BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2011

DATE:

VENUE:

Friday 12th August - Sunday 14th August 2011

Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK

Tarot on Bloodstock's main stage, 13th August 2011

Photograph copyright © 2011 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com

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)

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)

SKELETONWITCH

Having arrived on the festival site fifteen minutes before they were due to appear on stage, miraculously and admirably (with the help of the backstage crew) US metallers Skeletonwitch start their self-proclaimed “earliest show [of their] lives” pretty much bang on time (if only all festivals were this well run!). With a style midway between black, death and thrash metal, the fast-paced ‘Crushed Beyond Dusk’ starts the earliest circle pit that singer Chance said he’s seen in his life and the crowd, for such an ungodly hour, lap it up. Keeping up the momentum and keeping between song banter to a minimum, they rampage their way through the set, continuing with, amongst others, ‘Reduced to the Failure of Prayer’ from their forthcoming new album ‘Forever Abomination’, ‘Strangled by Unseen Hands’ and ‘Choke Upon Betrayal’, which sees much band-prompted air-punching from the crowd and more frenzied headbanging. A humble band who thank the crowd for getting up so early to hear them, they leave the stage with the following advice “enjoy Bloodstock; drink beer …” and other debauched behaviour which shan’t be named here! Impressive stuff and a perfect opening band to blast the hangovers out of everyone’s heads. (HS)

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SATURDAY 13th AUGUST - PART 1

GRAVE DIGGER

German trad-metal veterans Grave Digger are next up on the Ronnie James Dio stage whose entrance is rather atmospheric and effective as smoke is pumped out from which emerges the band's keyboardist attired as the Grim Reaper playing (presumably miming) bagpipes. Oh, how I despise that instrument and, bizarrely, I had a conversation, not related at all to Grave Digger, a couple of hours earlier about how much bagpipes grate in my ears. So, visually an effective start to their show but abated by the wailing, discordant sound of bagpipes. Matters take a nose dive when the rest of the band appear. As they commence playing, with a fairly decent sound through the PA, the musicians axiomatically feel differently as guitarist Axel Ritt and frontman Chris Boltendahl make several throat-cut gestures towards the sound desk, both with an angry visage, and the two men exchange some unhappy, disapproving glances with each other. This culminates after a few minutes with Ritt aggressively kicking one of the monitor speakers to one side. Obviously the sound wasn't right on stage but for a band as experienced as Grave Digger, it's a little unprofessional to come out from the off and look like you'd rather be anywhere else than performing at that very moment. It's not the best move in attempting to get an audience on your side and there are far more subtle ways of indicating to the relevant engineers all is not right through the monitors. They should have contemplated that everything sounds okay out front as what the Bloodstock audience effectively end up with, at least for the first few minutes, is a disgruntled looking band with a very good sound. After band members seem to recover from their onstage sound issues, they still look a little uncomfortable and clumsy in their performance and with Boltendahl bearing more than a passing resemblance to Ian Hislop in a wig, it becomes difficult for me to take Grave Digger seriously. A largely static crowd also seem not too impressed. Very disappointing. (MH)

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TAROT

“Gimme a T… gimme an A…. gimme an R…..” so the extended introduction to the band continues, after compere Rob Bannister had already announced them three times; so what was the delay? Nerves? Marco getting lost backstage? Well, they’re only human; the drummer needed a wee! So, eventually, on come Marco and crew (with cigs stuck out of the corner of their mouths) to a heavied-up orchestral/choral rework of 'Whistle While You Work' that leads into ‘Wings of Darkness’, with drummer Pecu really giving it some behind the kit, a pretty bass-heavy sound and awesome shared lead vocals between Marco and Tommi (who really does have the most beautiful metal voice). Introducing himself as “Captain Marco” and his guitarist brother as “First Mate Zach”, he of Nightwish-fame is seemingly rather the onstage comedian (in a bizarre Finnish way of course), and is party to much smileage throughout the set with his fellow bandmates. Carrying on with ‘Ashes To The Stars’ and ‘Crows Fly Black’ (introduced in a suitably pirate accent as “the crows will be pecking out your eyes after this one”), the crowd, judging by the between song cheering, clearly love their unique brand of surprisingly heavy melodic, seriously driving and occasionally groovy metal. Ending their set with ‘Traitor’, to which Marco declares that this was the time to “whoop each other’s asses”, whilst Zach made a hasty change of guitars, they end their set in the “cradle of heavy metal” (as Marco puts it), utterly triumphant having won the hearts of the entire crowd, and holds his bass aloft and kisses it before partaking in the obligatory big Euro all-band bow to their folky outro music and thanking the crowd. And as Rob rightfully tells the crowd afterwards, having twigged that everyone loved them “you wanna see them again? You make sure you campaign to get them back”; well, they’ve got my vote for sure. Totally awesome from start to finish. All hail Captain Marco and his merry crew. (HS)

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