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 announces more bands

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BLOODSTOCK festival is excited to announce another batch of bands for August’s event at Catton Park!

Regrouped Brit industrio-metallers, KILL II THIS join the main stage for a Saturday slot.  Frontman, Mark Mynett says “BLOODSTOCK is one of the finest metal festivals there is; this year’s stunning line up says it all!  So we are both delighted and honoured to be playing the Ronnie James Dio stage.”  Check out their video for ‘The Universe In A Nutshell’ here;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myNgEf8I7jU.

Stepping into Friday’s special guest slot on the Sophie Lancaster Stage are Norway’s black jazzsters, SHINING.  Singer Jørgen Munkeby comments, “Last time we played at BLOODSTOCK was one of the best and most exciting shows we’ve ever done. We’re so much looking forward to be back at the UK’s best metal festival again!”  Remind yourself of their sound with the video for ‘The Last Stand’; https://youtu.be/7tNODbdyJaw

Also landing Friday slots on the Sophie stage are Brit crust/grindcore monsters, FOETAL JUICE and British apocalyptic metal crew, ANTI CLONE. Tunisian symphonic prog metallers, MYRATH play the Sophie stage on Saturday, as do French avant-garde extremists, MISANTHROPE.  Lastly, stepping into a Sunday Sophie slot are US progressive thrash beasts, VEKTOR.

The second wave of BLOODSTOCK club nights kicks off in June.  Get along to one of the following local events for a chance to win BLOODSTOCK weekend tickets and BLOODSTOCK-related giveaways.  Check with your local club for further details in case of changes and expect the unexpected!  Events for June and July stack up as follows:

Wed 1st June – Nottingham – Bodega

Thu 2nd June – Bury – Blind Tiger

Sat 4th June – Stoke-on-Trent – Bunker 13

Thu 9th June – Manchester Rebellion Bar

Sat 18th June – Stoke-on-Trent – Bunker 13 (Rawkus)

Fri 24th June – Middlesbrough – SUMO

Fri 24th June – Reading – Face Bar

Fri 24th June – London Elektrowerkz

Fri 24th June – Glasgow – Cathouse

Fri 24th June – Ipswich – The Cock and Pye

Sat 25th June – Birmingham – Eddie’s Rock Club
Sat 25th June – Sheffield – Corporation

Thu 30th June – Exeter – Timepiece

 

Fri 1st July – Leicester – Firebug

Sat 2nd July – Doncaster – The Vintage Rock Bar

Sat 2nd July – Brighton – Envy

Sat 2nd July – Coventry – The Phoenix

Sat 2nd July – Stoke-on-Trent – Bunker 13

Fri 8th July – London – Electric Ballroom

Thu 14th July – Winsford – De Bees

Sat 16th July – Birmingham – The Asylum

Sat 23rd July – Burnley – Sanctuary Rock Bar

Thu 28th July – Sheffield Leadmill

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

Sat 30th July – Sheffield – Corporation

Already announced for 2016 are the 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 and Common People present: The World’s Biggest Bouncy-Castle!

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The Bestival family has a long and august history of going that extra mile, making the world of festivals bigger, better and brighter. And this year is no exception, pushing the boundaries of bobbing up and down to the very limit, we’ve teamed up with our old muckers, Cardiff-based Something Creatives to make what we think is the world’s biggest bouncy castle! Aiming to add to our accolades for the world’s largest fancy dress party, the biggest busk ever and our colossal disco ball, this could well be the greatest inflatable on Earth, and it’s making its debut at Common People in Southampton this coming bank holiday weekend!

Rob da Bank says: “We do love breaking a record and this is one of our funnest builds so far. Me and my mate Matt from the infamous Inflatable Church had a pipe dream about five years ago of building the world’s biggest bouncy castle, and this summer we’re making that a reality. So polish your socks and step up for what will be one of the most innocent of pleasures – bouncing up and down with gay abandon with your mates, family or friendly strangers. See you on the castle!”

Something Creatives’ Matt the Hat commented: “I’ve always been the first kid in the sandpit and consider play a fundamental part of everyday life. Everyone should find the time to play. The playful spirit of creating joy and fun is shared by Rob da Bank and all of the Bestival family and has made this brilliantly bonkers idea a reality. Whether you’re young or old, what could be more fun than jumping around inside the biggest bouncy castle in the world?  Just watch out for the ‘bouncers’, and remember if you’re wearing shoes then you can’t come in!”

