REVIEW: Download Festival 2015
Words: Michael Glynn
Beer and tent at the ready, it’s time for Download Festival again, the annual pilgrimage to Donington that every discerning rock aficionado ought to make at least once in their life.
For once it seems like the metal gods are looking down on Donington and the hardcore five-day campers have been treated to two glorious sunny days before the music has even begun. By the time All That Remains open the Main Stage frontman Phil Labonte is greeted by the sight of several thousand crispy-faced rock fans before they deliver a metalcore-by-numbers set. Meanwhile, New Zealanders Rival State open the Zippo Encore Stage with a haka (of course!) and a clutch of blistering songs. After a successful stint opening Kerrang! Tour 2015, Beartooth are well and truly riding the hype train and as they pummel their way through an all too brief set it’s clear that this a band on the cusp of something great. Watch this space.
If a festival like Download wants to survive it needs to bring new bands through the ranks to headline, last year Avenged Sevenfold proved that they had what it takes to join the elite and during their 45 minute long set this afternoon, Five Finger Death Punch obliterate any doubt that they will one day join them. Tracks like ‘Under and Over It’ and ‘Lift Me Up’ incite mass sing-alongs and some of the biggest circle pits of the weekend, however the biggest cheer is reserved for when they invite three young children onstage to watch ‘Burn MF’. Incredible stuff.
There’s a major feeling of deja vu in the air tonight as much like in 2013 tonight sees Black Stone Cherry headline the Zippo Encore Stage against Slipknot on the Main Stage. Kicking off their set with the apt ‘Rain Wizard’ with the opening lyrics “Here comes the rain” matching the downpour that’s currently drenching the masses that have turned out for them, Black Stone Cherry once again prove that they’re the undeniable Southern kings.
Over on the Main Stage though, the eighteen-legged juggernaut that is Slipknot are ready for their Download return – yes, with three appearances in the past six years they’re quickly becoming the Donington house band. With the rain now falling so heavily that frontman Corey Taylor even suggests that organiser Andy Copping changes the name of the event to Downpour Festival 2015, the band pile drive their way through an aggressive set that leans heavily on material from their recent album ‘.5 the Gray Chapter.’
While they never quite reach the heights of their legendary 2013 performance, Slipknot prove that they're undisputedly one of the most important bands around. With their most impressive stage show to date providing the backdrop to anthems such as 'Duality' and 'Psychosocial' Slipknot make it abundantly clear that they are the kings of Download Festival and any other band will have to fight them for that title.
After a night of constant heavy rain the once solid ground has now became a mud pit that pigs would delight in. Day 2 of Download Festival is underway! Early on the Main Stage Funeral For A Friend are in a celebratory mood with their classic album ‘Hours’ turning 10 this weekend. For some unfathomable reason they keep slipping down the bill, but today they prove that they’re still one of the most important bands in Britain. Following FFAF and clearly heavily influenced by the Welsh band are young upstarts Mallory Knox and with their use of smoke cannons it’s clear that despite their low billing they have high hopes; as they get the crowd to belt out songs such as ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Shout at the Mirror’ back at them, it’s clear that this is the lowest position they’ll play in a long time.
One of the positives about the rain that’s still pouring is that it drives more people into the tents to catch the smaller bands, one of whom is currently tearing Jake’s Stage a new one: Crobot. They may be largely unknown but they take advantage of the heaving tent and raise the temperature with a rousing set showcasing their rifftacular sound.
Back outside the rain finally starts to subside when A Day To Remember take to the stage for one of the biggest shows of their lives. Over the course of 50 minutes the pop punk favourites turn the crowd into one moshpitting, crowdsurfing and singing mess, despite a sound mix muddier than the ground they manage to pull off one of the biggest victories of the weekend.
Now for the biggest gamble Download Festival has ever made, their appearance has divided opinion in a way that only marmite can but as Muse take to the stage, all of the doubt flies away and they pull off one of the most spectacular sets in Donington history. Despite an early slip (literally) Matt Bellamy proves that you don’t have to scream or growl to be heavy as he leads the band through a setlist that focuses mainly on the very oldest and newest material in their back catalogue. By the time they close their set with fan favourites ‘Plug in Baby’ and ‘Knights of Cydonia’ it’s mission accomplished for Muse and for those in attendance this is one of those gigs that will be talked about in years to come.
As the sun rises on the final day of Download Festival it appears that the last of the rain has fallen; this doesn’t stop the the Pepsi Max tent from filling to capacity for Evil Scarecrow though. With their self proclaimed ‘Blue Peter Metal’, they manage to incite an anti-gravity circle pit - and you haven’t seen anything until you see thousands of metal-heads scuttling side to side to a song called ‘Crabulon’.
One of the worst kept secrets was the fact that The Darkness would be playing this weekend, and as such, before they even take to the Pepsi Max tent it's rammed full with a crowd of people piled around the outside hoping to be able to hear. As frontman Justin Hawkins arrives on stage after being carried through the crowd on top of a shield by a bunch of Vikings (as you do) The Darkness fire their way through a greatest hits set before closing with the obvious ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’.
After Billy Idol’s disappointing set on the Main Stage, bona fide rock legend Slash takes steps up with his band to treat the crowd to some Guns n Roses tracks with some solo material thrown in; ‘Sweet Child o Mine’ delivers the obligatory festival anthem. There’s no time for tears during Motley Crue’s last ever UK festival appearance before they call it a day. Despite the fact that frontman Vince Neil has forgotten half of the words to their songs and tunelessly howls the words that he does remember, there’s no denying that Motley Crue know how to put on a show. With more pyro on stage than a firework factory on fire, the Crue make sure that they go out with an explosive bang.
There’s only one way to follow up after Motley Crue and as Kiss take to the stage it’s clear that they saw the amount of fire that their predecessors used and decided to put them to shame. Between Gene Simmons blowing fire and Paul Stanley flying into the crowd, Kiss deliver a lesson in how to deliver a performance - and with Stanley promising that everything heard tonight is live with no backing track, it’s rock music at it’s finest. As they wrap up their set with ‘Rock & Roll All Nite’ it’s clear that the crowd gathered before them would happily stay here all night for more, but unfortunately the firework display behind the band signals the end of their set and with it the end of Download Festival. Or should that be Downpour Festival 2015?!
Photos: Andrew Whitton / Richard Johnson / Gobinder Jhitta / Scott Salt / Justine Trickett / Danny North