Download Festival Review 2011...
THURSDAY 9th JUNE 2011
So, as with every year, it’s a slightly different set up with Download and a slightly different group of people from the previous year, of the seven camping from last year, only Jolene didn’t make it back (although she did have the excuse of being in South Korea!) Meaning that me, Toni, Stevo, Jim, Lisa and Clare were joined by Lisa’s friends Helen, Carl and Shaz (who all knew Jolene!) and our ex-housemate Ander, his girlfriend Beth and a couple of their mates. Add to this a tent that given its’ small looking exterior incredibly stored 5 people but we barely saw anyone go in and out all weekend and you had our campsite.
Following Ander’s idea of naively having one person save space for the rest of the entire group overnight, we eventually developed a cohesive plan with Lisa and Clare going down on Wednesday, she offered to take and set up our tent. So when we arrived on Thursday at around 1PM, all we had to do was unpack and start cooking and drinking..!
A good while later and everyone had imbibed a few beers and the Thursday night disco was on, this year’s track to annoy the metal purists being Rebecca Black’s comedy genius of ‘Friday’!
Friday morning was the worst hangover at a festival I’ve experienced..!
FRIDAY 10th JUNE 2011
Download’s decision to make things kick off at the later time of 1PM to possibly see hangovers slept off (thank you!) created resultant decent crowds as Friday was probably the busiest day, this was made even more surprising by the reported poor crowds later on when Def Leppard headlined the Main Stage.
First things first though, it’s the matter of the rest of the day’s bands, starting with CKY (8), given that I assumed that I didn’t know more than one song and they were not that heavy, I was most surprised to find that I knew a trio of their songs and that they were pretty riff heavy and enjoyable riffs at that, maybe I should give them a proper chance?
Having to escape Puddle Of Mudd’s inane whining meant it was over to the second stage to check out D.R .U. G. S. (5), their largely unmemorable sub-Blackout set dragged by.
Fortunately, it was time for the Third Stage to demonstrate what quality was on there, starting with Royal Republic (10), these guys really have the potential to go to the very top, tunes out of the top draw, an endearing oddness to their stage performance and overall, a killer live show. Outstanding.
The thing about grunge is, it doesn’t really allow for exciting bounding around on stage or headbanging action that punk or metal has, the bands kind of have to stand there playing. By comparison to the previous act, Japanese Voyeurs (6) seemed to be in slow motion. Although once again hamstrung by the habit of the sounddesk fellas to set up not catering for the higher vocals of Romily and other female singers.
The set up did suit the next act though, hearteningly after a largely Brit-less festival last year, it was British post-hardcore in the form of Lower Than Atlantis (8), seemingly taking on the Yanks at their own game and winning.
The tent then filled to bursting... and I’m not sure why, because Asking Alexandria (2), or the Jonny-fied band as they are known down at 332, are fucking rubbish. Beatdowns or not, it’s just shit, I’m afraid.
Toni’s perv-fest at Alter Bridge went by the wayside as we hung around to discover just how brilliant Hyro Da Hero (9) is, tracks like ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ with their lightning fast beats to the backing of some punchy drumming and guitar created a maelstrom and invited me to mosh for a bit.
Finally, we ventured out into the sunshine to the Main Stage where The Darkness (7) were staging their comeback. It’s been very nearly a decade since they swathed a nu-metal swamped market in tight spandex and classic solos but the crowd clear still remember fondly the songs and the band, particularly those off ‘Permission to Land’ and maybe the comeback is on. I’d have loved it if they had played ‘Don’t Let The Bells End’ in June but it was not to be..!
Meanwhile, the mint vodka had been flowing and we had to make a hasty escape from a zombie who had initiated a spate of writing on body parts and eventually we made our way across to see Pendulum (8) on the Second Stage, as there had been a fair bit of booze drank at this stage, I can’t remember much more than dancing like a goon and that the light show was nice...