Everyone loves a bouncy castle. That’s a fact. And we’ve got even more facts about our blow up bastion that could see us heading for the record books once again. Smashing an almost 20-year-old record and measuring a frankly epic23.8 metres long and 20.7 metres wide our bouncy castle stands 12.8 metres tall at its highest point; the side turrets are equal in height to the walls of Cardiff Castle, making it taller than the Great Wall of China and roughly three times the size of the Berlin Wall! Filled with 1143 cubic metres of air it can comfortablyaccommodate 100 pleasure-seeking festivalgoers at one time.

Quite simply massive, it’s an inflatable legend in the making, don’t miss the chance to have a jump around on our historic bouncy castle at Common People, Southampton this 28th & 29th May, and then at Camp Bestival 28th-31stJuly and Bestival from 8th – 11th September.

Bouncy Castle Comparison:

                                                            Length          Width           Height         

 

Word’s Biggest Bouncy Castle:          23.8m          20.7m          12.8m                 

 

Previous Record Holder:                    19m             19m             12m            

The clock is ticking and Common People tickets are flying so grab yours now at www.commonpeople.net

Bloodstock beef up and prepare for battle!

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There’s less than 100 days until BLOODSTOCK 2016!!  While we’ve been revealing many killer bands for you to mosh to all festival, there’s plenty more on-site to see and do besides watch the awesome bill (and for regulars, we don’t mean bin-jousting or Deli Kate)!  BLOODSTOCK knows the meaning of both heavy and metal…!

While you might be feeling a little weakened at times over the weekend (especially if you’ve been taking advantage of the real ales on site), BLOODSTOCK are delighted to welcome some of the strongest people in the world to the festival!  For the first time, BLOODSTOCK and the 100% CA team will host 2 special strongmen events. On Saturday, 20 top athletes from across Europe will compete for the title of ‘Europe’s Strongest Man Under 90kgs’. Then on Sunday, see what pure strength is all about, in the ‘BLOODSTOCK’s Strongest Man’ challenge, showcasing some of the biggest and strongest competitors handpicked from around the world.  Don’t worry, they’re not planning a face-off with festival attendees, but we wouldn’t recommend spilling their pint.

Over the 2 days, the athletes will complete 2 events in each title, including a max deadlift event, and we hope to see 400kgs pulled on Sunday!  Plus, an overhead log-press for reps, a loading medley consisting of 5 objects, 2 which weigh 19 stone!  Not to mention, a gruelling back-to-back tug of war. Joining us, will be World’s Strongest Man and Arnold’s competitor, the South of England’s Strongest Man Rob Frampton, and Dave Meer, the local Tamworth multi-record-breaking strongman who has competed in the UK’s Strongest Man numerous times.  With the support of XplosiveApe, USN, and Rebel Strength, we will be bringing you the best in the country!

If swords and armour are more your thing, don’t miss the ferocious BATTLE OF THE NATIONS UK historical fighting team, on site from Friday-Sunday!  BLOODSTOCK is thrilled – if slightly trepadacious – that they can lay waste to Catton Park again this August. The UK Federation regularly compete around the world, and are ranked among the very best.  Look out for their regular “demonstrations” (by which we mean, a no-holds-barred full-contact scrap with broad swords, maces, and an array of other brutal Medieval weaponry) in the main arena.  We wouldn’t recommend spilling their mead either.

Field Captain Rob ‘Moose’ Morris comments, “BLOODSTOCK is always the most popular event we host in the tournament calendar.  The unique atmosphere and amazing music always combine to a complete unreal experience.  Showing the music fans what being a real metal-head involves; wearing 16kg of armour and caning the hell out of your opponent in August!”  Wish them luck with their BLOODSTOCK warm up this month, taking on the Battle Of The Nations World Championships in both the classic 5v5 Bohurt and female fighter categories.

On the musical side, 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, many more.  Additional bands are being announced regularly so keep up to date via BLOODSTOCK’s official sites at www.facebook.com/bloodstock and www.bloodstock.uk.com, or via Twitter on @BLOODSTOCKFEST.

