Celebrated rock icon Richie Sambora has been added to the line-up for Download Festival 2014. His performance will feature special guest, Australian singer-songwriter and guitar goddess Orianthi.
A modern rock guitar legend, Sambora has played to more than 34 million fans worldwide over the course of a career that now spans over four decades.
Sambora is one of the few hard rock musicians to truly transcend genres; his collaborators include Cher, LL Cool J and Eric Clapton, and his three solo albums bestride hard rock, blues and experimental rock with the most recent – 2012’s Aftermath of the Lowdown – receiving critical acclaim.
This year will be Richie Sambora’s first visit to Europe’s biggest rock and metal festival, offering hard rock aficionados a rare opportunity to watch one of the icons of the genre in action.
Other outstanding acts joining the Download 2014 line-up today include psychedelic rockers Turbowolf, bringing their electrifying yet laid-back blend of punk, metal and funkadelica back to Download for the first time since 2012, and Birmingham post-hardcore mob Cytota.
Among the Donington debutants announced today are a pair of local acts in Derybshire post-grunge duo Drenge and Nottingham noise machine Baby Godzilla.
They will be joined by a host of nascent alt-rock superstars made up of blues rockers The Temperance Movement, progressive metallers Nothing More, hardcore colts Dead City Streets and London art rockers Goldray.
Download Festival 2014 takes place from June 13-15 and will be headlined by Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park – in a rare performance of their legendary debut album Hybrid Theory – and Aerosmith.
The Summer Festival Guide can reveal 18 more acts which are added to this years Download Festival lineup which takes place this July.
Seminal punk act Against Me!, fronted by the phenomenal Laura Jane Grace, will make their debut at Download, bringing with them their signature crunching guitars and soaring choruses accompanied by thoughtful ruminations on the ideals of social justice.
Legendary grime rockers Monster Magnet will make their first Download appearance in a decade, while atmospheric post-grunge pilgrims Chevelle, whowere due to appear at the very first Download in 2003 but had to pull out at the last minute, finally return in 2014 to claim their birthright.
For Monster Magnet this performance has been a long time coming: We're really happy to be performing at Download 2014. We've haven't played a festival in the UK for ages!
Another act which has a long association with Donington – hard-edged Geordie rock quartet The Wildhearts – return having made their debut at rock’s seat of power in 1994 and who last performed at Download in 2008.
Guitarist CJ reflected on the band’s relationship with the mythical stage: Well they just can't get rid of us. It's only 20 years since we first played Donington and in 2008 they turned the power off on us. Who knows what will happen this year…Bring it on!
These latest additions to the line-up also provide plenty of heavy riffage, in part through Italian power metal demons Arthemis. Lead guitarist, Andy Martongelli, shared his delight at returning to the festival:
Arthemis at Download Festival 2014! Hell yeah! Do we need to say more? There's nothing better than playing in front of the massive Download crowd. Last year we had a blast and it's such a true honour for us to be back! We'll deliver a very special, face-melting-show for this event so make sure you're there to share the awesome moment with us: Arthemis strikes back!
British juggernaut Orange Goblin also add to the heavy factor, while local Nottinghamshire boys Lawnmower Deth add a sharp dose of good old fashioned thrash metal to the party, with singer Pete Lee taking the opportunity to reflect on the band’s history with the festival:
Back again! Damn do we love Download. Damn do we love Copping. Our 4th time. You do realise them puppies Metallica have only officially managed 3! We’re in pole position baby. And to boot, Twisted Sister and the mighty, mighty Quo are playing on the same day. Is it only March? Come on already June.
On the other side of the rock spectrum, fellow Midlanders Page 44 will also return to add some passionate, stripped back post-punk to proceedings.
Making their first appearance by the racetrack is one of the most exciting young acts on the British music scene, Brighton blues rockers Royal Blood, who have recently been nominated for BBC Sound of 2014 award.
Other home grown talents taking to the Donington stage include symphonic punk rockers, The Dirty Youth, whose singer Danni Monroe is relishing another visit to Download, saying: We're over the moon to be invited back to Download festival for the third time. It has always been our favourite festival! Cannot wait to rock the second stage!
This sentiment was shared by melodic math-punk newcomers Marmozets, who said: We’re looking forward to playing at Download 2014. It was a blast last time and it opened a few doors up for us as a band.
