Download 2012 Official Poster.

While we dig ourselves out from the glut of ales, sprouts and assorted confections, the farthest reaching eyes of anticipation are already looking towards spring, summer and beyond in 2012.
So far 2012 is looking like one hell of a year with one hell of a set of headliners at Download alone, and as days go by more and more events are fleshing out their bills. Laying it all out on the table, we are taking a broad look at how these live music juggernauts are looking from scene to scene.
First up, we have Resistanz and the Whitby Goth Weekend in April.
Resistanz has now fully solidified its share of bands and aftershow events giving it a bill that puts it and it’s host venue The Corporation in Sheffield on the international map. Sponsored by

Resistanz 2012.

Deathwatch Asia and The Corp’s own resident EBM Industrial night Revolution, the two day festival returns this year with an utterly immense bill featuring the scene icons Icon Of Coil, Grendel and Ultraviolence alongside fast rising stars Surgyn, Studio-X and many more which look set to upstage the 2011 inaugural event in every way possible. With special guest DJ’s, the UK exclusive appearance of the EBM super group Icon Of Coil and an over all ticket price of just £50, this Sheffield event couldn’t get more competitive.

As the autumnal episode of Whitby’s Goth Weekend drew to a close, eyes turned to their April event, detailed in full as a full page advert in the Bonfire weekend programme. Funnily enough the weekend appears to have some of its fire back this coming year with a number of greats and underground legends confirmed for their Spa Pavilion event. The spring weekend takes place from 26th to the 30th of April and features a bill comprising of In the Nursery, Ugly Buggs, The Spiritual Bat, Last July, Dead Eyes Opened, Gene Loves Jezebel(in their final UK show featuring Peter Rizzo & Jay Aston), Die Laughing, The Bellweather Syndicate, Partly Faithful and Stills. Weekend tickets are priced at £50 for the weekend with Friday and Saturday tickets priced at £26 and £29 respectively. Naturally, an event that  has spread to the size of Whitby has comes with the added benefits of some fringe competitors, with a number of club nights and one off gigs already a staple of a weekend in this world famous event, but these are far too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say that there is always something else going on during the Goth Weekend, even if it’s just a running competition to see how many goths can fit in a single bar at once.

In June the summer and the festival season itself begin in earnest with the gigantic Download Festival in Donington. Download have laid their cards on the table already with the gods of thrash Metallica, crossover icons The Prodigy and the fathers of Heavy Metal itself Black Sabbath all due to be in attendance. While this is it so far in terms of announcements many are already calling it the biggest Download ever, though recent reports suggest that more bands are to be added to the bill in the next few weeks. Its all very vague at the moment but how can you top Sabbath and Metallica, on the same bill no less? The major downside of this is that tickets will be very in demand so grab them when you can!

Bloodstock 2012.

The slightly more loose lipped Bloodstock is a bursting bag of treats. Unveiling a whole heap of acts around about Halloween time Dimmu Borgir, Hatebreed and Corrosion of Conformity are confirmed for the  Ronnie James Dio Stage, while Anaal Nathrakh are set to headline the Sophie Lancaster stage. taking place across the weekend of 10th-12th August Bloodstock is the overlooked gem in the crown of UK rock festivals. Added to the mix of Alice Cooper, Orange Goblin, Anvil, Behemoth, Waitain, Paradise Lost, Seattle thrash mob Sanctuary, Michigan melodeath bruisers The Black Dahli Murder, Swedish heavy metal riff lords Grand Magus, the 2012 bill for the Catton Hall festival seems to be shaping up rather nicely this early in the game. Possessing all the budding potential of its peers empty posters but with some true heavyweights in tow Bloodstock is a serious contender for your cash. Another feather to is cap is that tickets are still currently priced at around £90 which for any full scale festival is a bloody bargain.

With Sonisphere, Hevy and Infest festivals all announcing dates (6th – 8th July, 3rd – 6th August and 24th – 26th August respectively) but precious little else, it looks like they’ve got their work cut out for them to win your hard earned cash, but what about everyone else? Decisions, Decisions…

