This year I made the decision to head to Donington Park for my first ever Download festival. This decision came very late as I had previously planned to only go for the day on Saturday to see Metallica play the Black Album in full. However, the Download organisers built such an incredible lineup I had no choice but to attend for the full festival.
This was the 10th anniversary of Download and they pulled out all the stops to make it a special occasion. Unfortunately, the weather hadn't got the memo. But more on that later.
So on Thursday 7th June, we packed up my little car and headed north. The drive up was uneventful and extremely easy. We had a laugh following an Audi who didn't know that indicators existed and then we noticed that the weather was getting progressively worse. We had heard that the camp sites were already like mudbaths from a friend who had travelled up on the Wednesday, but were hoping that we could get there, find a spot and pitch the tents before it started to rain, alas. We arrived at the entrance and saw that the South car park entrance was blocked off and cars were being directed down the road. So we ended up in West car park on a lovely tarmac surface, this was the first win of the weekend. That win feeling lasted until we got off the shuttle bus outside the entrance to the site and ended up in ankle deep mud. Fortunately, we had put on our wellies after getting out of the car.
We got through the wristband exchange and then struggled through the village and camp sites until we found a patch to set up. After setting up, we were soaking wet and muddy so decided to chill in our tents for a couple of hours. Then we strolled to the village to buy blankets and towels as these were definitely needed during a typical British summer. The boardie takeover was happening Thursday night but with the weather and lack of energy after trudging through ankle deep mud we decided that we wouldn't go and just try to get some sleep before the festival truly began.
Key: Stages - Jim Marshall (Main Stage) - JM. Zippo Encore (2nd Stage) - Z. Pepsi Max (3rd Stage) - P. All ratings are out of 10.
Friday:
The arena opened at 12 with the first bands due on at 1pm. We were going to visit the Zippo stage first to catch Six Hour Sundown. However, once we got to the entrance there was an announcement that they were still tidying inside and that gates were delayed. This was contradicted by an electronic message board that said the arena would be shut until 2 as the ground conditions were unsafe. This prompted a lot of booing in the waiting crowd as the state of the camp sites must have been worse. A few people got on others shoulders and wrestled and asked for things to be thrown at them which helped provide some entertainment in the freezing cold wind and rain. We were finally let into the arena at 2 and I can't see what they had done as the ground was awful, a few grass patches amid the many bogs of mud. And there was no information regarding stage times or if bands had just been cancelled or moved to other times. This was quite poor of Download in my opinion as there were plenty of big screens that could just have stated that the early bands would not be performing. We headed to second stage to see if Six Hour Sundown were playing and to use the toilets after waiting around with no facilities nearby.
Red, White & Blues - Z - 6 - We hadn't planned on seeing this band and didn't stand around to see them. But as we walked pass to go to the toilets and again as we went back towards main stage we caught a fair bit of their set. I really enjoyed them, they seemed to have a lot of energy for a band that were thrust into opening the festival and their rocky-blues sound was a great start to the festival.
Fear Factory - JM - 7 - These guys won the Icon award at last nights Golden Gods and I can see why. They powered through their set and included classics such as Linchpin and Edgecrusher. If I get the chance to see them again I definitely will, they were a good band to really open my Download experience with. And it was great to see Dino Cazares back on the guitar with them.
After Fear Factory we wandered off in search of some warming food and ended up near second stage. As we queued we listened to the band that were playing and said we recognised them but couldn't think who it was. Until the backdrop was shown on the screen and it all fell into place.
Terrorvision - Z - 6 - These served as great background music as I waited to get some food. They seemed to be very happy onstage and had drawn a fairly large crowd who were all bouncing around to the music. It was nice to see Terrorvision as I was happy that they got announced and didn't think I would get to see them. I was very impressed with the sound quality on second stage as the wind had picked up but it was still very audible from a distance away from the stage.
NOFX - JM - 6 - I stood at the top of the hill for most of their set and was impressed at how good they still are. They played a great set and included some ummm "interesting" jokes in the middle. I'm glad I can now say I've seen NOFX as they were one of the bands that got me into punk.
We headed over to second stage a little early as I had seen the crowd for the next band there was, unsurprisingly, huge. Europe are a classic rock band that everyone wants to see as they can say they have seen The Final Countdown live. This, however, was not the case on Friday. Their set was due to start at 16.10 and last 40 minutes. By half 4 there was still no sign of the band and the crowd were beginning to get restless. This was followed by an announcement that they wouldn't be playing at all. Apparently a few people at the front were singing The Final Letdown at this point and rumours began as to why they hadn't shown up. The band released a statement on Facebook on Saturday which read like this:
"We're so gutted!
Not making the gig at Download 2012 happen.
A sincerely heartfelt apology to the people that came to see us at Download and ended up waiting in vain. We tried everything we could to get there in time but in the end it was beyond our control. We have now learned that there were perhaps up to 20000 people waiting in front of our stage at Download to check us out and that there was a massive reaction when the organisers announced Europe couldn't make it!!!! That makes this whole thing even harder to take! We had so been looking forward to this gig!
It started already early in the morning at the airport. Three band members were two hours late flying into Heathrow due to bad weather and backlog at Heathrow. Then we battled up towards Donington in the tourbus. More bad weather and severe traffic prevented us from making up the time necessary. We spent another two hours stuck in traffic. We asked for police escort or smaller cars to transport us the last bit, but they simply couldn't get to us.
In a last desperate effort as we we were getting close to the venue we sent our crew (running) by foot to the venue so they could start setting the gear up! as the tourbus couldn't move through the traffic close to the gig.