Meanwhile, further Download debutants announced today are Japanese hard rock duo VAMPS (JPN) (not to be confused with The Vamps. Ever), Irish disco blues punks Kid Karate, ska merchants TheMagnus Puto, Irish troopers No Hot Ashes, punk rockers Colt 45, hardcore punks Drones and Bristol rock’n’rollers Tax the Heat.
Drones looked ahead to following in: We are over the moon to be playing the hallowed ground of Donington and the legendary Download Festival, where so many of our heroes growing up have performed. We can't wait to tear it up and cause some chaos, see everyone in the pit!
Tax the Heat said: We’re absolutely ecstatic to be playing such a great festival and with such a great slot too. We look forward to being one of the first bands to play Download this year. See you there!
Amongst these additions is one of the most complex and genre defying acts to come out of British rock and metal in the last decade, Bring Me The Horizon. This will be their first Donington appearance since the release of their savage beast of a fourth album, Sempiternal.
Oli Sykes said: We’re over the moon about playing Download. Before we got confirmed I had already asked for guest list as there was no way I was going to miss Linkin Park play Hybrid Theory in full. When we were offered to play on the same day and on the same stage just a few hours before, it was a no brainer. I’m crowd surfing to papercut, mark my words!
Also joining the line-up today is rock’s foremost euphonic metal songstress Sharon Den Adel and Within Temptation, who make their triumphant return after a six year absence.
The band said of the announcement: We're thrilled to let the beast loose at Download again! We've got such great memories, we can't wait to play the tracks from our new album Hydra and retake the stage at Download. Give us rain, we will bring fire!
Twisted Sister, whose most famous visit to Donington came at Monsters of Rock in 1983, return to the scene to play Download 2014.
The band cannot wait to get back to their spiritual home in the UK: With this year’s performance at Download, Twisted Sister looks forward with great anticipation the celebration of the 30th anniversary of our worldwide, multi-platinum (6 million) album 'Stay Hungry'.Get ready Download because WE WANNA ROCK!
Other prodigal sons of Donington to return this year are Sepultura, the Brazilian Thrash Deities who played the first Download in 2003 are back with a vengeance in 2014.
Download has acquisitioned another ear-bleedingly good headliner in the ghostly form of Behemoth. The Godfathers of occultist Polish extreme metal will take over the Pepsi Max Stage on Saturday night.
Behemoth’s Nergal said: It's a great honour to be part of the bill for this year's Download. It’s one of the most prestigious Heavy Metal events, not only in UK but in the whole of Europe!This summer’s schedule already looks great, but with Download in it we are looking at something truly epic! The UK never disappoints! We owe you and we shall deliver!
Speaking of stage headliners… Since announcing Trivium to the line-up a few weeks back, the internet exploded with a complete outpouring of love from fans. And Download totally took the hint. Trivium will now headline the Zippo Encore Stage on Sunday, giving more fans the chance to experience one of their legendary sets.
Meanwhile, the insane amount of homegrown talent joining BMTH at Download 2014 includes our very own‘Prepubescent Jim Morrisons’ (to borrow a phrase from their biggest fan, Noel Fielding,) The Howling, who will bring their dashing neo-noir power-punk swagger to the Donington stage this June, while London post-hardcore outfit Zoax, will also return.
Having made their Download debut last year, the band is chomping at the bit to make their second appearance: It was one thing to play Download in 2013 so early in our career, but to be asked back again the following year is just a dream come true. That may sound like a complete cliché, but it's complete honesty. These opportunities mean the world to us. We are aiming to make our set one that the audience will never forget. We are counting down the seconds to this day.
Fellow Londoners Press to Meco will also be bringing back their distinctive infusion of prog-punk-math-rock. Collibus– whose lead singer Gemma Fox adds another powerful and heavy voice to Download’s already-impressive metal siren wail – will also make their bow this year.
Collibus are thrilled to be sharing the stage with so many musical icons: It's an amazing honour to be playing at Download this year. It is a festival known the world over and to be playing on the same bill as so many of our heroes and musical influences will be awesome. Bring it on!
Some of the other young pretenders within touching distance of superstardom include one of Rolling Stone’s 10 New Artists You Need To Know for January 2014 Reignwolf who, along with soulful Missouri punks Radkey and prodigious homegrown shredders Bad Touch will bring some of the heaviest, grimiest blues rock in the entire musical universe crashing into planet Download this June.
So, with punks, bluesmen, metalheads and rockers already satiated by this latest announcement, it’s only fair that prog metallers get a treat as well, and what a treat it is as Monuments’ former FellSilent frontman John Browne will be joining his djent co-pioneers Sikth on the Download 2014 bill.