SATURDAY 11th JUNE 2011
Saturday also began in clement weather conditions and after once again smuggling through some vodka into the arena, we managed to head up in time for first band, which was The Rods (7), it’s kind of quaint watching some blokes in their fifties playing hair metal, particularly when their hair isn’t real, The Rods provide moderate entertainment and are clearly happy to be there and have about four people recognise them.
All That Remains (4) were next and I honestly can’t think of anything about their live show, it was unremarkable and stuck in my head as long as thoughts about becoming an antiques dealer do.
After lunch, it was time to head over to the second stage to see Boss Hoss (5) who promised much but delivered little, a country band covering rock songs turned out to be, a country band playing their own pretty average songs. Rats!
The day had turned out to be pretty disappointing until the arrival of Skindred (9) onto the Main Stage, they got the crowd swinging their “big ol’ titties!” to their reggae tinged metal and the place exploded into life.
Not only did they have the riffs but they have the patter and in tunes like “Trouble”, “Pressure” and “Nobody”, they can make a whole field of rock fans move as one. Superb stuff, I intend to be checking out their back catalogue.
Having heard some of Hollywood Undead (7)’s lyrics, I did wonder if the Eminem sound-a-like rappers were actually some famous people taking the piss but having heard the set, I was surprised by the slower songs and variety in there.
Maybe it’s not all bluster? Having just seen all the wars going on throughout their last.fm wall about what genre they should be tagged in, they can at least spark some debate while everyone works out where exactly they belong to.
Down (8) reminded me of Lamb Of God’s performance the previous year, the metal stylings were good but I couldn’t really tell what the lyrics were about so it was a nice introduction to where they are at.
Time for Skunk Anansie (6) who when the line up was announced and considering I’m a big Skunk Anansie fan, I was amazed they were so far up it. Having been away for the best part of a decade, their new songs on the greatest hits compilation showed promise but the last album was a major disappointment, it may as well have been another one of Skin’s god-awful solo albums.
Once again, the female vocalist set up flummoxed the sound guys and shorn of the volume of her crucial vocals, they were up against it from the start.
Playing a number of new songs and a bizarre set order didn’t help but they tried their best and Skin was note perfect riding through the ‘pit as ever but she certainly didn’t deserve the fat bald cunt on the front row bellowing into her face to “Fuck off!” as she sang. Whether he was just a crazed System Of A Down fan or an ignorant racist, we’ll probably never know. Hopefully, Skindred beat him up outside if it was the latter.
It’s doubtful previously mentioned bald man would have caught The King Blues (10) either, which is a shame, as he might have seen a great show.
After a couple of albums of critical but not public acclaim, Itch and the band are finally playing to big crowds and with an album full of biting political polemic and razor sharp grooves like “Headbutt” “The Future’s Not What It Used To Be” and “Set The World On Fire”, it’s all richly deserved. They end on the oldie “Save the World, Get The Girl”, the whole tent joins in, they’ve saved the day at least, mission accomplished!
On paper, you couldn’t really secure much of a better headliner for Download, the returning System Of A Down (9), back off hiatus and the crowd hoping that they are in the mood to take over the world once more rather than being rather sidelined in their respective side projects.
Their set barely touches their eponymous debut album apart from ‘Sugar’ and ‘War’ and concentrates instead on the Mezmerize/Hypnotize albums released within a few months of each other
There were a lot of surprising choices, they play a lot of slower songs like “Lost In Hollywood” “U-Fig” and “Soldier Side” and the chemistry wasn’t quite as cohesive as it was in their first spell together.
In a way, it was frustrating, the music clearly does past the test of time but do the band really want to be together or is it just the equivalent of a Christmas get together with some in-laws you don’t really like? Only to be repeated to keep others happy? Hopefully not but the rumours are that a new SOAD album is as far away as ever.
It was a fun experience, a tremendous time was had by all down at the front and it was the original line up of System of A Down, that’s good enough, so that could be their Christmas gift.
SUNDAY 12th JUNE 2011
Then overnight, the weather turned into something thoroughly unpleasant, this was to become a theme of the summer, we had to don ponchos and other concessions to the weather and forego the arguably funnier names of ‘Skeletal Damage’ and ‘Belligerence’ in order to watch Suicide Silence (5) in the rain.
