Anna Hyams

Anna has been a festival fanatic since her first ever outing to Download Festival back in 2001, she's got eclectic tastes and covers everything from metal to EDM and loves a chance to try out new festivals. Anna has covered a few European festivals like Snowbombing and Wacken Open Air, but mainly hits up her UK faves; Download, Bestival and Bloodstock!

Bloodstock: More bands and Club Nights

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The clock’s ticking! There are just 133 days ‘til BLOODSTOCK, the best heavy metal party weekender of the year and BLOODSTOCK HQ has a bumper batch of Sophie Lancaster Stage bands to announce to cheer you into April.  

Plus, if you didn’t win festival tickets in the very popular BLOODSTOCK website’s Easter Egg hunt, fear not, you could win a pair at one of the upcoming BLOODSTOCK raucous club nights – the first batch of party nights detailed below!

Joining the Sophie stage on Sunday are the new, but old school death metal outfit MEMORIAM. Terrorizer magazine got the lowdown on this new outfit, featuring ex-Bolt Thrower and ex-Benediction members, which you can read at: http://www.terrorizer.com/news/karl-willetts-speaks-to-terrorizer-about-memoriam/. Still curious?  Visit: www.facebook.com/Memoriam2016.  London’s symphonic metal six-piece, PYTHIA are looking forward to rocking your face off on Sunday.  Perhaps you caught them in London in Feb, playing with BLOODSTOCK alumni, Ensiferum?  Check them out at www.facebook.com/PythiaBand.  THIS IS TURIN will be showcasing their brand of British tech metal on Saturday at BLOODSTOCK this Summer!  The band have been busy working on their forthcoming release ‘Thrones’ – learn more at www.facebook.com/thisisturin.  Inspired by Game Of…?  We’re not sure.  Also partaking in Saturday’s Sophie Lancaster stage shenanigans are ONE MACHINE, the thrashtastic brainchild of Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Testament, Forbidden).  Soon to hit the road with Overkill, stay up to date via www.facebook.com/OneMachineOfficial.  Sunday’s final addition are Londoners, DERANGE. Tipped by Metal Hammer (http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-10-13/hot-new-band-derange), watch their video for ‘Echo’ at https://youtu.be/QoQYAzu5LM4.  For more, head to:  www.facebook.com/DerangeUK.

Have you watched the brand new BLOODSTOCK 2016 trailer yet? Turn up your volume and click to https://youtu.be/T7gpYjVIH7o.  Popcorn not included.

The first batch of 2016’s BLOODSTOCK club nights are also ready to go!  That’s thirty-three pre-festival parties already planned!!  More will be added for June, July and early August, so don’t despair if your nearest rock club isn’t listed yet.  In the meantime, get along to one/some/all of these, check out the headbangin’ tracks being kranked out from BLOODSTOCK bands old and new, and be in with the chance of winning weekend tickets and BLOODSTOCK-related giveaways.  Check with your local club for further details and expect the unexpected!  Events for April and May stack up as follows:

Fri 1st April – Stoke on Trent – Bunker 13

Fri 1st April – Woking – Schism

Sat 2nd April – Norwich – The Waterfront

Fri 15th April – Ipswich – The Cock and Pye

Sat 16th April – Coventry – The Phoenix

Sat 16th April – Liverpool – Krazyhouse

Mon 18th April – Reading – Sakura

Fri 22nd April – Middlesbrough – SUMO

Fri 22nd April – Camberley – Agincourt

Sat 23rd April – Birmingham – The Asylum

Thu 28th April – Exeter – Walkabout

Fri 29th April – Plymouth – Envy

Sat 30th April – Manchester – Satan’s Hollow

Sat 30th April – Birmingham – Eddie’s Rock Club

Sat 30th April – Sheffield – Corporation

Fri 6th May – Woking Schism

Fri 6th May – Leicester – Firebug

Fri 6th May – Portsmouth – Edge of the Wedge

Sat 7th May – Stoke on Trent – Bunker 13

Sat 7th May – Brighton – Envy

Sat 7th May – Norwich – The Waterfront

Sat 14th May – Camberley – Agincourt

Sat 14th May – Bristol – Basement 45

Mon 16th May – Reading – Sakura

Fri 20th May – Bournemouth – Sound Circus

Fri 20th May – Glasgow – The Cathouse

Fri 20th May – Ipswich – The Cock and Pye

Sat 21st May – Coventry – The Phoenix

Fri 27th May – Mansfield – The Intake

Fri 27th May – Nottingham – The Landing (Nottingham Trent SU)