In the end we just couldn't make it. We were so close, that's why the organisers announced things so late from stage. However, the organisers at Download were cool and invited us to next years Download.
What a truly surreal and disappointing experience. But I guess shit happens and life goes on!"
Not making the gig at Download 2012 happen.
A sincerely heartfelt apology to the people that came to see us at Download and ended up waiting in vain. We tried everything we could to get there in time but in the end it was beyond our control. We have now learned that there were perhaps up to 20000 people waiting in front of our stage at Download to check us out and that there was a massive reaction when the organisers announced Europe couldn't make it!!!! That makes this whole thing even harder to take! We had so been looking forward to this gig!
It started already early in the morning at the airport. Three band members were two hours late flying into Heathrow due to bad weather and backlog at Heathrow. Then we battled up towards Donington in the tourbus. More bad weather and severe traffic prevented us from making up the time necessary. We spent another two hours stuck in traffic. We asked for police escort or smaller cars to transport us the last bit, but they simply couldn't get to us.
In a last desperate effort as we we were getting close to the venue we sent our crew (running) by foot to the venue so they could start setting the gear up! as the tourbus couldn't move through the traffic close to the gig.
In the end we just couldn't make it. We were so close, that's why the organisers announced things so late from stage. However, the organisers at Download were cool and invited us to next years Download.
What a truly surreal and disappointing experience. But I guess shit happens and life goes on!"
So that explains why they didn't turn up. I am disappointed not to have seen them but as Joey said, shit happens.
We left the Zippo stage and went to get a decent spot at main for the next band who I was really looking forward to seeing, as I haven't done since 2006.
Billy Talent - JM - 8 - I really like Billy Talent and this set was no exception. They played all my favourite songs and seemed really happy to be at Download. We found a spot of semi-grass to stand on to the left of the stage and had a great view and sound for the show. Halfway through their set, following Rusted from the Rain, Benjamin Kowalewicz said he was disappointed that their friends in Cancer Bats had been cancelled earlier due to the crap British weather and so were going to allow them to play during their set. So Cancer Bats walked on and played Hail Destroyer. I was very happy when this happened as I have never seen Cancer Bats before and have wanted to for a long time. I thought it was a magnificent gesture from Billy Talent and shows that music is family and not just entertainment.
Liam Cormier, lead singer of Cancer Bats said that they had been given a slot on 3rd stage to close out Friday night after missing the first slot that day. This was great news, although we weren't sure what time they'd play. But I'm not sure why Download couldn't have announced that so that people knew what was going on.
Billy Talent closed their set with Red Flag and then we went to go and see Skindred play an acoustic set on the small Jagermeister stage.
Well, that was the plan. But we couldn't get near the stage so had to abandon that plan. Then I saw one of those things that you can never unsee, also bringing back bad memories of Wacken 2008. And that is a girl squatting and doing her business. I know guys piss wherever just because they can but a girl doing it was very strange. Especially in broad daylight! Anyway, we hurried past that scene and took up a similar position to that we'd had for Billy Talent.
Machine Head - JM - 8 - Fantastic live band that did not disappoint. I'm still surprised they didn't play Davidian but the set was still very enjoyable. And it was great to hear some songs off the new album, Unto The Locust. It was announced over the weekend that Machine Head will be headlining Bloodstock later this year. If they take the energy and stage presence of Friday to that, they will destroy it.
Opeth - Z - 5 - We got to second stage a little earlier than planned and caught the end of these guys set, the final song to be exact. Now, the low rating for Opeth is by no means a bad thing against them musically. It's just that this is the 5th time I have seen them and I just cannot get into them. They still get a mid range rating seeing as they can play well and Mikael Åkerfeldt does have a good voice. But they just aren't for me I'm afraid. I used them more for filler music before the next band and so that I didn't have to watch the bloody 30 second Zippo video that played on a loop whilst no bands were on.
Nightwish - Z - 9 - A Top 5 Band - Nightwish were amazing! The only reason they didn't get a full 10 rating was that they seemed to have some sound problems and it just felt like something was missing. That small gripe aside, they truly were brilliant. I wanted to catch their set at Download to decide if seeing them at their own show again is a good idea. Simply, yes, yes it is. Anettes voice was really on form. As were the entire band on their instrument of choice, especially during the long instrumentals they played. This included an impressive organ on the small stage. It was fantastic to hear some songs off of Imaginaerum, where Storytime is becoming a favourite of mine. They also paid tribute to the late, great Gary Moore by playing Over The Hills And Far Away. I got very annoyed at the guy in front of me as he spent the whole set moaning that Anette is too much like the old singer (that would be Tarja, buddy). And laughing when her sentence structure was a little off, perhaps because she's Swedish? Anyway, that guy was a dick. Nightwish were amazing and it has been announced that they will be playing in the UK later this year. That may just have to be attended.
We were going to pop into the Red Bull tent to see Gallows but decided against it as we knew it would be busy and getting back out to mainstage would be rather difficult. So, we found a decent spot at mainstage and awaited the first headliner of the festival.
The Prodigy - JM - 6 - And waited we did. Turns out we could've seen Gallows as Prodigy decided that 9pm was too early for them to play. And made the crowd wait for a full half hour before taking to the stage. This was irritating as I wasn't overly fussed about seeing them and it was seriously cold just standing around watching an empty stage. We had already decided to leave at 10, which meant we only saw 5 songs but they did include Omen and Poison so that's OK with me. I was amazed that security didn't seem to react when a flare was lit and a smoke grenade was thrown but who am I to worry about crowd safety.
