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[Soze]

I'll be happy for Blind Guardian to return. They have a new album on the way so I suppose they'll do their token one UK show in London or at Bloodstock.

The last time Blind Guardian toured the UK they also played Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

[fluffkitten]

I'll be happy for Blind Guardian to return. They have a new album on the way so I suppose they'll do their token one UK show in London or at Bloodstock.

The last time Blind Guardian toured the UK they also played Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

The Nottingham (Rock City) show was wonderful. Definitely like to see them at Bloodstock again even though they aren't likely to headline.

[metaldinosaur]

What about Blind Guardian and Kreator co-headliners!

[fluffkitten]

What about Blind Guardian and Kreator co-headliners!

To good an idea for it to happen. Would love to see it.

[Black Wizard]

The last time Blind Guardian toured the UK they also played Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

I know, but it took them something like 25 years to get round to that sort of tour so I'm considering that to be an anomaly rather than anything regular. Wasn't one of the indoor Bloodstocks their first ever UK show? That took them about 15 years to get round to doing.

[Soze]

I know, but it took them something like 25 years to get round to that sort of tour so I'm considering that to be an anomaly rather than anything regular. Wasn't one of the indoor Bloodstocks their first ever UK show? That took them about 15 years to get round to doing.

Because both Blind Guardian and power metal in general were nothing in the UK until fairly recently. Promoters aren't going to put big tours on in a country where there's no interest. For many years it would have been unfeasible for them to have toured the Uk beyond a small London gig.

[bloodofthekings]

I know, but it took them something like 25 years to get round to that sort of tour so I'm considering that to be an anomaly rather than anything regular. Wasn't one of the indoor Bloodstocks their first ever UK show? That took them about 15 years to get round to doing.

Because both Blind Guardian and power metal in general were nothing in the UK until fairly recently. Promoters aren't going to put big tours on in a country where there's no interest. For many years it would have been unfeasible for them to have toured the Uk beyond a small London gig.

Don't blame them really. Don't know what Rock City was like but the Manchester Blind Guardian show at the Ritz wasn't particularly busy. They didn't even open the upstairs section which I think is the only gig I've been to there where that's happened.

People can't moan that the bands don't come around often enough if they don't get off their arse when they do

[Black Wizard]

Hammerfall, Sonata Arctica and others were doing more substantial UK tours several years before Blind Guardian bothered to.

[dclizardking]

Blind Guardian in any shape or form would be wonderful, but one band who I think deserve to headline Bloodstock who never have are Anthrax. Special guests three times and the highlight of the day every single time.

[phuqsticks]

Blind Guardian in any shape or form would be wonderful, but one band who I think deserve to headline Bloodstock who never have are Anthrax. Special guests three times and the highlight of the day every single time.

Spot on. Better than the headliners on each of the 3 occasions they have been special guests.

[Baldy77]

Blind Guardian in any shape or form would be wonderful, but one band who I think deserve to headline Bloodstock who never have are Anthrax. Special guests three times and the highlight of the day every single time.

This would be great

[bloodofthekings]

Hammerfall, Sonata Arctica and others were doing more substantial UK tours several years before Blind Guardian bothered to.

True, but it's not like it's been a regular thing for most of those bands. To use the two bands you mentioned as an example (and I may be mistaken), Hammerfall went beyond London for their tour in 2007 and 2010 but since then? Don't think they've done an actual UK tour in 10 years.

As for Sonata? Again, they did a tour in 2008 and I've lost interest in them a lot in recent years so not sure but I think they've only done 1 tour outside of London since then.

As for other big or notable power metal bands from Europe doing tours involving more than just London? (Based on my recollections of the past 15 years or so)
Helloween - 3 date UK tour in 2006. Nothing since then apart from the tour booked for October this year
Avantasia - Nope
Gamma Ray - Nope
Primal Fear - Nope
Rage - Only 1 tour outside of London in the last 15 years I believe?
Stratovarius - Nope
Axel Rudi Pell - Nope
Manowar - 1 tour that involved more than just a single show in Birmingham
Doro - 1 tour outside of London which was last year
Powerwolf - 1 tour outside of London which was last year
Accept - 2011 a couple of Hammerfest warm-up shows
King Diamond - Nope
Iced Earth - 1 tour which only involved London, Birmingham and Glasgow in 2014
Rhapsody - 1 tour earlier this year
Kamelot - 1 tour in 2008
Grave Digger - Nope
Battle Beast - 1 tour in 2017 and one last year
Orden Ogan - Nope

Nightwish, Sabaton and Within Temptation are the only 3 bands that stick out to me from the genre that have consistently done more comprehensive tours of the UK. I would have included Edguy in that list too but Tobias seems to have ditched them in favour of Avantasia entirely now.

If anything, the folk metal bands seem far more interested in touring the rest of the country

[Black Wizard]

I won't go through all of the bands you've listed as I have no interest in many of them.

However, Iced Earth did shows outside London in 2011 (I saw them in Birmingham) and in 2012 shortly before Bloodstock (I saw them in Glasgow). All they've done since 2014 that I can think of is the one show in London with Ensiferum, Kataklysm and Unearth.

Hammerfall toured with Saxon in 2011 on a UK tour but they haven't been back since the one-off show in Islington in 2015.

I'm sure Accept had at least one UK show a couple of years ago. They played in the Koko I think. Maybe you were only referring to shows outside London though.

Kamelot did 2 UK shows (Manchester and Birmingham) around Hammerfest with Evergrey and Visions of Atlantis last year.

[Skippy]

You've made a few mistakes there - Sonata regularly tour here, I've seen them in Cardiff 3 times in the last 10 years I believe. Iced Earth also did a few full UK tours, it was probably the 2014 one but I definitely saw them in Bristol. They seem to have stepped off the touring since Stu Block became their singer though. Kamelot also did a tour last year, they seem to have picked up some steam over here. Grave Digger I saw in Birmingham a few years back, although that might not have been a tour.

I do see your point though. The power metal bands just don't seem to want to play here. It's not even usually a crowd thing, most of the shows I mentioned sold really well (except for Grave Digger), as did Powerwolf, Blind Guardian and of course Sabaton. I guess some of these think they are too big to come over here and play smaller shows, but I think they'd do alright if they actually worked at it. Oddly, most of these I have seen I've seen at Bloodstock which makes their reluctance to book these bands any more even more irritating.

[Black Wizard]

I guess some of these think they are too big to come over here and play smaller shows, but I think they'd do alright if they actually worked at it.

I think you're right. There's probably diminishing returns for many of the European bands who sell out arenas in Germany etc. but struggle to sell out a medium-sized venue in London. It probably hasn't been worth the effort for them, but Sabaton are a perfect example of what can be achieved if the do put the work in. I saw them about ten years ago headlining the Glasgow Garage with Alestorm and Thaurod supporting, and they also supported Dragonforce too. In 2010 they were on the second stage at Sonisphere and played Bloodstock every couple of years. Now they've headlined both Bloodstock and Wembley Arena in less than 12 months.

I suppose some of the European bands would have benefited from some special guest slots. Beast in Black got the Nightwish SG slot, but there's national bias there, and Iced Earth (not European of course) opened for Heaven & Hell in 2007. However, it doesn't help that the one British Metal band who sells out arenas and might have an overlapping fanbase only takes generic bands or their kids on tour in this country, and another British Metal band seems to avoid doing non-festival headline shows here by waiting for Ozzy's health to allow for a support slot.