Bloodstock: Heavy metal fans emotional at festival's return

After a hard year devoid of live music, head-banging heavy metal fans are looking for more than light relief as a major festival makes its return this week.

Bloodstock has returned to the Derbyshire village of Walton-on-Trent, after the pandemic saw last year's event move online.

With restrictions in England having been lifted last month, metalheads are savouring the chance to get back in the field, with Devin Townsend, Kreator and Judas Priest all headlining the event, which runs until Sunday.

Cheryl McCluskey and her fiancé Mathew Wilson are regular Bloodstock attendees.

They missed the festival so much last year they held their own version in their garden.

"We put a gazebo up, we put our camp flag up, and put everything outside that we would normally have, including mates in tents," said 37-year-old Cheryl, who lives in Nottingham.

"We had the TV outside and they were streaming previous shows and interviews online, along with other European metal festivals."

This year will be the third time Cheryl has been to Bloodstock.

She was introduced to the festival by 34-year-old Mathew, who will be attending for the fifth time.

Mathew, who works in health and safety, said he feels reassured by all of the measures being taken to protect festival-goers from Covid.

"I feel a lot safer because they are taking it very seriously," he said.

"I think the whole rock community realises how privileged they are to have a festival this year."

The couple have both had two Covid jabs.

"There's a Facebook group for people who go to Bloodstock and one of the things I've picked up on is even if they've both had both jabs, people are taking a lateral flow test anyway," said Cheryl.

"People are going on to that group and saying 'I'm not going because I've caught it'.

"It's definitely made me feel much better because people are taking that responsibility of not passing it on."

They are camping at the festival with a group of friends, and Cheryl says she is mostly looking forward to "just sitting in a field with a can of cider".

"It's combination of people we socialise with in the rock scene, and friends, and previous people we've met while we are there and got along with," said Mathew.

"Going to Bloodstock means you can sit in a field with your best friends and not have to think about the seriousness of life for a while."

Another festival goer, 34-year-old Jenna from Nottingham, has been to Bloodstock every year since 2015.

"This opportunity to see live music again is just fantastic," she said.

"I like going because you've got a lot of good bands on but also it's like a family vibe.

"You meet up with random people camping next to you and become friends over the weekend. It's like a family reunion almost."

Jenna has not seen any live music since before the first lockdown.

"It's been tough," she said. "I'm a massive music lover and not being able to go to gigs and see live music has been quite painful.

"I was a bit worried [about attending Bloodstock] to start with but the things they've put in place just makes it feel safer to go because you know there's less chance of getting it [Covid].

"Thank you to the festival organisers because they've done such a fantastic job of making sure if bands drop out due to travel problems, they've got people to fill the spots."

Music PR Jazmin L'Amy was one of the lucky few who made it to Download in June, where attendances were restricted as the festival became a pilot event.

The 23-year-old - originally from Jersey but now living in London - is looking forward to her debut at Derbyshire's biggest metal get-together.

"I've got so many friends playing the festival, which is super awesome - it's just so exciting," she said.

"Going to a festival is such a community, and with me being here for my first Bloodstock and my friends playing their first festivals it's going to be emotional.

"I've been to a few gigs already, so the restrictions [being lifted], it's been really nice and emotional to see my friends perform to a crowd who love them."

Aidan Parker, 36-year-old archaeologist from Burnley, has made the pilgrimage to Bloodstock after a long gap from the festival circuit.

"It's been five years since I went to a festival anyway, but with everything up again it's felt nice to come back," he said.

I'm ready to jump back into it.

"It's nice to have a bit of normality back, it's nice to see friends I've not seen for a while again.

"Missing out on the festivals is missing out on one of the few chances to meet up with people."

Festival director Rachael Greenfield: "We've been waiting for this for so long, we're overwhelmed, excited and we're really feeling the euphoria of our festival goers.

"To see them come flying through the gates was emotional and long overdue.

"We're so glad to be back in a field, there's so much we want to say, but we're struggling to express what we're feeling.

"The entire vibe on the site - among the crew and the artists too - there's not one person we've seen without a smile on their face and seeing that is everything.

"We're really grateful and overjoyed to share our 20th birthday with everyone."

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