JBs (venue)

I've never been to JBs before - What's it like?

Really good, I have always liked JB's.

Easy to get to, parking is pretty good & probably plenty of B&B etc around for those people having to travel a bit further.

The venue itself is a reasonable size, with good sound, & with decent advertising it should be able to get pretty full. I have seen Testament, Nevermore, Sonata Arctica & recently Jorn & been able to casually walk right up to the stage, which seemed a little odd, busiest I have seen it was for Hammerfall.

All in all a great choice & hopefully the bands prove a draw & we can get another decent show in the midlands.

Really like this venue... think it's a good choice and quite easy to get to

JB's is cool. Been there to see Blaze (Bayley). Awesome venue.

I see from the map on the site that it's quite near to a hotel... I might need to sort out some accomodation!

The Station Hotel is literally across the road....a 20 second walk from hotel to the venue...maybe longer staggering back, lol.

I looked at the Station Hotel on www.laterooms.com - the customer feedback really put me off! So, I have booked at Quality Hotel, which on map looks about 10 min walk. If you use this site you can get a double with brekkie for £45 per night. You cant go wrong! Good thing is you secure it by card and pay when you get there.

I have a question about the car park at JBs

From the Metalfest Web page
"We share the Zoo car park and parking is free for JB's customers
so parking is never a problem."

The car park in question is a pay and display car park and unlike a lot of it's type it does not have a time when charges do not apply eg after 1800

I have been to JBs many times and have never paid, but then I have always been there in the evening arriving about 1930 and when talking to the JB staff they tell you not to bother as it is not checked at night (I assume that the traffic Wardens have all gone home by this time)

But this time we are talking about parking during the day on a Satuday and Sunday so, is this official and if so how do the traffic wardens know who is at JBs ?

I am booked into the Quality hotel for Friday and Saturday night so will be leaving the car there, but expect to be in the car park on sunday - I would not be impressed to come back and found a parking ticket on my car

Traffic wardens at some places are on comission - so they are not very generous ( I dont know if Dudley is such an area)

British,


Unless the organisers are going to issue car park passes, I feel you're going to have to "pay & display".

Being a person with dietary problems (gluten free only) the provision of a car park burger van will not see me through a 2 1/2 day festival! If anyone is familiar with the venue and immediate area can you tell me what available in the local area? Does the hotel over the road have reasonably priced meals?

gorobschnitt wrote:

Being a person with dietary problems (gluten free only) the provision of a car park burger van will not see me through a 2 1/2 day festival! If anyone is familiar with the venue and immediate area can you tell me what available in the local area? Does the hotel over the road have reasonably priced meals?

There's the castlegate complex about 5 minutes walk away from JBs, if that. It has several resturants, the cheapest (not counting mcdonalds and pizza hut) would be the Bostin Fittle which is a family resturant/pub, I don't know if they do any gluten free food, I really don't know much about that kind of thing, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something at castlegate. There are also a few places in Dudley town centre, which is about 5 minutes walk from JBs in the opposite direction, past the zoo, but most food places there mainly sell sandwiches, rather than meals. There is also a Tesco's nearby which is next to the Village Hotel, which is about 10 minutes walk from JBs. As for meals at the Station Hotel, I've eaten there once and I wasn't impressed to be honest, but that was a while ago, so I can't remember anything about how much it cost.
You shouldn't have too much trouble finding something, there are quite alot of places to eat within quite a small area.

I hope that helps.

The food situation is one of the next things on my agenda! Burger vans are not my ideal choice, but with the food area at JBs being used as the Green Room for bands I have to come up with a solution. If I dont get something 'gluton free' and vegetarian, my g/f will kill me....or she'll starve over the weekend! The town centre is only a 10 minute walk up the hill...Tesco's is 15 minutes the other direction or 2 mins in a car...and there are Hotels with food nearby BUT I will be sorting something out over the coming months....
There is a bit of room in the foyer area for possibly having a catering service, but all this I need to look further into...but it is the next thing to do, after the headliners are confirmed

Any of the Bloodstock forum members should back me up here! Could you have the lovely Deli-Kate and her van of goodies parked up in the carpark? She was at BOA 2007 and by popular demand is hoping to be back for 2009. She does alot of fresh stuff as well as tea & coffee etc. She seems to do outdoor fests but she may be open to the offer of an outside pitch for an Indoor!

Interestingly, I happen to be free for that weekend

Hi Bloodstockees

Kate

Nice to see you here!

Be brilliant if you were there. The only roblem is that find accomodation could be a problem as it seems to be for a number of attendees! Unless you are local?

Paul (gluten free bloke!)

Hi Paul- I visited at your suggestion!

I'm sure Gareth and I could find somewhere to kip- but I'm not sure the venue would find space for us. Gareth thinks there isn't anywhere to place the trailer and as the kitchens are occupied as the 'green Room' we wouldn't have anywhere to cook. I thought we'd be able to set up inside with the arrangement we use in the Gazebo and use their kitchens to bake the baguettes- cheeky I know but nothing ventured nothing gained

Perhaps the organisers have got it sorted by now and you'll have somewhere providing good food.

See you at Bloodstock next year, if not before