By DJ Monk

With just eight weeks to go, Bloodstock have confirmed the first tranche of bands for the Jägermeister Stage.

Fresh from the launch of their excellent new, ÜR-approved album, ‘The Affront’, Belfast’s Skypilot will bring their heavy riffs and groove to Catton Park’s most intimate stage on the Friday (9 August). They will be joined by Leicester grunge/hard rock outfit Graves and blues metal squad Beggar.  On Saturday, the Irish invasion continues, with heavy groove trio Black Shuck, alongside one man death metal outfit Foul Body Autopsy.  Sunday’s bill will feature Irish/Australian hard rockers, Jailbirds, who have have celebrated the announcement with the release of a new single, ‘Nothing Good Lasts Forever’, and you-can-work-it-out-from-their-name, WOMENOWAR!  A second batch of Jägermeister Stage bands will be announced next month.

The second wave of winners from Bloodstock’s annual ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals, who all bag a spot to perform on the Hobgoblin New Blood stage, also have been confirmed.  Friday will welcome Burnley’s winners, the southern/doom metal squad Grand Elder, Bournemouth black/death metallers victors Anakim and thrash/prog groovesters Blind Divide, who triumphed in Cardiff’s final.  Saturday’s line-up welcomes Wrexham’s top dogs Scars Of Remembrance, while joining Sunday’s New Blood fun are Elyrean, the melo/tech thrashers who won in Wolverhampton, Hitchin melodeath victors Fear Bound and instrumental tri-guitar Stoke champions Lost In Lavender Town. The finals are still taking place around the country, so get down to your local event and support grass roots music and help shape Bloodstock’s line-up!

Bloodstock takes place at Catton Park in Derbyshire over the weekend of 8 -11 August.  Weekend tickets, and limited VIP packages, are still available at the Bloodstock store.