After last years festival I doubted that Download could pull off a lineup that would be anywhere near as good as 2012. I was wrong. Although it wasn't as star studded as I would have liked, there was more than enough to keep me entertained. Including some bands that moved my music taste in a more alternative direction.
This year myself and friends decided to stay in a hotel. The weather at Download and Wacken last year really put me off camping again.
So on Thursday morning I left Portsmouth via coach to London and then got the train onto Derby. Only one issue with the travel was when going to board the train. Myself and a friend had booked through Megabus. His ticket said he had to check in 15 minutes prior to departure, mine didn't. He asked the steward on the gate who said not to worry about it and just head to the platform. As I went to go through the guy said 'You need to join that queue and get your ticket stamped'. This confused the hell out of me but as I only had to wait for a few minutes it didn't make much difference.
Now, most people will print out instructions and the like when they travel somewhere new. Me, being a smart man, decided not to print out directions to the hotel. And apparently my phone decided to agree with my idiocy by not allowing maps to load whilst outside the station. I knew it was in the general direction of Pride Park stadium and then opposite in the middle of an industrial estate looking area. As we kept getting closer to the stadium I couldn't see a road to take me parallel to it and ended up on the corner of the stadium. Now, research prior to leaving told me it was around a 26 minute walk from station to hotel and it had only taken us about 7 minutes to get this far, so I assumed it was still a fair distance from here. As I looked down the road the Travelodge sign was in sight. Slightly shocked but by no means disappointed by this, we walked the last couple of minutes and checked in.
The remainder of Thursday was spent drinking beer and watching TV (more entertaining than people shouting butt-scratcher). Now, I was happy with the decision to stay in a hotel however there were two issues with this
1) I couldn't attend the Download Forums Boardie BBQ, which was a shame that I couldn't meet some awesome people.
2) I really wasn't excited at this time, normally you pitch your tent and you're at the festival and buzzing. Sat in a hotel doesn't quite have the same feeling. But, it would soon be festival times and all would be well.
Key: Bands will be set out as Band - Stage - Rating. All ratings are out of 10.
Friday
The shuttle bus drop off area is nowhere near where I was expecting it to be and so a fair walk is needed to reach the arena entrance. I had hoped to be getting a wristband even though I wasn't camping. So I was a little disappointed when there was no ticket booths in which to exchange my ticket. We queued in the weekend line and got to the front very quickly, only to be told that we need to get a wristband. I asked where from and was told back at the main entrance. So after trudging all the way back and once again seeing nowhere in which to do this I asked a steward, who told me and I quote 'for fucks sake, I wish they'd stop doing this. Go back and tell them you're not camping. If they still won't sort you out ask to see a supervisor'. Pretty straight up directions there so after walking back to the arena entrance and going to a different gate we got told that arena only wristbands were from a queue around the corner. As annoyed as I was that I was now going to have to go somewhere else again, at least this time I was told the correct location. Finally getting the wristband and getting into the festival I could relax.
The weather hadn't been too bad. However, there was some heavy rain before the first band and this already put a slight dampener (sorry) on my mood. But it was time for music so here we go.
Monster Truck - Zippo - 7 - A very enjoyable band to kick off the festival. They were a late addition after another band had to pull out and I'm glad I checked them out. It was their first time playing in the UK and they weren't phased by it at all. They are an out and out rock band and played a decent 20 minute set to open the music for me.
On the way to the next band I walked past Rise To Remain, they sounded pretty good and added another band to the list that I have seen.
Free Fall - Red Bull - 6 - These guys were good at what they do and their score may have been higher if I knew much of their music. This was the first time I had been in the Red Bull tent and I like the atmosphere in there.
Strolling past the Jagermeister Acoustic stage I heard Avosetta playing. My thoughts on them were 'they play good music to walk to'. Other than that I can't say much about them
Continuing the walk back to second stage I unfortunately, caught some of the Architects. So I started singing in my head to try and block it out.
Uriah Heep - Zippo - 6 - Same rating as Free Fall for pretty much the same reason. They are a decent old school rock band but not knowing much about them didn't help.
Papa Roach - Main - 9 - The first time I have seen a band that gave my tastes a push towards this genre of music and they really didn't disappoint. I was expecting them to be a bit flat and for the crowd only to respond to the major songs but I was so wrong. The energy they had was unbelievable and every song was belted out furiously. One thing I found this weekend, which started during this set, was I seem to forget that certain songs were done by a band. This happened during To Be Loved and Lifeline. I am glad I can now say I've seen them and the fact they are playing Portsmouth later in the year may cause me to part with some money.
