The Rainbow Venues’ Festival: Chapter XII Review

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When casting my eyes over the Chapter XII line-up, it was a sheer reflection of the inconceivable talent that The Rainbow Venues showcase year after year. The distinct sounds of Dubfire, Jamie Jones, Richie Hawtin and Loco Dice – to name but a few – were to be heard at one of the most dedicated hubs for the electronic scene in the heart of Digbeth, Birmingham, and this line-up was one of the most incredible to date. With a host of stages – from the Warehouse, to the Arena and up to the Rooftop Terrace, this was definitely about to be a day to remember. And my God, it was.

Kicking of the festival season in style, you could definitely tell it wasn’t summer quite yet; a waterfall or rain thwarted a huge crowd of ravers towards their chosen tent, with us heading straight to see a true pioneer of techno, Richie Hawtin, filling the Car Park stage at 4pm. Despite the early time slot, his thumping, minimal set drew in a huge crowd, subtly progressing from one track to the next and cementing his solid reputation as nothing short of a techno king. “Cold weather but amazing warmth and craziness going on inside @rainbowvenues!” he Tweeted post-show – and we couldn’t agree more. It was magnetic, commanding and deep, and set the tone for the day ahead.

The Arena played host to a mighty selection of acts throughout the day; Israeli DJ Guy Gerber played an intense and memorable set to a captivated crowd, the tent literally overflowing with revellers even with Hawtin smashing the Car Park just seconds away. The crowd was well and truly warmed up in time for a less intense, but equally as captivating Sasha playing B2B with Nic Fancuilli, their beats aligned with blasts of cold smoke to a bellowing crowd. The beauty of Chapter XII is that there really is something for everyone; while there was deep house and techno pounding through the majority of stages, the Roof Terrace played host to an array of garage and grime artists, the likes of Redlight, Mak & Pasteman, Mele and Preditah causing one of the best crowd atmospheres seen at the entire event. It was a great escape, and one certainly lapped up and loved by every individual present.

Joseph Capriati has made a name for himself as a prominent figurehead on the techno spectrum. Taking to the Car Park stage, his set –accompanied by a spectacular laser display, flame blasts and smoke screens – was one of the climatic sets of the day, a highlight including an impressive build-up of Marco Faraone’s  Boost; it was one of those moments where you look over at your mate, both raise your hands together in unison, and realise why you absolutely love coming to a festival like this – it was nothing short of being absolutely euphoric. Capriati was a lucky coincidence for us; after heading to see Art Department at the Warehouse but it being too busy for us to enter straight away, we didn’t know if this set would compare. But it brought it back and more – Capriati put on an epic showcase, and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking for some blazing, melodic and rip-roaring techno.

 

Something that was truly an exciting addition to the line-up at Chapter XII was the hybrid audiovisual production by dubfire:live, orchestrating an hour set fusion of music, science and technology in an innovative live show format. It was definitely a treat for the senses – so much to see, so much to hear, just a complete visual and melodic ecstasy. Wanting to see everything we possibly could, we had to leave the spectacle to witness the sights of Jamie Jones; a DJ that should be on everyone’s list to see at least once. His sets just connect with an audience like no other, encouraging dancing, moving, fest-pumping and everything inbetween. Slamming in songs such as Nathan Barato ft Sasha Brown – Talk On, and Whiplash – Ghetto Tears, the crowd was captivated, a wave of fist pumps pulsating through the ocean of ravers like a Mexican wave at a cup final at Wembley.

Now, as someone who has seen Loco Dice multiple times, I know now that each set is destined to be absolutely epic, and a perfect way to end our Chapter XII Journey. The Desolate co-boss was the headlining act for the Arena stage, closing down the party in the most intense and impeccable way imaginable. With an abundance of deep, dark sounds roaring through the crowd, the set diverted between tech house and pure, unadulterated techno, complemented by a powerful spectrum of green laser lights which set the crowd alight. It was epic, perfect, intense and simply fantastic – Dice is an unparalleled genius, and was an epic headliner to end an epic event.

Cementing their platform as a house and techno playground, The Rainbow Venues’ Chapter XII was everything we could have expected. With an Elrow presents: Hot Creations after party for those who wanted to carry on deep into the night (with a line-up just as brilliant as the event itself) Chapter XII is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Even though the rain hammered down, the fists still pumped in the air and the atmosphere remained electric – and we certainly won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. Chapter XIII, anyone? 

SlamDunk Festival 2016 Surprise Announcement & Stage Maps Unveiled

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With just nine more weeks to go with arguably one of the most anticipated weekends for tge alternative community, SlamDunk Festival 2016 have just annouced that they are adding an eighth stage to the bill. 

