wolflord wrote:I think that too many people who go to Bloodstock and the Bloodstock organisers are viewing to Sophie Lancaster stage all wrong. Instead of treating it as a second or lesser stage it should be a stage that is an alternative to what is going on at the main stage. All this talk of “oh that band is too big to play on the Sophie Stage” is rubbish. As has been mentioned in other posts, the Sophie stage would be perfect for certain bands or genres/sub genres of metal. European festivals use this idea effectively and the atmosphere of tent based stages works well for some bands that may not work out in the open on the main stage; this should not mean that bands playing the Sophie stage are not worthy of the main stage or are less than those on the main stage. For the past few years some of the best bands I have seen at Bloodstock have been on the Sophie stage as opposed to the Main stage.
Black metal and Doom metal would work and benefit the most from this idea but the Sophie stage does not and should not be an area just for those sub genres, otherwise the purpose of having a different stage would be lost and it would become too detached from the rest of the festival. Generally putting on a band that is different to what is playing the main stage could attract those who are not bothered with what is currently on the main stage.
Either Taake or Carpathian Forest would make good headline acts for the Sophie stage, I know they are both black metal examples but they are just ideas I think would work.
This is just my opinion from what i have experienced at Bloodstock and other festivals, i know some may completely disagree, that's fine but an improved view of the Sophie stage would help the festival as a whole
While I agree with the sentiment, you've got to accept the practicalities of the situation that the Sophie stage is far smaller than the mainstage; so you've got to juggle bands that are a) good (though many would argue bloodstock fall at the first hurdle here) b) of a different genre to the mainstage and c) of a relative size (not too big that people are stuck outside or too small where no one wants to see them and complain a 'viable alternative' wasn't booked.
