In the first of our Road To Bloodstock 2015 series, we talk to Paolo from Trivium about headlining the opening night of the UK’s premier heavy metal festival. And if the tenth anniversary of Ascendancy will affect their set.
**Hey Paolo! How does it feel to be headlining the opening night at Bloodstock? **“It is truly an honour for us! This will be our first time headlining a festival in the UK and that fact isn’t lost on us. We are grateful that Bloodstock would have us join the line-up this year. Also we have to thank the fans for getting us here – we have a stacked line-up on our day, so we are going to have to bring it!”
**You’ve never played Bloodstock before, what do you know of its legacy and reputation? **“We started hearing about the festival a few years back, everyone kept saying how fun it was and the line-ups just became sicker and sicker. I think it’s amazing how quickly they have grown from a small festival into one of the behemoths of the metal festival world. Every year you hear people moan about the death of rock and metal in the world, but Bloodstock is proof that it is has not going away, in fact it is growing and better than ever!”
It’s ten years of Ascendancy this year, will this have an impact on your Bloodstock set?
“It’s amazing to think that an album we never anticipated doing so well would have an impact ten years after it’s release. Ascendancy will always be a proud moment in our career, it’s a reminder of what we have to live up to as a band and where it all started. So to answer the question, yes I think it will have an impact on the set. It will be a great celebration of our first decade as an international touring band.”
**Who would you recommend to watch at Bloodstock and why? **“I’m jealous we won’t get to see the entire weekend! There’s Overkill – one of the best thrash bands ever, Ihsahn who he helped define black metal, and Buffalo’s finest death metal machine Cannibal Corpse. And there’s Rob Zombie. I remember hearing White Zombie on the _Ace Ventura _soundtrack and being hooked instantly. He’s one of the greatest showmen of all time – a product of Alice Cooper, Satan, and horror movies. He’s a great choice to headline the last day!
“Also I believe Nuclear Assault are calling it a quits after this tour, and I’ve only seen them once. I was 16 at the time, but I do remember them kicking serious ass. If I am wrong about them calling it a quits, still see them any way!”
In one sentence, why should people come and watch you guys at Bloodstock? “The gods made heavy metal and they would want you to come see us and drink lots of beer.”