The all new Acoustic & Solo Artist stage will be headlined by Bryce Avary of Rocket Summer also performing:

Rob Lunch 
Grumble Bee
Greywind
Away Days
The story so far's side project – Elder Brother
Seafoal
Bethan Leadley 
Lianne Kaye.

Now you may be asking yourself where can we find these new stage,

Posted below are the event maps for each location

Leeds City Centre May 28:

Birmingham The NEC May 29:

Hertfordshire Hatfield Forum May 30:

Stage splits are to follow next week!

The dates and venues for SlamDunk 2016 are as follows:

May

28 Leeds City Centre

29 Birmingham The NEC

30 Hertfordshire Hatfield Forum

For tickets and more info go to www.slamdunkmusic.com ‪

SlamDunk Festival 2016 Surprise Announcement & Stage Maps Unveiled

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With just nine more weeks to go with arguably one of the most anticipated weekends for tge alternative community, SlamDunk Festival 2016 have just annouced that they are adding an eighth stage to the bill. 

The all new Acoustic & Solo Artist stage will be headlined by Bryce Avary of Rocket Summer also performing:

Rob Lunch 
Grumble Bee
Greywind
Away Days
The story so far's side project – Elder Brother
Seafoal
Bethan Leadley 
Lianne Kaye.

Now you may be asking yourself where can we find these new stage,

Posted below are the event maps for each location

Leeds City Centre May 28:

Birmingham The NEC May 29:

Hertfordshire Hatfield Forum May 30:

Stage splits are to follow next week!

The dates and venues for SlamDunk 2016 are as follows:

May

28 Leeds City Centre

29 Birmingham The NEC

30 Hertfordshire Hatfield Forum

For tickets and more info go to www.slamdunkmusic.com ‪

Lovebox announce VIP Ocean Drive lineup by i.D.

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With headlining sets from LCD Soundsystem and Major Lazer, and appearances from the likes of Run The Jewels, Jungle, Diplo, Miike Snow, Chronixx and Chet Faker, it’s set to be an incredible weekend of music, food, drink, and creativity.

Now, Lovebox unveils its VIP area. Hosted by iconic culture, fashion and music magazine i-D, this year VIP takes its inspiration from the colours, characters, hedonistic lifestyle and intriguing charm of Miami Beach. Think palm trees, pastel haze, neon nights, downtown hustlers, divine cocktails, blissful beats and all round good vibes…bringing you a taste of the real Miami Vice. Welcome to Ocean Drive.

Revellers will throw shapes at the South Beach Shaker Club to an exclusive, killer lineup throughout the weekend. On Friday, the inimitable Goldie will be performing an extra special hip hop set, plus there’ll be appearances from experts in all things 90s Work It, DJs from music discovery service 22Tracks and a back to back set from friends of Lovebox Kazim Kazim Kazim and Andy Lemay. On Saturday, get down to the sounds of Dutch duo Fouk, a disco set from the one and only Craig Richards, house legend Tristan Da Cunha and a back to back set from Itchy Rich and Waifs & Strays. It’s the ultimate summer soundtrack.

Guests will be able to refuel with a tasty selection of delicious food and drink. London’s finest restaurateurs will be serving up their signature specials, with the best burgers in the city courtesy of Patty & Bun, tasty hot dogs from Bubbledogs, fried chicken from BIRD, and steamed buns from Mr Bao. The Cockatoo Cocktail Bar will be on hand with divine cocktails to wash it all down with.

Elsewhere, you can capture your time in the sunshine with the i-D Straight Up Studio, who’ll be snapping you and your crew in style with their onsite studio.

You’ll be fully immersed in the world of Ocean Drive, rubbing shoulders with colourful characters and movers and shakers who will be partying with you throughout the weekend.

Set to feature some of the world’s best DJs, London’s finest food and ultimate good vibes, i-D presents VIP Ocean Drive will be just as colourful and compelling as the rest of the festival.

Your VIP wristband gives you:
– Fast track entry to the festival
– Access to the backstage VIP area
– An exclusive programme of music and entertainment all weekend
– Surprise sets and intimate performances
– Luxury toilets

Secret Garden Party setup Alien Auditions

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Do you have the A FACTOR? Secret Garden Party is embarking on new mission: establish a network of performers whose task is to pioneer and promote our new community in the Garden.

Explore the world of Science Fiction and imagine a new garden out of the old.  Using the inspiration of Arthur C Clarke, Azimov, Philip K Dick and Douglas Adams we are going to grow our imaginations from childish roots up into something more. This year’s theme for the Secret Garden Party is ‘Gardener’s Guide to the Galaxy.’