Eventually, we gave in and ventured inside for some Trucker Diablo (8), which I immensely enjoyed, not only for the country sounding vocals and big dirty riffs but for the Tuborg beach balls (which of course only came out when it was pissing down!) bouncing around the tent!
Nothing quite prepared us for Hell (-666), quite possibly the most unintentionally comedy metal band to have ever existed. Thirty years they had existed as a group, just a handful of miles from a rock, punk and metal festival and not once had they been invited, you’d think they would have taken a hint.?!
Anyway, if you want to see a bunch of fifty year old blokes doing hackneyed fantasy metal and flogging themselves as punishment for their sin or if you want to laugh till your nipples fall off, do check them out!
Festivals are designed for bands like Bowling for Soup (10), you’d think that the weather might dampen their sunny pop-punk, heaven forbid! Jared divides the two sides into teams shouting against each other, like some kind of pisspoor US cable teen show, the band stop mid-song for photo poses for the crowd and inflatable animals are violated, all while barely missing a note, tremendous!
Then came a decision, the Pretty Reckless would probably come round again... but how many times do you get to see GWAR (10) ?! A decision that completely justifies itself when the first Spitting Image style robot fight culminates in fountains of fake blood and downright bizarreness!
It goes on, just long enough to be a full set, their music is decent enough metal and short enough so the gag doesn’t wear thin. The highlight possibly being when they invite someone dressed as The Queen onstage, then ask: “Who would like to see the Queen’s tits?!” devilishly ripping her top off to reveal fake sagging jugs before then pulling her tits off entirely to cue more torrents of fake blood! Mental.
Either God decides that he is angry that GWAR exist or that GWAR left the stage early as they are hauled off before their intended final song, you decide! Whatever, it’s pissing down again and The Gaslight Anthem (8) are playing their hearts out, it’s a set heavy on the latest album and missing gems like ‘We Came To Dance’ and I’da Called You Woody Joe’ but the few hardy souls remaining are lifted.
With a lot of people abandoning ship or to be more accurate abandoning water for a ship or somewhere warm, we head over to the only tent in the arena and decide to lurk there till better weather or failing that, the mighty Frank Turner comes on!
First up are Deaf Havana (7) who defy expectations by being very British, none of your American style demands for circle pits and saying fuck all the time, they achieve ‘pits by just playing music, how novel. I only caught a few songs but they did seem pretty impressive. More so than Framing Hanley (6) who were very much forgettable. Next!
Silverstein (8) prove to be above a number of similar sounding bands, cramming energy into their tunes without sacrificing melody. Except with their earlier stuff, which sounds a bit gash! They also earn points for their weird intro where every member of the band ‘wins the chance to play in the band Silverstein!” in the style of a Blind Date prize being revealed!
It’s rough being arguably the softest sounding band at Download, Plain White T’s (7) fend off the catcalls to ‘Get off!’ and considerably worse to provide a soothing balm to the ears, ‘Delilah’ is one of their weaker songs in their set and they can up the pace. It’s an admirable effort and they do win some over, the ones that are willing to listen...
So out comes Frank Turner (10) and makes everything better again! The rain, the fact you are in dire need of a shower and you have return to normality in a couple of days all pale into insignificance when we hear his voice.
He’s so delighted to be there, stealing fans off Linkin Park and Rob Zombie while wielding just an acoustic axe. New song ‘Eulogy’ opens the set and gleefully mixes Freddie Mercury references with a brass section, he tears through ‘Peggy Sings The Blues’ and ‘I Still Believe’ but the hits gets the entire sent into a raucous singalong and Toni into group-photo-while-looking-down-into-the-camera-belting-out-a-song mood!
Ending with an epic triple combo of ‘Photosynthesis’, ‘The Road’ and ‘The Ballad Of Me And My Friends’, which brings pure joy tumbling out of every pore and it’s an unbeatable way to end a festival and sure beats being “about to break..!”
