Live Review: Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2022 – Saturday

It’s hard to believe just how quickly this weekend is passing as we say goodbye to day 3 of Bloodstock Open Air 2022! The sun was shining and the bands brought the heat once again as everyone in attendance geared up for a third day of balancing sun exposure and moshing! Here’s what went down on Saturday at Bloodstock.

Hangovers and heatstroke were in full effect in the early hours of Saturday morning as some brave faces made their way to the main arena early to catch the opening bands. Despite the unrelenting heat, the vibe around the arena was one of excitement that lifted the broken spirits of those who had a few too many the night before. Baest opened the Ronnie James Dio stage with their ruthless brand of death metal to ensure everyone residing in Catton Park was awake and ready for round 3.

Photo: Fraser Kerr

As the day went on, the vibe only grew around the festival grounds. Hoards of fans piled onto all stages to see the bands they loved or try and find the next band they will be ranting and raving to their friends about. The New Blood Stage once again hosted some of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in the metal sphere. This stage has become one of the top attractions at the festival as you never quite know what you’re going to hear next. Everything from death metal to more melodically driven metal is on display and the atmosphere surrounding each set that takes place in the New Blood tent is full of anticipation and joy.

Around the middle of the day, fans gathered around the Ronnie James Dio stage once again to catch Lorna Shore who was slightly delayed due to only arriving at the festival ground 10 minutes before they had to play. Despite this, the band delivered a set for the ages as each member brushed off any nerves they had within moments of ‘To The Hellfire…’.

Pit’s galore seemed to be a common theme for the majority of the day at the RJD stage and none quite matched the ones Jinjer managed to produce. The whole vibe shifted when Jinjer took to the stage as fans in attendance rallied behind the Ukrainian band as they dedicated their set to the ongoing war efforts back home for them.

The Sophie Lancaster Stage had hosted some amazing bands over the weekend and today was no different. Whether it was Blood Youth delivering their more hardcore based sound or Ingested bringing the slam from slamchester, this stage seemed to always be packed. A chance to see some incredible acts AND have shelter from the sun sounds like a no-brainer. Due to the sheer amount of fans in the tent for each set, the entire mood was amplified as nearly every band who played got an enormous reaction matched with all the energy the hoards could muster.

Headlining the Ronnie James Dio stage today was none other than Mercyful Fate. The entire area surrounding the main stage was packed as the Bloodstock legions gathered for a ritual of Satanic proportions. A set filled with classics from the band’s discography was only amplified by the performance of a new track titled ‘The Jackal Of Salzburg’ which kept fans captivated for its entirety which is impressive as the song clocked in at just under 10 minutes. As the inverted crucifix hung over Catton Park, fans rejoiced over the sound of hysteria reverberating around the festival. This all culminated in a mammoth performance of the track ‘Satan’s Fall’ which had the entire crowd echoing the words coming from King Diamonds’ mouth.

Fans were spoilt for choice for their evening festivities as they could choose between an acoustic, political jam joining The Kunts over on the Jägermeister stage or they could get their best beat down with the mighty Malevolence who headlined the Sophie Lancaster Stage. Despite it being clear the day had taken its toll on fans, the energy levels over at the Sophie Stage quickly skyrocketed as Malevolence delivered a high-octane performance that had the entire tent spinning like a Bay-Blade.

Bloodstock is onto its final day once again however, this year’s festival has been one to remember so far. Other than the inevitability of sunburn, the whole mood around the festival has been friendly, exciting and joyous. Onto and upwards for Sunday!