Bloodstock Open Air

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR – All the Latest News!

Article by Zena Gardner – 5th May 2011

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR is undoubtedly the UK’s only true metal festival, consistently delivering the top names from the world of heavy music, as well as breaking the most exciting news acts in the scene.

But putting a bunch of the world of metal’s most exciting acts across three stages over four days is not enough to say “job done” when it comes to putting on a festival. The music is one thing from a long list.  What separates a festival from a long gig, aside from the open air setting, is all the other entertainment on offer.

Since it’s inception, BLOODSTOCK has worked hard to offer festival goers the most fun-packed weekend in the metal calendar. Last year, BLOODSTOCK offered comedy for the first time, an element that went down so well it is back and bigger this year, kicking off with one hour of comedy on the Thursday, with numerous performances across the weekend also scheduled on the SOPHIE stage.

Stand Up Additions

One of Australia’s biggest comedians, STEVE HUGHES is a perfect fit for BLOODSTOCK, having been in several metal bands himself before embarking on his comedy career.

“As a rule, as a comedian, I usually say no to doing comedy shows at music festivals. I’ve never really enjoyed it, and as my great friend and great Canadian comic Glenn Wool once said, ‘ You never want to do comedy,when in your peripheral vision you can see Iggy pop’. But as its Bloodstock and with a line up like it is, what is a man to do but say yes and turn up with microphone in hand and jokes ready to rock. See you all there. Hail the gods of metal.”

According to Metal Hammer Magazine – who are in a perfect place to judge, being both experts on Metal and having let him host their 2009 Golden Gods Awards – Canadian JASON ROUSE is “the most Metal comedian on the planet”.

Brutal, dark, twisted and hell-bent on turning the mainstream comedy world upside down, over the last decade this comedy outsider has sharpened his teeth in clubs and festivals all over the world and become the most celebrated ‘odd-ball’ in comedy today. A clever combination of devilishly crafted jokes and ‘freak-show-like’ theatrics, JASON’s stand up will pit your sense of morals against your sense of humour as this jester from hell forces you to laugh at stuff you should not find funny.

STEPHEN HILL is a London based stand up comedian and writer who started his career after becoming a finalist in Jimmy Carr’s Comedy Idol on his first ever stand-up gig.   If reviews for his sell out Edinburgh comedy shows “Adolf Hitler and Mother Teresa walk into a bar…”’, “99 Problems But Your Mum Aint One” and “Creme Eggs vs Nazi Nana” are anything to go by, his explosive no holds barred performance and stage presence is bound to go down a storm at CATTON HALL this august.

Joining them, KEITH PLATT brings his no-nonsense stand up to BLOODSTOCK. With his flat-cap, specs and moustache, KEITH may not look like your typical BLOODSTOCK attendee, but having been the frontman of Harrogate Thrashers ACID REIGN in the 80s, more than knows his metal.  Like a Yorkshire ‘Al Murray’ he’s got bags of energy and within his act seamlessly ad libbs, deals with heckles and comes up with topical stuff, while never breaking character, and will tickle more than a few ribs at BLOODSTOCK.

GET UP ON STAGE AT THIS YEARS BLOODSTOCK

Here at Bloodstock HQ we like to  give awesome things back to you the fans – so here’s something to wet your appetites for the month of May !!  What would it be like for you and a friend to GET UP ON STAGE at this years festival to watch a band of your choice during their performance?  Well here’s your chance to find out –  If you’ve already purchased your full weekend ticket for this year from the Bloodstock store  then you and a friend are  already in with a chance to win this awesome experience, if you haven’t purchased your weekend ticket yet, but purchase it  before 11.59pm May 30th 2011 you’ll  be in with a chance to win this amazing experience.

*The winner will be notified by email early June.

*Please note this is only open to entrants who  purchase  a ticket from the Bloodstock store giving a valid email address

More Event and Line Up Info

With headline sets from IMMORTAL, MOTORHEAD and WASP, BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2011 is an unmissable event for any metalhead. Add to this a fantastic comedy line up, fairground rides, dodgems and the infamous BLOODSTOCK karaoke, and a ticket price of just £105 for FOUR days of fierce festival fun – including camping – there really is no better value ticket for fans of heavy music this summer.

Ronnie James Dio Stage

MOTORHEAD – IMMORTAL – W.A.S.P. – DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – RHAPSODY OF FIRE – MORBID ANGEL – AT THE GATES – THERION – CORONER – KREATOR – NEVERMORE – EXODUS – TRIPTYKON  HAMMERFALL – WINTERSUN – IHSAHN – FINNTROLL – GRAVE DIGGER  NAPALM DEATH – FORBIDDEN – TAROT – WOLF – POISON BLACK – 1349 – …plus more TBA

Sophie Lancaster Stage

ANGELWITCH – CRIMINAL – LAWNMOWER DETH – ARTHEMIS – POWER QUEST – THE ROTTED – OCTOBER FILE – NEMHAIN – DEF CON ONE SURVIVORS ZERO – BYFROST – DEADLY CIRCUS FIRE – REVOKER – ACHREN HAMMER OF THE GODS – IMICUS – …plus more TBA

Stand Up Comedy

STEVE HUGHES, JASON ROUSE, STEVE HILL, KEITH PLATT

Event Info and Tickets

Bloodstock Open Air will take place on 12-14 AUGUST 2011 at CATTON HALL, WALTON ON TRENT, DERBYSHIRE

Tickets are £105 for the weekend – www.bloodstock.uk.com 24 ticket hotline 0844 248 5085

Join us on FACEBOOK, follow us on TWITTER,  meet up with the Bloodstock team on the Bloodstock FORUM, and don’t forget to tune into the mighty metal Bloodstock DJ’s on BLOODSTOCK RADIO