Kerrang

Bloodstock 2024: FINAL BANDS ANNOUNCED!

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So many cool things to share, with just over 3 weeks to go to BLOODSTOCK 2024! Read on and get excited!!
If you’re still planning your outfits for BLOODSTOCK and fancy something new, EMP are here to lend a hand with a 20% off discount code! Just enter the code BOA20 at the checkout, before 4th Aug (minimum order value £30, one use only). They’ve also got a competition running for free tickets which you can enter here or by clicking below. 
Have you been paying attention to Planet Rock Radio of late? BLOODSTOCK is pleased to share that their highly contested battle to open the Sophie Lancaster stage on Sunday morning has been won by triumphant Welsh headbangers BLACK | LAKES. Get up early and go show some support, they might be just what your ARCHITECTS bangover needs.

The riotous, hotly fought Metal 2 The Masses finals covering 28 regions have now concluded for another year and BLOODSTOCK is delighted to reveal the final group of winners earning their spot on the Hopical Storm New Blood stage. Do check out some grassroots metal while you’re at BLOODSTOCK, you might just discover your new favourite band! Friday’s line-up welcomes Stoke champions SMOTHER and ABSOLENCE who clinched first place in the Burnley final. Saturday adds Oxford hard rock victors STONE SOUP, Cheltenham’s nu-metal/hardcore conquerors CONVEY, and Brighton’s top pick CHUB. A bumper crop join Sunday’s fun, including South Wales winners ROOT ZERO, Hitchin deathcore chiefs DEAD FLESH, SPACE PISTOL who took the gold for Northants, plus Devon & Cornwall heroes ATOM SMASHER, Bristol defeaters FROGLORD, and last but not least CRUCIBLE, who claimed Coventry’s crown.



When the bands are done for the night, it doesn’t mean BLOODSTOCK is!  Late night ents kick off on both the Hopical Storm New Blood and Sophie Lancaster stages ‘til the early hours. 

On Thursday and Saturday night from 11pm – 2am, New Blood hosts BLOODSTOCK’s biggest silent disco to date, with 3 live channels from Little M, Rich Harris, and Lloyd playing club/dance bangers, rock & metal, or party cheese respectively. Just grab a headset and choose your vibe, or a bit of all three! Friday’s New Blood late night fun cranks it up with DJs Darren Smith (Deadsoul Promotions/Stahlsarg) and Dawn Debenham (Raise Your Horns) joining forces, for a full volume night of extreme, black, folk, and power metal. 

Over in the Sophie tent from 12am – 2am, on Thursday, DJ Pressplay mixes it up with an array of tunes from upcoming bands and other metal bangers, while Friday brings The Blood Rave with DJs Little M and Lloyd, offering a fine choice of  EBM, industrial, techno, and heavy beats.  The Sophie tent on Saturday is taken over by DJ Arockalypse and the mighty SEETHING AKIRA, fresh from their main stage demolition last year with an exclusive DJ set! Expect remixes, metal, and more. Sunday sees DJ Rich Harris (Desertfest) with the ultimate in closing parties to get you all fired up to do it all over again at BLOODSTOCK 2025!

If you’d rather have your fun back in the campsites, head over to Midgard for late night inflatable shenanigans and newly Official Bin Jousting from 11pm – 2am, Thu – Sun. If you’ve nabbed an early access ticket to arrive on Wednesday, expect DJs (from 2pm), inflatables, and a couple of movies! 

Speaking of movies, if you managed to get a VIP ticket, there’s also a family movie screening every day Fri – Sun at 9:30am in the Serpents Lair (The Never Ending Story, The Goonies, Hocus Pocus) and a metal comedy movie at 2:30pm on Fri & Sun (Wayne’s World 2, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure). VIPers can also look forward to exclusive bands & DJ sets, Pop Up Puppet Cinema, face painting from Alice Bizarre benefitting the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, Never Mind The Bloodstocks pub quiz, and more, in the Serpents Lair! Not to mention your own bar with more ales & ciders than you can count.


Need something to get your blood pumping again in the morning after your late night? Drag yourself into the arena’s battle area for 10:15am on Fri, Sat, and Sun, for a fun, friendly, free RockFit class! What’s RockFit? A heart-pumpin’,fist-bumpin’ combo of dance, cardio, and toning set to an all rock and metal soundtrack featuring iconic tracks that compel you to move! Designed for every level of ability, just turn up and join in.



For something a bit more intense, don’t miss the special War Master Class with UFC & combat sports titan JOSH BARNETT, taking place at the battle area on Sunday at 4:30pm. Join the legendary MMA champion for an exclusive fighting master class. Unleash your inner warrior and learn from the best in this unforgettable experience! The limited spots to join in have been instantly snaffled, but anyone is welcome to watch! There’s also some special War Materials x Bloodstock merch items, like these exclusive chain wraps which you can click & collect – see the full range here!

