FESTIVAL OVERVIEW
With Bloodstock now in its eleventh year, 2011 sees the Open Air edition of the festival reach its seventh occasion and it promised to be an event of gargantuan awesomeness. Legendary genre heavyweights W.A.S.P., Immortal, and Motörhead had been booked to headline each of the three main days that would also see UK festival exclusives from the likes of At The Gates, Rhapsody of Fire, Triptykon, Coroner, Therion, Kreator, Ihsahn and Primordial. Set once again in the grounds of Catton Hall in Derbyshire, surrounded by alluringly beauteous countryside, nearly 11,000 metal fans populated the fields this year, a record attendance for Bloodstock that only reached 5 figure ticket sales for the first time in 2010. It's not only pleasing that the festival continues to grow in popularity but indicative there exists a substantial fanbase for a diverse billing of metal subgenres that the bigger, corporate fests like Download and Sonisphere would never dare risk in their band bookings.
Living by their motto of "By Fans For The Fans", the independent organisers of Bloodstock have built a steadfast reputation for the event whereby many, both newcomers and veterans, proclaim it to be the friendliest UK metal festival in a welcoming, safe environment. 2011 is no exception as it once again has a jovial, familial atmosphere sustained throughout the three days. And it's three days blessed by generally fine weather, largely free from rainfall, with clouds and sunshine alternating in the skies above Catton Hall. Far better than the torrential rain that plagued the opening day of the festival last year. I say three days, but Bloodstock actually springs into life late Thursday afternoon with various bands and stand-up comedy acts performing on the Sophie Lancaster stage (the fest's second stage in a very sizeable tent that has significantly more bands booked Friday to Sunday than in previous years). And the Thursday evening provides the perfect opportunity to ease into the festival vibe before everything kicks off good and proper the following day. Follow the links at the top and bottom of this page for band reviews and photosets to relive your festival experience or, if you weren't there (and why not?!) to see what you missed...
Living by their motto of "By Fans For The Fans", the independent organisers of Bloodstock have built a steadfast reputation for the event whereby many, both newcomers and veterans, proclaim it to be the friendliest UK metal festival in a welcoming, safe environment. 2011 is no exception as it once again has a jovial, familial atmosphere sustained throughout the three days. And it's three days blessed by generally fine weather, largely free from rainfall, with clouds and sunshine alternating in the skies above Catton Hall. Far better than the torrential rain that plagued the opening day of the festival last year. I say three days, but Bloodstock actually springs into life late Thursday afternoon with various bands and stand-up comedy acts performing on the Sophie Lancaster stage (the fest's second stage in a very sizeable tent that has significantly more bands booked Friday to Sunday than in previous years). And the Thursday evening provides the perfect opportunity to ease into the festival vibe before everything kicks off good and proper the following day. Follow the links at the top and bottom of this page for band reviews and photosets to relive your festival experience or, if you weren't there (and why not?!) to see what you missed...
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2011
FESTIVAL OVERVIEW BELOW
DATE:
VENUE:
Friday 12th August - Sunday 14th August 2011
Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK
Main stage action at Bloodstock Open Air, 12th August 2011
Photograph copyright © 2011 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com
Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Adam Sagir at The Noise Cartel for arranging and granting accreditation for Metal Discovery.
Random festival goers on Friday
Bloodstock punter stretches legs between bands
Showsec security playing tag with Bloodstock audience just before Devin Townsend's set
Fists in the air for Kreator
Showsec security working tirelessly to pull out crowd surfers during Kreator's set
Crowd surfer complete with headgear
(The Defiled; Wolf; Forbidden)
(Poisonblack; Triptykon; Coroner)
(Kreator; Devin Townsend Project; W.A.S.P.)
(Skeletonwitch; Grave Digger; Tarot)
(Dripback; Finntroll; Ihsahn; Northern Oak)
(Therion; Rhapsody of Fire; Immortal)
(Hell; 1349; Primordial)
(Napalm Death; Hammerfall; Exodus; At The Gates)
(Amaranthe; Morbid Angel; Motörhead)
FESTIVAL OVERVIEW ABOVE
Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes
(The Defiled; Wolf; Forbidden)
(Poisonblack; Triptykon; Coroner)
(Kreator; Devin Townsend Project; W.A.S.P.)
(Skeletonwitch; Grave Digger; Tarot)
(Dripback; Finntroll; Ihsahn; Northern Oak)
(Therion; Rhapsody of Fire; Immortal)
(Hell; 1349; Primordial)
(Napalm Death; Hammerfall; Exodus; At The Gates)
(Amaranthe; Morbid Angel; Motörhead)
Audience during Kreator
Fans clap along to Finntroll on Saturday afternoon
Inflatable weaponry during Rhapsody of Fire
Compere Rob Bannister introduces Hell on Sunday
Young Morbid Angel fan
Security in formation, on the lookout for crowd surfers during Morbid Angel
Security guy gees up a fatigued crowd ahead of Motörhead on Sunday night
Almost over for another year - a few minutes before Motörhead hit the stage