Browne was delighted to be reaching the apex of live British rock: After being a spectator for years, we're so stoked to finally play this legendary festival. Download is a festival that every rock and metal band aspires to play, and now were doing it. Thanks to Andy and Dave for believing in what we do. Get ready download, it's going to be chaos.
From new Download recruits to the distinctly battle-hardened – WWE and ex-WWF heavyweight Chris Jericho will be breaking down the Donington walls for a third time with his hard rock wrecking ball, Fozzy.
On their return, Jericho said: We are super excited to return to Download and play the MAINSTAGE for the first time ever! One of our all-time favorite gigs was Download 2012 and we are looking forward to exploding your heads with pure Fozzy rock all over again this year! Do You Wanna Start A War, Download? We hope so, because here we come!
Another experienced campaigner is Dan Reed, who will return in 2014 accompanied by his band, the Dan Reed Network.
For, the Dan Reed, the return to the major rock festival scene has been a long time coming: The band members and myself are deeply honoured and thrilled to be a part of this year's Download Festival, which marks our first major festival in over 20 years!
Alongside them come Skillet, the biggest Christian Metal band in the world ready to unleash their epic soaring melodies on the Download crowd for the first time.
Also receiving their Download baptism are 80s rockers Tyketto and Winger, and melodic post-hardcore merchantsWe Came As Romans. WCAR vocalist Dave Stephens concurred: We're beyond excited to be on this year's Download Fest. We absolutely love playing in the UK and it's especially amazing to be opening for Linkin Park!
American hardcore legion Defeater will also make an appearance while Cage the Gods will provide a healthy dose of sludgy, balls-out classic rock.
Zebrahead and Twenty One Pilots add an alt-rap twist to this year’s party, which will also play host to some incredible post-metal dreamscapes courtesy of international sensation Skyharbor.
Emerging first from this guitar-fuelled tempest are metal giants and 2014 Grammy Nominees* for Best Metal Performance, Killswitch Engage, bringing their seismic roar back to Download in a European Festival Exclusive. That’s right; 50 countries, 750 million people, 90 official languages, a reported 600 music festivals: one European festival performance from Killswitch Engage in 2014: and it’s at Download.
Today also sees The Pretty Reckless, set to drop new album “Going to Hell” in March, join the 2014 line-up. The New York four-piece known for its swaggering grunge-pop is fronted by former Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen, who will sashay into Donington with filthy on-stage antics and filthier on-stage ensembles. The organisers of Download Festival are still awaiting the rider request for Duct tape.
Momsen commented: We're so excited to play Download again, it was one of the highlights of touring our last record and we can't wait to bring Going to Hell to Donnington.
The craziest genre-mutating ragga-metal party in the world, Skindred, will also be crashing ashore at Download 2014, where Donington devotees will get a first live taste of incredible new album Kill the Power which, in an outrageous twist of fate, is out today! (Monday January 27th)
Expressing his excitement about returning to the festival, Skindred’s lead singer Benji Webbe called on the Download faithful to adopt the band’s iconic signature crowd celebration, the Newport Helicopter: The last few years have been an epic time for Skindred. The band has gone from strength to strength collecting more and more friends and fans along the way. This Download announcement has excited us more than ever, as we once again return to the home of ROCK. We shall bring and take to another level the energy and excitement that we are world renowned for. So bring a spare t-shirt and let’s get the Newport Helicopter flying higher than ever before.
And if that triumvirate of rock titans doesn’t rev your engine, there’s plenty more fuel in the Download tank.
South African grunge monsters Seether announced recently that they will be dropping a new album in 2014 and Download will be the UK’s first glimpse of the new material.
Adding a bit of dark wave theatricality to the line-up is gothic-metal-multimedia-storytelling-project, September Mourning, inaugurating a whole new art form into the hallowed Download canon.
Of course no Download announcement would be complete without its compliment of battle-hardened rock legends from across the pond; American Head Charge add to Donington’s already impressive Industrial roster, The Used ride in to the UK on a tsunami of soaring choruses, Joe Bonamassa will be shredding his soul-melting blues guitar for the first time at the festival, and 90’s firebrands Crazytown and Quicksand also make their Download debuts.
Another gracing Donington for the first time is classic metal supergroup Kill Devil Hillfeaturing Vinny Paul and Rex Brown of Pantera fame.
