Six reasons to look forward to Bloodstock 2018
Some of these are more valid than others.
Last updated 10th Aug 2018
4 stages. 100+ bands. All the metal.
From 9th - 12th August 2018, almost 15,000 metalheads will descend on Catton Park for 4 days of some of the most thunderous riffs imaginable!
But what makes this intimate festival so special? We've laid out our top 6 reasons below, because we're cool and like making lists.
1. Judas Priest
The mighty Judas Priest headlining Friday night promises to be something special. There's a reason they've sold over 50 million albums. There's a reason Rob Halford is known as the Metal God. Why? Because they are truly incredible.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, Priest's latest album 'Firepower' released just a few months ago is every bit as ferocious as classics like 'British Steel'.
Watch the video for their latest single 'No Surrender' to get yourself in the mood for anthemic singalong choruses. Much air guitar. So scream.
2. Gojira
Reason? We're just gonna leave this video here of them playing Bloodstock 2016. Mario Duplantier attacks his drum kit like it's wronged him and he's here to teach it a damn good lesson. Simply stunning.
3. Beer horns
Because are you even a metal festival if people can't swig mead from a prong that used to be attached to a cow's head?
No, you are not. Go away.
4. Dressing up
Forget about what the bands are wearing. Actually, before you do, look at this.
Evil Scarecrow there, looking not at all unhinged.
No crowd does dressing up in, quite frankly , disturbingly imaginative ways like the Bloodstock crowd. Want to see a zombie soldier wielding a severed arm, in a wall of death during Cannibal Corpse? Chances are you will.
See?
What about a pair of absolute jokers?
Umm... a... magician?
Yes.
They say an image speaks a thousand words. Here are a thousand words:
Or rather three words, combined hilariously.
5. It's really really friendly
A no-brainer considering metalheads are the nicest people, but Bloodstock just genuinely has a really nice atmosphere.
You'll find kids and adults alike enjoying the chuggy riffs (kids under 4 go free) all weekend.
Plus, it's pretty hard to be angry with someone when you've just spent 15 minutes skipping round in a circle pit to a band called Sodomized Cadaver. Which leads us to...
6. Trying to work out the name of the extreme metal band you're watching
Here's a selection of either a) some of the bands playing at Bloodstock this year, or b) some artfully decorated sticks.
Godspeed brave warriors of the metal!
Hopefully those arbitrarily selected reasons will persuade you to go. If they have, then lucky you - some tickets for Bloodstock are still available, and it's likely to sell out beforehand, so grab them before it's too late!
Weekend tickets with camping are £145 (+ booking fee) and children’s weekend tickets only £35 (+ bkg fee). Kids under 4 go free. Adult one day tickets are £65 (+ bkg fee) and child day tickets are £20 (+ bkg fee).
Kerrang! Radio Tickets as always, has your back
See you down the front. We'll be dressed as some sort of black metal ferret. Probably.