Bestival’s Spaceport line-up revealed!

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The legendary Port remains missing, its whereabouts unknown but Bestival’s brand new, revolutionary monolith of sound, The Spaceport, is shaping up to be the greatest dance stage ever! Throbbing to an intergalactic soundscape of epic proportions, our seven storey symbol of the future will transmit Bestival’s unique vision of our dancefloor destiny as we unveil the crack squad of space cadets, who will be joining previously announced Spaceport headliners Diplo, Carl Cox, and Fatboy Slim, to blast us into the unknown this coming September on the Isle of Wight. 

Bestival rave-master Rob da Bank says: “Prepare for lift off my futuristic friends, this is going to be the stage of the summer of UK festivals. A dream team of Josie da Bank, our mate Paul Normandale, who’s Bjork and Coldplay’s lighting designer, super set designers Spatial and a host of madcap inventors are building an incredible imaginary Spaceport for you to rave at and take off into The Future. In that rocket will be no less than rave veterans Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Diplo, DJ Yoda and Candi Staton propped up by newbies like DJ Barely Legal and Mele and Monki… The Future is almost here”.

Following an out of this world opening ceremony, we’ll be heading into orbit as we ramp up the rave action with a cavalcade of advanced selectors including Benji B, Destructo, DJ Barely Legal, DJ Yoda, Dub Pistols Soundsystem, Eats Everything, James Zabiela, Kenton Slash Demon, Klose One and Mella Dee. 

And hitting the decks to take us beyond the solar system of sound will be Mount Kimbie, Mumbai Science, Norman Jay MBE, NRG Flash: Monki & Mele, Oneman going back to back with My Nu Leng, Purple Rave Prince Tribute from Heidi, Rob da Bank & Tayo, Riton, Sink The Pink presents No Limits with Candi Staton & Livin’ Joy, Skream and The Heatwave.  

The epicentre of the inevitable and the future of the dance, The Spaceport is where the party’s at. Don’t miss it.

BLOODSTOCK adds more bands, ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals & announces first New Blood stage winners!

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BLOODSTOCK HQ is readying to send Team M2TM out on the road for the finals,
but in the meantime, there’s a few more band additions to the August bill!

Joining Friday’s main stage bill are newly re-grouped British death metal
overlords, AKERCOCKE.  The band are working on new music and BLOODSTOCK
will be their very first gig since their reformation.  Frontman Jason
Mendonca tells us: “AKERCOCKE have returned after 5 years absence from the
live circuit.  We are reinvigorated by the return of our original guitarist
Paul Scanlan and the ranks are completed by Dam front man Nathanael
Underwood on bass guitar.  Following the great experience the band enjoyed
in 2008, we are proud to return to the BLOODSTOCK main stage for a second
time.  Expect fan favourites from the past and killer new tunes from the
present.  See you down the front."

Stoner/blues rock five-piece, DESERT STORM join Sunday’s Sophie stage
bill.  Check out their video for ‘Signals From Beyond’ –
https://youtu.be/U2G-Tqhswsw.  The track can be snapped up on various
coloured vinyl as a split 7” (with Suns of Thunder) on 29th April from
http://www.h42records.8merch.com/presale.

Also landing a Sunday Sophie slot are thrash metal animals, DIVINE CHAOS.
Check out their video for ‘Fields of the Fallen’ –
https://youtu.be/wJn8qWmDt8A – and pre-order their debut album, ‘A New Dawn
In The Age Of War’ over at their webstore for a 29th May release –
http://www.divinechaosmetal.com/#!reviews/c9qb.

Meanwhile, back at BLOODSTOCK HQ, the first acts for the New Blood stage
have been chosen!  After throwing their hat in the ring via CD
applications, the following bands win slots on the New Blood bill;  London
doomsters POSEIDON, Bristol’s darkly melodic MORDRAKE, Belfast metal
beasts RABID
BITCH OF THE NORTH and Austria’s REST IN FEAR all snare themselves stage
time at BLOODSTOCK!

