Bloodstock Community

I last logged into this forum 14 YEARS ago nearly (October 2008) and last attended BOA in 2010 - I am a lifetime roc soc member (the last one to be given that honour) and attended since '01 indoor... I have missed metal...

I did journalism running headbang.co.uk for years and I became depressed and full of anxiety for a lot of things that didn't relate to metal but got intrinsically linked with it as it was such a big part of my life at the time.

I am considering making a return to the 'Stock with hope that I can enjoy it in a way my brain didn't allow in 2010...

I wanna ask, how much has changed in the last 12 years for the festival?

Also if anyone is still here who remembers me... Hi guys!

o/

Welcome back!

TBH, it's difficult to judge how much of a difference there is between Bloodstock 2010 and Bloodstock now, since I have attended most years in-between and the changes have been relatively gradual. The capacity of the festival is probably the biggest change, but I feel the general feeling of the festival as a friendly, welcoming place remains the same. The layout of the festival site is basically the same since 2009, although more fields have opened up for camping, and the quiet camp and campervans park have moved around. I feel the quality level of bands has diminished somewhat since the early 2010s, although that's just my opinion. Despite all the changes, I keep returning to Bloodstock as my home festival.

WorMZy has it pretty much spot on. Welcome back!

Sheer numbers of people will be the first thing you'll notice as well as parking. The arena is the same size, Midgard (you'll remember it as THE campsite) is the main noisy party camp. Lee's still a cunt. Rock Soc has swollen in size but you'll still know a few familiar faces (Craig, Daz, Lisa, "Lord Bastard", etc and one or two other Lifers) and the tent is usually fine for seating. With screens both sides of the main stage it's even a decent place to watch bands from. The atmosphere will be exactly the same friendly, welcoming good vibes you'll know and love.

My first Bloodstock was in 2012 and I returned 2 times. This Bloodstock will be my return after 6 years.
I think I might understand what you mean about anxiety and if I understand correctly, there's lots of metalheads that experience this. I can't speak about what the festival was like the last time you were there but the biggest observation that I've made is that, even though it draws in plenty of young people, this festival feels like the home for old metalheads and if I went to no other shows and did nothing else as a metalhead, I would go to Bloodstock every year. The only reason I haven't been going every year has been mostly due to not living in England. And my country has nothing at all like Bloodstock that's why I'm always being so positive about this wonderful opportunity.
As for anxiety, my suggestion is to not get too wasted. I think that's where I went wrong a few times and going forward I'm sticking to the booze and not too much of it either.
Cheers and hope to see you there this year.