And don’t forget, the Vikings will also be back there twice a day Fri – Sun at 11:30am and 2:30pm delivering more full on contact body blows! The battle area is located near the fairground rides (let’s hope they don’t get the two areas confused).

 

When you’re not watching bands or battles, why not squeeze in a spot of axe-throwing with your mates (at the BattleAxe stand) or visit Firehound Forge, the local blacksmith stall, who may even forge your item right in front of you? There’s also the Rock And Metal Gallery (reputed to be the coolest place onsite, metaphorically and literally – look out for more details about exhibitors in this very soon) and the Nordic Spirit Gaming Arena with modern and retro video games to play! Don’t miss the awesome new VR gaming additions in there this year: Beat Saber, Space Pirate, and Richie’s Plank Experience! The Beat Saber game will run as a competition across the duration of the festival, with the Top 3 scores at the end of the weekend winning prizes and the top scoring player will land themselves a pair of tickets to BLOODSTOCK 2025! 

Plus there’s Planet Rock Signing Tent where you can meet your favourite bands (and Josh Barnett).
Situated right next door to the Planet Rock Signing Tent you’ll find this year’s new Kerrang! booth! If exclusive, limited merch drops are your thing, you’ll want to make a beeline for the Kerrang! x Bloodstock capsule collection plus other awesome pieces of K! apparel like tees, hoodies, caps and more.



Besides that, there’s all manner of shopping for heavy metal pirates who want some booty to go with their bands. You’ll be able to pick up patches and badges, CDs/vinyl, or official merch and alt clothing (leggings, tshirts, denim jackets, leather waistcoats, military surplus, belts, hats, wellies, onesies… you name it) to rock n roll home accessories (inc horror-themed drinkware from Planchette Place), wiccan wares, friendship bracelets, vegan beard oils, Wyldwood wood sculpture, all types of jewellery (visit the Guitarwrist for items benefiting charity made with used guitar strings and Black Feather Design to snap up the very last pieces of BLOODSTOCK’s official 925 silver jewellery range) and if you don’t have one already, surely a Viking drinking horn is an essential addition (available in sizes from 50 ml to 7.5 litres!).

Dead keen for a chunky vertebrae steel choker? Nicola Hebson’s Curiosity Shop has you covered (and any ethical taxidermy art desires).  Look out for the Canny Bonny stall for hair-braiding (with/without colour extensions – you can pre-book here), Viking warpaint, and henna! Camel’s Sheesha will be present, as will pro-mental health brand Radical, and don’t miss Charlie & Wilkie from MALEVOLENCE’s debut festival pop-up shop for their merch & music label MLVLTD! 



As part of BLOODSTOCK’s continuing sustainability/green efforts, the cup redemption scheme returns to help keep BLOODSTOCK litter-free!!  Open to those 18+, you can redeem prizes for collecting used cups!  Hand in your stash at Lemmy’s bar to get a stamp on your collector’s card for every 50 cups returned. This year’s prizes are:  50 cups – 1 free pint / spirit worth £6100 cups – 15% off Bloodstock merch or 1 meal voucher worth £12 (one transaction only)250 cups – 1 Bloodstock festival shirt (size subject to availability)

600 cups – Jump the queue to the signing tent for one whole day 750 cups – Access to Serpents Lair VIP hospitality area for 2 people1000 cups –  Watch a band from side of stage or in the pit for first 3 songs (subject to no closed stage or pyro restrictions. Other T&Cs apply.). Help BLOODSTOCK leave Catton Park as tidy as on departure as on arrival – campers, please take a free bin bag on entry. More bin bags can be picked up as needed from the tent info points throughout the weekend and there are recycling bins throughout the arena and campsites. 

In addition, there will now be tent donation points in every campsite on Monday morning! Look for the tent donation flag (shown below) for the drop off point and read details on how to win one of five pairs of weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK 2025. Winners will be announced on socials a week later.  When you’re going home, if you can’t be bothered to lug your tent (or airbed, chair, mat, sleeping bag) with you, don’t abandon it for landfill!  Put it to good use by donating it for charitable benefit.



If you’ve already snapped up your ticket and want to square away your travel arrangements for BLOODSTOCK 2024, BIG GREEN COACH offer a great solution, taking you directly on to the festival site with all your camping gear, from a town near you. There are 35 pick-up locations this year! Get full details here.