Europe - Zippo - 8 - First major clash of the weekend was Europe v Down. I planned on seeing Down all the way up until the Wednesday before Download, reason being I hadn't seen them before. That was until my brain reminded me that I hadn't seen Europe either, so they won. And I'm glad they did. Europe were awesome. Hearing the classics Rock the Night and Final Countdown was superb. Joey Tempest said exactly what was on everyone's mind 'We're here finally! Last year sucked but we're so glad to see you all here with us now'. These guys had released 3 albums by the time I was born and yet still had the energy and charisma to deliver a blinding set.
Volbeat - Zippo - 10 - Excuse me whilst I put myself through a table for ever having the notion to miss this band. Second clash of the festival and one that will live in infamy, Volbeat v Korn. I know this clash really did split most of the Download goers in half. Volbeat were simply amazing. This was the third time I've seen them and the third time I haven't stopped singing and nodding my head throughout the entire set. I've already decided to get a ticket for their tour later this year and I really must recommend you do the same. Pure rock'n'roll blasting from the stage from start to finish. Including a cover of Breaking the Law and Raining Blood (in tribute to the late, great Jeff Hanneman) which I didn't expect them to play during this short set. I was a little disappointed not to hear Cape Of Our Hero from the new album but as i will see them on their tour I'm sure it will happen then. These guys know how to rock and smile from ear to ear whilst doing it. This is the first time I have seen them with new guitarist Rob Caggiano and he fits in perfectly. I cannot wait to see Volbeat again and can only see them rising up the Download bill in the future.
I did take a quick stroll over to Main stage to catch some Korn as I haven't seen them before and as with Papa Roach, they were a pioneer into my changing music taste. I managed to catch set closer Freak on a Leash and the band sounded brilliant. Hopefully I can see them again and spend more time listening to them but I will never regret the decision to see Volbeat instead.
3 Doors Down - Zippo - 6 - After seeing these guys in Manchester I decided to check them out again during the gap before BFMV on main. What a disappointment. They just really didn't deliver for me, hearing the classics again was nice but I just couldn't get into them. They threw in a cover of Megadeths Symphony of Destruction which was cool, but I'm still not sure why they did it. Seeing as I'd had that song in my head for the previous week maybe it was a premonition! One strange thing I noticed this weekend is bands were cutting their sets short for some reason. 3DD did this and it's another reason they score low.
Bullet For My Valentine - Main - 6 - So I moved over to see these guys earlier than planned but stayed at the top of the hill as I was going straight back to 2nd. This is one reason that I didn't give BFMV a high rating. The other reason is I have tried to get into them, I really have but I just can't. They are good at what they do and if they can release a couple more good records then they could develop into a headliner but not for me thanks. They did have some awesome pyrotechnics though.
Gogol Bordello - Zippo - 6 - After a decent mid afternoon card the ratings have dropped off. Again, this score isn't against the performance but more for the fact that I was stood way off to the side and my mind kept wandering from the music. It also didn't help that every song sounded the same. I'm sure if I'd been more central and in the crowd I would've enjoyed it more.
Black Stone Cherry - Zippo - 10 - I first saw BSC in 2007 at a local venue, The Wedgewood Rooms (capacity 500). To now be seeing them headline the 2nd stage at arguably the biggest rock festival in the UK was simply stunning. These guys were so humble with this spot, their only UK show this year. They said that Download were going to take the slot away from then because they weren't touring or plugging a new album but they wanted to do it. And then to see a huge crowd singing with them in the rain justified their decision to come over. They played a new song from their new record which sounded awesome. When it came to 'Things My Father Said', lead singer Chris Robertson asked the crowd to sing it because not long ago a friend's father had died and that this was the longest he'd been away from his newborn son. Cue the band starting to play, the crowd singing and Chris having to wipe away the tears. I don't think he realises how many fans BSC really have. This was an awesome show and I'm glad they were my main headliner for the first day of the festival.
Slipknot - Main - 9 - Managed to catch the first 3 songs before heading over to BSC, and the final 3 songs afterwards. They sounded really tight and friends that were a lot closer than I was said they were very good. The only reason I haven't given a 10 is because I didn't see the whole set and I was far back both times I watched. You know a band are getting a mental reaction when the barrier breaks....twice. The energy these guys have is tremendous, all the way until they powered through finisher Surfacing.