Sat 28th May – Birmingham – Eddie’s Rock Club

Sat 28th May – Cardiff – Fuel

Sat 28th May – Sheffield – Corporation

*clubs can be subject to change, so always check locally*

Already announced for 2016 are our three headliners, TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, MISERY LOVES CO, GHOST BATH, VENOM, UNEARTH, DIAMOND HEAD, GOATWHORE, ACID REIGN and many more.  Additional bands are still to be announced.

Bloodstock: More bands and Club Nights

by

The clock’s ticking! There are just 133 days ‘til BLOODSTOCK, the best heavy metal party weekender of the year and BLOODSTOCK HQ has a bumper batch of Sophie Lancaster Stage bands to announce to cheer you into April.  

Plus, if you didn’t win festival tickets in the very popular BLOODSTOCK website’s Easter Egg hunt, fear not, you could win a pair at one of the upcoming BLOODSTOCK raucous club nights – the first batch of party nights detailed below!

Joining the Sophie stage on Sunday are the new, but old school death metal outfit MEMORIAM. Terrorizer magazine got the lowdown on this new outfit, featuring ex-Bolt Thrower and ex-Benediction members, which you can read at: http://www.terrorizer.com/news/karl-willetts-speaks-to-terrorizer-about-memoriam/. Still curious?  Visit: www.facebook.com/Memoriam2016.  London’s symphonic metal six-piece, PYTHIA are looking forward to rocking your face off on Sunday.  Perhaps you caught them in London in Feb, playing with BLOODSTOCK alumni, Ensiferum?  Check them out at www.facebook.com/PythiaBand.  THIS IS TURIN will be showcasing their brand of British tech metal on Saturday at BLOODSTOCK this Summer!  The band have been busy working on their forthcoming release ‘Thrones’ – learn more at www.facebook.com/thisisturin.  Inspired by Game Of…?  We’re not sure.  Also partaking in Saturday’s Sophie Lancaster stage shenanigans are ONE MACHINE, the thrashtastic brainchild of Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Testament, Forbidden).  Soon to hit the road with Overkill, stay up to date via www.facebook.com/OneMachineOfficial.  Sunday’s final addition are Londoners, DERANGE. Tipped by Metal Hammer (http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-10-13/hot-new-band-derange), watch their video for ‘Echo’ at https://youtu.be/QoQYAzu5LM4.  For more, head to:  www.facebook.com/DerangeUK.

Have you watched the brand new BLOODSTOCK 2016 trailer yet? Turn up your volume and click to https://youtu.be/T7gpYjVIH7o.  Popcorn not included.

The first batch of 2016’s BLOODSTOCK club nights are also ready to go!  That’s thirty-three pre-festival parties already planned!!  More will be added for June, July and early August, so don’t despair if your nearest rock club isn’t listed yet.  In the meantime, get along to one/some/all of these, check out the headbangin’ tracks being kranked out from BLOODSTOCK bands old and new, and be in with the chance of winning weekend tickets and BLOODSTOCK-related giveaways.  Check with your local club for further details and expect the unexpected!  Events for April and May stack up as follows:

