Well, here it is, we’ve all made it through the humdrum of life, just a few more sleeps (or if like me, insomnia is your thing, just a few hours nap!) until Bloodstock, the last few shifts at work, the stress of getting ahead with studies and assessments done before they are due (Who sets a cut off date for an assessment to fall during Bloodstock?! Damn you!!!) and whatever else life throws at us during our regular struggles. The main thing is, near 4 full days of music, friends, family, and completely shut off from any cost-of-living crisis, political battles for Number 10, and whatever else that adds weight to our existence. None of us may have had a choice in being born or what it costs to live, but at least with Bloodstock, we can have a good time! So, it’s time we polish off our ABCs with S through Z!
S – Sophie/Sylvia
It is such a sad loss to not just the festival, but the whole scene to no longer have Sylvia Lancaster with us. Such a wonderful soul, she would have the time of day to talk to anyone and everyone at Bloodstock and it goes without saying the strength and resolve to fight for change. In honour of Sylvia, Sunday will be the day when the Sophie Lancaster Foundation has asked for people to wear her favourite colour, pink. This will truly be a sight to see and something special to be a part of. Very limited in number, but the Sophie stall will have some shirts made up, be quick if you don’t want to miss out!
T – Travel
Know your arrangements! Plan with time to spare, anticipate delays, things can go wrong quick, and it is easy to just assume things will all go to schedule. Anticipate train delays, whilst those of us doing the full weekend, this will not have much impact, but for those travelling via train on the 13th, be sure to pay attention to train strikes and any impact this could have on your travels. Know when and where your bus stops off, where and when to get your taxi and so forth. Regarding taxis, it’ll be worth looking at sharing. If you’re in a hotel/train station, chances are there may well be another few that are looking to taxi, not only does it work in everyone’s favour money-wise to share a taxi, but it also means fewer taxis in use at the same time for the same job, making it more available for others. It also helps to know the route if you are driving! Follow the details on the Bloodstock official site for easy directions to guide your ways.
U – Underwear
It should go without saying, but underwear! The weather is looking to be hot, so packing plenty of underwear will do you a favour for both those sweltering days and those nippy nights! No one will be a fan of standing next to the guy living in the same two pairs of underwear over the whole weekend! Whilst talking of underwear, the same goes for socks!
V – Variety
Bloodstock might be a metal festival, but there’s so much more than that, we could sit for days and talk like Bubba does about shrimp with the variety under the metal umbrella, but the festival pulls out all the stops by providing entertainment and creature comforts.
W – Wellies/walking boots
It might be a heatwave, the ground may be dry and broken, but wellies are pretty damn durable, and a good substitute for walking boots if you haven’t a pair. They’ll handle the terrain pretty well, the sodden bits of ground near toilets and water points will soon be a bit worse for wear as the weekend goes on.
X – Xtra
…Yes, this was a damn struggle and a bit of a cop-out. Still, it doesn’t hurt to bring extra things, extra bottles for water, extra socks and underwear, extra wipes and hygiene products, loo roll, medication, sunscreen and after sun, oh, and extra money! Certain things are better to have and not need than the alternative, filling that little spare room in a bag with an extra bog roll could be an absolute lifesaver!
Y – Yellow and Blue
Whilst we have mentioned pink to be the colour of the day for Sylvia Lancaster on Sunday, It won’t be too far away from many thoughts when Jinjer takes to the stage with the conflict and ongoing suffering in their home nation of Ukraine. Yellow and blue are the colours of their flag, it might not be much, but a show of support with Ukrainian colours could really have an impact. Memories of the crowd shouting Taiwan during Cthonics performance back in 2012 flood back.
Z – Zilch
Zilch, nada, nothing. As long as you remember the main points we hope to have covered in our ABCs, then you’ll be pretty set to take on Bloodstock no matter your anxiety or first-time nerves. There will always be something we forgot to mention or think of after publishing, it is the festival way to forget about something! This should do you well in preparation for a few days’ time. Just remember to have fun, it’s a festival, life isn’t cheap and despite Bloodstock doing all they can to keep costs down, living a weekend of festival life can cost your bank account a bit of a hit, so make sure to look after yourself enough to last the entirety of your stay!
Stage times are now live on the site and app, so be sure to dig in and sort out your clashes, clashfinder as mentioned in our first guide will be a great help to work with, especially if you are expecting to lose any signal over your weekend. Be sure to take note of any of the recent announcements too, BBQs for example might seem small and trivial but it’s a big deal. Use the designated areas only!! This just about wraps up our Bloodstock prep, so get packed and ready, and we look forward to seeing you in a field this weekend!