So, Friday was a fairly decent day for music. It was a shame that the early evening bands weren't as high scoring as I would've hoped but never mind.
Saturday
A couple of friends had day tickets for the Saturday and as luck would have it, appeared on the shuttle bus I was on in the morning. So it was cool to have a catch up with them. I showed them where the day tickets queue was and then went into the arena for the next day of music.
UFO - Main - 7 - Great start to the day with some old rock. Another case of knowing more songs than you realise and are able to sing along to. I was hoping that they would cut Doctor Doctor from their set and then play it live later to open Maidens set. This wasn't to be but it was still an enjoyable opening set.
Heaven's Basement - Zippo - 8 - I have finally managed to see Heaven's Basement! And they were really good, playing some heavy rock to make sure everyone was awake. They play such catchy tunes as well, thoroughly enjoyable band. The type of music you can just nod along to and hopefully I'll manage to catch them again soon.
Hardcore Superstar - Zippo - 7 - I was really looking forward to seeing these guys and although I wasn't disappointed, I felt something was missing. Maybe it's because I don't know a lot of their material or maybe it's that they don't work on an outside stage. Either way their score dropped slightly.
As I left second stage the rain decided that it wasn't heavy enough and so proceeded to hammer down. Anyone who has been to Download will know that it takes roughly 5 minutes to get over to 3rd stage and the safety of a tent. This was where I was headed for my next band, now slightly worried that everyone will have sought protection from the rain and I wouldn't be able to get in. However, by the time I had reached my destination, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and I was already starting to sweat in the sun! This year, Downloads weather really did epitomise the British summer.
Earthtone9 - Pepsi Max - 6 - I stood outside the tent for this set because a) there was no room inside and b) the sun was helping to dry out my trousers that were soaked through. I enjoyed what I heard and think that, had I been inside, they would have scored higher. I'd like to see them again so that I could have a better opinion.
Black Star Riders - Main - 9 - Who better to rock out on main stage than the new form of Thin Lizzy? Their own stuff is sounding really good and a lot more hard rock than the previous stuff released under the Lizzy name. It was great to hear the classic songs Boys Are Back In Town and Jailbreak. But they stole the show by playing Whiskey In The Jar, a song that I absolutely love and had such a fanboy moment when the opening bars erupted from the stage.
Katatonia - Zippo - 6 - I had a similar situation to Gogol Bordello during this band, my mind just kept wandering into space. I think this is due to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of Doom Metal. Saying that, I was impressed with their sound and will give them some more air time when listening to music. I did think that the lead singer was Cousin It from the Addams family until he moved the his hair from in front of his face. Plus, anything is better than Mastadon!
Karnivool - Zippo - 6 - I haven't listened to Prog Rock for a while now and I need to rectify that. Karnivool were really enjoyable . They got a much bigger crowd than I expected and I think more than the band expected as well. It was a nice set to just chill out with and let the feet have a bit of a rest.
Alice In Chains - Main - 8 - Again, I was stood quite far back for this set. But, I really enjoyed AIC more than I thought I would. It looks like William DuVall has really stepped up to the frontman role and is doing a fine job with it. They are another band that play songs that made me think, 'oh, didn't know this was by them'.
Managed to get back to 2nd stage in time to catch Lit's set closer My Own Worst Enemy, so I was happy about that.
Thunder - Zippo - 8 - How come all the great bands are from back in the day? A superb set from these guys. They just looked so happy to be playing and I'm glad I managed to see them. After the festival I was chatting to someone who's daughter used to fancy frontman Danny Bowes. And when seeing that he now has short cut grey hair asked, 'what happened to him?', the trials of getting old eh?
I then took a stroll across to 3rd stage and managed to catch Motorhead playing Ace of Spades and Overkill. This was cool as they are 2 of my favourite Motorhead songs.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Pepsi Max - 7 - Before entering the tent, I proposed having a smoke. We then moved back from the tent, and then a little further back and then a little bit more. The sound guys had obviously got pissed off with the rides blaring out music next to them and so turned the volume up. I ended up standing outside for the set and really enjoyed it. UA&TD sounded really tight and drew a fairly large crowd by the end of the set. They play psychedelic doom which is a pretty cool genre, truth be told!
Queens Of The Stone Age - Main - 9 - I saw QOTSA at Rock am Ring in 2008 and didn't overly enjoy it. Mainly due to it being 1am and being very tired. This time I was delighted at how great they were. Josh Homme is a fantastic frontman and looked much happier in himself. They ripped into their set with a ferocious tenacity that didn't let up until they left the stage. Classics No One Knows and Feel Good Hit Of The Summer mixed in well with stuff from the new album. I wouldn't be surprised to see them headlining festivals in the not too distant future.