And here's one I've prepared earlier..!
http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/165026.html
So, as with every year, it’s a slightly different set up with Download and a slightly different group of people from the previous year, of the seven camping from last year, only Jolene didn’t make it back (although she did have the excuse of being in South Korea!) Meaning that me, Toni, Stevo, Jim, Lisa and Clare were joined by Lisa’s friends Helen, Carl and Shaz (who all knew Jolene!) and our ex-housemate Ander, his girlfriend Beth and a couple of their mates. Add to this a tent that given its’ small looking exterior incredibly stored 5 people but we barely saw anyone go in and out all weekend and you had our campsite.
Following Ander’s idea of naively having one person save space for the rest of the entire group overnight, we eventually developed a cohesive plan with Lisa and Clare going down on Wednesday, she offered to take and set up our tent. So when we arrived on Thursday at around 1PM, all we had to do was unpack and start cooking and drinking..!
A good while later and everyone had imbibed a few beers and the Thursday night disco was on, this year’s track to annoy the metal purists being Rebecca Black’s comedy genius of ‘Friday’!
Friday morning was the worst hangover at a festival I’ve experienced..!
FRIDAY 10th JUNE 2011
Download’s decision to make things kick off at the later time of 1PM to possibly see hangovers slept off (thank you!) created resultant decent crowds as Friday was probably the busiest day, this was made even more surprising by the reported poor crowds later on when Def Leppard headlined the Main Stage.
First things first though, it’s the matter of the rest of the day’s bands, starting with CKY (8), given that I assumed that I didn’t know more than one song and they were not that heavy, I was most surprised to find that I knew a trio of their songs and that they were pretty riff heavy and enjoyable riffs at that, maybe I should give them a proper chance?
Having to escape Puddle Of Mudd’s inane whining meant it was over to the second stage to check out D.R .U. G. S. (5), their largely unmemorable sub-Blackout set dragged by.
Fortunately, it was time for the Third Stage to demonstrate what quality was on there, starting with Royal Republic (10), these guys really have the potential to go to the very top, tunes out of the top draw, an endearing oddness to their stage performance and overall, a killer live show. Outstanding.
The thing about grunge is, it doesn’t really allow for exciting bounding around on stage or headbanging action that punk or metal has, the bands kind of have to stand there playing. By comparison to the previous act, Japanese Voyeurs (6) seemed to be in slow motion. Although once again hamstrung by the habit of the sounddesk fellas to set up not catering for the higher vocals of Romily and other female singers.
The set up did suit the next act though, hearteningly after a largely Brit-less festival last year, it was British post-hardcore in the form of Lower Than Atlantis (8), seemingly taking on the Yanks at their own game and winning.
The tent then filled to bursting... and I’m not sure why, because Asking Alexandria (2), or the Jonny-fied band as they are known down at 332, are fucking rubbish. Beatdowns or not, it’s just shit, I’m afraid.
Toni’s perv-fest at Alter Bridge went by the wayside as we hung around to discover just how brilliant Hyro Da Hero (9) is, tracks like ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ with their lightning fast beats to the backing of some punchy drumming and guitar created a maelstrom and invited me to mosh for a bit.
Finally, we ventured out into the sunshine to the Main Stage where The Darkness (7) were staging their comeback. It’s been very nearly a decade since they swathed a nu-metal swamped market in tight spandex and classic solos but the crowd clear still remember fondly the songs and the band, particularly those off ‘Permission to Land’ and maybe the comeback is on. I’d have loved it if they had played ‘Don’t Let The Bells End’ in June but it was not to be..!
Meanwhile, the mint vodka had been flowing and we had to make a hasty escape from a zombie who had initiated a spate of writing on body parts and eventually we made our way across to see Pendulum (8) on the Second Stage, as there had been a fair bit of booze drank at this stage, I can’t remember much more than dancing like a goon and that the light show was nice...
