The next edition of our Road To Bloodstock series comes from Overkill’s frontman Blitz Ellsworth! He shares his thoughts on playing the main stage at Catton Park and why the atmosphere is so chilled out…
**Hey Bobby! You’re on the Ronnie James Dio stage at Bloodstock. How do you feel about that? **“Hey, we love Bloodstock. It’s got such a cool atmosphere, and we’ll go out to show we can still win under any circumstances. We’re not a band who are satisfied with 8⁄10. We’ll aim for a 10⁄10, and show we know how to enjoy ourselves.”
Do you know remember much about playing Bloodstock in 2008? “Yeah, that was quite something. I recall turning up and being surprised how condensed it was. It was a lot smaller than I expected, but that’s what made it great. The intensity and energy there was so much greater than you’d get at a bigger event. I remember there was a dust cloud while were were playing, from the pit that was going on. There was some intense boot bashing happening to get that sort of cloud!”
What sort of set will you play? “You know, we’ve found the right balance now. Thrash is really popular – has been for about six years – so we get a lot of young fans checking us out, which gives us the chance to play the newer songs. But then there are the diehards who’ve got on faded t-shirts over beer bellies, and we don’t forget them. We will throw in the classics, plus ‘80s songs which we haven’t done for a while, like Overkill and End Of The Line. It’s a good mix we find goes over great.”
Are there any other bands playing you’re gonna check out? “Trivium are headlining that day, right? We’ll check out what’s going on with them. Also, Nuclear Assault, who are our cousins from New York. They’ve gotta be worth seeing. And Armored Saint are playing that day as well – I have to see what’s going on with them. We might also have the chance to see some bands we’ve not come across before.”
Will you be sampling the general atmosphere at Bloodstock? “We never like to hit and run so we will stay as long as we can. I remember from last time, it was a really relaxed vibe, and we’ll chill out with some friends, drink some cold beers, see some bands, and generally take in what it’s all about. I hate having to go into a festival, play and then leave straight off. You don’t feel part of the event.”
**In one sentence, why should fans check out Overkill? **“These old guys might have grey hair but they fucking bang their heads – hard!”