Kvelertak - Pepsi Max - 8 - Again, this set was observed from outside the tent. And they didn't disappoint. It's the second time I've seen Kvelertak and the second time I have been left with my ears ringing. These Norwegian rockers really know what they are doing and if you haven't yet, go see them.
Iron Maiden - Main - 10 - Well, what do I say about Maiden? A lot of people have said they had sound problems, I only thought it was at the beginning with Bruce Dickinson's mic and once he had asked for it to be turned up everything was right with the set. To have a Spitfire flyover before you take to the stage was something truly incredible to see. And then for Maiden to rip through the Maiden England setlist was just truly special. They had headlined Donington back in 1988 and they played the Maiden England set back then too with the addition of Sanctuary and Wrathchild. Bruce acknowledged this the first time he addressed the crowd with, 'Hello Monsters of Rock 1988'. I really cannot fault Maiden from Saturday night, for me they were perfect. And that's without mentioning the stage show with Eddie and the interactive backdrops. Iron Maiden won't be able to go on forever but, based on this performance, the old rockers still have some life left in them yet.
Sunday
After a 20 minute delay opening the gates, with no explanation as to why, the final day of Download 2013 was to begin.
Sacred Mother Tongue - Main - 9 - And to kick it off with a huge score, SMT really shook out the cobwebs from the crowd. Such heavy riffs complimented with clean vocals. This was an incredible beginning to the day. I wish I had seen them before as the half-hour set didn't really do them justice.
Cancer Bats - Main - 10 - How I haven't seen CB before I have no idea. However, they did not disappoint. Frontman Liam Cromier looked extremely pleased to be up there after they had to be cancelled last year and they really ripped into their set. Solid anthems Bricks & Mortar and Sorceress were sent screaming from the stage. Add in a cover of Beastie Boys 'Sabotage' and finish the set in the crowd singing Hail Destroyer, and I don't think anyone there was standing still. These guys will only get bigger and I for one, can't wait.
Coal Chamber - Main - 9 - I think this was the most surprising set of the weekend. They were incredible. 40 minutes of searing riffs and screaming vocals. I have seen DevilDriver (frontman Dez Fafara's other band) a few times and so seeing him rap was quite odd indeed; however, he did it without falter. They really didn't look like a band that had only reformed less than 2 years ago. This is nu-metal at its best and they really know what they're doing. Hits Loco and Sway went down really well with the crowd and, after announcing a tour for later this year, I think a lot of new fans have been created.
Graveyard - Zippo - 6 - I was a little disappointed with this band, but that was probably due to the first three sets of the day being that damn good! It was a decent showing of blues-infused rock and I found it to be more easy listening after the heavier sounds of Coal Chamber & Cancer Bats. But they are still a relatively new band so I will keep an eye on how things develop with them.
Masters Of Reality - Zippo - 8 - I really don't know how to categorise this band: they seem to be influenced by all sorts. That being said, they were a great band to see and listen to. They didn't get too much reaction from the small crowd they drew, due to clashing with Five Finger Death Punch. But, I think they were the perfect type of band to spend the early afternoon bobbing along too. A comical moment happened with lead singer Chris Goss saying 'we've got to fit 20 years of music into a half hour, guess you'll have to come to our show to hear the rest'.
Amon Amarth - Zippo - 7 - These guys had sound issues to begin with, they also came on late due to dragging the Viking ship stage with them. However, for the 4 songs they did manage to play, they were very good. Including a song that will be coming on their next album and that sounded awesome, so I'm really looking forward to that release. I saw them do a longer set at Wacken last year and they were brilliant then. They definitely seem like a band that will need a decent length set to play more of their material. But who can't love Viking Metal!!
Stone Sour - Main - 10 - Corey Taylor's second appearance at this year's Download was an absolute stormer. I really like this band and their mix of heavy and softer music. I was shocked that they played 4 songs from the new album House of Gold & Bones parts 1 and 2, but as that included Gone Sovereign and Absolute Zero, they can be forgiven. Corey got extremely emotional during Bother, the fans really have made this guy their God and even he seems to find it hard to accept this status. They've played a cover of Black Sabbaths 'Children of the Grave' at some of their shows but the fact they included it in this set was amazing. Giving tribute to bands, whom without there probably wouldn't be a metal scene today, is one thing that I really like to see bands do. And the fact that they really to pound this tune out well is just phenomenal. Set closer '30/30-150' was almost earth shaking! I'd like to see these guys bounce back from the underwhelming HoG&B albums and really throw all of their old sound back into the studio and return with records like Come What(ever) May again.