BLOODSTOCK’s ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ judging squad are also ready to hit the
road, as the M2TM finals get under way soon!  The local heats have been
oversubscribed with entries and many playing to packed houses countrywide,
so anticipation is already running at fever pitch.  Get along to your local
event and support grass-roots metal!  Not only will be a fun night out,
there’s a chance at each event to win weekend tickets to BLOODSTOCK, a case
of Hobgoblin Ale to take home, or various other BLOODSTOCK related prizes.
You can even shake hands with BLOODSTOCK’s ‘M2TM’ mainman, Simon Hall.
Finals run as follows:

1st May – KENT / GRAVESEND – The Red Lion

6th May – NORTHERN IRELAND / BELFAST – Voodoo

7th May – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND / DUBLIN – Fibber Magees

14th May – NORWAY / SANDNES – The Tribute

20th May – WOLVERHAMPTON – Slade Rooms

21st May – LONDON – Nambucca

22nd May – BRIGHTON – The Green Door Store

27th May – GLASGOW – Ivory Blacks

28th May – INVERNESS – Mad Hatters

29th May – CARLISLE – Club Rock

2nd Jun – EAST ANGLIA / NORWICH – The Brickmakers

3rd Jun – LUTON – The Castle

3rd Jun – NOTTINGHAMSHIRE / MANSFIELD – The Intake Club

4th Jun – LEICESTER – Leicester De Montfort Hall (plus headline sets from
Phil Campbell’s All Stars and more)

17th Jun – NEWCASTLE – The Cluny

18th Jun – SOUTH WALES / CARDIFF – Fuel Club

19th Jun – MANCHESTER – Grand Central

24th Jun – SWINDON – The Victoria

24th Jun – DEWSBURY – The Old Turk

25th Jun – MERSEYSIDE / LIVERPOOL – Bumper

1st Jul – LINCOLNSHIRE / LINCOLN – The Lincoln Imp

2nd Jul – READING – Facebar

9th Jul – BURNLEY – Sanctuary

9th Jul – BOURNEMOUTH – The Anvil

9th Jul – POLAND / BIELSKO-BIALA – The Rude Boy Club

10th Jul – BIRMINGHAM – The Roadhouse

There’s still time to enter your band via the third method to win a spot on
the New Blood stage.  You have until 8th July to upload your band’s video
to Hobgoblin’s Video Upload site.  An outright winner lands a slot at
BLOODSTOCK, but a selection of runners up will win airplay for their band’s
video on Scuzz TV!!  Get all the details here –
www.bloodstock.uk.com/pages/hobgoblin.

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 adds Vallenfyre and more…

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Less than four months to go and BLOODSTOCK HQ is a hive of activity!  With the ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ heats well under way and finals scheduled to kick off in May, the booking team are racking up more and more bands for the UK’s best metal weekender this August!

Brit death metallers, VALLENFYRE step into a main stage slot on Saturday.  The band recently tore up the stage on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise in Florida, so check out what’s in store via this fan-filmed footage of the band steaming through ‘Savages Arise’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9Z0Mb7FxqE.  Warm up your necks for August!

Progressive tech metal group, BRUTAI are set for a Sophie Lancaster stage slot on Friday.  The hotly tipped band are set to release their debut album this summer, so be sure to catch ‘em on the Sophie stage to hear the new material.  Get the gist on their sound via the video for ‘Deep’ here – https://youtu.be/zrYnWehkSCQ.

Also joining Friday’s Sophie bill are female-fronted Dutch metallers THE CHARM THE FURY. The band’s new album, due Autumn 2016, is said to be influenced by Pantera and Slipknot.  No strangers to the Euro festival circuit, here’s hoping for a taste of the new tunes at BLOODSTOCK!  Meanwhile, watch the video for ‘Colorblind’ from their last album at: https://youtu.be/Ri5qMMonxrE.

Extreme tech beasts, META-STASIS also join Friday’s Sophie ranks.  Following the band’s recent tour of India that saw them play to festival crowds of 25,000, META-STASIS are back in the studio working on their third album.  The masked Anon describes it as "throwing out the rule book, cutting edge, boundary redefining electronic death metal".  Check out their video for ‘Disintegrate’ taken from the 2015 album, ‘The Paradox of Metanoia‘ here – https://youtu.be/6GyxpOxtYGQ.

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

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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

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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.

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.