Gardeners this year you need to choose your affiliation. Are you going to be a hobo, reptilian, liquid silver, the Authority, a Rebellion, a DNA Smasher or an alien?

The creative team are launching, in full force, a quest for the best performers to partake in the repopulation of the Garden this summer.

Auditions will be held in mid-May. For more dossier information and applications go to:

http://goo.gl/forms/qYQkQxSGk5

The deadline for applications is 01/05/16

Keep your eye on social media for mood boards.
 

Regression Sessions Space Safari

Since leaving their crèche course at the garden last year they've travelled through space and time, they've had a hippy trippy shakedown, and are about to crash land into an intergalactic safari through a space/time continuum. 

Regression Sessions to Mission Control… After a 4-year voyage seeking new life and civilisations, the Space Hopper has crash landed on unknown terrain, 3,000 light-years from our planet. The entire crew survived with no injury, but the craft is in disrepair, and supplies are low. However, we have made a remarkable discovery. 

On leaving the craft, it was apparent that we’ve landed in a world similar to our own. The air is the same. Our oxygen tanks serve no purpose. We have found running, drinkable water. Gravity takes no toll on our ability to move, run… dance.

Intergalactic Mermaid School

Due to popular demand the mermaid school is back from outer space to teach all you budding space maids. Bigger and better than before. Sign up in the info tent. Places will be on a first-come-first-served basis. If you don't turn up in time someone else will be able to take your space.

Survival Swamp

Do you think you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Let’s get physical, a course designed to test physical and mental strength. Are you tough enough to explore space?

Stardrive Express

Think Starlight express meets Mario Cart on hover boards.

Robots

Ed209, R2D2, Robocop out

Make a Scene Plasti-scene

Our friends from Aardman return to create a super-spacey stop-framed animation with ‘make-a-scene plasti-scene.’

Laserwars

Do you think you've got what is takes to conquer this planet? We'll put you through you paces with Laserwars. It's Survival of the fittest.

Wonky Races…
..are, quite obviously, an alien race that has crash-landed in The Garden having run out of hopper juice for their Hopper Drive engine.

In order to take off and leave the garden they must ask permission to commence mining the plentiful supply of the resource right under your feet. Space Hoppers. They will of course be submitting the appropriate paper work in triplicate to ask permission to start mining this under-recognised resource.

From initial calculations based on the soil samples they estimate that there is a high concentration of hoppers trapped within the Upper Mantle and could yield as many as 100 hoppers per day.

And we heard you may have some people turning up that wouldn’t mind helping us get back on our way.

Once mined there is a focal epicentre where we can harness the hopping power most efficiently, so it is in our interest to keep our resource close, but we have developed many unobtrusive ways of making you hop. Music is an obvious catalyst people on earth are highly receptive to and coming in many forms, but we have put a lot of research into developing activities and games to promote a good boing such as the waterless, frictionless hopper slide, Hopper Yoga, hopperlympics including races, the high hop, hop-put, and a very popular and therapeutic activity, hopper art.

Camp Bestival announce Cosmic DJ lineup

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Team CB are very excited to announce the DJ line-up for this year’s Camp Bestival Outer Space extravaganza. And you can be sure that the moon walk is just one of the signature moves that we’ll be busting out as we reach for the firmament of dancefloor stars who’ll be keeping us space raving family style all weekend long at Lulworth Castle at the end of July.

Astro-mixmaster Rob da Bank says: “We always like to get the whole family dancing at Camp Bestival, so this year I’m really chuffed that we have some proper DJing legends who will be more than familiar to mums and dads but who will definitely get the kids up on their feet and partying. From the legendary Sasha, Hacienda giant Greg Wilson and lifetime Camp Bestival resident David Rodigan to amazing family ravers Big Fish Little Fish and Fun DMC, not forgetting Pan’s People, we’re all going to be spoilt for choice!”

Heading up our cavalcade of cosmic explorers, and providing a golden opportunity for parents to relive their intergalactic youth, we are ecstatic to welcome Sasha back to Space Camp Lulworth. A veritable rave god, Sasha is a man who knows how to take a crowd on a voyage into the unknown and we can’t wait!

The legends don’t stop there as we will also have hacienda stalwart Greg Wilson’s Super Weird Substance, reggae great David Rodigan MBE who will present Ram Jam featuring sets from Trevor Nelson, Wookie, Kiko Bun (live) andVenum Sound and rare groove kingpin Norman Jay MBE will be making good on the ones and twos. Plus, we will have sets from Acid Housewife featuring Lottie & Smokin Jo, and English Disco Lovers.

