Bloodstock 2018???

[cheesemason]

Emperor have actually announced two dates in March/April next year (Inferno and Metalmania).

Would love it to be them, but not convinced yet that they will do summer festivals.

Does increase the chance of maybe a one of London show tho, which I'd travel for

Hope they're not still doing Anthems in full if they do play, found the Anthems set massively underwhelming compared to the Nightside shows.

At least one of those shows is Anthems (can't remember which) and i definitely want that.
My favourite BM album

[Tet]

I would much prefer Emperor to most bands. They hardly had a small crowd like all those Power Metal bands that everyone apparently wants. I love PM, but even the most ardent devotee realises that nobody watches them

This just isn't true, though. Power metal bands pull respectable crowds at their own gigs. My anecdata says that they often pull bigger crowds than the shouty bands do. They haven't done so at Bloodstock of late, but that's because Bloodstock have pissed on power metal fans for so long that they no longer come to the festival in the same numbers that they used to. Yes, there are still a few diehards that will turn up for a single band. But putting a token power metal band on when the rest of the day consists of death, thrash and hardcore bands is obviously not going to draw a big crowd, because few are going to want the expense of a festival when there are no longer enough other bands on the bill for them.

[bloodofthekings]

I would much prefer Emperor to most bands. They hardly had a small crowd like all those Power Metal bands that everyone apparently wants. I love PM, but even the most ardent devotee realises that nobody watches them

This just isn't true, though. Power metal bands pull respectable crowds at their own gigs. My anecdata says that they often pull bigger crowds than the shouty bands do. They haven't done so at Bloodstock of late, but that's because Bloodstock have pissed on power metal fans for so long that they no longer come to the festival in the same numbers that they used to. Yes, there are still a few diehards that will turn up for a single band. But putting a token power metal band on when the rest of the day consists of death, thrash and hardcore bands is obviously not going to draw a big crowd, because few are going to want the expense of a festival when there are no longer enough other bands on the bill for them.

Very true. I would expect a band like Blind Guardian to get a pretty respectable crowd but it would have been a lot bigger had Bloodstock not chased away a lot of the power metal fans in recent years by ignoring their tastes. And I'm pretty sure a headline performance by a band like Nightwish or Manowar would get a much bigger crowd than Emperor.
Plus, when people on here say they want more power metal bands to play, that's not to say they expect them to headline, but some more lower down the mainstage wouldn't go amiss and would certainly draw as much (if not more) than some of the cack they've had half-way up the bill in recent years.

[Gandalf the Red]

I don't think anyone mentioned it was a headliner. The only headliner that has previously been announced at the festival was Emperor (and Slayer, but I don't think that counts). Three of four previous festival announcements have been Black Metal bands. Behemoth, Emperor and Venom, with Anthrax being the other.

However I think this is just down to personal likes or dislikes rather than whether a band is worthy of an announcement.

Nightwish are more likely to play Download. I won't comment on my views of them as a band, but Night rhymes with shite. Certainly wouldn't be worthy of an announcement. Big band? Yes, but that sort of stuff is ten a penny.

Manowar would warrant a big announcement, but I'll eat my hat if they play. I know for a fact they won't play with a limiter and Bloodstock has problems with complaints about excessive noise. Not happening.

I go to Power Metal shows, even went to them before the term was coined. But outside of one date in London you are getting two men and a dog I'm afraid. Even Manchester struggles to get a few hundred in for the name bands, unless it's someone like Sabaton. Blind Guardian had a much smaller crowd than Kreator got in the same venue. That was one of the better attended PM shows.

[someone else]

I wouldn't say Nightwish were '10 a penny' - there's only really them and WT that could headline, after that theres a big drop off to your Delains and Epicas who get decent crowds but can't sell out a 1400 cap place, after that its small club bands. While Download's crowd may be one attraction a full set for a this 'best of' tour they've got planned with pyro etc may be attractive.