Now, there are a few exits out of the arena, all highlighted by big electronic boards. What you're not told is that, apart from the main entrance/exit, these extra ones don't open until after the final band. It would make more sense if the boards read: 'Exit for camp site. Open at 22:45'. But after a not so fun trudge back through the mud we arrived back at our tents to enjoy a 5 minute beer in the cold before retiring to bed. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day of Download festival, minus the weather.
Saturday:
Woke up to a dry start to the day which is always nice. Unfortunately, our friend Paul had to go home as he was in a serious amount of pain and it would've been a lot worse if he has stayed. We struggled through the mud and into the village where we were met with an interesting sight, hay. And a fair amount of it. Now, whilst waiting for the arena to open on the Friday, Mike had mentioned using hay or wood chips to combat the mud. Whether someone heard him I don't know but it was sure as hell easier to walk on.
No problems getting into the arena this time and so day 2 of mega loud live music was due to begin.
As I Lay Dying - JM - 8 - After seeing AILD last year at Wacken, I knew they would put on a great show. And they really did. Tim Lambesis said that usually they don't go to sleep until late morning and so were still awake. There was definitely no tiredness as they powered through their set. This was a great way to start the day with a band who just seem to keep getting better.
Fozzy - Z - 8 - I saw Chris Jerichos band at last years Soni and they were, once again, epic. If there's one thing you need to do in life, it's watch Chris Jericho headbang, it's amazing how he doesn't throw his back out everytime! That said he is a genius frontman and got everyone going on a chilly morning. Plus his vocals were spot on for the all too short set. I need to see Fozzy indoors as apparently it is an even greater show. Near the end of the set Jericho asked God for a personal favour for no more rain. And I think everyone in the audience prayed too!
Halestorm - Z - 8 - Didn't know a thing about this band when they were announced but after having a listen on Spotify the decision was made to check them out. And what a great decision that was. I'll definitely be buying a ticket for their show in Portsmouth later this year. A fantastic hard rock 'n' roll set for Saturday morning. 'Lzzy' Hales vocals were clean and strong and the guitars were superb. Arejay Hale, drummer, kept everyone entertained by smashing the crap out of his kit. Standing on the snare, kicking over the hi-hat and just generally rocking out! Halestorm are a great live band who need to be seen if you get the chance.
Ginger Wildheart - Z - 8 - I've wanted to see Ginger/The Wildhearts for a while now, so this set was a must see for me. I was hoping for a mix of old Wildheart songs and some from Gingers new 555% album, and that's what he played. I was so happy to hear Very, Very Slow and Inglorious. It was a great set and he got a decent crowd. the only problem was when Ginger was singing through a megaphone to start the set and the mic didn't pick it up. But nevertheless, a great set and I'm happy to have seen Ginger. Now just to await my signed copy of the new album.
Trivium - JM - 10 - A Top 5 Band - Absolutely superb set from the Floridian metallers. Matt Heafys voice is still going strong on the screaming and singing parts. They're a band that admit that the UK really made them a force in music and thanked the crowd on more than one occasion. It's nice to know that bands appreciate the fans and play a set that makes you know you're getting what you paid for. During The Deceived, Matt said that in 2005 they had 7 circle pits and he wanted to equal that. He was rather astonished that he had lost count after seeing 10. At Wacken last year, I said that Trivium were amazing, this year was no different. This set was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.
Gun - P - 8 - We headed over to the 3rd stage for the first time of the weekend and waited outside for Gun to finish their set. What I heard from them impressed me a lot. And the reason their rating is so high is simply because their cover of Word Up was fantastic. That's all I have to say on those guys but it would be cool to see them at their own show one day.
Anti-Nowhere League - P - 9 - We popped in the tent to see these punk rockers as a means to stay the hell away from Steel Panther on main stage. They were amazing! Punk is such a great genre of music and it was fantastic to hear So What by the original writers. It was strange as I didn't think I knew much by them but, as the set went on, I picked up on songs that I have heard and enjoyed in the past which made the set really enjoyable. For guys that have been doing this for 30+ years they showed they still had the energy and pleasure of playing for their fans.
A quick mention to Steel Panther who we heard the end of as we made our way from the tent to main stage. They played Death To All But Metal, that was cool. Right, back to the real music.
Tenacious D - JM - 7 - When I saw them in 2008 they were brilliant. On Saturday, not so much. I don't know if it was because we were further back than I would've liked. Or if the sound quality wasn't great. But something was really lacking. The set was mainly made up of songs from the new album which was good as I hadn't heard any off it yet. And to see the giant 'Fenix' as the backdrop was.....a sight to behold. There was an odd moment when a guy in a green monster suit came onstage during Deth Starr and Kyle shot him with a Nerf gun. Still, it was a good set that was a little disappointing for me.
Kids In Glass Houses - Z - 6 - We caught most of their set whilst waiting for the next band on. They weren't bad, they just weren't good either. I understand why they were booked for Download but it just didn't fit in with my music tastes. It was cool to see the lead singer, Aled Phillips, climbed into the crowd to sing the final song. As with Opeth, it was cool to add another band to list for the weekend but they were definitely only time fillers for me.
Skindred - Z - 10 - A Top 5 Band - This time last year I had not seen Skindred, I have now seen them 3 times! And each time has been as good, if not better, than the last. They played all the classics and got everyone doing the Newport Helicopter, which is definitely a sight when the sun is shining on loads of people. Benji is an awesome frontman, getting the crowd involved the entire way through the set and it is great to see this band flying up the ranks in metal music. After seeing this set and some videos on Youtube, I am really gutted to have missed their acoustic set on the Friday. A brilliant live band who will be reggae rocking for many years to come.