Pioneers of family clubbing Big Fish Little Fish will be back to rock the tots once again and there will be beats and bass for big and little kids alike with sets from Fun DMC, the Kids Disco with Pan’s People, Nutty’s Disco and Junior Jungle Rave who are guaranteed to make the little’uns jump up.

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.

Wychwood Festival announce Family Program for 2016

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Britain's most-loved family festival reveals a huge programme of workshops & activities for all the family including Literature Festival, Lush Harmony Singing, Street Theatre, Dance, Gospel Choirs & more

    

Wychwood Festival 2015
Wychwood Festival today unveils a huge family programme for 2016, featuring an vast array of workshops, performances, talks and more. The mighty offering includes dance workshops, yoga, circus classes, late night cabaret, arts and crafts to name just a few. Wychwood’s Literature Festival is back in partnership with Waterstones, featuring Sophia Bennet, Michelle Roberts, Paul Stickland and many more leading authors, while Cheltenham Poetry Festival brings some of the most exciting names in spoken word to perform and share their skills in unmissable workshops. With no end of activities and workshops to choose from and a diverse musical line-up, there really is something for everyone at Wychwood Festival 2016. The festival takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse, 3rd – 5th June, weekend and day tickets are on sale with more information at www.wychwoodfestival.com.

One of the UK's best-loved family festivals of the summer, Wychwood has become renowned for booking an outstanding mix of heritage, world music and up-coming talent along with an extensive roster of entertainment and workshops for all the family. This year organisers are pulling out all the stops with one of the most comprehensive family offerings on the festival calendar.

Workshops across the weekend invite festival-goers to get involved in a number of weird and wonderful activities. The hugely popular Circus Workshops from Solo Circus and Circus Kaos will amaze crowds, showcasing a wide array of circus tricks from juggling and stilt walking to spinning plates and unicycles.RU-Slack put festival-goers' balance to the test as they teach the ways of “Slacklining”. Kids and adult only classes are on hand to share skills of ukulele playing, yoga and samba, while adults can also take advantage of singing & choir lessons and writing workshops. 

Dance features heavily this year, with workshops for 1920's favourites Charleston and Swing Dance. Samba shows and workshops showcase a unique fusion of Brazillian, African and Western beats played on everything from drum kits to dustbins through to congas and other world instruments. Other dance workshops on offer include Bhangra, Shim Sham, Glamba, Bollywood, Yoga, Belly and Break Dance to get the whole family throwing shapes. 

Those looking to get hands on creative will love the arts and crafts offering at Wychwood this year, which includes everything from jewellery and head dress making to knitting, basket making and painting. 

Passion 4 Laughter make an appearance, turning Wychwood into a theatre, using different characters to tell a whirlwind of stories with the help of acrobatic and physical tricks, all in the name of Street Theatre. Comedy Club 4 Kids will also host some of best comedians on the UK circuit doing what they do best. More shows for all the family come courtesy of Captain Barnacle Pirate Pantomime, poetry and choir performances, bubble shows and more.

Wychwood also announces its Literature Festival line-up in partnership with Waterstones, welcoming top authors and illustrators. Join Georgie Woolridge with her popular adult colouring workshop or listen to Chris Edge as he explores the parallel universe. Abi Elphinstone shares stories of her travels in Mongolia, John Dougherty sings about badgers and Michelle Roberts heads to the festival fresh from her collaboration with astronaut Tim Peake with her picture book about spotting bears. Other authors include Jo Correrill, Ali Sparkes, Lyn Gardner, Steve Antony and more.

Speaking about the return of the the Literature Festival, Children's bookseller at Waterstones, Barbara Pendrigh says: "Waterstones loves Wychwood and we're delighted to be bringing fabulous authors and illustrators to the festival again this year. Readers of all ages will find a warm welcome in our book marquee, and of course, something special to read too!!"

Cheltenham Poetry Festival join Wychwood this year, bringing with them a feisty feast of stand-up, hip hop, comedy and poetry including punk pet Jim Higo, standup poet and singer Claire Ferguson Walker,Miserable Malcolm aka The Poet of Doom), hip-hop and spoken word artist JPDL, singer-songwriterChris Hemingway, spoken word performer KA Poetry plus stand-up poet Samantha Samms. All performers will also be imparting their wisdom in writing and performance workshops for Wychwood festival-goers.

The family programme and literature line up join an already amazing musical offering with The Waterboys,10cc, Bill Bailey all set to headline. Revellers can also expect performances from Idlewild, Peter Hook & The Light, The Selector, Ms Dynamite and Matt Berry & The Maypoles, CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher and Wychwood veteran Craig Charles plus new comers Tiger Club, Haelos, Honne, InHeaven,Cash + David and more. 

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.