I didn't go to the BG gig in Manchester, but its one of the bigger PM gigs - I think the last one I went to was Edguy, who sold out the much smaller Sound Control, I missed the Firewind one due to work. Manchester doesn't seem to like old school metal - Queensryche got a tiny crown in the Ritz and have not been back since. I think generally PM got into the media when Bloodstock started growing and the likes of Hammerfall, Edguy etc got into Metal Hammer, but the first albums they released after this attention weren't as good as the older ones and they were greeted with a shrug, so most haven't got past club level.

[Gandalf the Red]

What I meant by "ten a penny" is there are loads of those Symphonic Metal bands with a female front person that are good enough to play, but would be a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a band that would take up a headlining slot.

They all sound the same to me.

[Haldamir319]

That's entirely a subjective thing though. If someone said all death metal bands sounds the same, you'd jump down their throat.

Nightwish are almost borderline too big now. Between sub headlining Download (to a whopping crowd despite crap weesther) and selling out Wemlbey Arena the last time they were in thr UK, I can imagine they aren't the cheapest. Saying all that, I do hooe they headline again one day.

[Gandalf the Red]

Quite true though. It does all sound the same to me.

I was in the pub a few weeks ago and heard a song I knew was Nightwish. Then heard about six or seven songs that I assumed were Nightwish as there is a Nightwish album on there. Then the next song came on and it was another band that I definitely knew wasn't Nightwish. Seems that out of those songs only one was Nightwish and all the other songs were different bands as it was a compilation album. Possibly homemade.

But I agree, if you don't like or know certain genres then you don't pick up on variations. I can't stand Rap for example. Would I be able to tell the difference between say DR Dre and Tupac? Doubt it. I can't even tell the difference between Radiohead, U2 and Coldplay. Or most AOR.....

[someone else]

I think the Wembley thing is a red herring as it was the only Uk gig on the tour and was being filmed so was an 'event' - bit like Opeth (although they had a smaller set up in the arena). On a tour they're back to smaller theatres that typical headliners play. WT had also played Wembley and didn't pack out BOA.

[houston4044]

[WorMzy]

I think Lamb of God and Machine Head are probably due a return, although I dunno if they'd be headliners again, special guests, or just regular bands. Either way, both'd be a waste of a slot imo, but hey ho.

Slayer only just played last year, so I doubt they'd be back again so soon.

I can see Sabaton getting booked again, and I'd be happy with that, but they've played a lot in past few years so I can see people getting fed up with them being booked so often.

Putting headliners aside, I'm personally hoping for Moonsorrow, Turisas, and Anaal Nathrakh to get booked. Kalmah might have a new album out next year, but I have little hope they'll get booked.


...

[houston4044]

I think Lamb of God and Machine Head are probably due a return, although I dunno if they'd be headliners again, special guests, or just regular bands. Either way, both'd be a waste of a slot imo, but hey ho.

I can't see either band returning next year or dropping down a position, MH would have the draw of it being a rare festival appearance as they don't do them so much (or at all, cba to look it) anymore and LoG haven't really shrunk (or grown).

Personally I'd like to see some rarities or an "event" next year, this year is great and all but it's people I could see at gigs anyway (except BG doing Imaginations in full), something along the lines of Demolition Hammer, Sacred Reich or a few albums in full or a reunion would be cool (and yes I'm aware Emperor would tick all these boxes).

[Killing_time]

Machine Head aren't interested in festivals anymore or maybe it was just UK festivals :/ After they played Download 2012 and were placed under Chase And Status they had a hissy fit although they headlined Bloodstock the same year they were already booked. Not sure if they will return to festivals over here.

[bloodfiend]

I don't think anyone mentioned it was a headliner. The only headliner that has previously been announced at the festival was Emperor (and Slayer, but I don't think that counts). Three of four previous festival announcements have been Black Metal bands. Behemoth, Emperor and Venom, with Anthrax being the other..

Immortal were announced as headliner for 2011 at BOA 2010.

[Gandalf the Red]

I don't think anyone mentioned it was a headliner. The only headliner that has previously been announced at the festival was Emperor (and Slayer, but I don't think that counts). Three of four previous festival announcements have been Black Metal bands. Behemoth, Emperor and Venom, with Anthrax being the other..

Immortal were announced as headliner for 2011 at BOA 2010.

Of course they were. Forgot about that.


So that's another Black Metal band announcement.