Biffy Clyro - JM - 6 - Only saw one song as we got a spot for Saturdays headliner. They were pretty good and the song we saw was a favourite of mine, The Captain, so that was cool.
Metallica - JM - 10 - A Top 5 Band - Saturdays headliner were those guys from Metallica, playing the Black Album in full. And owning Donington Park. Myself and Mike went to Paris in May to see this show and if it was un-fucking-believable then, it was absolutely sensational this time. Seeing 80K+ metalheads going mental is such an incredible scene and Metallica will keep making it happen. The Ecstasy Of Gold sent that, all to familiar, shiver up my spine and then 'Tallica exploded on stage with Hit The Lights. And the third song was a tour debut and made me smile from ear to ear, The Four Horsemen was belted out and it seemed like the entire crowd was taken aback at this choice. In a good way, of course. Hell And Back was played out fantastically just as it was in Paris. The band played through The Black Album and then returned for their encore of Battery and One. This took them upto 22:58 with Download having a strict curfew of 23:00. I presumed that this would be one of the most memorable Metallica sets with them being unable to finish with Seek & Destroy. This was not the case as James Hetfield announced that they would play one more song, to the pure delight of the metal fans still cheering. And to the horror of noise pollution officers for miles around. Once again Metallica proved that they are still a tremendous force in live music and will always put on incredible shows.
We spent the Saturday night and early Sunday morning chatting and drinking with our camp site neighbours. And Mike provided plenty of entertainment when he put his wellie boots on the wrong feet and trotted to the toilet and back. It's no wonder he's still in pain now!
Sunday:
And so the final day of music at Download 2012 was upon us. And on waking up, the heat was unbelievable! I thought it was just in the tent but when going outside there was this yellow globe in the sky in a sea of blue. Everyone around the camp seemed very confused at this event. However, it did mean that the mud had dried slightly and was easier under foot. So we made the final stroll into the arena, sweating but not from the struggle of the walk for once. The main entrance from the village to arena was shut so we had to walk out and around the site. This meant us passing the Queue for the shuttle bus to West car park. And yes Queue was meant to be capitalised! It was huge, so that wasn't going to be fun when we had to leave on the Monday morning. But oh well, there was a day of music ahead.
Kobra & The Lotus - Z - 7 - I really enjoyed Kobras set. A good rock 'n' roll start to the morning and they will become much more mainstream with more coverage. They supported Judas Priest a couple of weeks ago and I am a bit gutted to have missed them based on this set. However, I have now seen them and enjoyed what they played.
Black Spiders - Z - 9 - These guys are a fantastic live band. They like to get the audience involved whilst kicking the hangovers and tiredness to dust. It would have been nice to see them have a longer set, but seeing the brilliant KISS Tried To Kill Me is always a fun time. There were a lot of foam hands in the crowd with the middle finger raised which is fast becoming synonymous with this band. Black Spiders are another band who will keep going from strength to strength and I, for one, am very pleased about this.
We Are The Ocean - Z - 5 - I was really looking forward to seeing this band and have done for a while. And I was extremely disappointed with what I saw. They have recently lost a band member but they just didn't seem good at all. Maybe they don't suit the outside stage but I hope it was just an off-day for them. We only stayed for three songs before moving off to get a spot at mainstage.
Kyuss Lives - JM - 8 - Meant to see them at Wacken 2011 but ended up being too tired to walk across the arena to the stage they were playing on. I am really glad I made the decision to see them this time though. They played a fantastic set and had a large crowd moving along with their solid riffs and deafening beats. The new bassist Billy Cordell slid in easily to replace Nick Oliveri, who has once again left the band. A thoroughly enjoyable set and Kyuss really do Live(s).....Sorry.
Reckless Love - P - 6 - Caught the end of their set from outside the tent as we waited for the next band. They seemed pretty good, a bit too Steel Panther-y for me. But still, a bit of fun on a sunny afternoon. Their song Hot is very catchy and if they weren't going for the schtick of 70s Glam Rock I think I would have been more favourable of them.
Edguy - P - 10 - A Top 5 Band - I remember when Edguy were announced for Download and how much I ran around the house in pure happiness! And they really didn't disappoint. I only have one problem with their set and that's that it was only 30 minutes. Tobias said that, as it was a short set he wouldn't talk too much. Especially about Germany v England penalties, as he is a Bayern Munich fan (cue huge cheer from the crowd, most of whom probably weren't Chelsea fans but oh well). Hearing Superheroes again was brilliant. Edguy are an incredible band and I hope they tour here again.
Shadows Fall - P - 7 - I sat outside the tent for this set and I'm pretty glad I did. It sounded insane! I don't remember Shadows Fall being that heavy but they did sound really good. The tent was fully packed for them and there were also a lot of people outside singing along. Shadows Fall are a massive force in metal music and, with a new album this year, they will be for a long time yet.
Black Label Society - JM - 6 - It took us at least 5 minutes to walk from the Pepsi Max stage across to mainstage. That time was fully filled with a solo from Zakk Wylde. Don't get me wrong, a guitar being shredded to fuck is an awesome sight/listen. But BLS do it for too long and too often. I've never been a massive fan of this band and that opinion really didn't change after this set. Musically though I can't fault them so they get a run of the mill 6 rating.
Lamb Of God - JM - 9 - Such a great band. I never get bored of seeing or hearing them. And apparently neither do any of the thousands who also saw them. The size of the circle pits scared me even though I was a good distance away! LoG played a strong set including all my favourite songs. They had so much energy from beginning to end. DevilDrivers drummer, John Boecklin joined them onstage to play guitar on the final song, Black Label.
