With Download over for another year, things are just ramping up for Bloodstock, which opens its gates in just seven weekends time! With the ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals well under way and racking up record attendances, including numerous sell-out events, the next batch of winning bands to grab their slot on the ‘New Blood’ stage have been confirmed.
Joining Friday’s bill are Cornish progressive rockers, Loft, Kidderminster metallers XVII and two sets of thrash from different ends of the country – Brighton’s King Leviathan and Perth’s Blackened Ritual. Saturday’s ‘New Blood’ bill grows with the addition of Belfast death metal beasts Overoth and ‘aggrohardcoresludge’ animals, Mastiff, while Sunday’s bill swells with Staffordshire rockers, Obey joining the fray, Norway’s blackened death metallers Incipit and a bit of Irish thrash from Animator.
There’s a wealth of additional entertainment also happening in the exclusive ‘Serpent’s Lair’ VIP area over the weekend (you can pick up your VIP ticket upgrades from the ticket link below). As well as the legendary offering of over 100+ guest beers and real ales in the Serpent’s Lair Bar (where you may very well find yourself drinking alongside band members from the Bloodstock bill), expect special sets on the Serpent’s Lair stage from blues rockers, This Side Of Business, the heavy country bluegrass sounds of Scotland’s Gator Bait and the rifftastic party-starters Zocalo. Kicking off the VIP closing night party (once Rob Zombie’s packed his main stage spooks and robots off to the mothership) are Ozzy/Black Sabbath tribute band, Ozzbourne Again.
There’ll be numerous DJ slots from various guests throughout the weekend, including Bloodstock Serpents Lair regulars, The Vicious Breed, who’ll be taking requests all festival long, Oaf frontman and metal scribe extraordinaire, Don Lawson, Mordred’s DJ Aaron ‘Pause’ Vaughn, metal deck-spinning legend Krusher Joule and Desertfest’s own Rich Harris, who’ll be playing the best of stoner, doom, desert and grunge in the Serpents Lair big top party tent.
There are also plenty of laughs planned with Andrew O’Neil and his ‘History Of Heavy Metal’ comedy show, Big C’s truly hilarious ‘heavy metal spoken word’ and stand-up from everyone’s favourite Jesus-a-like, Gordy Jebus (yes, that’s him in that infamous ‘Jesus Is A Cunt’ T-shirt festival photo). Come on down and grab your own photo after his set!
If you’re travelling to Bloodstock by train, don’t forget to book your Big Green Coach shuttle bus tickets to get you and your camping gear from Lichfield City rail station to the festival site. There’s still time to book coach travel from 26 different locations around the country or a coach and festival ticket package. Check out all the info and ticket options.
Tickets for Bloodstock 2015 are available via the 24hr ticketline at 0871 230 5584 or online, priced at the very reasonable £135 (plus booking fee) for a four-day Thursday through Sunday weekend ticket with camping. VIP packages and upgrades are also available, plus pre-booked car parking pitches. Camper van pitches are now all sold out.
Bloodstock will be held at Catton Park, Derbyshire, from August 6-9. Keep up to date with the very latest info on Bloodstock’s official Facebook page and website.