AMAZING
by Cryptix on 7/31/25House of Blues San Diego - San DiegoRating: 5 out of 5Bloodywood brought the ENERGY. My bf has been to a lot more shows than I have and said that was the most energized he's seen a venue in awhile.

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Combining nu-metal, rap-metal and regional folk music, Indian heavy-metal outfit Bloodywood originally started out as a parody project in 2016 but quickly evolved into the real deal. Today, they are a beloved hard-rock act that is heavily involved in social work and charitable causes around mental-health awareness and animal welfare.
Formed in New Delhi by co-founder and multi-instrumentalist Karan Katiyar, Bloodywood also features vocalist Jayant Bhadula and rapper Raoul Kerr. It started out with Katiyar (a former corporate lawyer) and Bhadula (a talent manager) as a two-piece band with the intention of "destroying pop songs."
Bloodywood's first cover came in 2017 when the band re-recorded an immensely popular version of Linkin Park's "Heavy," which they followed with the 2017 compilation covers album Anti-Pop Vol. 1 featuring updated renditions of songs by Backstreet Boys, 50 Cent, Ariana Grande, and Nirvana, and was released on Bandcamp. The band also shared a metal cover version of the Bhangra/Indi-pop song "Tunak Tunak Tun" by Daler Mehndi, featuring guest vocals from Bonde do Metaleiro.
In 2018, Bloodywood released a cover of "Ari Ari" by the Bombay Rockers, which adapts an earlier version of the Indian folk song "Bars Barsi." The first song featuring vocals from Kerr, "Ari Ari'' became a streaming sensation, thanks in part to Bollywood actress Ileana D'Cruz sharing the track on social media.
The overall success of "Ari Ari" inspired Bloodywood to start writing original material, which they did in 2018 starting with the song "Jee Veerey." Bloodywood wrote "Jee Veerey" -- a song about fighting depression -- in partnership with the online counseling site HopeTherapy. The following January, the two released "Endurant," a song that dealt with the subject of bullying.
In spring 2019, Bloodywood embarked on their Raj Against the Machine Tour and performed at German hard-rock festival Wacken Open Air. Kerr was also invited to be a full-time member of Bloodywood in 2019. Two years later, Metal Hammer named Bloodywood as one of the "12 New Metal Bands To Watch In 2022."
In February 2022, Bloodywood released their debut studio album, Rakshak, which charted on Billboard (making Bloodywood the first Indian metal band to achieve this) and featured lyrics sung in English, Hindi and Punjabi. The lead single "Gaddaar" came out in November 2021 and featured political musings around the separation of church and state. The single "Aaj" dropped in January 2022 with a video shot in Munnar, Kerala.
Translating to "protector," Rakshak is about "a joint effort to protect people and the planet as a whole from all the challenges we're facing," according to Kerr in an interview with Metalutopia. "We hope to do this by eliminating the challenges altogether, because the best defense is a great offense. You'll hear messages about divisive politics, corruption, toxic news, sexual assault and bullying, as well as personal ones about battling depression and pushing your limits."
Get tickets to see Bloodywood live on tour at Ticketmaster today.
Bloodywood brought the ENERGY. My bf has been to a lot more shows than I have and said that was the most energized he's seen a venue in awhile.
Except for the cruciating wait and the WiFi not working at the venue where cell service was non existent, had an awesome experience when the band came out to play, surprised to see most people knew their lyrics too
So much energy. One of the funnest metal bands to watch. They know how to get a crowd hyped. Love how they engage with the crowd too.
Best show ever. Sold out crowd, smaller venu. They brought it!! Pit was awesome!! Used local opening acts. Love this band!
I really love Bloodywood's music, but they still need to work on their stage presence a bit because I kinda felt like they were performing in a bubble as if the crowd wasn't there for 90% of the show with the exception of when a couple of the guys left the stage to wander around in the middle of the GA area for part of a song. There was pretty much no interaction with people in the front except for the drummer of all people who was sitting in the back. They have really positive messages in their music which they pile on during the show which I appreciate, I was just a little disappointed with the level of interactivity and stage presence. Also, some of the mics seemed a little too low but I'm nitpicking. They still performed an enjoyable show. Also, given that they have roots in their YouTube covers, I kinda with they had performed 2-3 of the more popular ones in addition to their album songs. IMO, it would have been amazing if they had polled the VIP ticket holders for which of their YT covers they wanted to hear, and then performed the top 2-3 so each show would be a little different. If it was me voting, it would have been Shape of You and Honey Singh. I would love to see both of those metal versions performed live. Those reimaginings are works of art. All in all though, it was a good experience. Really diverse crowd compared to other shows, which is to be expected for a band like this.
I drove from Philadelphia, the show was amazing! They have amazing energy and crowd interaction. The venue was okay, it was upstairs in an old building, sound left a little wanting but I stood all the way in the back and still had a perfect view (I'm pretty tall though), and there was never any line at the bar. I'd definitely come to see the band again but would vastly prefer it if they came to one of the venues in Philly (or even Baltimore) next time! Regardless, I'll see them again!
This was my first time seeing Bloodywood live and I already want to see them again. Their energy and passion is palpable. They sound great IRL. They are also very friendly and down to earth. The fans they cultivate are cool too. Great music, great scene, great performance. 10/10
Fantastic show from wonderful people. So much energy! Will see them every time possible.
Ticket scan worked flawlessly. ADA seating is in an amazing spot. Floor plan is well setup for handicapped customers. Bar is even easily accessible. Staff was friendly and helpful. The Band absolutely rocked their set. I have 0 complaints. Amazing experience
The venue is clean and well run, and staff is nice.