SATURDAY 11th JUNE 2011
Saturday also began in clement weather conditions and after once again smuggling through some vodka into the arena, we managed to head up in time for first band, which was The Rods (7), it’s kind of quaint watching some blokes in their fifties playing hair metal, particularly when their hair isn’t real, The Rods provide moderate entertainment and are clearly happy to be there and have about four people recognise them.
All That Remains (4) were next and I honestly can’t think of anything about their live show, it was unremarkable and stuck in my head as long as thoughts about becoming an antiques dealer do.
After lunch, it was time to head over to the second stage to see Boss Hoss (5) who promised much but delivered little, a country band covering rock songs turned out to be, a country band playing their own pretty average songs. Rats!
The day had turned out to be pretty disappointing until the arrival of Skindred (9) onto the Main Stage, they got the crowd swinging their “big ol’ titties!” to their reggae tinged metal and the place exploded into life.
Not only did they have the riffs but they have the patter and in tunes like “Trouble”, “Pressure” and “Nobody”, they can make a whole field of rock fans move as one. Superb stuff, I intend to be checking out their back catalogue.
Having heard some of Hollywood Undead (7)’s lyrics, I did wonder if the Eminem sound-a-like rappers were actually some famous people taking the piss but having heard the set, I was surprised by the slower songs and variety in there.
Maybe it’s not all bluster? Having just seen all the wars going on throughout their last.fm wall about what genre they should be tagged in, they can at least spark some debate while everyone works out where exactly they belong to.
Down (8) reminded me of Lamb Of God’s performance the previous year, the metal stylings were good but I couldn’t really tell what the lyrics were about so it was a nice introduction to where they are at.
Time for Skunk Anansie (6) who when the line up was announced and considering I’m a big Skunk Anansie fan, I was amazed they were so far up it. Having been away for the best part of a decade, their new songs on the greatest hits compilation showed promise but the last album was a major disappointment, it may as well have been another one of Skin’s god-awful solo albums.
Once again, the female vocalist set up flummoxed the sound guys and shorn of the volume of her crucial vocals, they were up against it from the start.
Playing a number of new songs and a bizarre set order didn’t help but they tried their best and Skin was note perfect riding through the ‘pit as ever but she certainly didn’t deserve the fat bald cunt on the front row bellowing into her face to “Fuck off!” as she sang. Whether he was just a crazed System Of A Down fan or an ignorant racist, we’ll probably never know. Hopefully, Skindred beat him up outside if it was the latter.
It’s doubtful previously mentioned bald man would have caught The King Blues (10) either, which is a shame, as he might have seen a great show.
After a couple of albums of critical but not public acclaim, Itch and the band are finally playing to big crowds and with an album full of biting political polemic and razor sharp grooves like “Headbutt” “The Future’s Not What It Used To Be” and “Set The World On Fire”, it’s all richly deserved. They end on the oldie “Save the World, Get The Girl”, the whole tent joins in, they’ve saved the day at least, mission accomplished!
On paper, you couldn’t really secure much of a better headliner for Download, the returning System Of A Down (9), back off hiatus and the crowd hoping that they are in the mood to take over the world once more rather than being rather sidelined in their respective side projects.
Their set barely touches their eponymous debut album apart from ‘Sugar’ and ‘War’ and concentrates instead on the Mezmerize/Hypnotize albums released within a few months of each other
There were a lot of surprising choices, they play a lot of slower songs like “Lost In Hollywood” “U-Fig” and “Soldier Side” and the chemistry wasn’t quite as cohesive as it was in their first spell together.
In a way, it was frustrating, the music clearly does past the test of time but do the band really want to be together or is it just the equivalent of a Christmas get together with some in-laws you don’t really like? Only to be repeated to keep others happy? Hopefully not but the rumours are that a new SOAD album is as far away as ever.
It was a fun experience, a tremendous time was had by all down at the front and it was the original line up of System of A Down, that’s good enough, so that could be their Christmas gift.
SUNDAY 12th JUNE 2011
Then overnight, the weather turned into something thoroughly unpleasant, this was to become a theme of the summer, we had to don ponchos and other concessions to the weather and forego the arguably funnier names of ‘Skeletal Damage’ and ‘Belligerence’ in order to watch Suicide Silence (5) in the rain.
