Smaller than Wacken by a factor of seven, but equally as rad, was Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, UK, which I attended this weekend. We chose Bloodstock out of the myriad of european festivals as CDH’s favorite band of all time (and one of mine, too) Blind Guardian were headlining, and it was the only festival they were performing at that fitted our time slot.

So that is how we found ourselves parked up in another metal campground, New Zealand flag flapping under our window, CDH eyeing up the t-shirt stand. With only 10 000 attendees, Bloodstock has more of a laid back vibe than Wacken, and a LOT more wide-open space. Bloodstock also had a LOT more hippies. I ate lots of their hippy food – falafal wraps and organic meatballs that cost the earth but tasted like heaven.

Bands we saw: Day One: Die Apocelipshen Rieter (I have totally not spelt that correctly – they rocked though. Sent a poor lass into the mosh pit inside a rubber life raft), Saxon, Arch Enemy (I was right down the front, yeah!) and Carcass (who had their old drummer who’d suffered a stroke play a solo). Day Two: Battlelore (wicked but only played for an hour. boo), Wolf (Swedish NWOBHM), Candlemass (ever tried to clap-along to a 20bpm song? 5000 brits did – it was HILARIOUS), Kreator, Apocaliptica (2nd most awesome band we’ve seen on holiday. Metal on cellos. Amazing), and BLIND GUARDIAN, who were bloody brilliant and were definitely the best live band I’ve ever seen, ever (with the exception of Nick Cave and possibly Opeth).

I brought a pretty new skirt from Vortex and a bloodstock shirt. Photos of said pretty skirt soon!

Angela rockin' her stuff

apocalyptica - my favorite Finnish cello boys

Blind Guardian. Not a very good photo, sorry :( But trust me, they kicked ass

Super Snuggles and Shoggoth Kisses
Steff

PS. We are now in Scandinavia – the most metal land on earth!