Punktastic

As the saying goes, there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’. Apparently there’s also no ‘U’ in Colorblind either, but of course this is the name of a band, and they’re not British. Hailing from Austin, Texas the four-piece has been labouring away for almost a decade and, after having signed with Solid State Records, they’re ready to their unleash their debut album. On the subject of grammar, its title contains two questions, but no questions marks; that means it’s a statement, but what is it saying?

No comeback in metal was as welcome as Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith’s jubilant return to their rightful places in Iron Maiden back in 2000 with the release of the band’s triumphant twelfth album ‘Brave New World’. After the 90’s saw the band stumble and meander with the two, let’s face it, half-baked Blaze Bayley fronted albums, ‘Brave New World’ would see the heavy metal stalwarts embark on a successful and creative second chapter to match and even surpass their 80s heyday.

Moving on after the exit of an integral band member is never an easy task, but for Mastodon the circumstances were infinitely harder. Five months after their friend and guitarist of twenty-five years Brent Hinds parted ways with the band, he tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident, leaving the three remaining band members bereft with a seemingly impossible hole to fill.

There was always something retiring about Dinosaur Jr. Their name alone – appended with that suffix of inferiority, necessary to avoid legal action by way of ‘60s supergroup Dinosaur – was indicative of something slightly less than greatness. Seeing Dinosaur Jr. live is similarly lacking in pomp – their bashful frontman J Mascis usually appears unanimated to the point of motionlessness.

When Iā€™m not fixing air conditioning units for a living Iā€™m jumping on the road with fantastic bands having the best time immortalising those precious moments that live music presents us. A more unorthodox background for this industry I admit but nothing makes me feel more alive than behind the lens in front of a stage!

Sunday at Bloodstock always carries a different kind of energy to the rest of the weekend: equal parts triumphant and battered, like a boxer who’s still standing purely out of spite. Muddy boots, questionable hygiene and a healthy dose of Sunday-scaries mixed with the giddy realisation that this is the last stretch, and the 25th anniversary edition of the festival isn’t about to let anyone coast to the finish line.

In January 1977, the Great Lakes Blizzard struck the Niagara region of North America. Temperatures plummeted to -18c degrees and hurricane-level winds smashed windows and doors. Anyone driving on the motorway was forced to abandon their cars and try and make it home on foot. Two thousand children were trapped in their schools by nearly three metres of snow over the weekend, and rescue workers took on thirty six hour shifts to try and keep Ontario and New York State running.

When Iā€™m not fixing air conditioning units for a living Iā€™m jumping on the road with fantastic bands having the best time immortalising those precious moments that live music presents us. A more unorthodox background for this industry I admit but nothing makes me feel more alive than behind the lens in front of a stage!

Saturday arrives, and the morning bathing options are either queuing up for 3-5 business days to take a shower, or deciding you don’t have all day to wait and instead opting for the lite version; baby wipes and prayers. A festival classic. Breakfast is continental – a selection of leftover barbecue food with a side of dust. There is so much dust. It’s impossible to avoid ingesting even a little bit completely. But no matter – everyone’s fuelled up and raring to go for a full day of tunes.

When Iā€™m not fixing air conditioning units for a living Iā€™m jumping on the road with fantastic bands having the best time immortalising those precious moments that live music presents us. A more unorthodox background for this industry I admit but nothing makes me feel more alive than behind the lens in front of a stage!