If you’re coming by train maybe you want to book seats on a shuttle to & from the festival site! BIG GREEN COACH have now got their shuttle service available for purchase, running to/from Tamworth station. Click here to buy your tickets while space lasts – a round trip is £14. 
Standard weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK, priced at £185 (+ booking fee) are available now in the 2024 ticket store. You can also snap up day tickets, child tickets (mini moshers under 4 yrs can come for free!), and if you want all the BLOODSTOCK you can get, add-on early arrival for an extra day of camping on Wednesday too – these are nearly sold out so don’t hang about! Early Bird, VIP, and campervan tickets are already sold out.    

BLOODSTOCK’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH, OPETH, and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, HATEBREED, CARCASS, ENSLAVED, MALEVOLENCE, SATYRICON, ROTTING CHRIST, SYLOSIS, WHITECHAPEL, DEICIDE, GRAND MAGUS, DESERT STORM, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, SOEN, GREEN LUNG, COMBICHRIST, XENTRIX, EXIST IMMORTAL, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GROVE STREET, MIMI BARKS, CRYPTA, FORBIDDEN, NERVOSA, BEAST IN BLACK, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, GROVE STREET, UNPEOPLE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, INFECTED RAIN, CULTURA TRES, SADUS, LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE, BURNER, RED RUM, EVERGREY, RAISED BY OWLS, TAILGUNNER, SOUTH OF SALEM, and ANKOR amongst many others! 

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.

PENGSHUi ANNOUNCED FOR DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL WINNERS OF KERRANG! RADIO’S FINDING FRESH BLOOD COMPETITION

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Download Festival the UK’s premier rock event has today announced the winner of Kerrang! Radio’s
Finding Fresh Blood competition as grime-punks PENGSHUi. Crowned by Download Festival promoters
and a panel of Kerrang! Radio presenters, the London trio triumphed over thousands of entries to come
out as champions of the hottest new talent search for the festival. The band are now set to open
The Avalanche Stage and guarantee to bring their unrelenting, raw mix of rap and riffs to the crowds for
an utterly unmissable Download debut.

Download Festival’s Andy Copping said: “A big thanks to everyone that applied, and to the Fresh Blood
team who had to narrow down thousands of bands to the shortlist we were given, but PENGSHUi have
something special with their effortless blend of metal and grime, they are the perfect opener for The
Avalanche Stage this year. Get yourselves down on Friday afternoon, and watch history being made as I
can see big things for them!”

Hailing from London and made up of Illaman on vocals, Fatty on Bass and Pravvy Prav on drums, the trio
have made already made huge waves with their unique sound.

Kerrang! Radio’s Alex Baker said: “Pengshui are without a doubt one of the most exciting bands on planet
earth today and their win is a testament to their unbelievable, powerful, innovative sound! Ultimate vibes.
They are going to light The Avalanche Stage UP!!”

Slam Dunk 2015 Wolverhampton Review

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Saturday 23rd May seen the start of the bank holiday weekend, with a three day traveling circus thats known as Slam Dunk Festival bringing its fun and lively antics across Leeds, Hertfordshire and Wolverhampton. We went along to Wolverhampton to see what the Slam Dunk team had inshore for us this year. This year it housed seven stages, each of which held a collaboration of six to seven different bands of similar musical output. It was a surreal experience to walk no more than a few metres and be kicked in the face with a completely different genre of music and with Slam Dunk ever expanding this year provided us with a pick of 53 bands to see.

Trash Boat
After winning the fresh blood competition against 9 other bands they opened up the Kerrang! Fresh Blood stage at the festival. The band were highly anticipated and had a pretty big turn-out especially for that time of day. They performed well and put the crowd in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day.

PVRIS
had the room at full capacity nearly twenty minutes before their set, Lynn Gunn kick started the Civic Hall’s atmosphere by opening with the debut single St Patrik. The trio from Lowell, Massachusetts blew the roof off with a six song setlist, completing it with a rendition of ‘My House’ featuring You Me At Six front man Josh Franceschi. Lynn Gunn being the Iconic front woman that she is wooed the crowd and it was a huge turnout for the band which was well received by all. Seriously this band are taking over!.

Neck Deep
The infamous Neck Deep have recently had a lot of hype after news broke out that their new studio album ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ to due to be released soon. So with that in mind we were excited to see what these boys from Wales would have to offer. After the lads had attended the Kerrang! signing tent they proceeded to play a 35 minute set at Slam Dunk’s main stage, featuring songs from their first EP Rain in July. They also played hits from their first studio album and more recently their brand new single ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ which went down a treat. The pop-punk five piece didn’t stop there and busted out the classic ‘A Part Of Me ‘ which left most of us teary eyed.