Eventually, we gave in and ventured inside for some Trucker Diablo (8), which I immensely enjoyed, not only for the country sounding vocals and big dirty riffs but for the Tuborg beach balls (which of course only came out when it was pissing down!) bouncing around the tent!
Nothing quite prepared us for Hell (-666), quite possibly the most unintentionally comedy metal band to have ever existed. Thirty years they had existed as a group, just a handful of miles from a rock, punk and metal festival and not once had they been invited, you’d think they would have taken a hint.?!
Anyway, if you want to see a bunch of fifty year old blokes doing hackneyed fantasy metal and flogging themselves as punishment for their sin or if you want to laugh till your nipples fall off, do check them out!
Festivals are designed for bands like Bowling for Soup (10), you’d think that the weather might dampen their sunny pop-punk, heaven forbid! Jared divides the two sides into teams shouting against each other, like some kind of pisspoor US cable teen show, the band stop mid-song for photo poses for the crowd and inflatable animals are violated, all while barely missing a note, tremendous!
Then came a decision, the Pretty Reckless would probably come round again... but how many times do you get to see GWAR (10) ?! A decision that completely justifies itself when the first Spitting Image style robot fight culminates in fountains of fake blood and downright bizarreness!
It goes on, just long enough to be a full set, their music is decent enough metal and short enough so the gag doesn’t wear thin. The highlight possibly being when they invite someone dressed as The Queen onstage, then ask: “Who would like to see the Queen’s tits?!” devilishly ripping her top off to reveal fake sagging jugs before then pulling her tits off entirely to cue more torrents of fake blood! Mental.
Either God decides that he is angry that GWAR exist or that GWAR left the stage early as they are hauled off before their intended final song, you decide! Whatever, it’s pissing down again and The Gaslight Anthem (8) are playing their hearts out, it’s a set heavy on the latest album and missing gems like ‘We Came To Dance’ and I’da Called You Woody Joe’ but the few hardy souls remaining are lifted.
With a lot of people abandoning ship or to be more accurate abandoning water for a ship or somewhere warm, we head over to the only tent in the arena and decide to lurk there till better weather or failing that, the mighty Frank Turner comes on!
First up are Deaf Havana (7) who defy expectations by being very British, none of your American style demands for circle pits and saying fuck all the time, they achieve ‘pits by just playing music, how novel. I only caught a few songs but they did seem pretty impressive. More so than Framing Hanley (6) who were very much forgettable. Next!
Silverstein (8) prove to be above a number of similar sounding bands, cramming energy into their tunes without sacrificing melody. Except with their earlier stuff, which sounds a bit gash! They also earn points for their weird intro where every member of the band ‘wins the chance to play in the band Silverstein!” in the style of a Blind Date prize being revealed!
It’s rough being arguably the softest sounding band at Download, Plain White T’s (7) fend off the catcalls to ‘Get off!’ and considerably worse to provide a soothing balm to the ears, ‘Delilah’ is one of their weaker songs in their set and they can up the pace. It’s an admirable effort and they do win some over, the ones that are willing to listen...
So out comes Frank Turner (10) and makes everything better again! The rain, the fact you are in dire need of a shower and you have return to normality in a couple of days all pale into insignificance when we hear his voice.
He’s so delighted to be there, stealing fans off Linkin Park and Rob Zombie while wielding just an acoustic axe. New song ‘Eulogy’ opens the set and gleefully mixes Freddie Mercury references with a brass section, he tears through ‘Peggy Sings The Blues’ and ‘I Still Believe’ but the hits gets the entire sent into a raucous singalong and Toni into group-photo-while-looking-down-into-the-camera-belting-out-a-song mood!
Ending with an epic triple combo of ‘Photosynthesis’, ‘The Road’ and ‘The Ballad Of Me And My Friends’, which brings pure joy tumbling out of every pore and it’s an unbeatable way to end a festival and sure beats being “about to break..!”
And here's one I've prepared earlier..!
http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/165026.html