Shinedown - Z - 8 - This was a brilliant set from a brilliant band. They drew a huge crowd which was quite surprising as they clashed with Megadeth. But it didn't phase the Floridian rockers. They played a decent set and lead singer Brent Smith climbed into the crowd during Bully and let the crowd sing parts of the chorus. I always enjoy seeing this band live and will hope to do so again in the near future.
Refused - Z - 9 - WOW! What a return! I really like Punk bands and Refused are one of the best, but this set was just incredible. From start to finish, the energy and furiousity they played with was unbelievable. Frontman Dennis Lyxzen said that he often looks at their lyrics and wonders if they can still sing them today. then decided that today they are more meaningful than ever. Anarchy reigned supreme for this set and Refused can certainly still pack a punch after saying they would never reform. They closed their set with New Noise which is such a fantastic song. Long live Punk.
Dropkick Murphys - Z - 9 - Irish punk-folk-rock at it's very best. this was just such a fun set to be involved with. People were headbanging, skanking, singing, bouncing. Just anything you wanted to do was OK with Dropkicks. They played all their classic songs and even threw in a cover of AC/DCs TNT, which was particularly brilliant. If you haven't seen this band yet, you really need to.
I heard some of Soundgardens set as I waited for the others to get a spot for the main event of the weekend and I didn't understand what was happening. There seemed to be a guy meditating with shit guitars playing around him. I'm sure if you're a Soundgarden fan then it was great but I just didn't get it.
Anyway, the next and final band of the festival is what life is all about. They would be a top 5 band but that wouldn't be doing them justice.
A black curtain came down over the front of the stage and the crowd started to go nuts. And then from behind the curtain a familiar voice bellowed out "Hello Download, I can't hear you", this sent the noise to the heavens! A video played on the screen showing promo vids and shots from gigs throughout the bands history and riffs from the bands songs played.
Black Sabbath - JM - 10 - They were unbelievable. Everything was spot on from the very beginning to the firework finale. Ozzys voice was near on perfect, which was great as I was a little worried after his performance at Wacken last year. Tony Iommis shredding seemed to come to him as easy as breathing. Geezer Butler shook the floor with every pluck of the bass. And Tommy Clufetos, in place of the missing Bill Ward, hit the skins as if he was a founding member of the band. Every single thing about the band and the set was incredible. Ozzy showed he still had skills when he pulled out the harmonica to play on The Wizard. Tony, Geezer & Tommy owned Donington whilst playing the instrumental Symptom Of The Universe. There was simply nothing at fault with Black Sabbath on Sunday and I can honestly say I feel privileged and still overwhelmed that I have seen them. Tony got such an incredible reaction and Ozzy made the show about him, even though Mr Iommi just took it in his stride as if chemotherapy is just a walk in the park! The set closed with Paranoid and the stage exploded in fireworks and lights. The band seemed so happy being back together and the new album is eagerly anticipated.
On the walk back to the tents I was pretty speechless. I seriously couldn't believe that I had just seen Sabbath! We decided to get an early night as we had the fun of packing/leaving and travelling to look forward to the next day.
Monday:
There was no more rain on Sunday night or early Monday morning so the ground had solidified even more. Unfortunately not evenly, so the walk with bags still wasn't the greatest of fun. However, we got out of the village and made our way to the shuttle bus queue. Which was much shorter than it had been the previous morning so that was handy. We got back to the car, loaded up and left the car park... By way of major fluke seeing as there were no signs or stewards, but nevermind. The drive home was marred by traffic and the awful weather that seemed to envelope us as soon as we were onto the motorway. But none of that mattered as I was focused on the post-festival shower!!
So that concluded my first Download festival experience. And what an experience it was! Apart from the mud! I never want to see mud again! But that can't be helped. The Download organisers put together a fantastic lineup and I am happy with the bands I saw. I have memories that will last a lifetime and some bands to keep an eye on in the future.
Liam Cormier, lead singer of Cancer Bats said that they had been given a slot on 3rd stage to close out Friday night after missing the first slot that day. This was great news, although we weren't sure what time they'd play. But I'm not sure why Download couldn't have announced that so that people knew what was going on.
Billy Talent closed their set with Red Flag and then we went to go and see Skindred play an acoustic set on the small Jagermeister stage.
Well, that was the plan. But we couldn't get near the stage so had to abandon that plan. Then I saw one of those things that you can never unsee, also bringing back bad memories of Wacken 2008. And that is a girl squatting and doing her business. I know guys piss wherever just because they can but a girl doing it was very strange. Especially in broad daylight! Anyway, we hurried past that scene and took up a similar position to that we'd had for Billy Talent.
Machine Head - JM - 8 - Fantastic live band that did not disappoint. I'm still surprised they didn't play Davidian but the set was still very enjoyable. And it was great to hear some songs off the new album, Unto The Locust. It was announced over the weekend that Machine Head will be headlining Bloodstock later this year. If they take the energy and stage presence of Friday to that, they will destroy it.
Opeth - Z - 5 - We got to second stage a little earlier than planned and caught the end of these guys set, the final song to be exact. Now, the low rating for Opeth is by no means a bad thing against them musically. It's just that this is the 5th time I have seen them and I just cannot get into them. They still get a mid range rating seeing as they can play well and Mikael Åkerfeldt does have a good voice. But they just aren't for me I'm afraid. I used them more for filler music before the next band and so that I didn't have to watch the bloody 30 second Zippo video that played on a loop whilst no bands were on.