Fri 1st April – Stoke on Trent – Bunker 13

Fri 1st April – Woking – Schism

Sat 2nd April – Norwich – The Waterfront

Fri 15th April – Ipswich – The Cock and Pye

Sat 16th April – Coventry – The Phoenix

Sat 16th April – Liverpool – Krazyhouse

Mon 18th April – Reading – Sakura

Fri 22nd April – Middlesbrough – SUMO

Fri 22nd April – Camberley – Agincourt

Sat 23rd April – Birmingham – The Asylum

Thu 28th April – Exeter – Walkabout

Fri 29th April – Plymouth – Envy

Sat 30th April – Manchester – Satan’s Hollow

Sat 30th April – Birmingham – Eddie’s Rock Club

Sat 30th April – Sheffield – Corporation

Fri 6th May – Woking Schism

Fri 6th May – Leicester – Firebug

Fri 6th May – Portsmouth – Edge of the Wedge

Sat 7th May – Stoke on Trent – Bunker 13

Sat 7th May – Brighton – Envy

Sat 7th May – Norwich – The Waterfront

Sat 14th May – Camberley – Agincourt

Sat 14th May – Bristol – Basement 45

Mon 16th May – Reading – Sakura

Fri 20th May – Bournemouth – Sound Circus

Fri 20th May – Glasgow – The Cathouse

Fri 20th May – Ipswich – The Cock and Pye

Sat 21st May – Coventry – The Phoenix

Fri 27th May – Mansfield – The Intake

Fri 27th May – Nottingham – The Landing (Nottingham Trent SU)

Sat 28th May – Birmingham – Eddie’s Rock Club

Sat 28th May – Cardiff – Fuel

Sat 28th May – Sheffield – Corporation

*clubs can be subject to change, so always check locally*

Already announced for 2016 are our three headliners, TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, MISERY LOVES CO, GHOST BATH, VENOM, UNEARTH, DIAMOND HEAD, GOATWHORE, ACID REIGN and many more.  Additional bands are still to be announced.

Bestival announces Invaders of the Future!

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Making Bestival the festival to discover new music is a big part of what keeps us buzzing. Finding an incredible new band that could change your life, or that one amazing unknown track that will blow everyone away is something that our intrepid curator Rob da Bank has made his life’s work. With his monumental musical knowledge helping him to sniff out a cornucopia of mysterious gems, Rob’s track record for discovering the next big thing is unparalleled, and the Invaders of the Future stage is Bestival’s cathedral of cutting edge sounds where you’ll find this year’s selection of bright young things who could just be your new favourite band in The Future. 

Rob da Bank says: “Yup, we all love a stonking big headliner at Bestival, and huge DJs and bands that have sold millions of records smashing it on our stages, but mostly where you’ll find me across the weekend at Bestival is in our Invaders stage checking out the new bands. Once more we’ve gone mentally diverse from Radio 1 and SXSW darling’s Danny L Harle, Pup and Sunflower Bean through the amazing Eska and a takeover from the hottest label out there, PC Music, to local island talent Born Ina Barn and Xockha. See you down the front!”

Out on a mission to capture your heart and keep your feet moving at the UK’s official Best Major Festival, the Invaders of the Future stage will be bouncing all weekend long to sets from west London’s All This Noise, high-octane punks Asylums, atmospheric four-piece Black Honey, Island b-boys Born Ina Barn, and soulful pop types Clean Cut Kid, with appearance from Coco, Creeper and Saturday’s late night headliner Danny L Harle.

We’ll also have singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eska, beguiling trio Fatherson, pop outfit Fickle Friends, rock n rollers The Greasy Slicks, the darkly inventive HÆLOS, visceral Spanish indie quartet Hinds and the swirling sounds of The Japanese House.

Getting those in the know all hot under the collar there will be more Invaders of the Future action from the golden voiced JP Cooper, Illinois’s K.Flay, the folk musings of L.A. Salami, hotly-tipped Merseysider Louis Berry, emo four-piece Moose Blood, punk rockers Milk Teeth, hyperreal ultrapop label PC Music All Stars and Pinegrove.

Don’t miss the chance to check out Merthyr Tydfil’s Pretty Vicious, Toronto’s Pup, the hypnotic and pulsing Rationale, off-kilter R&B producer Royce Wood Junior, epic indie upstarts The Sherlocks, Mancunian powerhouse Spring King, mesmerising 12-piece Stompy's Playground and incorrigible ravers Subgiant.

