Bloodstock 2010 Pays Homage to Dio
According to the latest update from the promoters of Bloodstock Open Air – one of the world's most beloved heavy metal festivals, celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer – the main stage at the fest is being renamed in honor of revered metal god Ronnie James Dio, who passed away Sunday morning at age 67. It's a fitting tribute to a man whose talent shaped the course of metal history, and there are some impressive artists at the event who will no doubt be raising their horns in tribute to Dio's legacy. More details after the jump...
On the official Bloodstock site , event founder Paul Gregory – whose artwork has graced the cover of two Dio albums – formally announced the “Ronnie James Dio Stage” for the 2010 festival. Sadly, Dio's band Heaven & Hell – which he shared with fellow Black Sabbath vets Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice – was originally slated to perform on that very stage this summer before the singer lost his battle with cancer on May 17th.
Gregory, who designed the album covers for Dio's Angry Machines and Inferno: Last In Live, issued a memorial statement on the site. “The demise of one of the true legends of metal has come to pass,” he said. “[A] true gentleman in every sense and a giant of the genre... As the UK’s only true outdoor metal festival, it seems only fitting that we pay tribute to a man who has done so much for our beloved genre, and so – with overwhelming support from our social networking users – we wish to pay tribute by renaming our main stage the Ronnie James Dio stage, and ensure the spirit of this metal icon lives on.”
Faced with the challenge of replacing the irreplaceable, promoters called on two bands to join the lineup in Heaven & Hell's absence: Swedish experimental metal unit Meshuggah will step in as a new headliner, with a second “surprise guest” to be announced on June 14th.
Among the metal heavyweights also playing at the historic British fest – which runs from August 13th through 15th at Derbyshire's Catton Hall – include Cannibal Corpse, GWAR, Twisted Sister, Fear Factory, Devin Townsend, Doro, Amorphis, Obituary, Behemoth, Children of Bodom, Gojira, Leaves' Eyes, Sonata Arctica, Edguy, Ensiferum... the list goes on and on, so be sure to check out the Bloodstock site for the complete rundown. Be sure to check out their promo too!
UPDATE: Music Choice is airing a Dio tribute panel all this week on their Metal, Rock and Retro Rock channels, so be sure to check it out... full details are available on the Music Choice website.
