Event:	Bloodstock 2004
Written by:	SonataArctica
Published:	17.10.2004

BLOODSTOCK 2004, The Assembly Rooms, Derby, UK.

Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th September 2004

Bloodstock festival has been running since 2001, and has already proved to be a huge success to the metal industry in the UK, and is attracting more and more people each year from all over Britain and Europe.
I went to the recent festival this September, where the stage-highlights included none other than Children Of Bodom, Sonata Arctica and Evergrey.

Friday night's headliners; Gamma Ray, proved to be not much of an opener to the many fans who gathered for the weekend of pure metal, but by the time Saturday afternoon arrived, people were gagging for more!


EVERGREY were the first of the bands I came to see that day to appear on stage. They were welcomed by a huge audience, all waiting in eager anticipation for Tom. S. Englund to make his appearance on stage. This was the first time Evergrey had performed in the UK, so everyone was looking forward to a great show. And infact, it was. The crowd went wild and they played many songs which people were familiar with most, making the atmosphere seem more alive than the previous bands which had appeared on the main stage that day.





Evergrey set list:
Blinded / End Of Your Days / More Than Ever / She Speaks To The Dead / Rulers Of The Mind / Nosferatu / Recreation Day /A Touch Of Blessing / The Masterplan (i hope this source is correct)

Next of the three mighty bands to appear on stage was the one I was looking forward to most; SONATA ARCTICA! The crowd for SA was already waiting for them a good half hour before they were due on stage, and people were eager to catch their first glance of Tony Kakko and the rest of the highly approved band. Unfortunately, as the band started playing their first song, Victoria's secret, technical faults with Tony's mic and missing instruments made the band quite uneasy and tempers started to rage, as Kakko kept running off stage to throw abuse at the sound engineer during instrumentals. Even Henrik and Marko seemed quite unsettled. Out of the band members, it seemed only Jani and Tommy who weren't majorly unsettled by this displeasing hitch, but by the time The Cage ended, the whole crowd was buzzing with excitement and seemed thoroughly pleased with the outcome. Hopefully this mishape hasn't dampened SA's feelings towards mighty England, and a return from the amazing band will still be on the horizon.





Sonata Arctica set list:
Victoria's Secret / Kingdom For A Heart / Still Loving You / Champagne Bath / Replica / My Land / Black Sheep / Broken / Don't Say A Word / Last Drop Falls / Full Moon / The Cage


Last, but most certainly not least, CHILDREN OF BODOM made the day by finishing Bloodstock 2004 in true Alexi "wildchild" Laiho style. The audience went crazy!!! Reaps were being wildly waved about throughout the audience (not by me unfortunately, I couldn't afford one) and Alexi was a sure sight to see. I was one of the most fortunate girls there who made it to the very front, even though i was being squished up to the barrier by some over-weight, arrogant git who was pushing my boyfriend and others into me... but that was all part of the Bodom fun! No pleasure without pain as the saying goes! And pleasure it was! Just hearing their music live was something I will never forget, and the look that I got fom Alexi was one i will always be remembering. The night, the festival also, ended on a very high note with Alexi screaming needled 24/7 as an en-core. The crowd left with their ears buzzing and full of excitement, all eager to hear what Bloodstock 2005 hold for them.





Children Of Bodom set list
Intro (Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-ha) / Hate Me! / Chokehold / Hate Crew Deathroll / Silent Night, Bodom Night / Warheart / Sixpounder / Angels Don't Kill / Towards Dead End / Bodom After Midnight / Deadnight Warrior / Bodom Beach Terror / Downfall / Everytime I Die / Needled 24/7


And all in all, Bloodstock 2004 was a fantastic experience which myself and many others i know enjoyed immensly!

For those who seem impressed by this year's festival, let's just say HAMMERFALL are the first to be announced for Bloodstock 2005, next September, and there's even talk of a Bloodstock Open Air festival mid-June '05. Hope to see you there!

Juliette x