And make sure you catch amazing new music from Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean, Smugglers co-founder Will Varley, purveyors of surf-doom The Wytches, alt rockers Vant, the Island’s own Xockha and indie three-piece Zibra.

Collecting all our top tips for the future in one mind-blowing stage, head to the Invaders of the Future and discover what fires up Bestival’s soul.

Common People announce Uncommon Stage line-ups

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Continuing our mission to connect like-minded party people on common land, the Common People team are very pleased to announce the line-ups for our Uncommon Stage. Flexing his all-encompassing musical muscles Rob da Bank has joined forces with legendary, longstanding music publication Nightshift in Oxford and acclaimed venue The Joiners in Southampton, to bring you the cream of the up-and-coming music scene, featuring some of the most exciting new and underground bands, this coming May Bank Holiday at South Park and Southampton Common. 

Common People curator Rob da Bank says: “The beating heart of all our festival adventures is getting people to discover new music and uncover new bands. Our curators, Ricky from The Joiners in Southampton and Ronan from the seminal Nightshift magazine, are experts in these matters, so please be upstanding and make much noise for The Uncommon Stage.”

 

Nightshift’s Ronan Munro says: “It’s fantastic that so many local acts are getting the opportunity to play at Common People, with the opportunity to play to a whole new audience, and it’s great that we get the chance to show the variety of music that comes out of Oxfordshire – from hot jazz, reggae, hip hop and blues to doom metal, electronica, punk and even pirate pop. I’ve always tried to make musicians proud to come from Oxfordshire, and Oxfordshire be proud of its musicians and this weekend is proof that Oxfordshire is home to a wealth of music talent”.

The Joiners’ Ricky Bates says: “We at the Joiners are utterly thrilled to be directly presenting the Uncommon Stage this year with some of our favourite touring acts of old and new in one space! Plus, we have some amazing home grown local talent throughout the day covering everything from ska to metalcore to indie rock n’ roll across the weekend, it’s going to be the most righteous fun weekend, don’t stay in! See you down the front”.  

Saturday in South Park, Oxford will see the Uncommon Stage shake to the sounds of local seven-piece vintage r ‘n’ b and hot jazz outfit Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, east Oxford’s roots-inspired Zaia, the glistening pop hooks of Neverlnd, Chipping Norton’s Esther Joy Lane, the doomladen Undersmile, and Cowley’s Cameron A.G. who recently scored a Hottest Record in the World Right Now on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show. There will also be rum-soaked fun from Peerless Pirates, gothic blues pop sounds from Death of the Maiden and looped vibes from mind-blowing cellist Duotone. 

Sunday’s super-fresh action will see Oxford-based, pan-European gypsy-ska-punks The Balkan Wanderers heading up a coruscating line-up that will include local electronic types Maiians, electro rockabilly blues from Vienna Ditto, Witney’s Little Brother Eli, Oxford-based beats cooperative Inner Peace Collective, Chipping Norton sibling duo Cassels, purveyors of porch folk with attitude The August List, Cowley’s Young Women’s Music Project and the experimental, ethereal sounds of Oxford via Stockholm’s Julia Meijer.

On Southampton Common, Saturday’s dazzling new sounds will come courtesy of much admired Cambridge five-piece Lonely the Brave and experimental Brightonians Tall Ships, with sets from singer-songwriter Sean Mcgowan, stadium-ready post rockers New Desert Blues and BBC 6 Music-supported Bel Esprit, all of whom hail from Southampton. There will also be live music from the Isle of Wight’s math-pop four-piece Signals and the home turf triumvirate of Our Hollow, Our Home, Elixir and Vicki Musselwhite, with the first of our soon to be announced I Want to Play at Common People winners also making an appearance. 

Sunday will see NME-championed Palma Violets topping a bill that will include garage rockers Pretty Vicious, Portsmouth’s Kassassin Street, and a cavalcade of local heroes including Science of Eight Limbs, The Rising, Bigtopp, These Septic Stars and Cassava, with two more I Want to Play at Common People winners completing the line-up.