Getting even heavier, outspoken hardcore tyros Emmure and King 810 will also be raining down some good old fashioned American mayhem on Download, with Emmure’s Frankie Palmeri saying: Once again we have been invited to be a part of one of the most prestigious music festivals of all time. We can't wait to step on stage and connect with our fans at such an amazing event. See ya there.
Showing these Download rookies the way will be sharp dressed Texan deathcore bruisers Upon A Burning Body who wowed crowds when they made their Donington debut in 2012. Fresh out the studio from recording album number 3, prepare to have your face melted when they once again take to the hallowed Donington stage.
Contrary to their name influential home grown Prog rockers Anathema will be welcomed back to Download with open arms fresh from recording their first studio album for three years in Norway, with the band looking forward to hooking up with their fellow Prog heavyweights:
What can you say about download that hasn't been said already? It'll be an honour to play there again and anathema can't wait. We have our newest and most exciting material from our 2014 new album to perform too. An intense Setlist, world famous festival, and our mates Opeth on after us! Bring it on!
Download 2014 will also play host to a wide range of the very hottest rock and metal from mainland Europe, including Dutch metal screamers and Donington rookies, The Charm, The Fury, Japanese berserkers Coldrain, Swedish power-metallers Sabaton and freewheeling Danish alt-rockers New Politics.
Caroline Westendorp from The Charm, The Fury said: We are super excited to be returning to the UK to play Download Festival, the festival is always filled with so many bands that we take influence from and we cannot wait to give the fans a show to remember!
But Download isn’t just about being as culturally diverse as the British Museum’s Halloween Party, with local superstars of tomorrow Malevolence, Polar, Heart in Handand Lyger all appearing at this year’s festival.
Heart in Hand reflected on becoming part of a select group to make the transition from Download fan to performer: Having all been to the festival in our younger days, it's an amazing feeling for us to now be a part of the musicians making up the bill this year. Genuinely all very excited in our camp to play such a legendary festival and then enjoy the whole weekend once the pressure's off a bit!
The Summer Festival Guide 2014 is excited to reveal the next additions to the Download Festival lineup including Bowling for Soup, Black Label Society, Opeth, Bad Religion and more!
Leading the armada are pop-punk legends Bowling for Soup, who have chosen to celebrate their 20th birthday at Donington, wisely putting faith in Europe’s biggest Rock Festival to bring the party.
Lead singer Jaret Reddick said: We are really stoked to be coming back to Download this year…first and foremost, our little band turns 20 this June, so what better way to celebrate! Music, beer and Portaloos! Also, it's a great opportunity to show our amazing UK fans that, although we don't have plans to tour any time soon, they will still get to see our pretty faces once in a while. Can. Not. Wait!
Celebratory Birthday circle pit, anyone…?
Elsewhere on site, two of this year’s most massively anticipated spring album releases will be followed with huge live performances; Black Label Society, led by notorious shredder Zakk Wylde, and Swedish prog-metal mad scientists Opeth will both bring never-before-seen sets to Download 2014, making the crowds at Donington amongst the first to experience the new material in the flesh.
Forming the L.A. regiment of today’s new Download battalion are Celtic-punk seven piece Flogging Molly and Download Festival virgins Bad Religion – making their Donington debut 35 years after they first started their melodic punk crusade against tyranny and hypocrisy.
Lead singer Greg Graffin was keen to acknowledge the UK, and in particular Donington’s place in music history: Our UK fans are among the most dedicated and appreciative audiences the world over. We consider every trip to the UK a special treat, and the tradition of Donington will make this appearance all the more special. Bad Religion is steeped in tradition, so we greatly look forward to it!
Also joining them will be PHA and the Illegals, the latest project from Pantera and Down Frontman, Phil Anselmo.
Powerman 5000 are another act who will receive their Download Festival baptism in 2014, with lead frontman Spider One joining big bro Rob Zombie at the coalface of Donington’s grizzly industrial underworld.
There will be less pond-crossing and more M1-gridlock-negotiating for the return of home grown Metalcore 5-piece Bury Tomorrow this June, in a set that will feature the likes of massive new single, Watcher and more great tracks yet to be revealed from impending album Runes, which lands on May 26th.
Vocalist Dani Winter-Bates commented: We're absolutely stoked to be invited back to play Download Festival. It was one of the staple points of last year for Bury Tomorrow! So we can't wait to get back to Donington and smash it!
