alongside and singing the phrases. It brings a smile to the face, although the PA doesn’t mirror what comes subsequent. Screaming guitars from Tom Dimmock and drums with occasional wailed vocals by Tyler Hodges are what come subsequent and it’s extraordinarily angsty. It’s not fairly out Soothsayering Soothsayer from yesterday, but it surely’s coming rattling shut.

Most of my time right this moment is spent on the 2 foremost phases however I do drop into the New Blood tent to catch nu-metal band Anonymous. Anonymous gained the Birmingham warmth of Steel 2 The Lots and so they completely blow me away with the depth and vitality of their efficiency. It turns into one of many highlights of my whole weekend.

Generally I discover the mid-afternoon slots on the Dio stage might be an excessive amount of of a relentless wall of noise for my delicate ears – however not so this afternoon. Tribulation, who occupy a lunchtime slot are one more Swedish band at Bloodstock, and they’re very good. They do the ghoul face paint and so they have twin lead guitarists who share the solos and their place on stage; steadily swapping sides so all of us get an in depth up look. Adam Zaars, who’s nominally stage left has an SG with crucifix pearl inlays on the neck. I like that contact.

Polish demise steel band Decapitated come subsequent. The music is brutal however I’m transfixed by the dreads of singer Rafał Piotrowski, that are so lengthy he’d make Rapunzel inexperienced. In fact, he places them to good use by banging his head throughout nearly all of his time on stage. Whitfield Crane, vocalist of Ugly Child Joe isn’t troubled by extra hair – he retains all of it inside a backwards going through baseball cap. He’s not troubled by nerves both. A consummately expert frontman, he has the Bloodstock crowd consuming out of his arms throughout a massively satisfying set.

The ultimate afternoon slot on the massive stage is taken by Brazilian metallurgists Sepultura (‘grave’ in Portuguese). They’re a band I’ve needed to see for a very long time, although they do maintain the excellence of now not having a single unique member within the line-up. To be truthful, the present foursome has remained intact for 27 of their 39 years of existence so they need to maintain legitimacy to all however essentially the most rabid of followers. They’re a very satisfying watch; a really energetic efficiency and music with ample twists and turns they simply circumnavigate my potential ‘wall of noise’ criticism. They’re one other band that generate waves of crowd browsing. The pit safety crew deal with it brilliantly, as they all the time do.

There’s time for a pair extra on the Sophie Lancaster stage earlier than American legacy hardcore act Biohazard shut the pageant. You by no means fairly know what you’re going to get in there and as I method it subsequent time, I discover seven musicians wearing white overalls sound checking vocals. Solely we don’t hear screams and growls, however angelic choral voices. The journey out of the media tent looks like a conveyor belt to heaven. Seems that is The Church Of The Cosmic Cranium – a band that in line with the Bloodstock web site have been ‘placing the ABBA into Sabbath since 2016’. This I’ve gotta hear. They really play cracking rock music with a southern US twist. They’ve acquired a minimum of 5 vocalists and stylish harmonies abound. This, armed with some sensible musicianship and actually entertaining stagecraft makes them one other ‘should see once more’ band I’ve simply found right here.

Zeal And Ardor are the penultimate act on the Sophie stage. As I method this time, there aren’t any angelic voices sound checking microphones, however there are folks piling into the tent in droves. As soon as I’m within the picture pit, I look behind me and it’s rammed. As quickly as Zeal And Ardor begin it’s obvious why. They play an amalgam of American black slave/folks music and essentially the most brutal of black steel and it sounds as intriguing because it seems it’s. But it surely’s greater than intriguing, the entire idea – from the sound to the look (the band are wearing black hooded capes) is completely sensible. Zeal And Ardor was created by frontman, guitarist and vocalist Manuel Gagneux, who’s quoted as having requested: “What if American slaves had embraced Devil as a substitute of Jesus?”. That is the consequence.