Nightwish - Z - 9 - A Top 5 Band - Nightwish were amazing! The only reason they didn't get a full 10 rating was that they seemed to have some sound problems and it just felt like something was missing. That small gripe aside, they truly were brilliant. I wanted to catch their set at Download to decide if seeing them at their own show again is a good idea. Simply, yes, yes it is. Anettes voice was really on form. As were the entire band on their instrument of choice, especially during the long instrumentals they played. This included an impressive organ on the small stage. It was fantastic to hear some songs off of Imaginaerum, where Storytime is becoming a favourite of mine. They also paid tribute to the late, great Gary Moore by playing Over The Hills And Far Away. I got very annoyed at the guy in front of me as he spent the whole set moaning that Anette is too much like the old singer (that would be Tarja, buddy). And laughing when her sentence structure was a little off, perhaps because she's Swedish? Anyway, that guy was a dick. Nightwish were amazing and it has been announced that they will be playing in the UK later this year. That may just have to be attended.
We were going to pop into the Red Bull tent to see Gallows but decided against it as we knew it would be busy and getting back out to mainstage would be rather difficult. So, we found a decent spot at mainstage and awaited the first headliner of the festival.
The Prodigy - JM - 6 - And waited we did. Turns out we could've seen Gallows as Prodigy decided that 9pm was too early for them to play. And made the crowd wait for a full half hour before taking to the stage. This was irritating as I wasn't overly fussed about seeing them and it was seriously cold just standing around watching an empty stage. We had already decided to leave at 10, which meant we only saw 5 songs but they did include Omen and Poison so that's OK with me. I was amazed that security didn't seem to react when a flare was lit and a smoke grenade was thrown but who am I to worry about crowd safety.
Now, there are a few exits out of the arena, all highlighted by big electronic boards. What you're not told is that, apart from the main entrance/exit, these extra ones don't open until after the final band. It would make more sense if the boards read: 'Exit for camp site. Open at 22:45'. But after a not so fun trudge back through the mud we arrived back at our tents to enjoy a 5 minute beer in the cold before retiring to bed. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day of Download festival, minus the weather.
Saturday:
Woke up to a dry start to the day which is always nice. Unfortunately, our friend Paul had to go home as he was in a serious amount of pain and it would've been a lot worse if he has stayed. We struggled through the mud and into the village where we were met with an interesting sight, hay. And a fair amount of it. Now, whilst waiting for the arena to open on the Friday, Mike had mentioned using hay or wood chips to combat the mud. Whether someone heard him I don't know but it was sure as hell easier to walk on.
No problems getting into the arena this time and so day 2 of mega loud live music was due to begin.
As I Lay Dying - JM - 8 - After seeing AILD last year at Wacken, I knew they would put on a great show. And they really did. Tim Lambesis said that usually they don't go to sleep until late morning and so were still awake. There was definitely no tiredness as they powered through their set. This was a great way to start the day with a band who just seem to keep getting better.
Fozzy - Z - 8 - I saw Chris Jerichos band at last years Soni and they were, once again, epic. If there's one thing you need to do in life, it's watch Chris Jericho headbang, it's amazing how he doesn't throw his back out everytime! That said he is a genius frontman and got everyone going on a chilly morning. Plus his vocals were spot on for the all too short set. I need to see Fozzy indoors as apparently it is an even greater show. Near the end of the set Jericho asked God for a personal favour for no more rain. And I think everyone in the audience prayed too!
Halestorm - Z - 8 - Didn't know a thing about this band when they were announced but after having a listen on Spotify the decision was made to check them out. And what a great decision that was. I'll definitely be buying a ticket for their show in Portsmouth later this year. A fantastic hard rock 'n' roll set for Saturday morning. 'Lzzy' Hales vocals were clean and strong and the guitars were superb. Arejay Hale, drummer, kept everyone entertained by smashing the crap out of his kit. Standing on the snare, kicking over the hi-hat and just generally rocking out! Halestorm are a great live band who need to be seen if you get the chance.
Ginger Wildheart - Z - 8 - I've wanted to see Ginger/The Wildhearts for a while now, so this set was a must see for me. I was hoping for a mix of old Wildheart songs and some from Gingers new 555% album, and that's what he played. I was so happy to hear Very, Very Slow and Inglorious. It was a great set and he got a decent crowd. the only problem was when Ginger was singing through a megaphone to start the set and the mic didn't pick it up. But nevertheless, a great set and I'm happy to have seen Ginger. Now just to await my signed copy of the new album.
Trivium - JM - 10 - A Top 5 Band - Absolutely superb set from the Floridian metallers. Matt Heafys voice is still going strong on the screaming and singing parts. They're a band that admit that the UK really made them a force in music and thanked the crowd on more than one occasion. It's nice to know that bands appreciate the fans and play a set that makes you know you're getting what you paid for. During The Deceived, Matt said that in 2005 they had 7 circle pits and he wanted to equal that. He was rather astonished that he had lost count after seeing 10. At Wacken last year, I said that Trivium were amazing, this year was no different. This set was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.
Gun - P - 8 - We headed over to the 3rd stage for the first time of the weekend and waited outside for Gun to finish their set. What I heard from them impressed me a lot. And the reason their rating is so high is simply because their cover of Word Up was fantastic. That's all I have to say on those guys but it would be cool to see them at their own show one day.
Anti-Nowhere League - P - 9 - We popped in the tent to see these punk rockers as a means to stay the hell away from Steel Panther on main stage. They were amazing! Punk is such a great genre of music and it was fantastic to hear So What by the original writers. It was strange as I didn't think I knew much by them but, as the set went on, I picked up on songs that I have heard and enjoyed in the past which made the set really enjoyable. For guys that have been doing this for 30+ years they showed they still had the energy and pleasure of playing for their fans.
