Live Review
Download 2011 –
It was the lower down the bill acts that stole the rain hit Download festival this year.
Friday: Aside from Def Leppard’s greatest hits set still ringing in the ears (which by the way was full of ear busting gems) it was the likes of The Damned Things that raised a few eyebrows. Their dirty grunge busting growls had many head banging in appreciation. Puddle of Mud earlier in the day (just as people were starting early on the Jager bombs) on the main stage hailed out their Kansas City angst. The crowd were warming up in tune to the likes ofBlurry and She Hates Me.
Pendulum smashed it on second stage probably the highlight of the whole weekend. An epic set made up of tracks from In Silico and Immersion. Blood Sugar was unleashed into the set Ben Mount had the crowd crouching down until the song started with a riotous spring the crowd went crazy.
Thin Lizzy offered up lashings of nostalgia over on the main stage clasping out Boys Are Back in Town featuring Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell rousing the crowd on guitar. Whiskey in the Jar was a highlight of an emotional set with tributes also out to the late Gary Moore. TL showed why they are still one of Rock’s most of important bands of all time.
It was the choice of Korn or The Darkness the later being the somewhat amused choice….Hawkins opted to shout give us a ‘D’ followed by give us ‘ownload’ to open the set. More the Moustache that claimed the limelight than the set but the crowd seemed to reminisce with the likes of ‘Growin On Me’ and ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’
Having managed to quickly catch a bit of Danzig by the crowd’s reaction their set was the highlight of the weekend. The heavy metallers entertained more so with their stage antics kicking over and amp and starting on the sound man.
Saturday: Ghost were the highlights of the Pepsi Max stage on Saturday with their crazy lead singer dressed as a priest demonic sounds belting around like psych rock.
Bowling for Soup on the Jagermister stage jammed just 9 songs into their acoustic set and were in the main drowned out much to the annoyance of the crowd by the sounds of Skunk Anansie on the main stage. ‘Girl All The Bad Guys Want’ eased the end of the set as a sing a long but that was that.
Alice Cooper belted out nostalgic anthems whilst flitting across to System of A Down saw the new metallers rattle through 26 songs in just an hour and a half in business like manner though ‘Chop Suey’ had the crowd in raging sing/shout along.
Sunday: The rain really lashed down with venom on Sunday though when The Cult cried out their anthem ‘Rain the weather had literally eased up.
Whilst caked in mud a run/plunge over to Linkin Park whilst low on energy was ever the worth because the band treated the damp souls to all the classic metal rap hits though many sneaked off early like a football match with part time supporters (although rheumatism had set in). Those that stuck around were treated ever the more especially in a trance to the tribal beats on ‘When They Come For Me’.
A superb weekend another great line up….shame about the rain but the Jagermeister’s kept everybody going….all aboard for Download 2012!