Bad Earth Have Played Three Bloodstock Stages - and They’re Not Done Yet
After three appearances on three different Bloodstock stages, the North Wales trio are still looking upwards. We caught up with Bad Earth to talk about their latest return, forthcoming album Stitches and an unlikely team-up with Professor Elemental.
North Wales rockcore trio Bad Earth speak to Festpod at Bloodstock Festival 2026.
Bad Earth are making a habit of finding a new corner of Bloodstock every time they return.
The North Wales trio first played the Jägermeister Stage in 2021. After winning Metal 2 the Masses North Wales, they returned in 2025 for the New Blood Stage. This year brought a third appearance on a third stage, inside the Serpent’s Lair VIP area.
That leaves the Sophie Lancaster and Ronnie James Dio stages yet to conquer.
“We’ve only got two more to go to complete the set, so we’ll keep grinding,” the band told Festpod.
They are ambitious, but they are not taking any of it for granted.
“You take it as it comes along,” they said. “We’re slowly grinding people down, so hopefully we’ll get there someday.”
Bad Earth pointed to bands including Raised By Owls and Party Cannon as proof that underground acts can work their way towards Bloodstock’s larger stages.
“It’s all within grasp, so you’ve just got to keep being tenacious and keep working at it,” they said, before describing themselves as “the underground Evil Scarecrow”.
Taking Stitches beyond DIY
The next step for Bad Earth is Stitches, an album which has been a long time in the making.
“Everything we’ve done before has been DIY, and this is to a certain degree,” they explained. “But to make the next step, we felt that you need to get professionals in to put that sheen on things and make things better.”
The band still recorded the album themselves. They worked from their own studio, soundproofed the room and invested in the equipment needed to capture the best recordings they could within their budget.
The point where they stepped away from the completely DIY approach was the mixing and mastering.
Bad Earth sent the material to several people and asked for sample mixes before choosing Neil Hudson, known for his work with Gutworm.
Handing the recordings to somebody outside the band took some trust, but the early results quickly won them over.
“I played it about 200 times in the car,” one member admitted.
Another said it was the first time he had listened back to his own music and immediately wanted to play it again.
“I actually went, ‘That’s something,’ and played it again. Everything about it, I’m happy with.”
The band also plan to release the album on vinyl.
At the time of our interview, Bad Earth hoped Stitches would be ready by the end of August. The schedule has since moved, but a new single from the album, Trigger Point, was released on the 18th of September. The full album is now expected later in 2026.
Giving “posh rap” a metal makeover
Bad Earth’s own appearance was not the end of their Bloodstock plans. When we spoke, they were also preparing to join Professor Elemental on stage and add some heavier backing to his set.
The plan was not especially complicated.
“Wing it,” they said. “He’s going to play his stuff anyway. We’re jamming along to it, and he said if we can metal it up…”
Bad Earth described Professor Elemental’s music as “posh rap”, complete with the pith helmet and old-fashioned gentleman act.
“There’ll be some heavy beats going on, some heavy bass, and I’ll just be chugging along, I guess,” they said. “It’s all fun.”
That mix of steady ambition and a refusal to take themselves too seriously runs through the whole interview.
They want bigger stages, a stronger-sounding record and a vinyl release. They also find time to discuss branded pint glasses, endless guitar solos, a completely fictional invitation from Judas Priest and studded underpants.
Three Bloodstock appearances in, Bad Earth are still grinding.
Only two stages left.
Related coverage:
Share this story