The BossHoss, who have been purging pop songs of their innocence and churning out badass Country Trash Punk Rock for the past decade will also appear at Download 2014. Sascha Vollmer aka Hoss Power from The BossHoss said: We had a blast playing at Download in 2011 and the energy there totally blew our minds!We can always rely on a kick-ass party at our UK shows, so we're more than ready to come back and have another good old riot with you crazy bunch of rock and roll maniacs!
More? Ok, well listen up – today’s announcement also confirms another handful of awesome appearances from classic North American metal caballeros Skid Row, Tesla and Danger Danger as well as Jill Janus’ thrash-influenced Huntress, filthy blues-rockers The Graveltones and newcomers Anti-Mortem.
Huntress-in-chief, Jill Janus said: Huntress is honoured to play Download Festival again! We had a killer show last year, and will bring the fury to UK music fanatics once more. Spread it, shred it, behead it!
Larado Romano of Anti-Mortem said of the announcement: Anti-Mortem is extremely excited and beyond ready to play Download this year, it will be the biggest festival we've played to date and our first as a group in the U.K. Watch out UK, we'll be kicking ass Oklahoma style and our rage is American made!
On his latest recruits, Download promoter Andy Copping said: This is shaping up to be the most diverse Download yet – a real tableau of the past, present and future of rock and metal. You can see that in our headliners; Aerosmith, Linkin Park andAvenged Sevenfold, and in today’s announcement where we combine such renowned acts as Bowling for Soup and Opeth withnewer acts like Bury Tomorrow.
Download Festival’s 12th year is shaping up to be one of its best as the 2014 line up for Europe’s biggest rock festival continues to swarm over every inch of the rock, metal, punk and alternative music landscape like a zombie crusade.
Pop Punk royalty The Offspring will be returning to Download after a long absence from the festival, having appeared just once before in 2008.
Guitarist Noodles commented: It's been six years since we first played Download and we can't wait to return and rip it up. Stoked!
Rock legends Status Quo, who released their 100th single in 2013, make their Download Festival debut after over 50 years of producing some of the biggest guitar anthems in history and will be performing a purely greatest hits set.
On the prospect of returning to Donington, frontman Francis Rossi said: When Status Quo once again take to the Donington stage, it will have been 32 years since we headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival on August 21st 1982. That year saw the Falklands War, the launch of the Commodore 64, Aston Villa winning the European Cup and the raising of the Mary Rose. You might say a lot has changed since then but we are still rocking, and still playing the Quo hits. See you there.
The Quo will be joined by Metal titans Trivium who return to Donington for a very special performance of the set they played at their legendary first Download Main Stage appearance in 2005.
Bassist Paolo Gregoletto said: We are thrilled to be returning to Download for our 5th time. In honour of both the festival and fans that embraced Trivium first, we have decided to play our 2005 set list from start to finish, preceded by a set of some our other festival favourite tunes. However, to make it all the more unique, we will be playing this "one time only" set on the Red Bull Stage, the most intimate and intense setting possible for revisiting this special moment in time. We have had some of our best experiences as a band on the hallowed grounds of Donington, and this is shaping up to be one of our most exciting ones yet! Do not miss it!
Swedish metallers In Flames will also be joining the bill. Speaking on their return to the Home of Rock, frontman Anders Friden, added:
It has been a while since we last played the UK, so we are all excited and looking forward to coming back to play at Download Festival 2014.
Covering the classic metal end of the spectrum will be Steel Panther. A firm fan favourite, the spandex-clad, Sunset Strip rockers will be storming the sacred Donington stage for a fourth time.
Drummer Stix Zadinia said: Fish and chips. Tea and biscuits. Monty and Pythons. Steel Panther and Download Festival. These are four examples of how nature has been able to strike the perfect balance of harmony and elegance between two glorious and powerful things. We are so excited to come back and play Download Festival 2014. This was the place where we were truly introduced to the UK and it always feels like a homecoming to us. We in Steel Panther, are going to attempt to rock you so hard, that it will take you approximately one whole year to recover, only to muster enough energy to come back to DL2015 the following year to try to handle the power again! Roll on June!
Also joining the bill are melodic death metallers The Black Dahlia Murder, Sheffield’s finest While She Sleeps, Arizona’s Blessthefall, Japanese electro metalcore outfit Crossfaith, Californian soul punks Letlive, Metalcore giants Miss May I and, of course, after the phenomenal demand of #whynotdyingfetus Dying Fetus .
All of these huge bands will join headliners Aerosmith, Avenged Sevenfold and Linkin Park – playing their celebrated debut album Hybrid Theory in full – as well as special guests Alter Bridge, Rob Zombie and Fall Out Boy – all of whom were announced earlier this month.
