News

Download Festival Announce A Further Twenty Bands

• 26th Jan 2011

The DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, now in its ninth successful year at the home of rock, Donington Park, has announced a whopping great 20 bands who are all set to rock the stages on the weekend of 10-12 June 2011.

From chief heavyweights and major players of the international rock scene, classic rock heroes, acclaimed rock legends and innovators to the latest hotly tipped acts emerging onto the scene, Download 2011 is set to make ears ring, voices hoarse and legs very weary this summer.

UK Top 5 charting modern metallers Bullet For My Valentine, who Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich included in his Top 5 current metal acts, the critically acclaimed New Jersey boys Gaslight Anthem, Australian drum ‘n bass / rock dynamos Pendulum, who knocked The Rolling Stones off the top of the UK charts last year with their third album Immersion, US classic rockers Alter Bridge,recently heralded by a US website as ‘the second coming of real rock’, will be making their mark on Donington with what are bound to be significant and exciting live performances.

Legends of the classic rock fold will be back on the scene at Download this year – the boys who are back in town, Thin Lizzy, LA glam-rock stars Buckcherry, American ‘jam band’ Clutch, who are now in their 21st year, Brit rockers FM and finally Mr. Big, the virtuoso classic rockers who have reunited for a new album What If.

Download 2011 will see the return, and even the debut, of some of the greatest and most influential rock artists of all time, all who have influenced a generation or more of contemporary music acts. Master of theatre and horror Alice Cooper, who will be inducted into the world famous Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame this year, Nu-metal pioneers Korn, US blues-metallers Danzig, fronted by the king of horror-punk Glenn Danzig, British rock heroes The Cult, who are currently on the road across the UK and Europe, sci-fi inspired shock-rock metallers GWAR, and ‘desert rock’ originators Masters Of Reality, who celebrate their 30th anniversary this year, alljoin the party. There should be no over-estimation of their influence on modern rock – to put it bluntly; without Glenn Danzig there’d be no My Chemical Romance, without GWAR there would be no Slipknot, without The Cult there’d be no Guns ‘N’ Roses, without Korn you’d have no Linkin Park or Disturbed, without Masters Of Reality there would be no Kyuss or Queens Of The Stone Age, and without Alice Cooper there would be no Kiss, no Marilyn Manson, and arguably no Lady Gaga.

Moving on to the new kids on the block, with a host of new and new(ish) acts set to get tongues wagging and heads banging in 2011. Black Veil Brides, known for their distinct Kiss-inspired appearance, The Damned Things – a blend of Every Time I Die and 80s thrash heroes Anthrax, the Nevada post hardcore act Escape The Fate, LA rap-rockers Hollywood Undead and Kerrang! Magazine’s ‘Best British Newcomer’ 2010 award winners Rise To Remain – fronted by Bruce Dickinson’s son Austin – all jump into the fray and will be looking to win over the crowds at Download in June.

These acts join headliners System Of A Down and Linkin Park, plus Avenged Sevenfold and Rob Zombie. Weekend tickets and RIP packages for Download (at 2010 prices) are on sale now from link.

Fancy following in the footsteps of My Passion, Youmeatsix and Don Broco? If so 2011 could well be your year as once again Red Bull Bedroom Jam returns to the hallowed turf of Donington Park to give eight new artists the chance to play to the assembled rock masses. If you’re in a band, get your video uploaded now at link, and if you’re a fan, get promoting your favourite act to give them the chance to play Download, along with four of the countries other top festivals, have a live gig streamed out across the globe, spend two weeks recording in the Red Bull Studio London and get a much coveted support slot on a major rock tour.
To coincide with this latest announcement, the official Download Festival website – link – has just been re-launched, and comes full to the brim with exciting digital Download goodies.

As well as a brand spanking new homepage, you’ll find news about the bands playing the festival, detailed pages with info about all the artists on this year’s line up, photo galleries and video content from previous Download festivals, and of course all the essential information you need to know about this year’s festival.

The Download community continues to go from strength to strength, with the Forums busier than ever, over 25,000 followers on the Download Twitter and almost 180,000 fans chatting away on the Download Facebook page. Join in the conversation now:
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FRIDAY 10 JUNE / SATURDAY 11 JUNE / SUNDAY 12 JUNE

SYSTEM OF A DOWN LINKIN PARK
Pendulum Avenged Sevenfold Bullet For My Valentine
Rob Zombie Korn Alice Cooper
Alter Bridge Danzig The Cult
Gaslight Anthem Hollywood Undead Thin Lizzy
Buckcherry Black Veil Brides The Damned Things Escape The Fate Clutch Mr Big GWAR
FM Masters Of Reality Rise To Remain