Opeth guitarist and singer Mikael Åkerfeldt and Clutch frontman Neil Fallon will be hosting Bloodstock Festival Specials on Primordial Radio.

OPETH & CLUTCH BLOODSTOCK SPECIALS

The Radio Specials will be airing on Friday 26th (Clutch) & Saturday 27th (Opeth) July at 11am (BST) and will also be available on-demand on this page shortly after the broadcast.

Speaking about performing at Bloodstock Festival 2024, Neil Fallon states:

We’re very excited to be returning to the United Kingdom. It will have been over a year since we’ve been in the UK, which in Clutch’s history is quite an extended absence.

We took some time off because we did a lot of touring in Europe and North America. We’re looking forward to it. I really don’t know what to expect from the Clutch show on August 9th because we typically write our set lists maybe an hour or two before the performance. If the past tour is any clue, we’ve been playing quite a few deep cuts.

With Mikael Åkerfeldt stating…

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I’m excited. I’m always excited playing anywhere. I get excited and nervous, feeling like I want to run away before every show.

Oddly enough, at some of the bigger shows, like festival stages, I feel more comfortable because the crowd is further away. I love the UK; we all love the UK. We have a long history with the UK. I don’t know how many times we’ve played there over the years, but it’s numerous. We’ve recorded at least three live DVDs in the UK.

I go there on private holidays. I love hanging out there. The fans are great. Last time we played there, it was at Hammersmith, doing something similar to what we’re doing at Bloodstock, a fan-request set of songs. We’ve played Bloodstock a few times.

I can’t remember how many times exactly. The most memorable time was the year Ronnie Dio passed away. Heaven and Hell were going to play Bloodstock, and they were headlining. Sadly, Ronnie passed away, and someone asked if we would take their slot, which we did. You don’t say no to those kinds of things. He was insanely important to me on a musical level, and I also met him. I spent an evening with him, talking and drinking beer. All the stories about him being awesome are true. He was such an awesome guy. We played a Rainbow song in his honor, “Catch the Rainbow,” from the first record. I’m not going to suggest I can sing like Ronnie D; I certainly can’t, no one can. But we did it out of love and respect. It was memorable. After that show, we had a group hug, which has never happened before or since. It was a big thing for all of us in the band at the time.

Bloodstock’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are Amon Amarth, Opeth, and Architects. Tickets are on sale here.

Throughout the weekend, attendees can also look forward to performances from Clutch, Hatebreed, Carcass, Enslaved, Malevolence, Satyricon, Rotting Christ, Sylosis, Whitechapel, Deicide, Grand Magus, Desert Storm, The Vintage Caravan, Green Lung, Exist Immortal, Eternal Champion, Grove Street, Mimi Barks, Crypta, Forbidden, Nervosa, Beast in Black, Korpiklaani, Unleash the Archers, Flogging Molly, Septic Flesh, Igorrr, Night Flight Orchestra, Hellripper, Infected Rain, Cultura Tres, Sadus, Ludovico Technique, Red Rum, Evergrey, Tailgunner, South of Salem, and more.

The festival recently confirmed there will be official bin jousting at this year’s event. You may have heard about the unauthorized activity known as bin jousting, typically occurring late at night in the Midgard campsite.

Bloodstock Festival has expressed disapproval of this activity, leading to the implementation of stricter security measures. These included emphasizing safety precautions, confiscating bins, and even attempting to secure them with chains. However, these efforts proved ineffective, as bin jousting continued undeterred.

The participants, known as Midgarders, remained relentless and proud, transforming this activity into a tradition and an integral part of Bloodstock’s history. The saying goes, “if you can’t beat them, join them!” Embracing this sentiment, Bloodstock has officially announced the inclusion of bin jousting in this year’s event.

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