Showcasing the very best in ambitious new music, don’t miss discovering your new favourite band at Common People’s temple of innovative sound, The Uncommon Stage.

Bestival unveils new music for the future…

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Predicting something very special as we charge inexorably towards The Future, the Bestival crew are set to whet your appetite with a hearty helping of amazing bands and DJs that will be joining The Cure Major Lazer, Diplo, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Bastille, Skepta, Wolf Alice and many more at Robin Hill this coming September.

Rob da Bank says: “I love booking Bestival. It’s proper ‘kid in a sweetshop’ time when I look at all the acts out there and try to curate a line-up that makes sense across many genres… which is how I think Bestivalites like it. It’s not just booked for you, it’s for me too, so I cannot wait for a weekend encompassing Kano, Goldie, Mura Masa, Evian Christ and Reggie and Bollie. If you fancy it too, I’ll see you on the ferry!”

Upping the grime ante, renaissance man Kano will be joining us to showcase his skills with some super-sick bars. His recent Fire in the Booth for Charlie Sloth was a total masterclass that set the standard for the young pretenders, making his appearance at Bestival truly unmissable.

We’ll also have future perfect live performances from much vaunted Seattle duo Odesza, the lush and sultry Snakehips, wunderkind producer Mura Masa, London collective WSTRN, superfly freestyler Lady Leshurr, BBC Sound of 2016 nominee Billie Marten, Brits Critics' Choice nominee Frances, soul-funk-jazz-pop fusionist Izzy Bizu. and X Factor’s real superstars Reggie & Bollie.   

Also taking to the stage will be the inimitable Los Hermanos Cubanos, The Cuban Brothers, the sublimely intimate This Is The Kit, South African folkster Jeremy Loops and our old mates the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band. 

Stepping up to the platters that matter to keep you dancing all night long expect DJ sets from beat juggling behemoth DJ Yoda, Metalheadz legend Goldie, Southampton’s finest deck destroyer James Zabiela, sonic adventurers Mount Kimbie, and Ellesmere Port’s boldest export Evian Christ. 

There will also be sets from Radio 1’s Heidi, bass marauders Oneman b2b My Nu Leng, on the fly edit merchants Melé & Monki’s NRG Flash, architect of grime and recent Bestival FM guest Artwork, and Honey Soundsystem, Applescal, Poté and Venum Sound.

And, adding a soupçon of off the wall behaviour, we will have Bestival antics from spandex-clad force of nature Mr Motivator, crack of dawn ravers Morning Gloryville, and Circus Raj.

More bands announced for Bloodstock 2016

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BLOODSTOCK HQ is currently a hive of activity, with even more bands being confirmed for this August’s best heavy metal weekender.

Joining the Ronnie James Dio stage are the recently reformed industrial outfit, MISERY LOVES COMPANY.  The band inform us, “The UK was always special to MISERY LOVES CO, our very first show outside of Scandinavia was in London and without the support of the British people we probably would have stayed in Scandinavia for ever, listening to ABBA, eating herring and dreaming of the outside world…  MISERY LOVES CO + Britain = a true love story.  Now, when we return to the stage, we’re extremely happy to showcase our industrial demons in front of the British crowd once more.  Doing a summer of festivals without coming to the UK would have been a failure, so, we can’t wait to come to BLOODSTOCK!”  Check out a clip of ‘My Mind Still Speaks’ – https://youtu.be/ZiPENHSeFYM.  

Opening the RJD stage on Saturday are Brit tech metallers, CAMBION.  As proud BLOODSTOCK alumni (2012/2014), the band are currently at work on their debut album, having released the Virus Extended Edition EP in 2014.  Check out the video for ‘Heterodox’ here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpeerilbWqU, and keep up with plans for the album street date over at http://www.cambionofficial.co.uk/.