Also check out Download’s latest viral campaign, Download Family Album. This crowd sourced photography collection will allow members of the scariest non-Addams family on the planet to share awesome rock iconography and Download memories over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Download team will use a tailored #Hashtag to set a new project every week, with themes including Thrash Tats, Air Guitar Antics, Rock Kids and Main Stage Mayhem, so get involved and get snapping!
Avenged Sevenfold, one of the mightiest forces in modern rock, have been announced as the first headliner for Download 2014. Friday 13th June 2014 will mark a momentous occasion in the history of Avenged Sevenfold as they continue their tradition of spectacular Download performances, by becoming headliners for the very first time, not just at Download, but at any UK festival.
Saturday night at this year’s festival will be headlined by the Grammy Award winning Linkin Park, who will be playing their multi-platinum debut album ‘HYBRID THEORY’ in its entirety as part of their set.
The legendary Aerosmith will be closing the festival in 2014, when they headline on Sunday 15th June. Joining them on the main stage as main support will be hard rockers, Alter Bridge.
Aerosmith are one rock’s most infamous and revered bands. Fronted by the iconic partnership of frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, their generation spanning career has seen them sell in excess of 150 million records, making them the best selling American rock band in history. Despite having been a band for over 40 years, their incredible, ever expanding collection of hits continues to appeal to hoards of fans both old and new. Their headline performance at Download 2014 will be their first on UK soil since 2010, speaking on their return to Donington Park, Joe Perry said
“It’s been too long since we've been to England and we're sincerely f**ing charged to be coming back! See you there"
Joining Aerosmith in ending what is already set to be an incredible weekend, will be the heavy riffing, arena conquering Alter Bridge. The band released their 4th studio album, ‘Fortress’ earlier this year to huge critical acclaim. It’s been the band’s highest charting album in the UK, hitting the #1 spot on the rock charts and saw them sell out arenas across the country on their recent UK tour.
A drier Sunday sees festival goers lounging on the hillside whilst watching the writhing madness that is the mosh pits at Five Finger Death Punch, and wassailing with Swedish melodic metallers – Amon Amarth, who play aboard their on stage Viking longship, to a sea of fans’ windmilling hair and guttural yells.
Stone Sour pull off a powerful set to a packed arena with the likes of ‘Say You’ll Haunt Me’ and ‘Mission Statement’. With the words “We are in England, the home of heavy metal. This is where it all started. There’s one band that we all owe our allegiance to… Black Sabbath. This is dedicated to them” they proceed to play a very Stone Sour cover of ‘Children of the Grave’ and frontman Corey Taylor goes on to perform second cover Alice In Chains’ ‘Nutshell’ as a solo. Yelling “I’m going to go on record and say this country is my favourite in the fucking world” Corey gains a roar of respect from the crowd, however he (and countless unfortunate others) cop an eyeful of the buck-naked dude standing atop his mate’s shoulders for much of the second half of the set.
Over on the second stage something odd is occurring, my first encounter with what I can only describe as Papal-Metal, comes at the hands of Swedish eccentrics Ghost. Dressed in cardinal’s robes and misfits style skeleton paint, frontman Papa Emeritus II has a much higher/softer rock vocal than you expect, and the ‘Nameless Ghouls’ (read: rest of the band, dressed in black robes) do a decent job with ‘Year Zero’ and ‘Ritual’ to a pretty large crowd.
Following them, the second stage sees a sudden influx of bodies in preparation for the return of Aussie icons Airbourne, a band who last time they performed were put in the naughty corner for frontman Joel O'Keefe’s rock and roll, rigging-scaling action. Smoke cannons, energetic hopping around and some proper good old windmilling are the mainstay of Airbourne’s performance, and a quick “You’re a fucking sight for sore eyes Donington, it’s great to be back in the U fucking K” puts everyone immediately on side. Joel foregoes the death-defying stunts this year and instead legs it into the crowd with his guitar, meeting fans, playing, and just generally having a nice time for ‘Raise The Flag’. After getting back on stage, the crowd is treated to ‘Live it Up’ and ‘Runnin’ Wild’ with a bit of good old synchronised headbanging.
