Bloodstock Festival, Assembly Rooms, Derby,  August 29-30

This was the third edition of this now annual pilgrimage for UK metal fans – and that's 'metal' as in Iron Maiden and Judas Priest rather than Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. The basic remit seems to be to support young UK bands whilst also inviting a few choice European Acts, many of whom have not played on these shores before. Last year saw the debut UK gig by German power metallers Blind Guardian, whilst this year saw the long-awaited UK debut by Finnish outfit Nightwish.

A first for this festival was that it was held over two days, with four bands on the main stage on Friday evening, as well as bands on all day Saturday (seven on the main stage, umpteen (mostly British and local) in a smaller room inside the same venue.)

I arrived on Friday in time to see most of Anglo-Italian power metallers Power Quest's set. With a greater emphasis on keyboards than many of their ilk, this was an enjoyable set, if a little clichéd and predicable. Following this set, the atmosphere hotted up considerably in anticipation of a triumphant homecoming for former Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley. Now with his own outfit, imaginatively titled Blaze, he tore through an excellent set which mixed material from the two albums Blaze have released to date, plus some choice Maiden numbers from his stint in the band, such as 'Sign Of The Cross' and 'Futureal'. The Led Zeppelin cover 'Dazed and Confused' was perhaps a touch unnecessary, but with Blaze on this form (milking the crowd's appreciation to the max) it was easy to forgive.

This set the stage nicely for a great headlining gig by ever-reliable Barnsley stalwarts Saxon. Evergreen frontman Biff Byford led his band through a set which, to their credit, took in plenty of material from their last few albums as well as the more obvious hits from the early 80's. Early on a big hit with the crowd was the rather out of character but surprising effective cover of King Crimson's 'In The Court Of The Crimson King', with everyone lustily singing along with the chorus. I think that during the show the band played from just about every album (although thankfully there was nothing from 1988's awful 'Destiny'), with tracks ranging from 'Balls To The Wall' from their debut to the title track from 2001's 'Killing Ground'. The crowd were fully entertained from start to finish, though unsurprisingly it was when the opening notes to the classic '747 (Strangers In The Night)' struck up that the place went wild. The band also couldn't fail with the encore, a double-whammy of 'Denim And Leather' and 'Wheels Of Steel'; throw in the famous 'Eagle' stage prop, and you have a great gig which made sure everyone left with a smile on their face, and looking forward to more of the same on Saturday.

Unfortunately I missed the main stage's opening act, Mercury Rain, who I had wanted to check out, but arrived in time for DragonForce's set. A large proportion of the crowd were up for this one, including a small gathering of fans near the front waving plastic swords and axes in the air – a bit Spinal Tap, but fun. DragonForce put on a good show, but the sound wasn't that great, and to be honest I'm not a huge fan – for me, the band play too fast for my liking, and the songs lack good riffs to grab on to, something I like in my power metal. Still, there were plenty there who enjoyed this and the effort put in and skill of the performance couldn't be disputed.

Next up was a band who I'd never heard of, Saracen, apparently another band resurrected from the early 80's NWOBHM movement. I don't think I was the only one who hadn't heard of them either, as the hall was rather empty for the start of their set. However, this was a pleasant surprise. The band played songs culled from new album 'Red Sky' and earlier 'long lost gems' such as 'Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse', which gathered up a fair head of steam. Musically, this was something of an amalgamation of hard rock and prog –think a heavier Magnum, circa 'Chase The Dragon', and you're probably in the right ballpark. With a strong vocalist, good guitar work and a powerful rhythm section, Saracen had all the right elements and for the most part managed to win over the crowd by the end of their set.

The Main Hall had filled up considerably for the next act, Masterplan. Formed by ex-Helloween men Roland Grapow (guitar) and Eli Kutsch (drums), the band managed to utilise the services of Norwegian vocalist extraordinaire Jorn Lande (Ark, Million, The Snakes etc.) and have recently released a well-received debut album. To be honest, I found this set rather dull and indistinct for the first few songs, after which it picked up somewhat. Musically, we're (unsurprisingly) in Helloween-esque territory here, although the David Coverdale-like tones of Lande help give the band an extra dimension. It was Roland Grapow's birthday today, plus I'm guessing it was one of the last dates of their tour, so there was the requisite clowning around, which I felt dragged on a bit but nonetheless helped endear the band to the crowd.

Hammerfall were supposed to be the next act on stage, but an injury to their guitarist saw them cancelling at late notice. Thankfully German power metallers Edguy were on hand to step in. This band have the crowd eating out of their hands from the off, with a very enthusiastic frontman urging them on, and some strong material, particularly 'Tears Of A Mandrake', which is more riff-orientated than the material from many of the bands that preceeded them. I must admit though that I was suffering power metal fatigue by this time, so ventured to the smaller stage where there was more variety (with admittedly less professionalism) on show.

Next act on the main stage, Paradise Lost, came as a relief to me, although evidently not to the majority of fans. Arriving fifteen minutes late due to technical glitches, its clear from the off that the band (particularly frontman Nick Holmes), never the most cheery outfit, are in something of a bad mood. For Paradise Lost fans, of course, this is something of the norm, but I think that for the Bloodstock crowd, who've been fired up by the European power metallers to constantly show their passion by cheering and showing their hands at every opportunity, Holmes' sullen stage presence and rather snidey (but, in my opinion, quite amusing) put-downs aren't the order of the day. Personally, I thought a change in musical and performance style was needed, and that PL played a great set, mixing crowd favourites (i.e. anything before and up to 95's 'Draconian Times') with the goth-meets-Depeche Mode style of their recent material in perfect proportions. Highlights for me were the 'Draconian Times' tracks 'Hallowed Lands' and ''Enchantment', and the almost orchestral sweep of final number 'One Second'. Not a universal success then, but a good performance in my opinion.

Throughout the day it was noticeable that by far the most popular band-name to have on T-shirts was that of Nightwish, and the huge queue prior to their signing session testified to the fact that the majority of the crowd were here primarily to see their debut gig on UK shores (the first of two, the second being on the Sunday in London). Anticipation was therefore high prior to the band finally appearing on stage.

The first half of this show was of a very high quality indeed. Nightwish were a heavier prospect than I'd been expecting, though they are set apart by the soaring, operatic tones of female vocalist Tarja Turunen., tonight resplendent in an all-white outfit (with matching microphone!). The band delved into their back catalogue but concentrated squarely on new(ish) CD 'Century Child'. The second half of the show, including a break where Tarja went off (understandably to rest her voice) saw things go off the boil a little, with three covers ('Crazy Train' 'Walking In The Air' (yes, the Aled Jones song!) and 'Over The Hills and Far Away') seeming a bit superfluous given the size of the band's back catalogue and the length of the set (little over an hour). However, this is nit-picking; this was a great gig, performed with gusto by a talented band, and the majority of festival-goers left happy.

A word should be said about the good organisation (the security was so relaxed and friendly that they even said goodnight to everyone on the way out!) and the excellent atmosphere – this was a festival attended by people there because they genuinely love this kind of music, rather than because its trendy (it patently isn't), and the wide mix of people from all walks of live meant for a pleasant and trouble-free environment (and for good people watching!).

Next year, it might be advisable for the venue to bring in more beer (they appeared to be running dry on Saturday!) and perhaps to have a wider variety of metal acts on the main stage, but overall this was a great festival, and I'll be there for 2004, as I imagine will the majority who came this year.

Tom 13/09/2003