Bloodywood - Live Review

BLOODYWOOD, 25th July 2019 @ The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham.

It’s the hottest day of the year and Nottingham is a buzz of activity on this Thursday evening. It is fitting that this weekend sees Notts open itself up for their annual Pride festival, a festival that celebrates diversity in all of its forms and we’re here to see Bloodywood, a band that themselves celebrates their own cultural diversity; mixing traditional Indian instruments, dress and music with the more traditional elements of western heavy metal music.

Normally during this part of a review we talk about how the band “hits the stage” and Bloodywood storm onto the stage, mobile phones in hand recording live for social media the huge reaction that they are given by the crowd of The Rescue Rooms. What follows immediately after this though is a slightly awkward few minutes where the band who are all out on stage move microphone stands around, strap their instruments on, check microphones are working and at one point seem to read text messages from someone at the back of the room.

But then Bloodywood burst into action and instantly all is forgotten. It has been a very long time since we have witnessed a band start a set with such ferocity; Bloodywood spit venom and produce fire. The crowd respond accordingly, within seconds the Rescue Rooms crowd becomes a huge mosh pit, bodies go flying, feet are off the ground and the roars are almost louder than the band itself.

Bloodywoods music is a mix that really should not work, hailing from New Delhi, India the band fuse together traditional Indian instruments alongside powereing riffs, mixing indian vocal lines with screaming vocals and then throwing in a more 90s american hardcore style more akin to bands such as Biohazard and Machine Head. Bloodywood are a plethora of influences that seamlessly fuse together. It’s a beautiful thing to experience.

On stage Bloodywood are an intimidating machine. Rapper Raoul Kerr is an intense force, literally bouncing off the walls as he delivers his no nonsense message. Jayant Bhadula commands the stage as he whips the crowd into a frenzy, his vocal style and sound is something that needs to be seen. The rest of the band play their parts in their own unique way, especially notable is touring dhol player Sarthak Pahwa who is incredible to watch as he effortlessly plays alongside standard drummer Vishesh Singh and also acts as another frontman while he isn’t playing, keeping the crowd entertained and off their feet.

Bloodywood are a force, it is hard to believe that these guys started as a parody band, uploading Bollywood versions of popular metal songs, they are certainly no longer a parody, Bloodywood deserve your attention.

Their U.K tour continues as they hit Manchester, London and Milton Keynes over the next few days. If you can grab a ticket we can honestly say you will not be disappointed.