Zebrahead
Now surprisingly this band had the best sound of the day it was mostly clean and raw, which we would considered this band to be, it was such an unexpected highlight of our day. Stewards had to stop letting people in as the Desperados stage was at full capacity and it’s no wonder, they were so tight for such a large band. Amazing clean vocals, arguably the sharpest sound of the day.

While She Sleeps
The Sheffield five piece smashed out a nine song setlist,  which was well doctored if we might add for SlamDunk. Hardcore Sleeps fans were around, displaying flags of honour and affection which for a band that has had very few years, they have gained an army of loyal fans. After releasing their latest album Brainwashed, While She Sleeps have become an ever expanding name, not too big to emphasize their egos as they stuck around the festival to meet the fans.

Bury Tomorrow
After seeing front man Dani and Davyd knocking around merch tables meeting the fans, then playing an extensive DJ set on Uprawr stage, we were ecstatic to see what the very special guests BURY TOMORROW had to throw at us at 5pm on the Monster Energy Stage. As soon as they erupted out on stage there were massive circle pits from the get go this being said the band never have and never will settle for anything less. Their set consisted of mostly new material,playing half of their new album ‘RUNES’ as well as classic tracks from previous albums.

Don Broco
After witnessing the huge line for the meet and greet this was a  highly anticipated band to see. After such a hype and with them being on the main stage Don Broco didn't live up to my expectation and were the most disappointing band of the day. Overly confident lead singer "Rob Damiani"  kept the crowd waiting well into what would have been their 45 minute set. They attracted a boisterous crowd which proved to be to many members of the audience being problematic as it aggravated and distressed what should have been a fairly calm slot of the day. Overall a poor performance.

Mellincolin
have just released their latest album "True Brew" which is there first bit of material in over seven years. The four piece from Örebro, Sweden played a set consisting of mainly new material but didn’t fail to deliver absolute classics from their earlier discography "Penguins and Polarbears" with them warming the crowd up to end with arguably the one song everyone came to see "NO CIGAR"  a classic most people will remember from the days of playing old school Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. Not only did they entertain with their music but their on stage humour kept the fans in a bright mood. 10/10 for performance.

Architects 
were without a doubt one of the most hyped up bands of the day to check out and it’s with no surprise with them Headlining the Monster Energy Stage. They played a set combined with old classics such as "Early Grave" and "Follow The Water" amongst a vast collection of their new material from their latest album "Lost Together Lost Forever". Vocalist Sam Carter was insanely grateful for the sheer amount of people that turned up to see their set as it was a  slot clash with surrey boys You Me At Six. Always promoting a good message Architects stomped home probably the heaviest set of the day.

You Me At Six
After their performance at Hatfield having to be delayed due to an injured fan, they ended Slam Dunk’s three day weekend with a bang. Stomping out old classics from their first studio album ‘Take Off Your Colours’.  Surprisingly the material, which is nearly seven years old got an amazing welcome as they opened with "The Truth Is A Terrible Thing" immediately followed by "Save It For The Bedroom". Josh Franceschi’s five piece galore seemed to take the commitment of headlining the whole festival as something on the chin and boy did they deliver. 

We caught up with a few fans who gave their appraisals in a few short words

Heather Thomson

“IT WAS RAD! Being As An Ocean were surprisingly my favourite pick of the litter. It was my first hard-core festival and it seems like I’ll be coming again next year. It was pretty cool to have loads of my favourite bands playing within a few metres of each other, my legs hurt now but it was so worth it!”

 

Josh English 

“Gloriously sunny drunk fun, big d and the kids table were f***ing fantastic and While She Sleeps smashed it as always, they never let you down just a lot of likeminded nice people all in one place, a proper friendly atmosphere.”

 

Leanda Skragg 

“Possibly the best line up I’ve ever seen at the festival. Was an absolutely sick day and I wasn’t disappointed with a single band I saw.”

Overall to sum up SLAMDUNK 2015, it was incredible and such a surreal experience. You could meet almost anyone you wanted throughout the day without having to queue for the meet and greets, it seemed the bands just like knocking around to meet fans and even catch other bands sets. The crowd to band relationships were intimate.

There was a huge variety of food and drink and very happy and helpful members of staff to serve it. There were plenty of offers from sponsors such as Desperados and Impericon giving away free goodies. The general atmosphere however was average. Maybe it’s due to the long weekend or the poor weather.

Due to the layout of the venue some of the stages would sound leak from one into the other, you'd be stood in the middle of the Monster Stage and still hear Impericon. The whole sound quality of the festival was below average, too much bass and echo for the size of the venues. It left little room for melodic instruments which had an adverse effect on everyone's performance. Despite this, the crowd seemed happy and the bands even happier.

Overall a good day and we highly recommend it, 2 thumbs up!

Arcticle By Ashley Beresford

Photographs from Sophie Jones