Life

The Joy of Headbanging, in Photos

Bloodstock Festival 2023: A pink haired person headbanging to Employed To Serve’s

Headbanging is a perfectly natural response to music, up there with the urge to form a mosh pit or get battered when it’s sunny out. Researchers have even observed the practice of violently bopping one’s head to rhythmic sounds (that’s the scientific phrase, FYI) across the animal kingdom, from pigeons to sea lions. But it’s been finessed into an art at Bloodstock, the UK’s biggest independent metal festival.

This weekend saw 18,000 metalheads and moshers congregate at Catton Park in Derbyshire to listen to headline acts like Megadeth, Killswitch Engage and Meshuggah. There’s something joyous about the act of thrashing your head around to truly heavy music, even if it does come with some downsides (doctors once begged ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted to stop headbanging after he developed whiplash), but hey – what’s life without a bit of risk?

Videos by VICE

VICE photographer Christopher Bethell joined fans in the moshpit to document one of metal’s most time-honoured rituals. If you want to check out what this headbanging looked like in action, head on over to our TikTok.

Bloodstock Festival 2023: A man in corpse makeup headbangs to Knocked Loose
Caught mid-headbang during Knocked Loose’s set.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A couple headbanging during Knocked Loose
A couple in the crowd bang their heads in time to Knocked Loose.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A man in a wedding dress headbanging in Employed to Serve’s pit
Fancy dress is a staple at Bloodstock. This bride had come along with their two bridesmaids into Employed to Serve’s pit.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: Two people in corpse makeup headbanging during Street Soldier’s set
Two people in corpse paint headbanging during Street Soldier’s set on the New Blood Stage.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A man with long ginger hair headbanging with arms in the air during Knocked Loose
Going for it during a Knocked Loose set.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A group of people with arms around each other headbanging during Employed To Serve
People in a crowd embrace each other during Employed To Serve.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A woman with dreadlocks headbanging during Employed to Serve
This woman’s colourful dreads form a moving sculpture in the crowd at Employed to Serve.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: Smiling man with ginger hair headbanging during Street Soldier
The flash freezes this man’s hair into a messy, sculptural shape during Street Soldier’s set.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A group of people in black headbanging during Employed To Serve
A group of moshers throwing themselves around during Employed To Serve’s set.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A couple in colourful clothing headbanging during the Killswitch Engage set
A couple headbangs together during the Killswitch Engage set.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A black man with dreads headbanging and smiling during Employed To Serve
The face of a headbanger fully embracing one of Employed To Serve’s songs.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: A topless bearded man holding his arms up during Killswitch Engage
This headbanger during Killswitch Engage wore some very low-rise jeans.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: Two men headbanging during Killswitch Engage’s set on the main stage
Hair flies during Killswitch Engage’s set on the main stage, now renamed the Ronnie James Did Stage.
Bloodstock Festival 2023: An older man in pink sparkly cardigan headbanging during Hidden Intent’s set
A fan plays air guitar during Hidden Intent’s set at the Jagermeister tent.