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Warlocks, wizards, trolls and wenches in corsets. The most elaborate make up and costumes were in full effect and that was just the dudes… it seems anything goes at Bloodstock Open Air – UK’s number one independent heavy metal festival.
We went with an air of trepidation but there was no need to be afraid, BOA turned out to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming festival this summer.
No ego and no poseurs in sight, just a community of bretheren and sisters joined together to celebrate the best of old and new in hard metal whilst drinking A LOT of cider.
Even the security guards were cool dudes. Atmosphere across the weekend was chilled and trouble free.
One of the best things about metal acts is they put everything into their shows – not like indie bands who are too cool to even twitch an eyebrow, metal bands put everything into their sound, their look, the performance.
Veins in necks throbbing as bands and fans screamed, met a number of people across the weekend who lost their voices completely.
Elaborate Norwegian black metallers 1349 held an early slot on the main stage Sunday, blasting any cobwebs from the night before and providing a visual treat if nothing else as they took to the stage in their gothic satanesque costumes.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get more bizarre, the metal silliness took on another level as the somewhat mental Nottingham fivepiece Evil Scarecrow played to a mighty sized crowd on the Sophie Lancaster stage with what had to be one of the sets of the entire festival.
Irish heavy metallers Primordial appeared on track to deliver a landmark set until lead singer Alan Averill’s voice failed completely from out of nowhere 15 minutes into their performance. Absolutely gutting for any artist but huge kudos to the rest of the band for continuing to play instrumental and making sure the show went on and to the crowd for carrying them along chanting their songs word for word in the absence of the singer.
Napalm Death, At The Gates, Exodus all played on the main stage as build up continued.
Morbid Angel – US Death Metal champs were the highlight of the day for many. Some will argue they overshadowed Motorhead whose understated confidence and relatively unexhuberant set perhaps seemed to lack effort compared to the blistering performances seen elsewhere over the weekend, but just as many will argue they came nowhere close to the untouchable Lemmy who can just rock up with his guitar and his moles and blow everyone else out of the water. Let the debate continue over some ciders.
Motorhead was the moment that many had been waiting for. Lemmy came out and introduced the band that needed no introduction – “We are Motorhead and we play rock and roll”. A few too many whiskies had been cosnumed, but they did their thing nonetheless.