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.

Jägermeister Stage.

Download Festival have unveiled details of both the structure and line up of its Jägermeister stage. Taking place on a converted 25 tonne ex-military beast of a truck, The Jäger-stage is already set to play host to the likes of Bowling For Soup, UK hard-rockers Skin, Hyro Da Hero and much more.

While fans rock out across the weekend an Ice-cold Jägermeister bar will also be on hand to provide shots in the searing summer heat.

The full line up for this stage is as follows;

Friday 10 June
Slaves To Gravity, The Dirty Youth,Heavens Basement, Obsessive Compulsive, Verses

Saturday 11 June
Bowling For Soup, Dan Reed, Royal Republic, Maiden United, Skin

Sunday 12 June
Hyro Da Hero, The Morning After, Million $ Reload, Voodoo Johnson

Full details on the entire Download line up are available here.

In the past fortnight there have been a few significant releases of non headliner bands in this years Download festival line up, with many being quite big names and others being curious surprises.
Returning to the festival are bands like Down and Killswitch Engage, Killswitch having played Download a number of times before with Down also aving the special pleasure of being the so called secret band of the 2006 line up.

In black and white, the new additions to the line up are:
DOWN, CHRIS CORNELL, PAPA ROACH, LACUNA COIL, JOURNEY, BLACKSTONE CHERRY, SKIN, TESLA, CLUTCH, KARMA TO BURN, PARKWAY DRIVE, OPETH, MESHUGGAH, DIR EN GREY, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, YOU ME AT SIX, STEADLÜR, LAWNMOWER DETH

2009’s Download Festival will also see a very special appearance from ex-Guns ‘N’ Roses bassist DUFF MCKAGAN, who brings his latest incarnation LOADED to Download for the very first time.

Most amusing of these announcements is the inclusion of America’s 5th greatest rock act, Journey. Best known for their song, Midnight Train (“Don’t stop Believin’!”) have reformed after a 12 year lul in gigging with a newly auditioned singer plucked from youtube for his dulcet tones.

This years lineup also features yet another UK festival appearance from already wel establised Japanese metal band Dir En Grey. This performance seems set to cause a stir with a number of UK J-rock fans and will be a trial by fire in one of the best UK out dopor festivals in recent years.
We’ll continue to keep you posted and look forward to covering the festival as it happens.