The Metal/Punk/Rock Thread

[WyattSheepMask]

So, the “secret band” at Bloodstock today turned out to be Machine Head, a surprise which may have got over had the merch stand not been selling their t-shirts since the start of the day 🤦🏻‍♂️

[mim731]

8 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

Rival Schools are playing 2000 Trees next year and also a date at the Electric Ballroom in Camden in July.

Tickets on sale now, and they don't have to tell me twice. Booked! 

I was looking for an excuse to do a festival next year, so that's me sold. United by Fate is comfortably in my top 5 all time favourite albums. 

[WyattSheepMask]

First bands announced for Bloodstock 2023

 

Zeal & Ardor are also confirmed as one of the Sophie Stage headliners.

Promotors still booking Decapitated is very disappointing 

Edited August 12, 2022 by WyattSheepMask

[SuperBacon]

1 hour ago, mim731 said:

I was looking for an excuse to do a festival next year, so that's me sold. United by Fate is comfortably in my top 5 all time favourite albums. 

I'm assuming 2000 Trees is the same, but the other dates are the album in full, which is a right treat! 

[Dead Mike]

11 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I'm assuming 2000 Trees is the same, but the other dates are the album in full, which is a right treat! 

I love this album so much I'm thinking 2000 Trees is looking like a certainty next year.

Going to see Lars Frederiksen tonight at the Deaf Institute in Manchester. I know some on here aren't fans but Rancid are the best, it's gonna be brill and this will be our 2nd proper night out without the kids together in 2yrs so....

[Merzbow]

I saw Jo Quail and Emma Ruth Rundle a couple of nights back, it was in the Birmingham Royal Conservatoire so far from the usual metal venues and festivals they often play. It was a lovely intimate setting with Jo especially being able to play music she normally wouldn't, there was a short collab during Emma's set, too.

Just a really fucking gorgeous night out and such a contrast to Ithaca and Pupil Slicer the week before.

[Just Some Guy]

1 hour ago, Dead Mike said:

I love this album so much I'm thinking 2000 Trees is looking like a certainty next year.

Going to see Lars Frederiksen tonight at the Deaf Institute in Manchester. I know some on here aren't fans but Rancid are the best, it's gonna be brill and this will be our 2nd proper night out without the kids together in 2yrs so....

Saw him briefly with The Last Resort last weekend.

Never got around to posting it in here but Rebellion is my goto festival and after 2 years away it felt amazing.

Superb line up.

[Keith Houchen]

4 hours ago, Dead Mike said:

Going to see Lars Frederiksen tonight at the Deaf Institute in Manchester.

Lovely venue, although they used to have a tendency to oversell shows so it could get unbearably hot. Hope that’s not the case tonight. Also, thanks for reminding me to add Lars Frederiksen to my “Don’t play this artist” list on Spotify, enhanced playlists are great but he keeps turning up on them for some reason. Bloody godsend that feature, I no longer worry Primal Scream or Belle And Sebastian are going to come on while I’m driving. 

[Merzbow]

The new (don't call them) Boris album is just so good, it leads you in with some solid heavy rock but then the Sax kicks in and tracks start getting a little weird with an Industrial Metal banger in there and the last track which feels very similar to a late Throbbing Gristle song. It's wild that this band was ready to call it quits a few years back and since then there's a slew of amazing albums with each sounding so different.

[cobra_gordo]

I've had a fairly hectic weekend to say the least. Played Bloodstock on Friday for the first time with my band. It's something we've always wanted to do so was lovely to be asked. Was pretty stressful getting in to the arena, we got stuck in the main carpark instead of crew/artists and had a 40 minute walk to get checked in, made ten times worse by the extreme heat. Once we were in it really made us question why we've never even been as fans before. Just a great atmosphere and nowhere near as massive a site as Download which really helps when it's baking hot with no breeze.