Download Festival 2011: Three Days In A Field

It was only a matter of time; Necromag at Download. 4 stages of Rock in its many forms spread across a three day weekend, surrounded by thousands of attendees, all determined to party hard and make this the weekend of a life time. So how do we cover an event as grand and wide as Download? No amount of running and creative timetabling will let you see everything there is on offer at an event like this, so Necromag trawled the timetables, intent on bringing you the creme de la creme of Doningtons hard rock heroes.
Sheer luck and excellent booking took us to the main stage to see the long absent CKY bring proceedings to a riotous start. An unexpectedly early start to their performance saw me darting straight to the main stage witnessing the firm strutting basslines and aggressive riffs from CKY’s Jess Margera . Underground Howls from singer Chad Ginsburg, quickly followed by Triple Manic State, Flesh Into Gear and the track that sums up CKY’s signature sound; 96 Quite Bitter Beings give Download the good solid kick up the arse it needs to get the weekend started. A song many will know as CKY’s debut single and as Ginsberg calls to the crowd “if you don’t know CKY you’ll know this”. 96 Quite Bitter Beings typifies the CKY sound with its chunky wading guitars that should be cumbersome but instead hit you with an emotional gut punch. Inhuman Creation Station from the band’s album Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild marches like 96 Quite Bitter Beings. The bands strange blend of aggression and soulfulness carry across well live. A slow Jazzy drum solo and stirring ominous bass mark the opening of Escape From Hellview before everything kicks in and chugs a long in true CKY fashion. CKY have some amazing Technical riffs and it seems a shame that they were so far down the bill. Regardless, this was a thunderous opening to Download. Unfortunately though, the band’s own energy failed to linger long after a prerecorded CKY chant faded to nothing.
With uncertain weather reports before proceedings started on Friday, Puddle of Mudd defied the odds and played to dry ground.  Fan favourite and debut single Trust, was ridiculously well received as a closer to a set that was largely skimmed from their 2001 release “Come Clean” and was otherwise unremarkable.
After witnessing the end of Royal Republic’s Pepsi Stage set, I can say they are an odd act. Their sexy plodding funk bass sound causes them to come across like a heavier Franz Ferdinand at times, if you forgive the comparison. Set highlights include Full Steam Space Machine, which only serves to reinforce the funk strut of their sound. Vocalist Adam Grahn has an entertaining alt rock irreverence and comedic nature that dissolves any indie assumptions this reference may cause. The hit single Tommy Gun mutates into Lady Gaga rather unexpectedly, but it would seem that this is exactly what the audience wanted.
Next up was the fast rising grunge quartet Japanese Voyeurs. Japanese Voyeurs are full blown grunge

Japanese Voyeurs At Download Festival.

Chthonic At Download Festival. Image Courtesy Of Spiderfarm Photography.

Saturday was kicked off by the amazing Taiwanese doom lords Chthonic, who sound like Cradle of Filth done right, with the gorgeous Doris Yeh on Bass and providing backing vocals. Chthonic go from a subtle Asian intro to instant brutality from their first track onwards, a performance of 49 Theurgy Chains is a perfect example of their blend of dark and savage metal and melodic eastern influences. Quickly followed by Sing-Ling Temple and Charcoal, it becomes more and more apparent that metal this dark works best at night but as singer Freddy Lim commented it’s good to see so many people turning up to watch during the day time.
Skindred take to the main stage after yesterday’s performance on the Jagermeister Acoustic stage for a set full of ragga-metal belters including Trouble, Pressure and a mash up of “Pass Out” by Tinie Tempah and Skindred’s ” Selector”. Skindred’s Benji Webb has the whole crowd bouncing on command before a mass robot dance off before closing on the couplet of Nobody Gets Out Alive and Warning, Benji has a few parting words for an energized audience yelling “Keep doing what you’re fucking doing!”
The deep south sentiments of Down’s metal Lysergik Funeral Procession build to a triumphant tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell, with a dedication of the song Lifer transforming into powerful performance of Pantera’s Walk. Down are a band that were high on my list of bands to see over the weekend and in spirit were everything I’d hoped. Instrumentally though Down came across a tad murky, but their de-tuned stoner sound gave the band some leeway.
Taking the stage in a mass of feathers like a black, bald Lady Gaga, Skin screams “Everything Is Political” opening Skunk Anansies set. Despite a spirited performance Skin’s vocals lack an oomph to fully connect with the crowd, even after a number of tracks possessing effective howls contrasting with the largely melodic vocals, Skunk Anansie still feel on the verge of something they never quite reach despite remaining close to the sound of their heyday. Throwing herself into the audience Skin does eventually connect even if you had to be in the front row to truly get it.

Kill 21 At Download Festival. Image Courtesy Of Spiderfarm Photography.