Red Fang - Pepsi Max - 7 - The volume in the tent still seemed to be at 15 so I took a seat on the grass and listened in the sun. This was some pure rock during the early evening. Although I think the weekend had caught up with me and I just felt wiped out. I'd like to catch them again to give a true reflection of them.
Newsted - Pepsi Max - 10 - What happens after you leave arguably one of the greatest metal bands on the planet? Answer: Start your own band who are pretty damn good! I was expecting a decent thrash band to keep me entertained, instead I heard one of the best sets of the weekend. And this was from a band formed just last December! The few songs they have written so far, with an album due out later this year, have some very catchy tunes with a superb blend of melody and percussion involved. And hearing Whiplash live was something special to add to it. Jason Newsted was overjoyed at the reaction the crowd gave him and if they keep this sort of level up then they could be returning on one of the bigger stages quite easily.
P.O.D. - Pepsi Max - 5 - I have never been more disappointed in seeing a band that I was so looking forward to. I thought the bass was way too high and distorted the vocals, nor were vocals as fresh as I was expecting. P.O.D were one of the bands that got me into alternative music and I can't say I have ever walked away from a performance as deflated with a band than I did on Sunday. I managed to stay until Youth of a Nation was played, and being just as disappointed with that I left the tent to catch a longer portion of the next band.
I have just heard on TeamRock Radio that they've had reports that P.O.D were a roaring success, shame I wasn't listening to the same thing they were!
On the way to 2nd stage I had to endure 30 Seconds To Mars. Now, I dislike them on record but it's bearable. Live.....well, they sounded truly and completely awful. I'm so glad I wasn't staying there as I really would've done myself an injury just to get away!
A Day To Remember - Zippo - 9 - I'm going to say it straight off the bat, these guys will headline festivals. They really are that good. They have been described as a fusion of emo, hardcore and metal, and I can't disagree with that. They were a lot heavier than I expected but the huge crowd they drew loved every minute of it. Throwing inflatable balls and toilet paper into the crowd was such an awesome sight. The only part of the set I disagreed with was asking for crowd surfer surfers, crowd surfing is pretty dangerous on it's own without then asking someone else to stand on them. As expected the crowd obliged and I saw a lot of people at least attempting it and most people falling and disappearing into the crowd. Mild concussions and bruises aside, ADTR were truly awesome. And, with a headline tour coming up this year, the step up the festival lineups could happen quite soon.
LimpBizkit - Zippo - 9 - I guarantee this rating would be a 10 had I stayed for the entire set. They weren't even part of my Download plan until I watched the live stream from Rock am Ring. Limp really have turned a corner with their live performances and are now not a disappointment but rather a huge nu-metal force again (if you disregard the album Gold Cobra). Great entertainers playing what can now/soon will be called rock anthems. Stayed to hear Rollin', Nookie and Hot Dog, 3of my favourite Bizkit songs so I was incredibly happy. Also, Fred Durst is currently sporting a cracking beard.
Rammstein - Main - 10 - I'd like to start by saying that Rammstein outside loses something from their indoor show. Now that's out of the way, wow Rammstein were absolutely incredible! The setlist was mostly as to be expected with a shock addition of Wiener Blut, but using the majority of their back catalogue and using it well. The response to Du Hast was stunning, even to the band! I maintain that there will never be a better stage show than that of Rammstein. Everything they do fits in to the music and is just a sight to see. I enjoyed the piano version of Mein Herz Brennt, it was something different to the furious pace at which the band tear through their songs. At the end of the set, Till Lindemann thanked the crowd with 'we love you', this seemed 100% more emotional than previous times I have seen them. I doubt they will forget this date for a long time. There are huge rumours that the band will be calling it a day soon and if this is how they've signed off in the UK then no-one present will have bad memories from their time witnessing the Gods of fire and metal doing what only they do best.
And that concluded my Download Festival 2013. Bringing with it some awesome sets, some not so awesome sets and so much fire that Hell is probably empty right now.
I highly doubt I will do any festivals next year, bar a ridiculously unbelievable lineup. But for those who don't know, Download 2014 will take place on the weekend 13-15 June.
Many thanks for reading.
