Preparations are now well under way for Bloodstock02 on 31st August with 13 bands so far confirmed as follows:
Blind Guardian
Gamma Ray
Diamond Head
Balance of Power
Freedom Call
Bal-Sagoth
Return to the Sabbat
Threshold
Elvenking
Primordial
Biomechanical
Infobia
Twelvepointhead
If you were to perhaps understand the mechanics for putting a festival together then you may be a little more open minded as to who eventually appears on the bill. Back when we first came up with the idea of the Bloodstock festival, it was decided that it would be a Darker affair as there were not too many festivals to cater for the young Gothic type crowd. Cradle of Filth were confirmed as the main feature of Bloodstock01, however it became apparent that although this was their idea, along with Martin Walkyier of Sabbat and Skyclad fame, they became less keen as a certain Tattoo the Planet tour became apparent. Given the short notice of 5 months to re-jig the bill and line-up, Bloodstock01 became the Classic Rock event which resides in the annals of history with Saxon, Glenn Hughes, Blaze Skyclad, a Sabbat reunion and Primal Fear becoming the main attractions.
Sticking with the Classic Rock feel we began to investigate a second festival for 2002, again for the month of May, however as time progressed we began to realise that this is not a good time to have a festival! Most bands are recording or stuck in major long haul tours, and to secure any major act was going to be a serious feat of engineering not to mention cost (for 1 band to appear for 1 show in the UK is not cheap!). Currently the support of Heavy Rock/Metal in the UK is at an all-time low unless you prefer US style Kerrang! pop rock, and there are enough expensive Ozzfests to cater for the likes of these bands. So which bands can fulfil a festival for 3,000 Metal fans in the UK. Iron Maiden are too big to even consider. As are Motorhead and now we find out Judas Priest. It seems a lot of people including the bands themselves think of our small festival to be akin to Dynamo (25,000), Bang Your Head(15,000) or even Wacken (35,000)!
British Acts that can headline such an event are few and far between. Halford, was approached and was very interested in a re-scheduled date later in the year (still recording new CD in May), hence the move to Saturday 31st August (no clashing with other Bank Holiday festivals or European festivals for that matter). Bruce Dickinson was sought after but declined any communication with us. Halford then rejected Bloodstock in favour of the US Ozzfest tour, so we were left once again with who can we consider!
We decided to turn to Europe, and see who was going to be playing the bigger shows this summer. Again this is generally untapped in the UK unless you can get to the Camden Underworld in London on a regular basis to see major European acts reduced to appearing on a stage the size of pin head!
Discussions with our fellow organisers at Wacken, and also thanks to our Paul Gregory (who has completed the artwork for their new CD, A Night at the Opera), the major European Power Metallers Blind Guardian have agreed to appear in the UK with their first ever show. They will be bringing their full European production to the UK, so expect a show of mini-stadium proportions. You wont get this in London! It is about time a major European act broke through in the UK and who better for it to be than Blind Guardian!
This brings us up to date with how to complete the line-up for 2002. We are reading the message board and emails frequently and taking on board suggestions, and have reacted to several requests already see Threshold and Balance of Power. Freedom Call continues with the Euro theme. Biomechanical I am sure we will be hearing a lot more of this year as they are a new Bio-metal UK act of solid molten-metal proportions.
Thank you very much for your support for the Bloodstock festivals, we do need your help and ultimately your attendance to secure the future shows. Who knows we may still have the Halford/Nightwish lineup next year, maybe even 2 festivals, or make it a 2-day affair. Saxon may return with the Eagle in tow for one big UK show! Rest assured we will do everything possible to keep the quality of the festivals high as Bloodstock01 turned out to be!!
check out http://www.bloodstock.uk.com and pop along to what will be a blinder of a day!!
Vince Rock, Paul Gregory and Martin Walkyier.
Blind Guardian
Gamma Ray
Diamond Head
Balance of Power
Freedom Call
Bal-Sagoth
Return to the Sabbat
Threshold
Elvenking
Primordial
Biomechanical
Infobia
Twelvepointhead
If you were to perhaps understand the mechanics for putting a festival together then you may be a little more open minded as to who eventually appears on the bill. Back when we first came up with the idea of the Bloodstock festival, it was decided that it would be a Darker affair as there were not too many festivals to cater for the young Gothic type crowd. Cradle of Filth were confirmed as the main feature of Bloodstock01, however it became apparent that although this was their idea, along with Martin Walkyier of Sabbat and Skyclad fame, they became less keen as a certain Tattoo the Planet tour became apparent. Given the short notice of 5 months to re-jig the bill and line-up, Bloodstock01 became the Classic Rock event which resides in the annals of history with Saxon, Glenn Hughes, Blaze Skyclad, a Sabbat reunion and Primal Fear becoming the main attractions.
Sticking with the Classic Rock feel we began to investigate a second festival for 2002, again for the month of May, however as time progressed we began to realise that this is not a good time to have a festival! Most bands are recording or stuck in major long haul tours, and to secure any major act was going to be a serious feat of engineering not to mention cost (for 1 band to appear for 1 show in the UK is not cheap!). Currently the support of Heavy Rock/Metal in the UK is at an all-time low unless you prefer US style Kerrang! pop rock, and there are enough expensive Ozzfests to cater for the likes of these bands. So which bands can fulfil a festival for 3,000 Metal fans in the UK. Iron Maiden are too big to even consider. As are Motorhead and now we find out Judas Priest. It seems a lot of people including the bands themselves think of our small festival to be akin to Dynamo (25,000), Bang Your Head(15,000) or even Wacken (35,000)!
British Acts that can headline such an event are few and far between. Halford, was approached and was very interested in a re-scheduled date later in the year (still recording new CD in May), hence the move to Saturday 31st August (no clashing with other Bank Holiday festivals or European festivals for that matter). Bruce Dickinson was sought after but declined any communication with us. Halford then rejected Bloodstock in favour of the US Ozzfest tour, so we were left once again with who can we consider!
We decided to turn to Europe, and see who was going to be playing the bigger shows this summer. Again this is generally untapped in the UK unless you can get to the Camden Underworld in London on a regular basis to see major European acts reduced to appearing on a stage the size of pin head!
Discussions with our fellow organisers at Wacken, and also thanks to our Paul Gregory (who has completed the artwork for their new CD, A Night at the Opera), the major European Power Metallers Blind Guardian have agreed to appear in the UK with their first ever show. They will be bringing their full European production to the UK, so expect a show of mini-stadium proportions. You wont get this in London! It is about time a major European act broke through in the UK and who better for it to be than Blind Guardian!
This brings us up to date with how to complete the line-up for 2002. We are reading the message board and emails frequently and taking on board suggestions, and have reacted to several requests already see Threshold and Balance of Power. Freedom Call continues with the Euro theme. Biomechanical I am sure we will be hearing a lot more of this year as they are a new Bio-metal UK act of solid molten-metal proportions.
Thank you very much for your support for the Bloodstock festivals, we do need your help and ultimately your attendance to secure the future shows. Who knows we may still have the Halford/Nightwish lineup next year, maybe even 2 festivals, or make it a 2-day affair. Saxon may return with the Eagle in tow for one big UK show! Rest assured we will do everything possible to keep the quality of the festivals high as Bloodstock01 turned out to be!!
check out http://www.bloodstock.uk.com and pop along to what will be a blinder of a day!!
Vince Rock, Paul Gregory and Martin Walkyier.