Stepping into the Friday night headline slot on the Sophie Lancaster stage are NWOBHM icons, DIAMOND HEAD.  The likes of Metallica have often stated that without DIAMOND HEAD, they’d probably not exist, such is the Stourbridge band’s influence.  Check out this fan-filmed clip of the ‘Big 4’ (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax & Megadeth) covering DIAMOND HEAD’s classic ‘Am I Evil’, joined by the band’s very own Brian Tatler – https://youtu.be/K9P-H_Qd908.  Brian and his cohorts are set to release their first album of new material in over 8 years on 22nd April, simply titled ‘Diamond Head’.  Don’t miss ‘em at BLOODSTOCK!

Also joining Saturday night’s Sophie stage shenanigans are Brit metallers, KRYSTHLA.  The band’s debut album, ‘A War Of Souls And Desires’, can be snapped up at their Bandcamp – http://www.krysthla.bigcartel.com/.  Also check out the video for lead track ‘Luminosity’ here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjJwiBVlcFc.

With Easter weekend also looming, BLOODSTOCK are once again gearing up the website’s very popular Easter Egg hunt, as they’ve done in years past.  Will you be one of the lucky winners of a pair of weekend tix with camping?!  Click over to the BLOODSTOCK website at www.bloodstock.uk.com on Good Friday 25th March to take part.

Already announced for 2016 are our three headliners, TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, GHOST BATH, VENOM, UNEARTH, GOATWHORE, ACID REIGN and many more.  Additional bands are still to be announced.

Bloodstock clock up more bands for 2016

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Headbangers….ready!?!  The BLOODSTOCK gladiators have been out marauding and have rounded up five more metal beasts for your entertainment this August.  First up, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY join the Ronnie James Dio main stage bill.  Now reunited with Pepper Keenan up front, BLOODSTOCK’s faithful can look forward to a slew of classics from their three-decade-plus career.

Pepper tells us,
"It’s been a real pleasure after all this time to get back with the COC lads and start jamming again and creating music.  We are having a blast!  We've have had so much support from all over the globe and landing on a fest like BLOODSTOCK really sums it up.  We’re honoured and cannot wait to up the fuckin' hammers in the middle of nowhere in merry ol' England!  Thank you!  Ohh yeah, don't forget me cider ….!”

CoC kicked off 2016 by launching their own ‘Wiseblood’ beer with the Three Floyd’s Brewing Co, announced a US run with Lamb of God & Clutch, and are also hard at work on a brand new album.  Get the latest news at www.coc.com UNEARTH also join the BLOODSTOCK bill for the first time.

If you’re fast, you can get clued up on their new material in time for August by picking up current album, ‘Watchers of Rule’ at a discounted price of around a fiver over at their merch store – http://unearth.merchnow.com/products/185256/watchers-of-rule-cd Wherever they can, BLOODSTOCK is proud to bring you bands who don’t often grace UK shores, so joining the main stage bill to play their first ever UK show are atmospheric US black metal outfit, GHOST BATH.

Local heroes, EVIL SCARECROW also make a triumphant return!

As serious contenders for the ‘most fun had on stage’ prize, what do they make of their return? “We’re back!  Again!  We’re like the BLOODSTOCK house band or maybe a bad STD that you can’t get rid of. Either way, we’re hoping to bring our biggest ever show and even some new material.  After the historic, record breaking crowd of 2014, we’re looking forward to being back on that stage, although a custom-built, floating glass pyramid ‘Scarecrow Stage’ would have been nice.  We’re genuinely overwhelmed and beyond excited to be back partying with our BLOODSTOCK brothers and sisters.”  Keep up with Scarecrow’s shenanigans via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evil.Scarecrow

Also, joining the Sophie stage bill are XII BOAR.  A big slab of rock n' roll-infused, southern-fried metal, this power trio are determined to make sure everyone has a good time. Ric Flair raves, "We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing our trademarked XII BOAR grooves to BLOODSTOCK.  This year's line-up is already beyond words and we're so stoked to be a part of it. Get your dancing shoes on and get down to the super massive XII BOAR sound as we're assembling the biggest party BLOODSTOCK has ever seen!  See you there!” 
 

Bestival – New stage and headliners announced: The Spaceport

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The Port is dead. Long live The Spaceport!

