So Venom.....

[pinhead0303]

Surely you jest about Steel Panther! When they keep playing Download I just ignore them in the assumption they're some sort of joke band, a bit of fun. Looking at their billing at Download I suppose it is fairly high, 3rd/4th on the bill, at least Rob Zombie was 2nd.

I suppose that given Within Temptation were 3rd then it's still technically possible, but since they have no link to Bloodstock (that I know of, anyway) and Glam is about as far away from the Bloodstock audience as you can get (yes, even moreso than Power! lol) then I'll stick to thinking that they're a joke band and as such this suggestion is in really bad taste

[JB65]

Steel Panther would be a waste of a slot, they are just an average joke band. Not that good and not that funny.

[Turbo]

Agreed. Steel Panther are more than welcome to play on an over turned portaloo in the car park.


Oh I forgot that that car park in question is in that of the shopping centre in Leicester.

[new empire]

Venom are not headlining. Great announcement for me personally though. It guarantees my attendance. I am ambivalent about Behemoth. I'm 45 though, so Venom are very much my era of band.

[houston4044]

Steel Panther? I consider myself a pessimist and a cynic but even I give BOA the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't consider them for BOA

[Turbo]

I think Steel Panther are way up on the list of poor Bloodstock headliner decisions. We all said we wouldn't get Trivium. Look where that got us.

[NeglectedField]

Steel Panther would be a waste of a slot, they are just an average joke band. Not that good and not that funny.

Agreed. They're a poor pisstake of a scene that wasn't as bad as it was made out to be.

[BStobart]

Wasn't Vicky talking about Steel Panther on the Jasta show last year? I can see it happening.
I saw them at Ozzfest 2010 and they were really good (and funny) but I feel like they would be a bad idea for BOA because they work in the context of a gimmick for a bit of entertainment on the side but nothing serious, not right for a headliner. If they were to play Bloodstock, they would be too big to play any stage but the RJD and they would take one of the higher slots (If not headline) and I think that's a waste of one of those slots.

[houston4044]

If they were to play (which I really hope not) I'd think a sub would be the best position for them (although I know they're too big for that slot) as they could get the crowd hyped up and buzzed as a good way to segue into the headliner like Sabaton did this year.

[Andy.]

What a lot conveniently forget about Steel Panther is the undeniable fact they they are superb musicians and if you were to strip away all the parody/comedy elements, you would be left with a magnificent Hard Rock/Metal band.
I doubt very much they are even in the frame to be anywhere remotely near a BOA appearance but personally, I would welcome it as it would far more entertaining than some mullety Euro Power Metal bollocks.
And another thing, given some of the comments on here about the shall we say, 'larger ladies' at this years festival, a rousing chorus of the SP classic 'Fat Girl' (thar she blows) would be seemingly appropriate.

[metaldinosaur]

I can't say I've heard much of them bar the odd single/video, but it wouldn't be the worst booking decision ever- for a SG slot. I'd deal with it if it happened. But yes, headline slot wouldn't be appropriate for Bloodstock.

I'd include Tenacious D in that bracket too (not an impossible booking for Bloodstock imo!).

[Skippy]

Steel Panther are something I should like, I like some Glam metal, I usually like comedy bands and when I listen to them I think "the actually have a bit of talent". But listening to actual songs, none of them stick in my mind. The only one I can name is Death to all but Metal, and I hate that song. The rest I think are ok but I can't hum the tune ten seconds after hearing it.

I really hope they don't play for that reason, though there are worse bands it could be. I think if they did they are big enough now that they'd have to headline, and I'd rather they didn't especially as they'd probably be the token melodic headliner.

[Soze]

Slayer would be an awful headliner if they were anything close to last time. They looked utterly utterly bored to be there, and I know the circumstances where far from ideal.

This is nonsense. Slayer were great, they never laugh, joke and prance about, they just come on and play. Tom's rarely a man of many words, this is just how Slayer are. If you don't like them you won't enjoy them, there are no theatrics or gimmicks, no singalongs or crowd interactions. They certainly didn't look 'bored to be there'.

[Rufus Obscurus]

It really doesn't feel that long since Behemoth and Slayer last headlined. I'm fairly neutral on both.

But as for Venom... They were one of the first metal bands I listened to when I was 15, had just discovered Maiden and was getting into metal more generally. I thought it was awful and decided Priest and Paradise Lost were more my sort of things.

Over the years, my tastes evolved and started dipping my toes into the murky waters of "extreme" metal and went back to check out Venom again and remained nonplussed. Not really for me.

[Tet]

What a lot conveniently forget about Steel Panther is the undeniable fact they they are superb musicians and if you were to strip away all the parody/comedy elements, you would be left with a magnificent Hard Rock/Metal band.

I've watched them since the Metal Skool days, but I've long lamented their dilemma. They've got where they are because of the gimmicks. But the gimmicks are getting in the way, and I'd prefer far less crowd interaction and to see them just get on and play more songs. They are, as you say, outstanding musicians. But as soon as they drop the gimmicks, they'll sink without a trace.

Would they work at Bloodstock? I don't see why not.