Kill 21 give a solid set full of alt and old school rock ‘n’ roll with a heavy touch. A well received cover of A Whole Lotta Rosie, won over any nagging doubters in the crowd securing their impact in the Download line up. Followed up by In Flames off debut album Shoot On Sight, which has an altogether more emotive sound, the band have a solid and undoubted impact on the crowd which shows from here out through the remains of their otherwise stellar set.
Avenged Sevenfold deliver a set ridden with howls and pyro, peaking with popular tracks Almost Easy and Bat Country, Avenged Sevenfold pay tribute to The Rev with a performance of Afterlife, and carry on empowering themselves through loss by playing a strong and entertaining set effectively warming up the crowd for System Of A Down.
After quite some time away SOAD return with all the strength and staunch belief they could muster at their peak. A dramatic, powerful and nostalgic set comprised mainly of post Toxicity recordings saving self-titled tracks Suite Pee and Sugar for last. Sounding as if they had never been away, System have everyone eating out of their hands and dancing in the middle of their palm. Serj’s vocal range is still astounding and his messages of humanity’s self destructive spiral is still potent. Multiple circle pits and throat destroying howl alongs later it’s apparent System are here to stay and are welcomed back to British shores with open arms.

Already falling in dribs and drabs across the weekend, the skies cracked open on Sunday soaking all who dared to brave the fields of the main arena. Finally mustering the courage to enter the arena myself, I witnessed a competent set from Madina Lake. A mainstay of Downloads early day lineups, Madina Lake delivered a performance with all their usual energy and was well received despite a damp and frustrated audience. Followed by an entertaining set from comedy punks Bowling For Soup, whose inflatable sheep taunted onlookers blasted by wind and rain before the bands eventual arrival on stage. The band, while having no direct influence on the weather, temporarily brightened the day with their off beat antics including puncturing their stage prop sheep with a crowd delivered two foot inflatable penis. Bowling For Soup played a variety of hits including 1985, High School Never Ends, Punk Rock 101 and their cartoon theme Phineas and Ferb. Along with all their usual irreverent and irrelevant banter making for a snappy, youthful and rather silly Sunday afternoon.
The Pretty Reckless have been a guilty pleasure of mine for some time now with debut album Light Me Up in regular rotation back in the Necromag office. The Pretty Reckless put on a good show in the face of technical adversity but understandably seemed to experience mixing issues early on. Bratty beauty Taylor Momsen and co trade off their sleazy reputation with some brief splashes of flesh and an entertaining rendition of Going Down, but spend far too long focusing on their faulty monitors expecting a sodden and irritable crowd to care. A gaggle of screaming fans were still to be seen, so it seems as though The Pretty Reckless have suffered at the hands of fate rather than through any fault of their own.
Indie rock crooners the Gas Light Anthem echoed across the hills with a powerful performance of single American Slang, but seemed a tad out of place in the running order when followed by David Draiman and his Disturbed band of brothers. Disturbed also persisted against the elements with a series of classics including Prayer, a song that possesses an epic scope that connects with the weather beaten audience. Closing on Down With The Sickness, Disturbed neatly round off a set full of anthems that warm the crowd up just in time for a break in the deluge.
Striding on stage to the O Fortuna, Bullet For My Valentine play a set in two parts with the bands far more emotive classics following aggressive recent tracks like Waking The Demon. While packing less of a punch in the latter half, the earlier material really separates the true fans from the masses and a rousing performance of Over The Top is a true highlight to the entire day and not just this set.
Rob Zombies set is everything you’ve ever heard about and more. A blistering multimedia explosion of props, dance, pyro, animation, creatively edited horror, graphic anime and well timed karaoke prompts, comprise one of the most creative and all encompassing stage shows I  have ever seen. Zombies skilled backing band of Piggy D on bass, John 5 on guitar and Ginger Fish all have their chance to shine; Fish first, with an incendiary full length drum solo. Zombie goes

Rob Zombie Seals The Deal With Dragula At Download 2011. Image Courtesy of Evileye Bri.

on to declare tonight’s performance not just another rock show, but a full on Zombie party. The girls in the crowd go wild getting topless and swaying atop peoples shoulders, though when Zombie calls for the ladies in the audience to shout out ‘Motherfucker’ for Sick Bubblegum, they are noticeably more restrained. A break mid set gives Zombie pause to reflect on his last performance at Donington with his previous band White Zombie, an anecdote quickly followed by their song Devilman. Another unexpected change of pace comes with what Rob refers to as a romantic number, the spectacular Pussy Liquor followed by a strong performance of the latest single Mars Needs Women, only topped by the essential encore Dragula. Zombies set was immense. An overwhelming sensory masterpiece that took over your whole life and left you spent in the Donington mud at its close.