HMS Bestival has vanished in mysterious circumstances. Investigations are underway, but as the enigma deepens and the conspiracy theories grow, the ship’s fate remains unclear. As the future unfolds, and human horizons expand beyond the planet, The Port, devoid of its antiquated maritime attraction, will evolve into a new kind of universal berth. A colossal cosmodrome. The Spaceport.

Rob da Bank says: “Be under no illusions my futuristic friends… This stage is going to blow your mind and take you interstellar like no other stage before… This is The Future of the dance. HMS Bestival, our trusty old ship, has sunk or otherwise been sucked down a Bermuda Triangle shaped whirlpool, and thus we are reinventing Robin Hill’s sacred rave space once more with a spaceship the likes Planet Earth has never witnessed.

“A veritable space oddity standing seven storeys high The Spaceport will beam out music day and night, lit by lasers with giant astronauts floating across the sky. Prepare for take-off, take your protein pills and put your helmet on. See you at The Spaceport in t-minus 196 days and counting…”

Featuring a vast rocket standing more than 20 metres high at its centre, The Spaceport is a laser-loaded mega-structure featuring a truly state of the art db audio array processing sound system, guaranteed to smash out epic low-end, with lighting design from Lite Alt Design’s world renowned Paul Normandale, whose previous credits include the Chemical Brothers, Coldplay and the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. The Spaceport is a unique step in the advancement of sound and vision, where next-level partying isn’t just an ambition, it’s a promise.

As well as a main stage date with Major Lazer, the mighty Diplo will also be making a separate appearance headlining our brand new stage.  A true innovator and originator, when Diplo first brought his Mad Decent Soundsystem to rip up Bestival 2009 the night was truly legendary, so expect more of the same and a lot more besides.

Rave pioneer, three-deck wizard, label don and über producer, Carl Cox is lined up for some very special headline excursions at The Spaceport. A mainstay of contemporary dance culture over the last three decades, we’re super-excited that he’ll be joining our futurescape playing an unmissable, career-spanning House Classics set.

He’s headlined the main stage (twice), he’s played Bollywood, the Big Top, and even a sneaky set or two in the hidden disco, so when we asked our great friend and serial rave god Fatboy Slim back this year, there was only ever one place we wanted him to play; on our epic new stage, The Spaceport!

Bloodstock add more bands for 2016

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BLOODSTOCK is breezing through February with another clutch of confirmations for 2016’s best heavy metal weekender.

Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage on Thursday night, our welcome party night, will be PHIL CAMPBELL’S ALL STARR BAND.  The Motorhead axeman will also officially open the newly christened ‘Lemmy’s Bar’ with the first drink at 5pm!!  Were you there in 2013 when Phil and his band played ‘Killed By Death’ on the Jagermeister Stage?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGe85gq2ZU4.  Come along to Catton Park early, pitch your tent and kick off the weekend’s festivities with Phil at Lemmy’s Bar!!  You know Lem would approve!!   If you’re on Instagram, go follow Phil’s brand new page (@phil_campbells_all_starr_band).

In addition to Phil and friends, two more bands get added to the Sophie Lancaster Stage.  Brit extreme metallers THE KING IS BLIND are delighted to return to Catton Park, following their crushing BLOODSTOCK debut in 2014 and release of their debut album, ‘Our Father’ (Cacophonous Records) last month.  Frontman Stephen Tovey tells us "The BLOODSTOCK crowd welcomed us with open arms and raised fists on our last visit, so on the back of ‘Our Father’, we’re primed and chomping at the bit to bring a savage and energetic set of the heaviest metal to Catton Hall this August.  You bring the beers, the horns and the headbanging, we’ll bring the riffs and the truly crushing metal.”  Watch the first video from their ‘Our Father’ album at https://youtu.be/Ua-4Q5-R7Ks then pay homage via http://www.facebook.com/TheKingIsBlind.  We’re sure the Lannisters send their regards.