A quick mention to Steel Panther who we heard the end of as we made our way from the tent to main stage. They played Death To All But Metal, that was cool. Right, back to the real music.
Tenacious D - JM - 7 - When I saw them in 2008 they were brilliant. On Saturday, not so much. I don't know if it was because we were further back than I would've liked. Or if the sound quality wasn't great. But something was really lacking. The set was mainly made up of songs from the new album which was good as I hadn't heard any off it yet. And to see the giant 'Fenix' as the backdrop was.....a sight to behold. There was an odd moment when a guy in a green monster suit came onstage during Deth Starr and Kyle shot him with a Nerf gun. Still, it was a good set that was a little disappointing for me.
Kids In Glass Houses - Z - 6 - We caught most of their set whilst waiting for the next band on. They weren't bad, they just weren't good either. I understand why they were booked for Download but it just didn't fit in with my music tastes. It was cool to see the lead singer, Aled Phillips, climbed into the crowd to sing the final song. As with Opeth, it was cool to add another band to list for the weekend but they were definitely only time fillers for me.
Skindred - Z - 10 - A Top 5 Band - This time last year I had not seen Skindred, I have now seen them 3 times! And each time has been as good, if not better, than the last. They played all the classics and got everyone doing the Newport Helicopter, which is definitely a sight when the sun is shining on loads of people. Benji is an awesome frontman, getting the crowd involved the entire way through the set and it is great to see this band flying up the ranks in metal music. After seeing this set and some videos on Youtube, I am really gutted to have missed their acoustic set on the Friday. A brilliant live band who will be reggae rocking for many years to come.
Biffy Clyro - JM - 6 - Only saw one song as we got a spot for Saturdays headliner. They were pretty good and the song we saw was a favourite of mine, The Captain, so that was cool.
Metallica - JM - 10 - A Top 5 Band - Saturdays headliner were those guys from Metallica, playing the Black Album in full. And owning Donington Park. Myself and Mike went to Paris in May to see this show and if it was un-fucking-believable then, it was absolutely sensational this time. Seeing 80K+ metalheads going mental is such an incredible scene and Metallica will keep making it happen. The Ecstasy Of Gold sent that, all to familiar, shiver up my spine and then 'Tallica exploded on stage with Hit The Lights. And the third song was a tour debut and made me smile from ear to ear, The Four Horsemen was belted out and it seemed like the entire crowd was taken aback at this choice. In a good way, of course. Hell And Back was played out fantastically just as it was in Paris. The band played through The Black Album and then returned for their encore of Battery and One. This took them upto 22:58 with Download having a strict curfew of 23:00. I presumed that this would be one of the most memorable Metallica sets with them being unable to finish with Seek & Destroy. This was not the case as James Hetfield announced that they would play one more song, to the pure delight of the metal fans still cheering. And to the horror of noise pollution officers for miles around. Once again Metallica proved that they are still a tremendous force in live music and will always put on incredible shows.
We spent the Saturday night and early Sunday morning chatting and drinking with our camp site neighbours. And Mike provided plenty of entertainment when he put his wellie boots on the wrong feet and trotted to the toilet and back. It's no wonder he's still in pain now!
Sunday:
And so the final day of music at Download 2012 was upon us. And on waking up, the heat was unbelievable! I thought it was just in the tent but when going outside there was this yellow globe in the sky in a sea of blue. Everyone around the camp seemed very confused at this event. However, it did mean that the mud had dried slightly and was easier under foot. So we made the final stroll into the arena, sweating but not from the struggle of the walk for once. The main entrance from the village to arena was shut so we had to walk out and around the site. This meant us passing the Queue for the shuttle bus to West car park. And yes Queue was meant to be capitalised! It was huge, so that wasn't going to be fun when we had to leave on the Monday morning. But oh well, there was a day of music ahead.
Kobra & The Lotus - Z - 7 - I really enjoyed Kobras set. A good rock 'n' roll start to the morning and they will become much more mainstream with more coverage. They supported Judas Priest a couple of weeks ago and I am a bit gutted to have missed them based on this set. However, I have now seen them and enjoyed what they played.
Black Spiders - Z - 9 - These guys are a fantastic live band. They like to get the audience involved whilst kicking the hangovers and tiredness to dust. It would have been nice to see them have a longer set, but seeing the brilliant KISS Tried To Kill Me is always a fun time. There were a lot of foam hands in the crowd with the middle finger raised which is fast becoming synonymous with this band. Black Spiders are another band who will keep going from strength to strength and I, for one, am very pleased about this.
We Are The Ocean - Z - 5 - I was really looking forward to seeing this band and have done for a while. And I was extremely disappointed with what I saw. They have recently lost a band member but they just didn't seem good at all. Maybe they don't suit the outside stage but I hope it was just an off-day for them. We only stayed for three songs before moving off to get a spot at mainstage.
Kyuss Lives - JM - 8 - Meant to see them at Wacken 2011 but ended up being too tired to walk across the arena to the stage they were playing on. I am really glad I made the decision to see them this time though. They played a fantastic set and had a large crowd moving along with their solid riffs and deafening beats. The new bassist Billy Cordell slid in easily to replace Nick Oliveri, who has once again left the band. A thoroughly enjoyable set and Kyuss really do Live(s).....Sorry.
Reckless Love - P - 6 - Caught the end of their set from outside the tent as we waited for the next band. They seemed pretty good, a bit too Steel Panther-y for me. But still, a bit of fun on a sunny afternoon. Their song Hot is very catchy and if they weren't going for the schtick of 70s Glam Rock I think I would have been more favourable of them.