We always knew the secret band would be finishing 5 minutes before our set started and that we'd be soundchecking whilst they were on but when we found out it was Machine Head quite early on we were gutted. I'm a big fan so was kicking myself that we'd miss their set. At about half one I decided "Fuck it, I'm gonna find Rob Flynn" and set off towards the Sophie stage with full intentions of making the most of my backstage privileges. Got to backstage, had a wander around the cabins and vans but no sign of him or the rest of the band so turned around to leave, thinking we'd at least tried, as I clocked a familiar figure about 100m away doing some warm ups on his guitar. I made an excited grunt and left my Mrs and the rest of the band for dust as I marched over. I'd heard loads of rumours he was a bit of a prick but I can confirm that my new best friend Robb Flynn is a lovely human being. I told him I'd been a fan since I was 15 and was gutted we'd have to miss the set and why, we chatted about why they were there, took some pictures and he wished us good luck with our show. I'd been feeling pretty down up to that point, the heat was killing me, but meeting Robb gave me a real burst of energy. Look at the face on the happy idiot on the left.

We played our set to a packed Jagermeister tent that was spilling out in to the main arena which was awesome to see. Playing in that sort of heat was pretty tough but we put the same amount of effort in we normally would, it was just way more draining that usual. My Mrs was on the barrier and about half way in I had a smile to myself as it sunk in that I was playing Bloodstock. The crowd started chanting our name when we finished which was really overwhelming. There was a rumour circulating that we were drowning out stage left when Gwar started on the main stage 5 minutes before we finished which I really, really want to be true.

It took an hour and a half to get our gear from the stage loaded out and back to the car and then car park. I genuinely thought I was going to pass out from the heat at this point but the Bloodstock roadies did a fantastic job and really went over and above to help us out in what were pretty horrible conditions. We headed back to the press area to do a few interviews and clocked a couple more familiar faces, Mike Williams and Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod. We collared them for a quick chat and to gush about how much an influence they are. Again, they were lovely and were happy to make time to chat to a couple of swooning fanboys.

Despite the difficulties if Bloodstock asked us to play there again this afternoon I'd be straight in the car. Hopefully we can go back and play there next year, preferably on one of the less logistically ridiculous stages.

We had to leave fairly early as the next day me and the Mrs were off to see Mad Caddies at the Islington Academy. I bought the tickets pretty much three years ago as a wedding anniversary present as they're one of our favourite bands. It was hotter than Friday but thank fuck for overpowered air conditioning systems in indoor venues. We stayed on the barrier throughout, the highlight being Chuck the singer popping down to the barrier to chat to the fans mid-set, specifically stopping to talk to my wife and giving her a massive hug. They were clearly knackered during the show, had a bunch of technical difficulties and looked like they were getting a bollocking for over-running and interfering with the club night schedule. It's easily the best I've ever seen them play though. Met Chuck after, chatted for about 15 minutes and he ended up singing a brand new song they're working on directly in to my wife's face which was both cool and awkward as fuck.

I'm back at work this morning and I'm absolutely knackered, I feel hungover despite drinking a grand total of two pints across the whole weekend.

[Panhead]

Fuck yeah man, that's awesome! 🤘🏻

[CavemanLynn]

12 hours ago, cobra_gordo said:

I've had a fairly hectic weekend to say the least. Played Bloodstock on Friday for the first time with my band. It's something we've always wanted to do so was lovely to be asked. Was pretty stressful getting in to the arena, we got stuck in the main carpark instead of crew/artists and had a 40 minute walk to get checked in, made ten times worse by the extreme heat. Once we were in it really made us question why we've never even been as fans before. Just a great atmosphere and nowhere near as massive a site as Download which really helps when it's baking hot with no breeze.