Homegrown doomsters, WITCHSORROW also join the bill.  Says frontman Necroskull;  “It gives us no small amount of pleasure to once again rain doom down upon BLOODSTOCK.  It is an incredibly special place for us, and we are incredibly proud to stand alongside Twisted Sister, Venom, Slayer, and Paradise Lost in bringing heavy metal madness to Catton Park.  Doom forever. Forever doomed.”   Check out their track ‘Made Of The Void’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwmrlMcqF08, taken from their ‘No Light, Only Fire’ album. Grab it for just £7 over at their Bandcamp page – https://candlelightrecordsuk.bandcamp.com/album/no-light-only-fire.

LAST CALL for the Deposit Scheme!!!  There’s also just a couple of weeks left to sign up for BLOODSTOCK’s very popular payment plan.  This year it’s even more manageable to pay for your ticket in stages, with the scheme expanding the number of payments from 3 months to 5 months.  To pay this way, just sign-up before 29th February.  The 1st payment of £34.80 is payable immediately, then 4 additional payments of around £30 will debit your account on 28th of March, April, May and June.  (Exact amounts; £27.80 for Mar/Apr/May, £31.30 in June to include postage).  Sign up over at http://bloodstock.seetickets.com/event/bloodstock-2016/catton-park/902838.  We regret that VIP tickets are NOT available via the payment plan, although pending VIP availability, you could purchase a VIP upgrade in July or August and still be in time for the festival!

Already announced for 2016 are our three headliners, TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, VENOM, GOATWHORE and ACID REIGN.  Many more are still to be announced.

Download Festival announces even more bands for 2016

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Download Festival, the world’s premier rock and metal event, adds another 14 acts to an already huge bill, including All Time Low, The Temperance Movement, The Wildhearts, and Napalm Death. Download Festival takes place on 10-12 June 2016 in Donington Park. Tickets are on sale now.

Joining headliners Rammstein, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden for three days of unmissable rock are All Time Low. With over 1.1 million sales and more than 100 million Youtube views, the US pop-punk rockers are riding high after the last album, Future Hearts topped the UK charts at the end of 2015.

Returning to their Midlands roots are British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death. Since forming in 1981, Napalm Death have gone on to influence a legion of hardcore fans and musicians alike, they’ll be joined by Geordie punk rockers The Wildhearts whose original member Ginger will be returning to the line up after various solo projects.

Californian skate punk legends, Pennywise, will play Download Festival for the first time in over 10 years, headlining the third stage on Saturday. Their speedy and infectiously catchy punk anthems will ensure everyone knows why they are still one of the most relevant forces in punk today.

Bringing some powerful blues-rock to the festival’s Lemmy Stage, will be critically acclaimed The Temperance Movement, whose recent UK tour was lauded as one of the highlights of rock already this year. Currently one of the rock community’s most revered underground bands Glassjaw, will be making their debut Download appearance in June. The post-punk innovators have recently debuted six brand new songs and will be bringing their unmissable east coast underground sound to Download.

Texan hard-rockers Scorpion Child will be joining the line-up to showcase their 1970s Krautrock and Psychedelia inspired metal sound as will Scandinavian garage-rock band Royal Republic. Making their Download debuts are trans-Atlantic blues, rock and soul quartet Buck & Evans. Joining them and tipping their hat to the likes of Mastodon and Avenged Sevenfold are Scattering Ashes and psych-rockers Weirds who will be bringing their trademark energetic and eclectic show to Download.

Metalcore supergroup, Devil You Know, brings together John Sankey, Francesco Artusato, Howard Jones and Logan Mader to create a blinding sound. Their latest album Stay of Execution was released at the end of last year, ready to be executed to the Download crowd this summer.

UK’s own The Raven Age will be joining the line up fresh off the back of supporting Download’s own headliners Iron Maiden on their 2016 world tour as will The Shrine who’ll be bringing their LA skater vibes to Donington.

Download Festival is the home of rock music and takes place on the sacred grounds of Donington Park, which have been associated with rock since the eighties. The festival attracts icons of rock and metal to its main stage, plus some of the best and hottest new acts in the world. AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Linkin Park and many more have all headlined its main stage.