A much anticipated 30 Seconds to Mars are giving the female festival population ovarian tingles, as frontman Jared Leto (widely enjoyed for purely shallow reasons) turns his wailing on the busy arena. Four guys in coloured balaclavas are for some unknown reason, employed to bang drums steadily behind the band a la Blue Man Group, but much less interesting, and Leto’s inane comments (particularly the weird “We are forty seconds to mars”… we all heard that right?!) are getting a bit hard to swallow. Calling out “You, you in the blue hat and the Cannibal Corpse tshirt, you’re just looking at your dick… This guy is gonna lead the jump for us” Leto continues to make an ass of himself. Dear Jared Leto, despite your penchant for odd outfits and your strange ideas about fan-prizes (see “win a night in my bed” no, really) I actually don’t *hate* the way you sound, but come on… if there’s a guy at your show in a Cannibal Corpse tshirt, he’s either just securing his spot for Rammstein later or appeasing a teenage girl. Take the hint. After arrogantly announcing a forthcoming UK tour (the entire list of dates and locations… *sigh*) and pulling a load of screaming hormonal girls on stage, they close out with ‘The Kill (Bury Me’, ‘Kings and Queens’ and ‘Up in the Air’, to the cheers of all those thoroughly annoyed at having witnessed it.
During the stage-setting break the last few brave souls hit the zipline to the terrifying sight of a crowd gearing up for their descent, with a host of bottles and other miscellaneous missiles to hurl at the unfortunate victims – it makes for interesting sport/entertainment as we wait.
Rammstein hit Donington with everything they’ve got, showcasing their heavy style amidst a plethora of flaming devices from ‘2, 3, 4, Links’ and ‘Du Hast’ to ‘Ich Will’ and ‘Sonne’. Fans are treated to a spectacular show, including flamethrowers, fireworks, bondage and S&M alongside anthemic hits, it’s the show Download Festival has been waiting years for and they certainly do it justice (see the full review for complete details). Closing the night and the festival with the comedic and fairly gross, ‘Pussy’ and a foam-spraying giant penis-cannon, flanked by ticker-tape explosions, it’s been a long time coming (excuse the pun…) but Rammstein know how to put on an epic performance, this has been one extraordinary night for Download Festival and for the history of Donington Park. Who knows what to expect next year…
Arriving in the arena to a sudden and torrential downpour, flapping around trying to get crap plastic ponchos on whilst simultaneously attempting to crouch over the tops of your wellies to avoid trench-foot, wasn’t exactly a joyful experience, but thankfully the rain abated as we queued for a bottle (and special edition cup) of Iron Maiden Trooper beer. Saturday is the day of unfortunate overlaps, a lineup of incredible acts spread across stages so wide that you can’t hope to catch them all, so we resign ourselves to the wishlist and hope to catch others another year.
Starting with classic Brit-rock UFO take to the mainstage for some shredding good fun, and Mastodon do a decent job of pepping up the squelchy audience with ‘Blood and Thunder’ and ‘Oblivion’, but it’s Alice In Chains who really power up, touting their signature grunge doom and gloom. ‘Down in a Hole’ and ‘Check My Brain’ stand out, but the whole set is superb and radiates a sort of nonchalant, effortless aura of cool. On the tiny Jagermeister stage, Buffalo Summer’s funked up southern rock ‘Typhoid Mary’ is getting the small but jolly crowd up and jigging about, and Download repeat offenders Motörhead are, well, EXACTLY the same as always. Despite Lemmy’s stuck record “We are Motörhead and we play rock and roll” lead in, and ‘Everything louder than everything else’ tshirts that have only had a colour update, it is a formula that works, and ‘Ace of Spades’ is as good a mosh-pit starter as it always has been.
Taiwanese metalcore kids Chthonic are as weird as ever, but lady bassist Doris Yeh is definitely gaining a LOT of new fans as the band ramp up the volume and she pulls a very metal pout… however, on the main stage Queens Of The Stone Age aren’t really living up to the hype. The sound is dead, the crowd looks bored and the quips just aren’t that funny – particularly the one about ‘No One Knows’ being a song to get laid to. I’m sure Barry White is turning in his grave. After their departure, the arena heads into instant turmoil as people rush to toilets, bars and food carts whilst the stage is set up for Iron Maiden’s prop heavy show. Bands we’d have liked to see today but missed due to there being TOO MUCH to see were, punk legends Lit, rock royalty Thunder, Norwegians Kvelertak and fellow headliners The Hives and Enter Shikari. *sigh* we just hope Download books them all again. Please.