The character of photographing a music pageant is you could by no means spend too lengthy in a single place. There’s all the time one other stage and band to catch. Generally that may be irritating since you actually wish to grasp round for a full set from an artist. That is a kind of instances. Zeal And Ardor additionally make it onto the ‘should see once more’ checklist.

However there all the time are different bands. As we speak I’ve additionally seen Lifeless Air and Previous The Fall on the Jägermeister, Godeth on the New Blood, Stengah, Cobra The Impaler and Embodiment on the Sophie Lancaster, and KK’s Priest on the Ronnie James Dio. This latter band are fascinating as they’re a brief discover alternative for Helloweeen, who needed to pull out attributable to acute laryngitis of their singer Michael Kiske. The group had been inspired to decorate as pumpkins on Sunday. Just a few stalwarts nonetheless have, although understandably, there’s not a lot enthusiasm for it.

KK’s Priest are in stay type basically a Judas Priest covers band, although as they had been fashioned by longstanding Priest guitarist Okay.Okay. Downing and have Tim “Ripper” Owens (a Priest vocalist when Rob Halford wasn’t) up entrance, they’ve extra declare to play Judas Priest covers than simply about anybody else on Earth. It seems they’re not a tame alternative for Helloween. There’s a lot pyro of their first tune that we’re instructed to evacuate the picture pit. Thankfully, it’s protected to be in there for songs two, three and 4 and so they’re a music photographers moist dream. They pose for cameras with such frequency it’s onerous to truly sustain.

This leaves us with two headline acts: Megadeth on the principle stage and Biohazard on the Sophie Lancaster. Megadeth are the whole lot that Meshuggah final night time weren’t. Dave Mustaine, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and bassist James LoMenzo run in regards to the stage a lot they’ll in all probability clock up just a few miles by the top. The lighting is implausible and this allied to some epic video partitions makes for an actual visible spectacle. There’s a coverage right here that the principle stage headliner performs in isolation and which means there’s 90 minutes earlier than Biohazard begin – and which means I truly get to look at Megadeth from the gang. It’s the primary time in three days I’ve truly been in a position to watch a full set from additional again and I’ve to say the sound is excellent – nearly as good as something I’ve ever heard at a pageant. Kudos to Bloodstock’s Dio stage sound crew.

I make a fast exit to succeed in Biohazard in time. In fact, their fanbase has eschewed Megadeth and the Sophie tent is already packed. Nearly all of the throng pouring over from the opposite stage will probably be standing exterior. Our glorious hosts within the press space have warned us to maintain our eyes peeled within the Biohazard pit as a result of: “Biohazard may get fairly tasty, fairly quick”. They aren’t incorrect. One other manufacturing line of crowd browsing ensues and the safety on the pit barrier do an distinctive job of maintaining everybody protected. Biohazard expertly whip the gang right into a frenzy, each on stage and thru excursions into the picture pit and past. It’s completely chaotic, however an infinite quantity of enjoyable and it’s an ideal disgrace when I’ve to go away after three songs. That is one other one I’d have preferred to remain for, however with no lodging booked and the reciprocal of that very lengthy drive to take care of, widespread sense finds me on the shuttle bus again to the automobile park.

And with that, my third Bloodstock involves an finish. On the first, I suffered with acute imposter syndrome. On the second, I suffered with 20,000 others in 40-degree warmth. On the third, I actually discovered my toes. Right here’s to many extra of the identical.

Bloodstock 2024 tickets might be discovered right here, although VIP and campervan tickets are already bought out. Artists to date confirmed for subsequent 12 months are: Amon Amarth, Architects, Clutch, Inexperienced Lung, Igorrr, Contaminated Rain, Korpiklaani, Malevolence, The Evening Flight Orchestra, Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and Unleash The Archers.

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All phrases and pictures by Simon Reed. His web site Musical Footage is right here and you may go to his creator profile for Louder Than Battle right here. He tweets as @musicalpix and is on Instagram at musicalpictures.co.uk