Rabidfest 2023: Breaking Down The Bands #19: Blaze Bayley!

It seems the stars are aligning for this years fifth anniversary incarnation of Oxfords finest Metal Weekender. Some impressive new albums, stunning new singles and incredible live performances have already been signed sealed and delivered in 2023 by the majority of the bands set to take to the Devolution Magazine sponsored main stage over the weekend of the 4th and 5th November and there is more to come. Gutlocker are promising a new cut, Monasteries have a new album and a new label home and Tribe Of Ghosts will be fresh from their biggest show to date, the new blood stage at Bloodstock. But there is one person we haven’t spoken about in this series as yet and that’s Blaze Bayley. Before we get into that, here’s the line up in full…

Bound In Fear
Blaze Bayley
Absolva
Ward XVI
Mortishead
Tribe Of Ghosts
Gutlocker
Imperium
From Her Ashes
Draconian Reign
Monasteries
Reveller
LestWeForget
Johanna Rey
Cage Fight
Stone Soup
Second Hour
Depolarize
Indecorum
Sworn Amongst

It’s next to impossible to recap the 39 year career to date of Blaze Bayley in a couple of paragraphs and do to so seems like something of an injustice, however we’re going to give it a try because despite having suffered a heart attack in March, the legend is going to be headlining Rabidfest in November.

Our history lesson begins in Birmingham, where Black Sabbath were crowned the founding forefathers of Heavy Metal. Its here that Blaze Bayley rose to prominence with Wolfsbane, a band who had a decade long run that started in 1984 before he jumped ship, joining Iron Maiden for a five year stint in place of Bruce Dickenson. During that time the band recorded “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI” before being ejected from the group to allow for Dickenson’s return in 1999. Remaining steadfast and refusing to give up on the dream inspired by witnessing Ronnie James Dio on the “Holy Diver” tour, Bayley formed a new band simply called Blaze that would become a solo project called Blaze Bayley in 2007. More recently he’s been in partnership with Absolva who act as his backing band of co-conspirators, his lyrical journey transcending from Science Fiction in the early days into narratives about personal struggle and the strength to survive.

As a vocalist, he’s been at the helm of bands for somewhere around the 20 album mark, excluding live records (of which he has released a wealth) and EPs. Add to that more guest vocal appearances than you can shake a stick at as he has accompanied everyone from The Almighty to Doro and you get the picture. He’s a World class performer with a huge reputation who has seen and done everything when it comes to Metal, including playing South America. Back in August 2017 the precursor event to what would become Rabidfest was headlined by Blaze Bayley with Desert Storm and Dog Tired also making an appearance. So a more fitting headliner for the fifth anniversary you could not find as things go full circle and Blaze gets to witness just how far the event has come. Expect him to be welcomed with open arms as he’s not only a legend, but a hero to everyone involved in Rabidfest.

We’re proud to be a Media Partner of Rabidfest again this year alongside Red Death Media, Moomin Merchandise, Metalplanetmusic, Moshville Times, GraphicsFix, Unearthed Music and main stage sponsor Devolution Magazine. The Festival is all for charity and this year the profits going to the The Sophie Lancaster Foundation!

Rabidfest will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 4th and 5th November 2023:

Get your tickets here -> https://www.rabidfest.co.uk

Get your merch here -> https://shop.rabidfest.co.uk