Download has been an exhausting, inspiring, re-invigorating and the most hard rocking experience so far this year. One of the biggest bills organizer Andy Coping has ever booked, and thankfully this Download weekend was largely clash free due to some creative timetabling. This left festival goers spoiled for choice and confronted with a challenge to their stamina. All this, the late night partying and some unfriendly weather pushed everyone to their limits. However depleting or draining this gauntlet of rock has been, it was ultimately far more than worth the effort, Download 2011 leaves a permanent mark on everyone who was a part of it.

Madame Pain's Boudoir Circus.

As Necromag gears up to cover this years Download Festival, we’re going through just whats on offer with a fine toothed comb. beyond an utterly stellar line-up, lately our eyes have been turning to whats on offer after the sun goes down.

From the very first night that festival goers arrive on site following the camp sites 12pm Wednesday 8th June opening clubnights and comedy performances are set to play out in Downloads rock ‘n’ roll village. This year the newly re-christened Bell Tent returns as The Doghouse in tribute to Downloads rock hound mascot, playing host to Birminghams INK club from the Friday onwards. INK at the Doghouse will see top rock & metal DJ’s on the decks from Friday to Sunday night including Radio 1 Rock Show’s Daniel P. Carter, XFM Rock Show’s Ian Camfield, the Metal Hammer podcast duo Terry Bezer and James Gill, and XFM’s Rich Walters.

For the first time ever at Download Friday is ‘Fancy Dress Friday’, where all Downloaders, staff, crew, and artists will be invited to dress up in keeping with each years theme. This year the them is  Zombies! Festival goers during the day will be recruited by a horde of zombies on site to get decked out and painted up as the walking dead, all to converge on The Doghouse for the ZOMBIE BALL, celebrating the first day of Download 2011. As one of the shambling masses the Zombie Ball is just the first stumbling point with all manner of entertainments available across the download weekend.
If you’re one of the early birds, arriving on Wednesday you can catch a solid line-up of acts in The Comedy tent. Set to perform in the Comedy Tent on the Wednesday and Thursday leading up to Download will be the notorious Kunt & The Gang, Andrew O’Neill, Jason Rouse, Sean Percival plus many more giving way to Madame Pain’s Boudoir Circus from Friday. The spell binding Madame Pain’s Boudoir Circus is an immersive theatrical experience incorporating Victorian-era characters, Rock Angels, swinging Trapeze acts, contortionists, ‘Hardcore Henchmen’ with ‘Hell Bitch’, acrobatics and beds of nails. This true S&M experience was conceived by Madame Pain, a performer who has even worked with the master of horror Alice Cooper, who coincidentally takes to the stage on Saturday 11th.
Opening their doors for a sneak peek at the long awaited sequel to American McGee’s Alice; Alice: Madness Returns is

Alice: Madness Returns.

the regular Download attraction the EA Hub. Will you be lucky enough to get an invite to her Twisted Tea Party as EA invites Festival goers along to the EA to win the chance to enter Alice’s weird and wild Wonderland. Also returning to the event is the time honored festival essential: the outdoor cinema screen. Download’s Outdoor Cinema returns showing classic cult movies and box set favourites such as South Park, Family Guy and The Simpsons making for some light entertainment along the lines of such attendee bellowed quotes as “Butt Scratcher”.

Jägermeister Stage.

Vying for control of your liver VK, Jägermeister and Tuborg have all set up camp at Download, sponsoring stages and setting up their own entertainments and giveaways throughout the weekend. The VK bus will play host to DJ’s spinning heavy rock songs, an electrifying atmosphere and tasty tasty alco-pops for those who want to stay up and rock out harder than ever. The Jägermeister stage doubles as a 25-tonne ex-military transformer, converting into a sub zero ice bar area where festival goers will be able to enjoy an Ice cold Jäger shot and giveaways. In addition the awesome Jäger Rock Truck, will host The Acoustic stage after its success last year with exclusive acoustic sets from famous live rock bands throughout the day. Tuborg’s Beat The Intro tent is also back at Download. In the Beat The Intro tent fans are invited to challenge their mates on their giant bungee run for a chance to win great prizes including side of stage visits. Also back this year is the customisation station where folks can get painted up for the festival, and new this year is the chill out area, where you can sit back and relax with a nice cold pint of Tuborg.

Whether you drink Jägermeister, VK or Tuborg, Download seems set to rock all day and night.