Edguy - P - 10 - A Top 5 Band - I remember when Edguy were announced for Download and how much I ran around the house in pure happiness! And they really didn't disappoint. I only have one problem with their set and that's that it was only 30 minutes. Tobias said that, as it was a short set he wouldn't talk too much. Especially about Germany v England penalties, as he is a Bayern Munich fan (cue huge cheer from the crowd, most of whom probably weren't Chelsea fans but oh well). Hearing Superheroes again was brilliant. Edguy are an incredible band and I hope they tour here again.
Shadows Fall - P - 7 - I sat outside the tent for this set and I'm pretty glad I did. It sounded insane! I don't remember Shadows Fall being that heavy but they did sound really good. The tent was fully packed for them and there were also a lot of people outside singing along. Shadows Fall are a massive force in metal music and, with a new album this year, they will be for a long time yet.
Black Label Society - JM - 6 - It took us at least 5 minutes to walk from the Pepsi Max stage across to mainstage. That time was fully filled with a solo from Zakk Wylde. Don't get me wrong, a guitar being shredded to fuck is an awesome sight/listen. But BLS do it for too long and too often. I've never been a massive fan of this band and that opinion really didn't change after this set. Musically though I can't fault them so they get a run of the mill 6 rating.
Lamb Of God - JM - 9 - Such a great band. I never get bored of seeing or hearing them. And apparently neither do any of the thousands who also saw them. The size of the circle pits scared me even though I was a good distance away! LoG played a strong set including all my favourite songs. They had so much energy from beginning to end. DevilDrivers drummer, John Boecklin joined them onstage to play guitar on the final song, Black Label.
Shinedown - Z - 8 - This was a brilliant set from a brilliant band. They drew a huge crowd which was quite surprising as they clashed with Megadeth. But it didn't phase the Floridian rockers. They played a decent set and lead singer Brent Smith climbed into the crowd during Bully and let the crowd sing parts of the chorus. I always enjoy seeing this band live and will hope to do so again in the near future.
Refused - Z - 9 - WOW! What a return! I really like Punk bands and Refused are one of the best, but this set was just incredible. From start to finish, the energy and furiousity they played with was unbelievable. Frontman Dennis Lyxzen said that he often looks at their lyrics and wonders if they can still sing them today. then decided that today they are more meaningful than ever. Anarchy reigned supreme for this set and Refused can certainly still pack a punch after saying they would never reform. They closed their set with New Noise which is such a fantastic song. Long live Punk.
Dropkick Murphys - Z - 9 - Irish punk-folk-rock at it's very best. this was just such a fun set to be involved with. People were headbanging, skanking, singing, bouncing. Just anything you wanted to do was OK with Dropkicks. They played all their classic songs and even threw in a cover of AC/DCs TNT, which was particularly brilliant. If you haven't seen this band yet, you really need to.
I heard some of Soundgardens set as I waited for the others to get a spot for the main event of the weekend and I didn't understand what was happening. There seemed to be a guy meditating with shit guitars playing around him. I'm sure if you're a Soundgarden fan then it was great but I just didn't get it.
Anyway, the next and final band of the festival is what life is all about. They would be a top 5 band but that wouldn't be doing them justice.
A black curtain came down over the front of the stage and the crowd started to go nuts. And then from behind the curtain a familiar voice bellowed out "Hello Download, I can't hear you", this sent the noise to the heavens! A video played on the screen showing promo vids and shots from gigs throughout the bands history and riffs from the bands songs played.
Black Sabbath - JM - 10 - They were unbelievable. Everything was spot on from the very beginning to the firework finale. Ozzys voice was near on perfect, which was great as I was a little worried after his performance at Wacken last year. Tony Iommis shredding seemed to come to him as easy as breathing. Geezer Butler shook the floor with every pluck of the bass. And Tommy Clufetos, in place of the missing Bill Ward, hit the skins as if he was a founding member of the band. Every single thing about the band and the set was incredible. Ozzy showed he still had skills when he pulled out the harmonica to play on The Wizard. Tony, Geezer & Tommy owned Donington whilst playing the instrumental Symptom Of The Universe. There was simply nothing at fault with Black Sabbath on Sunday and I can honestly say I feel privileged and still overwhelmed that I have seen them. Tony got such an incredible reaction and Ozzy made the show about him, even though Mr Iommi just took it in his stride as if chemotherapy is just a walk in the park! The set closed with Paranoid and the stage exploded in fireworks and lights. The band seemed so happy being back together and the new album is eagerly anticipated.
On the walk back to the tents I was pretty speechless. I seriously couldn't believe that I had just seen Sabbath! We decided to get an early night as we had the fun of packing/leaving and travelling to look forward to the next day.
Monday:
There was no more rain on Sunday night or early Monday morning so the ground had solidified even more. Unfortunately not evenly, so the walk with bags still wasn't the greatest of fun. However, we got out of the village and made our way to the shuttle bus queue. Which was much shorter than it had been the previous morning so that was handy. We got back to the car, loaded up and left the car park... By way of major fluke seeing as there were no signs or stewards, but nevermind. The drive home was marred by traffic and the awful weather that seemed to envelope us as soon as we were onto the motorway. But none of that mattered as I was focused on the post-festival shower!!
So that concluded my first Download festival experience. And what an experience it was! Apart from the mud! I never want to see mud again! But that can't be helped. The Download organisers put together a fantastic lineup and I am happy with the bands I saw. I have memories that will last a lifetime and some bands to keep an eye on in the future.