Iron Maiden begin the evenings shenanigans with an actual Spitfire flyby. Yep, that’s right – they managed to get a Spitfire to thunder up from behind the main stage and fly over a stunned crowd. If you can tell me a band who’ve gone further for their fans, feel free to comment. A stunning set with hits ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Aces High’ as well as a raft of other Maiden classics and giant moving Eddies, makes for a spectacular night (read the complete Maiden review for more details) that will stick in our memories forever.
Avid weather watching and ultimate festival preparation was indeed necessary for this year’s Download Festival at the legendary Donington Racetrack, as the masses were simultaneously sunburnt and soaked, we thank the grand old British climate for a mostly acceptable atmosphere in which to rock. In it’s eleventh year, Download Festival draws in the metal hordes, clad in anything black, denim, ripped and studded, for a weekend of extraordinary music and warm beer.
Heading into the arena on Friday, the familiar sights and smells wash over us (portaloos, expensive burgers, eau de camping) with one particular very obvious addition – the zipline. Even at this time people are queuing up to spend fifteen smackers for thirty seconds of extreme wedgie, it’s baffling. I suppose the view is good from up there though. At the Zippo Encore Stage nearest the arena entrance, legendary hard-rocker heroes Uriah Heep draw an absolutely massive crowd and play a storming set that would have you think you’re at the ’82 heyday Monsters of Rock, not 2013 Download. Screaming “Where were you back in nineteen seventy seven?” frontman Mick Box smiles at the blank stares of all those who weren’t born yet, and pushes on with ‘Gypsy’ and some serious shredding. Despite the very recent and death of bassist Trevor Bolder, the band put on a great show and leave the stage with an outtro of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ just to cement their homegrown status.
Over on the main stage, Yorkshire metalcore kids Asking Alexandria spin damp fans in the rain into a frenzy, whilst London based power metal heavyweights Dragonforce are beset with shoddy sound for the first few songs. Despite this they ride rambunctiously through ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ and new track ‘Cry Thunder’ is punchy enough (and almost ironic enough, in the current conditions) to gain instant earworm status. Herman Li’s frankly beautiful hair blows in the wind as he and Sam Totman shred harmoniously in their distinctive style and the crowd joins in for the chorus. Main stage emotions are running high as Papa Roach create circle-pits and drive the hits ‘… To Be Loved’ and ‘Last Resort’, and the second stage area is awash with Swedish flags for Stockholm rockers Europe. After a hugely entertaining and musically engaging set, the inevitable party-piece ‘The Final Countdown’ is final-ly rolled out, to which the crowd goes wild. It’s more comedy than it is song now, but boy do we Brits love a good cheesy anthem.
Korn, though intensely self-aware and at times quite comical, are actually rather good and manage to draw the largest crowd of the daytime. Head honcho Jonathan Davis’ looks like he’s having a fit whilst dancing/headbanging through ‘Blind’ and ‘Falling Away From Me’, but it’s ‘Coming Undone’ that really gets the audience thrashing. An unnecessary ten minute bagpipe interval (of which Davis really only plays a few notes, it’s like… if Deep Purple went highlander…) leaves a lot of confused faces, and more than a few people groan when the dubstep part hits, however, fan favourite ‘Freak On A Leash’ brings them back.
3 Doors Down do a sterling job making the afternoon light with their particular brand of American Rock, with a fun cover of Megadeth’s ‘Symphony of Destruction’ and Gypsy Punk crazies Gogol Bordello have everyone up and skanking to their weird and wonderful accordion packed sound, also rainbow stripes don’t really make a balaclava any less menacing, but we appreciate the oddity of it.
Second stage headliners Black Stone Cherry, here on merit of a forum-wide plea from fans, play an absolutely stunning set with favourites from the first three albums, and a first ever sneak peek at brand spanking new material from their studio work (see headline review for full details). Main stage masked-bandit headliners Slipknot have ditched the red boiler suits for white (much to the dismay of die hard fans who’ve spend the whole day perfecting their costumes) but other than that, not much is different from their 2009 Download appearance, except that this year they play without late bassist Paul Grey and play ‘Duality’ in tribute to him (the 2009 Download Festival show was his last appearance). Fans are fans though, and twice during the wild night, Corey Taylor called to stop the performance due to crowd surges, yelling “No-one is getting hurt on my watch, I'm not going to let that happen to my family”. Over the two hour set, hits ‘Wait and Bleed’ and ‘Psychosocial’ make for rowdy moshpits and after an extra long pause before the encore, ‘People = Shit’ and ‘Surfacing’ complete the show.