We always knew the secret band would be finishing 5 minutes before our set started and that we'd be soundchecking whilst they were on but when we found out it was Machine Head quite early on we were gutted. I'm a big fan so was kicking myself that we'd miss their set. At about half one I decided "Fuck it, I'm gonna find Rob Flynn" and set off towards the Sophie stage with full intentions of making the most of my backstage privileges. Got to backstage, had a wander around the cabins and vans but no sign of him or the rest of the band so turned around to leave, thinking we'd at least tried, as I clocked a familiar figure about 100m away doing some warm ups on his guitar. I made an excited grunt and left my Mrs and the rest of the band for dust as I marched over. I'd heard loads of rumours he was a bit of a prick but I can confirm that my new best friend Robb Flynn is a lovely human being. I told him I'd been a fan since I was 15 and was gutted we'd have to miss the set and why, we chatted about why they were there, took some pictures and he wished us good luck with our show. I'd been feeling pretty down up to that point, the heat was killing me, but meeting Robb gave me a real burst of energy. Look at the face on the happy idiot on the left.

We played our set to a packed Jagermeister tent that was spilling out in to the main arena which was awesome to see. Playing in that sort of heat was pretty tough but we put the same amount of effort in we normally would, it was just way more draining that usual. My Mrs was on the barrier and about half way in I had a smile to myself as it sunk in that I was playing Bloodstock. The crowd started chanting our name when we finished which was really overwhelming. There was a rumour circulating that we were drowning out stage left when Gwar started on the main stage 5 minutes before we finished which I really, really want to be true.

It took an hour and a half to get our gear from the stage loaded out and back to the car and then car park. I genuinely thought I was going to pass out from the heat at this point but the Bloodstock roadies did a fantastic job and really went over and above to help us out in what were pretty horrible conditions. We headed back to the press area to do a few interviews and clocked a couple more familiar faces, Mike Williams and Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod. We collared them for a quick chat and to gush about how much an influence they are. Again, they were lovely and were happy to make time to chat to a couple of swooning fanboys.

Despite the difficulties if Bloodstock asked us to play there again this afternoon I'd be straight in the car. Hopefully we can go back and play there next year, preferably on one of the less logistically ridiculous stages.

We had to leave fairly early as the next day me and the Mrs were off to see Mad Caddies at the Islington Academy. I bought the tickets pretty much three years ago as a wedding anniversary present as they're one of our favourite bands. It was hotter than Friday but thank fuck for overpowered air conditioning systems in indoor venues. We stayed on the barrier throughout, the highlight being Chuck the singer popping down to the barrier to chat to the fans mid-set, specifically stopping to talk to my wife and giving her a massive hug. They were clearly knackered during the show, had a bunch of technical difficulties and looked like they were getting a bollocking for over-running and interfering with the club night schedule. It's easily the best I've ever seen them play though. Met Chuck after, chatted for about 15 minutes and he ended up singing a brand new song they're working on directly in to my wife's face which was both cool and awkward as fuck.

I'm back at work this morning and I'm absolutely knackered, I feel hungover despite drinking a grand total of two pints across the whole weekend.

That sounds like an absolute dream, man. Well done on ya! 

[Egg Shen]

brilliant @cobra_gordo! I only went yesterday, so wouldn't have got chance to see you, but sounds like you did great. Bloodstock is quality.

[Accident Prone]

I re-read that brilliant @cobra_gordopost again this morning, and it just struck me how little time you had to really soak it all in. Really puts into perspective how much hard work goes into being in a band who don't have their own exclusive roadies and on-site tour managers. I hope the next go around works out smoother for you all and you get to breathe and savour it a little, but hey that's fucking metal my dude!

Edited August 16, 2022 by Accident Prone

[cobra_gordo]

Cheers everybody. We had so little time to catch our breath, it really felt like a working day more than a fun festival day. We arrived at just after 11 in the morning walked past Heart Of A Coward's set on the main stage to get our bearings for where the Jager stage was, I saw 30 seconds of Doyle whilst we were soundchecking, I saw 2 mins of Gwar as we walked back out of the arena with our gear, 15 or 20 minutes of Eyehategod and I saw Testament play "In To The Pit". So considering we were on site roughly 10 hours I saw less than 30 minutes of music all day. Would I do it again though? Of fucking course.